The Grace

New Testament Commentary

REVISED EDITION
Based on the New King James Version
Editor
Robert N. Wilkin
Grace Evangelical Society
Denton, TX
The Grace New Testament Commentary, Revised

Edition
Copyright 2019 by Grace Evangelical Society.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be

reproduced in any form without prior permission of

the publisher, except as provided by USA copyright

law.
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are

from The New King James Version, Copyright 1979,

1980, 1982, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Book Design: Shawn Lazar

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Grace Evangelical Society

PO Box 1308
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ISBN: 978-1-943399-30-7 (paperback)

978-1-943399-31-4 (hardcover)

Contents
Abbreviations 5
Preface to the Revised Edition 7
Preface 9
Contributors 11
Matthew 13
Mark 75
Luke 113
John 177
Acts 235
Romans 299
1 Corinthians 349
2 Corinthians 377
Galatians 403
Ephesians 421
Philippians 437
Colossians 445
1 Thessalonians 455
2 Thessalonians 467
1 Timothy 473
2 Timothy 489
Titus 499
Philemon 505
Hebrews 509
James 541
1 Peter 563
2 Peter 577
1-3 John 587
Jude 609
Revelation 615
Other Titles 657
 Abbreviations
Common Abbreviations
c. circa
chap(s). chapter(s)
cf. compare
e.g., (exempli gratia “for example”)
Gk. or Heb. used for “Greek” or “Hebrew” within a parenthetical
expression
i.e., (id est “that is”)
lit., literally
v verse
vv verses
Biblical and Textual Abbreviations
CT Critical Text
OT Old Testament
LXX Septuagint
MT Majority Text
NT New Testament
TR Textus Receptus
Abbreviations of Books of the Bible
OT: Gen, Exod, Lev, Num, Deut, Josh, Judg, Ruth, 1-2 Sam, 1-2 Kings, 1-
2 Chr, Ezra, Neh, Esth, Job, Ps(s), Prov, Eccl, Song, Isa, Jer, Lam, Ezek,
Dan, Hos, Joel, Amos, Obad, Jonah, Mic, Nah, Hab, Zeph, Hag, Zech, Mal.
NT: Matt, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Rom, 1-2 Cor, Gal, Eph, Phil, Col, 1-2
Thess, 1-2 Tim, Titus, Phlm, Heb, Jas, 1-2 Pet, 1-3 John, Jude, Rev.
Abbreviation of Bible Translations
KJV King James Version
NASB New American Standard Bible
NET NET Bible
NIV New International Version
NKJV New King James Version
 Preface to
the Revised Edition
ROBERT N. WILKIN
The year was 1990. The GES board decided that we needed to write a one-
volume commentary on the New Testament. It would be under 1,000 pages,
like the Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS) commentary: The Bible
Knowledge Commentary.
Our target date for completion was 1995.
It took a little over a year to lay out the project. We had to determine how
many words each book would receive, how much each author would be
paid, how to write contracts, who would be the editors, and who would be
the authors for each book.
By 1992 the assignments were given. I took John’s Gospel and like the
others, I had one year in which to complete a first draft. I remember going
to DTS daily to study and write. In those days I wrote on a yellow legal pad.
I completed the commentary on John in a year. Fran Stilwell typed it all into
the computer. She even had to type a few chapters twice due to a computer
glitch.
One year later, little was done. Authors had to submit one chapter every
month or so. Zane Hodges was serving as the editor. He ended up rejecting
the work of three different board members.
We decided to publish one stand-alone commentary. Zane Hodges had
been assigned the epistle of James. We published his commentary on James
in 1994.
The good news was that it was a great commentary. We could cut this
commentary down to be used in the one-volume commentary.
The bad news was that the commentary was so outstanding that we
realized it would take a long time to get twenty-six more commentaries that
were that good.
By 1995, only James was in final form (though it was too long and would
later need to be condensed greatly). The first draft of my commentary on
John was completed. And that was about it.
 Our new plan was to keep working on the project, but since it might take
until the year 2,000 or beyond, we made it our aim to come out with more
stand-alone commentaries.
Zane Hodges next wrote a commentary for us on 1-3 John. It too was
outstanding. We published it in 1999 in hardback.
In 2004 the board mandated that we get this commentary project finished.
We set up a commentary fund and raised nearly $100,000 over the next six
years. (The cost of printing 5,000 commentary sets was $62,000. Also, we
paid the authors over $50,000 for their writing.)
By 2009 we were finally in the proofing stage. Quite a few of the
commentaries ended up being reassigned. Some of the commentaries were
completely written (and paid for) before we decided they wouldn’t work. In
the typesetting process, it became clear that we’d have to have two
volumes. We felt that 1,334 pages would be too big for a one-volume work.
The 5,000 copies we printed lasted from 2010 until the end of 2018. But
we finally ran out.
For this revised edition, Shawn re-typeset the entire commentary with a
new font and a slightly smaller font size. He expanded the size of each page
from 6 inches by 9 inches to 8 inches by 10 inches, which is almost 50%
more square inches per page (80 to 54). What was 1,334 pages in the 6 X 9
format was reduced to 610 pages in the 8 X 10 format.
His goal was to be able to print the commentary on Amazon. But Amazon
won’t print a book over 828 pages. But with a slightly smaller font size and
larger pages, he was able to do it. This means that people around the world
can order it without overseas shipping since Amazon prints in many
different countries.
One major change was that the board decided that in this revised edition
we would put in a condensed version of the Romans commentary done by
Zane Hodges. This required Ken Yates and me to condense that
commentary to reduce it to about one-fourth its original size. It was not an
easy task. But now our one-volume commentary has commentaries by Zane
Hodges on Romans, James, 2 Peter, and 1-3 John.
Another major change is that hundreds of typos found in the first editions
were corrected. Also, in some cases, authors slightly revised what they had
written.
 We believe this revised edition will be well received. We hope that it
continues to help believers around the world understand the New Testament
better. Having a commentary that presents a Free Grace understanding of
each verse is a dream come true. This revised edition is being released
almost thirty years to the day from the start of the commentary project.
—Robert N. Wilkin, PhD
Editor
July 26, 2019

Preface
ROBERT N. WILKIN
The Grace New Testament Commentary began in 1990 with the goal of
producing a one-volume NT commentary from a Free Grace perspective.
This commentary is unique because it consistently presents both a Free
Grace perspective and a classic Dispensational viewpoint.
We selected the New King James Version on which to base this
commentary. To aid the reader in seeing the words being discussed, the first
exact reference to words found in the NKJV appears in bold. Subsequent
references appear in italics. Text in bold italics means that the NKJV had
italics in its text. When a commentary author quotes a portion of Scripture
not from the verse(s) under discussion, he put that in quotes. Bolded
material in quotes means that words quoted appeared within quotation
marks in the NKJV.
The introductions to each book have purposely been kept short. Readers
are encouraged to see stand-alone commentaries for a fuller treatment of
introductory issues. In addition, bibliographies were omitted for space
considerations. Readers can find excellent bibliographies in stand-alone
commentaries.
While Greek has been kept to a minimum (provided only when necessary
to make a point), the comments are based on the original language. Writers
considered grammar, textual criticism, history, geography, and biblical
customs in their exegesis.
All but two of our authors hold a Master of Theology (Th.M.) degree, a
degree requiring four years of graduate work. Almost half of them also hold
doctorates (in OT, NT, Bible, or Pastoral Ministry). Over half are or have
been pastors.
While my name alone appears as the editor of this commentary, I had a lot
of help from wonderful editors and exegetes including Zane Hodges and
Drs. Roy Zuck and Art Farstad. Kyle Kaumeyer, Alberto Valdés, Cathy
Beach, Mike Makidon, Fran Stilwell, Jeremy Myers, Holly Melton, Mark
Gray, Grant Hawley, Frank Tyler, and Dave Carlson provided invaluable
assistance in my editorial efforts as well.
“The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands
forever” (Isa 40:8).
—Robert N. Wilkin, Ph.D.
Editor
January 2010

Contributors
J. B. Bond, ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary. Senior Pastor, Stillwater
Bible Church, Stillwater, OK. Ephesians
Gary Derickson, ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary. Professor of
Biblical Studies, Corban University, Salem, OR. First Peter
Brad Doskocil, BS, California Polytechnic University, San Luis Obispo,
CA. C.P.A. Long Beach, CA. Brad has ministered to inner city youth in
Long Beach for 15 years. Jude
Hal M. Haller, Jr., ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary; MLn, Emory
University. Library Director and Assistant Professor of Bible and Theology,
Luther Rice Seminary, Lithonia, GA. Matthew
Zane C. Hodges, ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary. Taught NT at Dallas
Theological Seminary for 27 years. Author, pastor, educator. Went to be
with the Lord on Nov 23, 2008. Romans, James, 2 Peter, 1–3 John
Dwight L. Hunt, MDiv, ThM, Western Seminary; DMin, Phoenix
Seminary. Intentional Interim Pastor with Titus Ministries, Inc. 1–2
Corinthians
Shawn R. Leach, ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary. Served as Pastor of
Mitchell Evangelical Free Church in Mitchell, NE (2005-2006) and as
Pastor of Administration and Education at Countryside Baptist Church in
Stillwater, OK (2007-2009). Colossians
Barry Mershon, Jr., ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary. Senior Pastor,
Believers’ Chapel, Murfreesboro, TN. Mark
Gregory P. Sapaugh, ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary. Professor
of New Testament and Biblical Languages, Grace School of Theology.
Philippians, Philemon
J. Paul Tanner, ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, The University
of Texas at Austin. Middle East Director for BEE World (Biblical
Education by Extension). Hebrews
Robert Vacendak, BS, MEd, Hyles-Anderson College; MDiv, Luther Rice
Seminary; PhD candidate, Liberty University. Senior Pastor, Ridge Pointe
Fellowship, Dallas, TX. Revelation
Alberto Samuel Valdés, : ThM, Dallas Theological Seminary. Director of
Education for LOGOI Ministries. Luke, Acts
Robert N. Wilkin, ThM, PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary. Founder and
Executive Director, Grace Evangelical Society. John, Galatians, 1–2
Thessalonians, 1–2 Timothy, Titus
 Matthew
HAL HALLER, JR.
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
Originally named Levi, Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. He
was a hated tax collector for the Roman government (10:3), and so his
countrymen considered him a sinner (Luke 15:1).
Reliable internal and external evidence point to Matthew’s authorship.
Early church fathers uniformly ascribe this Gospel to Matthew and early
copies are headed by the phrase, “According to Matthew.” The writer also
more frequently mentions money than any of the other Gospel writers,
which would be natural for someone with Matthew’s background.
Date and Audience
Matthew probably wrote his Gospel between AD 50 and AD 70. The early
church fathers believed Matthew was the first Gospel written. Though this
view has been challenged in recent times, many scholars still hold to the
priority of Matthew.
This Gospel is addressed to Jewish believers. Several characteristics prove
this. First, Matthew contains more OT references than any other Gospel—
fifty-three extensive quotations and seventy-six allusions. Prediction
characterizes many of these references, with the word fulfilled used
seventeen times.
Second, there are extensive references to Jewish interests such as the Holy
City and Holy Place (Matt 4:5; 24:15), the Mosaic Law (5:17-19), and the
prophets (thirty-nine times).
Third, Jesus’ royalty and relationship to the kingdom are emphasized
throughout Matthew. For instance, the phrase kingdom of heaven is used
thirty-three times, while the phrase kingdom of God occurs four times. The
word kingdom by itself occurs more than fifty times. The royal messianic
title, Son of David, is applied to Jesus nine times. Matthew is the only
Gospel where Jesus refers to the throne of His glory (19:28; 25:31).
 A fourth characteristic of the Gospel which proves Matthew wrote to
Jewish believers is that the writer takes pains to demonstrate that Jesus is
the rightful heir to the throne of Israel, fulfilling the Abrahamic and Davidic
covenants (Matt 1:1). Jesus’ right to the throne comes through Joseph, His
adoptive father, as well as through Mary, His mother (Luke 3:23).
Aside from internal evidence that Matthew wrote to Jewish believers, there
is external evidence as well. Many early church writers believed that
Matthew wrote his Gospel for the Jews. Irenaeus wrote, “Matthew issued a
written Gospel among the Hebrews.” Origin said, “St. Matthew wrote for
the Hebrews.” Eusebius maintained, “Matthew…delivered his Gospel to his
countrymen.”
Though the book was written primarily for Jews, Matthew did understand
that the Gospel was to be taken to Gentiles as well. While the early part of
the book stresses that Jesus came first to the Jews with His message (Matt
4:17, 23; 10:5-7; 15:24), His plan to minister in a significant way to
Gentiles is revealed after the official Jewish leadership rejects Him (16:18;
28:19-20).
Although the book presents evidence that Jesus is the promised Messiah,
its purpose is to confirm the faith of believers in the face of persecution and
to provide scriptural evidence they can use in reaching their unsaved
countrymen. The explanations of great Gospel themes such as faith, grace,
regeneration, eternal life, and others are not as prominent in Matthew as in
the Gospel of John, which is designed to reach an unsaved audience (John
20:31). Yet glimpses of grace are displayed throughout the book (Matt 9:6,
22; 11:19; 15:28; 18:10-14, 27; 19:14, 25-26; 26:28).
Theme
The Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as the King of Israel. Near the
book’s beginning the wise men ask, “Where is He who has been born King
of the Jews?” (2:2), and near the end of the book is the superscription on the
cross, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews” (27:37). Matthew introduces the
reader to the King from His birth to the beginning of His ministry,
summarizes His royal proclamations, gives evidence of His regal authority,
traces both the initial popularity and growing opposition to the King’s
ministry, and His rejection by the nation culminating in His crucifixion
through the corroboration of one of His own disciples and the nation’s
leaders. The book, however, ends on a note of triumph with the King’s
resurrection. This triumphant King now commissions His representatives to
disciple all nations as He has discipled them, until He comes again to
inaugurate His kingdom upon the earth.
Purpose
First, Matthew’s Gospel was written to remind believers that God has been
(in the First Coming) and will be (in the Second Coming) faithful to His
promises to Abraham and David by sending Jesus to deliver Israel from
Gentile oppression.
Second, it was written to explain why the messianic kingdom had not yet
come. It had been postponed because of Israel’s rejection of her Messiah.
Third, the book explains the new program God has instituted in light of
Israel’s rejection. Jesus disclosed that God would institute a new form of the
kingdom from the time of Jesus’ rejection until the time of His second
coming. It will have some different characteristics from the promised
messianic kingdom described in the OT. Part of God’s plan will involve
Christ’s establishment and utilization of the Church. Of the Gospel writers,
only Matthew quotes Jesus’ prophecies about the Church (Matt 16:18;
18:17). Other passages in the NT reveal that the Church will function from
the Day of Pentecost until the Rapture.
Fourth, the book is written to inform believers what they are to expect and
do between the time of the Jews’ rejection of Christ during His lifetime
until the time of His Second Coming. Since the kingdom was not to come
until later, these believers were to follow Jesus’ ethical instructions based
on God’s eternal character as reflected in the law until such a time arrived
when the kingdom would be set up.

Outline
I. The Introduction of the King (1:1–4:11)
II. The Proclamations of the King (4:12–7:29)
III. The Power of the King [His Credentials] (8:1–11:1)
IV. The Progressive Rejection of the King (11:2–16:12)
V. The Preparation of the King’s Disciples (16:13–20:28)
VI. The Public Presentation of the King (20:29–21:22)
VII. The Final Rejection of the King (21:23–27:66)
VIII. The Triumph of the King (28:1-20)

Commentary
I. The Introduction of the King (1:1–4:11)
A. The Genealogy of the King
(1:1-17)
The purpose of this section is to show that Jesus had a claim to the throne
of Israel through His messianic ancestry. Matthew gives evidence that Jesus
inherited a legal right to rule through His stepfather, Joseph. One could not
claim title to a throne without the proper bloodline. He must be in a royal
family. Jesus could claim the right to kingship because He is the Son of
David, king of Israel.
The genealogy of the King in form is divided into three major historical
sections: Abraham to Jesse (1:1-5), David to Josiah (1:6-10), and Jeconiah
to Joseph (1:11-17).
1:1-5. The names from Abraham to Jesse belong to that time period when
God was preparing to set up the Davidic dynasty. They represent the rise of
the kingdom of Israel. As the son of Abraham, Jesus is linked to the great
Abrahamic Covenant (v 1). In Gen 12:2-3, 7 God promised Abraham and
his descendants a future land (Canaan), seed (Israel), and universal blessing.
The ultimate fulfillment of this covenant identifies Jesus as the promised
seed of Abraham who makes available to everyone the blessing of salvation
(Gal 3:16).
1:6-10. From David to Josiah, the kingdom was under the sovereign
control of Israel and later, though diminished in size, Judah. This period
exhibited the presence and the glory of the kingdom. Out of Abraham’s
seed (Israel) came a royal line (Judah [Gen 49:9-12]). God promised David,
Judah’s descendant, an unending dynasty, an eternal realm, and an
everlasting rule (2 Sam 7:16). David’s kingship would pass through his
descendants to a Ruler whose preemi­nence was so great and reign so long
He will never be superseded by any other.
1:11-17. The names from Jeconiah forward belong to that time period
when the kingdom was removed from Israel’s sovereign control. Matthew
traces the royal line even when it was no longer actively functioning
because Israel had entered a period known as the “times of the Gentiles”
which is characterized by Gentile domi­nance over Israel (Luke 21:24).
Matthew traces the messianic line down to Joseph, the adoptive father of
Jesus, through whom He received the legal right to the throne of David
(Matt 1:16).
B. The Divine Conception and Human Birth of the King (1:18-25)
Although a legal descendant of David through Joseph, Jesus is no ordinary
king. He is human, as proved by His human ancestry, but He is also divine,
as demonstrated by His names (1:21, 23) and manner of conception (vv 16,
18, 20, 23, 25).
1:18. The story of the birth of Jesus begins with a young Jewish girl
named Mary [who] was betrothed to Joseph. By Jewish custom, the
marriage would have been contracted but not consummated. It was a
binding relationship unlike engagements today that can be easily broken.
When Joseph discovered Mary was pregnant, he knew he was not the one
responsible. Since Mary was carrying a child while still engaged to Joseph,
she could have been charged with adultery under OT Law (Deut 22:22-24),
a sin worthy of death (v 24).
Unknown to Joseph, Mary had done no wrong. Her pregnancy was the
action of the Holy Spirit.
1:19. Joseph is faced with a decision regarding Mary. As a just man,
Joseph thought it not proper to wed an adulteress as the future mother of his
children, thereby implying the violation of his own vow of chastity during
the engagement period. Therefore he purposed to put her away secretly to
avoid public disgrace.
1:20a. Before Joseph could act, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in
a dream to clear up any apprehension he had about taking Mary as his wife.
The angel’s exhortation to Joseph was to “not be afraid” to unite with
Mary in marriage.
1:20b-21. The angel explained that Mary’s conception was supernaturally
produced by “the Holy Spirit.” The angel addresses “Joseph [as] son of
David,” a reminder that it was through the house of David that the
messianic king was to come (2 Sam 7:16).
 The son whom Mary would bear was to be called Jesus. That name
signified His mission and identity as God. He was to “save His people
[Israel] from their sins.” The name Jesus means “Yahweh is Savior.” He is
God who is able and willing to perform what His name proclaims of Him.
The salvation Jesus came to offer
Israel was deliverance that was both spiritual and physical. Spiritually, He
would offer free forgiveness of sins. Only God can forgive sin (cf. Mark
2:5-7). Physically, He would restore collectively a nation that was out of
favor with God because of their sins. He would save (deliver) Israel from
the consequences of her sins. The angel is announcing that Jesus is the
promised Deliverer of the nation (Zech 9:9-10). The idea that the angel was
referring exclusively to spiritual salvation from hell, though commonly
held, is foreign to this context.
1:22-23. Matthew interrupts the story to show the readers that Jesus’ virgin
birth fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy (Isa 7:14). A “virgin [was to] be with
child.” Such a supernatural sign (v 14a; cf. v 11) indicated that an unusual
child was to be born—unusual because His name reflected His divine
nature and presence: “‘Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’” A
virgin birth through the Holy Spirit is a fitting way for God to take on flesh.
It provides an explanation for Jesus’ sinless nature (2 Cor 5:21) and
qualifies this infinite divine Person to bear an infinite number of sins for all
humanity on the cross.
Matthew uses the Greek word parthenos, which clearly means “virgin” (cf.
Rev 14:4). Some claim that since the Hebrew word found in Isa 7:14 means
“young woman,” it referred primarily to a natural birth in Isaiah’s own day
and only secondarily to Christ. Yet Matthew clearly applies Isaiah’s
prophecy directly to the virgin Mary.
1:24-25. After Joseph’s dream he did as the angel of the Lord
commanded him. First, he took Mary to be his wife. Nevertheless he did
not have physical relations with Mary until Jesus was born. The word till
suggests that Joseph and Mary had normal sexual relations after that time. It
also suggests that Mary was not a perpetual virgin as some teach. Jesus had
brothers and sisters (Matt 12:46; Mark 6:3). Second, he called His name
Jesus, as instructed.
C. The Infancy of the King (2:1-23)
 Mary and Joseph originally lived in Nazareth, but traveled to Bethlehem
because the Romans had or­dered a registration of all persons in their
forefather’s native city (Luke 2:1-5). It is here that Matthew picks up the
story some months after Jesus’ birth.
2:1-2. Wise men came from the East seeking to worship the “King of the
Jews.” The words wise men come from the Greek, magoi, which is derived
from a Persian word for men who studied the stars. In their homeland they
had seen a star that had great significance to them. This star in some way
announced the birth of the “King of the Jews.” After having lost sight of the
star, they travel to the logical place where a Jewish king would be found—
the capital city of Israel, Jerusalem. They expect to find the king in the
capital city, recognized, acknowledged, surrounded, and worshiped. So they
end up in the court of Herod the Great To their surprise, they find a nation
unaware of His arrival, an indifferent religious priesthood, and a civil ruler
who is hostile to such a King.
2:3. The appearance of the wise men in Herod’s court causes him to be
troubled because of a possible serious rival to his throne. In 40 BC, at the
urging of Marc Antony and Octavian, the Roman senate had proclaimed
Herod the Great, “King of the Jews.” Herod, however, was an Idumean. He
was not a descendant of David and had no scriptural rights to the throne.
Being an Idumean (Greek word for Edomite) meant that he was a
descendant of Esau, who had been at odds with his brother, Jacob. This was
one reason why Herod was not particularly liked in Judea. Herod knew that
the Jews would not be satisfied until one of their own was seated on the
throne bearing the title he had worked so hard politically to obtain from
Rome.
Herod is troubled, and so is all Jerusalem with him. At the news of the
birth of a king everyone feels insecure because neither Rome nor Herod
tolerated any opposition. The presence of a large and impressive caravan
arriving to worship a newborn Jewish King would have sent shock waves
throughout the city.
2:4-6. While the wise men make Herod aware of the King’s arrival, the
chief priests and scribes make him aware of where the Christ (Messiah)
was to be born. They inform him from Mic 5:2 that Messiah’s birthplace
was to be “Bethlehem of Judea,” the same birthplace as that of the great
king David (Matt 2:6; Luke 2:4).
 Micah predicted where the messianic Ruler would be born and also that
His rule would be like that of a shep­herd (Mic 5:4). He would be a
Shepherd-King who would protect and care for Israel and one day exercise
firm discipline over those who opposed His rule (Rev 19:15-16).
2:7-8. To eliminate the threat to his rule Herod requests in private that the
wise men seek out the location of this new king in Bethlehem and then
report back to him so that he might “worship Him also.”
2:9-10. When the wise men left for Bethlehem, the star reappears and
leads them to the One for whom they had been searching.
2:11. They eventually find Jesus, not in a stable, but in a house. Seeing
Him, they fell down and worshiped Him, thereby submitting to His
authority as King. Their presentation of gold, frankincense and myrrh
represents a further sign of their regard for Christ’s authority. Gold was a
gift fitting for a king; frankincense (a sweet perfume used in temple
sacrifice) would be an appropriate gift for a priest; myrrh was a gift fitting
for one who was about to die. Though three gifts were bestowed, there is no
proof from Scripture that there were only three wise men.
Of interest is the fact that the wise men were Gentiles. They were the first
to worship the King while those who should have been first (Herod and the
religious leaders) rejected Him.
2:12. As the wise men prepare to leave, they are warned by God in a
dream to have no further contact with Herod who was a mortal threat to the
Christ child and to them as well. They had been witnesses to His existence,
and Herod was disposed to ruthlessly eliminate any piece of evidence that
would draw attention to a possible rival king.
2:13-15. God moves again to protect Jesus by dispatching an angel to
warn Joseph in a dream to take his family “to Egypt.” Joseph
immediately obeys, and the family remains there until the death of Herod.
When Jesus returned to Israel from Egypt, the statement in Hos 11:1 was
fulfilled: “Out of Egypt I called my Son.” Some have questioned whether
this is actually a fulfillment of prophecy. The statement in its OT context is
historical. It looks backward to the nation of Israel, not forward to the
Messiah (cf. Exod 4:22). The calling out of Egypt refers to the Exodus, not
the return of the Christ child from Egypt to Israel. However, Matthew draws
a correlation between what happened to God’s national son (Israel) and
God’s messianic Son (Jesus). Both have a special familial relationship to
God endowing them with His protective care. Jesus’ deliverance from
Egypt was similar to an earlier historical deliverance—that of the Exodus.
Israel then is a type of God’s Son who was yet to come. A type is a literal
historical event that prefigures a future corresponding reality. It is in this
sense that Hos 11:1 is fulfilled.
2:16-18. When Herod learns that the wise men are aware of his designs,
he grows angry and sends his soldiers to Bethlehem to put to death all the
male children…from two years old and under. Herod’s actions are not
surprising. Herod’s suspicion of possible competitors to the throne is so
strong that he has several of his own family members put to death. He
murdered his wife, Mariamne; his mother, Alexandria; his oldest son,
Antipater; and his sons Alexander and Aristobulus. Such paranoia caused
the Roman emperor Augustus to remark that it was safer to be Herod’s pig
(hus) than Herod’s son (huios). The slaughter of male babies in an obscure
village would not be out of character for Herod.
While the real King of the Jews lives safely in Egypt, Herod, the
counterfeit king, makes an assassination attempt that fulfills the prophecy
found in Jer 31:15-16. Revelation 12:5 states that Satan himself has
schemed this evil design. As with Hos 11:1, Matthew uses Jer 31:15-16 to
point out that history repeats itself. Jeremiah’s prophecy was not a direct
prediction of the results of Herod’s actions, but a recalling of a time of
death and exile in Israel’s history that had an application for Jesus’ time.
Jeremiah describes a historical event in Ramah that took place during the
Babylonian Captivity (cf. 39:8-12; 40:1). Ramah, a town ten miles north of
Bethlehem, was where young Jewish men were gathered for deportation to
Babylon. It was also located near the burial place of Isaac’s wife, Rachel
(Gen 35:19).
2:19-21. Eventually Herod dies. Once again an angel of the Lord appears
in a dream to Joseph, telling him it is safe to return to “the land of
Israel.”
2:22-23. Throughout the infancy narratives God demonstrates His care
with protective warnings to His people in the face of impending danger. He
warns the wise men to leave. He warns Joseph to go to Egypt. He also
warns Joseph in yet another dream not to settle his family in Judea when he
returned from Egypt because Archelaus was reigning over Judea. Like his
father Herod, Archelaus would continue to pose a threat. Hence the royal
family was directed to relocate in Nazareth of Galilee rather than Judea so
that the prophecy might be fulfilled.
Matthew writes that Jesus’ taking up residence in Nazareth fulfilled what
the prophets had spoken, “He shall be called a Nazarene.” Unlike other
prophecies about Christ referenced by Matthew, this statement does not
quote any OT text. Some claim it comes from oral tradition, while others
attribute it to an unknown apocryphal book. Many attempt to relate the term
Nazareth with the Hebrew word neser meaning “shoot, sprout, or branch”
and then refer to prophecies that speak of the Messiah as a shoot, sprout, or
branch (Isa 11:1; 53:2-3; Jer 23:5; 33:15; Zech 3:8; 6:12). While this option
is possible, it cannot be proved linguistically.
The best solution is to recognize that Matthew is not directly quoting a
single prophecy but is instead referring to the general thrust and theme of
numerous OT prophecies. This is why he uses the plural prophets rather
than the singular prophet (as in Matt 1:22-23; 2:5-6; and 2:17-18).
The theme from the prophets that Matthew has in mind is Christ’s humble
origins and background. Though born in Bethlehem, He was not known as
being from honorable and prestigious Bethlehem, but from contemptuous
and lowly Nazareth (Matt 26:71; Mark 14:67; John 1:46; 19:19; Acts 24:5).
Christ’s beginnings were obscure and unimportant.
Numerous prophecies in the OT state that Jesus would be despised,
rejected, and scorned (Pss 22:6-8; 69:8; Isa 49:7; 53:2-3). The Hebrews,
who looked down on Nazarenes, would immediately make the connection.
Jesus, who glories in what is weak and lowly, wears the title of Nazarene
with pride (Acts 22:8).
D. The Ambassador of the King (3:1-12)
3:1-2. The message of the King’s ambassador, John the Baptist, is
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
Repentance and its relationship to eternal life is viewed in two different
ways. One view is that repentance is a change of mind concerning someone
or something and is often used synonymously with faith. When it is
synonymous with faith, it is a condition of eternal life. If that is what John
the Baptist is talking about here, then he is calling the nation to faith in her
Messiah.
 Another view is that repentance is a decision to turn from one’s sin and get
right with God. In this view it is never stated as a condition of eternal life.
Repentance is not found in the only evangelistic book in the Bible, John’s
Gospel, nor is it found in Paul’s defense of the gospel in the Book of
Galatians. If that is what John the Baptist was preaching, then he was
calling the nation to turn from her sins in preparation for the coming
kingdom. As Mark 1:15 shows, the Messiah Himself called the nation to
both belief in the gospel and repentance.
Either way, it is clear that John the Baptist was calling for a repentance
that was to be accompanied by a change of conduct (Luke 3:10-14).
John is not saying that this change of conduct is necessary for receiving
eternal life. Eternal life is a free gift (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9). For an
individual Jew to receive eternal life, all that was required was simple faith
in the promise of God to grant eternal life through faith in His Messiah.
First and foremost, John the Baptist asks those who hear his message to
believe in Christ Jesus (John 1:7; Acts 19:4).
3:3. John the Baptist served as a forerunner, one who went ahead to
prepare for the arrival of another of greater rank or dignity. He was to clear
the way for reception of the Messiah in Israel. John is described as “the
voice of one crying in the wilderness.” Later Matthew describes how a
sizeable portion of the appointed work force in Israel would not cooperate
and would reject both John the Baptist and the One for whom he was
working. In fact, they would put great boulders of unbelief and opposition
in the way of the coming King.
3:4-5. John the Baptist does not fit the normal image of an ambassador of
a king. Coming from a priestly family, he might be expected to begin his
ministry in the temple in Jerusalem and herald the King’s arrival from there.
However, he ministers as a prophet in the wilderness and is baptizing in the
Jordan River those who were confessing their sins. Unlike Israel’s leaders,
he is austere in dress and diet, a manner in keeping with calling a nation to
repentance from unbelief and sin. Yet at first his ministry evokes an
uncommonly popular response.
3:6-9. At the time of their baptism people were confessing their sins. This
suggests that John’s preaching of repentance called for public confession.
The Pharisees and Sadducees who were coming to him for baptism had
not convinced John that they were prepared for the coming kingdom. First,
their works identify them as those who will experience God’s coming
wrath. He calls them a “brood of vipers,” indicating their devious and
dangerous nature. They had not produced “fruits worthy of repentance.”
Second, they are evidently appealing to their privileged heritage since John
says, “Do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our
father.’” They are trusting in their heritage, but their family connection to
Abraham cannot save them from the coming wrath. With Israel’s leaders
not being prepared spiritually, hopes for a widespread revival were not
promising.
3:10-12. For those who continued trusting their heritage rather than their
Messiah and who demon­strated their lack of repentance there was only one
prospect—the fire of God’s judgment. Fire was often used in the OT as a
symbol of temporal judgment (Isa 10:16-19; 66:15-16; Jer 48:45).
The objects of judgment are depicted as “every tree [that] does not bear
good fruit,” and chaff that has been separated from the wheat by a
“winnowing fan.” In both cases they are said to be burned with fire.
In Matt 3:11 John proclaims the greatness of the One “who is coming
after” him. John, the greatest of the OT prophets (11:11), declares his
unworthiness to perform the lowliest task of the lowest slave when he says,
“whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.”
Three baptisms are mentioned in Matt 3:11: bap­tism of “water unto
repentance,” baptism “with the Holy Spirit,” and baptism with fire. Each
signified initiation into a new situation.
The baptism with the Holy Spirit by the King was yet future. It would
initiate and characterize the Church Age by bringing Jews and Gentiles
together into the same body (1 Cor 12:13; Col 1:18). It began on the Day of
Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:5 with 11:15-16).
The baptism with fire alludes to the fiery temporal judgment that
unbelieving Israel will experience.
E. John Baptizes the King (3:13-17)
3:13-14. When Jesus presents Himself to John to be baptized in the
Jordan, John’s reluctance indicates his recognition of Jesus’ sinless
character. The pre­dicted Messiah would be a righteous King (Jer 23:5-6).
John is recognizing that Jesus meets that qualification.
 3:15. “It is fitting,” Jesus explains, “for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
The expression “to fulfill all righteousness” is a bit vague. Jesus’ baptism
fulfilled righteousness in several ways.
First, by His baptism, Jesus was identifying with the righteous remnant.
This is a reference to experiential righteousness.
Second, Jesus was identifying Himself with the sinfulness of His people
even though He was not sinful. In this case the righteousness spoken of is
positional and anticipates the cross. When Jesus died on the cross, He took
away the sin barrier (John 1:29) and made it possible for all who believe in
Him to have eternal life and positional righteousness (2 Cor 5:21).
Third, by His baptism, Jesus confirmed the righteous ministry of John.
Fourth, the event provided a true public testimony to the sinless character
of Christ with divine witnesses present.
3:16-17. He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove. The
expression He saw (eiden) actually has no pronoun He in the Greek, so the
verb could refer either to Jesus or to John the Baptist. Probably John the
Baptist is the one who saw the Spirit descending. This was a confirmation
to John and to Matthew’s readers that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
God the Father testifies, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased,” echoing the prophetic words of Ps 2:7 and Isa 42:1 and thus
audibly confirming Jesus’ ministry.
The alighting of the Holy Spirit on Jesus marked Him out as King and
would empower Him for the royal tasks ahead. Both the Spirit and the
Father identify Jesus as the promised King of Ps 2:6-12.
F. Satan Tempts the King (4:1-11)
4:1. God’s sovereign purpose for the temptation is to demonstrate that
Jesus would not sin. Satan’s tests are similar to what the first man, Adam,
faced in the Garden of Eden. In contrast to Adam, Jesus passes the test and
shows He has the right to rule over the earth. Christ, the last Adam (1 Cor
15:45), succeeds where the first Adam had failed and He is qualified to
restore mankind’s dominion over the earth (Gen 1:26-28). God’s purpose
for the creation of man—that he would rule as His righteous representative
over the earth—will be fulfilled in the kingdom of heaven.
4:2-3. Jesus’ hunger after forty days and forty nights of fasting leads to
the first temptation: “If you are the Son of God (cf. 3:17), command that
these stones become bread.” This is an appeal to “the lust of the flesh,”
one component in an expression used in 1 John 2:16 that characterizes the
world system (“lust of the eyes, lust of the flesh, and the pride of life”). An
appeal to the lust of the flesh was also made in the temptation to Eve, who
saw that the forbidden fruit was “good for food” (Gen 3:6).
4:4. To counter the devil’s solicitation Jesus introduces a quote from Deut
8:3 with the words “It is written.” His point is that obeying God’s word is
more important than satisfying immediate human desires. Jesus’ decision
shows that He had predetermined to be obedient.
4:5-6. Satan then attempts to get Jesus to demonstrate His messiahship
before all Israel in a spectacular manner. This test also relates to His
Sonship (cf. 4:3). The devil transports Jesus to the highest point in the holy
city, Jerusalem, where the Messiah will rule. He ensures Jesus that He will
float down from the pinnacle of the temple because the angels will break
His fall and protect Him. What a spectacular display of power that would
be!
Christ’s ultimate goal was to be recognized and accepted as the Messiah,
not only by the Jews but also by the whole world. God’s route toward this
goal included much pain and suffering. Satan is offering a shortcut.
Satan even provides scriptural support in an attempt to get Jesus to do his
bidding (Ps 91:11-12). However, Satan knows he is misapplying Scripture
by ignoring God’s timing, but his challenge sounds more spiritual. Many of
today’s cults and religious leaders have learned this technique well.
4:7. Jesus again responds with Scripture, saying, “‘You shall not tempt
the Lord Your God.’” Again He quotes from Deuteronomy with the words
“It is written” (6:16) to show that God’s protection is promised only to
those who submit to His will and not to those who pro­voke Him to a test.
4:8-9. In the third temptation, probably the most important, Satan attempts
to persuade Jesus to lay claim to the kingdoms of the world and their
glory by simply worshiping him. For the present time the kingdoms of the
world are his to give. Even Jesus acknowledges the authority Satan
possesses by calling him “the ruler of this world” (John 14:30).
4:10. While Christ knows He will eventually obtain the dominion of the
world, He also knows that God’s promises must be obtained in God’s way.
Jesus could not follow Satan’s shortcut and still ascend the throne of world
rule. He could not worship Satan and also be submissive to God.
 To explain the reason for His refusal Jesus quotes Scripture a third time
with the words from Deut 6:13 and 10:20. Those verses teach that only God
is to be worshiped and served. Since Satan is not God, he does not deserve
man’s worship.
4:11. Christ’s victory over temptation offers three lessons. First, temptation
has an end to it. Satan left Jesus after testing. When one resists the devil and
submits to God, the devil flees (Jas 4:7).
Second, one can expect blessing and comfort after successfully resisting
temptation. Angels…ministered to Christ after His ordeal, bringing
blessing to Him.
Third, power to overcome satanic temptation comes from the proper use of
the Word of God. Each time Christ quoted Scripture to Satan, prefaced with
the words “it is written.” The Word was the center of authority in Christ’s
life. When faced with a moral decision people are sometimes tempted to
think, “How could it be so wrong when it feels so right?” But feelings have
nothing to do with it. The better question is, What does the Bible say?
II. The Proclamations of the King (4:12–7:29)
A. Jesus Begins His Ministry in Galilee (4:12-17)
4:12-16. Jesus’ public ministry begins in Galilee (vv 12-13) so that
prophecy might be fulfilled (vv 14-16). By beginning in Galilee, He
avoided premature provocation by the leaders in Judea. John the Baptist’s
imprisonment becomes the signal for Jesus to begin His ministry there (v
12).
While Jesus’ ministry actually begins in His hometown of Nazareth, He
receives a chilly reception there (Luke 4:16-30). Jesus then moves His
ministry to Capernaum, the hub city of all Galilee (v 13). Isaiah, the [OT]
prophet, had predicted specifically that the region in which Capernaum was
located—“Galilee of the Gentiles”—would see the “great light” of Jesus’
life-giving ministry (cf. Isa 9:1-2). Matthew again calls attention to the
benefit Jesus brings to Gentiles as well as Jews (cf. Matt 2:1-12).
4:17. Jesus’ message, “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” is
the same message John had preached regarding the imminent coming of
God’s earthly kingdom as foretold in the OT (3:2). Israel’s response would
determine whether that kingdom would come. Though their response was
one of rejection, the kingdom offer made by Jesus was a genuine offer.
 Some object to this understanding of the offer of the kingdom, saying that
if Israel had accepted the kingdom, Christ would not have gone to the
Cross. But this objection is without merit. Christ came to offer the kingdom
by means of the Cross. The evidence is clear from several OT passages,
such as Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53, that the Messiah would know He was
destined to suffer at the hands of His enemies. Then the glory of His reign
would follow (1 Pet 1:11). Had the Jews accepted Christ, God would have
providentially prepared a way for Christ to suffer, die, and be resurrected.
Therefore Jesus was destined to be crucified in accord with the “determined
counsel and foreknowledge of God” (Acts 2:23).
Some also object to the idea that Christ offered the kingdom, but then
postponed its earthly fulfillment because of Israel’s rejection. They ask,
“How can the offer of the kingdom be valid if God knew in advance that it
would be rejected?” But the legitimacy of the offer is not invalidated by the
refusal of anyone to accept it.
B. Jesus Calls Four Fishermen (4:18-22)
4:18-20. Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw…Peter and Andrew.
He called them and they followed. They are disciples (i.e., learners or
followers) obeying their Teacher, but they are also subjects submitting to
their King. As subjects they obey. Their obedience is immediate and
complete. They recognize in Jesus an authority that is absolute (not
obsolete, as many believe today). Their mission is to be trained by Jesus to
become fishers of men.
4:21-22. He then saw two other brothers, James…and John. He called
and they followed also. They were recruited for the same mission, that of
fishing for men. If one is not fishing, then he is not following. To be a fisher
of men one must be like a fisher of fish: patient, persistent, a student of fish
habits, and exercising the proper care while bringing in their catch.
C. Jesus Heals a Multitude (4:23-25)
4:23-25. Jesus’ ministry is summed up as teaching…preaching…and
healing (v 23). His healing miracles attract numerous followers from within
as well as outside of Galilee, and they also authenticate the claims He made
about Himself.
D. The Pronouncements of the King (5:1–­7:29)
 1. The beatitudes (5:1-12)
5:1-2. Disciples who are saved and committed to following Jesus are being
addressed at the outset of the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon is not
addressed to the Church because it was not yet in existence. It is addressed
to citizens of the kingdom who aspire to be heirs of the kingdom in all its
fullness.
In the “beatitudes” Jesus describes the character of all who would share in
the bless­edness of His kingdom program. The word beatitudes comes from
the Greek makarioi (“blessed”), which occurs nine times in vv 3-12.
Each beatitude has three parts: an ascription of blessing (happiness), a
specific virtue to be cultivated (the practice of each produces a positive
result), and a promise relating to the kingdom (reward or special comfort as
a reason for the promised happiness).
The common belief today, as in Jesus’ day, is that happiness comes from
possessing wealth, absence of sorrow, gratification of one’s appetites for
worldly things, and being well spoken of and kindly treated. But according
to Jesus true happiness comes from the cultivation of some very unlikely
virtues.
With all the beatitudes, it is assumed that one is already a citizen of the
kingdom through faith in Christ. Further blessing is promised to those
whose lives are characterized by humility, brokenheartedness, meekness,
spiritual hunger and thirst, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, and a
courageous loyalty.
5:3. “Poor in spirit” concerns wealth and exaltation in the kingdom. The
wealth of the kingdom is available to the spiritually impoverished, who
understand their desperate need of Christ without whom they are destitute.
The expression “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” is really possession of
the kingdom and exaltation in it rather than entrance into it. Verses 10-12
associate the phrase theirs is the kingdom of heaven with reward in the
kingdom, not entrance into it.
5:4. “Blessed are those who mourn,” seems paradoxical. But to mourn
means that the things that break the heart of God should break the believer’s
heart as well, whether it is sin or the effects of sin. “Those who mourn…
shall be comforted” in the kingdom where sin and its consequences are no
more (cf. Isa 40:1-2). There is also comfort now for those who trust in
Christ’s promises to help them.
5:5. To be meek does not mean to be weak. Meekness means gentle
restraint. It is the attitude not of insisting on one’s own rights; it is always
ready to waive its privileges in the interests of others. “The meek” person
is willing to wait for God’s timing to claim what is rightfully his.
The promise is dominion in the kingdom (“inherit the earth”). This is not
promised to the pushy, proud, ambitious, and domineering. Ruling one’s
spirit qualifies one to rule in the kingdom. These people will be especially
qualified to rule since they will be sensitive to abuses of power (cf. Ps
37:11).
5:6. To possess spiritual “hunger [and] thirst” speaks of a consuming
desire “for righteousness,” both in one’s life and the lives of others. People
who are this desirous can hardly keep their minds on anything else. They
crave and long for righteousness. Such desire often arises in conjunction
with grieving over the lack of righteousness and its effects. The fulfillment
of the promise is satisfaction in one’s personal life (Ps 107:9) and
particularly in the coming kingdom (cf. Isa 62:1-2; Jer 23:5-6; Mal 4:2)
5:7. One who is merciful has a compassionate spirit toward others. The
believer is to imitate God who is “rich in mercy” (Eph 2:4). One who is
merciful forgives the guilty, relieves suffering, and comforts those who are
afflicted. This virtue is directed toward the undeserving and also those in
misery. The promise is to receive in the kingdom more than what is
deserved (cf. Isa 49:13; 54:7-8). “The merciful…shall obtain mercy,” is
possibly a reference to mercy at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
5:8. “The pure in heart” are devoid of sinful motives. The heart is the
innermost part of a person where decisions are made, attitudes are formed,
and actions contemplated. In the unsaved, evil emanates from the heart
(Matt 15:19), for it is “deceitful...and desperately wicked” (Jer 17:9). But as
Christians purify their hearts, they draw near to God and He draws near to
them (Jas 4:8), until they come to the point where “they shall see God.”
5:9. Believers are called to be peacemakers between God and man (cf.
Rom 5:1) through the ministry of reconciliation. They do this through
evangelism and through creating peaceful interpersonal relationships (Rom
14:19). This does not mean believers are to pursue peace at any cost. The
search for peace must be based on truth. Jesus disrupts relationships not
because He does not advocate peace, but because relationships are not
based on the truths He taught (cf. Luke 12:51).
The promise to “the peacemakers” is that “they shall be called the sons
of God.” This means that in the kingdom they will have the reputation of
being like God. Their character will reflect His character just as earthly sons
tend to resemble their fathers. While all believers are children of God (1
John 3:2), only those who are peacemakers will be His sons. This is a
higher privilege and honor, similar to being a friend or co-heir with Jesus
Christ (John 15:14-15; Rom 8:17).
5:10-12. Twice in these verses “those who are persecuted” and reviled
are congratulated on their future happiness. “Those who are persecuted”
may rejoice only if such persecution comes “for righteousness sake.”
Many people feel they are persecuted, but their trials and troubles are only
the consequences of sin or bad behavior. When persecution does come
because of a righteous stance on justice, truth, or liberty, others may
“revile…you,” or “say all kinds of evil against you.” Persecution may be
either physical or verbal.
Those who face persecution are admonished to “rejoice and be
exceedingly glad.” This is not sadomasochism—rejoicing in pain. It is
being happy in spite of painful persecution because of what is coming later.
“All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Tim
3:12).
The promise for enduring abuse “for My [Christ’s] sake” is authority and
exaltation in the kingdom (cf. 5:3). Loyalty under persecution brings
“great…reward in heaven” so that disciples fully possess “the kingdom
of heaven” (cf. 2 Tim 1:12). If persecution should make them feel
worthless, let them remember that the OT prophets were also persecuted.
They are in good company!
2. Believers are salt and light (5:13-16)
5:13. Salt seasons, preserves, cleanses, and creates thirst. Like a
seasoning, disciples are to make Christ attractive to the world (cf. v 16).
Similar to a preservative, disciples are to retard corruption and decay. As a
cleansing agent, disci­ples are to assist in helping people find forgiveness
and new life in Christ. As that which stimulates thirst, disciples are to
engender a feeling of thirst for the gospel in the world.
 Palestinian salt was mixed with impurities. So as the salt leached out over
time, its effectiveness was diminished and it became useless. Disciples must
make sure their lives do not become useless by failing to act as salt (v 13).
The figure of salt “thrown out and trampled under foot by men” is not to
be understood as the loss of a believer’s salvation, but the loss of his
usefulness in service.
5:14-16. “Light…cannot be hidden.” When a disci­ple is reflecting the
light of Christ (John 8:12; 9:5), he is pointing the way to Christ like “a
city…set on a hill” at night. The lights of a city on a hill can be seen for
miles, providing guidance and direc­tion to travelers.
The purpose of light is to enable others to see, facilitating revelation, not
concealing it. It is neither normal nor logical to put a “lamp…under a
basket.” Light has only one function, and that is to shine. Since light
represents good works (16a; cf. 3-12), believers allow their light to shine by
living a life that will “glorify [God the] Father in heaven.”
3. The King fulfills the Law (5:17-20)
5:17. Jesus did not come to “destroy the Law or the Prophets…but to
fulfill” them. He came to uphold them, not to subvert their authority as His
foes claimed. Together “the Law and the Prophets” refers to the entire OT
(cf. 7:12; 11:13; 22:40). Jesus fulfilled everything the OT commanded and
prophesied. But when He says he came to fulfill “the Law and the
Prophets,” He means that His life will be consistent with them and also that
He deepens one’s understand­ing of them. Some have called Him the last
and greatest expositor of the Law. He is functioning in His role as King, the
authoritative interpreter of the Law.
5:18. Jesus declared “till heaven and earth pass away” the smallest
Hebrew “jot [letter] or...tittle [stroke] will by no means pass from the law
till all is fulfilled.” Jesus is teaching that the principles of the OT are
immutable. They stand forever. God’s written revelation cannot be changed.
Further still, they will not be changed and will not pass away until they are
fulfilled. This fulfillment is what Christ came to do, and in fact, what He
accomplished in His life, death, and resurrection. Several NT passages
clearly teach the completion and cessation of the Mosaic Covenant in Jesus
Christ (Rom 7:1-17; 10:4; 2 Cor 3:7-11; Gal 3:19-4:7; Eph 2:14-16; Col
2:13-14; Heb 7:11-18; 8:7-13).
 5:19. Jesus adds that one’s practice and teaching of the Scriptures
determines his or her degree of honor “in the kingdom of heaven.” No one
could judge the Law as a standard. Rather, the Law as a standard judged
them.
When the Law and Prophets were in effect, obedience to them determined
eternal rewards for believers. In the current dispensation, eternal rewards
are based on obedience to the New Covenant in Christ. This does not mean
that the OT has been nullified and can be ignored, for it contains universal
principles of character and conduct that are carried over into the NT and
which God expects of all His people.
5:20. This verse is a typical example of the Lord’s teaching style. He
ministered under the Law in preparing the nation for a deeper understanding
of His kingdom program. But He was also preparing them for a deeper
understanding of grace. His purpose was to provoke a response and create
tension, not to give full clarification. That would come later, particularly in
the Epistles.
Verse 19 may seem to imply that one can break commandments and still
be in the kingdom. However, Jesus boldly asserts that “unless your
righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus indicates that
the scribes and Pharisees have been defective in their teaching and practice
of the Law. These religious leaders had committed themselves to complying
with every detail of the Law of Moses as well as the traditions of the elders.
If their righteousness was not sufficient to qualify them for entrance into the
kingdom, then how could they enter? The idea that pharisaic righteousness
could not save was a shocking charge for an un­schooled rabbi to be making
against Israel’s scrupulous religious leaders. But Jesus has to blast their self-
righteousness before He can build an understanding of grace.
In spite of the fact that saved disciples are still capable of sinning, it is
possible for their righteousness to exceed that of the Pharisees and thus
guarantee entrance into the kingdom. They would be the recipients of
Christ’s imputed righteousness that was perfect in every respect (2 Cor
5:21). But this righteousness is received by grace through faith, not by
works (Rom 4:5; Eph 2:8-9). Furthermore they would be recipients of
imparted righteousness for their daily lives through the enablement of the
Holy Spirit (Gal 5:16). Faith in Christ would guarantee entrance into God’s
eternal kingdom (John 3:3, 15-16).
4. The King warns against anger (5:21-26)
5:21. The scribes and Pharisees taught that if one simply refrained from
the external act of taking an innocent human life, he had complied with the
Law’s demands. To their credit they recognized that murder made the
perpetrator liable for judgment in a human court of law for which capital
punishment was prescribed.
5:22. The Law forbade the act of physical murder. Murder reveals a lack
of value regarding human life (cf. Gen 9:6). But the negative
commandment, “You shall not murder,” also implied the positive obligation
to recognize and guard the value of human life. This prohibition
encompassed the external act of ending another’s life without just cause, but
it also forbade being “angry with [one’s] brother without a [just] cause,”
the motive that could easily give rise to the act (cf. 1 John 3:15). It also
extended to diminishing the quality of that life by hurling insults at
someone, such as calling a him “Raca” or “You fool!”
Jesus argues that while the rabbis say that the external act of murder is
liable to judgment in a human court of law, internal anger is liable to God’s
judgment in His court of law. While the rabbis affirm that insulting
language is even punishable by the council (probably the Sanhedrin, the
Jewish Supreme Court), Jesus says that insulting language is punishable by
“hell fire.”
Yet Jesus’ words can cause consternation even among the saved. It is not
unusual for them to ask, “Does this mean I can expect to be eternally lost if
I carelessly call someone a fool just before I die?” But this threat of hell is
directed at those trusting in pharisaic righteousness, not those who have
been saved by grace through faith alone. The righteousness of Christ
imputed to them is more than sufficient to meet their need of eternal
security.
5:23-26. Jesus further taught that if one wished to keep the spirit of this
commandment, he must be involved in conflict resolution. Reconciliation is
to be chosen over maintaining hateful anger. This is more important than
sacrifice or worship. Maintaining good relationships is a priority with God.
When two brothers are at odds, worship of God is not accepted until
reconciliation is achieved. Failure to settle matters quickly can have very
severe repercussions, especially to the guilty party.
The guilty party has the responsibility to act first for it is they who will
“be thrown into prison” if they do not. While there are times when the
offended party should point out the offense to his brother, it is better to
overlook an offense and forgive (Prov 19:11; Col 3:13). Of course, the one
who refuses to forgive will end up in prison as well (Matt 18:35). The
picture of prison is not a reference to hell but to the temporal and physical
judgment that may result from sinning.
5. The King prohibits mental adultery (5:27-30)
5:27. The scribes and Pharisees taught that if one simply refrained from
the external act of adultery, that is, refrained from having sexual relations
with another’s spouse, he had complied with the Law’s demands.
5:28. However, Jesus attacks the Pharisee’s understanding of immorality.
The Law’s prohibition against adultery forbids not only the external act but
also the internal motive (lust) that leads to the act. The positive aspect of
this negative commandment is to pro­tect the sanctity of marriage. To look
“at a woman to lust for her” is to desire what God has forbidden. Lust
occurs in its most detectable form when physical desires are aroused that
cannot be legitimately fulfilled. It is against God’s law to sexually desire a
woman (or a man) who is not one’s wife (or husband).
5:29-30. It is true that dealing with sexual sin will require radical action,
but here Jesus is probably accommodating His advice to the Pharisees’
logical method of confronting sinful actions. Pharisaism taught that adultery
was sinful only in regard to the external act. Christ, in sarcasm, tells them to
mutilate their bodies so they would be incapable of performing the external
act. This would involve plucking out an offending eye that lusted or cutting
off an offending hand that might be used in lovemaking. To eliminate sin by
dealing only with the external act is as ludicrous as cutting off the part of
one’s body that performs those sinful acts.
6. The King regulates divorce and marriage (5:31-32)
5:31. The Bible teaches that marriage is one man for one woman for one
lifetime (Gen 2:24). However, some of the Pharisees taught that “‘a
certificate of divorce’” could be granted for any reason; others taught that
they must be given for adultery. Both teachings fractured families and
multiplied divorces.
5:32. Jesus counters both ideas. Divorce was permitted in the OT for one
condi­tion: “sexual immorality.” When divorce was permitted, a bill of
divorcement was to be issued (Deut 24:1-2; Matt 5:31). What Jesus is
contesting is not the OT teaching on divorce, but the abuse of it. The Phari-­
sees focused on the legal procedure in granting divorce but missed
identifying an acceptable rationale for it.
Jesus teaches that marriage vows are sacred. Marriage is to be permanent
(19:6). Jesus neither commends nor commands divorce. But He does accept
the point that sexual immorality could be viewed as grounds for divorce.
However, divorce, for reasons other than this, was invalid and gave rise to
remarriage. Such remarriages cause both partners “to commit adultery”
because God never recog­nized the divorce to begin with. The civil
certificate of divorce had been issued, but not the divine one. By rejecting
the idea that divorce for any reason was acceptable and that one was
obliged to divorce when fornication took place, Jesus is underscoring the
sanctity and permanence of marriage.
7. The King prohibits oaths (5:33-37)
5:33. This section concerns the matter of truthfulness. Jesus quotes the OT
teaching that one should “not swear falsely but shall perform [his] oaths
to the Lord.” He summarizes what the Law said about this subject from
Lev 19:12; Num 30:2; and Deut 23:21-23. Israelites were not to per­jure
themselves by failing to keep their promises. They were to perform their
vows faithfully. In fact the OT en­joined the taking of oaths (Deut 10:20).
An oath was an appeal to the Lord to witness the truth of a state­ment or the
binding character of a promise. It was used to call on God to judge whether
words were spoken falsely and to act accordingly. Oaths were designed to
guarantee that a promise would be performed. Oaths are still used today in
courtrooms or swearing-in ceremonies to guarantee truth telling or
fulfillment of promises.
5:34-37. The Pharisees encouraged oaths or vows. Jesus discouraged them,
but He is not contradicting the Law. His command, “do not swear at all,”
is a negative of comparison. “No” or “not” does not always mean such in an
absolute sense (Hosea 6:6; 1 Pet 3:3). Jesus is not opposing oath-taking as
such; instead He opposes the practice of distorting oaths so that they could
convey a lie. He does not oppose oaths that ensured truth, but those that
deceitfully concealed lies. Jesus speaks as He did because of circumstances
the Pharisees had created in which oaths had, for all practical purposes, lost
their meaning.
The Pharisees had devised a way to distinguish between oaths that were
binding and those that were not. Some oaths were to be fulfilled truthfully,
but others might not. They had adopted the mentality that a lie was not
sinful if sworn to in a certain way. Jesus repudiates that. Their distinctions
were artificial and undermined integrity. In an age when oaths were used
manipulatively it was best to discard them altogether and let one’s “‘Yes’ be
‘Yes’ and [one’s] ‘No,’ ‘No.’”
8. The King commands patience under persecution (5:38-42)
5:38. The Law prescribed “‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth’”
(Exod 21:24; Lev 24:20) as a basic principle of securing public justice. This
expression, which many interpreters take figuratively, teaches that major
crimes merit serious punishment while minor crimes merit lighter
punishment. The underlying principle, which is a part of jurisprudence
today, is that the punishment must fit the crime and there are limitations to
the severity of punishment that the government can impose.
5:39-42. While civil law at least in principle provided for the punishment
to fit the crime, it was not designed to encourage personal vengeance for all
of­fenses. It was to limit retribution for injustice. While Jesus plainly
condemns vengeful schemes in personal relationships, His teaching does
not oppose police, armies, and courts from enforcing public justice. The
advice to “turn the other” cheek, for instance, is not addressed to the state.
The overriding principle in this passage is that concern for the person who
has perpetrated a personal injustice must outweigh any need for revenge.
Mercy must triumph over judgment (Jas 2:13). Retaliation and revenge
must be released.
9. The King commands love for one’s enemies (5:43-48)
5:43. The command to “hate [one’s] enemy” is not found in the OT. It
was part of the pharisaical tradition. Typically a person’s neighbor was a
fellow Jew, while one’s enemy was a Gentile. The Pharisees rationalized
that the OT required love of only one’s neighbor, not one’s enemy.
5:44-48. Followers of Christ are to refrain from hating their enemies, but
they must also do the opposite: love them, bless them, “do good to” them,
and “pray­for” them. The reasons for such unnatural behavior are twofold.
First, Christ’s disciples behave this way toward their enemies to
demonstrate to whom they belong. Unrestricted love identifies believers as
“sons of your Father in heaven.” They are related to God who displays
love toward His enemies. This does not mean that those who love their
enemies become children of God because of their behavior. That would
mean works are necessary for justification (see Rom 4:5). These verses
parallel the truth of Matt 5:9 that godly behavior results in others
recognizing the believer as a son of God.
Second, this behavior demonstrates the distinctive level of commitment
that befits sons of God. If believers love only their friends, are they any
better than the godless pagans of society? With regard to love the ideal is to
be “perfect, just as (their) Father in heaven is perfect.”
The word perfect (teleios) sometimes means “mature” (e.g., 1 Cor 14:20;
Eph 4:13; Heb 5:14). But that cannot be the case here, for such a translation
removes the force of Christ’s statement. Furthermore how is God the Father
mature, whole, and complete in a way that people can be like Him?
It is better to take the word perfect in its normal sense of sinless
righteousness. This is what God is (1 John 1:5), and what believers should
be as well. Such a shocking statement is a proper conclusion to the section
of the sermon on pharisaical tradition. The section begins with Christ’s
statement in Matt 5:20 that perfect righteousness is God’s requirement for
entrance into the kingdom of heaven. The implied question was, “How can
anyone be that righteous?” Jesus gives six examples on how perfection is
revealed, and then concludes by saying that if believers can do these things
they will be perfect.
Those who try to attain such perfection by their works should now be
sufficiently deflated. No one can attain such righteousness on his or her
own. The only way any person can become as perfect as the Father in
heaven is if God gives His righteousness to him.
For those who have already believed in Jesus for eternal life, however,
Jesus does not lower the standard; He presents it as an ideal to aim for even
though He knows people will still fall short. And even then, in context, the
goal is not external righteousness, but the inner purity and love Christ has
been extolling (cf. 1 Pet 1:13-16).
10. The King commands giving, praying, and fasting with eternal
reward in view (6:1-24)
6:1-4. The Pharisees placed great importance on “charitable deeds” as
did the OT (cf. Deut 15:11). The wrong way to perform charitable acts is by
being “seen by” men. To “sound a trumpet” refers to the Pharisees’
practice of calling attention to their good deeds. No contradiction exists
between Matt 5:16 and 6:1. In 5:16 the motive of doing works in the sight
of men is assumed to be pure; in 6:1 it is specifically identified as impure.
In one instance God is glorified, and in the other instance one receives
“glory from men.” When God is not glorified, one receives no reward
from God in the future; when people receive glory they sought from others,
they already have their reward.
The right way is to give inconspicuously and unpretentiously so as to be
rewarded by God “who sees in secret.” Looking to God rather than to
people for approval is the correct motive and will be rewarded openly at the
Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10).
6:5-8. Wordy and repetitious public prayers to “be seen by men” carry no
weight with God and mirror the way pagans conduct their prayers.
The correct way is to be plain spoken in private, without show and to seek
one’s reward from God, “who sees in secret” and “will reward…openly.”
Extravagant means are not needed to get God’s attention. He knows
everything you need “before you ask Him.” The length of prayers or the
“vain repetition” of prayers do not make a difference; only the motive
matters.
6:9. Jesus then gives His disciples an example of how they should pray
(“In this manner”). This prayer need not be prayed in the exact words
given here, but in this way. The prayer is generally termed The Lord’s
Prayer, though it is intended for the disciples.
The prayer is directed toward “Our Father in heaven.” Jesus
undoubtedly spoke in Aramaic, using the word Abba, which expresses
endearment like the English word “Daddy.” The term presupposes a family
relationship with God obtainable only by faith alone in Christ alone for
salvation (John 1:12-13).
The word hallowed means “to set apart, to sanctify.” God’s name is to be
honored and revered through words and actions (Exod 20:7 prohibits
swearing falsely and using God’s name frivolously). When the Father’s
name is universally hallowed, the messianic kingdom will have come.
6:10a. This part is a prayer for God to take control of the earth. It is
uniquely messianic. The fulfillment is still future. It is inconsistent to pray
for a future reign and not let Him reign right now in believers’ lives.
6:10b. This part is a prayer for God’s purposes to be accomplished in
people’s lives in the coming kingdom. Evil dominates today. But during the
coming kingdom Satan will be bound and the will of God will prevail on
earth (Isa 2:2-4; Rev 20:1-3).
6:11. “Daily bread” represents daily provision of life’s necessi­ties. It is a
prayer for God to meet one’s need, not his greed (cf. Prov 30:8-9). Prayer
for one’s needs follows prayer for God’s glory.
6:12-15. Debts are spiritual obligations incurred from sins of commission
or omission. Forgiveness is cancellation of these debts. Verses 14 and 15 are
directed to the saved, not the unsaved. The unsaved are forgiven sins once
and for all in a judicial sense (Heb 10:17) when they are justified by faith in
Christ (Eph 1:7; Col 1:14), but daily forgiveness to maintain fellowship in
God’s family is still necessary (1 John 1:9). One cannot remain in
fellowship with God with an unforgiving spirit toward those who have
wronged him (Matt 18:21-35).
When Satan uses temptation to harm believers, they need God’s protection
“from the evil one.” No Christian should desire to be tested by the power
of evil, al­though it is often his lot to experience it. God can deliver the
believer from Satan’s temptation by giving the alertness to recognize it, the
wisdom to avoid it, and the grace to conquer it. If believers are led into
temptation, it is only because they have resisted God’s gracious warnings
and assistance. Even then God Himself tempts no one, but permits sin to
take its natural course (Jas 1:13-14).
6:16. Fasting, like charitable deeds and prayer, is a spiritual discipline. Its
purpose is to express contrition for sin and facilitate intimate communion
with God. It was commanded only once in the Law on the Day of
Atonement (Lev 16:29). However, the Pharisees prescribed fasting twice a
week (cf. Luke 18:12).
They practiced fasting in such a way as to be noticed. Their clothing
signified mourning and their sad faces covered with dust and ashes were
intended as public displays of their supposed spirituality.
6:17-18. Jesus told his listeners they were to fast privately so that their
“Father who sees in secret will reward [them] openly.” After giving,
praying, and fasting are done in secret, God rewards openly (vv 4, 6, 18).
To lose sight of the meaning of any one of these disciplines by playing to
the crowd was regarded by Jesus as hypocrisy (6:2, 5, 16). Those who work
for the praise of the crowd may receive it, but that is all the reward they will
have. Divine recompense is guaranteed by the close of the age, if not before
(cf. Matt 24:45-46, 25:14-23; 2 Cor 5:10).
6:19-21. The Pharisees were overly con­cerned about acquiring material
things. Jesus taught that there were benefits of a proper attitude toward
wealth. The first benefit is that caring more about what money will do for
God than for oneself will cause that individual to prosper without loss.
“Treasures in heaven” are more secure than “treasures on earth.”
“Moth, rust, and thieves” do not diminish them. Therefore believers are to
“lay up” (invest in) spiritual assets, which should have priority. While no
believer can take something with him to heaven, he can send it ahead in the
form of a spiritual investment. This will return to the believer in the form of
rewards. How believers use their time and direct their efforts reveals where
their heart is as well as their treasure.
6:22-24. The second benefit is that a good eye promotes spiritual
enlightenment throughout the total person. That person knows the true
value of things and lives accordingly. A bad (evil) eye is envious, covetous,
or grudging. Such an eye leads to distortion, or even worse, loss of spiritual
vision so that the person is enveloped in spiritual darkness.
The conflict between light and darkness manifests itself in conflicts of
interests and priorities. Which shall have first place, God (heavenly
concerns) or mammon (riches and earthly concerns)? A person cannot
serve both masters, for one will eventually win out and exercise control
over his life.
11. The King prohibits worrying (6:25-34)
 6:25-34. The third benefit of a proper view of wealth is that it will banish
anxiety. God assures believers He will care for them. They have an
obligation to trust in God’s providential care.
Anxiety about physical resources shows misplaced priorities, especially a
misunderstanding about God’s priorities. There are more important things to
think about than preserving physical life. God feeds “the birds” and He
considers believers of greater value than them.
Anxiety cannot prolong one’s life beyond the allotted time. It fails to
notice how God clothes the fields with a luxurious display of flowers and
even the grass though it is eventually burnt. Yet God cares more for the
needs of believers.
Another reason to avoid anxiety is that it imitates the attitudes of the
Gentiles. It does not take into account that the “heavenly Father knows”
the needs of His own and will provide what is needed if their priorities are
in line with His. The unsaved have no such comfort. Yet when believers
“seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,” God will make
sure they have what they need to accomplish His will and His purposes. In
pursuing their own interests people fail to follow God and may not get what
they want either. But when a person pursues the things of God, He provides
what is needed.
A final reason worry is worthless is that it tends to borrow trouble that
never materializes. “Sufficient [but not excessive] for [each] day is its own
trouble.”
12. The King prohibits self-righteous judgment (7:1-6)
7:1-2. Though constantly on the watch for violators of the Law, the
Pharisees were blind to their own shortcomings. An overly critical spirit
often conceals suppressed guilt. A person who possesses a shameful trait,
such as lust or dishonesty, not only represses it but also often projects it
onto others. Intolerance and aggression often accompany this activity.
When Jesus says, “Judge not,” He is forbidding what is harsh (Isa 29:20),
hurtful (Rom 12:19-21), uninformed (1 Cor 4:3-5), hasty (Prov 18:13), and
hypocritical (Rom 2:1). He does not forbid all judging, for elsewhere in
Scripture believers are instructed to judge (cf. 1 Cor 6:1-6). The Lord
approves of both discriminatory and disciplinary judgment. Examples of
discriminatory judging would be ascertaining whether a person’s teaching is
true or false (Matt 7:15; 1 John 4:1), whether a person is worthy or
unworthy (Matt 7:6; 10:11), whether a person is right or wrong (Acts 15:1-
29; Gal 2:11-21), whether a statement is truth or error (Acts 17:11; 2 Tim
3:16-17), whether an action is right or wrong (2 Tim 3:16,17), and whether
a Christian’s liberty should or should not be exercised (1 Cor 6:12; 10:23).
An example of disciplinary judgment is recorded in 1 Cor 5:12-13. Such
judgment is reserved for believers, not unbelievers.
Clarification on the matter of judgment is needed today because Matt 7:1
is often used against Christians to intimidate them from engaging in
scriptural judging. The verse is used to promote tolerance of erroneous and
destructive beliefs and practices by associating their critics with mean-
spiritedness and arrogance. Those who say “Judge not” are often among the
first to judge the Bible for what they say are its “politically incorrect”
affirmations, examples, prescriptions, and prohibitions.
Two reasons Jesus gives to avoid spiteful self-righteous judging are the
boomerang effect (“that you be not judged,”) and the impairment of man’s
spiritual and moral vision because of sin (Matt 7: 3-5).
7:3-5. Because of man’s lack of discernment people should check
themselves first to see if their spiritual vision is distorted. Therefore self-
criticism is necessary to get things in perspective. The figures of the plank
and the speck are examples of hyperbole. The image of someone with a
heavy plank in his eye trying to remove a small speck from another’s eye is
ludicrous. How could the Pharisees with such distorted spiritual vision hope
to help others in their plight? They would end up doing more damage than
good. It is clear that before a person attempts to evaluate someone, he
should honestly examine himself.
7:6. Jesus compares the Pharisees to dogs and swine, two unclean animals
known for their ferocity when provoked. They symbolize those who scorn
and mock God’s truth, which is what is expected from those with distorted
spiritual vision. Revealing to them God’s criticism of their ways would
result in that truth being abused (trampled) and the messenger being
persecuted (“tear you in pieces”).
What is holy (i.e., meat offered for sacrifice in the temple) is not to be
given to dogs, and valuable pearls are not to be cast before swine. The
Phari­sees did not appreciate the holy and valuable teachings of Christ.
Jesus’ followers need not feel obligated to present God’s truth to these kinds
of people. One should not give constructive criticism to faultfinders unless
the giver is willing to take the consequences of having the truth scorned and
the truth-teller persecuted (cf. Prov 9:8; 15:12).
13. The King encourages asking, seeking, and knocking (7:7-12)
7:7. Here Jesus gives a command followed by a promise to His disciples.
Each command is a present imperative in the Greek: “Keep on asking, keep
on seeking, and keep on knocking.” Believers should persist in prayer,
never giving up laying their petitions before God.
7:8. The promise is to everyone. God will answer each believer who prays
persistently and earnestly. Prayers should be in accord with the will of God
and not one’s own selfish desires.
7:9-11. Since imperfect earthly fathers “give good gifts” in contrast to
worthless or harmful gifts (i.e., a stone or a serpent) to their sons, how
much more will God “give good things” to His seeking children? God will
respond out of love with only good gifts, though at times they may not be
what are expected.
7:12. True righteousness can be summed up by the word love. When true
love is shown to others, the Law is fulfilled (Rom 13:8-19; Gal 5:14). Jesus’
words in this verse are called “the Golden Rule.”
14. The King warns about the narrow way (7:13-14)
7:13-14. Those seeking entrance into the kingdom have a choice. There
are two gates and two ways leading to two destinies. The “wide…gate” and
“broad…way” is popular, but leads to destruction.” The “narrow…gate”
and “difficult…way” lead “to life.” The terminology is similar to that of
John 10:9-10 where Christ says He is the door to the sheep pen. One may
enter only through Jesus Christ, and once he is in, He leads them to find
pasture. There is a difference between receiving life, and living the
abundant life. Here in Matt 7:13-14 one enters into life by the gate and he
lives that life by walking along the way. It is a narrow gate, and a difficult
way that is only through Jesus Christ (cf. John 14: 6). Unfortunately “few…
find it.”
Though His offer is to the entire human race, only a relatively few trust
Him and believe in Him for eternal life instead of depending on their own
obedience. The many, however, who reject Jesus’ offer of eternal life
choose the way of human pride and self-righteousness which leads to
destruction.
15. The King identifies false prophets by their “fruits” (7:15-20)
7:15-20. One reason so few are entering the kingdom is because of the
many influential “spokesmen for God” who are promoting the wide gate
and broad path. These teachers are not readily perceived as “false
prophets,” for they are wolves “in sheep’s clothing.” Their predatory
nature is hidden by an innocent appearance. They cloak their false teaching
with what seems to be good works. But as Jesus said, “‘they say and do not
do’” (23:3). Pharisaical righteousness will not get anyone into the kingdom.
Jesus teaches that a plant or tree is known “by [its] fruit.” Their ingenious
means of reducing the demands of the Law to something people can keep
for salvation betray who they really are. The false teacher is likened to “a
bad tree” that naturally produces “bad fruit” whose end is destruction by
fire.
These false teachers are detected “by their fruits.” The fruit of the false
teacher is not his works, for these appear to be good. Rather the false fruit is
their doctrine (cf. 12: 33-35). In the case of the Pharisees it was legalism—
that one could merit acceptance with God by his deeds. Testing doctrine is
the means by which the seeker can discern a teacher’s true nature. To be
able to test someone’s doctrine, one must be well versed in the Word of
God.
Today many false ideas are being taught. Paul wrote of false apostles who
offered a counterfeit Christ, a counterfeit Spirit, and a counterfeit gospel (2
Cor 11:4, 13-15). Satan loves to enlist religious teachers who obscure the
gospel of grace.
16. The King rejects salvation by works (7:21-23)
7:21. A profession of Jesus as Lord will not guarantee entrance into the
kingdom by itself. Those who still cling to their pharisaical righteousness
but profess Christ will not make it. Only those “who [do] the will of [the]
Father” will “enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The will of the Father may be viewed from two perspectives. Jesus’
interpretation of the Law is the Father’s will. But to do this for entrance into
eternal life requires perfect obedience (5:48; Luke 10:25-37; Rev 21:27).
This door, practically speaking, is shut.
But there is still another way! Jesus said in John 6:40, “‘And this is the
will of Him who sent me, that everyone who sees the Son, and believes in
Him, may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.’” The
will of the Father is to believe in the Son. Obeying the will of the Father in
this manner brings salvation.
7:22-23. The individuals in vv 22-23 do not do the will of the Father.
Although they claim to have performed supernatural “‘wonders in
[Christ’s] name,’” at the Great White Throne Judgment (“in that day”)
they will be convicted as those “who practice [or do] lawlessness.” Jesus
will declare, “‘I never knew you; depart from Me.’”
These verses do not refer to people who once performed works only a
saved person could do and then lost their salvation. The verses are referring
to those whom Christ never knew. These were counterfeit believers, not real
ones. Whether they actually performed supernatural wonders or not remains
unclear. If they did perform such works, it could not be from Christ, but
must have been of Satan. If they did not, they are simply fabricating an
experience they never had.
17. The King contrasts two builders (7:24-29)
7:24-27. Jesus concludes the sermon with a story that involves a contrast
between two builders and two foundations. The foolish builder represents
the Pharisees who anchor their destiny to their own interpretations and
practice of the Law. These in turn represent a foundation of sand, which
suggests instability, danger, and impermanence. The wise builder represents
hearers of Christ’s teaching who anchor their destiny to Christ’s
interpretation of the Law. His teachings are compared to a rock founda­tion,
which suggests stability, safety, and permanence. A foundation of sand
provides no safety for the winds and floods of future judgment. The house
built on such a site will collapse in a time of strong winds and floods. The
rock foundation, on the other hand, will secure the occupant from harm.
Anyone who “hears these sayings of mine and does them” is promised
safety and stability in withstanding the storm of God’s judgment. Disaster
awaits those who do not comply with Jesus’ instructions to hear and do His
sayings.
 The only safe course is to act on what Christ says: enter the narrow way by
rejecting the false teaching of the Pharisees. Although total compliance to
the demands of the Law was the way into the kingdom, the wise would be
able to recognize the impos­sibility of such an undertaking as they
contemplated obeying the higher standards Christ taught.
7:28-29. Astonishment sweeps over the multitude “for He taught them as
one having authority, and not as the scribes.” The typical pharisaical
pattern of teaching was to present what the various Jewish scholars
throughout Israel’s history had said or written about Scripture, rather than
teach, explain, and apply the text authoritatively as Jesus is doing here.
Though He does refer to what the Pharisees taught regarding the Law (5:21,
27, 31, 33, 38, 43), He authoritatively states what the Law actually meant.
The Lord Jesus speaks by His own authority as the King of Israel, God in
the flesh!
III. The Power of the King [His Credentials] (8:1–11:1)
A. Demonstration of the King’s Power and Authority (8:1–9:34)
1. Miracles of healing (8:1-17)
8:1-2. In the first miracle of this section a leper approaches Jesus
requesting healing. Leprosy is a terrible disease. The plight of lepers was
desperate, and their situation was permanent unless God intervened (cf.
Num 12:10-15; 2 Kings 5:7, 14). A leper was considered unclean (Lev
13:44-45) and an outcast (2 Kings 15:5). The Law prescribed separation to
avoid defilement (Num 5:1-4; Lev 13:46).
By faith the leper pleads, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me
clean.” By calling Him Lord, he understands that Christ has the authority to
heal. But in his humility he recognizes that the choice belongs to Jesus. The
leper does not question Jesus’ authority; he only questions His willingness.
8:3-4. In the OT, lepers were not to be touched since they were considered
unclean. However, Jesus could not be defiled because He had power to
make clean. Just as He would later take the sin of the world on Himself and
yet remain sinless, so also He could touch a leper and remain undefiled. The
Pharisees said that if a person came within six feet of a leper on a windless
day and one hundred feet on a breezy day, that individual was defiled and
had to go through the prescribed ceremony for ritual cleansing. Heedless of
pharisaic opinion, Jesus…touched him and ordered him to “be cleansed.”
He then instruct­s the man to “tell no one” but to go “show [himself] to
the priest.” Jesus did not want the man to tell others because they might
misunderstand His purpose and think He was only a miracle worker. But
Jesus wants the man to go through the Law’s cleansing ritual (Leviticus 14)
so that this miracle might force the priests to face the evidence that his
healing was a mes­sianic sign (cf. Matt 11:3-5). The dramatic nature of this
“testimony to them” would be evident. Up to that time Miriam was the
only Israelite person in Biblical history to be healed of leprosy (Num 12:10-
15).
8:5-9. A Roman centurion, an officer in charge of one hundred soldiers,
requests healing for his servant who is “at home paralyzed [and]
dreadfully
tormented.” Jesus purposes to “come and heal” this Roman centurion’s
servant. How the healing would take place is not revealed.
The centurion recognizes Jesus’ authority, and tells Jesus to simply “speak
a word” to effect the healing. He compares his own authority over soldiers
to accomplish his will without his presence with the authority Jesus has to
heal from a distance and with only a word.
8:10-12. Jesus marveled at the faith of this Gentile centurion, for it stood
in stark contrast to the superficial unbelief He encountered in Israel.
Matthew does not state whether this centurion believed in Jesus for eternal
life; Matthew simply writes that the centurion believes in Jesus for healing.
Nevertheless his faith provides an occasion for Christ to warn “the sons of
the kingdom.” In its only other use in Matthew this expression refers to
regenerate Jews (13:38). Christ warns them, that they would lose their
eternal rewards in the Messiah’s kingdom while many Gentile believers
would be rewarded with a rich inheritance. Believers who had faith like the
Roman centurion will share in Messiah’s inheritance and reign. Unfaithful
Jewish believers, though physical and spiritual descendents of “Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob,” will not fully share in the blessings of the inheritance.
The words, “sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” speak of
reclining at a feast. The coming kingdom is commonly pictured as a feast
(Luke 14:15-24), particularly a wedding feast
(Matt 22:1-14; Rev 19:7-10). The “outer darkness” refers to the darkness
outside of the light of the wedding feast where all faithful believers will
celebrate their inheritance with King Jesus. The “outer darkness” does not
refer to the darkness of hell, as some interpreters suggest. Similarly,
weeping and gnashing of teeth is a picture of profound regret at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, not a picture of suffering and torment in hell. It
was very common in the Middle East for those who were in mourning or
who had experienced great loss to weep loudly and to gnash their teeth. It
can mean hell in other places. However, this meaning is based on context
and not on the inherent meaning of the word.
8:13. The centurion’s servant is healed according to the faith of his master
that very “same hour” in Jesus’ absence, demonstrating that Jesus’ healing
powers are not limited by distance.
8:14-15. When Jesus touches Peter’s mother-in-law, who was “lying sick
with a fever,” her recovery is complete. Because He ministers to her she
ministers to Him. This suggests that disciples do not serve to be saved; they
serve because they are saved.
8:16-17. The healing of Peter’s mother-in-law leads many others to bring
friends and loved ones to Jesus for deliverance. Among them are the
“demon-possessed” and “all who were sick.”
Some have said on the basis of v 17 that healing is in the Atonement. As a
quotation of Isa 53:4, it is stated that when Christ took upon Himself the
sins of all humanity, He took disease as well. If He deals with sins, He also
deals with its effects.
Though healing is in the Atonement, the benefits of healing are not
necessarily presently guaranteed. The Fall resulted in the curse which
wrought humankind’s physical infirmities and sicknesses. The manner in
which Jesus “took [the] infirmities” and sicknesses was through suffering
and dying for everyone’s sins. Therefore healing is ultimately guaranteed in
the Resurrection, but not necessarily at the present time. God can and does
heal His people on occasion in response to faith and in accord with His
sovereign choice.
2. The demands of discipleship (8:18-22)
8:18-20. As Jesus changes the location of His ministry, He warns two
would-be disciples of the inconvenience of following Him. First, a certain
scribe who outwardly acknowledges Christ’s authority as “Teacher [vows]
I will follow You wherever You go.” But he is rash and presumptuous.
Jesus warns that his desire to submit to His authority is less than his desire
for creaturely comforts. Jesus tells the man that even foxes and birds have a
place to reside in safety and comfort, but “the Son of Man” does not have a
predictable place to rest and renew Himself. The term “Son of Man,”
though an exalted messianic title from the OT (Dan 7:13; Matt 26:64),
speaks of a period of humiliation that Messiah in His humanity must endure
(8:20; 12:40). He must suffer before He can reign. Sacrifice, not a longing
for security, is required for a life of discipleship.
8:21-22. Another would-be disciple acknowledges his authority by calling
Jesus Lord. However, he reveals that he has a higher priority than
following Jesus. He wants to “first go and bury [his] father.” Jesus
replied, “Follow me and let the [spiritually] dead bury their own
[physically] dead.” This was a shocking statement to one who had been
taught that family obligations were among the highest one could fulfill. He
may have just experienced the death of his father, or he more likely meant,
“I’ll follow you some­time after my father is dead, when I will have received
my inheritance and am free to go.” Whatever the circumstances, Jesus is
saying, “I am more important than making preparations for the burial of
your father. Furthermore, the delay will be too costly.” Discipleship is not
something one can drop and pick up later at his convenience. The demands
of discipleship take precedence over normal desires and obligations.
3. Miracles of power (8:23–9:8)
8:23-24. After Jesus and His disciples set sail on the Sea of Galilee, a
great tempest arose. The fact that Jesus was asleep in the boat in the midst
of a raging storm is an indication of great fatigue. Nevertheless the disciples
believe they are in mortal danger, and so they awaken Him, and say, “Lord
save us! We are perishing!”
8:25-26. Jesus rebukes them for their “little faith” (cf. 8:10) before He
rebuked the storm. The storm immediately became calm. His intent is to
move the disciples from their fear of circumstances to faith in Himself as
the One who could save them—not just physically, but in a far deeper
sense, spiritually.
8:27. The question the astonished disciples raise is significant: “Who can
this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?” The answer is that
He is the Messiah, of supernatural character and origin (Isa 9:6; Mic 5:2).
Since the calming of the seas was attributable to God (Pss 89:9; 107:23-30),
His power over the winds and waves forces the disciples to grapple with the
issue of His identity. This event demonstrates that Jesus has authority over
the realm of nature.
8:28-29. The next miracle of Jesus involved an exorcism. It took place in
the country of the Gergesenes, which had a large Gentile population. Mark
5:1 and Luke 8:26 say this occurred in the country of the Gadarenes. Three
towns in this area have similar names (Gadara, Gerasa, and Gergesa). The
miracle probably took place in Gergesa, in the region or vicinity of Gadara.
This miracle demonstrated that Jesus has authority over demons—evil
supernatural spirit beings of the unseen world. On occasion these demons
indwelt and controlled people. Three ways demons often manifested
themselves in a demon-possessed person was through an attraction to death,
supernatural strength, and supernatural knowledge.
Jesus made contact with two demon-possessed men who displayed these
three characteristics. First, they lived among the tombs. They also
exhibited supernatural strength by fierce and violent behavior that kept
anyone from passing through their vicinity. They displayed supernatural
knowledge when they identified Jesus as the “Son of God” whom they
asked, “Have you come here to torment us before the time?” They
recognized Him as the “Son of God,” the future messianic King (cf. Ps 2:7-
8) and ac­knowledged that He had control over their destiny. Though some
evil spirits are already in chains and darkness (2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6), a time is
coming when all will be similarly imprisoned. The demons thought Jesus
had come before the appointed time.
8:30-32. In keeping with their acknowledgement of Christ’s authority to
exorcise demons, they seek permission to be cast out into a “herd of
swine” so that they would not endure the suffering and disgrace of being
homeless. The “joke” seems to have been on them since they seemed
incapable of pre­dicting what could happen to swine inhabited by demons.
The ceremonially unclean animals bearing their unclean hosts stampede
down the hill into the lake and drown. It is unclear what happened to the
demons.
8:33-34. The keepers of the herd of swine appear to have reported not so
much the glorious deliverance of the two men, but the fact that Jesus was
ruining their pork business. Mark 5:15 and Luke 8:35 focus on only one of
the men, describing him as “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his
right mind.” No mention is made of what happened to the second man. As
thanks for delivering these two men, the whole city, by unanimous consent,
begged Him to depart from their region. They preferred their own swine
to the Savior. For Jesus, people are more important than pigs.
9:1-3. This miracle took place in the headquarters of Jesus’ ministry in
Galilee, His own city of Capernaum. A paralytic was brought to Jesus.
Before Jesus healed him, He declared his “sins forgiven.” As a result, the
scribes said, “This Man blasphemes!” The scribes’ theology was correct
up to a point: Only God forgives sins. Their conclusion, however, is wrong.
They assume that Jesus is a man and therefore blasphemed, when the
correct conclusion is that He is God.
9:4-7. Jesus’ response to their unspoken accusation reveals the
supernatural powers He possessed as the Son of God. This is His first
response to the false notion that He is a mere man who presumes to forgive
sins.
The healing, however, demonstrated Jesus’ right to forgive sins. The easier
accomplishment (declaration of the forgiveness of sins) is demonstrated by
the more difficult accomplishment (telling the paralytic, “Arise and
walk”). Thus Jesus’ “power on earth to forgive sins” in the spiritual,
unseen realm was confirmed by undeniable proof in the material, visible
realm.
9:8. As a result of Christ’s display of power, the multitudes publicly
marveled and glorified God as the source of that power. In healing the
paralytic Jesus shows His authority over the realms of sickness and sin.
4. Distinctions of discipleship (9:9-17)
9:9. Matthew was a Roman tax collector—a hated occupation. Jews who
became tax collectors (or publicans) were seen as traitors and were called
“wild beasts in human shape.” They were classified with assassins and
robbers and were forbidden to enter Jewish synagogues. Jews were
forbidden to teach their sons this trade. Matthew was a man no self-
respecting Pharisee would voluntarily associate with.
When Matthew followed Jesus, he gave up much. Luke adds that Matthew
left everything behind (Luke 5:28). In this sacrificial act of obedience
Matthew recognizes in Jesus an authority and power greater than Rome.
And whether Matthew knew it at the time, following Jesus has greater
rewards as well.
Some believe that Jesus was calling Matthew to receive eternal life by
inviting him to become a committed disciple. Previously Matthew himself
records that Jesus issued an invitation to Peter and Andrew to “follow Me”
(4:19). When compared with John 1:40-42; 2:11, the ones to whom Jesus
extended the invitation were already believers. These passages in John took
place chronologically before Matthew 4. It was only after they had come to
faith in Christ that Jesus called them to be disciples. Therefore in Matthew 9
Jesus does not issue a call to salvation; this is a call to committed
discipleship subsequent to salvation. To respond to the call of salvation all
one need do is believe in Jesus for eternal life (John 5:24). To respond to the
call of discipleship one must continually order one’s life under Jesus’
authority.
9:10. When Matthew followed Jesus, he immediately went fishing for men
(cf. Matt 4:19). He put on an evangelistic dinner in his house and invited
many of his fellow tax collectors (cf. Luke 5:29). What an assembly of
spiritual rejects that must have been! But Jesus attended as the guest of
honor so He could teach them the way to eternal life.
9:11-13. The festive event did not go unnoticed by the Pharisees who
believed Jesus was keeping bad company. As separatists, the Pharisees
could not understand why a man who claims to be the Messiah would
attend a dinner like this. Their question to His disciples was, “Why does
your Teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” Either Jesus
overhears the question, or the disciples bring it to him, for Jesus supplies an
illustration in reply. He likens Himself to a physician and the people to
whom He ministered as those who are sick. They need His spiritual healing
and He is available to help. His remedy for wayward sinners is repentance.
By calling them to repentance, Jesus was not telling the people they had to
repent to receive eternal life; He was still appealing to Israel to receive the
kingdom. He was calling the nation to turn to the Messiah in repentance so
that His kingdom might be inaugurated. This national repentance did not
preclude the need for each individual to believe in Him for eternal life (John
6:47).
 9:14-15. The disciples of John also wonder why Jesus does not require
his disciples to fast, as John, who preached repentance, had required them
to do. Jesus replies with a rhetorical question, “Can the friends of the
bridegroom mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them?” It would
be inappropriate for such activity since fasting was typically associated with
mourning over sin and suffering. A time of mourn­ing, however, was coming
when Jesus would “be taken away from them” in death. In the meantime
good things are happening. The King is personally among them and sinners
are getting saved. It is time to celebrate and to feast! Jesus then illustrates
this truth with two pictures.
9:16-17. A new “piece of unshrunk cloth” attached to “an old garment”
to repair a tear only makes the tear worse when the garment is repeatedly
washed. “New wine [put] into old [dried out] wineskins” causes as
expansion of gases when it ferments. Having lost their elasticity, the old
wineskins eventually burst, causing both container and contents to be
ruined. Christ’s point is that just as the new patch is incompatible with the
old garment and the new wine is incompatible with the old wineskins, so
also Christ’s way of doing things in ministry is incompatible with the way
of the Pharisees and John’s disciples. Jesus’ message of salvation by grace
and the Pharisees’ message of salvation by works was incompatible. To mix
the attitudes, ways, and teachings of the two would destroy what Jesus was
doing.
5. Miracles of restoration (9:18-34)
9:18-19. While Jesus is giving this important lesson on why He was eating
with tax collectors and not fasting, a synagogue ruler approaches Him with
a request that He raise his recently deceased daughter. The ruler was
important and esteemed, not like Matthew or his friends. Luke 8:41
identifies him as Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue. He asks that Jesus “lay
[His] hand on her.” His request indicated that he had faith in the person of
Christ. Jesus and His disciples followed him to the home in anticipation of
seeing a dead person raised to life.
9:20-22. On the way to the ruler’s house Jesus’ journey is interrupted by a
woman who had experienced an unnatural flow of blood for twelve years
that had made her ceremonially unclean according to Levitical law (Lev
15:19-30). She sought healing through touch­ing the hem of His garment
from behind. She exhibits faith in Jesus’ power to restore her health, and
Jesus demonstrates His omniscience by turning to her and publicly
acknowledging her faith as that which had made her instantly well and
rendered her clean. Again trust in Jesus’ power to heal is illustrative of trust
in His power to save.
9:23-26. Jesus continues toward Jairus’ house, and mourners are already
there. Their cynicism at Jesus’ remark that “the girl” was only sleeping (a
euphemism for death) was overcome when Jesus took her by the hand.
Immediately the girl arose. Touching a corpse was one of the most serious
ways of contracting ceremonial defilement, making a person unclean for
seven days (Num 19:11). Yet Jesus was not affected. The virtuous power of
life that flowed from Him removed from Him any chance of being defiled.
He could not be made unclean; He could only make others clean.
The lesson is that Jesus Christ has power over death. Raising the ruler’s
daughter pictures the Resurrection, which is the prospect of all believers
(John 6:40; 11:25).
9:27-31. After Jesus left the ruler’s house, two blind men followed Him.
In their persistent request for mercy they address Him as the “Son of
David,” the King of Israel. They are expecting a messianic miracle that
would restore their sight (cf. Isa 35:5-6). In the messianic kingdom there
will be perfect eyesight and bodily wholeness because of Him (cf. Isa 42:7).
Jesus asks them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They reply,
using another messianic title, “Yes, Lord” (cf. Ps 110:1). He touched their
eyes and they were healed “according to [their] faith.” This act ultimately
symbolizes the believer’s deliverance from the power of darkness and
translation into Christ’s kingdom (Col 1:13).
9:32-34. Jesus then heals a mute and demon-possessed man. That the
mute would speak was a messianic sign (Isa 35:6). The kingdom will be a
time of bodily wholeness and restraint on Satan’s activities (Isa 35: 5-6; Rev
20:1-3).
As on other occasions when Jesus performed His miracles, people are
astounded and are incited to spread an account of what they had seen (cf.
8:27, 33; 9:26, 31, 34). But not all reaction is positive, as 8:34 and 9:34
point out. The miracles eventually force Jesus’ opponents to formulate
another explanation for what they could not deny—the supernatural origin
of Jesus’ miracles: But the Pharisees said, “He casts out demons by the
ruler of the demons.” Throughout 8:1–9:34 awareness of Jesus’
messiahship increases, but so does the opposition to that awareness.
B. Delegation of the King’s Power (9:35–11:1)
1. The need for delegation of power (9:35-38)
9:35-38. Jesus’ ministry of teaching, preaching, and healing continued
(cf. Matt 4:23). When Christ saw the multitudes, He was moved with
compassion. He compared them to weak and helpless sheep that are
shepherd­less. They need guidance, comfort, and protection because the
spiritual leaders of Israel had abdicated their responsibility.
To impart a vision to the disciples, Jesus compares the crowds to a
plentiful harvest that is ripe for reaping. Too few laborers are available to
bring in the crop, and the false religious leaders are of no help. Since
assistance is needed, Jesus challenges the disciples to pray for more
laborers.
Seeing the need, Jesus visualizes numbers of people who will believe on
Him and be saved. He clearly sees those who are saved being led, protected,
and guided by faithful shepherds, so He devises a plan to make that happen.
It begins with prayer, but moves quickly to recruiting leadership to execute
the plan.
2. The call and empowerment of the apostles (10:1-4)
10:1-4. Extending His work as Messiah, Jesus summons His twelve
disciples and bestows on them the authority and power to perform miracles
of mercy as He had done. Such delegation of power was unknown in
Israel’s history.
In v 2, Matthew changes his description of the twelve as disciples to the
word apostles. The word apostle is an advance over the word disciple and
indicates they had moved beyond merely learning and following . This
means that more responsibility has been delegated and that the bearer of the
designation is in a position of greater trust. An apostle is literally “one sent
forth as a representative.” These apostles, with the exception of Judas,
would one day produce a group of Christians who “turned the world upside
down” (Acts 17:6).
3. The commissioning and sending forth of the apostles (10:5-42)
 10:5-8. The task of accomplishing Jesus’ work, especially after His death,
would rest with these men. Jesus limits their sphere of ministry at this time
to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (vv 5-6; cf. Rom 15:8). The offer
of the kingdom was primarily for Israel. They must have full opportunity to
receive His gospel of the kingdom before it would be taken to the Gentiles.
The message of John and Jesus is identical: “The kingdom of heaven is at
hand” (cf. 3:2 and 4:17). The apostles are to announce the nearness of
God’s promised earthly kingdom and call on Israel to repent so they might
be spiritually prepared to receive the kingdom in their generation. The
apostles’ ministry would be spectacular. They would perform the same kind
of miracles Jesus performed, even raising “the dead” (vv 1, 8), which
would demonstrate the authenticity of their message.
10:9-10. The apostles are not to look to themselves for support for their
mission. Instead they are to depend on the King. Desiring to build their faith
in God’s provision for a worthy worker, He cautions them to provide
nothing for emergencies. The apostles are to travel light and live simply.
10:11-13. He would move the loyal subjects of His kingdom to support the
messengers of the kingdom. They are to depend on the generosity of
worthy providers who would receive them. In His commissioning address
to the apostles, Jesus anticipates for them the same responses to their
ministry as to His—not only reception, but also rejection from those not
worthy (i.e., unbelievers; cf. 22:8).
The apostles would face arrest, trial, scourging, division, hostility, flight,
and martyrdom.
10:14. The apostles are to expect that some will “not receive” them. Not
all will wish to hear the message of the imminence of the kingdom. So the
apostles are to “depart from” them and “shake off the dust from [their]
feet,” that is, leave them alone and move on to those more receptive.
10:15. God will ultimately hold these rejecters of Christ’s messengers
more accountable than “Sodom and Gomorrah,” two OT Gentile cities
known for their extreme wickedness (Gen 13:13). Through the prophet
Ezekiel God had already compared Israel unfavorably with these cities He
had judged (16:46-63). He would count it a serious offense “in the Day of
Judgment” to have rejected an official representative of the promised
messianic King.
 10:16. Having been forewarned of the danger they will face from those
hostile to the message (pictured as predatory wolves; cf. v 17; 7:15), the
apostles (likened to defenseless sheep) are to “be wise as serpents and
harmless as doves” to avoid needless provocation. These are probably not
timeless truths for all missionary endeavors, but are good principles for
those just beginning to develop their evangelistic skills.
10:17-20. In spite of measures to avoid conflict they are to “beware of
men.” Some will seek to persecute them in Jewish councils and
synagogues in order to silence their message. They will even be brought
before Gentile courts of law. However, this will give them opportunity to
testify about their faith. But they are not to plan their own defense; they are
to allow the Holy Spirit to speak directly through them. Since the apostles
did not seem to experience the intensity of the opposition spoken of here
during this first short preaching mission, it seems that Jesus is speaking
beyond His own lifetime to the time the apostles would minister in His
stead after His crucifixion.
10:21-22. Perils would come not just from strangers and civil authorities,
but also from one’s own family. Widespread hatred accompanied by
persecution would come on those who identify themselves with the name of
Christ. Such perils are anticipated in the OT prior to the setting up of the
kingdom (cf. Dan 12:1). “But he who endures to the end will be saved (v
22).” The word endures refers to standing firm for Christ in the face of
opposition. The end refers to the completion of some process or event such
as the end of persecution, the preaching mission, or even one’s life. In this
context, “the end” refers to the end of the seventieth week of Daniel after
Messiah is cut off (Dan 9:26; cf. Matt 24:3, 9, 10, 13, 21-22). It refers to the
end of that terrible time of persecution known as the Great Tribulation when
the gospel of the kingdom will have been preached to the entire world
(10:13-14, 21, 29-30). The expression “will be saved” refers to a rescue of
some kind. This could refer to eternal salvation, physical salvation, or an
abundant entrance into the messianic kingdom based on one’s faithfulness.
If “the end” refers to the end of the Great Tribulation, then the salvation
refers both to the physical survival of those who hold out to Messiah’s
second coming and entrance into the rewards of Messiah’s kingdom that are
reserved for the faithful (cf. Dan 12:1, 3; Matt 24:22; 2 Tim 2:12; 2 Pet
1:11). It clearly does not mean that believers who endure and persevere in
good works to the end of life will earn eternal life and that those who fail to
persevere do not receive eternal life. This would contradict the concept of
salvation by grace through faith alone (Eph 2:8-9) and the fact that no
believer can be lost (John 10:28-29). Neither does Matt 10:22 teach that all
genuine believers will inevitably persevere.
10:23-25. When persecuted, they are to flee from one city to another.
When they cannot flee, they are to endure in anticipation of being delivered
(v 22; cf. 24:13). As messengers of Christ, they should not be surprised at
being rejected. Since Christ, their teacher and master (cf. 9:34), was
rejected, the disciple and servant can expect similar treatment. Similarly,
just as Jesus’ opponents had called Him Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons
(Matt 9:34; Luke 11:15), the disciples could expect similar slander.
What is often overlooked is that Jesus is following the original plan of OT
messianic prophecy. With the preparation made by John the Baptist and the
ministry of the Messiah, revival would break out in Israel (Isa 59:20-21;
Mal 4:6). But there would also be opposition. Messiah and those who
followed Him in the proclamation of the soon coming kingdom would
ultimately come into conflict with civil authorities (cf. Ps 2:1-3). Messiah
would then die and be resurrected (Ps 16:10; Psalm 22; Isa 53; Dan 9:26).
Next, He would return to heaven (Ps 110:1). Seven years of intense
Tribulation would ensue (Dan 9:26-27) and conflict will increase, making
endurance a requirement (Dan 7:25). In being driven from city to city in
Israel, Messiah’s followers would find that they would not complete their
preaching task before Jesus came back to set up His earthly kingdom and
destroy His enemies (Zech 14:1-9). That is, their persecution will be cut
short (cf. Dan 7:25b with Matt 24:21-22). Since Jesus uses the term “Son of
Man” with reference to Himself, this conveys that His coming will be one
of judgment and that He will receive a kingdom (Dan 7:9-14, 23-27; Matt
26:63-64).
10:26-27. The apostles are told not to fear lies, people, or insecurity. The
chief lie they would face is the one their Master had to face: that they were
associated with the work of Satan (see v 25). In the face of such slander
they must understand that no lie will ultimately succeed. All will be
uncovered and made known eventually. In the meantime they could openly
spread the truth they had been taught privately by Christ.
 10:28. They are to fear God, not their human persecutors, since their
persecutors had less authority over the total person. People could “kill the
body” and not any more than that, but God could “destroy both soul and
body in hell.” The prospect of destruction does not mean the apostles
would go to hell if they were unfaithful. It simply means that in the end
only God’s disposition of affairs matters. And their enemies will face that
fearsome higher authority when the time comes for believers to be
vindicated. The word destroy refers to ruination, not to annihilation (in 9:17
the same Greek word is used of ruined wineskins). Those consigned to hell
do not pass out of existence.
10:29-31. Nor were the apostles to be immobilized by feelings of
insecurity. What happened to them was seen and known by God. And since
He takes care of sparrows, He will also take care of the apostles, who were
of greater value.
10:32. Jesus then says, “whoever confesses Me before men, him I will
also confess before My Father who is in heaven.” Some conclude that
these words teach that confession before others is necessary for a person to
receive eternal life. If this were true, then eternal life would be by works.
But the Scriptures teach that salvation is by grace through faith apart from
human effort (Eph 2:8-9). Eternal life is received the moment one believes
in Jesus. It is not a process, nor does it require any additional steps.
Furthermore John 12:36, 42-43 clearly state that many of the chief rulers
who did not confess Christ openly nonetheless believed in Him. Hence John
expects the reader to understand that these secret disciples were regenerate
(cf. John 3:16).
The confession the apostles are to give is not a one-time verbal confession
of their faith, but a life of confession in the face of severe persecution.
Arrest, scourging, hatred, and possibly death awaited those who faithfully
confessed Him, and Jesus wants them to know that such costly confession
will not go unrecognized or unrewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ
(Rom 14:9-13; 1 Cor 3:10-15; 9:24-27; 2 Cor 5:9-10). If they testify of Him
before others, He will testify about them before the “Father…in heaven.”
Christ’s confession before the Father is that the faithful believer is worthy
of the reward of reigning with Christ in the millennial and eternal
kingdoms. He is worthy because he endured opposition in speaking up for
Christ (cf. 2 Tim 2:12).
 10:33. This verse raises a question similar to the one in v 32 but in the
negative. Jesus does not mean that if a believer denies Him, he will lose
eternal life, or prove he never had it in the first place. The best
interpretation of this verse is that any believer who at the time of his death
(or the Rapture) is denying Christ will be denied by the Lord at the
Judgment Seat of Christ. The issue here is not a single act of failing to
confess Christ but a continued enduring failure to identify oneself as a
believer. To fail to endure in one’s confession of Christ is to forfeit being
announced as one who is fit to reign with Christ (cf. 2 Tim 2:12).
These words are directed primarily to the apostles, who are bearing a
message about Christ. They are to take encouragement from the fact that
even though their confession may be met with resistance, they will be
acknowledged in heaven for their sacrificial service. They are also to realize
that failure to faithfully confess Him will result in loss—not of salvation but
of rewards. In this context a refusal to confess is synonymous with denial.
One does not have to speak against Christ to deny Him; all he need do is
fail to speak up for Him.
10:34-36. The preaching of the apostles will divide families as a sword
painfully dismembers a body. Christ’s intent to bring division rather than
peace to most intimate human relationships is not based on His lack of a
desire for peace. The point is that He cannot build peaceful relationships
when human desires are resistant to Him. While believers may achieve
peace in their relationships to a remarkable degree (Acts 4:32), ultimately
there will be no universal peace until Messiah rules in righteousness over
regenerate, resurrected human beings (cf. Isa 2:4; 11:6-9). In the meantime
the conflict of the ages between God and Satan must be played out through
the lives of believers and unbelievers—even within the sphere of family
life. Believers are not responsible for the conflict; the ones responsible are
unbelievers who react adversely to the conversion of family members to
Christ.
10:37. Being counted “worthy of” association with Christ and of approval
by Him is predicated on being willing to put Him above family and life
itself. Love of family was one of the highest priorities in Jewish culture. But
if followers of Christ are forced to choose between family members and
Christ, they must choose Christ. The persecution they will be facing—even
among family—must be met by committed discipleship. If not, these
believers are disqualified as disciples. He is speaking specifically of a
commitment to discipleship, which is characterized by a lifestyle of faithful
obedience. He is not speaking of the free gift of salvation that comes as a
result of believing in Jesus for eternal life.
10:38. This verse includes the first mention of the cross in Matthew. It is a
strange pro­cession into the messianic kingdom with the King at the head
bearing the cross—an instrument of torture and execution for criminals. Yet
one who was worthy must “take his cross and follow after” Christ. A
person facing crucifixion was required to carry his own cross to the place of
execution. This means that one who is worthy is one who has counted the
cost of discipleship. Understanding that cost would mean self-denial and
could possibly involve martyrdom.
10:39. Nevertheless whatever loss is experienced, it will all be worth it.
This life is not all there is. “He who finds his life [successfully acquires
present gain from this world] will lose it [in the future reign of Christ], and
he who loses his life for My sake [foregoes the benefits of this world by
obeying Christ] will find it [when the King is in charge].” Again this
warning and promise is not talking about free salvation, but earned rewards.
10:40-42. Receiving Christ’s representatives is the same as receiving
Christ. Each person who shares in the ministry by lending support to one of
Christ’s agents will be rewarded. This sec­tion ends with a promise of
reward to one who does the smallest thing (e.g., giving “a cup of cold
water”) for the least of believers. When one person aids ministers of God in
a way that helps them carry out their task, the one who helped gets some
credit for the work done by the minister.
4. The work of the King resumed (11:1)
11:1. After concluding His commission to the twelve disciples, Jesus sets
out on His own to teach and to preach in the cities of Galilee.
IV. The Progressive Rejection of the King (11:2–16:12)
A. The Commencement of Rejection (11:2-30)
1. Rejection of John the Baptist (11:2-15)
11:2. While John is in prison, he hears about the works of Christ and is
puzzled. He expects Messiah to come, judge Israel, and establish His
kingdom (Matt 3:11-12). If Jesus is the Messiah, and if the Messiah is to
free Israel from oppression, then obviously He could not establish a
universal kingdom of justice and righteousness without dealing with the
pagan, unjust, and cruel Romans. What perplexed John was that Jesus has
done nothing yet to oppose Rome in word or action.
Furthermore John, the Messiah’s forerunner, is in prison at the hand of
Herod, Rome’s representative, and Jesus—if He is the Messiah—has done
nothing to free him. John wonders why Jesus allows His servant and
forerunner to languish in prison. He is struggling with doubt, if not
impatience. For the moment he is confused. Two of John the Baptists’
disciples relay John’s concern to Jesus.
11:3. John’s disciples ask, “Are you the Coming One, or do we look for
another?” The title “Coming One” was one of the many common desig-­
nations of Messiah. John is confused because he does not understand that
Jesus will come twice. In His first coming He would die for sin. Israel’s
rejection would create a postponement of the inauguration of the earthly
messianic kingdom. Jesus will accomplish this at His second coming. All
John needed is to be reminded of the ongoing, present evidence of Jesus’
messiahship.
11:4-6. Jesus simply reminds John through his disciples’ eyewitness
testimony that He is doing the work the Messiah is to do. He stresses the
compassionate aspects of Messi­ah’s preaching and miraculous works
toward the physically disabled and destitute while not denying His future
role as Judge. Isaiah had predicted these messianic signs (Isa 29:18-19;
33:24; 35:5-6; 61:1). Jesus goes beyond these prophecies by raising “the
dead.” He points John to the written Word because the answer to John’s
question is already in the Scriptures. Concluding His explanation with a
tender rebuke, Jesus then promises blessing, not just to John, but for anyone
who is “not offended [caused to stumble] because of” Him (cf. Isa 8:13-
15). All are indirectly warned not to lose their reward by doubting things
they do not understand, but for which there is sufficient evidence and
testimony in Scripture.
After John’s disciples depart, Jesus gives three reasons to the multitudes
why they should not think less of John. His greatness is not to be discounted
by this moment of weakness on his part. All who would be spiritual leaders
must take note of these three characteristics of John.
 11:7. The first reason John should have been esteemed was because he was
strong and courageous. Jesus asked the multitudes who they went “out
into the wilderness to see.” Was he “a reed shaken by the wind?” No. He
was consistently bold in the face of fierce storms of opposition.
11:8. Second, John was not self-indulgent. He did not engage in a self-
serving luxuriant life­style, nor did he dress like a well-heeled aristocrat in
expensive, comfortable, “soft clothing.” Rather, he wore a robe of camel’s
hair and a leather belt, and he ate locusts and wild honey (Matt 3:4). While
his manner of life did not reflect that of the rich and famous, it is
appropriate for a prophet with his mission.
11:9-11. Third, John is the greatest OT prophet. As a prophet and as a man
John is unequaled. Jesus identified him as the coming messenger predicted
in Mal 3:1. He was the forerunner who would prepare (lay the groundwork
for) Messiah’s coming and acceptance. The reason for His greatness is that
he is the one who actually introduced the Messiah. No other prophet had
that privilege; his role as a prophet was unparalleled. Nevertheless one who
is “least in the [coming] kingdom is greater than” John the Baptist.
Though John was the greatest prophet, he ministered outside the kingdom
age, and so he could not rise to the level of greatness that even the lowest
inhabitant of the coming, glorious kingdom will have.
11:12. Since the time John began preaching, the gospel of the kingdom had
rapidly and powerfully spread, but it encountered fierce opposition. “The
violent” (Pharisees, leaders of Israel, and Herod) attacked both John and
Jesus, chief representatives of that coming kingdom (cf. 23:13). Christ’s
opponents tried to snatch away the coming rule of God with violence.
Religious leaders who would not yield to Christ were usurping authority
over the destiny of the nation. Though they want the kingdom, they do not
want the one John and Jesus are proclaiming, nor do they want it to come
through national repentance the way John and Jesus preached, so they
violently oppose the kingdom by opposing, arresting, persecuting, and
eventually killing its messengers.
11:13. “The prophets and the law prophesied until John.” The entire
OT anticipated the forerunner’s ministry as well as that of the King. With
John, something new begins. He introduces the beginning of the fulfillment
of what was prophesied.
 11:14. Through the last words of the last writing prophet of the OT, God
said He would send Elijah to Israel before the Day of the Lord to turn the
fathers to their children and the children to their fathers (Mal 4:5-6). The
prophecy was to be fulfilled not by a reincarnation of Elijah but by a
prophet who came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). If Israel
was “willing to” accept the truth, then John was Elijah for that generation,
but only if Israel repented and fulfilled the conditions of which Malachi
spoke (cf. Matt 17:12).
John was like the rugged, nonconformist prophet of old in that he called
the nation to repentance so they could experience God’s blessing. If Israel
rejects John as the fulfillment of Mal 4:5-6, God will provide another Elijah
in the future (cf. Rev 11:3-6). The choice as to whether John would be
Elijah for this generation is up to them. Until Israel accepts the forerunner
and King, there will be no earthly kingdom of glory for them.
11:15. In spite of growing opposition, Jesus still sought a believing
response to John and Himself. An implicit warning against
unresponsiveness to John’s role as the anticipated prophet is found in the
words, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (cf. 13:41-43). Neglecting
and rejecting the words of Christ have consequences.
2. Jesus’ Rejection by His generation (11:16-19)
11:16-19. In the parable one group of children is critical of another group
because they cannot control them. They want to dictate when the others
should play the games of marriage (a joyous occasion) or funeral (a sad
occasion). They say, “Let’s play marriage,” but the other group of children
object because it does not suit their mood. The first group then says, “Let’s
play funeral,” but the other group of children again objects because “That is
too sad!”
Jesus compares the present generation of Jews to children who are never
satisfied. No matter what Jesus or John do, they criticize it. They insist on
their own way. Jesus’ opponents “played the flute for” John, but he “did
not dance.” They “mourned to” Jesus, but He refused to lament. Then
they criticized John for fasting and Jesus for feasting. John was too ascetic,
they said, and Jesus was too social. They did not want to hear the warnings
of John and they did not want to hear the good news of “the Son of Man.”
They were unreasonable in their expectations while John and Jesus were
purposeful in their refusals.
But the “wisdom” of God’s plan would be vindicated by how both John
and Jesus fulfill their missions. The methods of their ministries are
strategically designed by God and not subject to change according to
someone else’s whim. Such methods are complementary, not contradictory.
And wisdom of their decisions is proved by the ministry they performed.
Works are the offspring; wisdom is the parent.
3. Jesus’ Rejection by Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum
(11:20-24)
11:20-24. Jesus condemns these cities for their rejection of Him in the face
of overwhelming evidence. Most of Jesus’ “mighty works” take place in
the areas He mentions. But there is little response. Tyre, Sidon, and Sodom
are all evil according to the OT. But the number and kind of miracles Jesus
had done for Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Caper­naum would have moved
even those evil cities to repentance. Therefore those who populate these
ancient cities would be better off “in the day of judgment.” Chorazin,
Bethsaida, and Capernaum did not repent in the face of the personal
presence and power of Christ. As a result their accountability is greater.
Their judgment will be more severe than those cities that had rejected a
lesser degree of light. Today the three cities Jesus condemned stand in ruins,
but when Jesus refers to their judgment He has in mind primarily their
inhabitants. They will have to answer before the Great White Throne for
their unbelief (Rev 20:11-15).
Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Caper­naum—three key cities in Galilee—are
examples of how Jesus is not being received. This suggests the rejection of
Jesus was reaching completion in that area. If most of His mighty works are
concentrated there and do not secure belief, then it is unlikely they will
secure belief elsewhere. Another indication that rejection is almost finalized
is seen in Jesus’ willingness to pronounce warnings of judgment on them,
which included eternal condemnation. This pronouncement of judgment
marks a new tone in the King’s ministry.
4. Despite rejection, Jesus is thankful for the childlike (11:25-27)
 11:25-27. While Jesus condemns unbelieving cities in Israel because they
considered themselves too “wise and prudent” (cf. v 23), He expresses
thanks to God the Father for simple, humble believers––those with childlike
faith who had not rejected Him. The Father sovereignly revealed truth to
them while withholding it from others. The Son willingly subscribes to the
Father’s plan to do what He pleased. The Father had revealed “all things”
to the Son and He had delegated authority to reveal or conceal truth
concerning the Father to people as He saw fit. No one can know the Father
apart from Christ’s illuminating influence. Intimate knowledge of the Father
comes through a childlike response to the invitation described in 11:28-30.
5. Despite rejection, Jesus invites His listeners to rest (11:28-30)
11:28. Jesus extends an invitation to spiritual rest, an allusion to eternal
life, to those weary from being under the burdensome yoke of pharisaic
legalism (cf. 23:4). Labor is tiring when one is “heavy laden.” The
Pharisees offered no relief to men’s weary con­sciences and no power to
perform their duties.
Jesus’ invitation is to “come to” Him, an expression characteristic of the
gospel invitation. Rest signifies the state of mind that exists when one who
is lost realizes he does not have to earn his salvation.
11:29-30. For those who have come to Christ by faith in Him, there is an
experiential rest available. Besides this invitation to the positional rest of
eternal life, there is also the opportunity to experience the rest of
discipleship and service. The first rest was based on Christ’s
accomplishment on their behalf; the second on their accomplishment
through His strength on His behalf. This is suggested by the words yoke
and learn. Jesus’ audience would have been familiar with the figure of a
yoke as a common Jewish metaphor for assuming a discipline and
obligation, especially with reference to the Law (cf. 1 Kgs 12:4; Acts
15:10).
The expression “take my yoke” was a rabbinical figure of speech
meaning to enroll under a teacher. To take Jesus’ yoke was to become His
disciple. But Jesus assures those who would learn of and follow Him that
His discipline would be kindly (easy) and His requirements attain­able
(light). He would not be a harsh taskmaster. After all, He was “gentle and
lowly in heart” as a Teacher.
 All who come and receive positional rest by believing in Christ for eternal
life are then invited to take Christ’s yoke (submit to His will) so that they
may have experiential rest. The first invitation must be accepted before the
second. To attempt to take on oneself the yoke of service before believing in
Christ is tantamount to working for one’s salvation.
B. The Rejection of Christ by the Pharisees (12:1-50)
1. Controversy regarding Sabbath-labor (12:1-8)
12:1-2. Jesus and His disciples pass through some grainfields on the
Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and eat of the grain. The Law
permitted eating from someone else’s field so long as they did not use a
sickle for cutting (Deut 23:25). However, this event was on the Sabbath,
and Jewish law pre­scribed that no work be done on the Sabbath (Exod
20:10), including reaping (34:21). Violation of the Sabbath was a capital
offense, punishable by death (Num 15:30-38).
In the Pharisees’ eyes Jesus’ disciples had broken the Sabbath with Jesus’
permission. The Pharisees had stipulated thirty-nine actions that were
forbidden on the Sabbath day. The disciples had plucked the heads of grain
(harvesting), rubbed them in their hands (threshing), blew the chaff away
(winnowing), and ate the kernels (preparing a meal). The Pharisees think
they have caught the disciples on four counts of Sabbath violation.
12:3-4. Jesus cites an incident from the life of David and his companions
who ate showbread from the tabernacle reserved only for the priests (1
Sam 21:6). Yet David was not charged with sin for failing to observe a
divinely ordained prohibition. The reason for the exception is that David
and his friends were hungry. Saul was in hot pursuit, and there was no
other bread available to meet their need for sustenance. The principle, even
acknowledged by the rabbis, is that danger to human life took precedence
over keeping the Sabbath as well as all other obligations such as supplying
showbread only for the priests.
12:5-6. Jesus then cites the practice of the priests who worked “on the
Sabbath” as they made sacrificial offer­ings (Num 28:9-10). The Law itself
held priests blameless who worked on the Sabbath if they were involved in
worship and service. If it is lawful to work by serving in the temple on the
Sabbath, it is also lawful to serve Christ, who is “greater than the
temple,” on the Sabbath. Therefore the act of the disciples feeding
themselves as permitted by their Master was not a breach of the Sabbath.
12:7. Jesus then cites Hos 6:6 as proof of the Pharisees’ ignorance of
Scripture. God’s desire for “‘mercy and not sacrifice’” means that
exercising mercy toward those in great need takes precedence over sacrifice
if the two requirements seem to be in conflict. This is part of a larger
principle: Obedience to God in showing mercy takes priority over careful
observance of precepts involving the ceremonial law, of which Sabbath
regulations are a part.
12:8. These three proofs show that Sabbath-keeping had its exceptions.
Jesus, as “Lord…of the Sabbath,” confirms the legitimacy of those
exceptions. The principle is not that the rules of the Law are unimportant
and could easily be set aside. Instead, the principles of meeting basic human
need, working in divine service and worship, and showing mercy take
precedence over meticulous Sabbath observance. Jesus did not violate the
fourth commandment; He only violated the traditional pharisa­ic
interpretation of Sabbath observance.
2. Controversy regarding Sabbath-healing (12:9-13)
12:9-10. On another Sabbath Jesus sees a man in a synagogue with a
withered hand. According to the scribes and Pharisees, healing was not to
be done “on the Sabbath.” But they said a man could violate the Sabbath
by taking some vinegar with a meal and unintentionally healing a
toothache! The Pharisees try to lay a trap for Jesus by asking Him, “Is it
lawful to heal on the Sabbath?” They hope He would answer “Yes” and
heal the man, thereby giving them opportunity to accuse Him of breaking
the Sabbath.
12:11-12. Jesus defends His intended actions by asking if they would
rescue a sheep from a pit into which it had fallen on the Sabbath. While
pharisaical tradition forbade even this, most Jews were more considerate
and allowed bedding or other material to be thrown down into the pit in
order for the animal to scramble out. Some would even go into the pit to
rescue the animal themselves. Therefore, if it is lawful to help a sheep on
the Sabbath, surely it is lawful to help a man, who is more valuable than a
sheep. He concludes that logically, “it is lawful to do good on the
Sabbath.” Furthermore by neglecting to do the good they ought to do, the
Pharisees are in effect doing evil on the Sabbath (Jas 4:17).
12:13. Jesus backs up His words with actions by healing the man. When
the man stretched forth his hand in response to Jesus’ command, He
restored the withered hand so that it was just like his other one. This act
demonstrated God’s approval of Jesus’ healing ministry on the Sabbath.
3. The Pharisees plan to destroy Jesus (12:14-21)
12:14. The miraculous healing of the man with the withered hand prompts
the infuriated Pharisees to plot Jesus’ execution. Ironically, while they
forbid Jesus from doing good on the Sabbath, it is acceptable for them to
plan His execution on the Sabbath!
12:15-16. Jesus withdrew rather than contend with the Pharisees further.
Nevertheless His ministry of healing continues to the multitudes [who]
followed Him. However, he warned those He healed not to make Him
known.
12:17-21. Jesus goes out of His way to avoid needless conflict. His action
of withdrawal and His warning to keep quiet fulfilled Scripture, showing
the kind of person He is. He does not challenge His enemies by striving
verbally with them or using physical force against them. He is not a violent
man. In this section the hostility of the Pharisees (v 14) is con­trasted with
the restraint and gentleness of the promised Messiah described in Isa 42:1-
4. As God’s beloved and approved Spirit-anointed Servant, Jesus was to
declare and secure justice for the Gentiles. Yet the manner in which He
begins to accomplish His ministry was not through blatant conflict or
criticism of His enemies. He shuns calling undue attention to Himself or
causing harm to even the weakest of people.
Jesus concludes His quotation with the words “and in His name Gentiles
will trust.” The Greek word for trust is elpizō and could be translated
“hope.” While most Jews, both believing and unbelieving, hoped for the
soon coming of the Messiah, Isa 42:4 anticipates a day when even Gentiles
will hope for the Messiah’s coming—in their case His second coming (cf.
Titus 2:13). Biblical hope is not wishful thinking. It is the expectation of
something certain. So believers hope in the Rapture, in the redemption of
their bodies, and in the return of the Messiah.
 4. Jesus warns regarding blasphemy against the Holy Spirit
(12:22-37)
12:22. Jesus heals a man who is blind and mute because of demon
possession. Isaiah prophesied that such miracles were to be the work of
Messiah (cf. Isa 35:2, 5-6; Luke 7:22).
12:23. As a result of the miracle all the multitudes were amazed and,
knowing that such signs would accompany the Messiah, they begin to ask if
Jesus is “the Son of David (Messiah).” The question in the Greek
expresses both doubt and hope. They were not sure Jesus is the Messiah,
but the miracle almost convinces them.
12:24. The Pharisees had heard and seen enough. When they see the
people’s wonder, amazement, and hear that the people are beginning to be
persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, they counter with a desperate move.
Since they cannot deny the supernatural power of Christ, they come up with
their own explanation for His miracle. They accuse Jesus of being an
instrument of “Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” They said Jesus
“cast out” demons by the power of Satan, not the Spirit of God. They claim
that Jesus’ power was from hell, not heaven. This becomes their public
policy statement regarding Jesus.
The explanation of the Pharisees is yet to be publicly ex­pressed in Jesus’
presence. But Jesus knows their thoughts. He knows they are charging Him
with complicity with Satan to advance his kingdom. Jesus refutes this
charge and exposes their rationalization with three major arguments before
warning them about committing the unpardonable sin.
12:25-26. First, Jesus shows that the charge is absurd and illogical. Why
would Satan attempt to weaken his own kingdom through purposely
dividing it? What useful purpose would be served by Satan using Jesus as
his agent to foment a civil war in his own kingdom? Satan wished to protect
his interests, not undermine them.
12:27. Second, Jesus reveals the inconsistencies of their charge. If the
Pharisees acknowledge that Jewish exorcists (“your sons,” i.e., your
disciples) are successful in doing what they do by the power of God, why
would they not be willing to recognize Christ’s power as being from God
too? Whatever accusation the Pharisees make against Jesus must also be
made against the other Jewish exorcists.
 12:28-29. Third, the charge obscures the real situation. If Jesus “cast out
demons by the Spirit of God,” this demonstrates that “the kingdom of
God has come upon” them. Jesus must over­come the “strong man”
(Satan) in order to relieve him of his property (his slaves whom his demons
indwell). This explanation makes far better sense than assuming Satan is
trying to plunder himself. The parable answers the question, “Who is
Jesus?” The answer is that He is an adversary of Satan, not his ally. Jesus
was not authorized by the devil; He exercised authority over him by tying
him up and dispossessing him of his influence (cf. 10:8). And during the
kingdom age Messiah will bind Satan (Rev 20:2).
If Jesus’ arguments are true, then He must be what the people suspect Him
to be––the Son of David, the Messiah (Matt 12:23)—and not what the
Pharisees charge Him to be––a tool of Satan (v 24).
12:30. Regarding Christ there can be no neutrality. Indecision about Him
is a decision against Him. Obviously the Pharisees are not with Him.
Therefore He accuses them of being opposed to Him by scattering rather
than gathering. Jesus is attempting to gather Israel to Him (23:37), but they
are trying to scatter them (cf. Zech 13:7 with Mark 14:27). Therefore, if
Jesus is actually working for God, as has just been proven, then any who
oppose Him are working for Satan. It is not He who is a tool of Beelzebub,
but the Pharisees themselves.
12:31-32. The Pharisees are in danger of committing (but had not yet
committed) the unpardonable sin, which is “blasphemy (insulting
language) against” the Spirit’s witness to Christ. They are stubbornly
denying the Holy Spirit’s miraculous witness in the ministry of Christ,
ascribing it to Satan instead. Thus they would make their own forgiveness
impossible if they continue in this rejection. Such persons will not even
begin to understand the identity of Christ as the One who saves. They might
speak against Him as “the Son of Man,” concluding from His appearance
that He is no more than an ordinary human being. But when the Spirit
attests His true identity, they are held accountable. When people continue to
deny the witness of the Holy Spirit regarding the identity of Jesus Christ
and their need for eternal life, the Holy Spirit will eventually cease working
on their hearts and minds. Without the convicting and convincing work of
the Holy Spirit (cf. John 16:8-11) no person will believe in Jesus for eternal
life. Persistent unbelief leads to hardening of the heart that causes the Holy
Spirit to give such people over to their unbelief.
The warning Christ gives implies that the Pharisees have not yet
committed this sin, but could. Jesus’ critics stand at the brink, on the verge
of rendering themselves incapable of believing in Jesus for eternal life.
12:33-35. The words the Pharisees speak reveal what is in their heart. Just
as fruit indicates the nature of a tree, so their words reveal the nature of
their hearts (cf. 7:15-20). Jesus compares them to vipers. Just as the
dangerous and deceptive actions of vipers expose their nature, so the
venomous and insulting words against the Holy Spirit disclose what the
Pharisees had become. What the heart is filled with (i.e., its abundance)
and values most (i.e., its true treasure) cannot be hidden. The mouth will
speak words, whether good or evil, with reference to the testimony the Holy
Spirit has provided.
12:36-37. The “day of judgment” may refer both to the believer’s and the
unbeliever’s time of judgment, the Judgment Seat of Christ and the Great
White Throne Judgment. If so, “by your words you will be justified”
refers to vindication and “by your words you will be condemned” refers
to nonvindication (katadikaioō). Both believers (2 Cor 5:10) and
unbelievers (Rev 20:11-14) will be judged to determine their degree of
reward and suffering respectively.
“Every idle word” of the Pharisees would be used as evidence against
them “in the day of judgment.” Their unbelief generated careless words
without substance. They had no basis for concluding Jesus was utilizing
demonic power. Whether one is justified or condemned ultimately depends
on whether he or she believes in Christ (John 3:18; Rom 3:28). However,
words exhibiting perpetual unbelief will later vindicate God’s judicial
decision to all creation.
5. The Pharisees demand a sign (12:38-42)
12:38. The scribes and Pharisees have already observed miracle after
miracle. Yet they still request a sign. They want an extraordinary event, in
this case a miracle, that would once and for all demonstrate Jesus’ authority
and ensure their coming to faith in Him. Since no previous signs had been
enough to convince them, they are apparently asking for something more
spectacular than what they had seen.
 12:39-40. But Jesus recognizes their request as illegitimate. First, He
condemns this generation, calling them “evil and adulterous.” Only
wicked and spiritually unfaithful people would request such a sign in the
face of the overwhelming evidence He has already given them. They keep
raising the standard of evidence to an unreasonable level. Second, He
promises them only one sign of the kind they requested. He an­nounces that
no more miracles will be performed for them, “except the sign of the
prophet Jonah.” If that would not convince them, nothing would.
What was this sign? Jesus is speaking of His own death, burial, and
resurrection, typified by Jonah’s stay in the “belly of the great fish” for
“three days and three nights” after which He was delivered alive (Jonah
1:17). Just as Jonah’s expulsion from the fish proved that he was a prophet
of God, so Jesus’ resurrection from the grave will demonstrate that He is
God’s Son (Rom 1:4). This sign is another indication that the King
anticipates a final public rejection culminating in His death.
12:41-42. In light of their rejection Jesus warns the Pharisees about a
coming judgment that will be more severe than that experienced by
Gentiles. “The men of [Gentile] Nineveh” who “repented at the
preaching of Jonah” (Jonah 3:5) “will rise” up on the judgment day and
condemn the Jewish nation of Jesus’ time. So will the pagan Queen of
Sheba who came from an area of the world distant from where God’s word
was being revealed “to hear the wisdom of Solomon” (cf. 1 Kgs 10:1-13).
The Ninevites repented at the words of a foolish and rebellious prophet who
did no miracles and showed no love. “The Queen of the South” (i.e., of
Sheba) believed as a result of the testimony of an imperfect Solomon.
Because the Pharisees were rejecting One “great­er than [Jonah or]
Solomon,” they had no excuse.
6. Worthlessness of reformation without repentance (12:43-45)
12:43-45. Jesus cautions the Pharisees and Israel about a worsened
condition of the nation even after their efforts to reform. His parable of the
“unclean spirit” that returned reveals that that generation is giving itself
over to wicked influences that are worse than what they have previously
experienced in their rejection of the ministry of their Messiah.
Israel is like “a man” in whom an “unclean spirit” had previously dwelt.
The demon left, became dissatisfied, longed for his former dwelling place,
and eventually returned. There he found his former dwelling place cleaned
up and “in order.” He had “seven [friends] more wicked than himself.”
He brought them with him to inhabit the man. As a result, the returning and
new occupants trashed the place, inflicting greater damage than the first
occupant ever had. The man therefore went from bad to worse.
The nation had given a popular but shallow response to the preaching of
John the Baptist and Jesus. The leaders continued to cling to rituals and
traditions that had a righteous show, but afforded no protection. Genuine
protection was in the Messiah, but they felt no need of Him (cf. Matt
23:37). That Israel was still vulnerable to evil influences was demonstrated
by how shamefully the nation was treating its Messiah and His forerunner.
They accuse Him of being controlled by demons, when in reality they are
the ones who are under satanic influence.
7. Jesus and true kinship (12:46-50)
12:46-47. In the midst of His instruction concerning Israel’s rejection and
judgment, Jesus’ mother and brothers stood outside, seeking to speak to
Him. His family is trying to get His attention, perhaps attempting to
extricate Him from this controversy. If so, they no doubt cannot understand
His attack on Israel’s prestigious leaders and the status quo. Their once
normal son and brother was now a source of agitation and turmoil.
12:48-50. So Jesus tells the one who called attention to His waiting family
that He had a new family—those who do “the will of [His] Father.” As He
did so, He pointed in the direction of the disciples. Jesus is not showing
disrespect to His physical family. In His apparent rejection of His kin there
is a lesson to the nation. Natural ties and relationships hold no significance
for Christ; they are eclipsed by spiritual ones. It does not matter if He and
Israel are related (represented symbolically by His family). His closest
relationships are with anyone who “does the will of [His] Father in
heaven.” As in 7:21, this phrase refers to God’s call for all to believe in His
Son (John 5:19-24; 6:28-29, 39-40). Jesus therefore revealed that He is
breaking off His relationship with Israel and establishing a new spiritual
relationship that will eventually encompass all nations (Matt 28:19-20). All
who simply believe in Him (John 1:12-13; 6:40) are members of His eternal
family.
C. Discourses to the Multitudes and to the Disciples (13:1-53)
 1. The Parable of the Sower given (13:1-9)
13:1-2. Christ sat in a boat and His audience was on the shore of the Sea of
Galilee.
13:3-8. Jesus pictures a sower walking through a field scattering seed on
the nearby ground. “Some seed fell” on the path where the soil was
compact––the hard paths on the edge of the field. This seed was eaten by
birds. Other “seed fell” on thin layers of soil covering limestone rock
(“stony places”). The seeds quickly “sprang up” but have no depth of
root. The sprouts withered under the scorching heat of the sun. Other seed
“fell among thorns” where they are choked out. Up to this point the
sower’s intent to produce an abundant harvest is thwarted. However, “some
seed fell on good ground and yielded a crop” in varying amounts. Some
seeds even produced “a hundredfold”––an impressive crop!
13:9. The message conveyed by the parable is important. There are
implied consequences if one does not understand and heed. Later, Jesus
interprets this parable (see 13:18-23).
2. The purpose of the parables (13:10-17)
13:10. Jesus begins speaking “in parables” rather than plainly as He had
done previously. Noticing this change in His teaching method, the disciples
ask “why [He speaks] to them [i.e., the multitudes, v 2] in parables?”
The word parable is from the Greek word parabolē that means “to cast
alongside.” When something is cast alongside another thing, a comparison
can be made. A parable is a story or saying that draws a comparison
between some earthly reality and a spiritual truth it intends to illuminate.
Jesus’ parables made use of real-life situations to illus­trate spiritual truths.
They are earthly stories with heavenly meanings.
The spiritual truths to which the real-life parables are to be compared are
related to the kingdom of heaven. The expression the kingdom of heaven is
like… occurs several times in this chapter (vv 24, 31, 33, 44, 45, 47).
13:11. Jesus explained that He spoke in parables in order to reveal truth to
one group and to conceal it from another. Not everyone among the
multitudes would understand what He was communicating. Those who did
not want to know the truth concerning “the mysteries of the kingdom of
heaven” would not be inclined to decode the parables. The meaning would
remain obscure as in a difficult riddle. Besides, the parables were not
addressed to them, and so for them to understand would only make them
more accountable. But those who really wanted “to know” would
understand on further reflection.
“The mysteries” of which Jesus spoke concerned “the kingdom of
heaven.” In light of Jesus’ rejection there were certain truths about new
developments in His kingdom program that had been hidden that God
wished His people to know. One of the significant changes is that “the
kingdom” would assume a spiritual form, not a political one.
13:12-15. When a person receives truth that God provides, He then grants
more light. Conversely, rejecting truth causes one to have “even what he
has [to] be taken away from him.” Gain in understanding or loss in
understanding depends on how one responds to the truth made available
(Luke 8:16-18). Parables are structured so that one can see or hear the
physical literal aspects of the narratives, but not perceive their true spiritual
significance. The prophet Isaiah spoke of such hearers (Isa 6:9-10), where
lack of understanding could be traced to the heart. The words, “‘and their
eyes they have closed,’” suggest culpability on their part. Therefore God
would not “‘heal them’” spiritually.
13:16-17. The disciples, on the other hand, unlike Israel who could not see
and hear, were blessed. They enjoyed the immense privilege of discerning
matters that OT saints “desired to see” and hear, but could not because the
time of disclosure had not yet arrived.
3. The Parable of the Sower explained (13:18-23)
13:18-19. With the explanation of the first parable came a renewed
exhortation to hear with a view to understanding and submitting to its truth
(cf. v 9). Jesus explains the symbols in “the parable of the sower” to the
disciples. Thus He gives a model for interpreting the other parables He
spoke (cf. vv 36-43).
Jesus had come sowing “the word of the kingdom.” One question that
would naturally arise is, “Why was Jesus’ ministry not more fruitful?” And
the answer would be that productivity is determined by receptivity, and
receptivity is a matter of the heart.
For the disciples, who would continue the activity of sowing that Jesus had
begun, the unstated problem or question Jesus answers is, “What are we to
do and expect during the time of the King’s absence which extends from
His rejection until His second coming?”
The answer is that they are to sow “the word of the kingdom” in the hearts
of those who would hear. In so doing, they could
expect four different reactions to the message. These responses would
reveal the heart condition of those to whom it is preached. Jesus explains
that the four soils symbolize four responses the disciples may expect from
their preaching the word. Not all preaching would be productive, but some
would. The Parable of the Sower would guard the disciples against any
unrealistic expectations, but it would also offer encouragement that their
work would not be in vain.
Some hearers would be uninterested, and so in their hearts “the word”
would not germinate. They would hear, but “not understand,” and hence
not believe (cf. Luke 8:12). The birds represent “the wicked one,” Satan,
who “snatches away what was sown in his heart.” Clearly, this first type
of soil represents the unsaved.
13:20-22. Impulsive hearers would manifest life, but would experience no
real productivity. In their hearts “the word” would be readily received.
However, such a person “endures only for a while” until problems arise.
Since truth did not take firm root in his heart, it would not brace the
recipient against the forces that would come against it. Therefore defection
could be expected.
While many commentators say the second soil represents another type of
unbeliever, that view is untenable because the seed sprang up (v 5), and
clearly germination must precede springing up! Luke 8:13 specifically says
that this person believed the saving message for a time. Sadly, apostasy is
possible for born-again people. Of course, everlasting life, once it has
germinated, is everlasting—even if the faith later fails.
Then there are the distracted hearers. Their hearts’ interest is deflected
away from God toward seductive material and worldly pursuits (Matt
13:22). “The cares of this world” refer to the worries or excessive
concerns of this life. “The deceitfulness of riches” refers to the false
security offered by the accumulation of temporal wealth (cf. Luke 12:15-
21). Riches may promise fulfillment, but they fail to deliver. The result of
the worldly distractions is that the person “becomes unfruitful.” The
believer represented by this soil perseveres in faith, but his works are not
brought to maturity (cf. Luke 8:14).
13:23. Fourth, there are the ready and faithful hearers, represented by “the
good ground.” These individuals exhibit different degrees of commitment
and giftedness, hence they manifest varying levels of productivity and their
hearts bear varying proportions of mature fruit.
Any lack of results is due not to a defect in the divine message but to the
condition of the hearers. The disciples’ preaching, like that of Christ’s
words, would not win everyone, but on the other hand it would not be
fruitless.
4. The Parable of the Wheat and Tares (13:24-30)
13:24-25. “A man sowed good seed” (wheat) in anticipation of a food
crop. Later, while he and his servants were asleep, an “enemy [secretly]
sowed tares among the wheat” and left. Tares refer to the bearded darnel,
a noxious weed that looks like wheat in its early stages. As it grows, its
roots inter­twine with that of the wheat. Until the seed head is mature, the
tare is difficult to distinguish from wheat, even under the most careful
scrutiny. The Romans were empowered to take legal action against those
sowing darnel in another’s field.
13:26-28a. As growth of the tares alongside the wheat continued, it
became apparent that someone had sown tares among the wheat. The
servants reported it to their master, and he correctly concluded that “‘an
enemy [had] done this’” to him.
13:28b-30. The owner advised the servants not to “‘gather up’” the tares
because some wheat would end up being uprooted as well. Then part of
“‘the harvest’” would be lost. It would be wise to wait until the wheat
would be fully mature before attempting to gather the wheat. “‘The
reapers’” would then separate “the wheat” from “the tares.” “The tares”
would be burned, but “the wheat” gathered “into [the] barn.” Later Jesus
reveals the meaning of this parable (see vv 36-43).
5. The Parable of the Mustard Seed (13:31-32)
13:31-32. “The mustard seed” was proverbial for its smallness. But the
plant can grow to a height of ten or twelve feet and is strong enough for
birds to nest in it. A shrub with such a small beginning experiences
extraordinary growth, a startling contrast.
This parable answers several questions. During the interim period how will
the new form of “the kingdom” fare in light of the fact that only a small
number of Jews are believing? What would such a small band of disciples
be able to initiate? If successful, to what extent will “the kingdom” grow?
The answer given by the parable is that “the kingdom” will grow to great
size even though it had an insignificant, obscure beginning. In the Parable
of the Sower the birds represent satanic activity, and here “the birds,”
while not necessarily representing satanic influence, might represent
unbelievers who have been drawn to the Church because of its size and
significance, but who remain unsaved. When a kingdom, sometimes
symbolized by “a tree,” reaches great size, it can become a source of great
protection and support for many people—even to the unsaved (Dan 4:12;
Ezek 31:6). The “nest in [the] branches” typifies this blessing.
6. The Parable of the Leaven in the Meal (13:33)
13:33. When “a woman” places a small pinch of yeast or leaven into a
large amount “of meal,” an amazing thing takes place. The leaven ferments
the entire dough and imparts new qualities to it. Its influence is evident
gradually and almost imperceptibly. There is continuity and expansion with
a change in texture.
The problem giving rise to this parable was, How would the new phase of
“the kingdom” grow? In what manner would it develop? The answer is
that the new form of the kingdom would not be established dramatically and
suddenly, but would expand like yeast—mysteriously, quietly, slowly,
irrevocably, and pervasively. “The kingdom” would permeate the whole
world and its influence will be noticeable.
13:34-35. The fact that Messiah speaks in parables is a fulfillment of OT
prophe­cy, as seen in Matthew’s quotation of Ps 78:2.
7. Discourse to the disciples (13:36-53)
13:36. Jesus’ disciples came to Him privately to ask for an explanation of
“the parable of the tares.” Interpreting the symbols in it, Jesus’
explanation serves as a model for the disciples to use in interpreting the
other parables.
 13:37-43. Two sowers are in the Parable of the Wheat and Tares: “the Son
of Man” and “the enemy (Satan).” There are two kinds of seed: “good
seed,” representing “sons of the kingdom” (i.e., believers, cf. Matt 8:12),
and tares, representing “the sons of the wicked one” (i.e., unbelievers who
are religious but lost). An initial superficial likeness between the two was
deceptive, yet ultimately they had different destinies. The One “who sows”
is also the One who will “send out His angels” as reapers to gather
unbelievers for judgment.
The point of the parable is that “the devil” attempts to oppose the success
of God’s kingdom by imitation, infiltration, and deceit (2 Cor 11:2-3, 13-
15). He tries to establish a counterfeit kingdom, and he presents a false
gospel of man’s goodness along with a distorted perception of Christ. He
succeeds temporarily in his deadly deception of giving people a heavenly
way to go to hell.
At first believers will be unaware (“while men slept,” Matt 13:25) of the
unsaved among them, but later they will awaken to their presence and
activity. They must wait until “the end of the age” when “the Son of Man”
will separate the saved from the lost and deal with them according­ly. The
unsaved will be gathered and “cast…into the furnace of fire” (i.e., hell), a
place of conscious grief and pain (“wailing and gnashing of teeth”).
Without imputed righteousness (cf. 2 Cor 5:21), they will be judged as
“those who practice [or do] lawlessness.” The saved, on the other hand,
will be welcomed into the millennial “kingdom of their Father” where
they “will shine forth as the sun” in its glory.
The purpose of the parable is to alert the disciples to a “counter sowing”
by Satan, and to encourage them with the fact that Christ knows who the
imposters are and that they will be judged at the appropriate time.
13:44. In this parable “a man” (i.e., Christ) finds a “treasure (i.e., the
kingdom, or believers) hidden in a field (i.e., the world).” He
enthusiastically “sells all that he has and buys that field.”
The problem this parable addresses is the value of the citizens of “the
kingdom” to Christ. The parable explains that they are of supreme value.
Jesus is the one who gave all He had for the buried treasure in the field. He
gave His life for His own (1 Pet 1:18-19). His sacrifice shows how precious
to Christ are “the kingdom” subjects (1 Cor 6:20; 2 Cor 8:9).
 In the Parable of the Hidden Treasure, some incorrectly identify the
treasure as eternal life. In this view the man who sells all is seen as a
seeking sinner buying his own eternal life by committing his life to Christ
in radical, obedient discipleship. The problem with this interpretation is that
the Bible consistently teaches that a person is born again, not by his
sacrifice but by the Lord’s. No one must think he can pay any part of the
redemption price himself.
13:45-46. The first two parables are parallel in that they involve sowing.
The second two parables are parallel in that both describe the development
of the kingdom. The Parables of the Hidden Treasure and of the “pearl of
great price” are also parallel. Both involve the purchase of something
valuable. Thus it would be natural in context to interpret the pearl hunter
and man seeking to buy a field as the same individual and the objects
purchased as having a similar or identical identification.
What is the value of the citizens of the kingdom to Christ? They are of
supreme value. Just as the businessman gave “all that he had” for a
valuable pearl, so Jesus gave all He had (His life) for His own. In Jesus’
case He purchased them not for what they were but for what they would
become through His grace.
13:47-50. Jesus then compares “the kingdom of heaven” to “a dragnet.”
A dragnet has floats at the top and weights at the bottom. When thrown out
and dragged in, it covers a wide area and brings in fish “of every kind.”
After the fish are caught, the fishermen separate the fish. They throw into
containers the ones they will eat (“the good”) and discard the rest (“the
bad”)—a picture of judgment at the Second Coming. The vessels represent
the kingdom, and “the furnace of fire” represents hell. As other texts state,
the good are good because they have received the righteousness of Christ by
faith (Rom 3:21-22; 4:5; Acts 13:38-39; Gal 2:16; 3:10-11), and those who
are bad are those who neglected or refused the offer of free salvation (John
3:18). They remain in their sins because they do not accept the payment for
sin Christ made on the cross for them.
Jesus says the mystery form of the kingdom will end in separation and
judgment. Some will go into the kingdom, others will not. Just as worthless
fish must be separated from edible fish, so humanity at the judgment must
be separated into the saved and the lost and their destinies determined
accordingly.
 13:51-53. The Parable of the Householder is the key to the other parables.
A “scribe [who is] instructed concerning the kingdom of heaven” is
compared to “a householder.” Jesus was a scribe who brought forth
spiritual truths out of the storehouse of God’s truth just as a steward might
bring forth physical treasure as needed. The disciples would be expected to
do the same. Their responsibilities in dispensing kingdom truth would be an
extension of His.
Just as the steward brings forth “things new and old,” so Christ’s
revelation in parables contains new and old truths of great value that are
needed for the new dispensation prior to Christ’s second coming. Some
aspects of the mystery form of the kingdom would already be known in the
OT, but others would be new unheard-of truths.
The question behind this parable is, “Will the new form of the kingdom
have anything in common with what is known of God’s kingdom program
as announced in the OT?” The answer is, “Yes, but the new form of the
kingdom will be a mixture of both new and old elements.” An example of
old truth is that the present age will end in judg­ment. A sample of a new
truth is that the mystery form of the kingdom will grow gradually and
significantly from a small insignificant beginning.
D. The Continuing Rejection of the King (13:54–16:12)
1. Rejection at Nazareth (13:54-58)
13:54-58. This is Christ’s last visit to His own country or, as the NIV
translates, home town (i.e., Nazareth; cf. Luke 4:16-30). There He teaches
(Matt 13:54); He offends (v 55-57); He gives His verdict regarding their
rejection (v 57b; cf. Luke 4:24). Jesus’ saying, “A prophet is not without
honor except in His own country and in his own house,” is the practical
equivalent of today’s proverb, “Familiarity breeds contempt.” They know
Him as “the carpenter’s son” and a relative of people they know, but they
see no further greatness in Him (Matt 13:55-56). Their unbelief limited the
extent of His “mighty works” (v 58), though He did do some miracles
there (v 54).
2. Rejection by Herod of John the Baptist (14:1-12)
14:1-2. Herod Antipas received a report about Jesus’ miraculous works.
He had recently put to death another prophet (cf. v 57 with 11:9-11), “John
the Baptist.” Guilt and superstition caused Herod to fear that Jesus was
John come back to life again.
14:3-5. John the Baptist had publicly accused Herod of adultery.
Technically Herod was guilty of incest as well (Lev 18:16; 20:21). Both
were capital offenses under Jewish law (Lev 20:10-14). Herod had divorced
his own wife to marry Herodias, wife of his half-brother, Philip. Therefore
he put [John] in prison (Matt 14:3; 4:12). Herod would have killed John,
but he feared the multitude who viewed John as a prophet.
14:6-11. The opportune moment for Herodias came when her daughter
danced before Herod and his guests on his birthday. Herod was so pleased
with her sensuous routine, he rashly offered to fulfill her fondest wish. After
being coached by her mother to ask for “John the Baptist’s head…on a
platter,” she made the request public. Herod was extremely grieved over
having to execute John; but he refused to go back on his promise lest he
lose face before the dignitaries present. Herod was now moved more by fear
of what his birthday guests might think, than by his fear of what the
multitude (v 5) might do. Later this same king who had beheaded John
would try to make Jesus a laughingstock (Luke 23:6-12).
14:12. Jesus’ disciples took the headless body of John and buried it.
Then they told Jesus of the sorrowful tragic event.
3. The withdrawal of Jesus (14:13-14)
14:13-14. Putting distance between Himself and Herod, Jesus goes by boat
across the Sea of Galilee to a place where He can be alone. It is not yet His
time, and as Mark 6:31 points out, He needs rest. Yet when He arrives, a
great multi­tude is waiting for the popular leader, and so He continues to
express His compassion toward them by healing the sick.
4. More miracles (14:15-36)
14:15. Jesus’ next two miracles seem to have been done primarily for the
benefit of the disciples. By doing so, He is preparing them for their future
ministry during the new form of the kingdom. When evening comes, the
disciples suggest that Jesus “send the multitudes away” so they could
“buy themselves food.”
14:16. But Jesus gives them the responsi­bility of feeding the multitude. He
does not require of His followers what He does not give them the ability to
do. But the disciples have not fully learned that yet.
14:17. The disciples believe that the magnitude of the problem is
overwhelmingly disproportionate to the few resources available.
14:18-19. So Jesus takes what they had, multiplies it, and returns it to the
disciples, who in turn distribute it to the multitudes.
14:20-21. The people ate and were filled, leaving twelve baskets full of
the fragments left over. What the disciples distributed to the hungry
multitude was enough to feed the five thousand men besides women and
children. The magnitude of what was provided was overwhelmingly
disproportionate to the human need.
The practical lesson for the disciples is that they were to be mediators
between those who have a need and the One who can more than supply that
need. Though they were insufficient, He is all-sufficient. Christ can take
what little believers today have to offer, and He can bless it and multiply it
so that people’s needs are met. Christ will supply their needs in ministry if
they will surrender to Him what little they have.
This account offers a lesson for service and also a marvelous picture of
salvation by grace. The multitudes are told to sit down. They are not
required to engage in any activity. They are not asked to go purchase
anything. Jesus gives them bread and fish absolutely free.
14:22-23. This passage opens with Jesus alone on a mountain praying,
the disciples in a boat traveling to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, and
the multitudes being sent away.
14:24-27. A storm arises on the Sea of Galilee. The wind and the waves
are against the disciples, hindering their progress. In the fourth watch of
the night, between 3:00 and 6:00 a.m. they see Jesus walking on the sea.
They are terrified, thinking He “is a ghost,” but Jesus calms their
superstitious fears by assuring them of His identity.
14:28-33. When Peter asks to walk “on the water” too, Jesus approves the
request. So Peter begins walking on the water toward Jesus, trusting in the
power he had observed in Jesus’ miracles so many times before. However,
when he turns his eyes from Jesus and to the storm, he begins to sink. And
so he asks Jesus to keep him from drowning. Jesus catches him by the hand,
and He rebukes him for his “little faith.” When Jesus and Peter both get
“into the boat,” the storm dissipates.
 This taught the disciples to depend on Jesus in times of adversity. When
believers are exposed to the storms of life, Jesus encourages them to walk
above the circumstances. He can intervene to help at just the right time.
They are not to take their eyes off Him and let the circumstances drag them
down.
This miracle demonstrates once again that Jesus has authority over nature.
The miracle results in the disciples worshiping Christ and confessing,
“Truly, You are the Son of God.”
14:34-36. Jesus then heals a number of diseased people in Genne­saret, on
the coast of the Sea of Galilee. They have no doubt heard of the woman
who was healed by touching the hem of His garment (9:20-21). So they
seek to avail themselves of His healing power by repeating what she did.
Again this account shows the Lord’s authority over the realm of disease and
demonstrates that He is the Messiah who guarantees everlasting life to all
who simply believe in Him (cf. John 20:30-31).
5. God’s commandments versus man’s tradition (15:1-20)
15:1-2. Some scribes and Pharisees traveled from Jerusalem to watch
and accuse Christ. Insisting that “the tradition of the elders” (oral
tradition of great rabbis of the past) was correct, they criticized Jesus’
disciples, saying, “They do not wash their hands when they eat bread.”
Such washing was not for hygienic purposes, but to remove ritual
defilement that may have been contracted, such as brushing up against a
Gentile in the marketplace. This tradition was on par with, if not higher in
authority than, the written law of Moses. Therefore, it was to be obeyed.
This tradition also included instructions regarding the washing of cups,
pitchers, copper vessels, and couches (Mark 7:3-4).
15:3-9. Jesus brings three charges against the religious leaders to expose
their unbiblical tradition for what it is. First, He says that their tradition
nullifies God’s commandment to “honor your father and your mother.”
The Pharisees’ teaching on vows was a case in point. They taught that one
did not have to fulfill his duty to help his needy parents if he dedicated his
money or possessions as “a gift to God.” A Jew could say to his parents
(supposedly in good con­science), “I have dedicated to God for use in the
temple what would have met your need.” That way the children could
flagrantly disregard the commandment to honor father and mother while
continuing to use money promised to God to make more money for
themselves.
Christ’s second charge against the Pharisees is they are hypocrites because
they allegedly honored God outwardly, but their hearts were removed from
Him (cf. Isa 29:13). Where there is no true honor of God, there is no true
intimacy with God.
Third, Christ says their worship is “in vain” (i.e., fruitless and futile)
because it was not in accord with His truth, but instead was based on “‘the
commandments of men.’”
15:10-11. Jesus then states a more important principle: It is “not what
goes into the mouth,” “but what comes out of the mouth” that defiles.
That is, cleanness and uncleanness have to do primarily with the heart, not
with externals such as hand washing. Food handled by unwashed hands
goes into the mouth, but moral defilement proceeds out of the mouth from
the heart (cf. Rom 3:13-14).
15:12-14. What Jesus stated publicly He now explains privately to the
disciples who were embarrassed that the highly influential “Pharisees were
offended” by this discussion. Jesus had shocked and repulsed His critics by
harshly and publicly repudiating their cherished beliefs. The disciples were
cowed by the disapproval of ecclesiastical authority and so they commit the
mistake many Christians make––that of siding with the enemies of Christ
for fear of offending them. Jesus simply says, “Let them alone” (cf. 7:6).
Speaking the truth is more important than catering to people like the
Pharisees. Their influence was without value and was even detrimental to
the truth. Jesus compares them to worthless plants, saying, “Every plant
which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.”
Additionally, He identifies them as “blind leaders of the blind,” who are
unable to guide anyone spiritually. Spiritual disaster and judgment await the
Pharisees and their followers.
15:15-20. Pressed by Peter for an explanation of His words, Jesus explains
that moral defile­ment is internal, not external. The real problem is with the
persistently wicked heart of man, not food taken in from the outside.
Wicked thoughts, words, and deeds are what defile a person in the sight of
God, not eating “with unwashed hands.”
6. Healing of the Gentile woman’s daughter (15:21-28)
 15:21. Being rejected once again by Israel’s leaders, Jesus de­parts into
Gentile territory near Tyre and Sidon on the Mediter­ranean Sea.
15:22. While there, a woman approaches Jesus seeking mercy on behalf
of her “demon-possessed” daughter. Amazingly this Gentile woman
addresses Him as “Lord, Son of David” (cf. Matt 9:27 and 20:30-31). By
acknowledging Him as the rightful King over Israel, she does something
most of His own countrymen did not do (see John 1:11).
15:23-24. Jesus at first is silent and seemingly refuses her pleas. But she
keeps badgering Him as well as His disciples to heal her daughter. Her
persistence irritates the disciples, who want to send her away. Furthermore,
Jesus states that His mission (in His first coming) is exclusively to Israel.
Only “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” were being offered messianic
salvation and blessing. The words lost sheep instantly call to mind the
identity of Jesus as the seeking compassionate Shepherd-King.
15:25. But the woman is not deterred by His silence and rebuke. She
refuses to take no for an answer. Although technically not eligible for
messianic blessing, as a mother she could not be satisfied to allow the
desperate need of her daughter to go unmet. Bowing before Jesus, she cries
out, “Lord, help me!”
15:26-27. Jesus responds that it is improper “to take the children’s bread
and throw it to the little dogs.” In a household at mealtime the choicest
morsels of food are provided by the master (i.e., head of the household) for
his children. Figuratively speaking, the bread stands for messianic blessing,
the children represent Israel, the master is Jesus, and the little dogs are
Gentiles. The use of the term children points to the preeminence of Israel in
God’s kingdom program. The use of little dogs (household dogs as pets)
demonstrates the subordinate status of the Gentiles. In addition, the woman,
being a Canaanite, is stigmatized as a person least likely to be the recipient
of messianic
blessing (cf. v 22 and Zech 14:21). Jesus uses this figurative saying to test
her, not to refuse the woman’s request or to insult her.
The woman agrees with Jesus that Israel has priority when she states,
“even the little dogs eat the crumbs which fall from their master’s
table.” She does not wish to take away blessing from Israel, but as a
Gentile she feels she is at least entitled to the leftovers.
 15:28. Jesus could not refuse a request made with such determined
“great…faith.” So He immediately heals her daughter. This is a
refreshing contrast to the unbelieving, Christ-rejecting Pharisees. They
relentlessly try to trap Him but she seeks Him earnestly out of faith. Here
also is an important lesson for the disciples––Jesus is willing, and they
should be willing too, to minister to Gentiles who exercise faith in Him (cf.
Matt 12:21; 28:19-20).
7. The healing of many (15:29-31)
15:29-31. After returning from a short visit to the coast, Jesus resumes His
public ministry of teaching (suggested in words, sat down) and healing in
His own territory on a mountain near the Sea of Galilee. The need for
physical healing was great as measured by the number of infirm people who
were brought to Christ. The huge crowds marveled at the healings and they
glorified the God of Israel.
Jesus performs these miracles in Decapolis, a predominately Gentile area
(cf. Mark 7:31). The phrase the God of Israel may very well suggest that a
large number of Gentiles were present who discerned that Israel’s God was
the power behind these miracles of mercy. If so, the leftovers for Gentile
blessing was significant indeed!
8. The feeding of the four thousand (15:32-39)
This is not the same as the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand (Matt
14:14-21). Jesus recognized these as two separate events (16:9-10). After
the previous miracle twelve baskets were left over, but after this miracle
seven baskets were filled.
15:32. Jesus expresses His concern to His disciples about the people’s
need for food. Because they had not eaten for “three days,” He is
concerned that they might not have enough strength to return to their
homes.
15:33. The disciples recognize that they cannot possibly meet a need of
such magnitude. They easily recognize their lack of resources. But they fail
to remember His power. They had quickly forgotten how Jesus had fed the
five thousand.
15:34-38. So Jesus takes seven loaves “and a few little fish” and
multiplies them. As with the feeding of the five thousand, He has the
disciples distribute the food. Again the multitude is satisfied just as were
the five thousand and food is left over (14:14-21). The lesson to the
disciples is that Jesus can not only meet the needs of the multitudes through
them on one occasion, but He is also able to repeat that same ability on
other occasions. Furthermore He would use them to supply needs to
Gentiles as well as to Israelites.
15:39. After dismissing the multitude, He travels by boat to the region of
Magdala, a site on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, slightly north of
Tiberius.
E. Rejection by Pharisees and Sadducees (16:1-12)
1. Debate over a sign from heaven (16:1-4a)
16:1. The Pharisees and Sadducees disliked each other, but since Jesus
was a threat to both, these feuding groups got together and went to trap
Jesus. They demand an incontrovertible miraculous sign which would prove
Jesus’ claims to be Israel’s Messiah—evidence that would go beyond what
God had ordained Him to give. But they were insincere. The last thing they
wanted was for Jesus to fulfill their demand. Their true intent was to
undermine His credibility.
16:2-4a. Jesus tells them they were very adept at interpreting the
appearance of the sky to forecast whether the weather will be stormy or
fair. However, they could not discern the signs of the times He already
produced. Obviously the Messiah had come, and He had already given them
sufficient evidence. But they did not accept the evidence because they were
willfully blind, wicked and adulterous (i.e., spiritually unfaithful).
Therefore they kept seeking after a sign. But Jesus says the only sign He
would give them would be Jonah, just as He had said earlier in 12:39. Just
as Jonah was in the fish for three days and nights and then was “released,”
so Jesus would be in the grave three days and nights and then be resurrected
(12:40).The preaching in the Book of Acts is basically a proclamation and
explanation of the sign of Jonah—Jesus’ resurrection—to that generation
(Acts 2:24-36; 3:14-15; 4:2, etc). That miracle, above all, was intended to
secure belief.
2. The withdrawal of Jesus (16:4b)
 16:4b. Jesus and His disciples departed to the other side of the Sea of
Galilee. The term departed implies that He had forsaken or abandoned
them. Jesus left these incorrigible leaders behind, for they were only an
obstruction to His ministry.
3. Jesus’ warning concerning false doctrine (16:5-12)
16:5-7. When Jesus warns the disciples about the leaven (yeast) of the
Pharisees and Sadducees, the disciples do not get the point. The mention
of leaven starts them thinking of the bread they had forgotten to bring (v
5), and they quickly lose themselves in discussion over this discovery.
16:8-10. Jesus quickly chides them about worrying about their next meal.
The miraculous feeding of the five thousand and four thousand is
evidence that those traveling with the Messiah need not be concerned about
going hungry. The disciples’ worry reveals a lack of faith (see note at
15:28).
16:11-12. Regarding the leaven, Jesus makes it plain to them that He is
speaking about the
dangerous teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees, not physical bread.
Leaven often stood for an influence that was rotten, evil, and bad (1 Cor
5:6-8). Like yeast that permeates any mass of dough, the Pharisees were
corrupt in their religious traditionalism, externalism, and legalism. The
Sadducees promoted rationalism, materialism, and political opportunism.
Both sought to influence others to resist the messianic claims of Jesus. Both
groups said God had not authorized Him nor empowered His miracles (Matt
16:1-4). Therefore they reason, He could not be the Messiah.
V. The Preparation of the King’s Disciples (16:13–20:28)
A. The Revelation in View of Rejection (16:13–17:13)
1. Revelation concerning the King’s Person (16:13-17)
16:13. This incident took place in Caesarea Phillipi, about thirty miles
north of where they had been near the Sea of Galilee. It is in the
northernmost part of Jewish territory and in a predominantly Gentile area.
In light of His rejection by the Pharisees and Sadducees, Jesus asks His
disciples, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”
 16:14. They reply that current opinion identifies Him as “John the
Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” These identifications
had some basis in truth. Like John, Jesus preached repentance. Like Elijah,
He is mighty in prayer and in performing miracles. Like Jeremiah, He is
rejected by His generation. The designations are all complementary, but
inade­quate. Israel had failed to identify Him as the Messiah though they
recognized the supernatural character of His ministry.
16:15. Then He asks them the more important question, “But (you), who
do you say that I am?” The Greek plural personal pronoun for you occurs
at the beginning of the question for emphasis.
16:16. Simon Peter, speaking for the disciples, answered correctly, “You
are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Affirming Him as the Christ
(lit., “the Anointed One”), that is, the Son of God, involved recognizing
Jesus as the anointed Deliverer and King predicted in the OT. He would
freely save and bring Israel––in fact, the whole world––eventually under
His sovereign rule (Ps 2:2, 6-7, 12). Peter was confessing that Jesus is the
promised Messiah-King of Israel (cf. Isa 9:6-7; Mic 5:2).
16:17. Jesus commends Peter for His confession, which stemmed not from
human counsel but from divine disclosure (John 6:65). For this Peter was
“blessed.” It was not unusual for rabbis to pronounce blessing on students
who gave the correct answers. Here the blessing is a supreme one, for Peter
had made a confession that is foundational to Jesus’ entire ministry in the
lives of individuals and the church He would establish.
2. Revelation concerning the King’s program (16:18-27)
The King’s program involves building and empowering His church,
undergoing death and resurrection, and calling His disciples to the sacrifice
of life as an interlude to their reward in the kingdom.
16:18. A significant aspect of Jesus’ program for the future centers on
building His church (ekklēsia, lit., “a called-out assembly”). The Church,
He said, will be a victorious and indestructible community, even though
“the gates of Hades” (i.e., the realm of death) would be arrayed against it.
Suggested here are the two expected activi­ties of the Church: building and
battling. But in the end the Church will triumph (cf. Heb 2:14).
The Church is mentioned here for the first time in the NT. It was a mystery
in the OT. It is now revealed as a significant future component of Christ’s
program. However, even at this point it was largely a mystery. The Lord did
not identify the Church as Jewish and Gentile believers who have equal
membership as fellow heirs in one Body (1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 2:11–3:7).
At Pentecost the church would be born, a completely new entity (Acts 2:1-
4). In Acts 2:47 this group is first called the Church.
The Church would be built on a rock, a secure foundation (Matt 16:18; cf.
Luke 6:48). The rock on which Christ will build His Church has been
variously interpreted as Peter, whose name means stone or rock, or his con-­
fession of Jesus as the Son of God, or Jesus Himself.
Jesus had two rocks in mind, as suggested by a play on two Greek words.
“You are Peter (petros, stone, masculine), and on this rock (petra,
feminine), I will build my church.” Peter is a stone, but Jesus is the Rock.
Peter’s later writings reveal that he recognized the difference. Peter knew
that Jesus was the Rock, the chief cornerstone, whereas he and the other
apostles were merely stones in the Church’s foundation (1 Pet 2:4-8; cf.
1 Cor 3:11; Eph 2:20).
Of course it is true that the Church is built on the truth that Peter spoke
regarding Jesus. But since Peter was exalting Jesus, the rock even in this
sense is Jesus.
16:19. In Christ’s new program Peter (you is singular) was given “the
keys of the kingdom of heaven.” These keys have to do with disclosure of
spiritual truth that affects one’s eternal destiny (Luke 11:52; Rev 1:18).
Peter, who was entrusted as a steward with the knowledge of the gospel,
had authority as an apostle to state whether people would be admitted into
or excluded from the kingdom of God. Peter first used the keys of his
authority on the Day of Pentecost to open the kingdom to the Jews (Acts
2:38-42), then in Samaria for the Samaritans (Acts 8:14-17), and later to
Cornelius, a Gentile (Acts 10:34-48).
While hypothetically only Peter had these keys, the reality is that all the
apostles and indeed every believer does as well. The Book of Acts clearly
shows that others, like Philip, Barnabas, and Paul, were opening the
kingdom to many.
Binding and loosing were common rabbinic terms that meant to include or
exclude, to permit or forbid, to declare a precept not binding, or to impose
an obligation. Peter and the other apostles would make decisions for God’s
new community that would prohibit or permit certain teaching and practices
in the newly formed Church. His leadership would impact the Church’s
direction throughout the age. Later Jesus delegated this authority to other
apostles as well (Matt 18:18). The Book of Acts shows Peter and the other
apostles making important decisions under the guidance of the Holy Spirit
at the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:6-29). The validity of the Church’s
decisions in any age are only as valid as the extent to which they conform to
Scripture.
16:20. Jesus then tells His disciples not to tell anyone that He is Jesus the
Christ. The revelation of this fact was to be given by the Father (Matt
11:27). It was only for those whose hearts were conditioned to the truth.
16:21. The disciples were ill prepared for what Jesus said next. Jesus, in
further explaining His program, foretells His death and resur­rection. These
things must take place; they are necessary. The will of the Father cannot be
fulfilled and the salvation of people cannot be accomplished without them.
16:22. Peter protests, “Lord, this shall not happen to You!” Jesus’ death,
Peter believes, is not in line with his understanding of how the kingdom was
to be set up.
Peter is thinking of glory now, not later. He expects Jesus to set up His
reign immediately. Delayed gratification is definitely not in Peter’s plan.
16:23. Peter, on whom Jesus had previ­ously pronounced blessing for
declaring the truth (v 17), is now rebuked for resisting the truth. The source
behind Peter’s opposition to Jesus’ words is Satan himself (cf. Matt 4:10).
The term Satan means adversary. If Jesus would have heeded Peter and not
gone to the cross, there would be no salvation for anyone. May believers
never dictate to Christ what they think is the best way to do things while
disregarding His word!
Jesus had just discussed the establishing of the Church. His death and
resurrection were necessary to found, redeem and purify the Church (Eph
5:25). Just as Adam was put to sleep so that God might present him with a
wife, so Jesus was put to sleep in death, so that when He awakened He
might have a bride (Gen 2:21-25; Eph 5:30-32).
16:24. The issue here is discipleship, not justification. To “come after”
Jesus one must “deny himself, take up his cross, and follow” Him. The
Lord reveals that His disciples too will be called on to sacrifice their lives
for His sake. Since Jesus was going to the cross to die for them, they too
should be willing to die for Him. They were to put on hold their visions of
immediate grandeur in the earthly kingdom and face the immediate cost of
following Him. Suffering precedes glory (cf. 1 Pet 4:13).
16:25-27. Jesus is talking here about rewards, not salvation. The Greek
word psychē is used four times in vv 25-26 and is unfortunately translated
as life in v 25 and yet as soul in v 26.
Losing one’s psychē does not mean being eternally separated from God in
hell. Neither does saving one’s psychē refer to gaining eternal life. That is
not in view here.
Nor does salvation of the psychē mean salvation from physical death.
Although it is often used that way in the OT as well as in the Book of James
(Gen 19:17; 32:30; 1 Sam 19:11; Jer 48:6; Jas 5:20), the disciples were not
promised that in these verses in Matthew!
Instead, salvation of the soul refers to deliverance from a wasted life to a
life of heightened satisfaction, enjoyment, usefulness, victory, status,
authority, and rest in the coming millennial kingdom (cf. 2 Tim 2:12; Heb
3:6, 14; 4:11). To the world, serving Christ under adverse circumstances
seems like throwing one’s life away and ultimately losing it. But in reality
the disciple “will find” eternal life. He will gain rewards so great and so
enduring that they will far exceed even the hypothetical gaining of “the
whole world” during this lifetime.
The words “profited, gain, save, loses, and exchange” reflect the
language of business risk and reward. An investment in Christ’s unpopular
enterprise will pay far richer dividends in the future than that of the world in
the present.
The term reward in v 27 refers to recompense for work done. Eternal life,
on the other hand, as a gift, is absolutely free (Eph 2:8-9). When Jesus
returns, “He will reward each according to his works.” Sharing in Jesus’
sufferings now will result in a heightened experience of “the glory of His
Father” in the life to come (cf. Rom 8:17b; 1 Pet 4:13)
Matthew 16:25-27 is often interpreted as calling for total yieldedness to
Christ as Lord in every area of one’s life in order to be born again. If that
were true, then Peter himself, whom Christ commended for his good
confession (vv 16-17), would not be saved, for he was glaringly
disobedient in his opposition to Christ in v 22.
Justification by faith is different from rewards. Eternal life cannot be lost
(John 10:28-29) because it depends on God’s faithfulness (2 Tim 2:13), but
rewards can be lost because they depend on the believers’ faithfulness
(2 Tim 2:12; Heb 10:35; Rev 2:26).
3. Revelation concerning the King’s kingdom (16:28–17:13)
The material in the latter part of chap 16 leads naturally into the subject
matter discussed in 17:1-13. The point of this section is that the coming of
the millennial kingdom, despite rejection and postponement, is certain.
16:28. Jesus began v 28 with the words, “Assuredly I say to you.” The
coming of the kingdom is certain. As “the Son of Man” Jesus “will come”
again in “the glory of His Father” (as contrasted to His first coming when
such glory was veiled). Son of Man is a messianic title. In Dan 7:13-14 the
glory of universal, everlasting world dominion is bestowed on One like the
Son of Man by the Ancient of Days (i.e., God the Father). When that
occurs, He will reward
faithful discipleship in His kingdom (cf. vv 25-26).
Jesus gives assurance that some among the disciples will live long enough
to see His coming in the glory of His kingdom. No doubt the disciples
thought Jesus was speaking of the immediate establishment of the kingdom.
However, He had something else in mind. The promise was fulfilled in
17:1-13 when three disciples were given a glimpse, or sneak preview, of the
kingdom.
Verse 28 is problematic: “There are some standing here who shall not
taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” Some
say this was fulfilled in Jesus’ ministry when people suddenly awakened to
the fact that the kingdom had come. Others say this was fulfilled at the time
of Jesus’ resurrection, the founding of the Church, or the destruction of
Jerusalem in AD 70. But it is best to connect this saying with what
immediately follows, namely, the Transfiguration (17:1-13). In the
Transfiguration Jesus was personally, bodily, and visibly present in the
awesome glory He will one day manifest. Peter later referred to this event
as the “power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Pet 1:16). Peter
witnessed a foreshadowing of Jesus’ coming “in the glory of His Father”
(Matt 16:17; cf. v 27; 2 Pet 1:17).
17:1. After six days of having spoken to the disciples concerning the
Cross and the glory that would follow (16:21-28), Jesus brings Peter,
James, and John, the inner circle of disciples, with Him to a high
mountain, probably a spur of Mount Hermon. These are the ones Jesus said
in 16:28 would not die before they “see the Son of Man coming in His
kingdom.”
17:2. A startling change took place in the appearance of Jesus. He was
transfigured (metamorphōmai, from which is derived the English word
metamorphosis). The divine glory that had been veiled in human flesh (Phil
2:6-8), that Jesus had left behind before coming to earth (John 17:5), and
will characterize His second coming (Matt 24:30; 25:31), now burst forth
with striking effect (cf. Luke 9:32). Later Peter wrote that he was an
eyewitness of His glory (1 Pet 5:1; 2 Pet 1:16-17), and John said, “We
beheld His glory” (John 1:14). That glory manifested itself particularly in
His brilliantly radiant face and the glistening snowy whiteness of His
clothes. The description of His face shining like the sun closely parallels
the description John gave of Jesus in Rev 1:16.
17:3. Two OT spiritual giants conversed with Jesus, Moses (representing
the Law), and Elijah (representing the prophets). Luke wrote that they
testified concern­ing Christ’s coming death (Luke 9:31). This conversation
revealed that the Cross was not the end of the kingdom, but the pathway to
it. Peter needed to know this in view of his previous resistance to such an
idea (Matt 16:21-23).
17:4. Overwhelmed, Peter suggests that he make Jesus, Moses, and Elijah
“three tabernacles” (i.e., shelters or booths) such as worshipers built for
the Feast of Tabernacles. This Feast was an occasion for the Israelites to
construct temporary shelters where they would live for a week (cf. Lev
23:33-43). It looked back to Israel’s forty-year wilderness wanderings, but it
also looked forward to God’s blessing in the promised land of rest.
Ultimately it looked forward to God’s millennial rest.
Peter may have expected this encounter with Jesus to last for a week or
more, thinking that it would conclude with the inauguration of the kingdom.
17:5. Out of a bright cloud a voice said, “This is my beloved Son, in
whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!” The Father’s words are in part an
admonition to remember what they had previously been taught (Matt 16:21-
28). Yet there is also assurance in the Father’s words as if to say, “Peter,
Jesus is My divine Son just as you have confessed Him. He will live up to
the messianic destiny His name implies.” Later Peter would reflect on those
words and draw assurance from them regarding Jesus coming in power to
claim His kingdom (2 Pet 1:17-18).
17:6-8. Small wonder after hearing the voice of the Father that the
disciples fell on their faces in fear and awe. Abruptly the cloud and Moses
and Elijah disappear. Jesus dispels the disciples’ fear by a touch and an
invitation to rise and “not be afraid” (cf. 28:5, 10). They note that His
appearance had returned to normal. The unfamiliar had suddenly been
replaced by the familiar.
17:9. Jesus cautions the three not to tell anyone about this experience till
after His resurrection. This temporary prohibition may have been given
because an immediate reporting of Jesus’ transfiguration would stir up false
messianic expectations and would bring confusion with regard to His
immediate plans to die for sin. Alternately it might have caused the Jewish
leaders to crucify Him before His time had come. However, the disciples
were free to tell others after His resurrection so that those who heard could
have assurance regarding His coming kingship as “the Son of Man” (Dan
7:13-14).
17:10-13. Since Peter, James, and John had just seen Elijah, the disciples
ask about the teaching of the scribes that “Elijah must come first” to
“restore all things” before the kingdom is set up. They are asking, “Since
we have just seen Elijah, why should we not make this known right away?”
Jesus indicates that Elijah had “come already” to ful­fill prophecy (Mal 3:1;
4:5-6). However, just as John the Baptist’s mission was thwarted by Israel
in unbelief (cf. Matt 21:25-27), the disciples should not be surprised that
Jesus’ would be too.
They correctly concluded that Jesus spoke to them of John the Baptist
(Luke 1:17; Matt 11:14). Since John had come as Elijah and had been
rejected, God will raise up another Elijah in the end times to do what John
could not, namely, “restore all things.” This person will appear during the
Tribulation just before the Second Coming (cf. Mal 4:5 and Rev 11:6).
B. The Instruction in View of Rejection (17:14–20:28)
1. Instruction concerning faith (17:14-21)
17:14-18. Coming down from the mountain, Jesus encounters a father
interceding for his epileptic son. His son’s lack of control over self-
destructive behavior was demonic in origin. The father had looked to Jesus’
disciples for help, but they were unable to cure him. For their failure after
they had been so long with Him, Jesus expresses disappointment and labels
that generation as “faithless and perverse.”
Then Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him. The father had
addressed him as Lord, and Jesus demonstrates His messianic authority
over the demonic realm by casting out the demon with a simple word of
rebuke. This deliverance was illustrative of the deliverance that could come
to Israel if only they would depend on Jesus as their Savior (cf. 12:23-25).
17:19-21. The disciples privately ask why they could not cast out the
demon. Jesus explains that it was because of their lack of faith. Unbelief
limits the power of God in a believer’s life. Jesus was not talking about
saving faith, but faith in the power of God to work a miracle. The disciples
are examples of unbelieving believers. Even a small faith compared to the
smallness of “a mustard seed” would be capable of accomplishing great
things never thought possible (cf. Luke 1:37). One can even move a
mountain if God makes it clear that such a task is within the scope of His
will. Jesus added, “This kind does not go out except by prayer and
fasting.” To achieve success in the intense conflict involved in spiritual
warfare, one must have faith that is nourished through prayer and fasting.
The lesson of the healing of the epileptic was designed to teach the disciples
that their future ministry must be conducted in dependence on God or it
would be to no avail.
2. Instruction concerning Jesus’ death and resurrection (17:22-
23)
17:22-23. In Galilee Jesus again tells of His coming betrayal, death, and
resurrection on “the third day.” The disciples respond with great sorrow.
Apparently they hear only the part about His being betrayed and killed but
not His being “raised up.” Jewish theology taught that there were actually
two Messiahs––one who would suffer and one who would rule in power
and glory. Jesus implies that after He suffered, died, and rose again (the
Suffering Servant), He would later return to reign (Daniel’s Son of Man).
3. Instruction concerning privileges of sons (17:24-27)
17:24. Religious tax collectors approached Peter in Capernaum and asked
in effect, “Does your teacher not pay the [half-shekel] temple tax” that
every adult male Jew is expected to pay yearly?
17:25-26. Peter simply said “yes,” and went to inform Jesus of the
request. When Peter enters the house, Jesus already knows what he is
going to ask. His initial answer is designed to show Peter that technically
Jesus does not owe the tax. No son of a king ever paid taxes to his own
father. “The sons are free” of such an obligation. Only strangers or
outsiders (those not of the royal family, i.e., people of the nation) pay.
Therefore, Jesus did not owe the temple tax to the religious authorities on
His Father’s house. He was not a subject of the King; he was the Son of the
King. Heaven itself provided a legitimate exemption on this tax.
17:27. Nevertheless, if Jesus refused to pay, He would offend many in
Israel. They might think He opposed the temple tax or that He despised the
temple and its worship. So to show His support for the temple and its
sacrifices, though He knew they would be rendered obsolete by His death,
he instructs Peter to pay. Jesus directs Peter to catch a fish in whose mouth
would be found sufficient funds to pay for both Peter and Himself. Peter
does as Jesus directed and is able to pay the tax with the exact amount that
was required.
The lesson to the disciples is that there are some situations in which it is
not expedient to press for one’s rights. It is better not to claim one’s rights if
it offends others and makes a person less effective in sharing the gospel
with them. Furthermore, since Peter is also a beneficiary of this miracle,
Jesus shows He can readily supply the needs of those obedient to Him from
some very unlikely sources!
4. Instruction concerning humility (18:1-5)
18:1. The disciples’ question, “Who then is greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?” was no doubt prompted by Jesus’ teaching on kingdom rewards
in 16:27-28, the prominent privilege Peter, James, and John enjoyed when
they experienced the Transfiguration (17:1-7), and the miracle in which
Peter had an exclusive part (17:27).
The question regarding greatness surfaced again as Jesus made His way to
Jerusalem to die (Mark 10:32-45; Matt 20:17-28) and on the night before
the Crucifixion (Luke 22:24-30). The disciples were concerned about the
rank, status, and power that might be theirs in the kingdom, but they were
not attentive to the God-ordained method to achieve those things, namely,
humility.
18:2-3. Jesus answered the disciples’ question about greatness in the
kingdom by an object lesson. Setting a little child…in the midst of them,
Jesus says, “unless you are converted and become as little children, you
will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The disciples’ question was not about kingdom entrance, but greatness in
the kingdom. The disciples, excluding Judas, already knew they would
enter the kingdom (cf. Matt 16:13-28 and discussion there).
Jesus begins His answer about greatness in the kingdom with a reminder
about entrance into it. In order to enter the kingdom people must be
converted (turned away) from the skepticism and preconceived anti-grace
notions most adults have and must become like children. Children are more
open to believing in Jesus than are adults. Studies show that well over
ninety percent of all people who come to faith in Christ do so before age
eighteen.
Why did Jesus use the second person plural, you, when speaking to men
who were already born again and who were sure they would enter the
kingdom? Most likely, He was merely reminding them of this core truth
before He went on to speak of greatness.
Another view is that Jesus was speaking corporately, and that the word
you refers to that generation of Jews. If so, the point would be that unless
you as a nation are converted and become as little children, you (that
generation) will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. In this view the
issue in v 3 is whether the kingdom would come for that generation or
whether the kingdom would be postponed.
18:4-5. Jesus then concludes that humility is necessary for greatness “in
the kingdom.” The least will be “the greatest” (Luke 9:48).
Also, “Whoever receives (welcomes or accepts into fellowship) one little
child like this in My name receives Me.” The little child before Him was
a symbol of a humble believer (cf. Matt 10:42; 18:6, 10, 14). To accept and
show kindness to such a one, instead of being concerned with status, is to
embrace and honor Christ. Pride and ambition that cause one to treat other
believers contemptuously for the purpose of one-upmanship is to distance
oneself from Christ.
 5. Instruction concerning offenses (18:6-20)
The next topic Jesus addresses is that of the seriousness of people causing
offenses. He also indicts the world for setting up Christ’s little ones for a
fall, and in doing so, to cause them to sin, slip, and retrogress in their faith.
These little ones must be protected from spiritual harm.
18:6-7. Here Jesus is warning against causing “one of these little ones
who believe in Me” to fall into sin (skandalizō, “to trip or cause to
stumble”). There is something perverse about placing a stumbling stone in
front of an unsuspecting or vulnerable child so they might fall. Those who
do such things will face severe punishment. “It would be better” to have
“a millstone” (a huge wheel-shaped stone used to grind grain) attached as a
weight to one’s body and sink quickly to the bottom “of the sea” than to
commit such an offense.
Jesus is speaking here of children who believe in Him! Despite what some
may suggest, believing in Jesus is not limited to adults. Children can and do
believe in Him.
God’s judgment is expressed in Jesus’ double use of the word woe. For the
world, offenses are inevitable and so is the judgment against those who are
responsible for them.
18:8-9. Jesus counsels the listeners to eliminate whatever “causes [them]
to sin,” whether a “hand or foot,” or an eye. If one is in danger of going to
hell because of what he might do, then he should cut off his feet and hands.
If one is in danger of hell because of what he looks on, he should pluck out
his eye. “To enter into life lame or maimed” is better than being “cast
into hell fire” with one’s whole body intact.
This enigmatic saying is hyperbolic and hypothetical. If drastic measures
could be taken, such as dismemberment, to keep one from sinning, it would
be worth it. Self-mutilation and dismemberment would not save them, of
course, for the problem is in the heart (15:8-9, 18-20). However, Jesus
assumes for the sake of argument that their trust in external restraint from
evil would be sufficient to save. The complete uselessness of such an
exercise is plain. That they would trust in externals reveals that those to
whom Jesus directs His remarks are unbelievers. Jesus’ words are
provocative and enigmatic, causing one to think and feel more deeply.
 (Editor’s note: Another view is that the Lord was suggesting that any
hindrance to faith in Him should be eliminated. The hand, foot, and eye
suggest what a person does, where he goes, and what he gazes on. While
the only condition of eternal life is faith in Christ, a person who keeps
himself away from the message about Jesus and is distracted by various
friends and pursuits is unlikely to come to faith. Better to eliminate
hindrances that keep one from hearing the saving message than to go
through life with one’s comfortable status quo and end up in hell.)
18:10-14. Believers are exhorted for several reasons not to scorn or look
down on “these little ones.” First, God esteems them exceedingly valuable
as evidenced by how close to the throne “their angels” stand. According to
the Jews only the chief angels were before “the face of God.” Second, they
must not scorn these little ones because “the Son of Man” came “to save”
them (v 11). Third, the Father rejoices over just one who “is straying,” but
now is found (vv 12-13). Fourth, the heavenly Father desires that His “little
ones” not perish (v 14).
18:15-17. When a believer has sinned against another believer, their
relationship is marred. Restoring that relationship is summed up in the word
gained. The Greek word kerdainō suggests the idea of accumulating wealth
or securing a treasure. To restore a sinning brother is to affirm the value of
that person by bringing him to repentance for his transgression and
restoring his friendship. Verse 15 assumes that the injured individual has
forgiven the one who did him wrong and that he goes to him more for the
wrongdoer’s sake than his own.
Procedures for restoring a sin­ning brother are as follows. First, there is to
be pri­vate admonition and appeal (v 15). The person sinned against in this
case is to take the initiative (but see 5:23-24). If this effort fails, then “one
or two more” are to be present to certify fairness and offer counsel (18:16).
The person sinned against along with the one or two others constitute the
“two or three witnesses” required that “every word may be established.”
Then it will not just be a matter of taking one’s word against another. As
objective witnesses to the truth, they can help facilitate arbitration and work
toward bringing about reconciliation.
If the offender “refuses to hear them, tell it to the church.” Here we find
a prophecy by the Lord about a new body soon to be born, the Church. Only
three times in Jesus’ recorded ministry did He mention the Church: in 16:18
and twice in 18:17. See the discussion of the Church at 16:18.
Church discipline, which is the last stage in the process of restoring a
fallen brother, enables the church to exercise the maximum amount of
social pressure in reaching the sinning brother. If the total company of
believers does not bring him to repentance, then there is no alternative but
to “let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.” That is, the
church is to withdraw fellowship from him and avoid him. He, like an
unbeliever or wicked person, belongs on the outside of the local church, not
inside. He must be put out of the assembly (cf. 1 Cor 5:4-5, 7). This action
is designed to bring the unrepentant offender to his senses regarding what
he has done. To allow the unrepentant brother to stay within the fellowship
encourages others to sin with impunity. See 1 Cor 5:1-8. In no case should a
vindictive attitude prevail in exercising such disciplinary action.
Sometimes these instructions are viewed as too idealistic, or even risky.
Confrontation takes courage because the one who goes to the offender is not
at all sure he or she will be well received. In fact such obedience to Christ’s
instructions could be a painful experience if the confronter is castigated and
criticized for meddling. But when such a reaction is forthcoming, that
person is to realize that suffering is what may happen to Christians for
doing what is right.
The passage does not eliminate the necessity of swift public rebuke under
certain conditions. Some people say Matt 18:15-18 means that public
criticism of false doctrine is unwarranted. However, unity is not to be
sought at the expense of truth.
18:18. When the proper procedures are followed, the decision of the
church is regarded as authoritative in heaven. Binding and loosing refer to
the judicial authority that belongs to a body of believers in exercising
church discipline. Literally the Greek states, “whatever you bind (i.e.,
prohibit) on earth” shall have been “bound in heaven and whatever you
loose (i.e., permit) on earth” shall have been “loosed in heaven” (cf.
16:19). Some teach that the person so disciplined is excluded not only from
the assembly, but also from eternal life. This, however, presses the meaning
too far in light of passages such as John 10:28-29. A believer can and
sometimes does become rebellious. Treating him like a “heathen” or a “tax
collector” refers to recognizing an impenitent, immoral state, not whether
he or she is regenerate.
18:19-20. The Father promises to do anything that “two or three”
believers “agree on” in Christ’s name. The prayer in this context is for
divine guidance in handling the delegated authority mentioned in the
previous verse. Of course, it would apply to any legitimate prayer uttered in
faith in accord with God’s will. The point is that the smallest possible
gathering of believers will be heard if they unite in prayer. The prayer will
be heard because Jesus is “there in the midst of them.” His presence
guarantees the Father’s intervention on their behalf. This also implies Jesus’
omnipresence.
6. Instruction concerning forgiveness (18:21-35)
18:21. In seeking to restore an offending brother, discipline may be
necessary, but so is forgiveness. Peter wished to know “how often”
forgiveness should be extended to a sinning brother. Surely there must be
limits. Would not “up to seven times” be generous enough? That surpassed
the conventional rabbinic recommendation of three times. Peter thought he
was being magnanimous.
18:22. Christ answers Peter’s question both directly and with a parable. He
said that forgiveness for the number of offenses should be “seventy times
seven” (i.e., innumerable or countless times). Then He taught in a parable
that one should forgive his brother as much as God has forgiven him (vv
23-35). But Christ goes beyond answering the question, “How often should
I forgive?” to address the question, “What happens if I do not?”
18:23-27. Jesus provides a warning through the Parable of Two Debtors. It
falls into three parts. First, a Gentile king holds a servant accountable for
an astronomical, insurmountable debt, but then freely forgives the entire
debt out of compassion. He is so moved after observing the man, with no
resources and no hope, make an apparently sincere pledge to try to pay it
back. “Ten thousand talents” represent the enormous size of “the debt”––
equivalent to perhaps more than a billion dollars! A talent was the largest
unit of currency and ten thousand was the largest single number the Greeks
could express. An average peasant could work for a lifetime and not begin
to repay such a debt. The extent of forgiveness of the debt represents the
magnitude of God’s grace and forgiveness. The master’s action delivered
the servant from terrible slavery and granted him total freedom.
18:28-30. Second, the recently forgiven servant held a fellow servant
accountable for a small debt that could be paid. He refused to grant the
forgiveness he had just received. A denarius represented one day’s wage for
an ordinary laborer. A “hundred denarii” was a manageable debt. But the
first servant was impatient and ruthless in his treatment of the second
servant. When the second servant could not pay immediately, he made a
plea (v 29) very much like that of the first servant (v 26). But instead of
being forgiven, the second servant was cast “into prison.” So the first
servant who was forgiven by a king of a far greater debt shockingly refused
to forgive a fellow servant of a lesser debt.
18:31-34. Third, the king, who had forgiven the first servant, heard how
unforgiving the first servant had acted. In anger he held the first servant
accountable for his refusal to forgive, calling him a “‘wicked servant.’”
The king meted out the severe punishment the servant deserved for his lack
of forgiveness. He handed the unforgiving servant over to his torturers until
the man repaid “all that was due to him,” which, of course, could never be
repaid. The extent of his punishment matched his wickedness. The court-
appointed torturers demanded excessive labor, deprived their prisoners of
needful rest or food, and inflicted bodily and mental pain.
What does the torture signify? Some say handing him over to torturers is
talking about purgatory, but the Bible knows of no such place. Nor is the
deliverance to the torturers depicting eternal punishment in hell. The first
servant in the parable actually experienced forgiveness. It is clear that the
application of the warning pertains to believers (i.e., you [pl], pertaining to
Peter, but also the other disciples who were with him, in v 35).
Instead, the deliverance “to the torturers” is indicative of the severity of
the divine discipline that falls on an unforgiving child of God in this life (1
Cor 11:30-32; Heb 12:5-11). While a Christian’s sins will be forgiven and
forgotten forever (Heb 8:12; 10:14-17), he will be held accountable for
failing to show the same forgiveness God has shown Him. The debt is
remembered at another level—a level dealing with the Christian’s practice,
not his position in Christ (cf. 1 John 1:9 with Col 1:14; 2:13-14). God will
not extend temporal forgiveness to unforgiving Christians. They will
experience His displeasure so long as they remain unrepentant.
 18:35. The parable answers a question Peter could have asked, but did not:
“What happens if I don’t forgive to the same extent I have been forgiven?”
The answer in both the parable and in this verse is that God will hold
accountable one who refuses to “forgive his brother his trespasses.” One
who has been forgiven by God of everything is obligated to forgive others
too.
The lesson of this aspect of the parable is, “Do not expect God to deliver
you from the temporal consequences of your daily sins if you refuse to
forgive others their sins.”
7. Instruction concerning marriage and divorce (19:1-12)
19:1-2. Leaving Galilee (and Capernaum) for the last time, Jesus journeys
through Perea toward Jerusalem and to the cross. In the region of Judea He
heals many from the great multitudes who followed Him.
19:3. The rabbis disagreed about divorce. Some were very permissive in
their teaching on the subject; others were quite strict. Some Pharisees tested
Him on this subject to try to discredit Him. By asking, “Is it lawful for a
man to divorce his wife for just any reason?” they hoped they could get
Him to respond in such a way that some people would be offended by His
answer and would stop following Him.
19:4-6. Jesus answers no, and to prove His point He refers to God’s
purpose for man and woman at the very beginning. God originally planned
marriage so that one man would “be joined” by God in a covenant
relationship to one woman for life (Gen 1:27; 2:24; 1 Cor 7:2). This
commitment to monogamy was symbolized by the “one flesh” relationship
(v 5; Gen 2:23-24; cf. 1 Cor 6:16). In contrast to the bond with “father and
mother,” the marriage bond was to be a more intimate and permanent unity;
it was not to be dissolved (Matt 19:6). For the couple or even a third party
to dissolve it was a sinful act.
19:7-9. The Pharisees, insinuating that Jesus is disregarding the Mosaic
law, then ask why Moses said husbands could divorce their wives. Jesus
replies that in Moses’ time, “because of the hardness of [men’s] hearts,”
divorce was permitted (though not commanded nor commended; Deut 24:1-
4).
Jesus then says that “whoever divorces his wife except for sexual
immorality and marries another commits adultery.” “Sexual
immorality” is translated from the Greek porneia, which means any sexual
sin outside of marriage (adultery, incest, homosexuality, etc.). It includes
adultery but is not limited to it (1 Cor 5:1; 6:13, 16). Fornication was
legitimate grounds for divorce and remarriage, though not requiring either.
Divorce may be permitted, “but from the beginning it was not so,”
meaning that it violated the divine ideal––God’s design in creation.
Therefore since God has made a husband and a wife a unit (Matt 19:4-6),
divorce and remarriage are permitted with the limited exception of sexual
immorality. In such cases the partners automatically have the right to
divorce and remarry.
19:10-12. The disciples realize that what Jesus is saying regarding the
indissoluble nature of marriage is difficult to accept. Marriage is a lasting
commitment in which many might feel trapped by an unhappy relationship.
So they conclude that “it is better not to marry.”
Jesus responds by saying celibacy is an unrealistic solution except for
three groups of people who are able to remain single: those whose sexual
drive is diminished by a birth defect (“eunuchs…from their mother’s
womb”), those who have been physically castrated (“made eunuchs by
men” usually for the purpose of being in charge of a king’s harem), and
those who focus themselves exclusively on kingdom interests (“have made
themselves eunuchs”) to serve God better. All others would do well to get
married (1 Cor 7:9, 36).
8. Instruction concerning receiving children (19:13-15)
19:13-15. Jesus’ disciples rebuked those who attempted to bring little
children to Jesus for prayer. Jesus in turn rebukes them. He blesses the
children for they are like those who will be a part of “the kingdom of
heaven.” They are distinguished by their simple trust in and humble
dependence on others to do for them what they cannot do for themselves
(cf. 18:3-4). Those who will make up “the kingdom” will be those who
have these childlike characteristics. Mark and Luke add that unless one
receives the kingdom as a little child, he will not be able to enter it (Mark
10:15; Luke 18:17). Israel’s unbelief and blindness contrasted sharply with
the faith of childlike believers.
9. Instruction concerning wealth (19:16-26)
 19:16-22. The rich young ruler thought of Jesus as a mere man, a “good
Teacher.” He asks, “What good thing shall I do that I may have eternal
life?” The question shows that he thought he could do something good
enough to merit eternal life.
Some believe Jesus is providing a standard of works and discipleship as
the way to receive eternal life or proving one had it. After all, this is what
the rich young ruler asked about, and so Jesus was giving him the answer.
But if this were true, no one could be saved, for what Jesus is demanding of
the man is humanly impossible to attain.
The proper interpretation of this passage depends on recognizing that Jesus
did not actually answer the man’s question—at least not in a way that was
possible for the man to obey. Jesus does not tell the man to believe on Him
as He told others in John 3:16; 4:13-14; 5:24; 6:35, 47; 11:25-27. The
reason is that what Jesus is doing here is pre-evangelism. He is showing the
man that he cannot save himself by his own piety.
Jesus first challenges the man to rethink his understanding of who Jesus is.
Jesus asks, “Why do you call me good? No one is good but One, that is,
God.” In other words, Jesus is God. Christ is implicitly affirming His own
sinlessness and His deity.
Second, Jesus met the young man on the grounds of his own false
assumption and challenges that assumption. Since what is good is defined
by the Law, Christ directs the young man to the OT commandments that
have been given by the absolutely good God. “But if you want to enter
into life, keep the commandments.” Jesus then gives specific instructions
from the second table of the Law specifying man’s duty to his fellow man
(Matt 19:18-19a). He sums up that portion of the Law with the second
greatest commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (v
19b; cf. 22:39-40).
The self-confident young man had not even begun to comprehend his need
of a Savior. He claims, “All these things have I kept from my youth.
What do I still lack?” Jesus then seeks to reveal his lack to him. He tests
him on the tenth and final commandment, “You shall not covet” (cf. v 21
with Exod 20:17).
Jesus then invites the young man to part with his wealth. If he would “go,
sell…give” and “come, follow” Jesus, then he would obtain “treasure in
heaven” (an eternal reward). Refusing this, he left sorrowful, for his great
possessions were too much to give up.
19:23-26. When the rich young ruler had left, Jesus tells His disciples it is
impossible for such a man to be saved. In a classic understatement He says
it is difficult for a wealthy person “to enter the kingdom of heaven.”
Jesus’ next statement is designed to show how difficult it is: “It is easier for
a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter
the kingdom of God.” Jesus is speaking literally of a hole in a sewing
needle. There was no such thing in the city walls of that time as a small gate
called “the eye of a needle” that camels could go through if they went on
their knees. That is something possible, but Jesus is speaking of the
impossible. The disciples are exceedingly amazed. To think of the largest
of animals in Palestine going through the smallest of openings (a needle’s
“eye”) was absurd indeed! They asked, “Who then can be saved?” If the
rich man, seemingly blessed by God, could not make it, what hope would
lesser people have, including themselves?
The lesson to the rich young ruler is that if no one is as good as God, no
one can be truly good. If no one can be truly good, no one can be good
enough to live with a holy God for eternity. It does not matter how much
one might try to keep the Law or how much one might try to give up or give
away or go on to imitate Christ’s sinless life in continuous discipleship.
The lesson to the disciples was that salvation on the basis of merit, even
though apparently attested by affluence, is impossible. If one is trusting in
his or her riches as proof of one’s righteousness, that person will fail to
enter the kingdom. God will save by grace or not at all. Salvation is possible
only through Him.
10. Instruction concerning service (19:27–20:16)
19:27. Jesus’ answer to the rich young ruler may have created momentary
doubt in the disciples’ minds about their own salvation. However, Jesus’
words in v 26 evidently reestablished in their minds that salvation is by
grace alone, a free gift, and not of works. But as their assurance returned,
Peter suddenly realizes he had in fact done what the rich young ruler had
failed to do. He had sacrificed everything. Jesus had promised the young
ruler treasure in heaven. So Peter wanted to know what he and the other
disciples would receive.
 Peter’s question is a legitimate one. If eternal life is by faith alone, what
does one get for self-denial?
19:28-29. Jesus promises rewards “in the regeneration” to committed
disciples. The word regeneration occurs two times in the NT. In Titus 3:5 it
refers to the new birth of the individual. Here it refers to the rebirth that will
occur in society as Jesus sets up His kingdom at the Second Coming.
The apostles “who have followed Christ will also sit on twelve thrones,
judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” They had shared in His privations;
they will also share in His glory. This promise of authority refers to the time
of the earthly millennial kingdom “when the Son of Man sits on the
throne of His glory” governing in righteousness (cf. Ps 9:4; Isa 1:26; Dan
7:22; Rev 20:6). Israel will be regathered from the four points of the
compass (Matt 24:31) and given an allotment in the land of Israel as an
inheritance, just as Israel received when she entered the promised land
during the time of Joshua (cf. Josh 13–19). Each apostle will be ruling over
an individual portion allotted to “the twelve tribes.” Jesus’ reference to
Himself as “the Son of Man” reveals His claim to be the messianic King
(Dan 7:13-14).
Jesus promises the disciples not only future ruling authority but also “a
hundredfold” in benefits now as reward in the kingdom for leaving behind
the dearest things of this life.
Inheriting “eternal life” is not to be viewed in the same way as the present
possession of that life. Eternal life as a present possession is a free gift from
God and not an earned reward in any way (John 4:10-14). In Matt 19:30 the
emphasis is not on its present possession as it is in the Gospel of John (e.g.,
John 6:47), but on its future potential fullness. While all believers have
everlasting life, only those who endure in their service for Christ will inherit
a full experience of everlasting life (cf. Gal 6:7-9 and 1 Tim 6:12, 19).
19:30. Jesus informed Peter that “many who are first [in this age] will be
last [in the coming kingdom], and the last [now] first [then].” In other
words, things now are not always as they seem. Some who are mighty and
powerful in the church will be paupers in the kingdom, and some who are
paupers in the church will be mighty and powerful in the kingdom. How
believers live now will have a direct bearing on their position of service for
Christ in the life to come.
 20:1-7. “A landowner” hired a group of laborers to work in his
“vineyard who” agreed to work for him “for a denarius,” one day’s wage.
Later the landowner hired a second group of laborers without a contract,
simply promising, “Whatever is right I will give you.” This required a
measure of trust in the goodness of the employer’s promise. Even those
whom the employer recruited at the “eleventh hour” were promised,
“whatever is right you will receive.”
20:8-16. At the end of the day the workers were paid. Those laborers who
were hired last were paid first, and “received a denarius” each. This
caused the ones who were hired first to think they would receive more, but
they also were paid “a denarius.” This made them angry because they
worked more hours. The vineyard owner reminded the disgruntled workers
that he was not being unjust because he paid them exactly what they had
agreed to. He was being fair with them, and generous to the others.
Furthermore the Law was on the side of the owner giving him the right to
do whatever he wanted with his property and possessions. Therefore they
should not have an “evil eye” (i.e., be envious) because he was good (i.e.,
generous).
“For many are called but few chosen” is not a statement about
predestination and election. Instead these words refer to the call to take
advantage of gracious rewards. Some teach that this parable is not about
rewards, but about eternal life. The first group of workers supposedly
represents the Jews who approach God on the basis of merit, and the
remaining workers are the Gentiles who worked a shorter period of time for
God, but who were dealt with in grace. The Jews expected more
consideration because they had a long-standing relationship with God. It
was the typical Jewish reaction to Gentile blessing.
However, this parable is about work for pay. Since eternal life is free (Eph
2:8, 9) and rewards are earned (Rom 4:4), the parable cannot be about how
one gains eternal life (Rom 11:6). The parable is not about the condition of
eternal life at all; it is about the condition of rewards.
Some believe this parable teaches that rewards are the same for every
believer. The parable, however, does not deny the concept of degrees of
rewards in accord to what believers have done. That is not its point.
Passages such as Luke 19:11-27; 1 Cor 3:14; 2 Cor 5:10; and Rev 22:12
indicate that rewards are given according to each believer’s degree of
faithfulness to Christ.
11. Instruction concerning Jesus’ death (20:17-19)
20:17-19. Going up to Jerusalem, Jesus announces the specific manner of
suffering and death that awaits Him there at the hands of the Jewish and
Gentile leaders. He will be betrayed and crucified. On the third day He
will rise again.
The reason Jesus again speaks of His impending death and triumphant
resurrection to His disciples (see 16:21 and 17:21-23) is that He knew the
disciples would remember His words after these events occurred. And those
events would forever alter their lives and those to whom they would
minister. However, vv 20-28 show that the disciples had still failed to grasp
the significance of His words. Evidently they were not yet convinced that
He would die and then rise from the dead.
12. Instruction concerning ambition (20:20-28)
20:20-21. Jesus had spoken of positions of authority in the kingdom
(19:28). This announcement no doubt provoked the ambitious request of
the mother of Zebedee’s sons (i.e., of James and John) to have her boys sit
on either side of Jesus in His kingdom (20:21). These positions were the
most prestigious places of influence and honor.
Matthew wrote that the request came from the mother (v 21), whereas
Mark indicated that the sons made the request (Mark 10:35). Apparently,
the brothers initiated the request and delegated the task to their mother to
ask for them. Or it is also possible that both took place. Possibly after their
mother made the request, they asked Him themselves.
Her posture (kneeling down) in asking was appropriate, but her request
was not. Her understanding, along with that of her sons, about the physical
nature of the kingdom was not defective, but their understanding of its
spiritual values was.
20:22-23. Jesus asks James and John if they are willing to “drink of the
cup He will drink and be baptized with the baptism” He would
experience. The drinking of the cup and the baptism of which Jesus spoke
refer to the death He would experience (Matt 20:19; cf. 26:27-28, 39; Rom
6:3). They would be immersed in an event that would end their physical life
(Matt 20:22).
Though they would avoid suffering at first (26:56), they would embrace it
later (20:23a). James was the first apostle to be martyred (Acts 12:2). John
did indeed suffer for his lifelong service, though short of martyrdom (Rev
1:9). Jesus at last replies that He could not grant the request since it is the
Father’s prerogative to make the decision about proximity to the throne.
Ruling with Christ in the millennial kingdom requires paying the cost of
discipleship. If one remains faithful under testing, God will grant him
whatever exalted position is due him.
20:24. The other disciples are upset with the audacity of the request for
position (v 24). They secretly wish for their own success above those they
thought took undue advantage. They are angry and resentful.
20:25-28. Jesus uses this occasion to teach all the disciples that to gain an
exalted position and authority, they must exercise humility. Kingdom
greatness, He said, is based on service to others. A leader, unlike earthly
rulers, must become a servant in order “to become great.” Jesus Himself
sets the example, for He did not come to have His own needs met, but to
meet the needs of others by sacrificing Himself for them. Thus He fulfilled
the ministry of the predicted “Suffering Servant” who ultimately is exalted
after justifying many through His sacrifice (Isa 52:13–53:12, esp. vv 10-
12). If Jesus serves with such humility toward others, how much more
should the disciples?
VI. The Public Presentation of the King (20:29–21:22)
A. Recognition by Two Blind Men Whom He Heals (20:29-34)
20:29-31. As Jesus proceeds from Jericho toward Jerusalem in view of a
great multitude, two blind men cry out for messianic healing (v 30). They
address Jesus as “O Lord, Son of David.” This means they recognized His
authority as the rightful ruler of God’s coming kingdom. In contrast to the
majority in Israel who were spiritually blind, their spiritual sight was intact.
They believe He is the King. Even after the crowd tells them to be quiet,
they persist in crying out for help (v 31). Their would-be detractors simply
did not understand the King’s agenda to serve the weakest among them, and
so they assume He will not want to be bothered.
 There were two Jerichos––one old and one new. Jesus was leaving old
Jericho (Matt 20:29 and Mark 10:46) and moving toward new Jericho
(Luke 18:35). Matthew mentioned two blind men; Mark and Luke mention
only one. This is not a contradiction. Mark and Luke focus on one blind
man who was the more prominent of the two.
20:32-34. The specific mercy the blind men asked for was physical sight.
In contrast to the multitude (Matt 20:31), Jesus had compassion on the
blind men. He answers their plea by immediately restoring eye­sight to
them. In gratitude they followed Him.
B. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem (21:1-11)
21:1-3. As Jesus and the disciples drew near Jerusalem, He sent two
disciples ahead to conscript a donkey and her colt that belonged to
someone else. The authority of the King to do this is revealed in the words
they were to say to anyone who asked what they were doing, “The Lord
has need of them.” By revealing His knowledge of the location of the
donkey and her colt and foretelling the response to the disciples’ actions
and request, Jesus reveals His omniscience.
21:4-5. In entering Jerusalem as King, Jesus fulfilled OT prophecy. In
words taken from Isa 62:11, Jerusalem is addressed as the daughter of
Zion (cf. Isa 1:8). Zion was the most elevated part of Jerusalem and stands
for the whole city. This fulfillment of prophecy would indicate that
Messiah’s coming, along with the salvation He would bring, was to be
announced to the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
The remainder of the prediction is taken from Zech 9:9. Zechariah had
prophesied how the messianic King would publicly present Himself—in
lowliness and meekness. He would come riding alternately on a donkey and
a donkey colt. It would seem utterly incongruous for the messianic King
who had all authority to present Himself in this manner. Horses were
associated with conquest and victory, but donkeys represented peace and
humility. Solomon rode a donkey into Jerusalem to claim his throne so he
would be known as a king of peace rather than of war. Jesus will come as
the Prince of Peace (Isa 9:6).
21:6-7. The disciples obediently obtain the two animals. Then they laid
their clothes (outer garments) on them to serve as saddles and set Jesus on
them.
 21:8-9. Jesus rides into the city where He was destined, according to
prophecy, to take up His rightful rule as King.
The outward response of the people seemed to be one of welcome and
approval. The prophetic symbolism of Christ riding on a donkey is
acknowledged by a very great multitude. In their exuberance they begin to
lay their outer garments and palm branches down on the road as a carpet
before Him.
The multitude cries an acclamation of praise, “Hosanna (Heb. for “Save
[us] we pray”) to the Son of David!” (Psa 118:25). In doing so, they
acknowledge Jesus with joyous praise as the royal successor to the Davidic
throne (cf. Mark 11:10). Their words, “Blessed is he who comes in the
name of the Lord” are quoted from Ps 118:26 (see John 12:13––“He who
comes…The King of Israel;” cf. Matt 21:5: “your King is coming”).
21:10-11. Most of the people in the city, including the official leaders of
Judaism, are perplexed at such a sight of visitors descending on the city
making such a commotion (John 12:19). When they ask, “Who is this?”
the multitude of Passover pilgrims respond, “This is Jesus, the prophet
from Nazareth of Galilee.” They are expressing the popular perception of
Him as a prophet. Though from Nazareth, some of them no doubt believed
that Jesus is the prophet Moses had prophesied would come (Deut 18:15-
18).
C. The Cleansing of the Temple (21:12-13)
21:12-13. Jesus’ first official act following His public presentation as King
did not match Jewish expectations. The Jews looked for a conquering King
who would exalt their nation and overthrow Israel’s political enemies.
Instead, Jesus immediately challenges the conduct of the reli­gious leaders.
He drove out those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned
the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves.
John records that Jesus did this at the outset of His ministry (John 2:13-
22). Matthew, along with the other Gospels, wrote that Jesus cleansed the
temple at the end of His ministry (Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46). This is
not a contradiction, because both occurred. He began and ended His
ministry with a strong statement of His displeasure at the corrupt
commercial transactions that were going on in the temple precincts. The
sacrilege of His Father’s house was not a light matter. It must be cleansed
and no one was more qualified to do this than the Son.
D. The Healing of the Sick (21:14)
21:14. Jesus performed messianic miracles by healing the blind and lame
in the temple area. These were people normally excluded from temple
worship because of their physical infirmity. The superiority of Jesus’
activity in the temple compared to the commercialization that had been just
practiced there is obvious. While the cleansing of the temple is not
something the Jewish people were looking for as a sign of the Messiah,
healing the sick, blind and lame was.
E. The Acceptance of Praise (21:15-17)
21:15-17. Children crying out in the temple echoed the earlier words the
multitude had spoken: “Hosanna to the Son of David” (21:9). Seeing these
miracles and hearing this loud ascription of praise to Jesus as the Messiah,
the chief priests and scribes are indignant.
But accepting their praise, Jesus quoted Ps 8:2 to show that even the
“mouth of babes and nursing infants” can articulate “perfected praise.”
These children were proving themselves more wise than the “wise”!
Then He left Jerusalem and stayed overnight in nearby Bethany. His
leaving the city to which He had been called to rule says something about
the Jewish leaders who should have welcomed Him with joy into the most
fitting accommodations for a king. They had rejected Him; so He rejected
them.
F. The Symbolic Rejection of the Nation (21:18-19)
21:18-19. Early in the spring before the leaves opened, the Palestinian fig
tree produced a green fruit that was eaten by the peasants. If no green figs
were to be found, it meant that there would be no harvest in the late
summer. Jesus, as He passes a fig tree on the way back into Jerusalem in the
morning, looks for some of these green figs because He is hungry, but He
found none. Therefore He curses the tree so that it quickly withered.
Even as the cleansing of the temple was a symbolic denunciation of the
Jewish nation, so the cursing of the tree is an emblem of its judgment. In the
OT, Israel is often likened to a fig tree, and the withering of this fig tree is a
symbol of judgment (e.g. Hos 2:12; 9:10, 16; Mic 7:1-6). Like the tree,
Israel had a great outward show of promise, but had produced no fruit (cf.
Luke 13:1-9). Therefore Messiah could not bless it.
G. A Lesson on Faith to the Disciples (21:20-22)
21:20-22. The disciples marveled at how quickly the fig tree withered
away. Jesus uses this demonstration of His God-given authority to challenge
the disciples to have “mountain-moving” faith that God can accomplish
anything no matter how difficult. The challenge is not to pray arbitrary and
purposeless prayers just to show off supernatural power. Even an audacious
request to move a “mountain and cast it into the sea” must be in accord
with the will of God.
The reason for His strong emphasis on faith is that lack of faith caused
Israel not to possess the kingdom. Faith was the means by which the
disciples would see God work through their lives and ministry. However,
for the believing anything was possible in prayer, when asked in line with
God’s will.
VII. The Final Rejection of the King (21:23–27:66)
A. The Conflict with the Nation (21:23–22:46)
1. The question of Jesus’ authority (21:23-27)
21:23. The day after Jesus cleansed the temple, the chief priests and
elders lead an attack against Jesus by questioning the source of His right to
do such things. They are fuming. They ask, “By what authority are you
doing these things? And who gave you this authority?” Their questions
represent a denial of His authority. If Jesus had no authority, they could
have Him arrested for unauthorized actions.
21:24-27. When the chief priests and elders challenge Jesus to declare by
what authority He did these things, Jesus does not answer them directly.
Instead, He fires back a question that put them on the horns of a dilemma.
“Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?”
They are unwilling to answer. If they say, “from heaven,” John’s baptism
of Jesus would only affirm Christ’s authority. They would then be
acknowledging that Jesus and John the Baptist both derive their authority
from the same source. If they say, “from men,” then the crowd might turn
against them. Jesus’ critics are unwilling to put John in a bad light since
they feared “the multitude” who regarded “John as a proph­et.” So they
admit, “we do not know.” Then He responds that He will not answer their
question. In other words, “Since you refuse to be ensnared by my question,
I refuse to become ensnared by yours.”
2. The Parable of the Two Sons (21:28-32)
21:28-31a. After deflecting his attackers’ criticism regarding the cleansing
of the temple, Jesus goes on the offensive in the Parable of the Two Sons.
This is the first of three parables that are directed primarily against the
Jewish leaders, exposing the perverseness of their unbelief and the
judgment that awaits them.
“A man had two sons” to each of whom he issued a directive, “Go work
today in my vineyard.” The first son initially disobeyed, but later
regretted his decision and went. The second son promised to obey, but did
not. Jesus uses this parable to ask, “Which of the two did the will of the
father?” The answer was obvious to the chief priests and elders. They
answer, “the first.”
21:31b-32. In the parable Jesus answers two questions. One is, “What will
happen to those who reject the authority of John by not believing his
message?” The answer is that they will remain outside the kingdom. They
profess to do what is necessary to enter, but in reality they refuse to do it.
The second question is, “Why are the Jewish leaders not entering the
kingdom and looking after the kingdom interests God has assigned to them
as a covenant people?” The answer is, “Unbelief.”
The chief priests and elders are like the second son who said he would go
and work in the father’s vineyard but did not. The initial response was
favorable, but these religious people ended up disobeying God when John
told them to believe. John told his generation they needed to forsake trust in
their works and their heritage (Matt 3:6, 9) and believe on Christ to receive
the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-4).
Rather than teaching salvation by works, as some insist, the parable
teaches the opposite. There are two actions in the parable: going to the field
and working in it. By logic, and by Christ’s own words, going (i.e.,
entering) the field precedes working in it. Going is symbolic of believing in
Christ for eternal life. Working symbolizes what one is expected to do after
receiving eternal life. Besides not believing, the chief priests and elders
demonstrated their unbelief by refusing to work. They could not work
because they did not go (believe) in the first place.
3. The Parable of the Landowner and Vinedressers (21:33-46)
21:33-39. This para­ble shows “a certain landowner (i.e., God) who
planted a vineyard” (i.e., the kingdom of God centered in Israel; (cf. Ps
80:8-16; Isa 5:1-2; Jer 2:21; Hos 10:1), expecting his vinedressers (the
Jewish rulers) to give him a portion of the fruit of the land (repentance and
the fruits of repentance) when the time drew near for fruit-bearing. But the
vinedressers refused payment of rent in the form of produce on the land
they leased even though the owner periodically sent his servants (the
prophets; cf. Jer 7:25; Amos 3:7; Zech 1:6) to collect on his investment.
These servants were abused or killed (cf. Matt 23:37). The ultimate insult
and injustice was when he sent his son (Jesus) and they killed him (the
Crucifixion) that they might “seize his inheritance” (i.e., the kingdom).
Jewish law stated at that time that when the land became “ownerless,” then
the occupants of the land could take possession of the property.
Although Israel in a general sense rejected Jesus (John 1:11), they did so
under the leadership of their authorities (Matt 26:65-66).
21:40-41. The question that gave rise to this parable is, “What will happen
to those who reject the authority of the Son?” The answer is “Judgment.” In
v 40 Jesus presses for a verdict by asking what would be done to the
vinedressers. In v 41 Jesus’ critics unwittingly draw the proper conclusion
and thus condemn themselves. They said, “He will destroy those wicked
men most miserably and leave his vineyard to other vinedressers who
will render to him the fruits in their season.” The landowner (God) is
justified in de­stroying the present vinedressers (Israel’s leaders) for
rejecting His servants (the prophets) and his son (Jesus). And He is justified
in leasing his vineyard (the kingdom of God) out to others who would be
more cooperative with His purposes (a future generation of leaders). The
destruction of the shameful vine-growers (vv 41-44) no doubt includes the
judgment that God would bring on Jerusalem and the temple through the
Roman invasion in AD 70 (cf. 23:38).
21:42. The themes of rejection and judgment are now applied to Israel’s
rejection of Christ. He speaks of Himself as a “rejected stone that has
become the chief cornerstone.”
 This parable calls attention to the fact that Israel’s leaders considered Jesus
“defective.” Nonetheless the rejected stone becomes the chief cornerstone
of a new building. That building is the Church, composed of Jews and
Gentiles in one body (Eph 3:6). They become “living stones” in a new
spiritual temple of God by faith (Eph 2:10-22; 1 Pet 2:4-8).
21:43-44. Jesus warns that “the kingdom of God will be taken from you
(from that generation), and given to a nation (a future generation of Jews)
bearing the fruits of it.” The existing rulers and generation of Jews had
rejected the King. Clearly the nation refers to Israel, not some Gentile
nation. God’s promise to David that his descendants will rule forever over
Israel (2 Sam 7:14ff) will be fulfilled.
The reference to the rejected stone answers the question, “Who will judge
Israel?” The answer is the very One the critics thought unworthy to have
prominence over them. The One slain by these men will execute judgment
on Israel. The stone God had intended to be a blessing to them and to the
nation now becomes a stone of stumbling and a smiting stone.
21:45-46. In response to these parables the chief priests and Pharisees
correctly perceive that Jesus’ parables are a warning to them. Therefore
they seek to seize Jesus to harm Him. They are restrained, however, by their
fear of the numerous pilgrims, who crowded the temple precincts and took
Jesus for at least a prophet, perhaps the prophet of Deut 18:18 (cf.
comments on Matt 21:11). An attempt to harm Him could potentially cause
the multitudes to side with Jesus against them, thereby endangering their
own positions of power and influence. Their cowardly response prompted
them to bide their time and seize Jesus when it was more advantageous to
them (26:4-5, 55).
4. The Parable of the Marriage Celebration (22:1-14)
22:1-3. Jesus then tells of “a certain king who arranged a marriage for
his son.” In the process he prepared a marriage feast. The king (God the
Father; cf. 18:23, 35) “sent out his servants (the OT prophets) to call
those who were invited (Israel) to the wedding” (the future kingdom on
earth; cf. Ps 22:26-29; Isa 25:6-9; 65:8-16; Matt 8:11; 25:10; Rev 19:7, 9) in
honor of his son (Jesus; Matt 3:17; 16:16). The invited guests were
probably the nobility of the country (cf. Exod 19:6). Yet “they were not
willing to come” (cf. Matt 21:28-32). Despite the repeated rejection and
growing hostility of the invited guests toward the OT prophets, the calls
continued to be offered graciously (22:4-6).
22:4. The king sent out “other servants” (John the Baptist and Jesus and
His disciples, including offers of the kingdom to Israel by the disciples after
the birth of the Church) to issue additional calls in spite of the first refusals
(4:17; 10:6-7; Acts 3:12-26).
The killing of the “oxen and fatted cattle” indicates the elaborate
preparations for and magnificence of the feast to be enjoyed. Weddings and
wedding feasts were significant social events. The importance of the host—
a king—and the added significance of the occasion––a celebration in honor
of his son––and the trouble to which he had gone, made attendance
obligatory. There was a sense of urgency as well, since the meal must be
eaten right away or it would spoil. “All things are ready.” John, Jesus, and
Jesus’ disciples had preached, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at
hand” (Matt 3:2; 17; 10:6-7). No OT prophet before John had preached that
the kingdom was so near.
22:5-6. But the second invitations were met with indifference and
dishonoring abuse. The king’s subjects still refused to come. The first group
represents the Jews who were occupied with things they considered of
greater importance (e.g., farm and business). Others (principally the Jewish
leaders) had a virulent hostile reaction. They “treated his servants
spitefully, and killed them” (14:3-12; Matthew 27; Acts 4:1-22; 5:17-40;
6:12-15; 7:54-60; 12:1-2). To treat the king’s servants in such a manner was
to assault the king’s dignity and despise his generosity. It was rendering evil
to one who would do them good. It was dishonoring his son in whose honor
the marriage celebration was being held. In short, it was nothing less than
political rebellion.
22:7. Insulted and outraged, the king (God) “sent out his armies” (Titus
and his Roman legions; cf. Dan 9:26), to destroy the murderers (the Jewish
leaders and their following) and incinerate “their city” (Jerusalem). See
Matt 21:41 and Luke 21:20-24. As in OT times, God would use Gentiles as
His armies to discipline His people (Isa 10:1-5). This was a reflection of the
horrible fate of the leaders of Israel and the inhabitants of Jerusalem that
soon awaited them in AD 70. The severity of the judgment reflected the
serious nature of their offense against God.
 22:8. Some rejected the repeated invitations to them to come to the
wedding. So a different crowd of people were invited.
22:9-10. “Servants went out into the highways” (roads outside the city
of Jerusalem, standing for the whole nation, thereby referring to Gentiles),
to the common people, “and gathered together all whom they found,
both bad and good.” Those who accepted the invitation (who believed in
Jesus for eternal life) are pictured as a room full of guests who arrived (via
the Rapture) for the wedding of the king’s son. Those present are believers
from the entire Church Age, from the birth of the church in Acts 2 until the
time of the Second Coming.
22:11-12. One of the attendees was not wearing “a wedding garment.” It
was expected that anyone attending a royal banquet would be appropriately
dressed for the occasion. A certain tenderness accompanies the king’s
request for an explanation. He called him “Friend,” but the guest “was
speechless.” He could not furnish a valid explanation. He had no excuse
and he was guilty of not making proper preparations for the occasion.
22:13. Since the guest was improperly attired, he was bound “hand and
foot, and cast into outer darkness.” Outer darkness suggests the darkness
of night contrasted with the brilliantly lit banqueting hall. This man is
excluded from the joys associated with the wedding feast. The emotional
anguish and regret of the unprepared guest is depicted in the words “there
will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
The key to the interpretation of the parable seems to lie in identifying
those to whom the parable is addressed, namely, chief priests, Pharisees,
and their followers (Matt 22:1). But there were some believers in the crowd.
They understood His true identity and believed on Him (cf. 21:11, 46).
Before being evicted, the improperly attired guest was already among the
other kingdom guests. Even when evicted, he was still in the kingdom—
directly outside the brightly lit banquet hall in the palace, though his
freedom to participate in the festivities was taken away.
The three NT occurrences of the term “outer darkness” are all in Matthew.
In 8:12 the Lord said, “But the sons of the kingdom will be cast into outer
darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Who are “the sons
of the kingdom”? That expression occurs only one other time in Matthew.
In the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares, the Lord said, “The good seeds
(the wheat) are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the
wicked one.” Clearly, “the sons of the kingdom” are believers! Thus the
outer darkness refers to believers who miss out on the joys of the banquet.
The only other reference to outer darkness is in the Parable of the Talents
(25:30). That parable concerns the judgment of believers at the Judgment
Seat of Christ. See the discussion there.
22:14. Christ’s summarizing lesson is that “many are called to the
blessings of ruling with Christ, but few are chosen.” As in 20:16, this verse
is not about election to salvation, but about responding to Christ’s call as
believers to live in obedience to Him so that believers will be chosen to rule
and reign with Him in the kingdom.
5. Conflict with the Herodians and Pharisees (22:15-22)
22:15-16. The Pharisees’ disciples and the Herodians deceitfully use
flattery to get Jesus to lower His guard. They set Jesus up as an authority
whose only concern was teaching “the way of God in truth,” no matter
what others might think of Him. They are hoping He will discredit Himself
in answer to the question they are about to ask.
22:17. The attackers are trying to bait Christ into denying the legiti­macy of
paying taxes to Rome. Their query, “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or
not?” was a loaded ques­tion. They assume that if Jesus says “no,” then they
could charge Him on grounds of treason before Rome. Furthermore it
would offend the Herodians whom the Pharisees had brought along. If Jesus
says yes then they could dismiss any claim He makes about being the
Messiah. Jesus had been preach­ing the nearness of the kingdom of heaven,
which many expected would supplant Rome as the last world empire (cf.
Dan 7:23-27).
22:18-21. But Jesus perceived their sinister motives. He escapes the horns
of their dilemma by saying that they had financial obligations toward both
the present government and God. He points out that no conflict exists
between being a good citizen of either kingdom. Jesus does not try to
subvert Rome’s authority to col­lect tax money from its citizens, nor does He
deny one’s obligation to God’s interests either. To “render (apodidōmi,
“pay back”) unto Caesar” is to give back to him what he owns, and to
“render unto God” is to return to Him what He owns—one’s life and all
he possesses.
 In Jesus’ response He called attention to Caesar’s image on the denarius
(about a day’s wage). It was obvious that whatever object was inscribed
with the image of Caesar must belong to him. The inscription on a
denarius was Divus et Pontifex Maximus, which recognized Caesar as deity
and high priest. The claim was idolatrous and blasphemous to the Jews who
made no graven image of anything in heaven or on earth. However, this did
not change the fact that the coin was owned by Caesar and he could call for
any portion of what he owned to be returned to him.
Jews were to serve Caesar in material matters, but God in spiritual matters.
22:22. The Pharisees and Herodians marveled at Jesus’ answer and left
Him. They had no idea their cleverly devised snare would be deactivated by
Jesus’ skillful reply. He was more than adequate to answer their challenge
to His wisdom and authority.
6. Conflict with the Sadducees (22:23-33)
22:23. The Sadducees taught there is no resurrection of the body (Acts
23:8). Jesus had taught the doctrine of bodily resurrection and had also
given some previews of its future reality by raising the dead (Matt 9:18-26;
John 11:23-44). A doctrinal conflict on this issue surfaced on the same day
Jesus had refuted the Pharisees and Herodians.
22:24-27. The Sadducees try to trip Him up with a clever ques­tion to
show that the doctrine of the Resurrection presents impossible dilemmas.
They use a set-up technique by presenting Him as a person who should
know about things like this. Therefore they call Him “Teacher” (Rabbi).
But privately they assumed He did not have an answer to their question.
The OT teaching on marriage stated that when an Israelite died and his wife
was childless, the man’s brother was to marry the widow to prevent his line
from dying out (Deut 25:5-6). So based on this law, a hypothetical
conundrum is presented. “A man dies,” and each of his six brothers take
turns in marrying his wife. One by one they also die and she outlives them
all.
22:28-32. The Sadducees’ “unanswerable” question seeks to make Jesus
look like a fool: “So in the Resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she
be?” Stating that they were ignorant of two things, “the Scriptures and the
power of God,” Jesus then discusses these two topics in reverse order.
 Jesus points out that in the Resurrection they (resurrected saints) “neither
marry nor are given in marriage.” God’s power enables resurrected saints
to live forever with no aging, no death, and no marriages.
Jesus did not say that born-again husbands and wives will not be able to
live in close proximity, or that they will not remember each other in the
Resurrection.
Jesus did not say there will be no marriages and hence no reproduction in
the kingdom. He was answering a question about resurrection. In the
Millennium resurrected saints will share the planet with people in natural
bodies. In fact the resurrected saints are to rule (if they are faithful) over the
non-resurrected. Those people will marry and have children during the
millennial kingdom (see Isa 65:20).
The Sadducees were also ignorant of the Scriptures. They had presupposed
that the Scriptures, specifically Moses’ writings, did not teach the existence
of spirits after death; hence there will be no resurrection. However, in the
Pentateuch (the only part of the OT the Sadducees considered
authoritative), Moses did allude to the Resurrection. Jesus quoted God’s
implicit promise in the words, “I am the God of Abraham, and the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (cf. Matt 22:32 with Exod 3:6). Then
Jesus comments, “God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.”
22:33. The multitudes were astonished at how well Jesus handled
Himself in the midst of controversy. Jesus’ ability to silence all His critics
and the reaction of the multitudes constitutes a definite threat to Jesus’
critics.
7. Conflict with the Pharisees (22:34-46)
22:34-35. Seeing that the Sadducees could not trap Jesus, the Pharisees
next went to test Him.
22:36. An expert in the Law asks Jesus, What is “the great
commandment in the law?” He tries to embroil Jesus in controversy. The
rabbis had counted 613 commandments of the Mosaic Law, 248 positive
and 365 negative, and then debated which ones were necessary for
salvation.
22:37-40. Jesus condenses the commandments into two: “Love the Lord
your God” with your whole being and “love your neighbor as yourself”
(Deut 6:5; Lev 19:18). His answer is that perfect love for God and men will
fulfill the requirements of the law. The first four of the Ten Commandments
fulfill the first and foremost commandment, and the final six
commandments relate to loving one’s fellow man. The entire OT is the
development and elaboration of “these two commandments.” To the credit
of the one who asked the question, he recognizes the wisdom of Jesus’
answer and commends Him (Mark 12:32-33).
22:41-42. Having answered the questions of His critics, Jesus now asks
two questions. His first question to the Pharisees is, “Whose son is Christ
(i.e., Messiah)?” They reply, “The Son of David.” The answer came rather
easily and is one with which Jesus agrees. Messiah is prophesied in the OT
to be the Son of David, that is, his descendant (1 Chr 17:11-15; Ps 89:3-4,
34-37; Isa 9:7; 11:1; 16:5; 55:3-4). The identification of Jesus as David’s
son is often mentioned in the NT (e.g., Matt 1:1; 9:27; Mark 10:47-48;
Luke 1:32; Rom 1:3; 2 Tim 2:8; Rev 5:5).
22:43-45. Jesus quotes from Ps 110:1, an OT prophecy that many rabbis
recognized as messianic. The psalm presents the Messiah, whom the rabbis
recognized as David’s Son, as enthroned at the right hand of the Lord in
heaven until He comes to judge His enemies and assume His rightful rule
over the earth (Heb 1:13-14; 2:5-8; Rev 3:21; 5:5). David, the writer of the
Spirit-inspired psalm, called his own son, “my Lord.” Jesus, in effect, is
asking His critics, “How could David do that? Can a man call his own Son
his Lord?” The normal practice is to recognize a father as greater than his
son. The answer to this enigma is that David’s Son (the Messiah) is a much
higher being than David because David called him, “my Lord.” The word
Lord in the Hebrew is a title for deity and this person sits at the right hand
of the Lord (i.e., Yahweh), the place of highest honor. One divine person is
seen as addressing another! Jesus quotes this psalm to prove the blindness
of the Pharisees in failing to recognize how great He, as Messiah, really is.
As the ultimate son of David, Jesus is fully human and as David’s Lord, He
is fully God. Since that is true, they could not deny Jesus’ claim that He, as
the Son of David, is the divine Son of God!
22:46. Jesus skillfully uses the Pharisees’ own admitted theological
premise against them. Recognizing the dilemma into which Jesus has
placed them, they are speechless. David’s Lord, who stood before them, had
bested them. All the groups that attempted to defeat Jesus in debate (Matt
22:22, 34, 46) are outwitted by Him. As a result, no one dared to question
Him publicly anymore.
B. The Rejection of the Nation by the King (23:1-39)
1. The warning against the scribes and Pharisees (23:1-12)
23:1. Jesus is trying to correct the religious leaders, but also to warn His
disciples through the negative example of the scribes and Pharisees. Their
behavior shows the multitudes as well as the disciples that judgment will
come against the nation (23:34-38).
23:2-3a. Jesus tells His audience to do whatever they (scribes and
Pharisees) tell them to do. They had a rightful claim to be the recognized
teachers of the Mosaic Law. They “sit in Moses’ seat.” Instructors sat to
teach (cf. 5:1; Luke 4:20). Like Moses, they assumed the position of
authority. Therefore all their teaching is to be obeyed so long as it does not
contradict the written Law. Jesus is not implying that the false teachings of
the scribes and Pharisees should be followed. Instead He is endorsing their
teaching in general so long as it conforms to the law of Moses (cf. Matt
16:11-12).
23:3b-4. “But do not do according to their works; for they say, and do
not do.” Verses 3-7 illustrate why these leaders are not to be imitated. First,
they lack sympathy for others. They place “heavy burdens” on others (in
contrast to Jesus’ words in 11:28-30), but what they preach, they do not
practice. They make no attempt to perform the burdensome requirements
they add to the Law and impose on others, nor do they help others find the
grace and mercy necessary to make the burdens lighter.
23:5. Second, the scribes and Pharisees are deficient in humility. Wanting
to be “seen of men” (cf. 6:1, 2, 5, 16), they wear larger than usual
phylacteries. These were small leather boxes or cases containing Scripture
verses customarily worn on the forehead and left wrist, typically worn by
Jewish men during prayer time (cf. Exod 13:9, 16; Deut 6:8; 11:18). These
were to remind the Israelites that everything they thought or did was to be
in accord with the Law. They also lengthen “the borders [tassels or
fringes] of their garments” (prayer shawls, NIV; cf. Mark 12:38). These
were originally intended to remind the Israelites to obey God’s law (Num
15:37-41; Deut 22:12). However, again the scribes and Pharisees want their
phylacteries and borders to be noticed by others. They have no desire to
please God by wearing them to fulfill their original purpose.
23:6-7. They also engage in shameless self-promotion through their
activities. They are fond of receiving public recognition through various
means. The “best places at the feasts” were positions nearest the host and
were designated according to honor or rank (Luke 14:7-11). And the “best
seats in the synagogues” were those that faced the congregation on a raised
platform with the Torah scroll so that everyone could see them (cf. Mark
12:39). And in the marketplaces the scribes and Pharisees love to receive
greetings as people of influence (Mark 12:38). The title “Rabbi,”
originally meaning “master” or “teacher,” was an honorary title that
conferred great status and authority for the superior wisdom such a person
possessed. For these leaders it is all about them and not about God.
23:8-10. Jesus instructs the disciples that spiritual leaders must not
promote themselves in such an ostentatious manner. They are not to adopt
such man-exalting titles as “Rabbi,” “Teacher,” or “father.” Jesus does
not mean that those designations cannot be used at all. For instance, Paul
used the terms teachers (in Eph 4:11) and father (in 1 Cor 4:15). Jesus
simply meant that His followers are not to require the use of honorific titles
for exalting themselves above others. The exaltation the scribes and
Pharisees coveted for themselves belongs only to “the Christ” (Matt 23:8,
10) and the “Father who is in heaven.” The disciples, because they are all
brethren on an equal footing under Jesus, their Teacher, are not to draw
such distinctions among themselves (v 8b).
23:11. Second, a disciple of Jesus is to be a servant of all rather than Lord
of all. Greatness is defined by how well one serves the needs of others (cf.
20:26-27).
23:12. Third, the disciples are to have a different aim. They are not to seek
to be exalted by others. If they did, they would be humbled. Nevertheless
they can achieve exaltation by God through humility. They are to leave
promotion, position, and titles to God (Luke 14:11; 18:14).
2. The woes on the scribes and Pharisees (23:13-32)
23:13. The first woe is pronounced against the “scribes and Pharisees”
because they “shut up the kingdom of heaven against men.” They
prevent “those who are entering” (those who are attracted to the message
of Jesus and who were trying to enter) from going in (coming to faith in
Him). This can be traced to the fact that they themselves do not “go in”
(believe in Jesus) themselves.
As spiritual leaders they are to be the doorkeepers to the kingdom, but they
deserve judgment because they block others from gaining a knowledge of
the truth (cf. Luke 11:52). The scribes and Pharisees assist Satan in his work
of blinding the minds of those who do not believe lest the light of the
glorious gospel of Christ should shine on them and they would be saved (2
Cor 4:3-4; cf. Matt 13:4, 19; 2 Cor 11:2-3, 13-15).
23:14. Scribes and Pharisees are deserving of the second woe because, by
extortion and oppression, they greedily take away the possessions of
widows while professing to be righteous. Because a widow’s husband is not
alive to defend her interests, she is vulnerable to those who want to exploit
her.
23:15. The third woe stems from their misguided zeal. They “travel land
and sea to win one proselyte” to perpetuate error. Their sin is bringing the
adherents they gained, whether Jew or Gentile, under the influence of their
corrupt doctrine. Expending great effort just to make one convert, they
make “him twice as much a son of hell as themselves.” This expression
means that this person is more fitted for hell than his disciplers, and also
that he is even more zealous in promoting the Pharisees’ means of giving
people a heavenly way to go to hell.
23:16-22. The scribes and Pharisees deserve the fourth woe because they
have a perverted teaching regarding oaths. They teach the people that some
oaths may be kept but that others might be broken if worded carefully.
Some oaths carried a greater sense of obligation than others. The rationale
behind this is that some things are of greater value or authority (e.g., “the
gold of the temple”) to swear by than others (e.g., “the temple” itself
[naos, the Most Holy Place]).
23:23. The “scribes and Pharisees” deserve the fifth woe because of their
inverted priorities. They show intense devotion to lesser matters while
neglecting “weightier issues of the law.” They give fanatical, detailed
attention to tithing insignificant herbs from their garden—down to the
smallest spice or seed (cf. Lev 27:30; Deut 14:22-29), but they ignore the
more important principles reflected in “the law” such as “justice” (fair
treatment under the Law; e.g., Matt 5:22; 23:33), “mercy” (compassion
toward the weak, sick, and destitute; 9:13), “and faith” (i.e.,“faithfulness”).
23:24. They meticulously strained out the tiniest unclean insect (the gnat)
in preparing for a meal, but swallow the large, unclean camel. Jesus’
comment refers to the Jewish dietary laws that forbade the eating of unclean
animals (Lev 11:4, 41-43). It illustrates in an exaggerated way the
preoccupation with avoiding lesser sins while being negligent to steer clear
of greater ones.
23:25-26. The “scribes and Pharisees” deserve the sixth woe because
they emphasize externals as a means of hypocritically demonstrating to
others that they are spiritually minded. They are committed to ritualistic
cleansing without taking care of cleansing the heart. With great care they
observe the outward forms of their religion, but they practice “extortion
and self-indulgence.” These are moral issues of great magnitude. Jesus’
admonition to cleanse the “inside of the cup and dish” figuratively
portrays the necessity of cleansing one’s inner self. They are to give
attention to inward character (the inside) as well as outward behavior (the
outside). Then instead of extorting others, they would enrich them. Instead
of greedily indulging themselves, they would be giving to those whom they
once robbed for gain.
23:27-28. The “scribes and Pharisees” whom Jesus calls hypocrites
deserve the seventh woe because externally they present themselves as
something they are not. They appear righteous, but inwardly they are
corrupt and unclean. They use religious activity to cover up the “hypocrisy
and lawlessness” in which they are involved. They measure success strictly
by outward appearances without regard to inward purity. That is why Jesus
compares them to “whitewashed tombs” that conceal “dead men’s
bones.”
23:29-32. Jesus pronounces this eighth woe on the “scribes and
Pharisees” because they inconsistently honor the very prophets, who, had
they still been alive, would have been rejected by them. They “build tombs
and monuments to venerate the righteous” dead, but had they lived in
their time, they would have murdered them. Spiritually they are not
descendants of the prophets, but of the ones who had killed them. The
Pharisees profess to be disturbed by the treatment their ancestors gave the
prophets; yet they are intent on crucifying the One whom the prophets
proclaimed!
23:33. Jesus compares the scribes and Pharisees to “serpents, a brood of
vipers” who will not escape “the condemnation of hell” for their rejection
of Him (3:7). In Scripture a serpent is a symbol of evil and particularly of
deception (12:34). Satan first appears in the Bible in this form (Gen 3:1-5;
cf. Rev 12:9). A brood, representing many vipers, is especially dangerous.
Like snakes the scribes and Pharisees are deceptive in their methods and
dangerous in their intent to destroy Christ.
23:34. Jesus predicts that the rejection will not culminate with Him. They
will also kill those whom Jesus will send. He was referring to “prophets,
wise men, and scribes,” and probably His apostles (Acts 3:19-21; 7:2-53).
The expressions of that rejection are portrayed in the words, “prophets,
wise men, and scribes,” kill, crucify, scourge, and persecute.” This is
what happened to the apostles.
23:35. The judgment on “this generation” of Israelites for rejection of
Christ and His apostles would be severe. They would partake of the
accumulated guilt of past generations for rejecting God’s messengers of the
past. The names “Abel and Zechariah” signify the first and last martyrs
recorded in the Hebrew arrangement of the OT canon––from Genesis to
Chronicles. (In Hebrew, what is called 1 and 2 Chronicles is one book,
Chronicles, and is the last book of the Hebrew Scriptures. Jesus was
affirming that the OT canon was indeed correct! Genesis through
Chronicles is all Scripture.) “The blood of righteous Abel” being shed is
recorded in Genesis 4:8. “The blood of Zechariah” is probably alluded to
in 2 Chr 24:20-22. Israel will be held accountable for all murders of the
righteous from start to finish.
23:36. The execution of this terrible judgment (“all these things”) was
certain. In a few short years this judgment came on that generation to
whom Jesus was speaking. In AD 70 the Roman general Titus and his
legions destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish people were dispersed
throughout the nations (cf. Luke 21:20-24).
The mood of the chapter shifts at this point from sternness to tenderness,
from indictment to lamentation. These verses begin with an expression of
grief over Israel’s past and present rejection of God’s messengers with an
announcement of future judgment (Matt 23:37-38). Finally, however, Jesus
gives a word of hope for Israel’s future (v 39).
3. Jesus laments over Jerusalem (23:37-39)
23:37. Jesus announces His loving intention to provide a refuge of safety
for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. But lamentably, they stubbornly refused
His provision. Jerusalem’s children, figuratively depicted as chicks, had
opted not to come under the protection of Jesus. Not that they could not
believe; they would not. They were “not willing.” Their sin was willful and
rebellious in nature. The repetition of the word Jerusalem recalls David’s
emotional response to the death of Absalom, his son (2 Sam 18:33; 19:4).
This verse shows that divine sovereignty does not eliminate human
responsibility.
23:38. As a result, judgment will occur. Their temple will be left empty or
barren of the very presence of God, and of course His blessings. The temple
had been referred to as God’s house in the OT (cf. 1 Kgs 9:7-8). Later Jesus
referred to the temple as “my Father’s house” (John 2:16), but now it would
be abandoned by God and would be symbolic of God’s departure from the
nation (cf. Ezek 10:4, 18-19; 11:23).
Jesus refers to the temple as “your (Israel’s) house.” Because it had
become a den of Christ-rejecters, He disowns it (cf. Matt 21:13; 26:57-68).
The realization of desolation came to pass in AD 70 when the invading
Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and its sanctuary, the temple. The
desolate condition of the temple represented the desolate condition of
everything associated with it––the land, the city and the nation.
23:39. However, there is still hope. Israel’s spiritual blindness will not be
final (Rom 11:25-26). God’s covenant with Israel guarantees its future
preservation as a nation and His blessing on Jerusalem (Jer 31:35-40). The
departure of the King’s presence will be temporary (Luke 19:11-12). The
kingdom has not been canceled; it has only been postponed. A day will
come when Israel will be converted and restored, after which the Davidic
messianic King will rule (Ezek 37:1-14; 24-25).
Messiah will be truly welcomed in Israel when He comes again. “He who
comes” is a recognized messianic term (cf. Matt 21:9; Ps 118:26). When
Israel shifts its attitude from seeing Jesus as the cursed one (Gal 3:13) to the
blessed one, then He will make His next public appearance in Israel to set
up His kingdom (cf. Zech 12:10).
C. The End Times Prophecies of the King (24:1–25:46)
The King’s prophecies in Matthew 24 pertain to events leading up to and
surrounding His Second Coming. These prophecies are commonly known
as the Olivet Discourse since Jesus spoke those words on the Mount of
Olives.
The prophecies of the Olivet Discourse have been fraught with interpretive
difficulties. These prophecies have been interpreted in at least five ways.
Some see everything mentioned here as being fulfilled in the destruction of
Jerusalem in AD 70. This is the preterist position. Others see the Discourse
as dealing with events to take place during the Church Age. A hybrid views
sees initial fulfillment throughout the entire interadvent age, but having
predominant and final fulfillment during the Tribulation.
The Dispensational view, the one that fits the text best, sees the Discourse
as dealing with the seven-year Tribulation. In this view Jesus’ words
assume the Tribulation saints would need instruction since it is they who
will be living during those tumultuous years. Because the fulfillment of
Jesus’ discourse will take place during the Tribulation (24:21), the
exhortations are for Jewish believers of the end-time.
1. Jesus prophesies the temple’s destruction (24:1-2)
24:1a. Jesus and His disciples departed from the temple, walking toward
the Mount of Olives. This physical departure has symbolic significance, for
Jesus left the area He had abandoned to judgment. It looked so permanent
and strong. Most Jews at that time considered it invulnerable. It was the
center of Judaism and Israel’s national life. It was the pride of the Jewish
people and was evidence to them of God’s blessing on Jerusalem.
24:1b-2. The disciples came to Jesus to show Him the magnificent
buildings of the temple. They are still in a state of denial, though no doubt
inwardly troubled by Jesus’ words in Matt 23:38.
Jesus’ announcement that the temple will be destroyed, with every stone
being “thrown down” was no doubt startling. The significance of such an
event was staggering. It was not just the total destruction of a building; it
was also the termination of Israel’s national life. It intimated a complete
loss of sovereignty and the dashing of Israel’s hopes for a bright future
described by the prophets.
2. Jesus describes the end of the age (24:3-14)
24:3. When the disciples heard Jesus prophesy the temple’s destruction,
they no doubt associated it with the tearing down of the present temple to
make way for Ezekiel’s millennial temple (Ezekiel 40–44). Therefore they
associated the destruction of the temple with the inauguration of the
messianic age and the overthrow of Gentile oppression of Israel (cf. Dan
2:34-35, 44; Luke 21:24). Zechariah 14:1-9 indicates that Jerusalem will be
destroyed, Messiah will deliver Israel, and the end of the age will follow in
rapid succession. The disciples’ questions are based on this expectation.
Therefore they ask when the temple will be destroyed and what sign will
precede Messiah’s deliverance and of the end of the age. Implied in the
question is a concern about the beginning of the kingdom age. Jesus
addresses the disciples in this instance as representatives of believing Israel
rather than as representatives of the Church as He would later do when He
instituted the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 26:26-29).
This section charts the course of the Tribulation period (vv 4-26), the
second advent of Christ (vv 27-30), and the regathering of Israel (v 31).
Verses 4-14 focus on the seven-year period, known as the Tribulation, and
particularly its latter half known as the Great Tribulation (vv 9, 21). Verse
15 provides a key clue in relating it to this time. It will be a time that will
fulfill the 70-weeks prophecy of Dan 9:24-27. Each week represents seven
years. In the final “week” a political ruler will make a covenant with the
Jews. Such a covenant will give a false sense of peace and safety. However,
after three and a half years, the ruler will betray Israel by breaking that
covenant, desecrating the temple, and causing an image of himself to be set
up in the temple for worship. These events spark the persecution of Israel
(Dan 9:27; cf. 2 Thess 2:3-4; Revelation 13).
24:4-8. The end of the age will be preceded by “the beginning of
sorrows” (lit., birth pains). According to the analogy of childbirth, sudden,
unexpected, painful trials leading to the birth of the new world order will
gradually increase in frequency and intensity (cf. Revelation 6–19). All
previous trials may be compared to false labor pains that may preview but
not actually precipitate the final birthing process.
 The beginning of birth pains during the first half of the Tribulation will be
characterized by many who falsely claim to be “the Christ,” by “wars and
rumors of wars, and by “famines, pestilences, and earthquakes.”
Though these events have existed for almost two thousand years, they will
characterize the initial part of the Tribulation to a greater degree. Yet, Jesus
cautioned, “the end (of the age) is not yet.” Therefore these signs are not to
be regarded as definitive portents of Christ’s soon return.
24:9-12. The second half of the Tribulation will be characterized by severe
trials. There will be betrayals and martyrdoms (vv 9-10), “false prophets”
(v 11), increasing “lawlessness” and callousness (v 12).
24:13. During the Tribulation only believers who “endure to the end”
will be delivered, not from hell, but from physical death (cf. use of saved in
v 22). Endurance under trial is never a means to salvation from the penalty
of sin for that would entail human merit (Eph 2:8-9). The passage does not
assert that a believer must endure to the end of his life to remain saved or to
prove he is regenerate. Salvation cannot be lost (John 6:37, 39; 10:28-29;
Eph 4:30), and assurance rests on the promises of God and Jesus Christ, not
on performance under severe trial (1 John 5:13).
Endurance will culminate in a glorious, physical deliverance and
rewarding of a faithful Jewish remnant. Not everyone will be slain (Matt
24:9, 22); Jesus will come to their rescue (v 31). The words are spoken to
encourage those who will go through that terrible time not to lose heart.
24:14. “This gospel (i.e., good news) of the kingdom” (i.e., that
deliverance into Christ’s earthly kingdom is imminent and that God will
preserve a people of His own from the carnage of the Tribulation period
alluded to in v 13) will be universally proclaimed. The gospel of the
kingdom includes the gospel of the grace of God, but it is more. It
encompasses the good news that Jesus Christ is coming back to earth to rule
and reign and that those who persevere will be well treated under Messiah’s
rule rather than tormented as they were before (cf. 16:25, 27). The message
of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the apostles that the kingdom of heaven is at
hand will again be proclaimed (cf. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). The preaching of this
gospel does not contradict the gospel that Paul preached that a person is
justified by grace through faith alone in Christ alone (Gal 1:6-9; 2:15-16).
After this gospel is preached worldwide, “then the end will come.”
 3. Jesus tells about the Great Tribulation (24:15-28)
24:15. “The abomination of desolation…standing in the Holy Place”
begins the Great Tribulation, the second half of Daniel’s seventieth week
(Dan 9:24-27). Temporal indicators set forth a sequence of events (when, v
15, “then,” vv 16 & 21). The desolation is the effect produced by the
abomination. The abomination will profane and disrupt the worship in the
Jewish temple (i.e., the Holy Place; cf. Ps 24:3) so that the area will be
abandoned and deserted by its worshipers.
The abomination of desolation refers to the Antichrist’s causing the Jewish
sacrifices to cease by setting up an image of the beast to be worshiped in a
future rebuilt temple (Dan 12:11; 2 Thess 2:3-4; Rev 13:14-15).
He will impose what is an equivalent to emperor worship in ancient Rome.
For a Jew, worshiping an idol was an abomination, particularly so if he
were commanded to worship that idol in his own temple.
24:16-20. The Jewish believers are to refuse to worship the beast. Those
“in Judea” who see Gentile desecration of the temple must flee as fast as
they can to places of safety (i.e., “the mountains”). There will be no time
to retrieve anything to sustain oneself. The situation will be urgent (vv 17-
18). It will be a particularly difficult time to escape for those who are
pregnant or for mothers of young children. It would also be especially
difficult if it was “in winter,” which suggests inclement weather and bad
traveling conditions as obstacles to flight (vv 19-20a). The same will be true
if Jewish believers must “flee on the Sabbath,” showing that the Law of
Moses will again be in force after the Rapture of the church (v 20b). Under
the Law of Moses only very short distances could be covered on the
Sabbath.
24:21-22. The desolation will require rapid evacuation, not just of
Jerusalem but of Judea as well, for “Great Tribulation” will soon begin.
The Jews must literally run for their lives (cf. Dan 7:21). The Great
Tribulation will be the most dangerous time the Jews have ever faced in
history. The severity of it will be unprecedented and never be superseded
(Dan 12:1). According to the Jewish historian Josephus, who chronicled the
destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, over one million Jews were killed and
one hundred thousand were taken captive. Jesus’ prophecy, however, will
be fulfilled in the future Tribulation and will be worse than the Roman
persecution in AD 70 or even the Holocaust in which six million Jews
perished. The persecution will be so severe that the Jewish population
would be obliterated if the time were not shortened by God’s decree to
three and a half years (Dan 7:25; 9:24, 27; 12:11). This He did “for the
elect’s sake,” that is, for the sake of Israel, His chosen people (cf. Isa 65:8).
Matthew 24:22 does not support the idea of a pre-wrath Rapture, the view
that the Rapture will occur about three-fourths of the way through the
seven-year period, followed by God’s wrath being poured out over the
earth. The terminology refers to preservation of Israel (i.e., the elect) to the
end of the Tribulation, not the departure of the Church to be with Christ.
God will shorten that time of genocidal persecution so that Israel’s
persecutors will be unable to destroy her.
24:23-26. “False christs and false prophets who introduce them will
rise.” Such deceivers are not to be believed even though they “show great
signs and wonders” to seemingly authenticate their words (vv 23-24a).
Their attempts “to deceive, if possible, even the elect” (i.e., believing
Jews) will shake many, but will not ultimately dupe them (v 24b). Thus
Jesus warned them beforehand to prevent any success of satanically
inspired and supported error (v 25). When Jesus comes, there will be no
question as to whether He has come or not, for He will not show Himself
secretly in a deserted or secluded area (v 26).
24:27-28. The Great Tribulation will conclude with “the coming of the
Son of Man.” His coming will not be obscure, but will be powerful and
visible to all (Rev 1:7). It will be electrifying, creating worldwide shock and
awe! Lightning is known for its speed, power, and widespread visibility.
Like lightning, His coming will be a sudden, public, powerful event filling
the sky. It will be unnecessary for anyone to say, “Lo, here” or “There!” or
“Look!” (Matt 24:23, 26).
Verse 28 is enigmatic. The references to “the carcass and the eagles”
seem out of place. Several species of eagles are scavengers, so this could
refer to scavenger birds that “will be gathered together” to devour dead
bodies. If that is the point, Jesus was alluding to the many who will be slain
when He and His army eliminate Israel’s foes at the Battle of Armageddon.
See also the discussion of Luke 17:37.
4. Jesus describes His coming after the Tribulation (23:29-31)
 24:29-30. “Immediately after the Tribulation” the earth will experience
severe dread at widely seen cosmic disturbances when Jesus comes to judge
and cleanse the earth (Luke 21:25-26). Foreboding signs in the skies will
precede “the sign of the Son of Man” when He comes “on the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory.” A sign precedes the appearing of the
Son of Man. The light of all heavenly bodies thus dimmed (Joel 2:31; 3:15),
will increase the impact of the manifestation of the glory of Christ. “The
powers of the heavens” that might compete with His display of power
“will be shaken” (Rev 6:12-13). Thick, heavy darkness will bring
extraordinary gloom to the inhabitants of the earth. In the now deeper
blackness of space the Shekinah glory, which emanates from Christ, will
appear at last (cf. Matt 2:2, 9). This sign will be viewed with alarm as it
swiftly approaches earth. The dreadful harvest will have begun (cf. 13:47-
50; Rev 14:14-20).
He will descend as He had previously ascended in the sight of the
disciples––visibly, bodily, and with clouds (Acts 1:10-11; cf. Matt 26:64
and Dan 7:13). In Scripture the presence of a cloud or clouds signifies the
presence of God, the heavenly origin, destiny, and character of the
messianic King, the manifestation of God’s glory, and on occasion the
judgment of God (Exod 13:21-22; 16:10; 40:34-38; 2 Chr 5:13-14; Isa 19:1;
Dan 7:13-14).
“All the tribes of the earth will mourn” in response to the visi­ble power
and glory of this unparalleled event (v 30; cf. Zech 12:10). To suggest that
these words refer figuratively to a nonliteral “coming of Christ” to destroy
Jerusalem in AD 70 does injustice to the context and to the ultimate victory
of God in human history. The parting of the Red Sea as a climax of previous
miracles was a literal, spectacular deliverance for Israel and a stupendous
judgment on Egypt, their oppressors (Exodus 14). When all Israel turns to
Christ in the end times and is saved, could there be any less a demonstration
of miraculous power on earth than that wielded by the King of kings and
Lord of Lords (Rev 19:16)?
24:31. The harvest of the saved will begin with an exercise of royal
authority. Jesus will dispatch “angels to gather the elect,” God’s chosen
people, Israel (cf. Isa 27:12-13; 65:9). Israel is now scattered to “the four
winds” (i.e., the remotest parts of the earth in all directions) because of her
disobedience (Deut 28:64-67; Ezek 37:21-22; Luke 21:24), but then she
will be placed in her land (Isa 11:11-16; Jer 16:14-15; Ezek 37:21-22, 25;
39:27-28). As a trumpet was used in ancient Israel to call Israel to assemble
(Num 10:1-10), so a trumpet will announce the gathering of Messiah’s
people at His coming. It no doubt will celebrate a great military triumph and
deliverance as well (cf. Zech 9:14-16). At this point Israel’s time of
tribulation will be over because the nation will have been rescued (Matt
24:13). The use of the trumpet may indicate that Jesus’ coming will be
heard as well as seen.
Since the Church will have already been caught up in the Rapture and
gathered to Christ prior to the Tribulation (1 Thess 4:13-18; 5:9), this
gathering does not apply to them. The last trumpet of the Church Age
mentioned in 1 Cor 15:52 is not the same as the trumpet described here.
This trumpet is blown at the end of the Tribulation.
In most of the following series of illustrations and parables, Jesus draws
contrasts between those who are faithful, prepared, and watchful and those
who are not. The outcome is reward or retribution. Expecting or not
expecting Christ’s return makes a large difference in the lives of those
illustrated. Just as unbe­lievers can suffer loss by not being prepared (Matt
24:39-41; 25:41, 46), it is possible for believers to suffer loss, too, although
not the kind suffered by unbelievers (24:43, 51; 25:12, 30). This loss is
assumed by the admonitions directed toward believers to watch and be
ready (24:42, 44; 25:13). Since believers who are prompted to faithful­ness
by watching are rewarded, the implication is that believers who fail to
watch and thus act like unbelievers will suffer loss of rewards.
5. The Parable of the Fig Tree (24:32-35)
24:32-34. Just as the appearance of “leaves on a tender branch” of fig
trees indicates “summer is near,” so the unfolding of all the signs
preceding Christ’s coming signify that His return “is near.” When all the
signs converge at a certain point in history, “this generation of Israelites
will not pass away till all” the events of the Tribulation are literally
fulfilled. They can know with confidence that His coming is near. The
generation that sees the signs of the beginning of the end will also see the
end as well. In other words when the end comes, it will come quickly.
Some have erroneously identified the fig tree as Israel’s restoration as an
independent nation in 1948. They have maintained that the generation
living at this time would not pass away until the Second Coming takes
place. Two problems exist in identifying the fig tree with Israel’s restoration
in 1948. First, Luke 21:29-32, which is a parallel passage to this portion of
Matthew 24, mentions not only the fig tree but “all the trees.” If the fig tree
represents Israel, what do these additional trees represent? Jesus was simply
using an illustration from nature devoid of any specific reference to Israel.
Second, the expression “all these things” in v 33 refers to more than one
event. Since Israel’s restoration was one event, Christ was not referring to
Israel. He was simply using an illustration from nature to refer to all the
aforementioned signs leading up to the Second Coming. Just as summer can
be discerned as near when a fig tree puts forth a tender branch with its
leaves, so the Second Coming can be discerned as near when all the signs
preceding His coming begin to appear. The generation in view is the end-
time generation of Israel who will witness the events of the Tribulation
prior to the Second Coming.
24:35. The words of this prophecy of Christ are certain, whereas the very
continuation of the universe in its present form is not (cf. 2 Pet 3:10-13).
Matthew 24:35 has sometimes been taken as a reference to the preservation
of the NT since Jesus’ words can be broadly construed as such. But not all
of Jesus’ words have been preserved in the NT. It seems best to take this
verse as teaching that Jesus’ words are immutable. They cannot be set aside.
They are unalterable and indestructible. They have eternal validity and
authority. His prophecies will be fulfilled, no matter what.
6. The need for alertness (24:36-44)
24:36. Jesus asserts that “only the Father” knows “the day and hour” of
His coming. The “angels of heaven” had not been informed, though they
are normally privileged to know many things humans do not know. Not
even Jesus Himself, in His humanity, knew (Mark 13:32). In light of this,
His followers should not demand to know the timing of the event, though
they may know its certainty and nearness (Matt 24:32-35).
24:37-41. Because no one knows the exact time when “the Son of Man”
will return, His coming will be unexpected by many (vv 37, 42). The world
in “the days of Noah” did not expect the sudden judgment of the
worldwide flood (v 39). Similarly, in the future the world will be pursuing
normal, routine activities. Suddenly and without warning, meals and
weddings will be interrupted. Jesus’ coming begins with the sign-less
Rapture of the Church. Then after seven years He will set foot on the Mount
of Olives and overthrow Israel’s enemies (Zech 14:4-5, 9). Unbelievers will
be suddenly taken away to judgment just as unbelievers were in “the days
of Noah.” In this view those taken away in v 39 are the unbelievers, as are
those in vv 40-41. Believers then, are left to go into the Millennium (cf.
13:40-42, 47-50). Therefore believers are to watch, being on the alert for
the unexpected (24:42).
An alternate view is that Jesus was referring to the Rapture, and not
judgment, when He spoke of “one who will be taken” (vv 40-41). The
word for took in v 39 is airō, whereas the word for taken in vv 40-41 is
paralambanō. Because Christ used two different words, two different kinds
of taking are in view. The taking away of v 39 is to judgment, while the
taking away of vv 40-41 is to glory. In vv 40-41 the ones left are those who
will experience the Tribulation judgments. If this view is correct, then the
judgment of the Tribulation will come on the unbelieving world like the
Flood—at a time they were not expecting it (vv 34-36). But before that
happens, God will deliver His own from the world (vv 40-41; cf. 1 Thess
5:1-13).
24:42. The disciples whom Jesus addressed were saved individuals,
particularly as part of believing Israel. The saved must remember that while
they are exempt from the Tribulation, they are not exempt from the
Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. Rom 14:10-12; 2 Cor 5:9-10; 1 John 2:28).
Therefore believers need to watch (grēgoreō) in light of Christ’s sudden
unexpected coming. This same term, grēgoreō, is used in relation to the
Rapture by Paul in 1 Thess 5:6, 10 (cf. Acts 20:31; Rev 3:2, 3; 16:15).
24:43-44. If a homeowner knows beforehand that a thief will be coming to
his house during a certain time of the night, he will sit up and be on the alert
so that he will not lose his possessions. If it is prudent for a householder to
be vigilant in guarding his material possessions, which are of lesser value, it
is more important for the believer to guard his spiritual assets (i.e., rewards)
which are of far greater value.
Jesus compares Himself to a thief because He will come unexpectedly.
“The master of the house” represents the believer. Believers who are
watching for the Rapture will be prepared at any time and not taken by
surprise and loss of reward (cf. 1 Thess 5:4-10).
 7. The Parable of the Faithful and unfaithful Servant (24:45-51)
24:45-50. Here Jesus begins to contrast the outcome of believers who
serve Him (24:45–25:30). Some will joyfully expect Jesus’ soon return,
whereas others will lose sight of His return and will cease serving Him
faithfully. In this parable the stress is on failure to focus on the Lord’s soon
return and it represents a warning. Therefore a more pressing question is,
“What effect will being unfaithful have when Christ returns?”
Jesus told about one of His servants who did well for some time. Then the
Lord envisioned two possible conclusions to his life: endurance in
faithfulness or failure to endure. When one is expectantly anticipating his
master’s soon return, he will be ready by faithfully doing the master’s will.
But when one is not watching, he will tend to be negligent and
irresponsible.
Early on a man was “a faithful and wise servant.” If he continues until
his Master returns, his Master “will make him ruler over all his goods” in
the coming kingdom (vv 45-47; cf. 25:21, 23).
Matt 24:48 does not introduce a different servant. Instead it introduces a
possible change in perspective by the one who had been doing well; he
thought his master had delayed “his coming.” The measure of one’s service
depends on how one is doing at the end of his life, not the beginning.
Failure to endure in faithful service will result in rebuke at the Judgment
Seat of Christ (vv 48-51; cf. 25:28-30). The difference is that in one
scenario the wise servant watches for the return of his Master and continues
to serve faithfully (24:46-47) whereas in the other scenario he thinks his
Master will not return for a long time, so he stops serving his Master well
(vv 48-51).
The fact that the “evil servant was not looking for” his master is key.
Even though it is twenty centuries later, no believer dare think Jesus “is
delaying His coming.” Watchfulness concerning the imminent Rapture is a
key to Christian motivation and perseverance (cf. 1 Thess 5:4-10).
The lesson is clear. While Jesus is away, He expects His servants
(believers) to be “faithful and wise” until He returns. Such deportment will
result in rulership in the kingdom (cf. 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26). If, however,
His servants are unwise and unfaithful, they will be rebuked (cf. 1 John
2:28).
 24:51. Many understand that the punishment referred to here is hell,
whether for a believer who lost eternal life or a professing believer who
never actually believed.
The language of this verse is severe. The Greek word translated “cut in
two” literally means “to slice into” as with a saw (cf. Heb 11:37). In the
Septuagint it is used of cutting sacrificial animals in half (Exod 29:17).
Here it is clearly figurative. No one believes that anyone in hell or in the
kingdom will be in two pieces! This dramatic use of hyperbole is applied to
unfaithful believers. It most naturally refers to verbal rebuke. The Word of
God is like a two-edged sword that can cut deeply (cf. Heb 4:12-13; see
also Luke 19:20-26).
To “appoint him his portion with the hypocrites” refers to dismissal,
ostracism, and stigmatization. The exploitative “evil servant” is assigned a
place “with the hypocrites” because he abused the spiritual authority God
gave him. Though Jesus denounced unsaved leaders in Israel in Matthew 23
as hypocrites, believers can also be guilty of hypocrisy (7:5; Gal 2:13; 1 Pet
2:1-2). In Luke 12:46 the hypocrites are referred to as “the unbelievers” in
the NKJV, giving the impression that they are lost. But in that context the
words tōn apistōn simply mean “the unfaithful.”
The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth,” an Oriental expression,
conveys intense emotion and signifies profound regret. Great sorrow is
expressed over a wasted opportunity to have acquired something of great
value. The phrase may be used of the grief expressed by believers at the
loss of rewards (e.g., Matt 25:30) or unbelievers in hell (e.g., 13:42, 50).
Context determines who is experiencing the grief.
The nature of the punishment is not spelled out in the parable. Certainly
loss of reward will be experienced by unfaithful believers (1 Cor 3:15), but
the words carry a strong warning regarding some form of hurtful painful
experience that includes exclusion (cf. Matt 25:10, 30; 2 Cor 5:10; 1 John
2:28). At the least, it would involve loss of certain privileges and joys
associated with ruling in the kingdom (2 Tim 2:12; 4:6-8; Rev 2:26; 3:21).
The Parable of the Faithful and Unfaithful Servants contrasts a faithful and
wise servant with one who is unwise and unfaithful. The following two
parables, the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matt 25:1-13) and the Parable of
the Talents (vv 14-30), are designed to illustrate the importance of wisdom
and faithfulness respectively in preparing for the coming reign of the King.
 8. Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (25:1-13)
25:1a. The Parable of the Ten Virgins is based on marriage customs
prevalent in the time of Jesus. The custom Jesus refers to here is a wedding
feast. The bridegroom, with his attendants, would go to the bride’s home to
claim his bride. This usually took place at night.
A group of young maidens was selected to do a “torch dance” at the
marriage banquet. When they would hear that the bridegroom was coming,
they would go welcome him. After arriving, the bridegroom and his bride
would go to the bridegroom’s home in a long procession. The dancers
would carry their torches to the festive marriage banquet where they would
perform their dance before the marriage was consummated.
25:1b-9. Five wise virgins are prepared for they had enough oil for their
lamps or torches. But five virgins are foolish because they did not have a
sufficient supply of oil.
At midnight a cry was heard. This alludes to the abomination of
desolation that will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation (cf. Matt
24:15). At that time Jewish believers are to flee and hide (cf. vv 16-22). The
wise virgins represent Jewish believers who in the first half of the
Tribulation developed sufficient spiritual strength (via the Word and prayer)
to sustain them through the Great Tribulation to come. The foolish torch
dancers picture Jewish believers who did not develop the spiritual strength
needed to enable them to live through the last three and a half years.
25:10-12. The foolish virgins’ last-minute attempts to prepare proved
futile. Such lack of preparation results in loss of opportunity.
This parable stresses the loss of opportunity to enjoy the fullest bless­ings
and rewards of the kingdom. Just as “the door was shut” to the five foolish
virgins, so the door of opportunity for believing Jews during the Tribulation
to rule with Christ in His kingdom will also be shut. When the bridegroom
(Jesus) comes, the door of entering into the celebration banquet will be
closed (25:11-12). Recognition necessary for inclusion is withdrawn (v 12,
“I do not know you”; this contrasts with Jesus’ words, “I never knew you”
to the unsaved in 7:21-23).
25:13. This verse is not strictly part of the parable. It forms an inclusio
with 24:42-43. Believers in the Church Age know “neither the day nor the
hour in which the Son of Man is coming.” Therefore they are encouraged
to be watchful, anticipating the future consequences that a lack of vigilance
could bring.
9. The Parable of the Talents (25:14-30)
25:14-15. In this parable Jesus continues His teaching on the kingdom of
heaven (25:1). It is a simple story of “a man” (Jesus) getting ready to travel
“to a far country” (heaven). Before going, he entrusted three servants
with his property. To one he gave five talents, to another two, and to
another one. They were to invest what had been given to them. Then he left
on his journey.
Christ is teaching that prior to His millennial kingdom each believer is
responsible to capitalize on the opportu­nities God has given him. Certainly
that responsibility includes preaching the gospel. In the parable the talents
were to be invested so they would make more money. Believers are to be
industrious in using their valuable opportunities to further the King’s work.
Everything believers have belongs to God (v 14) and He has given each
believer opportunities to invest in the lives of others “according to his own
ability” (v 15; cf. Rom 12:6).
25:16-18. The first servant doubled his “five talents” to ten. The second
doubled his two to four. They put the owner’s money to work and made a
profit. The last servant, by contrast, did not work, invest, or take risks. He
simply buried his one talent in the ground. Burying one’s money was a
common practice during the first century (13:44).
25:19-23. “After a long time, the Lord of those servants came and
settled accounts with them.” The time of the reckoning emphasizes the
delay involved (cf. 24:48). One day Jesus will settle accounts with every
believer (2 Cor 5:10; Phil 4:17). Sufficient time had expired for the servants
to make the most of the money entrusted to them. But the lateness of the
reckoning had the potential of creating an illusion to some that the Lord
would be negligent in holding his servants accountable. In other words his
delay could encourage indolence and indifference among those who were so
inclined.
When the time for rewards came, the first two servants were commended
and promoted. Such a joyous occasion implies celebration with a feast (cf.
Matt 24:30). The promotion to rulership “over many things” because they
were “faithful over a few things” suggests the reward of regal authority in
the kingdom reign of Christ (24:46-47; cf. 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26-27).
If believers take advantage of opportunities for faithful service to promote
God’s interests, they will be rewarded. If others waste opportunities for
effective service,
however small or insignificant, then even greater opportunities will be lost.
The last servant, in contrast to the first two servants, was reprimanded (vv
26-27), demoted (vv 28-29), and excluded from the joy of co-ruling with
Christ (v 30). Even though he had been entrusted with less, he was still
responsible for it.
25:24-25. The last servant attempted to cover up his irresponsibility with
faulty reasoning and blaming of his Lord for holding him accountable to
work for him. He called the master “a hard man,” that is, harsh and
exacting. He portrayed himself as virtuous for being cautious and playing it
safe. “At least I did not lose anything,” was his defense.
25:26-27. Jesus portrays the last “servant as wicked and lazy,” in
contrast to the “good and faithful” servants (vv 21, 23), as borne out by his
actions. The Lord was angry, not because he “received back” exactly what
he gave to the servant, but because the servant wasted an opportunity to
further his interests. Ultimately his motivation was entirely self-centered.
25:28-29. The master told one of his aides to “take the talent from” the
wicked servant and “give it to him who has ten.” Those endowed with
opportunities to further the Lord’s kingdom interests can be stripped of
future ones if they are unfaithful. “To everyone who has” something to
show because he is diligent, much more “will be given.” One who “does
not have” anything to show because he is not diligent, will lose “even
what he has.” Jesus’ lesson pertains not to salvation but to rewards in the
form of expanded or diminished opportunities for service.
25:30. The “outer darkness” here refers to exclusion from opportunities
for rulership and the privileges associated with it. This is the darkness
outside a well-lighted banquet hall where others are enjoying a feast or
celebration of some kind. To be cast into outer darkness means being
excluded from the joys of ruling in the kingdom. They are cut off from
experiencing the full destiny of man––which is to inherit dominion over the
earth as a co-ruler with Christ (Gen 1:26-28; Heb 2:5-8; 3:14). The phrase
outer darkness appears only here and in Matt 8:12 and 22:13. See the
discussion there. “Weeping and gnashing of teeth” represents intense grief
over opportunities lost.
10. The Judgment of the Sheep and Goats (25:31-46)
25:31. The time of this judgment is “When the Son of Man comes in His
glory and all the holy angels with Him” (cf. 24:30-31) and after the
judgment of Israel de­scribed in 24:45–25:30. It will occur at the beginning
of the millennial reign of Christ. The Millennium is a time when Christ and
His followers are in control, when peace and prosperity is the norm.
Jesus, the agent of judgment, calls Himself, “the Son of Man” (v 31; Dan
7:13-14) and “the King” (Matt 25:34; Ps 2:6-9). He will be the prosecutor,
judge, and jury (John 5:22). No defense attorney need be present, for the
King will know all things. He will be able to discern the actions and
motives of all––past, present, and future (Rev 1:14; cf. Rev 1:13-16 as to
how He might appear on that occasion)—and so He will render a perfect
judgment.
25:32-33. The subjects of this judgment are the living nations. The One
seated on the throne will have brought an end to Gentile rule (Dan 2:44;
Luke 21:24; Rev 19:17–20:4). Now it will be time for the judgment of those
who have had a reputation for oppressing Israel.
The judgment of the living Gentiles should be distinguished from other
judgments such as the judgment of the Church at the Judgment Seat of
Christ (2 Cor 5:9-11), the judgment of Israel (Ezek 20:33-38), and the
judgment of the unsaved after the Millennium (Rev 20:11-15).
The fact that the sheep and the goats will still be mingled and will require
separation after Christ’s throne on earth is established shows that the
Rapture argues against a post-Tribulation Rapture. The Rapture would
already have affected the separation.
25:34. The sheep “on His right hand” (place of honor) will “inherit the
kingdom.” The sheep are blessed, recalling the promises of the Abrahamic
Covenant (Gen 12:3). That Gentiles will “inherit the kingdom” is
anticipated in the OT (Zech 8:20-23).
The phrase “from the foundation of the world” shows that God had
included Gentiles in His kingdom program from the very outset. Gentile
salvation and exaltation in the kingdom was not an afterthought with God.
 25:35-36. Jesus substantiated His declaration of the sheep’s inclusion in
the kingdom by noting that they had provided “food, drink,” shelter,
clothing, medical care, and comfort in imprisonment to Him in His hour of
need.
The works of mercy and compassion of these Gentiles toward Christ will
demonstrate that they are believers. Their deeds will evidence the righteous
character of their regenerated nature (v 37; 1 John 3:10).
25:37-39. The sheep are righteous because they will have received
imputed righteousness and will have received a new nature through
regeneration which then expressed itself in works of righteousness.
25:40. The sheep will have ministered to believing Israel (“My
brethren”) during the Tribulation, and in that way they were ministering to
Him. During the Tribulation God will raise up 144,000 Jewish evangelists
(Rev 7:4) who will bring about the conversion of a large number of Gentiles
(Rev 7:9-14) through their preaching. These Gentiles will in turn minister to
the Jewish people as a demonstration of their faith and gratitude.
25:41. The words “Depart from me” stand in stark contrast to “Come…
inherit” (Matt 25:34). The goats “on the left hand” (the place of disgrace)
of the shepherd King will be excluded from the kingdom and banished to
“everlast­ing fire” (13:40, 42). The unrighteous who will mistreat Israel
during the Tribulation will be cursed, which recalls a portion of the
Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:3). Those who curse Israel will themselves
be cursed (cf. Num 24:8-9). The ultimate reason those on the left hand will
be cursed is that they will not bless the Son of Abraham, by believing on
Him for eternal life. Instead, they rejected Him.
There will be no relief from the painful realities of hell for human or
angelic beings who are consigned there (Rev 20:10, 15). The duration and
severity of hell are congruous with sin against the infinitely holy God.
25:42-43. Jesus indicts them for their indifference toward the plight of the
Jewish believers. Their failure to exhibit acts of mercy and compassion
toward Him are indicative of their unbelief.
25:44-45. Those on the left hand ask Jesus when they had failed to
“minister to” Him. Jesus replies that when they failed to show compassion
for perse­cuted Jewish believers during the Tribulation, they had failed to
minister to Christ. Mistreating Christ’s followers is mistreating Him (cf.
Acts 9:1 with 9:4).
 25:46. The righteous will enter into eternal life. The sheep, of course,
already had eternal life (John 5:24). Jesus is referring here to a future full
experience of that life (cf. Matt 19:29; Gal 6:8).
The unrighteous “will go away into everlasting punishment.” These
people will have their day in court. In the meantime they will experience
Sheol (an intermediate state which is not the final hell) for one thousand
years.
D. The Conspiracy against the King (26:1-46)
1. Jesus anticipates His own death (26:1-2)
26:1. The expression Now it came to pass when Jesus had finished all
these sayings is a key one in Matthew’s Gospel. It signifies another major
transition (cf. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1). As usual, it occurs at the end of an
important discourse, in this case, the Olivet Discourse.
26:2. Jesus now prophesies of His death to His disciples for the fourth time
(cf. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19). It would be by crucifixion after the
Passover. The words “will be delivered up” are translated from one Greek
verb in the present tense. The NKJV renders this as a futuristic present in
light of the fact that Jesus’ betrayal was yet future. However, a better
rendering would be “is being delivered.” As Jesus is speaking to the
disciples, the betrayal is already underway.
2. The rulers plot to kill Jesus (26:3-5)
26:3-5. In fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy, the religious rulers plot to kill
Jesus. They meet at the palace of the high priest, Caiaphas. The decision
to put Him to death has already been made (John 11:53). The manner and
time is now decided. But they decide not to arrest him “during the feast of
Passover, lest there be an uproar among the people.”
3. Mary anoints Jesus for burial (26:6-13)
26:6. Jesus’ friends made a supper for Him in Bethany at the house of
Simon the leper. John 12:1-11 states that among the guests were Jesus, His
disciples, Lazarus, and Mary. Martha assisted with the serving.
26:7. The only one who seemed to understand the intent of Jesus’ repeat­ed
statements about His impending death was a woman who is identified in
John 12:3 as Mary. As an act of love and worship, she anoints Him in
preparation for that event. She uses an expensive oil, which was nard (Mark
14:3). The Roman historian Pliny said nard was the most costly of all
perfumes. It was worth a year’s salary (cf. John 12:5). The value of the
container, the quantity (i.e., a pound; John 12:3), and the quality of the
contents, suggests great sacrifice. It was more than just a customary sign of
hospitality. It was an anointing fit for a king.
26:8-9. The disciples criticize her for unnecessary expense, calling it a
waste, observing that if it were sold the money could have been given to
the poor.
26:10-13. But Jesus, aware of their wrong attitude and insensitive critical
words, commends her for the value she placed on Him. He explains in her
defense that she had anointed Him “for His burial” and that she would be
widely remembered for this “good work.” Her sacrificial offering is
recorded by Matthew, Mark, and John and is still being read and spoken of
today across “the whole world”!
Jesus rebukes the disciples for their wrong priorities, explaining that they
would “always have the poor with them.” While not disregarding a proper
concern for the poor, He points out that their timing is off and that He, as
the King of Israel, deserves special consideration, especially at this time.
4. Judas agrees to betray Jesus (26:14-16)
26:14-16. Though Judas Iscariot was one of Jesus’ disciples, he
conspired with the chief priests, Jesus’ enemies. He bargained to hand over
Jesus to them for thirty pieces of silver (cf. Zech 11:12). The value of
Jesus by Judas was the same as the price of a slave (Exod 21:32), much
lower than the value placed by Mary on Him (Matt 26:6-13).
5. Jesus celebrates the Passover supper with His disciples (26:17-
25)
26:17-19. While Judas plotted betrayal, Jesus prepares to observe the
Passover feast with His disciples. The Passover commemorated the final
event leading up to the Exodus of the Israelites from Egypt under Moses.
Jesus began preparations for the eating of the Passover with His disciples
on the first day of the Feast of the Unleavened Bread. This eight days of
celebration was called the Feast of the Unleavened Bread because during
that time no bread made with yeast or leaven could be eaten. Passover
lambs were sacrificed on the first of the eight days (Mark 14:12). Jesus
sends His disciples into Jerusalem to make arrangements for a place to eat
the Passover. This meant securing a room in a house, visiting the temple for
the slaughter of the lamb, and returning to the house to roast it.
26:20-25. Jesus and His disciples gather together for the celebration of the
Passover after sundown. The twelve were all reclining, rather than sitting,
to eat.
Jesus had predicted His death on other occasions (16:21; 17:22; 20:28).
Here He predicted again that it will come about by betrayal (v 21). The
festive nature of that occasion was shattered. Each disciple, aware of his
own previous shortcomings, was worried that it might be he (v 22). There is
a progression in the revealing of who the traitor is. First, Jesus identified the
betrayer as being “one of” the Twelve. Then He speaks of him as the one
“who dipped his hand with Me in the dish.” Then Jesus lets Judas know
that He knows he is the traitor (v 25). When Judas asks, “Rabbi, is it I?”
the question in the Greek expects a negative response––“It is not I, is it?”
When Jesus told him, “You have said it,” this was an indirect way of
saying, “Yes, it is you.” The eleven call Jesus Lord (v 22), whereas Judas
merely calls Him Rabbi (v 25).
Jesus says of Judas, “It would have been good for that man if he had
not been born.” This statement does not support the doctrine of
universalism––the doctrine that ultimately everyone will be saved. If
universalism is correct, everyone can count it a good thing that they had
been born in spite of whatever troubles they might have to endure before
reaching heaven. But Judas, as well as everyone who is unsaved, will spend
eternity in conscious, everlasting punishment.
6. Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper (26:26-30)
26:26-28. Jesus reinterprets the symbols of the Passover, giving them new
meaning. For instance, instead of showing the unleavened bread and
saying, “This is the bread of affliction which our fathers ate in the land of
Egypt,” Jesus holds the bread and says, “This is My body.”
During this third part of the feast, which constituted the main meal, Jesus
institutes the ordi­nance of the Lord’s Supper (also called the Lord’s Table, 1
Cor 10:21). An ordinance is a symbolic rite setting forth the primary facts
of Christian truth and obligatory for all believers. Believers are to observe
two ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
What is remarkable is that when Jesus uses the words “My body” and “My
blood,” He is telling these Jewish men that when they think of this meal
from henceforth, they are to think of Him rather than Moses! The memorial
of Christ’s death and the deliverance it brought was to supersede the
memorial of Israel’s deliverance under Moses.
In the words “My blood of the new covenant” Jesus is referring to the
New Covenant predicted in Jer 31:31-34 and spoken of in Heb 8:6-13, the
one that would supersede and replace the old Mosaic Covenant. This
covenant is based on Christ’s once-for-all sacrifice (Heb 10:10-12), initially
effecting comprehensive, permanent forgiveness of sins in a moment of
time (Jer 31:34; Heb 8:12) and concluding with a perfect, intimate, abiding
relationship with God in eternity (Jer 31:33-34; Heb 8:9-11). Jesus’ blood
would be the basis for inaugurating the New Covenant (cf. Exod 24:8). It
would be “shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matt 26:28). The
Passover recalled the emancipation of Israel from slavery. The Last Supper
is to remind believers in Christ of deliverance from their sins. The
substitutionary death of Christ was necessary to forgive sin.
26:29-30. This will be the last time Jesus will drink the wine with His
disciples until He comes into His “Father’s kingdom” at His Second
Coming. The Lord Jesus shows here that He and His disciples will both eat
and drink in the age to come! Resurrected bodies will nonetheless enjoy
table fellowship over meals.
7. Jesus forecasts Peter’s denial (26:31-35)
26:31. The announcement of betrayal by one of the Twelve was bad
enough. But now Jesus indicates that all those closest to Him will stumble
and fall. When “the Shepherd” will be stricken with a mortal blow, every
one of His disciples, like “sheep of the flock, will be scattered” as the OT
had said (Zech 13:7).
26:32. Nevertheless the scattering will be temporary. Jesus tells them that
they will rejoin Him in Galilee after His resurrection. He will lead them as
a shepherd leads his sheep. Familiar territory, away from the center of
opposition in Jerusalem, will provide a particularly appropriate staging area
for Jesus’ command to disciple all nations (4:12-16; 28:19-20).
 26:33. Peter emphatically denies that he will ever stumble, that is, forsake
Him.
26:34. Possibly if Peter had cried out for help, his fall would not have been
so bad. The Lord Jesus responds to Peter’s hubris with a worse
pronouncement. Peter will deny Him not once but “three times” very soon
and in a short period of time (“this night, before the rooster crows”). For
a believer to deny Christ before others is to risk loss of reward (Matt 10:33;
2 Tim 2:12), but not everlasting life (2 Tim 2:13).
26:35. Peter now contradicts the Lord again, emphatically boasting that
even if it means paying with his own life, he will not deny Christ. All the
disciples say the same thing; Peter is not alone in correcting the Lord.
8. Jesus prays in Gethsemane (26:36-46)
26:36-44. Jesus then goes to Gethsemane to pray.
He shrinks not from the prospect of the excruciating pain of physical death
by crucifixion, but of the pain of being separated from His intimate
relationship with God the Father in experiencing spiritual death (27:46). On
the cross He will become “sin for us” (2 Cor 5:21). Three times He prays
that “this cup might pass from Him” (Matt 26:39, 42, 44). However, He
always indicates that He is willing to accept the Father’s will (vv 39, 42).
Jesus said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death.”
Jesus knows the physical and emotional pain that lies ahead, but He is also
experiencing the sorrow of knowing His disciples will soon desert Him.
Even at this dark hour He desires that His disciples will have the spiritual
stamina they need when His betrayal finally occurs. So He comes to His
three closest disciples three times, desiring that they watch and pray with
Him, but the disciples fall asleep and He can not rouse them (vv 38, 40-41,
43-45). The example of the disciples should be a warning to believers today
to be alert to the testings that may be just at hand.
26:45-46. Then Jesus announces that He is about to be “betrayed into the
hands of sinners” (i.e., the “great multitude” of v 47 who are
representatives of the chief priests and elders). The three disciples who had
viewed Jesus’ regal splendor on the Mount of Transfiguration (17:1-2) are
now forced to witness His profound agony at Gethsemane and His
impending humiliation (26:47–27:50).
E. The Arrest and Trials of the King (26:47–27:25)
 1. Jesus’ betrayal and arrest (26:47-56)
26:47. As Jesus announces His imminent betrayal, a mob armed with
weapons descends upon Him. The “power of darkness” (Luke 22:53) is
rapidly encompassing Him. They are sent by the religious leaders, and
Judas is in the mob.
26:48-50. With a prearranged signal of a kiss, Judas betrays Jesus.
Nothing is out of the ordinary here since students in the East often greet
their rabbis this way as a display of affection. However, Prov 27:6 warns,
“The kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” In the confusion created by a
crowd, it is an efficient way of identifying who is to be arrested. The
feigned friendship is signified by Judas’s greeting Jesus as a respected
teacher (“Greetings, Rabbi!”). The hypocritical kiss that accompanied the
greeting is countered by a word of genuine affection by Jesus toward Judas.
Jesus knows why Judas has come (Luke 22:48), but He expresses only love
for Judas by calling him, “Friend.” Ironically a few hours earlier, Judas had
been eating bread with Him! The great multitude with swords and clubs
laid hands on Jesus and took Him.
26:51. In a rash move, one of those who were with Jesus cut off the ear
of the servant of the high priest with his sword. That impulsive person
was Peter (John 18:10). In contrast to Judas who acts with the crowd on his
side, Peter shows fearlessness in the face of danger––at least for the
moment.
26:52-54. Jesus restrains Peter from doing any more harm. By doing so,
He prevents harm from coming to Peter. His kingdom will not be promoted
by the sword (cf. Matt 5:38-39).
Jesus exhibits composure and restraint in the face of crisis. He is in
command of the situation. His coming trial and death are not forced on
Him. He voluntarily submits (John 10:18). He could have called “twelve
legions of angels” to rescue Him, but He did not. A Roman legion included
six thousand soldiers. Thus the total number of angels Jesus referred to was
seventy-two thousand. Angels are exceedingly powerful beings (Ps 103:20;
cf. Matt 28:2). The OT records that one angel slew 185,000 Assyrians, and
another killed all the firstborn of Egypt.
26:55-56. After reprimanding Peter, Jesus rebukes the crowd for their
cowardly strategy and use of force. Their tactics are unnecessary since He
does not intend to resist arrest. Then all the disciples left Him, only
minutes after their boastful assertions that they will never do such a thing
(cf. v 56 with vv 33, 35). How little they know their own hearts. Thus the
disciples begin to fulfill the prediction recorded in Zech 13:7 (see
comments on Matt 26:31).
2. The trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin (26:57-68)
26:57. Jesus is led away by His captors to Caiaphas, the official high
priest. Matthew skips over Jesus’ preliminary trial before Annas, the
former high priest and father-in-law to Caiaphas, and proceeds directly to
the trial before the official high priest and the ruling Jewish council, the
Sanhedrin. The trial takes place at night (cf. John 3:19) at the house of
Caiaphas (Luke 22:54).
26:58. As Jesus is being led away, Peter followed at a distance. He enters
the high priest’s outer courtyard and sat with the servants (i.e., officers
of the court) to await the outcome. His presence there provides the occasion
for his later denial of Jesus.
26:59-63a. The injustice of the trial is evident. Its purpose was not to
determine the guilt or innocence of Jesus, but to build a case against Him.
To do this Caiaphas and the council solicit the testimony of false witnesses
(v 59) and attempt to get Jesus to implicate Himself (vv 62-63) so that the
Sanhedrin can convict Him of a crime. Their minds are made up; they do
not want to be confused with the facts. Therefore no sincere effort is made
to measure Jesus’ claims against the prophecies of the OT to see if He is
indeed the Messiah.
Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.
Apparently no two witnesses can be found who are in agreement on
anything against Jesus.
Then two false witnesses allege that Jesus had said He could “destroy the
temple…and build it in three days.” This refers to something Jesus had
said three years earlier at the first cleansing of the temple (John 2:19). He
did not say, however, that He was the responsible party for its destruction.
When Jesus spoke those words, He referred not to the temple building but
to His body (v 21). In other words He was speaking about His death and
resurrection (v 22). Interestingly the fulfillment of that prediction was at
hand!
 In the face of such false accusations Jesus’ silent composure attests to His
innocence in spite of the high priest’s hope that somehow He would
incriminate Himself (vv 62-63a).
26:63b-64. Things come to a head when Caiaphas attempts to put Jesus
under oath with the words, “Tell us if You are the Christ (i.e., Messiah),
the Son of God!” If Jesus answers yes, He can be charged with sedition
against Rome since the titles of Messiah and Son of God indicate
sovereignty (Ps 2:2, 6-7) that would put an end to Gentile world rule (Ps
2:8). If Jesus answers no, He will be discredited as a fraud (cf. Matt 21:4-9).
By adjuring Jesus, the high priest is compelling Him to give a truthful
answer after registering impatience with His silence. If Jesus does not
regard Himself as the Son of God, this is an opportune moment to correct
any mistaken impression. But He does not do that. By saying, “It is as you
said,” Jesus affirms that He is indeed the Messiah.
He says, moreover, “hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the
right hand of the Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven” (cf. Matt
24:30). He, in fact, claims to be a divine being predicted in the OT who
would sit at the right hand of God as His co-regent (Ps 110:1; Dan 7:13).
As such He implies that they who were sitting in judgment over Him would
one day be judged by Him. Either Jesus desired to be put to death on a false
charge or He truly did consider Himself to be the Son of God.
26:65-66. Caiaphas is livid with rage. Even though Lev 21:10 described
such a reaction as unlawful, the high priest tore his clothes as a dramatic
public sign of his intense horror at Jesus’ words. Caiaphas accuses Him of
blasphemy, a capital offense (Lev 24:10-16). God is allegedly being
blasphemed because Jesus claims the closest possible relationship with God
and the highest prerogatives of privilege and authority in the coming
messianic kingdom. To claim to be the Son of God means to the Jews that
He is claiming equality with God (cf. John 5:18; 10:30-33). Yet Jesus seems
to be a helpless victim at the mercy of the Sanhedrin. This is hardly a
situation in which such an exalted person would find Himself. The others in
the council, Caiaphas’s fellow judges, repudiate Jesus’ claim and register a
guilty verdict. They regard His words as the commission of a crime in their
presence! So they believe He deserves to die.
26:67-68. Then the Sanhedrin engage in actions unbecoming of their
office. They spat in his face and beat him with their fists. Others pummel
Him with the palms of their hands. They blindfold Him (Mark 14:65) and
to test His prophetic office, they dare Him to tell them who hit Him. This
exercise demonstrates their depravity, not His identity as a deceiver.
3. Peter’s denials and remorse (26:69-75)
26:69-74a. During the initial trials Peter denies knowing the Lord three
times, as predicted by Jesus in v 34. While the Master is on trial in
Caiaphas’s palace, Peter is on trial in the courtyard. His conduct is
unbecoming of a disciple. Jesus’ enemies assume that if He is the Messiah,
He certainly has followers. Therefore Peter’s denial lends credence to the
Jews’ view that He is not the Messiah. Peter’s previous courage completely
collapses (v 51; John 18:10). His concern for his own safety takes
precedence over defending his Lord’s honor. He denies Jesus before a
servant girl (Matt 26:69). Then he denies Him again to another girl (v 71).
And his third denial is the most emphatic. When confronted by a group of
those who stood by, he reinforces his denial by cursing and swearing (v
74). Peter is not using four-letter words; he is invoking a curse on himself if
his denial proves false. How alarming that he even says, “I do not know
the Man.”
26:74b-75. When the rooster crows, Peter remembered Jesus’ prediction
about his denials, and he went out and wept bitterly.
4. Jesus is delivered to Pilate (27:1-2)
27:1-2. When morning came, a secret trial takes place. The chief priests
and elders deliver Him over to Rome’s jurisdiction since Rome alone can
impose the death penalty. The previous charge of blasphemy is reli­gious in
nature and is inadequate to secure the death penalty. The Sanhedrin charges
Jesus with a political crime. The Romans do not care about religious crimes,
but a claim to be a polit­ical ruler of the Jews might spark a revolution. That
grabs the attention of the Roman authorities.
So they bound Him and sent Him to Pontius Pilate the governor,
whose normal residence is in Caesarea, but who is in Jerusalem during the
Passover to deal with any disturbances that might arise with so many people
present.
5. Judas’s remorse and suicide (27:3-10)
 27:3-5. Disappointed expectations and love of money had driven Judas to
become His betrayer. But now Judas realizes he had incurred Jesus’
condemnation, and he is suffering from a guilty conscience. He therefore
tries to reverse the terrible consequences of what he has done. He brought
back the thirty pieces of silver he was paid for betraying innocent blood
and gives it as an offering to the temple.
In throwing down the money on the temple floor, Judas displays disgust
and anger at what he has done. He regrets his act of betrayal because of the
results of his deed, but his remorse does not result in repentance or in
believing in Jesus as his Savior. Judas’s words and actions attest to his
realization that Jesus is inno­cent. “I have sinned by betraying innocent
blood.” But the chief priests remain indifferent to Judas.
Judas went and hanged himself. Acts 1:18 reports that he falls and his
body bursts open. This is not a contradiction. Falling does not preclude
hanging; in fact, it is the necessary result if one hangs oneself over a
precipice and the branch or rope breaks.
27:6-10. The chief priests take Judas’s money out of the temple and
purchase a potter’s field to bury strangers (i.e., nonlocal Jews who die in
Jerusalem), fulfilling OT prophecy. It is illegal for the temple to collect
money that was used to pay for an action leading to someone’s death (i.e.,
the price of blood). The chief priests are thus legalistically scrupulous in
observing this restriction, but utterly insensitive to the moral injustice to
which they are a party. After Judas’s blood money is used to purchase a
burial ground for strangers, the field becomes commonly known as the
Field of Blood.
The purchase of the field fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet
Jeremiah. However, the words quoted in verses 9 and 10 are found
primarily in Zech 11:12-13. It is sometimes assumed, then, that Matthew
had a memory lapse and mistakenly assigned the quotation to Jeremiah
rather than Zechariah. However, what Matthew is saying is that the outcome
of Messiah’s betrayal was in some sense anticipated by the “Latter
Prophets,” which at the time of Jesus were apparently headed up by
Jeremiah. Jeremiah was the greater prophet in comparison to Zechariah as
well. Matthew’s formula which appeals to Jeremiah as the source would be
equivalent to saying, “in the prophetic books.”
 6. Jesus’ Trial before Pilate (27:11-26)
27:11a. The Sanhedrin needed the approval of Pilate (governor of Judea
AD 26-36) before Jesus could be put to death. The charge brought by them
had to do with Jesus making Himself King of the Jews. In short, Jesus’
enemies accuse Him of sedition against Rome. Pilate asks Jesus point blank
if He is indeed the King of the Jews.
27:11b-12. Jesus replies to Pilate, “It is as you say,” but before His
accusers He refrains from defending Himself from any charge of treason.
27:13-14. Jesus’ lack of defensiveness in view of the many things said
against Him causes Pilate to marvel greatly at the man whose fate he holds
in his hands. Pilate knows that Jesus does not fit the profile of a
revolutionary. Jesus’ quiet composure before Pilate prompts him to discern
that he is dealing with an innocent man. Recognizing Jesus’ innocence of
any political charges against Him, he repeatedly seeks to free him. He does
not see Jesus’ claim to be King of the Jews as a threat to the Roman
Empire.
27:15-19. Following a custom to release a prisoner to please the Jews,
Pilate offers to release “Barabbas, or Jesus.” Pilate expects and desires
that they choose Jesus as the one to be released.
Barabbas was a notorious prisoner (v 16), a robber (John 18:40), an
insurrectionist, and a murderer (Mark 15:7; Luke 23:19). They asked for the
release of a high-profile prisoner who is guilty of the very thing of which
they are accusing Jesus. At this crucial moment Pilate receives an urgent
communiqué from his wife. She had an unsettling foreboding dream about
this just Man, so she advises Pilate to have nothing to do with Him.
27:20-23. The multitudes, influenced by the persuasive words of their
leaders, the chief priests and elders, request the release of Barabbas and
the crucifixion of Jesus. The demand for Jesus’ death intensifies in fervor
in spite of Pilate’s attempt to dissuade the crowd. Under tremendous
pressure by a hostile mob instigated by the religious leaders, Pilate is now
forced by his own devices to crucify Jesus even though he knows He is
guiltless.
27:24. Pilate washed his hands of the decision to crucify Jesus. Pilate
proclaims, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person.” In
accommodating the crowd Pilate gives priority to his own personal
concerns over the truth. While Pilate seeks to salve his own conscience,
God’s verdict is that he is complicit in the injustice done to His Son (Acts
4:25-28).
27:25. All the people gladly accept the responsibility for Jesus’ death not
only for themselves but for their descendants as well: “His blood be upon
us and on our children.” To have someone’s blood on a person means that
he is responsible for that person’s death (cf. Deut 19:10; Josh 2:19). God
Himself accepts their state­ment of responsibility as attested by the terrible
judgment of AD 70 when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed by Titus
and his Roman legions and the remnant of the Jewish people were dispersed
throughout the nations (cf. Luke 21:24).
The same multitude, who had hailed Jesus as King when He rode into
Jerusalem, now turn against Him. Jesus had not performed the acts of politi-­
cal and national deliverance that they had expected the Messiah would do.
Their disillusionment turns to anger because Jesus had destroyed their
expectations.
27:26a. Barabbas, who already stood condemned, is released to the Jews
instead of an innocent man who should have been acquitted. In a sense
Barabbas could view Jesus as the man who died for him. He experienced
the reality of a substitute dying in his place.
27:26b. Then Pilate has Jesus scourged. Scourging was a major injury
inflicted on the body. The whip used for scourging had a short wooden
handle. At the end were fastened several leather thongs. Each thong was
tipped with very sharp pieces of bone or metal. Muscles on the back were
lacerated, veins and arteries often were torn open, and internal organs might
be exposed or slashed. The Romans called scourging the “intermediated”
death. Often men would die from this before crucifixion took place.
7. Jesus is mocked by the soldiers (27:27-31a)
27:27-31a. Jesus is injured in His spirit when the soldiers of the governor
stripped Him and mock Him. The whole garrison of soldiers surround
Jesus. The Greek word for garrison signifies a cohort of six hundred
soldiers. Jesus’ humiliation takes place in the Praetorium, a palace
originally constructed for Herod the Great. The enemies of Jesus
hypocritically acknowledge the truth of His royal office.
 The soldiers do not display a concern for moral justice. They have only a
perverse pleasure in cruelly belittling and torturing someone whom they
consider weaker and inferior to themselves. They evidently do not consider
that they might actually be abusing the “King of the Jews,” the Man
destined to be Ruler of the entire world forever.
F. The Crucifixion, Death and Burial of the King (27:31b-66)
1. Jesus is crucified (27:31b-44)
27:31b-33. He is led away to be crucified, dragging the traverse beam of
the cross, but Jesus is too weak from the scourging to carry it all the way.
Simon of Cyrene, now part of modern-day Libya, is drafted to carry His
cross. The Romans had the legal right to impress people into such service at
any time. Amazingly the Romans had to conscript a foreigner to do what a
disciple of Jesus should have been doing voluntarily. Jesus is led outside
Jerusalem to Golgotha, which in Aramaic means Place of a Skull because
the features of the hill resemble a skull.
27:34. Jesus is offered a pain-killing drink that is unpleasant to the taste
(i.e., sour wine mixed with gall). While it would have dimin­ished His pain,
He refuses it. He does not seek escape from the full experience of the
suffering of the cross (cf. v 48 with Ps 69:21 and Prov 31:6-7). He
genuinely and deliberately chooses to enter into the pain of the entire
human race as part of what He came to accomplish in His death.
27:35. Matthew passes over the horrors of crucifixion by simply and
modestly saying, then they crucified Him. His initial readers, however,
would be thoroughly
familiar with the sickening details. The procedure for crucifixion required
no elaborate retelling.
The soldiers divided His garments (i.e., His outer cloak along the seams
and inner seamless linen garment) and gamble for them, thus fulfilling OT
prophecy (Ps 22:18). Roman law permitted the seizure of any of the few
items that might be found on the person of the condemned.
27:36-38. His accusation is posted on the cross over His head, “THIS IS
JESUS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Both this sarcastic superscription
and those with whom He was crucified (two robbers) were meant to
degrade Him. Yet both serve a useful function. Though the superscription
was intended as a mockery, it points to a firm reality. And the thieves
crucified on either side fulfilled the prophecy that the Messiah would be
“numbered among the transgressors” (Isa 53:12).
27:39-40. The passersby, the Jewish leaders, and even the thieves crucified
with Him continue to cast insults at Him. Unaware of who they are
deriding, they are scornfully wagging their heads in fulfillment of yet
another messianic prophecy (Ps 22:7).
They taunt Him for His alleged promise to “destroy the temple and build
it in three days.” His words about the destruction and building of the
temple refer to the temple of His body (John 2:19-22)! The accusation in
the court of Caiaphas thus makes its way into the thinking of the crowd
(Matt 26:60-61). Even today people try to undermine the Christian
worldview by distorting the truth. Ironically the crowd, in wanting to
destroy Christ, is actually fulfilling His prophetic pronouncement (John
2:19). The words “If You are the Son of God” recall the words of Satan
spoken earlier to Jesus in Matt 4:3, 6. The people challenge Him to “come
down from the cross.”
27:41-43. The chief priests, scribes and the elders join in the derision.
They taunt Him as having “saved others,” but not able to rescue Himself.
They are calling into question what many already know about Jesus’
miraculous ministry. He delivered many from disease, demons, and death.
But if He cannot save Himself, perhaps the reports of His saving others
were false. If He cannot “come down from the cross,” then there is no
reason to take seriously His claims to be “the King of Israel” and “the Son
of God.”
Had Jesus caved in to their taunts, the very basis of any future hope for His
tormentors, if later they were to believe, would be removed forever! There
would be no basis for the salvation of anyone without the death of Christ (1
Cor 15:1-4). He must lose His life to save others (Matt 20:28).
What His mockers fail to realize is that Jesus is not trusting God the Father
to remove the trial from Him, but to take Him through it. Nor is it a
question of whether He is able to come down from the cross. He refuses to
come down (Matthew 26:53-54)! And even if He did, many people still
would not believe!
27:44. The two robbers crucified with Jesus reviled Him as did the
crowds, but one came to faith in Jesus during the last hours on the cross (see
Luke 23:39-43).
 2. Jesus dies on the cross (27:45-56)
27:45. That Jesus is fully experiencing the cup of God’s wrath is revealed
by a portentous blackout of the heavens and the Savior’s desolate cry.
During the last half of Jesus’ crucifixion the darkness of the skies depicts
the greatest wickedness ever committed by mankind (cf. Matt 11:20-24;
12:45) as well as the wrath that is falling on His righteous Son as He is
being made sin for everyone (cf. 2 Cor 5:21 with Rom 1:18). A day of
wrath was a day of darkness according to the prophets (cf. Zeph 1:14-15).
His birth was accompanied by the promising light of a star (Matt 2:2, 7, 9-
10), but His death is now accompanied by thick, gloomy darkness.
27:46-49. After Jesus has spent about six hours on the cross, He cries out ,
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (cf. Ps 22:1). By citing
these opening words of Psalm 22, the Lord Jesus may well be calling the
attention of His audience to that entire psalm. It is a messianic prophecy
that speaks both of the crucifixion of the Messiah and of His future
exaltation and rulership over all the nations forever. Thus this may be more
than a cry of anguish; it may also be a cry of triumph.
In the four Gospels, Jesus is recorded as having called God “Father” 170
times. He used that term twenty-one times in addressing God in prayer. But
here is the only time He does not. The relationship manifested here is a
judicial one, not a paternal one!
When Jesus called out, “Eli, Eli” (“My God, My God”) in Aramaic, some
wrongly assumed He was calling for Elijah to help Him. Though Jesus
spoke with a loud voice, His words, due to His intense suffering, are not
clearly understood by some of the onlookers. One person attempts to give
Jesus sour wine on a sponge attached to a reed to moisten His lips and
parched throat so His words could be more easily understood. Others
discourage the offering of the drink, and wait expectantly to see if Elijah
would indeed come to save Him.
27:50. Howev­er, Jesus was not delivered from death. He yielded up His
spirit after crying out with a loud voice. Instead of a desolate cry, His is a
triumphant one: “It is finished!” (John 19:30). The work of redemption had
been accomplished because the Son of God had been obedient to His Father
unto death (Phil 2:8). His death is described as dismissing (aphiēmi) His
spirit, indicating that His death was voluntary (John 10:17-18). As King, He
was sovereign over even the time of His death.
27:51. The veil of the temple is torn in two. The veil separated the Holy
Place in the temple from the Most Holy Place. Only the high priest could
enter the Most Holy Place on behalf of Israel on the Day of Atonement. All
others were excluded. The ripped veil means that the OT dispensation has
now ended. Man no longer needs a Levitical priest to represent him before
God. God is done with the system of animal sacri­fices.
In another supernatural occurrence the earth quaked and the rocks were
split. Earthquakes were a sign of God’s presence, intervention, and
judgment (Isa 29:6; Jer 10:10). On this occasion God serves notice that
judgment is in store for those who, with malice and forethought, nailed His
Son to the cross unless they repent of their unbelief and receive His Son.
27:52-53. Then an unex­pected and mysterious resurrection occurrs, though
not immediately. Graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints
who had fallen asleep were raised. Sleep is a euphemism for death,
exclusively of believers in the NT (e.g., 1 Cor 11:30; 1 Thess 4:14).
Awakening from that sleep means resurrection (Dan 12:2).
These saints were probably raised in mortal bodies as Lazarus had been,
and so they died again some time after this. Their resurrections were timed
to coincide with the resurrection of Jesus: Coming out of the graves after
His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. It
is implied that they were recognized as ones who had recently died. Their
resurrection speaks of the King’s victory and authority over death and is
reassurance to all believers that they too will be raised from their graves
(John 11:25; 1 Cor 15:20).
27:54. The Roman centurion and guards accurately conclude, “Truly,
this was the Son of God!” During Jesus’ trial and crucifixion the question
had been raised as to whether He is the Son of God. The Romans had
overheard the Jews accusing Him of claiming to be such (vv 40, 43). The
earthquake and other supernatural events surrounding the Crucifixion
convince them that He is exactly what He claims to be. The evidence
clearly repudiates the previously held notions of both the Jews and the
soldiers.
27:55-56. Matthew refers to many women, some of whom he mentions by
name. They had continually ministered to Him of their substance and had
viewed the events accompanying Jesus’ death. Looking on His crucifixion
from a distance, they were sympathetically loyal, whereas the frightened
disciples were nowhere to be found.
3. Jesus is buried (27:57-61)
27:57-61. Normally the crucified body of a criminal would simply be
discarded. Nevertheless Joseph of Arimathea asks Pilate for the body of
Jesus. Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin and had become a disciple of
Jesus (Mark 15:43; John 19:38).
Pilate grants the request, and the body of Jesus is taken down from the
cross and wrapped for burial in Joseph’s private tomb. Since Joseph is a
wealthy man, his action ful­fills the prophecy of Isa 53:9 that predicts
Messiah would be buried in a rich man’s grave. A large stone is rolled
against the opening of this previously unused rock-hewn tomb to prevent
anyone from entering and tampering with the body. The weight and
positioning of the stone also preclude someone from the inside from
moving the stone. Jesus could not have merely swooned on the cross,
revived in the tomb, and made His way out to fake His own resurrection, as
some believe today. The two Marys in mourning witness the entombment,
providing additional confirmation that Jesus was actually buried.
4. Pilate secures the tomb (27:62-66)
27:62-66. The chief priests and Pharisees are not content with the
arrangements. Though they are normally antagonistic toward one another,
they are united about one thing. They want to prevent Jesus’ body from
being stolen by His disciples who would then claim He was resurrected.
The next day they inform Pilate that Jesus had predicted His resurrection.
So they petition Pilate to make the tomb secure to insure against the
possibility of deception.
Pilate complies with their request by providing a Roman guard unit and
authorizing the sealing of the tomb. The seal would give warning that the
tomb was under Roman protection. The sealing is accomplished by
stretching a cord across the stone and fastening it to the rock at either end
by means of sealing clay. Anyone found breaking the seal would pay dearly
by incurring the wrath of Rome. The condition of the corpse, the fearfulness
of the disciples, the nature of the tomb (Matt 27:60), and the security
precautions guarantee that there is no way for the body to leave the tomb
except by resurrection.
VIII. The Triumph of the King (28:1-20)
A. The Empty Tomb (28:1-8)
28:1. The crucifixion occurred on Friday. Jesus was buried on Friday
afternoon before the start of the Sabbath that evening. As the first day of
the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the
mother of James and Joseph, went to see the tomb, bringing spices to
anoint the body of Jesus (Luke 24:1,10; Mark 16:1-2). They know the
location of the tomb (Matt 27:61), making implausible the theory that they
went to the wrong tomb.
28:2-4. An angel had rolled back the stone and sat on it. That this is an
angel and not a mere man is obvious because his face is bright like
lightning, and his clothing was white as snow. Seeing Him, the Roman
guards are so afraid they were immobilized.
28:5-7. The angel assists the women on three matters. First, he allays their
fears by announcing Jesus’ resurrection: “Do not be afraid...He is risen.”
Second, the angel invites them to inspect the tomb. Third, he commissions
the women to “go quickly and tell His disci­ples that He had risen from
the dead” and that He will meet them in Galilee.
28:8. The women are so joyful and excited about the good news that they
ran to tell His disciples.
B. The Appearance to the Women (28:9-10)
28:9-10. As the women leave to tell the disciples, Jesus meets them. He
gives them a cheerful greeting. They recognize Him immediately, held Him
by the feet and worshiped Him. Their holding Him by the feet indicates
that the risen Lord has an actual physical body (cf. Luke 24:39). Jesus was
not raised as a spirit. He did not merely live on in the memories of His
followers. He rose bodily from the grave!
In spite of the fact that they see Jesus, hear His voice, and hold Him, Jesus
still has to calm them by telling them, “Do not be afraid.” And then He
gives them the same commission the angel had given them, “Go and tell
My brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me” (cf. Ps 22:22;
Heb 2:11-12).
 C. The False Report (28:11-15)
28:11-15. Meanwhile some of the guard who had left the tomb earlier in a
panic reported to the chief priests what had happened. The chief priests
then gave a large sum of money to the soldiers saying, “Tell them, ‘His
disciples came at night and stole Him away while we slept.’” Yet who
could believe that an entire Roman guard would fall asleep when such
dereliction of duty could cost them their lives? Also who would believe
they could sleep through the disciples’ frantic efforts to move that stone?
And who could believe that such sound sleepers would know what
happened while they slept?
Jesus’ enemies urge the soldiers to lie that the disciples stole the body.
Matthew reports that this lie was commonly reported among the Jews
until this day (i.e., the day in which Matthew wrote his Gospel). The lie
continues even today for there are many who now repeat it.
D. The Appearance of Jesus to the Disciples (28:16-17)
28:16-17. In Galilee (26:32; 28:7, 10) the disciples worshiped Him; but
some doubted.
Who were those who doubted? Thomas’s doubts and those of the other ten
disciples have already been extinguished (John 20:28). Possibly some
disciples beside the Eleven doubted. Matt 28:16 in no way limits those
present to the Eleven. Paul wrote that over five hundred people saw the
risen Lord at one time (1 Cor 15:6). That Matthew mentions the presence of
doubters shows he was not sanitizing the story.
E. The Great Commission of the King (28:18-20)
28:18. In Galilee Jesus tells His disciples that He has “all authority…in
heaven and on earth.” There is no place in the universe to which this
authority does not extend. This claim cannot hold if said by an ordinary
man or even an ordinary king. But He is no ordinary man. He has just come
back from the dead. Such a claim should not be difficult to believe once the
fact of His resurrection is accepted.
28:19-20a. As One who has all authority, Jesus then gives His disciples
what is known as the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them…, teaching them to observe
all things that I have commanded you.”
 The only Greek imperative in these verses is make disciples
(mathēteusate). The calls to go, baptize, and teach are all participles which
are related to the action of the main verb. Most likely the first, the call to
go, is a participle of attendant circumstance; hence it is translated like a
main verb. However, the other two participles are more likely participles of
means, and could better be translated by baptizing them and by teaching
them.
Matthew, most Jewish of the Four Gospels, closes with an admonition to
make disciples of all the nations (i.e., all the Gentiles). The strategy of
God’s outreach in the OT was to have the nations come to Israel to hear
about the God of Israel. Now the strategy is for believers to go to the
nations.
Contrary to popular thought, the Great Commission in Matthew focuses on
discipleship, not evangelism. Of course, to make disciples the Eleven had to
evangelize so they would have believers to disciple.
28:20b. Jesus promises the Eleven, “Lo, I am with you always, even to
the end of the age.” While the Lord is with all believers at all times in
terms of His indwelling Spirit, that is not what is meant here. Here Jesus is
promising to empower and enable His followers to carry out the Great
Commission. Since the end of the age is yet future, the eleven disciples
represent all believers of the Church Age and during the Tribulation as well.
This fact shows that the Great Commission is to continue all the way to the
end of the age.
The end of the age is something to anticipate joyfully. It will be a time
when Israel will be brought back into divine favor; it will be a time of
reward; and the world will come under the benevolent and blessed rule of
Israel’s King, once crucified, but now alive for evermore. Even so, come,
Lord Jesus!
 Mark
BARRY K MERSHON, JR.
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
The writer does not sign his name to his work but early Christian
testimony is very strong that John Mark is the author.
Likewise the NT clearly links Mark to reputable authorities such as
Barnabas, Paul, and Peter. The first reference (he is mentioned ten times) is
in the story of Peter’s escape from prison and his persistent knocking at the
door while Rhoda neglected to let him in. This took place at “the house of
Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark,” that is, John Mark
(Acts 12:12). He became a traveling assistant to Barnabas and Saul (12:25;
13:5) but abandoned the work to return to Jerusalem (13:13). This separated
Barnabas and Paul when Paul refused to take Mark on their second
missionary journey (15:37-39). However, Mark’s later maturity is
confirmed by Paul who commends him as a minister of the Lord (Col 4:10;
Phlm 24; 2 Tim 4:11).
If Mark is the young man in 14:51-52, then he was a follower of Jesus
during His earthly ministry. Some believe that the Last Supper was held at
Mark’s house. Acts 12:12 reveals that his house was certainly large enough
to hold a prayer meeting. If this is true, it is likely that Mark knew more
about Jesus than many suppose.
The external witness of the early church fathers along with the internal
testimony of Scripture is solid evidence that John Mark is the author of this
Gospel.
Purpose
Like Matthew and Luke, Mark’s Gospel is not evangelistic since it has no
clear evangelistic passage. Instead, Mark is writing to believers to aid them
in following Christ. It is a book of discipleship with emphasis on servant
leadership. This is seen in several ways.
 The first half emphasizes Christ as the Servant who Leads (1:1–8:30) and
the second half as the Leader who Serves (8:31–16:20). These two sections
are sandwiched by two references to Christ being the “Son of God” (1:1;
15:39) and Peter’s confession about Jesus the Christ (8:29). But after
Peter’s confession, Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of Man” (2:10, 28),
which signifies His position as a suffering servant. While discipleship
brings honor and privilege, there is no room for pride. Leadership means
service.
Another theme is that discipleship will not result in earthly fame and glory,
but rather in suffering and slander. Jesus is not received and welcomed by
the Jews. Even His disciples often misunderstand Him.
Lastly, Mark’s own progress in ministry parallels Jesus’ training of the
disciples. Just as Mark went from useless to useful, Christ’s disciples make
a similar progression. Peter certainly shared many insights from his own
failures. A major purpose is to demonstrate how Jesus prepared these
fallible followers for the most important task on earth—that of preaching
the gospel to every person.
The purpose of Mark then is to show that as disciples follow Jesus, they
must lead and serve others, even if they face suffering and rejection. And
when a disciple fails, God’s grace is present to pick him up and press him
on.
Origin and Audience
Scholars generally agree that Mark wrote his Gospel in Rome to Gentile
Christians. The testimony of the early church fathers point to Rome as the
origin and destination. Papias’s statement that Mark was Peter’s interpreter
is extremely weighty, and since Peter’s martyrdom is believed to have been
in Rome, this indicates that Mark spent time there as well. This corroborates
with 1 Pet 5:13 where “Babylon,” is most likely Rome.
One dissenting voice is Chrysostom, who says that the Gospel was
composed in Egypt. But Papias is much earlier than Chrysostom (AD 347-
407), and there is no reason to favor Chrysostom over earlier and multiple
witnesses to the Roman tradition.
Most agree that the style of writing favors a Gentile audience. Mark
explains Jewish customs and words (e.g., 7:3-4; 12:42; 14:12), defines
Aramaic words and phrases (3:17; 5:41; 7:11, 34; 15:22, 34), and locates
the Mount of Olives as “opposite the temple” (13:3). These would be
redundant for a Jewish audience. Also, only Mark identifies Simon of
Cyrene as the father of Alexander and Rufus (15:21). This suggests that the
Roman readership would know the man. In Rom 16:13 Paul tells the church
at Rome to “Greet Rufus.” If this Rufus is the one mentioned in Mark’s
Gospel, then it is strong evidence for a Roman audience.
Date
The testimony regarding the time of composition is divided even among
the church fathers. Irenaeus (c. 130-202) says that Mark wrote after the
deaths of Peter and Paul, while Clement of Alexandria (c. 150-215) places
the writing during the lifetime of Peter. Since Irenaeus and Clement are
contemporaries, the dating of Mark has been debated from the second
century.
Mark certainly wrote before the destruction of the temple (AD 70) when
Jerusalem was destroyed (cf. Mark 13:1-3).
Eusebius (died 341) places Peter’s martyrdom in Rome during the years of
Nero’s persecution (AD 64-68). If one accepts Irenaeus’s testimony that
Mark wrote after the death of Peter, then a date of AD 68-69 would be
acceptable. However, if according to Clement of Alexandria, he wrote
during the lifetime of Peter, then the date would precede AD 64-68. A date
anywhere between the late 50s and the late 60s is possible.

OUTLINE
I. The Servant’s Preparation (1:1-13)
II. The Servant’s Popularity and Opposition (1:14–5:43)
III. The Servant’s Preparation for Ultimate Rejection (6:1–8:30)
IV. The Servant’s Preliminary Ministry to the Cross (8:31–10:52)
V. The Servant’s Ministry in Jerusalem (11:1–13:37)
VI. The Servant’s Ultimate Rejection: the Cross (14:1–15:47)
VII. The Servant’s Resurrection and Ascension (16:1-20)

COMMENTARY
I. The Servant’s Preparation (1:1–13)
 A. The Servant’s Identity (1:1)
1:1. Mark introduces the book as the beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. Beginning not only sets the historical context with
the prophets and John, but also points to the fact that the Gospel will
continue to spread (16:15).
The Gospel (i.e., good news) is concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God,
who is the One bringing the good news of the kingdom. The content of this
Gospel will be expounded in Jesus’ words and works.
B. The Servant’s Prophet (1:2-8)
1. The messenger predicted (1:2-3)
1:2-3. The message is rooted in the authoritative nature of the OT prophets
(Exod 23:20; Isa 40:3; Mal 3:1). Four themes emerge from this quotation:
(1) the messenger; (2) his preparation; (3) the expectation of the “Lord” to
come; and (4) the location of the wilderness.
2. The messenger’s preparation (1:4-8)
1:4. John is identified as the messenger who appears in the wilderness.
The wilderness is where Israel expected the messenger to appear. Although
the temple was in Jerusalem, Ezekiel had documented the glory of God
leaving the city (Ezek 11:23). Jerusalem was hostile toward Jesus
throughout the Gospels (cf. Matt 23:37) and because of its corruptness, God
is calling the people into the wilderness to identify with His prophet.
Baptism became such a trademark of John’s ministry that he became
known as John the Baptizer. His ministry involved a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins. Many equate this with the message
of eternal life. In this view repentance is a synonym for faith resulting in
justification, with baptism as the first step of discipleship.
However, this view is flawed. First, repentance and faith are not synonyms
(cf. Mark 1:15; Acts 20:21). Second, such attempts ignore the historical
offer of the kingdom to Israel. Third, the Apostle Paul’s interpretation of
John’s baptism identifies it as temporary and preparatory (cf. Acts 19:1-7).
A better view is to understand that John was calling Israel to repent in
order to restore fellowship with God and receive the kingdom. While
repentance does not grant eternal life, it prepares their hearts to receive the
Messiah (cf. Acts 19:4). The evidence of repentance was expressed by
water baptism. The genitive metanoias could function as a genitive of
source, that is, “a baptism arising out of repentance,” or of description, “a
baptism characterized by repentance.”
1:5. The appearance of John resulted in a response from all of Judea and
those from Jerusalem. Those John baptized were confessing their sins.
1:6. The prophet’s lifestyle reveals his own understanding of his mission.
He was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt while his diet
consisted of locusts and wild honey. This description is typical of a man of
the wilderness. As a prophet, John was aware of the prophecies concerning
himself, the Coming One, and the wilderness.
His clothing must have reminded the people of Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). The
Jews expected Elijah to precede the Messiah and Jesus linked John with
him in Mark 9:11-13 (cf. Mal 4:5).
1:7-8. John was greatly esteemed (cf. Mark 6:15; 8:28) and used this
credibility to magnify Jesus. John preached, “there comes One after me
who is mightier than I.” Regarding his worthiness in comparison to the
Coming One, he says, “whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop
down and loose.” Though unworthy, John was honored to be Messiah’s
servant.
His last comparison is that he baptized Israel with water, but the Coming
One “will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” John clearly viewed water
baptism as inferior to the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Later Jesus reminded
the disciples of John’s words concerning the baptism of the Spirit (Acts 1:4-
5).
C. The Servant’s Baptism (1:9-11)
1:9. Mark introduces Jesus by saying that He came from Nazareth of
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. In contrast to the people,
Jesus had no sins to confess at His baptism. Jesus’ baptism distinguished
Him as the Coming One, to identify with the sins of the people, and to be
anointed by the Spirit.
1:10. Mark focuses on the results of Jesus’ baptism, not its reasons.
Immediately, euthus, (used forty-two times) as Jesus was coming up out of
the water, He (or he) saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending
upon Him like a dove. The parting of the heavens is from the Greek word
schizō; it is used of the veil in the temple being torn and the rocks being
split (Matt 27:51). Through the heavens Jesus saw the Spirit descending. In
the OT some received the Spirit to empower them in service; likewise Jesus
would serve in the power of the Spirit (cf. Isa 11:2; 42:1; 61:1).
1:11. The Father is well pleased with His beloved Son (cf. Mark 9:7;
12:6). Jesus was exalted by John the Baptist and God the Father.
D. The Servant’s Adversary (1:12-13)
1:12-13. The Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. The word drove does
not mean that Jesus was reluctant to follow (i.e., that He had to be forced);
instead, this positively asserts the Spirit’s powerful leading in His life.
And He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan. Israel was
led through the wilderness for forty years because it failed at Kadesh
Barnea. Jesus further identified with the sins of the Jewish people by
spending one day in the wilderness for each year Israel had spent (Heb
4:15).
Satan is introduced as the Adversary and will be the enemy behind the
opposition to come (Mark 4:15; 8:33). Mark adds that Jesus was with the
wild beasts.
The humanity of Jesus is seen in the phrase, the angels ministered to
Him. The physical exertion by Jesus necessitated angelic ministry.
II. The Servant’s Popularity and Opposition (1:14–5:43)
A. The Servant’s Message and Men (1:14-22)
1. The Servant’s Message (1:14-15)
1:14-15. With no explanation Mark states that John was put in prison.
Later Mark tells of John’s imprisonment and death (6:14-29), anticipating
Jesus’ own rejection and execution. This signals the beginning of Jesus’
ministry in Galilee (1:9).
Jesus came…preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God. The unique
aspect of His message was that “the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of
God is at hand.” An historic day had dawned on Israel with the promised
Messiah announcing the kingdom (Luke 1:31-33). This was “good news” to
a nation whose hopes relied on the veracity of the OT prophets concerning
the literal appearance of the kingdom of God (cf. Isa 9:6; Dan 7:14; Luke
1:31-33).
 The command to “repent and believe in the gospel” can be understood in
three ways.
First, it might be a command to turn from one’s sins and believe the saving
message in order to have eternal life. However, the gospel here is the gospel
(good news) that the kingdom of God has drawn near (v 14).
Second, repentance might be understood as a synonym of faith. To change
one’s mind about Christ is to believe in Him. Therefore in this change-of-
mind view Jesus is saying, “Change your mind, that is, believe the gospel.”
However, the gospel of the kingdom of God is not the message of John 3:16
or Eph 2:8-9. And in order for the kingdom to come for Israel, national
repentance had to occur. Repentance, while always having a change of mind
aspect to it, concerns a decision to turn from one’s sins (cf. Mark 1:3-5).
Third, and preferable, is the view that Jesus, like His forerunner (cf. Mark
1:4-5), is calling the nation to turn from their sins and to believe the good
news that He is the Messiah who is offering that generation the long-
awaited kingdom.
2. The Servant’s Men (1:16-22)
1:16-18. Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee when he saw Simon and
Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea. Jesus uses their occupation
as fishermen to challenge them to become fishers of men. Of course, this
was not their first experience with Jesus (cf. John 1:35-42). They were
already motivated to follow Him as disciples. The kingdom of God was
here! They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
1:19-20. Likewise Jesus saw James the son of Zebedee and John his
brother mending their nets. The depth of their conviction is seen as they
left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went
after Him. The call of discipleship is to leave all, whether business or
family, to follow Jesus in His pursuit of fishing for men. The timing for
Israel was now. The kingdom of God was at hand and that generation could
usher it in with the Messiah if it responded with repentance and faith.
1:21-22. They went to Capernaum, the hometown of these men (though
they were originally from Bethsaida, cf. John 1:44), and on the Sabbath
He entered the synagogue and taught. Mark does not reveal the content
of His teaching, but he does record the reaction of the people. They were
astonished for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the
scribes. His message (cf. vv 14-15) was one of prophetic authority, spiritual
power, and Biblical fulfillment. No scribe could speak of God’s kingdom as
drawing near. They were astonished, that is, overwhelmed with fright or
wonder.
B. The Servant’s Power (1:23-45)
1. His power over demons (1:23-28)
1:23-26. The scene turns to a man in their synagogue with an unclean
spirit. Multiple demons, cried out… “Let us alone!” The unclean spirit
understands Jesus’ presence as a threat. “Did You come to destroy us?” As
there was no question mark in the original Greek, this could be a statement:
“You have come to destroy us” (cf. Matt 8:29).
The unclean spirit then shifts to the first-person singular: “I know who
You are—the Holy One of God!” This shift is dramatic. Clearly demons
believed that Jesus is the Messiah (cf. Jas 2:19). The demon spoke the truth,
but was quickly silenced:
“Be quiet, and come out of him!”
While Jesus clearly limited how often He or others proclaimed Him as
Messiah, there was no point in His ministry where He kept His messiahship
a secret. Most likely the reason He did not want people to tell others about
Him is that they would have spread an incorrect understanding about who
He is and what He came to accomplish. He was not there to rule and reign
immediately, as most of them thought. He had come first to suffer and die.
1:27-28. The people were all amazed that even unclean spirits obeyed His
command. This helped spread Jesus’ fame.
2. His power over sickness (1:29-34)
1:29-31. Jesus and the four disciples go to the home of Peter and Andrew.
Peter’s mother-in-law lay sick with a fever and Jesus was informed at
once. He took her by the hand and lifted her up, and immediately the
fever left her. A powerful statement follows: and she served them. Service
should always be the response to God’s goodness.
1:32-34. Mark highlights the responses to Jesus’ words and works. The
two previous stories of demon possession and sickness are samples that
serve to explain His popularity. At evening when the sun had set signals
the end of the Sabbath, which prompted ministry. They brought to Him all
who were sick and those who were demon-possessed. And the whole
city was at the door. Jesus healed and cast out demons and He did not
allow the demons to speak, because they knew Him. It was Jesus’ habit
to not allow the demons to speak of His identity (see v 25).
3. His priority to preach (1:35-39)
1:35-37. Jesus rose before daylight to pray at a solitary place. Mark
records three times when Jesus prayed (1:35; 6:46; 14:35), all at critical
moments in His ministry. Solitary (erēmos) is the word for “wilderness”
and recalls the place of John’s appearance and Jesus’ baptism and
temptation. The demand for His services could become a distraction to His
purpose. Simon and others found Jesus and mildly reproached Him by
saying, “Everyone is looking for You.”
1:38-39. Jesus signified that it was time to move on to the other towns that
I may preach there also, because for this purpose I have come forth.
While Capernaum would become His base of operation, He needed to
minister in many synagogues throughout all Galilee.
4. His power over leprosy (1:40-45)
1:40-42. A leper pleads with Jesus “If You are willing, You can make me
clean” (katharizō). The effects of leprosy were physical (disease), spiritual
(unclean), and social (distance). This leper knows that Jesus could heal him,
but he is not certain that He desires to do so. Jesus, moved with
compassion, touches him and says, “I am willing; be cleansed.” The
power of His word is seen in that the leper was immediately cleansed,
whereas Jesus did not become unclean through physical contact.
1:43-44. To this point Jesus had only silenced the demons but now He
strictly warned this man to say nothing to anyone—except the priest.
Perhaps He sent the man to the religious community that they might
investigate the nature of this leper’s testimony (martyrion). This healing
would be a witness to the priest that Jesus had authority and that He
followed the Law of Moses which He was accused of breaking.
1:45. Presumably the cleansed man went to the priest in obedience to
Jesus’ command. However, he disobeyed Jesus in that he did not keep
silent. He spread the matter so widely so that Jesus could no longer
enter the city, but was outside in deserted (erēmos) places; and they
came to Him from every direction.
C. The Servant’s Opposition (2:1–3:35)
This section has five scenes of conflict between Jesus and the religious
leaders. In contrast with the leaders’ differences with Him, Mark devotes a
section to Jesus’ popularity with the people. The resolve of the leaders to
kill Jesus (cf. 3:6) is intensified by their accusation that Jesus is demon-
possessed. This outlandish pronouncement foreshadows Jesus’ death.
1. The question of forgiveness (2:1-12)
2:1-2. Jesus enters Capernaum again, where He had previously had
success. Consequently, it did not take long for a crowd to assemble at the
home of Peter and Andrew (cf. 1:29). They quickly overflowed the house so
that there was no longer room to receive them, not even near the door.
And He preached the word to them. Jesus’ priority is to preach the good
news of the kingdom. Even His earlier ministry in this city did not begin
with miracles but with His teaching in the synagogue (cf. 1:21). This
massive crowd underscores the resoluteness of these four men to get their
paralytic friend to Jesus.
2:3-5. The four men could not come near Him because of the crowd.
There was little chance that four men carrying a man on a pallet would ever
succeed. So they uncovered the roof (lit., “they unroofed the roof”) where
Jesus was and when they had broken through, they let down the bed on
which the paralytic was lying. That Jesus saw their faith reveals that He
can read the hearts of men (cf. v 8). Their faith probably refers not simply
to the four men but also to the paralytic.
However, the paralytic believed in Jesus for eternal life, because Jesus
proclaims, “Son, your sins are forgiven you.” Jesus knows that man’s
greatest need is spiritual, not physical. The word son (teknon) implies more
than simply a term of endearment. This man is a child of God; his sins have
been forgiven forever!
Another possibility is that the paralytic’s affliction was a direct result of
some sin(s) in his life. The forgiveness would thus be for that illness-
inducing sin, not all sins. The subsequent healing would then show that the
forgiveness was related to the illness. Similar scenarios are recorded in John
5 with the man at the pool of Bethesda, and in John 8:1-12 with the woman
caught in adultery, though forgiveness is not mentioned explicitly in either
case.
2:6-7. This declaration of forgiveness riles the scribes, the religious
scholars of the Jews. They were sitting there and reasoning in their
hearts, “Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can
forgive sins but God alone?” Their indignation toward Jesus leads them to
quickly judge Him to be blasphemous. The second question is correct in
that only God can forgive sins, but they fail to see that Jesus is the Son of
God who has authority to forgive sins. The indignation of the scribes might
be because He spoke with more power and authority than the scribes.
2:8-11. Jesus immediately answers when He perceives that they were
discussing these questions among themselves. “Why do you reason about
these things in your hearts?” By mentioning their hearts twice Mark is
drawing a contrast between the four men and the scribes. Jesus saw the four
men’s faith, and the scribes’ doubt and debating.
Jesus poses a second question to them in v 9, “Which is easier, to say to
the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven you’, or to say, ‘Arise, take up
your bed and walk’?” This is a riddle. Only God could do either. Thus
neither one is easy to say. Jesus shows that neither saying is difficult for
Him since He speaks with the authority of His Father.
Jesus desires to give physical proof of His supernatural claim to the
scribes. “But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on
earth to forgive sins’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take
up your bed, and go to your house.’” His ability to heal physically is
evidence that He indeed has authority to forgive sins.
2:12. The paralytic immediately picked up his bed and went out in the
presence of them all. What an exclamation point to Jesus’ argument to the
scribes.
Mark is fond of noting the responses of the multitude to Jesus. Here the
people were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw
anything like this!” Jesus’ authority in the spiritual realm was verified by
His power in the physical domain.
2. The question of fellowship (2:13-17)
 2:13. Capernaum sits on the northern shore of the sea of Galilee. Along
this sea all the multitude came to Him, and He taught them. Many
people were responding to Jesus’ ministry, as well as emphasizing His
interaction with the religious leaders.
2:14. Jesus encounters Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office.
Levi is Matthew, the author of the first Gospel.
As in the case of the previous disciples Jesus simply says, “Follow Me.”
And Levi arose and followed Him. Simply stated, discipleship is following
Christ.
The Gospel of John records the very first meeting of the disciples with
Jesus (cf. 1:16-20). They were introduced to Jesus by John the Baptist and
spent time with Him. Before they were called as disciples, they believed
that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. John 1:41). Similarly, this was probably not
Levi’s first encounter with the Lord.
2:15. Levi’s dedication is demonstrated in his invitation to Jesus and His
disciples to eat a meal in his house. Many tax collectors and sinners also
sat together with Jesus and His disciples for there were many, and they
followed Him.
The Jewish tax collector worked for a middle man who was usually a
foreigner. Because he had to maintain continual contact with his Gentile
boss, tax collectors were considered to be ceremonially unclean. Also the
tax system created many opportunities for collectors to be greedy and
unfair. Thus they were hated and despised as a class. Mark reports the
attitude of the Jewish culture when he calls them “tax collectors and
sinners.”
2:16-17. The scribes and the Pharisees are greatly troubled. Their question
to His disciples was, “How is it that He eats with tax collectors and
sinners?” They could not reconcile how a holy man could fellowship with
sinners.
Of course, the Lord was ever protective of His disciples and quickly came
to answer their question. “Those who are well have no need of a
physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous,
but sinners to repentance.”
A common way of understanding Jesus’ illustration is that the righteous
represents those who wrongly think they are righteous. Thus Jesus’ point is
that He came not to call to repentance the self-righteous legalists, but
instead those who recognize their sinfulness.
However, that is precisely what Jesus did not say. He said nothing about
those who wrongly think they are righteous. He spoke of the righteous.
Jesus did not come to call to repentance those who were righteous in their
experience. Such people do not need to repent since they are already in
fellowship with God. Instead He came to call to repentance those who are
not righteous, but who are sinners. The Greek word used for sinners
(hamartōloi), was often used in conjunction with tax collectors, and in such
places it referred to those who were notoriously wayward, that is,
unrighteous in their experience (cf. Matt 9:10-13; 11:19; Luke 5:30-32;
7:34-39; 15:1-2, 7, 10). Clearly Jesus’ call applies to both wayward
believers and unbelievers.
3. The question of fasting (2:18-22)
2:18. Two different groups find commonality in this next issue. John’s
purpose was to point men to the Coming One and some of Jesus’ disciples
were early disciples of John (cf. John 1:35-37). Why these particular
disciples were not following Christ is unknown. However, they do find
agreement with the disciples of the Pharisees at least on the issue of fasting.
Together they ask the question, “Why do the disciples of John and of the
Pharisees fast, but Your disciples do not fast?”
2:19-20. Jesus responds to the disciples’ lack of fasting and explains the
role of His disciples in His ministry. “Can the friends of the bridegroom
(lit., “sons of the bridal chamber”) fast while the bridegroom is with
them?” Because He, the Messiah, is present with them, it is inappropriate
for them to fast as it would be for the friends of the bridegroom to fast at a
wedding celebration. The presence of Messiah is an occasion for joy.
Jesus does say that fasting will play a future role in the lives of His
disciples when the bridegroom is taken away. This is a reference to Jesus’
death and ascension when “He was taken up and a cloud received Him out
of their sight” (cf. Acts 1:9).
2:21-22. Jesus uses two illustrations to demonstrate the necessity of
repentance from the old forms of Judaism. The first is a piece of unshrunk
cloth sewn onto an old garment. He emphasizes that no one does that
because it does not work. The key elements are the words “new” and “old.”
Messiah’s ministry is new and cannot be “patched” onto Judaism which is a
worn-out garment. Jesus’ ministry is not about reforming Judaism, but
about turning people from it to Himself.
The second illustration is similar. “And no one puts new wine into old
wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled,
and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new
wineskins.” Wine is a strong connection to the bridegroom motif and is
symbolic of God’s blessing and kingdom. Messiah’s ministry is the new
wine which cannot be held in the old wineskins of Judaism. His kingdom is
new wine and must have new wineskins.
John’s disciples need reminding that his ministry was temporary and was
to point to Messiah (cf. Acts 19:4); likewise the Pharisees needed to repent
from their “old garment” and “old wineskin” religion in order to embrace
the kingdom of God. If these two groups recognized Jesus as Messiah, they
would not be fasting either; they would be celebrating as friends of the
bridegroom.
4. The question of the Sabbath (2:23-28)
2:23-24. Jesus and the disciples were walking through the grainfields
picking grain to eat on the Sabbath when the Pharisees questioned Him,
“Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” They are not
challenging the actions of the disciples in picking and eating someone else’s
grain, for that was lawful (Deut 23:25). Instead they are challenging the
timing of these actions, accusing the disciples of working on the Sabbath.
All agree that the OT Law forbade work on the Sabbath (Deut 5:12-14), but
the OT examples of what was called work (e.g., picking up sticks or
gathering manna) did not include their activity as is evidenced by the
disagreement between Jesus and the Pharisees. The Pharisees based their
view on tradition, not on any passage in the OT.
2:25-26. Jesus responds by appealing to the Scriptures. He refers to the
time when David and his men ate of the showbread, which was lawful for
only the priests to eat (cf. Lev 24:5-9; 1 Sam 21:1-6). The connection to
Jesus and the disciples is that David was in need and hungry, he and
those with him.
Why did Jesus intentionally say that David “went into the house of God
in the days of Abiathar the high priest?” The priest David dealt with was
actually Ahimelech, the father of Abiathar. Because of this very incident
Abiathar became the priest when Saul killed his father (1 Sam 22:13-23).
Jesus expected the listener to recall the story and think. By stating it this
way Jesus may have been suggesting that this same sort of issue had
resulted in death in the OT and that it would also ultimately culminate in
His own death.
David was the anointed king awaiting his throne as he fled from Saul and
needed the food that was available. Jesus, being anointed by the Spirit, was
also doing the will of God.
2:27-28. Jesus states, “The Sabbath was made for (the sake of) man
(i.e., to benefit man), and not man for the Sabbath” (cf. Ps 92:1; Isa
58:13). The Pharisees had this purpose reversed.
Jesus reveals His identity and sovereignty by declaring that “the Son of
Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” That is, He is the One who established
the laws and regulations pertaining to the Sabbath. Jesus is saying that
God’s law never intended to exclude people from basic needs like eating,
and David is an example of what the Law really meant.
5. The question of healing on the Sabbath (3:1-6)
3:1-2. The fifth conflict in this section takes place in the synagogue…on
the Sabbath. The word again suggests that this is in Capernaum where He
had taught earlier (1:21) and is a separate incident from the previous
paragraph (2:23-28). These two Sabbath episodes imply that the decision to
kill Him was a deteriorating process between Jesus and the leaders. It also
indicates that Jesus’ disregard of their man-made laws was a major issue in
their rejection of Him. Instead of investigating His claim as “Lord of the
Sabbath” (2:28) they chose to honor their own authority and tradition.
The Pharisees (cf. 2:24; 3:6) were watching Him closely with the hope that
Jesus would heal the man so that they might accuse Him. There was no
question in their minds that He had the power to heal; thus the man with the
withered hand gave them an opportunity to charge Him with a capital
offense by violating their understanding of the law of the Sabbath (Exod
31:14-15).
3:3-5. Presumably Jesus is the center of the assembly and invites the man
to step forward (lit., “Arise to the midst”). Anticipating their objection, He
asks, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or
to kill?” By asking this question Jesus highlights the intent of the Sabbath
to bring blessing to God’s people over the Pharisee’s trivial legalities. This
question implicitly points to the Pharisees as those who do evil as opposed
to Jesus who desires to do good on the Sabbath.
Jesus searches the crowd for anyone to answer His question. Because of
their silence, their evil intent to trap Him, and their insensitivity toward this
needy man Jesus is angry and is grieved by the hardness of their hearts.
The Pharisees are clearly the primary object of His anger but He may also
be grieved at the assembly for their silence. This is a glimpse into the
control that the religious leaders exercised over the people. The man obeys
Jesus’ command (“Stretch out your hand”) and his hand was restored.
3:6. The Pharisees consult and plot with the Herodians against Him, how
they might destroy Him. The Herodians were not a religious party but a
political one, loyal to the Herodian dynasty and supporters of the tetrarch
Herod Antipas.
At the end of this fifth conflict episode the death of Jesus has been
determined. This begins an intense effort on the part of the religious leaders
to destroy Him.
6. The popular ministry of Jesus (3:7-12)
3:7-8. Jesus continues to minister with His disciples at the Sea of Galilee.
People from all over Palestine come from the north, east, and south. Galilee
is the northern most territory in Israel and is where Jesus is investing most
of His time. Judea, in the south, is the Greco-Roman designation of an area
that included the former tribe of Judah and is also the territory of
Jerusalem, the capital. Idumea includes the Negev and the ancient territory
of Edom south of Judea. Beyond the Jordan refers to the east side of the
river which includes the Decapolis and Perea. Tyre and Sidon were on the
Mediterranean Sea north of Galilee. (These cities play a part in the outline
of Mark’s book: Galilee is the emphasis in chapters 1–6, Decapolis, Tyre,
and Sidon in chapter 7, and Jerusalem and Judea in chapters 10–16).
These multitudes sought Him when they heard how many things He was
doing. Mark’s purpose is to show the extent of Jesus’ popularity with the
people even as the leaders are preparing His destruction.
3:9-10. Mark reports an incident that occurred at the Sea of Galilee in
order to show the people’s desire for Jesus. Jesus requested that a small boat
should be kept ready because of the multitude, lest they should crush
Him.
Many people with afflictions pressed about Him to touch Him and be
healed. The word pressed underscores the need of the people.
Whether the Lord used the boat on this occasion is not specifically stated.
3:11-12. As before, the demon-possessed fall before Jesus crying out, You
are the Son of God (cf. 1:1, 24, 34). What they confessed was true, yet
once again Jesus strongly silences the demons. The reason for this secrecy
may be that the political climate among Jewish nationalists would
misinterpret Jesus’ mission. Also, He desired to be known from His
preaching and ministry and did not desire to be associated with the demonic
confession (e.g. Acts 16:16-18).
7. The commissioning of the twelve disciples (3:13-19)
3:13-15. Because Jesus’ Galilean ministry extends through 6:6, the
mountain where He commissioned His disciples is presumably in Galilee.
Of the many disciples, He selected only these twelve to be His inner circle.
The reason He invited them was so that they might be with Him and that
He might send them out to preach. A key part of their training was to be
with Jesus. Soon (see 6:7) He will send them out to preach the message of
the kingdom (cf. 1:14-15), as well as to heal and to cast out demons.
3:16-19. The NT includes four lists of the disciples’ names (Matt 10:2-4;
Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:14-16; Acts 1:13). Thus far only Peter, John, James,
Andrew, and Matthew (Levi) have been mentioned. Each of the four lists
has three groups of four names.
The first three men were given nicknames by Jesus. Simon was given the
name Peter (lit., “stone”). This would signify the role he would play in the
church. From this point on Mark refers to him as Peter. Two brothers,
James and John, were given the nickname Boanerges, which means, Sons
of Thunder. This surname probably reflects their fiery dispositions (e.g.,
Luke 9:54). James must have been a strong leader, for Herod killed him first
(Acts 12:2), before he had even seized Peter. While James was the first
martyr of the Twelve, John was the last disciple to die. Andrew was one of
the first two of John the Baptist’s disciples to follow Jesus. He introduced
Simon Peter, his brother, to the Lord (John 1:40-41).
 Philip was from Bethsaida, the hometown of Andrew and Peter (John
1:44). Bartholomew was also known as Nathaniel (John 1:45-51),
Matthew (Levi; Mark 2:14) is the author of a gospel, and Thomas
completes the second group. James the son of Alphaeus is also known as
James the Less (15:40); Thaddeus is also listed as Judas, son of James
(Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13); and Simon the Cananite is also referred to as
Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13). The word Cananite may mean
“one from Cana” or it could be a transliteration from the Aramaic word
meaning “zealot.” The zealots were a Jewish political party intent on
seeking to liberate Israel from Rome.
Judas Iscariot is simply designated as the one who betrayed Him. The
name Iscariot is obscure but is normally taken to refer to his origin “from
Kerioth” in southern Judea. Judas was the only non-Galilean among the
Twelve.
8. The rejection from His family and religious leaders (3:20-35)
The theme of opposition progresses as Jesus’ own family charges Him
with insanity and the scribes accuse Him of demon possession. The themes
of popularity and conflict are woven together in one setting.
3:20. After “they went into a house” (3:19), the home of Peter and Andrew
in Capernaum (cf. 1:29; 2:1), the multitudes came together again, so that
they (Jesus and His disciples) could not so much as eat bread.
3:21. His own people (His family; see 3:31-34) has heard about His
exploits and has traveled from Nazareth to lay hold of (lit., “to seize”)
Him. The multitudes are pressing to touch Him for healing while His
family concludes that “He is out of His mind”. They thought that He was
insane. This is the harshest record in the NT concerning His family’s
attitude toward Him.
3:22. Between episodes with Jesus’ family Mark presents a second
accusation from the scribes. They had come from Jerusalem and said,
“He has Beelzebub” and, “By the ruler of demons He casts out
demons.” These outrageous claims were an attempt to sway public
perception and support away from Jesus by casting suspicion on Him. This
hostility from Jerusalem is a preview of the conflict awaiting Jesus when He
enters the capital city.
 These accusations are packaged together to present an aggressive attack on
Jesus.
Jesus’s defense comes in two parts. The first is to refute the ridiculous
claim that Satan would cast out himself (vv 23-27). The second is to reveal
that the Holy Spirit is the true source of Jesus’s power (vv 28-30).
3:23. Jesus initiates a direct confrontation with the scribes by speaking to
them in parables. The parables develop the theme that strength depends on
unity and any attack to Satan’s domain is a sign not of cooperation but of
disunity, division, and threat. Therefore Jesus’ authority (i.e., in exorcisms)
and preaching of the kingdom of God are a direct attack against Satan’s
kingdom and cannot be in cooperation with it.
3:24-26. The verb divided (merizō) is used three times—once in each
parable. “If a kingdom or household is divided,” it cannot maintain its
stand or authority. On this basis, if Satan’s kingdom and household are
divided, his end is near. In no way would Satan employ such an absurd
strategy.
3:27. Jesus’ last parable argues that in order to plunder a strong man’s
house a burglar first binds him and then plunders his house. Jesus is
declaring that His authority has rendered Satan helpless, and He has entered
Satan’s household to plunder his goods.
3:28-30. Jesus already had one clash with the scribes over the issue of
forgiveness. Because Jesus had forgiven the paralytic’s sins, they accused
Him of speaking blasphemies (cf. 2:5-7). The words “Assuredly (lit.,
“Amen” or “Truly”) I say to you” are emphatic and show the solemnity of
what He is about to say. This passage is still in the context of the scribes’
accusation that Jesus’ power is from Satan. Jesus affirms that “all sins will
be forgiven and whatever blasphemies they may utter.” But the person
who “blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness but is
subject to eternal condemnation.”
The scribes had witnessed the power of Jesus to heal and to cast out
demons. Yet they had concluded that He is possessed and empowered by
Satan. However, Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit (1:10) and had been
working in the Spirit’s power. This is the immediate context in which Jesus
declares the blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
Furthermore this was not a momentary flash of anger but a settled
disposition of their heart. They had consistently refused to hear His words,
see His signs, or heed His corrections. Moreover, they sought to influence
others by campaigning verbally against Jesus.
Possibly these scribes had finalized their view toward Jesus. The
concluding statement in v 30, because they said, “He has a demon” may
suggest this. However, Jesus never says that these men before Him have
blasphemed “against the Holy Spirit.” He simply warns them that this is
possible.
Many today fear that they have committed the unpardonable sin by
blaspheming the Holy Spirit. Such a sensitive spirit is evidence that one’s
disposition is not “finalized” against Jesus. Though people should honor
God’s name, an angry outburst directed at God does not fit this context.
Also the epistles include no warning against committing such a sin. On the
contrary the blood of Christ cleanses from all sin
(1 John 1:7, 9). Many believe that this could be committed only by those in
this historical context, and cannot be committed today. Regardless, anyone
who believes in Jesus has everlasting life and can never perish (John 3:16).
3:31-32. Mark refers again to Jesus’ family (cf. vv 20-21). They were
unable to get into the house to see Him (cf. 2:2-4), so they were standing
outside calling for Him. Twice Mark mentions that they were positioned
outside (3:31-32).
In contrast to His family outside are the people inside with Jesus. The
message is relayed through the crowd to Jesus. “Look, Your mother and
Your brothers are outside seeking You.”
33-35. In response Jesus causes the people inside to ponder the
relationships that He values. He pauses by looking around in a circle at
those who sat about Him and replies that they are His family. Jesus is
committed to those who are inside seeking Him.
Of course Jesus loved and took care of Mary. His brother James later
became a great leader in the Jerusalem church and an author of Scripture.
His brother Jude also wrote an epistle. But Jesus’ priority is with “whoever
does the will of My Father.”
D. The Servant’s Parables (4:1-34)
John and Jesus announced that the kingdom of God was at hand. The
controversies between Jesus and the Jewish leaders resulted in a plot to kill
Him (3:6), along with serious charges that Jesus was possessed and
empowered by Satan. Using parables, Jesus now sheds insight into several
aspects of the kingdom.
1. The parable of the sower (4:1-20)
4:1-2. The fields around the Sea of Galilee can accommodate large crowds
while the hills naturally project the speaker’s voice. Once again, the large
crowd forces Jesus into a boat to teach. The teaching method He employs is
parables. A parable draws on something known to teach the unknown.
4:3-4. While He taught many things by parables, Mark focuses on a
particular parable about a sower. The present imperative verb Listen! and
the particle Behold were designed to draw the attention of the crowd. The
Greek word for listen and hear is akouō (used twelve times in the discourse)
and is a key theme of the chapter. How one hears is crucial in his
relationship to Jesus and his fruitfulness.
Typically the ground would be plowed first and then the sower would plod
about the field broadcasting seed from a pouch or basket attached to his
waist. The farmer would drag limbs or a log behind oxen in order to cover
the seed to insure germination.
The first seed fell by the wayside (hodos), which would be a foot path
around the field, and therefore the birds of the air came and devoured it.
4:5-6. Stony ground would not allow the roots to grow deep. The seed that
fell there quickly sprang up but was scorched by the sun and withered
away.
4:7-8. Other seeds fell among thorns but were choked by the thorns and
produced no crop (karpos, “fruit”). The fourth group fell on good ground
produced a crop that sprang up, increased, and produced. This is the
only seed which bore “fruit” and to varying degrees: some thirtyfold, some
sixty, and some a hundred.
4:9. As Jesus began the parable with a call to listen, He ends by
admonishing them to hear! His words required spiritual attention, thought,
and application.
4:10-12. Intrigued by the parable of the sower, the Twelve, along with a
wider group of disciples, question Him about the parable. But first, Jesus
unveils the purpose of His parables in general. They were designed to
reveal knowledge to the disciples concerning “the mystery (i.e., truth
hidden up to this point) of the kingdom of God,” while at the same time
concealing the truth from “those who are outside.” Those outside had
rejected His authority and were not privy to deeper understanding (cf. 3:31-
35).
The OT quotation from Isa 6:9-10 is pivotal in understanding the passage.
Isaiah (700 BC) was called to pronounce judgment on Israel because of
their unwillingness to hear and repent. Like their ancestors, the present
nation has also failed to hear and repent. Thus the “outsiders” will not be
given more truth “lest they should turn, and their sins be forgiven them.”
Since they reject the truth of Jesus, they will not be granted more truth to
lead them to repentance until they respond to the truth they have already
been given.
4:13. Jesus responded by asking two questions that challenge their
spiritual hearing (cf. 3:9). The second question, “How then will you
understand all the parables?” implies that the parable of the sower is an
interpretive guide to the other parables.
4:14-15. Simply, the seed is “the word.” The wayside is hardened hearts
who hear the Word, but do not believe it. Satan is instrumental in taking the
word away.
4:16-17. Seed cast on stony ground would germinate but would be unable
to grow deep roots. So the sun would quickly wither the plant (cf. 4:5-6).
These are people who immediately received the Word “with gladness.”
The seed germinated and life was manifested, but spiritual progress was
lacking. Having no root in themselves refers to a lack of spiritual depth.
When “tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake,
immediately they stumble.” Immature believers are susceptible to falling
because they do not have the root of spiritual steadfastness and therefore do
not persevere.
4:18-19. The seed falling among the thorns (cf. 4:7) represents those who
hear the Word and begin to grow, but the Word is choked out by “the cares
(lit., “anxieties”) of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the
desires for other things.” Disciples must be careful to guard their hearts
lest these same “thorns” choke the Word.
4:20. Hearts that are “good ground (cf. 4:8)…hear the word, accept it,
and bear fruit.” To bear fruit means to be spiritually productive (cf. Luke
8:15).
 This fourth group is fruitful, because they welcomed the Word into their
hearts and then endured to bear mature fruit.
Even among good hearts the Word produces different degrees of
fruitfulness. The parable reveals that the Word will have various responses.
The Twelve will be sent out in 6:7 and can expect the same responses as we
do today.
2. The parable of the lamp (4:21-25)
4:21-23. Jesus’s second parable begins with two questions. “A lamp is not
placed under a basket, nor under a bed, but is set on a lampstand.” Its
purpose is to bring light to a dark room. For begins an explanation of the
parable. Anything “hidden will be revealed and any secret will come to
light.” The two words revealed (phaneroō) and light (phaneros) are from
the same Greek word meaning to manifest, to bring to light.
The parable of the sower focused on the hearts of men in response to the
Word of God. The parable of the lamp is a parable about accountability. As
a lamp reveals a room, even so, the lamp of God’s revelation will make
manifest (i.e., bring to light) the secret and hidden things of men’s hearts
(cf. 1 Cor 4:5).
With a somber warning Jesus exhorts the disciples to hear, that is, allow
His Word to “take root” in their hearts.
4:24-25. Then He said to them would normally begin a new thought (e.g.,
vv 11, 13, 21, 26, 30, 35), but many link it with the parable of the lamp
because the theme of accountability continues. Either way, the meaning is
not affected.
Disciples should “take heed” that their hearts are welcoming the Word
because “with the same measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
The degree to which believers obey the Word will be the degree to which
believers bear fruit. Disobedience brings a barrenness, choking, and
withering of the spiritual life. Even among the obedient fruitbearers (v 20)
there were degrees of measure; some bore “thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and some a
hundredfold.”
Obedience carries a further promise of blessing. The word has (echō)
means that the person contains or possesses a degree of fruitfulness and
“will be given” more. The more one accepts God’s Word, the more truth
and blessings and fruitfulness God will entrust to him, including increased
eternal rewards (cf. Luke 19:17, 19, 26).
The person “who does not have” is one who is not hearing (i.e.,
disobedient) and does not possess a fruitful life. In his case even what he
may have by way of fruit “will be taken away from him.” The passive
voice of taken away suggests that God is the One who is taking away fruit
from the believer. This He may take away through discipline (cf. 1 Cor
11:30-32), or God may allow sin to produce its destructive pattern in his life
(cf. Jas 1:15). Loss of reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ is also in view
(cf. 1 Cor 3:15).
3. The parable of the growing seed (4:26-29)
4:26-29. This parable, found only in Mark, is similar to the parable of the
sower. (cf. 4:13).
The seed is the Word, as the ground represents the hearts of men. Having
scattered the seed, the man will “sleep by night and rise by day,” that is,
he will return to his normal routine. Meanwhile the seed sprouts and grows
and “he himself does not know how,” that is, the man has no power to
make it grow. This is confirmed in v 28, “For the earth yields crops by
itself.”
The planted seed has power within itself to cause life (cf. 1 Pet 1:23) and
yields crops over time.
The man watches over his crops and “he puts in the sickle, because the
harvest has come.” The man is the one who is harvesting. While Jesus
elsewhere uses the harvest as a figure for judgment day (cf. Matt 13:39), in
such contexts He clearly identifies it as such. Here, the harvest is the fruit of
the man scattering the seed.
Disciples who faithfully preach the Word of God can have confidence that
the Word has life and power in itself. Though responses to the Word differ,
one can be assured that God is doing His part in bringing fruit to harvest (cf.
1 Cor 3:6-7). Discouragement is certainly a part of ministry, but with
patience God is using “seed casters” to reap a spiritual harvest (cf. Gal 6:9).
4. The parable of the mustard seed (4:30-32)
4:30-32. Jesus illustrates the “kingdom of God as a mustard seed.”
 In view of the kingdom being rejected, this parable emphasizes the small
origin and trivial reception that the kingdom would initially receive. Yet the
end result is an impressive growth which is in contrast to the tiny seed
sown.
Interpreting “the birds of the air” is the main conflict in the passage.
Many emphasize the OT imagery of Ezek 17:6; 31:6; and Dan 4:10-19,
which interpret the birds as “all great nations.” Thus one option is that the
kingdom will be a home for all the great nations. A second interpretation,
however, sees the birds as evil influences in the kingdom of God (Mark 4:4,
14). Therefore the kingdom of God will grow impressively but will be
opposed by evil (cf. Matt 13:24-30). In light of Mark 4:11-12 and 2 Cor 4:4,
the second view seems to be preferable.
5. Conclusion of parables (4:33-34)
4:33-34. Mark selects these four parables but concludes by stating that
Jesus spoke many such parables to them. The imperfect tense (elalei, “he
was speaking”) reveals that this was His customary way of teaching when
speaking to the multitudes. He was sensitive to their ability to learn because
He would explain the parables to the Twelve.
E. The Servant’s Power Intensified (4:35–5:43)
Before Mark develops the theme of progressing rejection (6:1), he displays
Jesus’ power in four dramatic scenes.
1. His power over nature (4:35-41)
4:35-36. This incident took place on the same day as the parables. Jesus is
in a boat (cf. v 1) so He commanded the disciples to cross over to the other
side. Jesus now takes the Twelve from lecture to life, from teaching to
testing. He reveals Himself to His disciples not just in parables, but in
power as well.
4:37-38. On their way to the other side, a great windstorm arose, driving
the waves into the boat and filling it up with water. Jesus is in the stern,
asleep on a pillow. He is fatigued from the day’s teaching and oblivious to
the storm taking place.
Sensing impending doom, the disciples awaken Jesus, “Teacher, do you
not care that we are perishing?” Teacher is a reminder of the day’s
parables concerning the heart in receiving the Word. Urgency in the matter,
compounded with the Lord’s lack of action, leads them to question His care
for them.
4:39-40. Then He arose (lit., “and having awakened”) and rebuking the
wind, He spoke to the sea, “Peace, be still!” (lit., “Be silent, be muzzled!”),
and the great wind became a great calm.
Two elements were out of control: nature and the fear of the disciples.
Thus Jesus rebukes the disciples with two questions. First, “Why are you
so fearful?” It is normal to be concerned in this storm, but they should have
awakened Him out of faith, not fear. His second question chides them for
their lack of faith in His care for them. “How is it that you have no faith?”
Where faith is absent, fear is present.
4:41. The disciples feared exceedingly (lit., “feared a great fear”), and
kept asking each other, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea
obey Him?” Of course they knew He was the Messiah, but not yet that He
is God in the flesh. The word obey (hupakouō) is related to a key word in
Jesus’ parables to hear (akouō). Nature obeys the voice of God, yet the
disciples do not yet respond in faith when faced with anxieties (cf. v 19).
2. His power over the demons (5:1-20)
5:1. Jesus and the disciples come ashore on the east side of the Sea of
Galilee in Gentile territory. Matthew writes that they came to the country of
the “Gergesenes” (8:28) according to the majority of manuscripts. (The
Critical text reads Gadarenes.) Mark and Luke (8:26) say this miracle
occurred in the country of the Gadarenes. Gergesa, located midway along
the eastern bank of the Sea of Galilee is probably the actual site.
5:2. Jesus is immediately greeted by a man coming out of the tombs.
Matthew 8:28 records that there were two demon-possessed men, and that
both were healed. Mark (cf. 5:15) and Luke (8:35) emphasize only one man
because he worshiped Christ in response to being healed.
This man has an unclean spirit. The word unclean is a theme linked with
the subsequent story of the woman with the menstrual disorder and the dead
girl. The Holy One of God (cf. Mark 1:24) is not contaminated by touching
unclean individuals, dead bodies, or by interacting with unclean spirits.
While the man is internally unclean by the spirits, he is also externally
unclean by abiding in the tombs—a place of uncleanness.
 5:3-5. Some people had attempted to control this demon-possessed man by
binding him with shackles and chains, but the shackles would be broken
in pieces. He was living in bondage and torment that could not be cured or
controlled. Night and day he wandered in isolation crying out and cutting
himself with stones. Mark accentuates the extreme hopelessness of the
man.
5:6-7. Some view the demon’s words of speaking the name of Jesus as an
attempt to gain control and power over the Lord. This is unlikely since in
Mark Jesus is constantly exerting His authority over demons. Also the scene
clearly reveals that the demons know their doom, Christ’s identity, and
show signs of absolute submission.
The demons were in control of the man as he ran and worshiped Him.
One demon acts as spokesman for the many.
By referring to Him as “Jesus, Son of the Most High God,” the demon is
confessing Christ’s superior power and position so that he can implore the
Lord to spare him torment.
5:8-9. So far, only a single unclean spirit has interacted with Jesus, but the
name “Legion” reveals that there were many demons in the man. A Roman
legion was about six thousand troops, usually with an equal number of
auxiliary troops. Thus Jesus is confronted by an army of demons who run to
Him in total surrender from the outset.
5:10-13. The spokesman begs Jesus that He would not send them out of
the country. The change from the singular “he” to the plural “them” in v 10
signifies that the spokesman was asking for the entire legion of demons.
Then v 12, all the demons begged Him.
5:14-17. Perhaps Jesus’ permission for the spirits to enter the pigs was
designed to gather attention to His miraculous power because the caretakers
of the herd fled and they told it in the city and in the country.
Investigators observed the man under control sitting and clothed and in
his right mind. Whereas before, they had been afraid of the demon-
possessed man, now they are afraid of Jesus who has the power to deliver
such a man. Therefore, the locals plead with Him to depart from their
region. They would apparently rather live with the demons in their country
than with Jesus.
5:18. Without an argument Jesus got into the boat. However, the man
begged Him that he might be with Him. Understandably unlike the
fearful men of the city and country (vv 14-17), he wanted to be with the
One who had set him free.
5:19-20. While Jesus granted the request of the demons and the locals, He
denied the request of the man He healed to follow Him. Instead, Jesus said,
“Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has
done for you.” Some see disobedience in the man’s response when he went
to Decapolis to preach. However, it is not his disobedience, but his
extravagant obedience, which is emphasized as he went beyond what Jesus
had commanded. Decapolis was an area where ten cities were in a
geographical and political league. Nine of the cities were east of the Jordan
River. Perhaps this man’s testimony helped prepare Jesus’s later ministry in
Decapolis.
3. His power over disease and death (5:21-43)
Mark tells two more stories in the sandwich structure, that is, he begins
with the story of the dying girl which is interrupted with the diseased
woman and continues with the death of the girl. This pattern serves to
heighten the drama for the reader while Jesus’ compassion and control in
the midst of turmoil are noted.
5:21-24. Having left Gergesa, they crossed back over into Jewish territory,
most likely to Capernaum. A man met Him there named Jairus, who was a
synagogue leader. His duty was to take care of the physical arrangements
for the worship services. Overwhelmed by anguish, he sees Jesus and he
fell at His feet and begged Jesus earnestly to heal his daughter. Quick
action is needed because his daughter is at the point of death.
Without hesitation Jesus goes with Jairus. The large crowd surrounding
and following them sets the context for the intervening story.
5:25-26. A woman in the “throng” had a flow of blood for twelve years.
Menstrual impurity was a concern in the OT (cf. Lev 15:19-33) and resulted
in physical distress and religious and social isolation. The theme of
uncleanness reasserts itself from Jesus’s previous bout with unclean spirits
as His mission is directed toward the unclean. Not only was she defiled, but
anyone who touched her would become defiled. This despairing condition
could not be controlled nor could many specialists cure her. She was no
better, but rather grew worse. After twelve years of futility she had been
left in physical and financial poverty.
 5:27-29. As she pressed toward Jesus, she was thinking to herself, “If only
I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well” (lit., “I will be saved”).
She exhibited great faith in Jesus’ power to heal simply by touching His
clothes. Whereas Jairus wanted Jesus to lay hands on his daughter, this
woman knew that if she merely touched Christ’s clothes, she would be
healed.
When she did, instantly she was cured, and she felt in her body the
healing of her affliction (lit., “torment, suffering”).
5:30-32. As she sensed the healing, Jesus also knew that power had gone
out of Him. His question, “Who touched My clothes?” is not an
indication that Jesus is upset, but is designed to draw the woman out so that
He could converse with her. The urgent drama of Jairus’s dying daughter
suddenly takes a back seat to this woman. One can imagine the thoughts
running through the mind of Jairus as Jesus stops to locate someone who
touched Him. Jesus pauses and looks around for her in the crowd.
The disciples reflect their frustration (and probably that of Jairus) in the
chaotic scene.
5:33. Her emotions of fearing and trembling reveal that she expected a
negative response from Jesus. Yet she came forward and fell down before
Him and told Him the whole truth (cf. vv 25-28).
5:34. He addresses her as Daughter, which sets up a comparison with
Jairus’s daughter (cf. v 23). This woman was also precious to Jesus. As a
little girl lies dying and multitudes are pressing in on Him, Jesus takes time
to address this daughter of faith. He says to her, “Your faith has made you
well.” Her faith in Him gave her physical (and probably spiritual) healing.
Jesus bids her, “Go in peace and be healed of your affliction” in order to
relieve her fear and trembling.
5:35. Even as Jesus is speaking to the woman, news comes that the little
girl has died. Tension soars as the realization that time spent with this
woman cost Jairus his daughter’s life. While they were certain that Jesus
could heal someone who was sick, they thought that death was beyond His
power. The messengers advise Jairus not to “trouble the Teacher any
further.”
5:36. Jesus, however, quickly encourages Jairus, “Do not be afraid; only
believe.” Jairus witnessed the faith and fear of the woman and even though
death is a much greater need, he has reason to believe.
 5:37. Three times in Mark Jesus selects only Peter, James, and John to
follow Him. The other two times are at the Mount of Transfiguration (9:2)
and the Garden of Gethsemane (14:33). The first time is the raising of
Jairus’s daughter.
5:38-40. Professional mourners would assemble even for the poor, but
many were participating at the home of a prestigious man like Jairus. Jesus
observes a general tumult with the mourners who wept and wailed loudly.
By questioning their mourning He is implicitly rebuking their unbelief. He
is present and therefore the situation is not hopeless. The mourners’
presence unmistakably indicates the certainty of her death.
By saying, “The child is not dead, but sleeping,” Jesus does not mean
that the girl is alive—as if she is in a coma and the people are simply
mistaken. His statement is akin to Paul saying that Eutychus’s soul was still
in him (cf. Acts 20:10; cf. also John 11:11-15).
5:41-43. At this pronouncement the professional mourners turn their
wailing for the dead daughter into laughing at Jesus. Jesus sends them all
out, which recalls the theme of unbelief exhibited by those outside the
house (cf. 3:31; 4:11). At His command, “Little girl, I say to you, arise,”
she immediately arises, demonstrating His power over death.
Mark waits until now to reveal that the girl was twelve years of age. This
links her to the woman who was diseased for “twelve years” (5:25). He
brings together two daughters, one whose illness began twelve years earlier,
and one whose life began then.
The parents, disciples, and eventually the gathering crowd, are overcome
with great amazement.
In contrast to His command to the Gentile man at Gergesa, Jesus’ first
command is to keep the incident silent. The multitude have enough
evidence to generate faith in Him; they do not need more. His second
command is to give the girl something to eat. She needed to do the practical
things to maintain life.
These four experiences highlight the power of Jesus in areas where man is
totally helpless. Jesus demonstrated His power over nature, an army of
demons, a hopeless illness, and a dead girl.
III. The Servant’s Preparation for Ultimate Rejection (6:1–8:30)
 Plans to kill Jesus (3:6) are moving forward. Signs of opposition intensify
as He prepares the Twelve for their future mission.
A. His Rejection Intensifies (6:1-29)
The theme of rejection is viewed in three different spheres. First, Jesus is
rejected in His own hometown. Second, He prepares the Twelve for
rejection as He sends them out to preach. Third, Jesus’ fate is foreshadowed
in the death of John the Baptist.
1. Rejection in Nazareth (6:1-6)
6:1-3. Verse 1 serves as a transition from Capernaum to His own country,
Nazareth. Jesus teaches with the result that many hearing Him were
astonished (lit., “amazed with great amazement”) at His wisdom and the
news of His miracles.
Notwithstanding, questions concerning Jesus arise, mainly that He appears
to be a normal person. “Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, the
brother of James, Joses, Judas [Jude], and Simon? And are not His
sisters here with us?” The fact that Joseph is not mentioned suggests that
he had died by this time. Interestingly no question about Jesus’ birth is
alluded to (cf. John 8:41).
These questions cause the hometown crowd to be offended at Him.
6:4. As was true of the OT prophets, Jesus was not honored “in His own
country, among His own relatives, and in His own house.” Apparently
they focused more on His humanness than His supernatural abilities.
6:5. Therefore He could do no mighty work there except heal a few sick.
God is omnipotent regardless of one’s faith in Him. The reason Jesus healed
only a few was not that His power was limited, but that the people’s faith
was limited, and this prevented them from coming to Him to be healed. In
contrast to the successful healing summaries in Mark (e.g., 1:34; 1:45; 3:7-
11; 6:53-56), Nazareth missed the blessings of the Messiah.
6:6. Jesus marveled because of their unbelief. Marvel carries the idea of
a disturbing surprise. Elsewhere in Mark, it is the response of others toward
Jesus (cf. 6:51; 12:17; 15:5,44). Jesus is amazed His own people do not
believe in Him, their long-promised Messiah.
He does not linger over the rejection, but continues (cf. 1:38) by going to
the villages around Nazareth in a circuit, teaching.
 2. Rejection throughout Israel (6:7-13)
Up to this point the disciples were spectators in Jesus’ ministry; but now
they will begin the initial phase of fishing for men (cf. 1:17; 3:14-15).
Whether this sending of the Twelve was simultaneous with Jesus’ circuit
around Nazareth (6:6) is difficult to know. It appears that they reconvened
at
Capernaum where they were close to the lake (cf. v 32).
6:7. He sent them out two by two not only as witnesses (cf. Deut 17:6) but
for support as well. Clearly the Twelve were functioning as representatives
of Christ and extending His ministry throughout Israel as He gave them
power over unclean spirits. Mark has emphasized Jesus’ power in the
exorcisms, and the disciples will remind Israel of Jesus as they exercise this
authority in His name.
6:8-9. Jesus commanded (i.e., instructed) them to take very little on their
mission. They would need to travel lightly and with a sense of urgency and
faith. They were allowed a staff but no extra provisions such as a bag used
by travelers to carry extra supplies. Nor were they allowed food, or even
small change such as copper coins. They were to wear sandals and a
tunic, but they were not to take an extra tunic, that is, one that would
protect them from the night air. These instructions were limited to this
specific mission as was their power over demons (cf. 9:18).
6:10-11. Hospitality was the way God would provide for them. If
welcomed, they were to “stay there” until they left the city.
However, the disciples could also expect rejection. A whole city may
neither “receive nor hear” them and thereby hospitality would be lacking.
Whenever they experienced a citywide rejection, they were to “shake off
the dust under their feet as a testimony against them.”
Jewish travelers shook off the dust of Gentile territory from their sandals
and clothes before reentering Israel. This gesture by the disciples was a sign
that inhabitants of this Jewish city were like Gentiles (cf. Paul in Acts
13:51). Jesus declares that the city that rejects His messengers will suffer a
fate worse than that of “Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19) in the day of
judgment.”
The day of judgment is a reference to the Great White Throne Judgment
(Rev 20:11-15), where all unbelievers of all time will be judged. That the
result of the judgment will be more tolerable for some than others shows
that there will be degrees of suffering in the lake of fire.
6:12-13. The disciples preached that people should repent. The kingdom
would not come for Israel until the entire nation both repented and believed
(cf. 1:15). In addition to preaching, the Twelve cast out many demons, and
anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them.
3. Rejection of His forerunner by Herod (6:14-29)
Before recording the disciples’ report to Jesus about their mission trip,
Mark reports the execution of John the Baptist. In learning about the fate of
John, the reader anticipates the execution of Jesus in Jerusalem and the
possible consequences of being His servant in a hostile world.
6:14-16. Jesus’ fame gained the attention of Herod Antipas. He believed
that Jesus was actually John the Baptist raised from the dead. Others in
Israel thought Jesus was Elijah, the Prophet, or one of the prophets.
Herod was suffering from a guilty conscience because he had beheaded an
innocent man whom he greatly admired.
6:17-18. Herod Antipas was guilt-ridden because he had put John to death
for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife. Antipas had
convinced her to marry him even though she was married to his half-
brother, Herod Philip. John, being a preacher of repentance, had proclaimed
to Antipas, “It is not lawful to have your brother’s wife” (e.g., Lev
20:21). As a result, Antipas imprisoned John.
6:19-20. Because of his pointed preaching, Herodias held it against him.
The imperfect stresses the ongoing grudge she held against John with the
result that she wanted to kill him, but she could not. Antipas protected
John because he feared John and believed him to be a just and holy man.
Further aggravating his conscience was the fact that he killed a man whom
he greatly respected and enjoyed.
6:21-23. Herodias’ plot to kill John is coming to fruition. This plot is
parallel to the Herodians’ plot (3:6) who themselves are waiting for an
opportune day to kill Jesus, and thus this story fits into the overall theme of
rejection. Herod’s birthday banquet, attended by influential leaders,
occasioned him to lower his guard.
Herodias’ daughter herself came in and danced, pleasing Herod and his
distinguished guests. She is called a girl, possibly indicating that she was a
teenager. Herod is probably drunk. Certainly he is boastful before his
guests. He offers to grant the daughter of Herodias up to half his kingdom.
6:24-25. Herodias does not hesitate to request “the head of John the
Baptist on a platter.” Her daughter quickly relays the request in front of
the party and adds that she wants his head “at once.”
6:26-28. Antipas was exceedingly sorry and compounds his guilt over
John’s death. The word is used only one other time in describing Jesus’
sorrow in the Garden. But because he had sworn in front of these influential
men, he did not want to refuse her. John’s head is brought to Salome who
gives it to Herodias. This is the sad ending to a great prophet’s ministry, but
it clearly foreshadows the death of Jesus the Messiah.
6:29. John’s disciples, who are mentioned earlier (2:18), place his body in
a tomb (foreshadowing the fact that Jesus’ body will also be laid in a tomb,
15:46).
B. His Preparation of the Twelve (6:30-56)
As opposition increases, the training of the Twelve becomes paramount for
Jesus. With the sending out of the Twelve and their subsequent report, Jesus
begins to focus on their understanding of who He is. The interaction
between Jesus and the Twelve link the feeding of the five thousand with
Jesus walking on the water. Throughout the rest of Mark’s Gospel the
rejection of Christ and the preparation of the disciples are major themes in
the book.
1. The feeding of the five thousand (6:30-44)
6:30-32. Verse 30 is a transition verse moving the topic from rejection of
Jesus to the preparation of the disciples. The apostles reunite with Jesus
near the sea of Galilee and report to Him all that had happened on their
mission. Jesus commands them to “Come aside by yourselves to a
deserted place and rest a while.” Mark explains that because of the people
they could not even find time to eat.
Because they are near the Sea of Galilee they are probably near
Capernaum, which has been Jesus’ center of operations. This is indicated by
their getting into a boat to find a place of rest.
6:33-34. Though they left by themselves (i.e., privately), many saw them
and anticipated their arrival. The people ran…from all the cities by
circling the north shore of Galilee and were waiting to greet Him. Jesus was
not irritated; He was moved with compassion because they were like
sheep not having a shepherd. They were not cared for, nor provided for
spiritually by the Jewish leaders. Many passages speak of God caring for
Israel as a shepherd His flock (e.g., Num 22:17; 1 Kgs 22:17) and state that
the Son of David will be that Shepherd (cf. Ezek 34:23; 37:24).
6:35-36. Because the day was growing late the disciples are concerned that
the people lack food. They suggest that Jesus send them away so that they
can go into the surrounding villages to buy themselves bread.
6:37-38. Surprisingly, Jesus commands, “You give them something to
eat.” They ask, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of
bread and give them something to eat?” Two hundred denarii was nearly
a year’s wages for a common laborer. Instead, Jesus asks, “How many
loaves do you have? Go and see.” They find out that all they have is five
loaves and two fish, enough for perhaps one man and his family.
6:39-41. The disciples are to organize the multitude in groups of hundreds
and in fifties. This was to facilitate the distribution of the food as well as
help the people recognize the miracle. After blessing the food, He broke the
loaves and gave (lit., “kept on giving”) to His disciples, and the two fish
were divided among them all.
The picture of the disciples running back to Jesus for more food when He
started with only five loaves and two fish is truly stunning.
6:42-44. All the people ate and were filled. They had more left over than
when they began. The twelve baskets are intended for each disciple to hold
and reflect on the significance of this event. This miracle echoes the OT
miracles through Moses (Exod 16:4) and Elijah (2 Kgs 4:42-44).
2. Jesus walks on the water (6:45-52)
6:45-46. One scene quickly shifts to the next as Jesus made (lit.,
“compelled”) His disciples get into the boat and go before Him…to
Bethsaida, a village on the north end of the sea near Capernaum. He
dismissed the crowd and departed to the mountain to pray.
6:47-48. Two time factors are significant. Evening was a general time
between late afternoon and darkness while the fourth watch began about
3:00 a.m. Therefore several hours passed from the time Jesus saw the
disciples straining at rowing (lit., “tormented, harassed”) in the middle of
the sea until He came to them walking on the water. Even then, His intent
was to pass by them.
Without question, Jesus is testing the disciples. He deliberately arranged
this scenario to test their understanding of who He is. As in the feeding of
the five thousand they are placed in a situation where their self-efforts are
inadequate.
6:49-50. Human nature replaces spiritual perspective as they mistake Him
for a ghost, and cried out (i.e., a shriek of terror). This scream was
precipitated by the verb troubled, which was a stirring up of their emotions.
Compassionately Jesus speaks peace to them and identifies Himself as “It
is I” or literally “I am.” This is a reference to the divine name and
highlights the point in the feeding of the five thousand and the boat scene
that Jesus is the I am of the OT.
6:51-52. As in the earlier boat scene (4:35-41) the wind submits to Him.
Mark records that their amazement was because they had not understood
about the loaves, because their heart was hardened.
This test in the boat was designed to test their understanding of His
revelation in the feeding of the five thousand. What they knew about Jesus
from that miracle should have been applied to the wind on the sea, but they
did not connect the two. Another contrast is seen in Jesus’ prayer and the
disciples’ cry of fear. When confronted by the wind, faith in God should
have led to a crying out in prayer and dependence on God, instead of
merely “straining at rowing” (v 48).
3. The popularity of His ministry (6:53-56)
6:53-56. With Jesus in the boat they arrive at the land of Gennesaret.
This is a plain called Gennesaret, but there was also a town with the same
name. This plain would serve well the gathering of a great crowd to see
Jesus, which is a normal response when people recognize Him. Wherever
He traveled people would bring the sick so they could touch the hem of
His garment and be healed.
C. His Explanation of Rejection (7:1-23)
Mark reveals that the reason behind the leaders’ rejection of Christ is their
own sinful heart which manifests itself in the honoring of their own
traditions rather than observing the Word of God.
 1. The leaders find fault with Jesus (7:1-5)
7:1. The Pharisees team up with the Herodians in a plot to kill Jesus (3:6)
and here they join with the scribes who previously accused Jesus of being
possessed by Beelzebub (3:22). These leaders have learned that Jesus does
not agree with their views (cf. 2:1-3:6) so they come from Jerusalem on
another faultfinding mission, another step in their strategy to destroy Him.
7:2-5. They witnessed Jesus’ disciples eat with defiled, that is, with
unwashed hands, and therefore they found fault (i.e., blame). Defilement
(cf. vv 2, 5, 15, 18, 20, 23) and tradition (cf. vv 3, 5, 8, 9, 13) are major
themes in this section. Their accusation was not based on direct
disobedience to the OT law, but to the regulations in “the tradition of the
elders.” In Jesus’ day the oral teachings of the religious leaders were
passed from generation to generation.
As Mark explains in v 3, all the Jews do not eat unless they wash their
hands in a special way, holding to the tradition of the elders.
In summary Mark adds that there are many other things which they
have received and hold, like the washing of cups, pitchers, copper
vessels, and couches.
2. Jesus unmasks the leaders (7:6-13)
7:6-8. Jesus exposes the Pharisees and scribes by calling them
“hypocrites.” A hypocrite was literally a play actor who wore a mask in a
theater to portray someone other than himself. In this sense, Jesus unmasks
them as false and claims that they are in the same ungodly line of leadership
as leaders seven hundred years before in Isaiah’s day (Isa 29:13). From this
quotation two marks of hypocrisy stand out. First, they honor God “with
their lips but their heart is far from Him.” Second, they teach “the
commandments of men” (i.e., their own oral teachings) as the
commandments of God. Thus they were “laying aside (lit., “abandoning”)
the commandment of God for the tradition of men.”
7:9. The adverb well (lit., “beautifully, splendidly”) adds sarcasm to His
argument as it refers to how skillfully they “reject the commandment of
God” in order to keep their own tradition. Jesus is firm in pointing out that
they are rejecting the commandment of God.
7:10. Jesus’ illustration comes from the fifth commandment of the Ten
Commandments (Exod 20:12). Honor means to provide appropriate
financial support for parents in their elderly years (cf. 1 Tim 5:4, 8), while
the child who curses (speak evil, revile, insult) his parents could be put to
death (cf. Exod 21:17).
7:11. The words “But you say” are emphatic and illustrate how they reject
the fifth commandment. Tradition held that a person might tell his aging
parents, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is Corban
—(that is, a gift to God).” The hypocrisy is that the intent was not really to
offer God a gift, but to avoid having to help one’s parents. Declaring
something as Corban allowed the giver to keep the gift, but use it for
investment purposes so long as the principal was not touched. When the
person died, the money declared Corban was officially deposited with the
temple.
7:12-13. Oral traditions of the Jewish leaders resulted in “making the
Word of God of no effect” (lit., “cancel, revoke”) by allowing a man to
avoid responsibility to his parents. The statement “And many such things
you do” (cf. v 4) reveal that these leaders practice revoking God’s Law in
many areas. No wonder John the Baptist and Jesus’ disciples were calling
them to repentance.
3. Jesus exhorts the multitude (7:14-16)
7:14-16. After reprimanding the leaders, Jesus called all the multitude to
Himself to teach about defilement. “Hear Me, everyone, and
understand” recalls the parables in chapter 4 where Jesus said it was
urgent that they understand (e.g. 4:3). The accusation is that the disciples
had eaten with unwashed hands and therefore became defiled according to
the Pharisees and scribes (7:2). However, Jesus’ simple parable states that
nothing entering a man “from outside” defiles him. Instead what comes
“out of him” are the things that defile a person. Therefore eating with
unwashed hands cannot defile a man. Jesus exhorts the crowd to hear Him
(cf. 4:9).
4. Jesus explains the parable to the disciples (7:17-23)
7:17-19. When they were alone with Jesus in a house, His disciples asked
about the parable (cf. 4:34). Like the multitude, the disciples are also
lacking understanding and are therefore chided by the Lord. Food enters a
person and cannot defile him, even if it is eaten with unwashed hands,
“because it does not enter his heart (kardia) but his stomach (koilia) and
is eliminated.”
Here Jesus gave His perspective about the defilement of eating unclean
foods (cf. Leviticus 11; Deuteronomy 14). A Jew was not defiled because of
the unclean food he ate but because his heart had broken God’s command.
The heart was what the religious leaders missed in their worship of God (cf.
v 6).
7:20-23. While the Pharisees emphasized external religion (cf. Matt 6:2, 5,
16) Jesus taught that defilement has its source in people’s hearts. The
wording of the Greek text indicates that the “evil thoughts” produce the
following twelve vices. Man’s heart and thoughts are connected
(e.g., Jas 4:8) and together manifest the attitudes and acts of sin.
The first six vices are plural nouns that portray acts of evil: “adulteries,
fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, and wickedness.” The
second six vices are singular nouns expressing a condition or state of evil:
“deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, and foolishness.”
Jesus again states that all these come from “within and defile a man.” He
explains emphatically that eating with unwashed hands cannot defile a man;
instead the source of uncleanness is the heart. Also He further alienates the
religious leaders by exposing their hypocrisy in rejecting the Word of God
in order to honor their own traditions. This forms the basis for the real
reason of His rejection among the Jewish leaders: their hearts were “far
from God” (cf. 7:6).
D. The Servant Heals a Gentile Woman’s Daughter (7:24-30)
7:24. His retreat into the Gentile borders of Tyre and Sidon may have
been to rest with His disciples from the increasing opposition of Herod and
the Jews. This area is about forty miles northwest of Capernaum. He did not
go there to minister; though trying to remain secret to the people, He could
not be hidden.
7:25-26. Mark highlights a woman whose daughter had an unclean spirit.
The first word in the Greek sentence in v 25 is hearing, which recalls the
response Jesus desired from those who heard His teaching (e.g., vv 14, 16).
This woman came and fell at His feet. She is categorized as a Greek, a
Syro-Phoenecian by birth, which means that she was a member of the
Hellenized community in the Phoenician republic of Tyre. Phoenicia
belonged to the province of Syria. Her birth and culture were totally
Gentile, which is crucial to understanding Jesus’ response when she kept
asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.
7:27. His response to her appears harsh and offensive. Children refers
generally to Israel and therefore poses a Jew-Gentile contrast in the
subsequent story. “Let them be filled first” indicates that His ministry to
Jews was a priority and that it is not good to take bread (i.e., time) away
from them to feed the little dogs. This word for dog refers to a house dog
or to a lap dog in contrast to a street or farm dog. The Jews called Gentiles
dogs (cf. 2 Sam 16:9).
7:28. Rather than taking offense, the woman heard Jesus’ parable and
understood what He meant. She took His parable and crafted a response of
humility and faith. She said, “Lord, yet even the little dogs under the
table eat from the children’s crumbs.” She wanted just a little scrap so
that her daughter could be delivered from demon possession.
7:29-30. Because of what she said and the faith that it conveyed, the Lord
granted her request. Matthew recorded that she recognized Him as the “Son
of David” (Matt 15:22) while He acknowledged her “great faith” (Matt
15:28). When she arrived home, she found the demon gone out, and her
daughter lying on the bed.
E. The Servant Heals a Deaf Mute (7:31-37)
7:31. Jesus travels from Tyre twenty miles northward to Sidon on the
coast, turned southeastward, avoiding Galilee, and passes through the
midst of the region of the Decapolis to the Sea of Galilee. The Decapolis
(lit., “ten cities”) was a political league with nine of the ten cities east of the
Jordan River in Gentile territory. Earlier, the man delivered from a legion of
demons had proclaimed news about Jesus in all of Decapolis (cf. 5:20).
7:32. A man who was deaf and had an impediment in his speech is
brought to Jesus for healing. Mark selects this healing because it fits well
with his theme on the identity of Christ. Jesus Himself links physical sight
to spiritual sight as well as physical hearing to spiritual hearing (e.g. 4:9,
12). This man physically represents the spiritual condition of many who
were not hearing spiritually and therefore could not speak (i.e., confess)
clearly who Jesus is. Mark is building up to a climax when Jesus asks the
disciples, “Who do men say that I am? Who do you say that I am?” Peter
will speak accurately because he has heard (8:27-29).
7:33. The man needed personal attention so Jesus directs him away from
the crowd. While Jesus did not need a person’s faith to do miracles, He
often chose to work according to people’s faith because faith in Him was
the desired result of His miracles.
Jesus put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue.
Jesus may have done this, rather than just saying “Be healed,” in order to
stimulate the man’s faith and to create a personal connection between them.
Faith could grow in anticipation of healing as he watched Jesus’ actions.
7:34. Jesus was looking up to heaven in dependence on the Father and He
sighed as a result of the condition of man. Again, Mark translates an
Aramaic phrase, “Ephphatha,” for his Roman readers, “Be opened.”
7:35-37. Immediately the man is healed. Jesus orders them (i.e., the
crowd) that they should tell no one, but this only excited them to proclaim
the news more widely. Mark records the reaction of the people as they
were astonished beyond measure saying, “He has done all things well.”
This brief section serves to show the effects of unbelief on people as most
were not able to hear and speak. The deaf man with the speech impediment
is a physical picture of the spiritual condition of Israel.
F. The Servant’s Development of His Identity (8:1-30)
Though the disciples understood that Jesus is the Messiah (cf. 8:29; John
1:41) they did not clearly understand that He must die before He would set
up His kingdom. Climactically, Peter’s confession is evidence that they see
who He is but are unclear about His mission to the cross.
1. The feeding of the four thousand (8:1-10)
8:1-3. In those days links the location on the east side of the Sea of
Galilee where Jesus concluded His circuit through Decapolis (cf. 7:31).
This corresponds with 8:10 where they sail to Magdala on the west side of
the lake. Jesus has been ministering to this great multitude of Jews and
Gentiles for three days, and now they have nothing to eat. The persistence
of the multitude to stay in spite of their lack of food is a highlight in a
context of rejection for the Lord. Some had traveled so far that He is
concerned that they will faint on the way if He were to send them home.
 8:4-7. This scene is reminiscent of the feeding of the five thousand (6:30-
44). Their need of bread here in the wilderness recalls God’s provision for
His people in the OT, and when Jesus supplies bread for them, this
implicitly identifies Him as God. Jesus took the seven loaves and gave
thanks for them before having His disciples…set them before the
multitude. They also had a few small fish, which were also distributed.
Similarly, a disciple receives spiritual food from the Lord to pass on to
those who are spiritually hungry.
8:8-10. The significance of the seven large baskets of leftover fragments
is not given. The number seven is possibly a reminder that they began with
seven loaves (v 5). Following this miracle, they sail to the west side of the
lake to Dalmanutha, which is associated with Magdala (cf. Matt 15:39).
This account of the Jew-Gentile multitude has parallels with the account of
the Syro-Phoenician woman eating bread from the Lord (cf. 7:27-28).
Together, they provide a preview of the Church (cf. Eph 2:11-22).
2. The disciples’ misunderstanding (8:11-21)
8:11-12. Another encounter with the Pharisees reveals their intent to
dispute with Jesus about His identity. They demand that he perform some
sign from heaven. They were testing Him, for according to OT guidelines
a prophet’s words could be trusted only if he had accompanying proof that
he spoke from God (Deut 18:18-22). However, Jesus had repeatedly given
them adequate proof (Mark 3:22; 5:1-43; 6:33-44; 8:1-8), yet they still did
not believe. Of course they were not really looking for proof, since in the
earlier signs, they accused Jesus of performing miracles by the power of
Satan (cf. 3:22).
Jesus reveals internal frustration when He sighed deeply to Himself and
questioned, “Why does this generation seek a sign?” Jesus has performed
many signs for this generation which were given to stimulate their faith in
Him (John 20:30-31). Jesus uses the word generation two more times in
Mark (8:38; 9:19). Therefore He emphatically states that no further sign
shall be given to this generation. From this point on, Jesus continues to
perform miracles but only in response to faith (cf. Mark 9:17-25).
8:13-15. From the west side of the lake they sail to the north shore of the
Sea of Galilee on the way to Bethsaida (cf. vv 10, 22). The disciples had
forgotten to take bread, though they did have one loaf with them in the
boat.
As a result, Jesus warned the Twelve about the leaven of the Pharisees
and…of Herod. The metaphor of leaven is designed by Jesus to warn the
Twelve about the negative influence that false teaching can have on even
them (cf. Matt 16:12). As leaven affects the whole lump of dough (cf. 1 Cor
5:6), so the reasonings of the Pharisees and Herodians can influence His
own disciples.
8:16. At the mention of the word leaven the disciples reasoned among
themselves that Jesus was intending to lecture them on their carelessness.
8:17-21. Being aware of their discussion, Jesus reprimands them with a
series of questions aimed at exposing their inability to understand. Through
recording these questions, Mark reveals the significance of the feeding of
the 5,000 and 4,000 along with the Pharisees’ dispute with Jesus. The issue
with the religious rulers, which the disciples are in danger of adopting, is
not a lack of bread but a lack of belief in Christ as the Messiah to provide
for their needs.
The Twelve did know certain facts about Jesus but had failed to practice
their faith in times of need. Their mind does not perceive or understand
(i.e., bring facts into practical living). He asks them, “Is your heart still
hardened?” Can they see and hear spiritual truth with comprehension?
They should have understood that a lack of bread was no problem for Him.
Jesus brings together the point of the feeding of the five thousand and the
four thousand by asking, “Do you not remember?” They know that He
began with “five loaves to feed five thousand” and they ended up with
twelve baskets of leftovers. They remember that they ended up with seven
baskets “full of fragments” at the feeding of the four thousand. They know
the answers (cf. vv 19-20) but have little understanding that Jesus is their
provision in times of testing.
3. A picture of the disciples’ understanding (8:22-26)
Mark selects the story of the blind man in order to illustrate the faith and
understanding of the disciples as well as many in Israel.
8:22-23. In Bethsaida a blind man was brought to Jesus that He might
touch him for healing. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him
out of the town.
 Once outside the town, Jesus spit on his eyes and put His hands on him
in order to stimulate faith in the man. Having put His hands on him He
asked him if he saw anything.
8:24-25. The man could see, but not clearly, for he saw men like trees
walking.
Next Jesus put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. This
time he was restored and saw everyone clearly.
8:26. Jesus sent the man to his house, forbidding him to go into the town,
nor tell anyone in the town. Jesus wanted the man to avoid the town while
He was present in order to prevent a spectacle.
4. Peter’s confession of Christ (8:27-30)
8:27-30. Jesus and His disciples went out to the town of Caesarea
Philippi, a region about twenty-five miles northeast of the Sea of Galilee on
the southern slopes of Mount Hermon. His question to the Twelve—“Who
do men say that I am?”—probes their perception of His identity. Many
concluded that He was “John the Baptist, Elijah, or one of the prophets”
(cf. 6:14-15). But Peter succinctly confesses, “You are the Christ.” Peter
may not see everything clearly but he has come to the correct conclusion
that Jesus is the Messiah.
The theme of keeping quiet about this is once again mentioned, but this
time Jesus warned the disciples that they should tell no one about Him.
This command indicates the end to His public preaching about the kingdom.
IV. The Servant’s Preliminary Ministry to the Cross (8:31–10:52)
A. First Prediction and Call to Follow (8:31–9:29)
After Peter’s confession, Mark records three specific scenes in which Jesus
taught them about His death and resurrection (9:30-31; 10:32-34).
1. His prediction of His death and resurrection (8:31-33)
8:31. Jesus claims the title Son of Man fifteen times in Mark. Twice He
uses it to describe His authority (2:10, 28), nine times He uses it in
connection with His death and/or resurrection (8:31; 9:9,12, 31; 10:33, 45;
14:21[twice], 41), and four times concerning His Second Coming (8:38;
13:26, 34; 14:62).
 The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders
and chief priests and scribes. These three groups were part of the
Sanhedrin, the most powerful Jewish authority comprised of seventy-one
men. The elders were lay nobility associated with the Sadducees. However,
the most prestigious group were the chief priests, who were former high
priests and members of the priestly families and who were also sympathetic
to the Sadducees. The leader of the Sanhedrin was the high priest. The
scribes were the professional scholars in the Mosaic Law and were, by
contrast, Pharisees.
Jesus would be killed by the Sanhedrin but after three days would rise
again.
8:32-33. He is teaching them openly, but Peter took Him aside privately
and began to rebuke Him. In response Jesus turned around and looked
at His disciples before He rebuked Peter. Peter was the leader and
influential among them and therefore must be reproved before the others.
The intense charge, “Get behind Me Satan,” does not suggest that Peter is
possessed by Satan but that he has adopted the enemy’s way of thinking. He
is “not mindful of the things of God” (e.g., the fact that suffering precedes
glory).
Peter confesses Christ and yet rebukes Him! This is another example of
how the disciples did not see clearly.
2. His invitation to follow Him (8:34-38)
8:34. His statement, “Whoever desired to follow after Me” means
committing to walk the same path Jesus walks, which will end in suffering
and death. This experience of following Jesus requires certain conditions.
The follower is to “deny himself (i.e., to lose sight of oneself) and take up
his cross.” Though literally this means to carry the crosspiece to one’s
crucifixion, it is used figuratively for a deliberate choice to identify with
Jesus, knowing it will involve shame and suffering (cf. Phil 2:8).
8:35. The believer who desires “to save his life” (psychē) is one who
refuses to follow Christ by denying oneself and taking up one’s cross. He
does not wish to give his life for the cause of Christ and therefore, he “will
lose it.” The term lose (apollymi) signifies that a believer loses the fullness
of his future life in the Kingdom when he lives in opposition to God’s
declared will. Scripture teaches that a believer may experience loss and/or
reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor 3:14-15; 2 Cor 5:9-10; 2 John
8). Rewards will enhance life in eternity (cf. 1 Tim 6:7-19). Thus, a believer
who actually thinks he is saving his life by avoiding discipleship is actually
destroying his opportunity for future rewards.
When Christ says, “But whoever loses (apollymi) his life (psychē) for My
sake and the gospel’s will save it,” He is describing the believer who
follows after Him. Those who deny themselves and take up their cross to
follow Christ may think they are losing their lives, but they are actually
gaining them for eternity. When they get to the kingdom, their lives will be
spiritually enhanced (cf. 2 Tim 4:8). Jesus wants His followers to know that
as they enter into His sufferings, they can be confident of future reward (cf.
1 Pet 4:13).
8:36-37. Jesus uses an illustration within a question to reason why He
should be followed. “What will it profit a man if he gains (lit., ‘to acquire
by effort or investment’) the whole world, and loses his own soul?” The
word soul (psychē) is the same Greek word translated life (psychē) in v 35
and should be rendered life in v 36. English translators intend for the word
soul to mean that a person will lose his soul in hell. However, the context is
clearly a discipleship/rewards context.
Jesus takes the best-case scenario for His illustration. A man who gains the
whole world is one who has lived for himself and has been successful in
amassing great wealth. However, what profit will these vast riches be to him
in eternity if he has lived only for himself? Such profit is worthless in
eternity. He will leave all his wealth behind. As a believer he will enter
eternity with a loss of the fullness of life he could have had.
Christ’s second question in v 37 relates to this analogy. At the point the
man enters into eternity, “what will a man give in exchange for his soul
(psychē, ‘life’)?” What can he give to redo his life? His life is over and
nothing can compensate for such a loss. Again, this relates to abundance in
the life to come as a reward, and not deliverance from hell. A person should
follow Christ because, although it is costly, he will preserve his life unto
eternal reward and life enhancement.
8:38. One last explanation for following Christ involves His Second
Coming. Not only will Christ suffer, die, and be raised again, but He will
also return. Believers must thus live in expectation of this return. One who
lives for self “is ashamed” of Christ and His words and joins in spirit with
“this adulterous and sinful generation” (cf. 8:12; 9:19). Whoever is
ashamed of identifying with Christ, “the Son of Man also will be
ashamed” of him (cf. 1 John 2:28) when He returns “in the glory of His
Father with the holy angels.” A final motivation for believers to follow
Christ is to consider that they will stand before Him and should not want to
be ashamed before Him.
3. The glory of the kingdom previewed (9:1-13)
9:1. Jesus’ Second Coming (cf. 8:38) will result in the establishment of
His kingdom. Though death is what followers of Christ can expect (cf.
8:34), Jesus adds a further expectation to discipleship—hope in the
kingdom of God. Though the kingdom has been preached and offered, its
rejection is inevitable. However, “there are some standing here who will
not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power.”
Three of them saw that kingdom one week later when they saw the King
transfigured before them.
9:2-3. After six days specifies the Transfiguration as a historical event
before the cross. The high mountain represents Messiah’s kingdom (cf.
Dan 2:35, 44) and is probably Mount Hermon near Caesarea Philippi (cf.
Mark 8:27).
Peter, James, and John see the Lord transfigured as He manifests His
heavenly glory. A human description is that His clothes became shining,
exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten
them. Transfigured (metamorphoō) suggests a change from the inside out
(cf. 2 Cor 3:18), that is, Christ’s person manifests itself by brightness of
light (cf. 1 Tim 6:16).
9:4. The encounter continues from the disciples’ perspective as Elijah
appeared to them (i.e., the disciples) with Moses, and they were talking
with Jesus. Elijah and Moses were two great OT leaders who also endured
a rebellious Israel. While Moses may represent the Law, and Elijah the
prophets, the emphasis is on Jesus. He was transfigured and highlighted by
the glory of God, which is the visible manifestation of God’s presence
among His people. Elijah’s role as a forerunner to Messiah is explained in v
11. While Moses spoke of a prophet that God will raise up and “Him shall
you hear” (cf. Deut 18:15), both men point to Jesus (cf. Luke 24:27).
 9:5-6. The content of their conversation is not given, but the concentration
is on Peter’s interruption. Appropriately he recognized that they were
witnessing the kingdom of God in power. However, Peter misread the intent
of this experience. Peter wanted to make three tabernacles for Jesus,
Moses, and Elijah. The tabernacles were tents or booths like those used in
the Feast of Tabernacles. Zechariah prophesied that in the kingdom the
nations will come to Jerusalem to worship the King by participating in the
Feast of Tabernacles (Zech 14:16-19). Perhaps Peter thought that this
prophecy was about to be fulfilled, although Mark 9:6 explains that he said
this because he did not know what to say, for they were greatly afraid.
9:7. At Peter’s comments a cloud came and overshadowed them which
shrouded the glory of Christ. God’s voice proclaimed, “This is My beloved
Son. Hear Him!”
This is God’s second verbal approval of His Son in Mark (cf. 1:11). A key
theme is Jesus’ plea to hear (e.g. 4:3, 9, 12, 33; 8:18). Years later, Peter
would write that this event confirmed the OT Scriptures concerning the
coming kingdom of God (2 Pet 1:16-19).
9:8-10. The Transfiguration is over suddenly and Jesus is alone with them.
His command that they should tell no one…till the Son of Man had risen
from the dead. Mark records in v 10 that they obeyed the Lord by not
telling others of this event, but the three were questioning (i.e., debating
among themselves) what Jesus meant by talking about rising from the
dead.
9:11-13. Elijah’s presence prompted them to question why the scribes say
that Elijah must come first (i.e., before the Messiah). This was no doubt
used to prove that Jesus was not the Messiah because Elijah had not yet
appeared. However, Jesus agreed that “Elijah is coming first and restores
all things” (cf. Mal 4:5) but He poses an overlooked question concerning
the Messiah in OT prophecy (e.g. Isaiah 53; Psalm 22): “How is it written
concerning the Son of Man that He must suffer many things and be
treated with contempt?” The disciples understood that Elijah’s coming
and murder was referring to John the Baptist (cf. Matt 17:13; Mark 6:14-
29). Jesus connects John’s fate with His own by pointing out that just as
John was killed, the Son of Man will be treated similarly.
4. The generation of unbelief pictured (9:14-29)
 9:14-16. Jesus and the three return to find the other disciples engulfed in a
large crowd and scribes disputing with them. The people were greatly
amazed (i.e., very excited because His presence suggests a possible
resolution) at His sudden appearance. Protective of His disciples, Jesus
questions the scribes as to what they were discussing.
9:17-18. A father informs Jesus that he brought his son who has a mute
spirit. The destructive nature of this spirit is emphasized as one that seizes
him, throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth,
and becomes rigid (cf. vv 18, 20, 22, 26). Since Jesus was gone, he asked
the disciples to cast it out, but they could not. They had been given power
to cast out demons (cf. 6:7-13) but it was limited to that ministry
assignment. Their inability to cast out the demon presented an occasion for
dispute with the scribes.
9:19. “O faithless generation” is a lament that serves as the interpretive
key. This generation demands a sign even though it rejects other signs (cf.
8:12), and is called “adulterous and sinful” (cf. 8:38). Now faithless is
added, revealing that this incident characterizes this entire Jewish
generation. Israel wanted the results of faith without exercising faith. This
demonized son is a picture of the results of unbelief. The consequence of
rejecting Christ is slavery to the power of Satan.
9:20-22. When the spirit saw Jesus, it convulsed him, and he fell on the
ground and wallowed (i.e., rolled around), foaming at the mouth. Jesus
engages the father and learns that from childhood the demon has tried to
destroy him. His statement to Jesus, “If you can do anything,” suggests
that since the disciples failed, he wonders if even their teacher can succeed
in casting out this demon.
9:23-24. Jesus seeks to stimulate this man’s faith by exhorting that “all
things are possible to him who believes.” In a classic response mixed with
belief and unbelief, the father cried out with tears, “Lord, I believe; help
my unbelief!” This man is crying out that while there are some things he
does believe (e.g., that Jesus can indeed deliver his son), there are others he
has not yet believed (e.g., that Jesus is the Messiah). Based on the things he
does believe, he wants to be convinced about the things he does not believe.
9:25-27. Jesus desires to avoid a scene so, when the people came running
together toward them He rebuked the unclean spirit. Whereas the spirit is
simply described as a mute spirit (v 17), Jesus calls it a deaf and dumb
spirit, which is an apt picture of Israel. Because of unbelief Israel cannot
hear (deaf, i.e., understand) Christ nor speak (dumb, i.e., confess) of Jesus
as Christ (cf. 4:11-12; 8:27-28). Dramatically the spirit came out so that the
boy became as one dead, so that many said, “He is dead.” Jesus took
him by the hand and lifted him up, and he arose.
9:28-29. Likely the reason for the original dispute with the scribes related
to the reason the disciples could not cast out this demon. Jesus explains why
to His disciples. “This kind” indicates that some demons are more difficult
to exorcise than others (cf. Matt 12:45), but ultimately their failure stems
from a lack of spiritual dependency on God expressed through “prayer and
fasting.” Their power from their previous mission (cf. Mark 6:7-13) was
not automatic as they must continue to depend on God for spiritual
effectiveness.
B. Second Prediction and Preparation for the Kingdom (9:30–
10:31)
1. His second prediction (9:30-32)
9:30-32. Jesus attempted to keep a low profile in Galilee as He
concentrated on teaching the Twelve that the Son of Man is being betrayed
into the hands of men and will be killed but He will rise the third day.
They did not understand and were afraid to ask Him what He meant.
2. The understanding of servanthood (9:33-50)
9:33-34. Their tour through Galilee ends in Capernaum at Peter’s house
(cf. 1:29). Jesus asks about their conversation on the road with one another
but they kept silent out of shame because they had disputed about who
among them was the greatest. The certainty of the kingdom brought
confidence in reward (cf. Matt 19:28); however, they were oblivious to the
role of suffering before glory (cf. Mark 8:34).
9:35. Jesus knew they needed insight into true greatness. So He sat down
and stated that whoever “desires to be first (i.e., great in the kingdom)
shall be last of all and servant of all” (i.e., on earth). A person seeks
greatness in God’s eyes by serving all people. This lifestyle requires faith in
the promise of Christ (cf. Heb 11:6) as a servant is not highly regarded on
earth.
 9:36-37. Jesus illustrates His lesson by setting a little child…in the midst
of them, before taking the child in His arms. He continues teaching that
“whoever receives one of these little children in My name receives Me.”
The word receive (used four times) means to honor one as a host honors a
guest in his home. It is like receiving someone into one’s care (e.g. Matt
10:14; Luke 16:4). He is explaining how a believer is to receive reward in
heaven. The context is being great in the kingdom, and He shows that
greatness comes by honoring little ones in His name.
9:38. The Twelve had been chosen by Jesus for the specific task of
following Him and casting out demons (cf. 3:13-19; 6:7). So they are
offended when they see another exorcist successfully casting out demons in
His name (whereas the nine failed in 9:28-29). John relates to Jesus that this
exorcist “does not follow us and so we forbade him because he does not
follow us” (i.e., he is not part of the Twelve). They believed they were the
exclusive means for administering the power of God. However, Luke
records that Jesus also commissioned seventy other disciples to cast out
demons (Luke 10:1, 17). The Twelve were not the only disciples who could
minister in Jesus’ name.
9:39-40. He commanded them, “Do not forbid him for no one who
works a miracle in My name can soon speak evil of Me.” A word play in
Greek from miracle (dunamis) to can (dunamai) reinforces Jesus’ argument
for the credibility of this disciple. The phrase in My name reveals that the
motivation of this exorcist is to honor Christ (cf. 9:29), and therefore he will
not speak evil of Christ. A second reason is proverbial. “For he who is not
against us is on our side.”
9:41. Something as insignificant as “a cup of cold water given to a
disciple in My name (cf. vv 37-39) because you belong to Christ,
assuredly, he will by no means (emphatic) lose his reward.” Here, the
issue is not what the service is but for whom it is done (i.e., Christ).
Something little like a drink of water given to a disciple will be
remembered by the Lord (cf. Heb 6:10); Jesus will reward the little things
done for His followers.
9:42. In contrast, “whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in
Me to stumble” will be punished. The fact that Jesus speaks of little ones
who believe in Me means that children can indeed believe in Him for
everlasting life. These little ones lived in the unbelieving culture of Judaism
and were easy prey for the false teaching of the religious leaders (cf. 8:15).
His warning to the offender that “it would be better for him if a
millstone” (a large millstone required a donkey’s strength to move) “were
hung around his neck and he were thrown into the sea” is deadly,
temporal judgment.
9:43-48. Many things may hinder one from believing in Christ. Hand (v
43), foot (v 45), and eye (v 47) refer to things one handles, places he goes,
or things he sees that can cause him to stumble (cf. vv 43, 45, 47).
Therefore Jesus commands to cut it off (hand or foot, vv 43, 45) or pluck it
out (eye, v 47). Jesus is using hyperbole to make the point that drastic
measures are sometimes required to remove hindrances to faith from an
unbeliever’s life. Belonging to an unbelieving religious group, reading
heretical books, attending a liberal, unbelieving school, or having close
friends who are unbelievers, all can hinder faith in Christ.
To turn from such hindrances may be painful, but Jesus reasons that “it is
better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands
(feet, eyes) to go to hell.” It is better to believe in Jesus having cut out of
one’s life things that a person once enjoyed, than to keep those things but
never believe in Jesus.
Hell (gehenna) is described as “the fire that shall never be quenched”
(lit., “inextinguishable”) with the quotation from Isa 66:24 (Mark 9:44, 46,
48) that the “worm does not die” (eternal torment) and the “fire is not
quenched” (eternal, not simply millennial).
Gehenna was a valley outside Jerusalem which became a garbage and
sewage dump where fire and worms continually consumed the trash.
9:49. “For everyone will be seasoned (lit., “salted”) with fire” explains
the previous warning. While unbelievers will end in hell fire, everyone
(including believers) will be salted with fire. Salt symbolized the covenant
of God to Israel, and their offerings were to be presented literally with this
in mind (cf. Lev 2:13). As OT sacrifices were salted before they were
presented to God, believers will be salted with fire. This phrase suggests
that figurative speech is being used for trials (cf. 1 Pet 1:7; 4:12).
Also the phrase “every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt” (lit., “with
salt will be salted”) adds another element to the sufferings of believers. As
Christ will soon give His life as a sacrifice, so every believer is called to
live as a sacrifice to God (cf. 8:34; Rom 12:1; Phil 4:18; Heb 13:15-16; 1
Pet 2:5), knowing that suffering precedes glory.
Another view is that this anticipates the judgment of all people.
Unbelievers will be “salted” with hell fire while believers will be “salted”
with fire at the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:13, 15; 2 Cor 5:9-11).
However, this mixes metaphors as the fire of hell is literal, whereas the fire
at the Judgment Seat is figurative.
9:50. Salt was good in Palestine for preservation, seasoning, medicinal
uses, and, along with wine and oil, for sustaining life.
The command “Have salt in yourselves and have peace with one
another” signifies that believers need to be useful in promoting peace with
fellow disciples, especially with those who may not be in their group (cf.
9:38-40). Peace and love among believers are essential elements in being
salt in the world (cf. John 13:35; 14:27).
3. The test of divorce (10:1-12)
10:1. Palestine was divided into three parts: Galilee in the north, Samaria
in the central, and Judea in the south. The Critical Text states that He went
“to the region of Judea, and beyond the Jordan” meaning that the locale was
in Judea and Perea (i.e., a territory on the east side of the Jordan River). The
Majority Text implies that Jesus departed Galilee and traveled southward on
the east side of the Jordan River and then entered Judea by the other side
of the Jordan (i.e., the east side of the Jordan River). Regardless, Jesus was
ministering in both areas as the multitudes gathered and as He was
accustomed, He taught them again.
10:2-4. The Pharisees come testing Him with a question on divorce. Two
main schools of thought regarding divorce were present in Judaism. The
conservative view, promoted by Rabbi Shammai, restricted divorce to cases
of adultery. Rabbi Hillel, on the other hand, argued for a more liberal view,
which allowed divorce for almost any reason.
By appealing to what Moses had commanded, Jesus avoids the current
debate and focuses on the Word of God. They reasoned that “Moses
permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and dismiss her” (cf.
Deut 24:1-4). Their answer implies that this was God’s desire.
10:5-9. Jesus, however, states that divorce was a divine concession
“because of the hardness of your heart.” The phrase your heart places the
Pharisees in the same category as their forefathers. Both were hardhearted.
Jesus points to creation as the original divine design of marriage. “God
made them male and female” (Gen 1:27) and established a pattern in Adam
and Eve that “a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his
wife and the two shall become one flesh” (Gen 2:24). The word joined
means that a man and wife should stick together as a sword sticks to the
hand of a valiant warrior in battle. Thus the two becoming one flesh is a
bond created by God for permanency.
Jesus concludes from the original marriage that “what God has joined
together, let not man separate.” The word joined in v 9 differs from the
Greek word in v 7. In v 9, the word means “to yoke together.” In essence
Jesus is arguing for the permanency of marriage because it is joined
together by God as the original design was permanent. The words Let not
man separate indicates that neither the man, the wife, nor any third party,
should interfere with the union God has established.
10:10-12. The house (e.g. 7:24; 9:33) was a place of privacy and
instruction as the disciples asked Him again about the same matter of
divorce. Jesus’ answer comes from the perspective of the initiator of a
divorce which is a direct answer to the Pharisees (v 2). He says nothing
about the spouse of the initiator or of a Biblical reason for divorce (cf. Matt
5:32; 19:9). “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits
adultery against her” (i.e., his first wife). Likewise, “if a woman divorces
her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Generally, if a
divorce occurs, remaining single or remarrying to one’s former spouse is the
ideal. Otherwise, marriage to another person is adultery. Jesus is not giving
an exhaustive treatise on divorce and remarriage but is emphasizing the
original intent and permanence of marriage.
4. The attitude for entering the kingdom (10:13-16)
10:13-16. Little children are being presented to Jesus from the multitude
so that He might touch (i.e., bless, v 16) them, but His disciples are
attempting to prevent this. Jesus was greatly displeased (lit., “aroused with
indignation”) and commanded them to permit the children to come to Him
“for of such is the kingdom of God.” Whereas Jesus taught the
importance of receiving children in His name for reward, He explains now
that entrance into the kingdom requires becoming like a little child.
“Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by
no means enter it.” Children coming to Christ is a picture of faith (i.e.,
childlike faith) which is necessary for one to enter the kingdom of God.
5. The snare of riches: the rich young ruler (10:17-31)
While childlike faith is necessary, self-righteousness and riches can blind
one to the message of faith alone in Christ alone.
10:17. An enthused young man came running and knelt before Him to
pay respect. Matthew describes him as young (Matt 19:20), while Luke
mentions that he is a ruler (Luke 18:18). All three state that he was rich. He
asks what he may do to “inherit eternal life.” The man’s question reflected
the Jewish thought that eternal life could be earned or merited by good
works (cf. Lev 18:5; Luke 10:28; Rom 2:17).
10:18. Knowing that this man needed to understand the difference, Jesus
explains who is good. He asks, “Why do you call me good? No one is
good but One, that is, God.” This question is designed to lead the man to
an understanding of Jesus and ultimately himself. Jesus is probing, “If you
are calling Me good, do you believe that I am God?” At the same time, no
one is good except God (cf. Rom 3:10), and therefore the young man was
not good enough to gain eternal life.
10:19. The Law is God’s standard of righteousness and one must measure
himself against the Law to determine one’s condition. Jesus quoted five
commandments of the Decalogue (Exod 20:12-16; Deut 5:16-20) while
adding “Do not defraud,” which is probably an application of the Law for
this wealthy man. It is impossible for man to live up to God’s righteous
standard (cf. Rom 3:20; Gal 2:16; 3:21); thus he needs the righteousness of
Christ by faith.
10:20. The ruler’s response, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from
my youth,” reveals that he did not understand his sinfulness. While he may
have attempted to live up to the Law, he is self-deceived and self-righteous.
Even one sin disqualifies a person from measuring up to God’s Law (cf.
Rom 3:23; Gal 5:3; Jas 2:10). Furthermore, one must continue to live in
perfection to qualify for God’s righteous standard (cf. Gal 3:10, 12).
10:21. Jesus looked at him, and in spite of the man’s self-righteous
blindness, He loved him. Jesus attempts to enlighten him by saying, “One
thing you lack.” The young man desires to do something to inherit eternal
life, and so Jesus knows how to expose his blindness. The command to “sell
whatever you have and give to the poor” attacks the root of the man’s
self-righteousness—his riches. Faced with the loss of possessions, Jesus
challenged him to exchange earthly wealth for the “treasure in heaven,”
which a disciple of Christ can earn. It is evident that the young man did not
keep the Law, but was actually breaking the two main commands of the
Law by not obeying God (i.e., Jesus) and failing to love his neighbor (i.e.,
poor) as himself (cf. Mark 12:30-31). The one thing he lacked was the
childlike faith that is necessary to enter the kingdom (cf. 10:15), but he
must cut off his trust in wealth (cf. Mark 9:43) before he is able to believe
in Jesus for everlasting life.
10:22. He was sad at Jesus’ response and he left sorrowful for he had
great possessions. His refusal to heed Christ’s advice reveals that he was
not good and did not view Jesus as good.
This incident can be described as a pre-evangelism ministry where the
Law shows an individual his sinfulness and need for Christ (cf. Gal 3:24).
Because of his trust in riches (cf. vv 23-24), and his unwillingness to
radically remove what was blinding him to eternal life (cf. 9:43-48), the
young ruler was not prepared to believe in Christ.
10:23-25. From His encounter with the rich young ruler, Jesus says to His
disciples that it is “hard…for those who have riches to enter the
kingdom of God!” The disciples were astonished at this statement, yet
Jesus repeats the idea with an addition of “how hard it is for those who
trust (lit., “have confidence”) in riches to enter the kingdom of God!”
Jesus reveals that the young man’s problem was his trust in riches.
Jesus compares the difficulty they face with a comparison between the
inability of “a camel to go through the eye of a needle (i.e., a figure of
speech declaring impossibility) and a rich man to enter the kingdom of
God!” It is impossible, perhaps because wealth can build confidence in
itself, and therefore it can be a powerful blinder to one’s need for Christ.
Riches may also deceive the person into thinking that he is approved before
God.
10:26-27. The disciples were greatly astonished (lit., “strike out of one’s
senses”) at this teaching because they too believed that riches were equated
with God’s approval. They asked each other, “Who then can be saved?”
Jesus responded that “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for
with God all things are possible.” Man’s attempt to earn eternal life is
impossible because he is not good enough. However, when a man abandons
his confidence in riches or other things, he may receive the supernatural gift
of eternal life through faith in Christ (cf. John 3:3-8).
10:28-30. Peter contrasts the Twelve’s actions with the rich young ruler by
stating, “We have left all and followed You” (cf. v 21). Jesus answered
that those who leave family and fields for His “sake and the gospel’s” will
“receive a hundredfold” of the same things “now in this time,” that is,
during this life. Such rewards in this life may be spiritual, but they will be
greater than what was given up. Such changes in priorities may also lead to
persecutions. Those who live separately from worldly values are often
abused by the world.
But whatever disciples gain or lose in this life, they know that the cost is
worth it, because “in the age to come, eternal life” will be the result.
While eternal life is a gift (cf. Rom 6:23), believers may also earn eternal
life as a reward (cf. John 10:10; 1 Tim 6:17-19). This means they will have
a more abundant life (cf. John 10:10), and greater experience in eternity
than those who were not as sacrificial in their service.
10:31. The saying, “But many who are first will be last, and the last
first” appears in several discipleship passages (e.g. Matt 19:30; 20:16;
Mark 9:35; Luke 13:30), and contains two phrases. The first refers to those
who desire to be first on earth by living for self. They avoid discipleship
and will therefore be last in greatness in the kingdom. The second phrase
completes the thought by referring to those who are last on earth because of
following Christ. They will be honored and rewarded with being first in the
kingdom.
C. Third Prediction and Invitation to Greatness (10:32-52)
1. His third prediction (10:32-34)
10:32-34. On the road to Jerusalem, Jesus was going before them as He
embraced the suffering to come. Hostility with the religious leaders was so
intense, the disciples were amazed and afraid (cf. John 11:7-8, 16). Jesus
prepared the Twelve by taking them aside…to tell them the things that
would happen to Him. In this third prediction, He said the Jewish leaders
will “condemn Him to death,” but since they cannot exercise capital
punishment, they will “deliver Him to the Gentiles” who will execute
Him. The Gentiles will “mock…scourge…and spit on Him” before they
“kill Him.” Yet on “the third day He will rise again.” Both Jews and
Gentiles will be responsible for His death.
2. The desire for greatness revisited (10:35-45)
10:35-37. The disciples were consumed with their own glory while lacking
understanding for Christ as His hour approaches. James and John request
that Jesus grant them the primary positions of ruling next to Him in His
messianic kingdom (cf. 8:38-9:8). The Twelve (except Judas) were
promised positions of judging Israel in the kingdom (cf. Matt 19:28).
10:38-40. Jesus replies, “You do not know what you ask.” This indicates
that the disciples did not understand the role of suffering which leads to
rewards in the kingdom. The positions they ask for do not come by asking,
but by suffering according to the will of God. Jesus’ two metaphors
describing His own suffering reveal that His own glory is preceded by
suffering. The cup is metaphorically referring to His blood (e.g. 14:23, 36;
1 Cor 11:25), and His baptism (cf. Luke 12:50) refers to a complete
identification with God’s will at the cross and perhaps a reference to
identifying with the sins of mankind.
Nevertheless they brashly respond, “We are able.” Jesus then predicts that
they will indeed “drink the cup” and “be baptized” with His suffering (cf.
1 Pet 4:13). James was killed by Herod (Acts 12:2), and tradition reports
that John was thrown into a cauldron of boiling oil, yet survived and
endured a time of exile on Patmos under Domitian. They would indeed
suffer, but to secure the positions on Jesus’ “right hand” and on His “left
hand” is not His choice; it is the Father’s prerogative to select “those for
whom it is prepared.”
10:41-45. The ten were greatly displeased (lit., “indignant”) with James
and John when they heard their request. Jesus gathers them and reiterates
His teaching on greatness. While Gentile rulers “lord it over” the people
and “exercise authority over them, yet it shall not be so among” His
disciples. The one who “desires to become great” in the kingdom should
be a servant now, and the one who “desires to be first shall be slave of
all.” Spiritual vision for greatness in God’s kingdom pursues it as a servant
to other believers. Likewise Jesus points to His own means of pursuing
glory: His purpose on earth is not “to be served, but to serve, and to give
his life (psyche; cf. 8:34-37) a ransom for many.” Ransom (lutron)
signifies that Christ’s life is the means of release as it was used of the price
paid for the freedom of a slave, debtor, or prisoner of war. He will die as a
substitute for all men (cf. 1 Tim 2:6; 1 John 2:2).
3. Bartimaeus, a picture of faith (10:46-52)
10:46-48. Two sites were designated Jericho (eighteen miles east of
Jerusalem). One was an OT city, and the other site was built by Herod, one
mile to the south. As Jesus was thronged by Passover pilgrims traveling to
Jerusalem, Mark (along with Luke 18:35) focuses on blind Bartimaeus,
who was also known as the son of Timaeus, while Matthew stresses two
blind men (cf. Matt 20:30).
As he was begging, Bartimaeus became aware of Jesus of Nazareth and
began to persistently call out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
Though he could not see Jesus, he had heard about Him and was able to see
more by faith than those who had sight. His use of the title Son of David
reveals that he believed that Jesus is the fulfillment of David’s progeny for
the throne of Israel (cf. 2 Sam 7:8-16). Mark emphasizes that though the
crowd attempted to quiet him he called out even more.
10:49-50. Jesus’ calling for Bartimaeus shows that He recognized his faith
and also rebuked those attempting to silence him (cf. vv 13-16). He also
was implicitly accepting the title “Son of David.” The fickle crowd now
encouraged Bartimaeus, “Be of good cheer. Rise, He is calling you.” And
throwing aside his garment (perhaps the only thing he owned), he rose
and came to Jesus.
10:51-52. Jesus’ response, “Go your way; your faith has made you
well” (lit., ‘has saved you’) indicates that this man had been physically
healed, not necessarily that he received eternal life. If he had believed that
Jesus is the Christ (10:48; cf. John 20:30-31; 1 John 5:1) before ever seeing
Jesus, then he had eternal life prior to this incident (cf. John 11:27). His
eyesight was restored immediately, and he joined the Passover pilgrims and
followed Jesus (picture of discipleship). His physical eyesight now
matched his spiritual insight.
Bartimaeus serves as a contrast between a blind man who not could see,
and a nation that could see but was spiritually blind. Also as a beggar who
believed in Jesus he contrasts with the rich young ruler who had great riches
and did not believe. Bartimaeus is an appropriate ending story before Jesus
reaches Jerusalem.
V. The Servant’s Ministry in Jerusalem (11:1–13:37)
The last week of Jesus’ ministry begins on Palm Sunday and ends on
Easter Sunday (11:1–16:8). During the first four days, from Sunday to
Wednesday, Jesus enters Jerusalem and immediately encounters
antagonistic religious leaders. Jesus teaches about their errors and gives a
warning of the future tribulation.
A. Jesus’ Presentation to Israel (11:1-26)
1. His Triumphal Entry (11:1-11)
11:1. As they drew near Jerusalem, they went through Bethany and
Bethphage. Bethany was frequented by Jesus (e.g. John 11:1) and is located
two miles southeast of Jerusalem, while Bethphage was the next village
toward Jerusalem as one leaves Bethany. Both towns were on the southern
slope of the Mount of Olives.
11:2-6. On Sunday Jesus sent two disciples into “the village opposite (i.e.,
Bethphage) to find a colt tied, on which no one has sat.” He not only
instructs them on where to find the colt, but what to say to those who might
try to stop them from taking it. They found the colt tied up and having
loosed it, the owners (cf. Luke 19:33) did indeed object. Some have thought
that Christ’s knowledge of the location of the colt and what its owners
would say is an indication of His divine omniscience. While that might be
true, it is just as possible that borrowing the colt had been prearranged
between Jesus and the owners, and they were protecting the colt for Jesus’
use. That the colt had not been ridden was information whose significance
the disciples did not immediately understand (cf. John 12:15-16).
11:7-8. Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem as He sat on this untamed colt has
messianic implications (cf. Zech 9:9). As the Second Adam, Jesus
demonstrates dominion over God’s creation (cf. Gen 1:26; Isa 11:6-10;
65:25). This control over the animal world was exhibited in His temptation
in the wilderness when Mark noted that “he was with the wild beasts”
(1:13). Also a king’s mount was exclusively his and was often used to
announce a king (1 Kgs 1:33-34).
 When the disciples threw their clothes on the colt for a makeshift saddle,
this prompted many to spread their clothes and leafy branches…on the
road, which are actions reminiscent of announcing a king (e.g., 2 Kgs
9:13).
11:9-10. Mark pictures two groups of those who went before and those
who followed Jesus in this procession, calling out back and forth in
antiphonal style the content of vv 9-10. This chiastic structure (i.e.,
Hosanna-Blessed-Blessed-Hosanna) likewise suggests this occurrence.
“Hosanna” is the Aramaic form of the Hebrew word for “O save now, I
pray” and had become a cry like “Hallelujah.” Verse 9 comes from the
Hallel in Ps 118:25-26, which as a messianic psalm was read at Passover as
a reminder of the coming Messiah.
Bartimaeus’s recognition of Jesus as “the Son of David” (10:47-48) is
echoed in “Blessed is the kingdom of our father David” (Davidic
Covenant). Blessed again recalls the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen 12:1-3),
especially as the theme of cursing comes forth in the next pericope (cf.
Mark 11:14, 21). The reception and rejection of Jesus pictures the
fulfillment of each covenant (Gal 3:8-14). The kingdom is a theme from
Jesus’ early teaching, His parables, and the jockeying by the Twelve for
position in the kingdom.
Possibly the crowds understand the claims that Christ is making about
Himself, and so are welcoming Him as Israel’s promised King. However,
perhaps this crowd at the gates of Jerusalem welcomed all pilgrims by
singing Psalm 118. But whether the crowd understands and believes that
Jesus is the promised Messiah or not, no one understands that Christ had
come to be crucified. Nevertheless Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem on a
donkey in the midst of this multitude fulfilled many OT prophecies.
11:11. Mark prepares his readers for Christ’s condemnation of temple
practices (vv 15-19) by writing that Jesus looked around the temple. But
because the hour was already late (the city gates closed at sunset), they
departed for Bethany to spend the night. His actions on the following day
are not impulsive; they are a planned demonstration to interrupt religious
business as usual. The temple (hieron) refers to the complete temple
complex, not simply the Holy Place and Most Holy Place (naos).
2. His condemnation of Israel (11:12-26)
 Mark’s interweaving of stories concerning the fig tree and the temple are
meant to be viewed together as a condemnation of Israel.
11:12-14. As they leave Bethany on Monday morning, Jesus is hungry. His
hunger points beyond His physical need to His desire for spiritual fruit in
Israel (cf. John 4:31-38). Seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He
checked for figs, but found nothing but leaves. His verbal curse (cf. Mark
11:21) is for the disciples’ ears, thus setting up the only destructive miracle
of Christ, which the disciples observe the next day. Mark’s note that it was
not the season for figs indicates a symbolic meaning. Though figs were not
fully ripe until May or June, at Passover the leaves appearing would have
small green figs that can be eaten. Perhaps, being late March or early April,
Jesus hoped for some of these early figs. The leaves, like Israel’s religiosity,
promised fruit from an external perspective, but both were fruitless. There
should be a spiritual harvest in Israel because of Messiah’s presence. And
though the Jews looked forward to the Coming One, the Jewish leaders are
in the process of plotting His death (cf. 3:6). The curse anticipates God’s
judgment on Israel because of their unbelief.
11:15-16. The cursing of the fig tree leads into Jesus’ dramatic actions in
the temple courts. When Jesus went into the temple, He drove out those
who bought and sold. It is not these activities that Jesus condemns, for
sacrificial animals were to be supplied for worshiping pilgrims, and
moneychangers were needed for the temple tax of half a shekel. Rather, this
commerce had usurped God’s purpose for the temple courts and should be
performed elsewhere. Furthermore the practices had become corrupted
through greed and extortion. Sometimes even those who brought the correct
animal were forced to buy another one because theirs was deemed
“unclean.” If they did not have the right coinage, they would be forced to
exchange their money (for a fee) before they could purchase the temple-
approved sacrificial animal.
11:17. Jesus taught from Isa 56:7 that the purpose of these courts was
“prayer for all nations.” The Court of the Gentiles was the farthest point
Gentiles could proceed into the temple precinct, and should be busy not
with commerce but with prayer. Yet Israel had “made it a ‘den of thieves.’”
Jesus’ reference to a den of thieves is from Jer 7:11, which states that Judah
trusted in the temple despite their abominations against God. Currently
Israel’s religious leaders were honoring the temple rather than the One
greater than the temple (cf. Matt 12:6). Later Jesus’ challenge to “destroy
this temple” was leveled against Him at His trial (cf. John 2:19-21; Mark
14:58; 15:29).
11:18-19. As Jesus predicted (e.g., 8:31) the scribes and chief priests
heard about His actions and sought how they might destroy Him (cf.
3:6). These leaders feared Him because all the people responded
positively to His teaching (i.e., what He was saying about the purpose of the
temple courts). The week of Passover with thousands of guests in the city
added pressure to the leaders to keep Jesus from igniting a movement. At
the end of the day Jesus proceeded out of the city to lodge in Bethany (cf.
11:11, 20). Jesus, going out (lit., “outside”) is a theme referring to those
who were not disciples (cf. 3:31-32; 4:11; 14:68), but here Jesus is outside
the city of unbelief.
11:20-21. Having lodged in Bethany, on Tuesday morning they retrace
their steps from the previous day (cf. vv 12-14) and notice the fig tree
dried up from the roots. Matthew records that the fig tree withered away
“immediately” on Jesus’ curse (cf. Matt 21:19), while Mark stresses the
complete withered condition of the fig tree on the next day, even down to
the roots.
Mark’s interweaving of the temple and the fig tree accounts form a
unifying theme of God’s judgment on Israel for their unbelief in the Son of
God. The fig tree withered from its roots is perhaps a reference to the
leaders’ rejection of Jesus which will have disastrous results in the whole
nation. The judgment eventually will come from the Romans in the
destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, which was also foreseen in the Law
(e.g., Deuteronomy 28–30).
11:22. With this distressing picture of Israel before the disciples, Jesus
quickly exhorts them to “Have faith in God.” The kingdom of God coming
to Israel has been proclaimed by John the Baptist and Jesus (cf. Matt 6:10).
The promise of the kingdom produced a desire for them to be great in God’s
kingdom (e.g., Mark 9:33-34; 10:35-45); they believed that the kingdom
would appear immediately (cf. Luke 19:11; Acts 1:6). They would need to
exercise faith in God in light of the delay of the kingdom along with
judgment on Israel.
11:23. Expounding on the subject of faith, Jesus says, “Assuredly (amēn,
“truly”) I say to you (i.e., disciples), whoever says to this mountain (i.e.,
Mount of Olives), ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not
doubt (lit., ‘to waver back and forth’) in his heart, but believes (pisteuō)
that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”
Jesus’ miraculous cursing of the fig tree prompts an exhortation to the
disciples to believe God for humanly impossible things in the will of God.
The mountain being lifted up and cast into the sea is clearly figurative for
an impossible task. A disciple must believe God as he speaks and acts
according to the will of God in an unbelieving world. As Jesus spoke
judgment to the fig tree, the disciples will also speak on behalf of God as
they are dependent on His power (cf. Acts 1:8).
11:24. Faith expresses itself in prayer in impossible situations. “Whatever
things you ask when you pray, believe that you will receive them, and
you will have them.” This does not mean that whatever a person believes
will actually occur. It means that when believers are praying according to
the will of God, they may be persuaded (i.e., have faith) that God hears
them and they will receive from God His answer (e.g. John 14:13-14; 15:7;
16:23-24; 1 John 5:14-15).
11:25-26. Forgiveness is also important in prayer. When a believer is
praying, God often brings people to his mind who have wronged him, and
therefore “if you have anything against anyone, forgive him.”
Forgiveness of others is necessary so “that your Father in heaven may
also forgive you your trespasses.” Our fellowship forgiveness with the
Father is conditioned upon our forgiveness of others. Jesus emphasizes the
negative aspect that “if you do not forgive (i.e., others), neither will your
Father forgive your trespasses.” As a child of God by faith alone in Christ
alone, all of one’s sins are forgiven forever (cf. Col 2:13-14), but his or her
fellowship with God is conditioned on confession of one’s sins as a believer
(cf. 1 John 1:9). A Christian cannot have fellowship with the Father if he
has not forgiven others.
B. Jesus’ Teaching in the Temple (11:27–12:44)
After His entry into and cleansing of the temple on Monday, the leaders of
Israel engage Jesus as He is teaching in the temple. As a result, these
leaders are strengthened in their resolve to kill Him.
1. The controversy over Jesus’ authority (11:27-33)
 11:27-28. Jesus and His disciples again enter Jerusalem. His walking in
the temple is for the purpose of instructing the pilgrims who are gathering
for Passover. Three main groups of the Sanhedrin are also there, the chief
priests, the scribes, and the elders. Together, they form an official inquiry
to engage Jesus. In 8:31 Jesus had predicted that these three groups would
be the instigators of His death. The scribes have been hostile in their
opposition of Jesus as they have often come from Jerusalem to confront
Him (e.g. 2:6, 16; 3:22; 7:1, 5; 9:14). Their questions about the source and
nature of His authority to cleanse the temple specifically, and His whole
ministry in general, are insincere as they have already attributed His power
(exousia) to Satan (cf. 3:22). Nevertheless there is no outright accusation of
satanic influence here because Jesus is enjoying the esteem of the
multitudes, and the leaders must exercise caution.
11:29-30. Jesus’ counter question is a recognized ploy in debate (cf. 10:3)
and is understood by the leaders to mean that the answer to His question
will provide the answer to their own. Their refusal to answer His question
implies that they are not willing to accept the answer to their own question.
Jesus questions them as to the source of “the baptism of John. Was it
from heaven (i.e., from God) or from men (i.e., human origin)?” He
demonstrates authority by finishing His question with the command,
“Answer Me.”
John was widely beloved by many (cf. 1:5) and yet he testifies that Jesus is
the One who is superior and would baptize with the Holy Spirit (cf. 1:7-8).
It was by John’s baptism that the Spirit descended on Jesus and the Father’s
voice signified pleasure in His Son (cf. 1:9-11).
11:31-32. They recognized the dilemma that His question put them in. To
acknowledge that John’s baptism was “from heaven” would make them
vulnerable to the follow-up question of why they did not believe John’s
testimony regarding Jesus. Or if they said “from men,” that would place
themselves in poor esteem of the people because they feared the people
who held that John was a prophet.
11:33. Their answer “We do not know” attempts to sidestep His question
and in so doing they do not get any ammunition from Jesus to aid them in
their plot to kill Him. Jesus wins this discussion as the leaders come off
uncertain and unofficial in the people’s view.
 2. The parable concerning Israel’s leaders (12:1-12)
12:1. After the confrontation with the religious leaders Jesus began to
speak to them (cf. 11:27) in parables. In chapter 4 the parables about the
kingdom of God were to conceal truth to outsiders, but this parable is easily
understood (cf. v 12) by them.
The vineyard analogy has parallels in the OT (cf. Isa 5:1-7). The vineyard
is Israel (cf. Isa 5:7), the owner is God (cf. Ps 80:8, 14-15), the vinedressers
are the leaders (cf. Jer 12:10), the servants are the prophets, and the son is
Jesus, the Son of God (cf. Mark 1:1; 15:39). “A man planted a vineyard”
indicates God’s ownership and origination of Israel. The hedge, a fence
around the vineyard, was used as a boundary marker and as a way of
keeping animals out. “The wine vat” was a trough placed below the
winepress to hold the wine, and the tower was a place where watchmen
protected the vineyard. This vineyard is analogous to God’s relationship to
Israel as the Source and Provider of their existence.
The man leased the vineyard “to vinedressers and went into a far
country.” These vinedressers under contract would continuously tend the
vines and protect the vineyard from thieves who would steal the crop in
harvest season. God entrusted Israel to leaders who should protect and tend
them on His behalf.
12:2-5. “At vintage-time” (lit., “the season”), the owner sent a number of
slaves “that he might receive some of the fruit of the vineyard.” The
vinedressers refused to allow the man to have fruit from his own vineyard,
and they even mistreated his slaves. “They took the first slave and beat
him and sent him away empty-handed.” The second was “wounded…in
the head” by rocks and was “shamefully treated.” The third was “killed,
and many others” were sent but were beaten or killed.
The slaves represent the many prophets God has sent to Israel who were
persecuted and killed (cf. Matt 23:29-37), with John the Baptist being the
most recent. Israel’s leaders refuse God and even mistreat His servants. The
fruit God expects is linked to Jesus’ expectation of fruit on the fig tree (cf.
11:12-14).
12:6-8. Patiently the owner sends his one son, his beloved. Twice the
Father verbally approves of Jesus as His beloved Son (cf. 1:11; 9:7). The
tenants wrongly think that if they do away with the heir, the vineyard will
be their inheritance. Masterfully Jesus links the wicked leadership of
Israel’s history with the current leaders’ plot to kill Him.
12:9. The leaders mistakenly believed the son’s death was the end. But
Jesus climactically asks that if they mistreated the son this way, “What will
the owner of the vineyard do?” The owner “will come and destroy the
vinedressers, and give the vineyard to others.” These Jewish leaders will
be judged and will lose the vineyard to others. This could be a reference to
the judgment on Israel in AD 70 and the Jewish dispersion. More likely,
however, it refers to the new temple God is building through the Church (cf.
Matt 22:42-43; Eph 2:19-22). Or both could be intended.
12:10-11. Jesus’ quotation of Ps 118:22-23 (LXX) switches from Jesus as
the son to a stone, even “the chief cornerstone” (cf. Acts 4:11; 1 Pet 2:7).
While the theme of rejection is still present, this rejected stone (i.e., Jesus)
is exalted by God and becomes the preeminent stone in God’s work.
12:12. The Sanhedrin’s response to His parable is to lay hands on Him
for arrest, but their fear of the multitude prevents them at this time. They
want to arrest Him because they knew that He had spoken the parable
against them. The current leaders are more guilty than previous leaders
because they are plotting to kill the Son. While the leaders understood the
parable clearly, it may have been obvious to the multitude as well that Jesus
was addressing the Sanhedrin. This was not an opportune time to seize Him,
so they went away.
3. The controversy over Jesus’ teaching (12:13-37)
12:13. An official delegation from the Sanhedrin (cf. 11:27) comprised of
Pharisees and Herodians (cf. 3:6) are sent to catch Him in His words. In
spite of their disagreements, they are unified on opposing Jesus. The
presence of the Herodians is important since this question had political and
theological ramifications. If Jesus stumbled, the Herodians would be
witnesses against Him in the political realm.
12:14-15a. They begin with insincere flattery to set the trap. They say they
know Jesus is true and not a respecter of persons. They know He treats
everyone the same. Based on this, they want to know whether it is “lawful
to pay taxes to Caesar.” Most viewed the poll tax as honoring Caesar as
king, and therefore abhorred the tax. When Judea became a Roman
province in AD 6, this tax immediately prompted Judas of Galilee to revolt.
Though the revolt was quickly put down, the spirit of the revolt was
reproduced by subsequent patriotic leaders who formed the Zealot
movement. Later in AD 66, this mentality produced another revolt that
eventually led to the siege and destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. The
question proposed to Jesus must be seen in this context, for it seems to put
Jesus in a dilemma of offending one group regardless of how He answered.
12:15b-16. Jesus, knowing their hypocrisy and their intent to test Him,
requested a denarius from them. Holding up this silver coin He asked,
“Whose image and inscription is this?” The image on the coin would
have been the Roman emperor with the inscription “Tiberius Caesar
Augustus, son of the divine Augustus.” Many Jews hated these coins
because they viewed the image of Caesar as an implied breach of the
second commandment (cf. Exod 20:4-5). Their question was hypocritical
for two reasons. First, their motives were not pure. They cared more about
trapping Jesus than learning the truth. Second, while they sought to trap
Him with these “idolatrous” coins, they themselves used them.
12:17. Jesus’ answer reveals that the religious leaders do not have Him in
the dilemma they thought they have. God’s people have political
responsibilities ordained by God as well as the obligation to love Him
supremely (e.g. Rom 13:1-7). They marveled at His answer because they
recognized His genius in escaping their trap.
12:18. Sadducees were fewer in number, but were very popular with the
prominent priestly families, and were therefore influential in the Sanhedrin.
Mark states for his Gentile readers that they believe there is no
resurrection (i.e., physical life after death). They also reject the oral
traditions of the Pharisees while holding only to the authority of the Torah,
the first five books of the Pentateuch. While the previous encounter
involved a political-theological question, the Sadducees pose a purely
theological one.
12:19-23. Their question is designed to reveal the incredulity of the
Resurrection. “Moses wrote” (cf. Gen 38:8; Deut 25:5-6) that a brother
should marry his deceased brother’s childless wife to “raise up offspring
for his brother.” “Seven brothers” successively marry a woman and then
die, leaving no children. Finally, she dies. They now ask, “In the
resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had
her as wife.” The Sadducees believed that a man lived on through his
offspring on earth, not personally in an eternal state.
12:24. Jesus’ answer goes beyond the scenario to their faulty belief
system. The Sadducees were mistaken (lit., “deceived”) in two areas. First,
His claim that they “do not know the Scriptures” must have shocked them
because their authority was the Pentateuch. But Jesus reveals that they do
not know it well. For example, angels are mentioned throughout the
Pentateuch, yet the Sadducees did not believe in angels (cf. Acts 23:8).
Second, He accuses them of not knowing “the power of God.” While the
Resurrection may appear impossible to man, God’s power will accomplish
the Resurrection and all the details of the eternal state.
12:25. In the Resurrection there will be no marriage as in the present life,
but people will be “like angels in heaven.” Believers in the kingdom will
not need to procreate and will not need to marry. In this respect, resurrected
believers will be like angels. However, believers’ bodies will be like Christ,
not like angels (e.g., Phil 3:21). Furthermore believers, not angels, will rule
with Christ in eternity (cf. Heb 2:5-7). This does not mean that believers
will not recognize family, or that earthly family will be unimportant (e.g., 1
Thess 4:13-17). However, all believers will be family (cf. 3:31-35).
12:26-27. While v 25 deals with their illustration, in v 26 Jesus defends the
resurrection of the dead by using what they recognize as authoritative (i.e.,
the Pentateuch; cf. Exod 3:14-15). There were no chapter and verse
divisions, so Jesus specifies “the book of Moses, in the burning bush
passage” (lit., “at the bush”). God spoke to Moses when all three patriarchs
were physically dead but alive spiritually. God had a continuing relationship
with “Abraham…Isaac…and Jacob” even though they died years before.
“He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You
(emphatic) are therefore greatly mistaken.” Thus Jesus answers their
question and corrects their incorrect theology about the Resurrection by
proving from the Pentateuch that there is life after death.
12:28. While the first two episodes were attacks on Jesus, one of the
scribes approached Jesus in an uncharacteristically friendly tone. The
scribes were long-time enemies of Jesus (e.g., 2:6; 3:22), but this one scribe
stands in contrast to the majority in their dislike for Jesus. He listens to
Jesus’ reasoning (lit., “debate”) with the religious leaders and concludes
that Jesus had answered them well.
 His question “Which is the first (i.e., foremost) commandment of all?”
is greatly debated within Judaism. The scribes recognize 613 laws in the
five books of Moses, while the rabbis debate the ranking of the laws as to
their importance. His question was designed to get Jesus to rank the most
important law in the OT.
12:29-30. In v 29, Mark records Jesus’ quotation of Deut 6:4 because
many of the Roman readers were polytheistic before conversion. The
Hebrew Shema is the first Hebrew word in the sentence which means
“Hear!” and calls attention to the truth that Israel’s God is one (i.e.,
monotheistic).
Jesus continues to quote Deut 6:5 with the emphasis that love for God
should be “with all your heart.” The heart is the control center of the inner
life.
The foremost command also includes loving God “with all your soul”
(psychē). In Mark, psychē is used of the physical life of man (cf. 3:4) and
used metaphorically of discipleship as one should deny oneself, pick up his
cross, and follow Christ. One’s psychē can be lost in discipleship to Christ
but will be found in the life to come, whereas one can save one’s life
(psychē) now in selfishness but lose it later. Jesus came to give His life
(psychē) as a ransom for many (10:45), and experienced sorrow in His
psychē in the garden (cf. 14:34).
God should be loved “with all your mind” (the faculty of thinking,
comprehending, and reasoning), as well as “with all your strength” (i.e.,
one’s physical energy). He simply concludes, “This is the first
commandment.”
12:31. Jesus adds the second commandment to “love your neighbor (lit.,
“one close by”; cf. Luke 10:25-27) as yourself.” These two commands are
inseparably linked, for to love God one must love his brother (cf. 1 John
4:20-21). Paul taught that “love is the fulfillment of the law” (cf. Rom
13:10) and even the law can be summed up by loving one’s neighbor.
Emphatically He states that “There is no other commandment greater
than these.” The standard of love for another is one’s love for self.
Believers are to treat others as they desire to be treated (cf. Matt 7:12).
12:32-33. The scribe is clearly distinct from the majority by his agreement
with Jesus’ words. Also the scribe adds that these two commandments are
“more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Love for God
and man is more important than the sacrificial system (Hos 6:6; 1 Sam
15:22; Isa 1:10-17; Jer 7:21-23). Subtly Mark uses this scribe to highlight
the differences between Jesus and the religious leaders. They do not love
God and others; instead they honor their religion.
12:34. Because the scribe answered wisely (i.e., with understanding),
Jesus remarks that “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” In
contrast to the rich young ruler (cf. 10:17-22) who could not grasp the
significance of the Law in his own life, this scribe could understand the
Law and therefore was a candidate for justification by faith in Christ (cf.
Gal 3:24).
Mark concludes that after these bouts with the religious leaders, no one
dared (lit., “had courage to”) question Him. The statement is conclusive of
all the confrontations with Jesus.
12:35-37. Now that the religious rulers have finished asking their
questions, Jesus raises two rhetorical questions of his own from Ps 110:1.
Both questions are designed to explain the Messiah’s divine and human
character. These questions expose the scribes’ lack of theological
understanding concerning the Messiah. Bartimaeus recognized Jesus as the
Son of David (cf. 10:47-48) as well as the crowd ushering Him into
Jerusalem (cf. 11:10). While Jesus is not explicitly announcing Himself as
the Son of David, the readers of Mark’s Gospel understand the connection.
The first questions is, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ
(i.e., Messiah) is the Son of David?” The impact of this question is that the
scribes did not have clarity on the Messiah as the Son of David (cf. 1:22).
Jesus quoted the words of “David as said by the Holy Spirit, that ‘The
Lord (Heb., Yahweh) said to my (David’s) Lord (Heb., Adonai), “Sit at My
right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Yahweh is
addressing Adonai (i.e., another name for God), yet Adonai is God and also
David’s descendant, the Son of David. The Son of David must therefore be
divine as Adonai, and human as the descendant of David. Messiah is both
David’s Lord and Son, and will restore the Davidic throne to Israel (cf. 2
Sam 7:12-16; Luke 1:31-33). This theological conundrum is recognized by
Jesus with the question, “Therefore, David himself calls Him ‘Lord’;
how is He then his Son?” Jesus is silencing the Jewish scholars because
they did not have an answer.
 The common people (lit., “large crowd”) heard Him gladly, in contrast
to the religious rulers who were plotting to kill Him. At this point, Jesus
was enjoying popularity with the multitude.
4. Jesus condemns scribal hypocrisy (12:38-40)
12:38-40. Besides undermining the doctrine of the scribes Jesus warns the
crowd to “Beware of the scribes” because they desire public honor and
recognition. The scribes “go around in long robes” (i.e., flowing robes of
honor) and “love greetings in the marketplaces” (i.e., loved titles and
superiority). “The best seats in the synagogues” were reserved for persons
of special honor which were closest to the scrolls and facing the people.
“The best places at feasts” were the positions of honor next to the host.
The scribes were consumed with public attention and notoriety.
Because of their expertise in the Law, scribes were noted for their abilities
in business and administration. This often led to their appointment as
trustees for widows and orphans. Thus they often faced the temptation to
“devour (lit., “eating up”) widows’ houses” (i.e., monies) by
misappropriation. His last condemnation is that scribes offer long prayers
“for a pretense” (i.e., with false motives) as they attempt to impress others
with their piety and gain access into widows’ houses. Because of their
hypocrisy and greed they “will receive greater (i.e., more severe)
condemnation” (i.e., judgment) as leaders of God’s people.
5. Jesus commends a widow (12:41-44)
While some scribes greedily take advantage of widows, one widow
became a model of giving for Jesus. From the temple courts Jesus observed
the people giving to the temple.
12:41-42. The treasury is a reference to the thirteen trumpet-like chests
placed in intervals around the walls in the courts. Jesus draws a contrast
between the gifts of many who were rich and one poor widow. The rich
put in much but the poor widow threw in two mites, which make a
quadrans. A mite was the smallest Greek copper coin, and 128 mites
equaled a Roman denarius, which was the standard day’s wage of a laborer.
Her two mites equaled one quadrans, the Greek name for the smallest
Roman copper coin.
 12:43-44. Desiring to teach the disciples, He calls their attention to the
principle that the widow outgave everyone “for they” (i.e., the rich) gave
“out of their abundance” (lit., “abounding”) and therefore did not cost
them much. “But she out of her poverty (lit., “lack”) put in all that she
had, her whole livelihood.” The value of a gift is not the amount but the
dedication and joyfulness of the giver. It cost the widow more to give
because she only had a little compared to the rich who gave out of their
abundance. And she gave, not expecting praise and honor from men, but out
of gratitude to God and the joy of giving back to Him. It is not the amount a
person gives, but how and why he gives which is the true estimation of
one’s offering.
Ironically, Jesus condemned the scribes who worked hard to be recognized
as spiritual, whereas He commended a poor widow because of true
godliness.
C. Jesus’ Teaching on the Mount of Olives (13:1-37)
The Olivet discourse is the longest section of Jesus’ teaching in Mark. Due
to His impending death, this discourse reveals God’s judgment on this
generation which foreshadows future tribulation as well as the assurance of
His Second Coming. Because Titus, the Roman general, would ransack
Jerusalem in AD 70, this discourse provides hope for Jewish believers that
Jesus is coming again after the most intense tribulation the world has ever
seen.
1. Questions about the temple destruction (13:1-4)
13:1-2. As they left the temple, one of His disciples commented on the
greatness and wonder of the stones and buildings of the temple complex.
Jesus predicted that “Not one stone shall be left upon another, that shall
not be thrown down.” Titus destroyed the temple complex, but some
foundation stones are still left. This points to a later fulfillment in which the
temple complex will be rebuilt and completely destroyed in the Tribulation,
thus fulfilling His words.
13:3-4. On their way to Bethany, they rested on the Mount of Olives
overlooking the temple from the east. Peter, James, John, and Andrew
asked, “When will these things be, and what will be the sign when all
these things will be fulfilled?” The plural word things indicates that the
disciples understood a series of events to accompany the destruction of the
temple as well as signaling the end time. Christ answers their second
question first: what signs will lead to the fulfillment of these things (13:5-
23). He then briefly deals with their first question: when these things will
happen (13:24-37).
2. Warnings concerning the Tribulation period (13:5-13)
While the signs mentioned in vv 5-13 are generally true throughout
history, they are particularly descriptive of the Tribulation period known as
the seventieth week of Daniel (Dan 9:24-27). The cosmic disturbances
(Mark 13:24-25), however, are not generally true throughout history, and
are specially designed to indicate the imminence of the Second Coming of
Christ (v 26).
Similarly, though believers of the church age may profit from Christ’s
words, what He says is primarily addressed to Jewish believers during the
Tribulation. Since the Rapture of the Church will take place before the
Tribulation (1 Thess 4:13-18; 5:9), the events Christ talks about here
concern the Jewish people of that time. This is seen through Christ’s
references to the temple, the synagogues (v 9), “the end” of the Tribulation
period (v 13)—which is also known as the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer 30:7)
—the specific instructions for Jews in Judea (Mark 13:14), and the warning
of false christs (v 22).
13:5-6. His command to “Take heed” (blepō, “watch, beware”) is issued
four times in this chapter (cf. vv 5, 9, 23, 33) and indicates that Jesus’ main
motive is to build spiritual vigilance among His disciples. They are to be
careful “that no one deceives them.” Because of the chaos of the
Tribulation period, people who will come to Christ then will be expecting
the coming of Christ. Satan will seize on the hopes of Jews, believers and
unbelievers alike, and send false Messiahs. Jesus says that “many will
come in My name, saying, ‘I am He’ (lit., “I AM”), and will deceive
many” (cf. v 22). Because of the persuasiveness of these false christs, Jesus
is concerned that believers may be deceived if they do not exercise spiritual
vigilance in the Tribulation.
13:7-8. Whenever believers “hear of wars and rumors of wars, they
should not be troubled (i.e., frightened, disturbed) for such things must
happen” and are in God’s plan; “but the end is not yet.” Christ explains
that “nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom,
while earthquakes, famines, and troubles” will multiply.
Disciples are not to be deceived nor troubled because “these are the
beginnings (plural) of sorrows.” Sorrows are birth pains associated with
childbirth. As birth pains indicate the coming of a child, so religious
deceptions, national unrest, and natural crises are beginnings which point to
the Second Coming of Christ.
13:9-11. Again Jesus warns them to “watch out for yourselves for they
will deliver you up (paradidōmi, used of His betrayal in 9:31; 10:33; 15:1)
to councils and you will be beaten” (i.e., punished). As these disciples
aggressively preach Christ, they will experience difficulties in the
Tribulation. Disciples will stand before “rulers and kings for My sake, for
a testimony to them.” Though greatly resisted in the Tribulation, “the
gospel must first be preached to all the nations.” As this was true of the
early apostles, it will also be true of the Tribulation disciples.
Jesus comforts disciples who will be delivered up by telling them to “not
worry beforehand…what you will speak” because “it is not you who
speak, but the Holy Spirit.” This beautiful promise of God’s Spirit
speaking through them to their captors will inspire confidence in disciples
when they are persecuted.
13:12-13. Disciples will be opposed by family as “brother will betray
brother to death,” and a father will betray “his child” to death.
“Children will rise up against parents and cause them to be put to
death.” Believers can also expect to “be hated by all (i.e., by the world)
for My name’s sake” (i.e., because of Christ). In this setting it is easy to
see how “the love of many disciples will grow cold” (cf. Matt 24:12).
Christ’s statement, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved,” is
often interpreted to mean that one’s salvation (i.e., justification) is
contingent on perseverance in good works. But keeping this phrase within
the context of the discourse yields a different interpretation.
The phrase the end (to telos) does not refer to the end of one’s life, but the
end of the Tribulation period. The other usage of to telos in this discourse is
in Mark 13:7, “but the end is not yet.” It refers to the end of the events in
the Tribulation leading up to Christ’s Second Coming.
Theologically the word saved (sozō) has a wide variety of meanings
depending on its context. The other usage of saved in this discourse is in v
20 where the word clearly refers to physical preservation from the
Tribulation judgments (cf. v 20 discussion). In this sense even some
unbelievers will be saved in that they will physically survive the
Tribulation.
Verse 13 is not referring to eternal life, which is a present possession of the
believer (Eph 2:8-9; Acts 16:31). Here, the verb saved is in the future tense
and is conditioned on enduring to the end. Again this discourse concerns the
vigilance of disciples who are apt to become “cold” because of deception,
economic and political hardships, and persecution by family and the world.
Mark 13:13 is a statement that Tribulation believers who endure faithfully
will physically survive to the end of the Tribulation so they may enter
Christ’s kingdom without death. Of course, some faithful believers will be
killed during the Tribulation (e.g. 13:12; Rev 6:9-11), but most believers
who die will be those unfaithful ones who are swept up in God’s judgment
upon the sins of this world. Such believers will go to heaven, but will not be
saved from death during the Tribulation.
3. Warnings concerning the Great Tribulation period (13:14-23)
13:14a. The future Tribulation period will last seven years. The second
three and a half years are called the Great Tribulation because the intensity
of God’s judgments will increase and the beast (i.e., the Antichrist) will
escalate his persecution of the Jewish people.
The Great Tribulation will begin with the beast committing the
“abomination of desolation.” This event will occur when the beast is
“standing where it ought not.” The reader is pointed to the OT Book of
Daniel where the term abomination of desolation originates (cf. 9:27;
11:31; 12:11). Daniel 9:27 is speaking of the seventieth week of Daniel (i.e.,
the seven-year Tribulation) when the beast will make a covenant with Israel
and will break it “in the middle of the week” (i.e., at the beginning of the
second half of the Tribulation). He will break the covenant by committing
the abomination of desolation.
13:14b-18. Because of the persecution which will result when the
abomination of desolation happens, Jewish believers will need to flee
quickly from persecution. Those in Judea are to “flee to the mountains;”
the person “on the housetop” should not take time to retrieve anything;
anyone “in the field” should not go home for clothes. Woe (condition of
hardship, distress) is pronounced on those who are pregnant or nursing,
because having children will hinder one’s escape. Fleeing in winter will
make things even worse because rain on the hardened ground produces
quick floods and makes travel treacherous.
13:19-20. The persecution of believers along with the Tribulation
judgments will produce unprecedented “tribulation such has not been…
nor ever shall be.” No other moment of history will be so perilous and
“unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved”
(sozō, physical preservation). If these days were not reduced by the Lord,
all flesh, believer and unbeliever alike, would die.
Jesus’ sense of urgency in exhorting the disciples to be vigilant is crucial.
If His words about fleeing (vv 14-18) go unheeded by apathetic disciples,
they will lose their physical lives (i.e., not be saved). “But for the elect’s
sake (i.e., Israel, God’s chosen people), whom He chose, He shortened the
days.” God desires believers in the Tribulation to endure to the end (cf. v
13), so in His sovereign plan, He will shorten the days of the Tribulation
period so that they may experience physical deliverance (i.e., triumph) over
the Antichrist and the judgments.
13:21-23. In the midst of flight and persecution Jewish believers will be
vulnerable to deception. So Jesus warns them to “not believe” any report
on the appearance of Christ, “for false christs and false prophets will
rise.” These false messiahs will convince many, for they will “show signs
and wonders” with the intent “to deceive” (to lead astray). Such signs will
be so persuasive, “if possible, even the elect” (i.e., Israel) will be deceived.
Again Jesus exhorts the disciples (“you” is emphatic) to “take heed” to
these warnings that He has given beforehand. Faithful believers in the
Tribulation will study diligently the words of the Olivet Discourse.
4. The Second Coming of Christ (13:24-27)
13:24-25. Jesus now answers the first question concerning when these
things will be fulfilled. He tells them when His Second Coming will occur.
After that tribulation (cf. vv 14-23), or near the end of it, there will be
three more signs indicating His return. “The sun will be darkened, and
the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall, and the
powers in the heavens will be shaken.” The powers refer to the planets.
When believers in the Tribulation see a darkened sun and moon along with
celestial abnormalities, Jesus is coming soon.
13:26. “Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds (Dan
7:13; Rev 1:7) with great power and glory.” Jesus’ return will be an
unmistakable and visible event with a bright and brilliant manifestation in
the sky. He will come with power as King and Judge (Rev 19:11-16).
Therefore disciples must not be deceived into thinking He had come and
they had missed it, nor hardened into thinking He is not coming at all.
Instead, they must endure till His appearance in the sky, which is the final
sign and will mark the end of the Tribulation. At that time Israel’s enemies
will be finally destroyed, and Israel will be saved and restored to their
rightful place among the nations (cf. Zech 13:1; 14:9; Rom 11:26-27).
13:27. “And then the angels will gather together His elect (i.e., Israel)
from the four winds (i.e., every place in every direction) from the farthest
part of earth to the farthest part of heaven.” The reference to heaven
indicates this gathering will include not only Jewish believers alive at this
time but also a resurrection of dead believers. Dead church age believers
will have been resurrected at the Rapture (1 Cor 15:51-52; 1 Thess 4:13-
18). Possibly at this time OT saints (cf. Dan 12:1-2) and believers martyred
during the Tribulation (cf. Rev 6:9-11; 20:4) will be resurrected to join
living believers. They will all enter into the millennial kingdom, while
living unbelieving Gentiles will be judged and sent to everlasting
punishment (cf. Matt 25:41-46).
5. The lesson of the fig tree (13:28-31)
13:28-29. Jesus explains to the disciples when these events will happen by
exhorting them to “learn this parable from the fig tree.” When a fig tree
“puts forth leaves,” a person knows “that summer is near.” The lesson
from the fig tree for Tribulation believers is that when they “see these
things happening,” they know the end “is near—at the doors!” As one
can know that summer is near by the fig leaves, a disciple can know the
return of Jesus is near by these events.
13:30. Jesus continues to talk about the generation (genea) living during
these events (i.e., Tribulation period) who “see these things” (cf. v 29).
Some say these events were fulfilled in AD 70 when Jerusalem and the
temple were destroyed by the Roman army. However, Jesus did not return
in that generation. This generation “will by no means pass away till all
these things (i.e., the Tribulation and the Second Coming) take place.”
Another view on this verse is that Jesus could be referring to the Jewish
people in general, indicating that they as a race (genea) will not die out.
13:31. To emphasize the truth of His teaching, Jesus states that “Heaven
and earth will pass away (cf. 2 Pet 3:10) but My words will by no means
pass away.” Disciples can count on these events to happen as Jesus said.
6. The exhortation to watch (13:32-37)
13:32. The Lord says, “But of that day and hour no one knows.” When
Jesus said that the Son does not know the day and hour, He is referring to
His humanity and submission as Son to the Father (cf. John 14:10, 24, 28;
17:4; Phil 2:5-11).
13:33-37. Jesus’ main concern is spiritual vigilance. Thus He exhorts,
“take heed, watch and pray.” The reason for such vigilance is that
believers “do not know when the time is.” There are no signs leading up
to the Rapture; it can occur at any time.
His illustration of “a man going to a far country” is a picture of Himself
ascending to the Father. He “left his house and gave authority to His
servants (i.e., disciples) and to each his work and commanded the
doorkeeper to watch” for His return.
Jesus provides the application by commanding His disciples, “Watch
therefore, for you do not know when the Master of the house is
coming.” A disciple is to be ready for His return at any time of the day.
Jesus refers to all four watches of the night from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m. The point
is to be ready for His return and not be found sleeping (spiritually).
“And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” Everyone is warned to be
spiritually awake and vigilant for His return. Believers will give account to
the Master for the work He has left to them (2 Cor 5:9-10).
VI. The Servant’s Ultimate Rejection: the Cross (14:1–15:47)
A. Events leading to Betrayal (14:1-42)
1. The plot intensifies (14:1-2)
14:1a. A new chronological point in Mark’s narrative is the Passover and
the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The two feasts were viewed as a single
celebration which lasted eight days (Nisan 14–21). The phrase after two
days bridges the gap between Jesus’ teaching on Mount Olivet and the first
day of Passover (cf. 14:12).
14:1b-2. The Jewish authorities plot to seize Jesus and ultimately kill Him
by trickery. However, they wanted to ensure that Jesus was not taken
during the feast, lest there be an uproar of the people.
2. His body anointed (14:3-9)
14:3. Bethany is where Jesus stayed after His entry into Jerusalem (cf.
11:1, 11, 12). As He sat at the table a woman (Mary; cf. John 12:3) came
having an alabaster flask of very costly oil of spikenard, which is
expensive perfume, and poured it on His head.
14:4-5. Her extravagant act caused some to be indignant among
themselves and to say, “Why was this fragrant oil wasted?” This
perfume was valued at more than three hundred denarii—ten months
wages. They object that this large amount of money could have been given
to the poor (e.g., John 13:29). This reveals they still did not understand the
truth about servanthood. They criticized her sharply.
14:6-8. Jesus rebukes her critics and defends her action as “a good work,”
stating that the poor are always available and in need of help. Then He
said, “But Me you do not have always” because His ascension is near.
Jesus explains that “She has done what she could. She has come
beforehand (lit., ‘anticipated’) to anoint My body for burial.” Normally
anointing was a token of festivity and fellowship. Perhaps, like the
disciples, this woman did not understand the significance of Jesus’ death.
However, if anyone genuinely understood Jesus’ coming death and
resurrection, it would be Mary the sister of Lazarus (cf. John 11:1-45; 12:3),
who personally witnessed Jesus’ miracle of raising Lazarus and was
devoted to His teaching (Luke 10:38-42). Probably Mary did understand
Jesus’ teaching about His death and resurrection, and therefore she intended
to use this extravagant perfume on Jesus to honor Him before His death. In
view of His impending death, she did what she could.
14:9. Emphatically Jesus announced that “wherever this gospel is
preached in the whole world,” her act will be proclaimed “as a memorial
to her.” She honors Jesus, and Jesus will honor her! Far from being a waste,
her act will be carried with the gospel to be remembered as a good work.
3. Judas agrees to betray Him(14:10-11)
 14:10-11. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, initiates the betrayal of Jesus.
The Jewish leaders are reluctant to seize Jesus during the Feast (cf. vv 1-2)
but the offer of Judas was too good to pass up. They promised to give him
money (cf. Matt 26:15). Motivated by financial gain (cf. John 12:3-6),
Judas sought how he might conveniently betray Him.
4. The celebration of Passover and institution of the Lord’s
Supper (14:12-26)
The Passover commemorated God’s deliverance of Israel from Egypt
(Exod 12:1-27). At the Exodus the blood of the lamb was applied to the
doorposts so that the death angel would see the blood and “pass over” the
house. Jesus is the Lamb whose blood will be shed for the sins of the world,
thus delivering believers from eternal judgment.
14:12. The first day of Unleavened Bread is a Jewish reference to the
combined feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Mark adds that on this
day they killed the Passover lamb (Nisan 14). Jews had to eat the lamb
that evening in Jerusalem. Because they needed to make preparations, the
disciples inquired where they were going to “eat the Passover.”
14:13-16. Peter and John were the two…disciples Jesus sent to prepare the
Passover. He had followers in Bethany and Jerusalem, so this was doubtless
a prearranged meeting between Jesus and the master of the house. Because
women normally carry the water, “a man…carrying a pitcher of water”
may have been a predetermined signal. That the master of the house is a
follower of Christ is implied by knowing Jesus as “the Teacher.” The
“guest room” was “a large upper room, furnished and prepared.” The
room had couches on which the guests would recline as they ate. Mark
records the reliability of Jesus’ word in that the disciples found it just as
He had said to them.
14:17-19. Jesus and the Twelve arrive at evening (i.e., a period between
late afternoon and darkness) to the upper room. His purpose is more than
just eating the Passover meal; He also desires to prepare them for the
coming events. While eating their meal He states that “one of you who eats
with Me will betray Me.” Verse 17 indicates that only Jesus and the
Twelve were present, so they asked Jesus one by one “Is it I?”
14:20. Jesus answers them all by stating that the one who would betray
Him “is one of the twelve, who dips with Me in the dish.” This refers to
dipping pieces of bread into a bowl with sauce, which symbolized table
fellowship. He called the Twelve to follow Him and fellowship with Him
(cf. 3:14). David prophesied about Messiah’s betrayal by a close friend (Ps
41:9). So also Jesus is lamenting that one of the Twelve will betray Him.
14:21. “The Son of Man indeed goes (lit., “to take the journey of death”)
just as it is written of Him” (e.g., Isaiah 53). Jesus is aware of His purpose
in dying (cf. Mark 10:45), but pronounces “woe to that man” who is the
agent of betrayal. This denotes God’s displeasure and future judgment upon
Judas. For the one who betrays Jesus, “it would have been good for that
man if he had never been born.”
14:22. The symbolism of the Passover meal was explained by the father to
his children (cf. Exod 12:26-27). Likewise Jesus explains the bread and the
wine in light of the New Covenant. He took bread, blessed it and broke it,
revealing His voluntary submission to death, and gave it to the disciples to
eat. By saying, “Take eat; this (bread) is (represents) My body,” Jesus
reveals not only His foreknowledge of the event, but interprets the broken
bread to represent His scourged body.
14:23-25. He also took the cup (i.e., a common cup of wine), gave
thanks…and they all drank from it. He explains the significance of the
cup by saying, “This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for
many.” The new covenant is based on the shed blood of Christ (e.g., Jer
31:31-34; Heb 7:22; 8:6; 12:24), which secures salvation.
Jesus announces that He will “no longer drink of the fruit of the vine
until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.” The New
Covenant is superior to the Old Covenant. It will also be fully experienced
(i.e., a qualitatively new life) in the kingdom of God when Jesus is present
with His people. The Lord’s Supper not only looks back to Christ’s death; it
also looks forward in anticipation of the messianic banquet (e.g., Isa 25:6; 1
Cor 11:26).
14:26. The Passover meal concludes before midnight with the singing of
the last part of the Hallel (praise) from Psalms 113–118. Then they proceed
to the Mount of Olives, the location of Gethsemane.
5. Jesus predicts denial (14:27-31)
14:27-28. Jesus said to them, “All of you will be made to stumble
because of me this night.” The passive voice indicates that this is not a
deliberate betrayal like that of Judas, but is a result of being overwhelmed
by the circumstances and much Satanic pressure (cf. Luke 22:31).
Zechariah 13:7 is the Scriptural basis for their fall. When “the Shepherd”
(Jesus) is arrested, “the sheep (His disciples) will be scattered.” Their fall is
not one of betrayal nor is it permanent. Their loyalty to Jesus will not be
able to withstand the strain of the moment.
However, even though all those closest to Jesus would betray Him in one
way or another, Zech 13:7 presents God as the One who will set His death
in motion: God will strike the Shepherd. Knowing this, Jesus announced,
“After I have been raised I will go before you to Galilee.” Jesus the
Great Shepherd directed them to reunion and restoration with Himself
before they had even sinned.
14:29-31. Besides denying Jesus’ words, Peter also exalts himself above
the other disciples. Jesus affirms that “this night, before the rooster crows
twice, you will deny Me three times.” Mark is the only Gospel to mention
the rooster crowing twice (cf. vv 68, 72). Ironically Peter’s three denials
were not momentary lapses but clear disassociations with Jesus, thus
making his stumbling more deliberate than that of the other disciples. Peter
spoke more vehemently about his willingness to die rather than deny Jesus.
The other disciples said likewise. Peter’s reference to dying with Jesus
infers that he understood to a degree that death awaited Jesus.
6. Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane (14:32-42)
14:32-36. Gethsemane (lit., “oil press”) is a grove of olive trees on the
Mount of Olives where Jesus decided to spend some time preparing for the
events ahead. His means of preparation is praying with His inner circle of
Peter, James, and John. His emotional state is described as troubled and
deeply distressed. As Jesus anticipates the hour He states that His “soul
(i.e., inner spirit) is exceedingly sorrowful (i.e., grieved), even to death.”
Jesus’ command to stay here and watch (grēgoreō; used three times in vv
34-37 for spiritual readiness) is probably addressed to Peter, James, and
John (cf. v 33). With the cross on His mind, He fell on the ground and
prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him.
Jesus’ use of Abba is unique as Jews never used this formula in prayer to
God. It reveals Jesus’ submission, trust, and obedience to His Father (cf.
Phil 2:8). Paul picks up this theme for believers (cf. Rom 8:15; Gal 4:6).
 Jesus recognizes that “all things are possible” for the Father, and
therefore He asks: “Take this cup away from me.” This cup refers to the
cup of God’s wrath. Jesus is ready to die for the sins of the world. Yet as the
perfect Man, Jesus demonstrates perfect submission as He prayed
“Nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will” (cf. Heb 5:7).
14:37-38. After Jesus prays for a time, He returns to His disciples only to
find them sleeping. So He said, “Could you not watch one hour?” He
singles out Peter, because he had boasted greatly of his stand for Christ (cf.
vv 29-31) yet quickly falls asleep. Christ’s next statement, “Watch and
pray, lest you enter into temptation,” is intended to strengthen the
disciples. Though predicted, they are still responsible for their own spiritual
readiness. Though He knows their “spirit…is ready,” their “flesh is
weak.” Flesh refers to their physical body (not the negative Pauline sense),
while spirit refers to their inner desire to stand for Christ (cf. vv 29, 31).
14:39-42. Mark highlights their inability to watch and pray as Jesus leaves
to pray. Jesus found them asleep again, for their eyes were heavy. They
were ashamed at this second awakening, yet they fell asleep a third time.
When Jesus wakens them a third time, He says, “It is enough.” He
announces that He “is being betrayed in to the hands of sinners” (i.e., the
Jewish leaders).
B. Events from Betrayal to Burial (14:43–15:47)
1. His betrayal and arrest (14:43-50)
14:43-45. Jesus’ foreknowledge is evident, because as He was still
speaking the words of vv 41-42, Judas, one of the twelve, led a great
multitude of Jewish (cf. Luke 22:52) and Roman officers (cf. John 18:12)
carrying swords and clubs. All of them were sent by the Sanhedrin.
Though Jesus could have been easily recognized by day, the dark, private
garden made it necessary for Judas to identify Jesus. Nighttime was the
“opportune time” as it would obscure Jesus’ arrest from the multitudes.
Approaching Jesus as “Rabbi, Rabbi!” Judas carried out the plan and
kissed Him.
14:46-50. Although Mark does not name Peter (cf. John 18:10), he says,
one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the
high priest and cut off his ear. Jesus rebukes the officers for their
assumption that they would need weapons, as if He was “a robber.”
Ironically, Jesus will be crucified between two robbers (cf. 15:27).
His second rebuke in v 49 exposes their underhanded plot of taking Him at
night. They could have seized Him during the day “in the temple.” His
statement that “the Scriptures must be fulfilled” indicates Jesus’
admission that though their actions are wrong, it is leading to the fulfillment
of Scripture. When the disciples realized that Jesus was not going to resist,
they did not know what to do except flee.
2. A young man flees (14:51-52)
14:51-52. The young man must have had a connection with Jesus as he
followed Him. The young man may have been seized because he was
recognized as a follower of Christ. The linen cloth thrown around his
naked body suggests that he may have been awakened in the night and
instinctively followed Jesus and the disciples as they left Jerusalem. Only
Mark records this episode which may indicate that the unnamed young man
is Mark himself.
3. Jesus before the Sanhedrin (14:53-65)
14:53. The plot from 3:6 is coming to fruition as the arresting party led
Jesus to the house of the high priest (i.e., Caiaphas, cf. John 18:24). Jesus
predicted that these things would happen (cf. Mark 8:31; 10:33), which
further confirms His identity to the fleeing disciples.
14:54. As Jesus is in the hostile confines of the high priest, Peter is just
outside in the courtyard. Peter warmed himself at the fire. The prediction
of Peter’s denials weaves itself throughout this section culminating in
14:66-72.
14:55-56. While the Sanhedrin could not enact capital punishment, this
preliminary hearing is a hasty attempt to gather charges against Jesus so that
a reasonable case could be made before the Roman rulers. However, from a
Jewish perspective this is a trial. Mark declares injustice from the beginning
as the leaders had already decided to put Him to death; they just needed
credible testimony to substantiate such a verdict. At first they found none
(i.e., testimony) but then many bore false witness against Him. However,
in the process of cross-examining the witnesses, their testimonies did not
agree. The Jewish leaders could not condone false witnesses but they had
no case up to this point.
14:57-59. One piece of evidence arose from the false witnesses concerning
Jesus’ claim to “‘destroy this temple’”…but not even then did their
testimony agree. While Jesus predicted the destruction of the temple in
13:1-2, this particular accusation is recorded not by Mark but by John
(2:19-21). Yet even there they did not understand that He was talking about
His physical body. However, such a charge could be used to discredit Jesus’
reputation with the multitudes, thus opening the door for greater
accusations. This point must have been effective as people at the cross
repeat this charge (cf. 15:29).
14:60. Apparently this issue hit home with the high priest as he took
center stage. Scanty and inconsistent testimony combined with Jesus’
silence probably annoyed Caiaphas. However, Christ’s silence is clearly due
to His role as the Suffering Servant (cf. Isa 53:7; 1 Pet 2:22-23).
14:61-62. Through word and deed, Jesus has proclaimed the kingdom of
God but has throughout Mark’s Gospel only implied His claim to be the
Messiah. When Caiaphas asks Him directly, “Are You the Christ, the Son
of the Blessed One?” (used only here of God), Jesus clearly and
climactically answers “I am” (egō eimi). I am is used twice before in Mark
(6:50; 13:6). With this explicit admission, Jesus now seems eager to explain
His person and mission as He combines a statement from Ps 110:1 and Dan
7:13. He adds, “And you (i.e., the antagonists) will see the Son of Man
(i.e., Jesus; 8:31; 9:7; 10:33; 12:6; 14:21) sitting at the right hand of the
Power and coming with the clouds of heaven” (cf. 13:26). This is clearly
a statement of identification and vindication. This does not mean that Jesus
will come back in Caiaphas’s lifetime, but that Caiaphas will be resurrected
to stand before Christ as Judge (cf. Dan 12:2).
14:63-64. Dramatically the high priest tore his clothes as an
acknowledgement of blasphemy. He proclaims that they have no further
need of witnesses, because Jesus’ words are all the evidence they need.
Therefore the Sanhedrin condemned Him as deserving of death. Jesus’
claim to have a special relationship with God, and especially elevating
Himself over the Sanhedrin, was more than enough evidence for blasphemy
unless, of course, it was true. The word condemned means that the
Sanhedrin was unified in their intent to put Jesus to death, even though they
did not have the official capacity to do so. The verdict they sought has now
been proclaimed.
14:65. Hatred is unleashed as they began to spit on Him, which is a
universal sign of contempt, and to blindfold Him, beat Him, and to say to
Him, “Prophesy!” The irony of their sarcastic “Prophesy” is that the way
they are treating Him is itself a direct fulfillment of many prophecies (e.g.
8:31; 10:33).
4. Peter’s denials (14:66-72)
14:66-68. Mark resumes the unfolding of Jesus’ prediction of Peter’s
denials (vv 27-31, 54) where Peter is outside by the fire while Jesus is
inside with the Sanhedrin. As the high priest had many slaves, one of the
servant girls recognized Peter warming himself by the fire and said to
him, “You also were with Jesus of Nazareth.” She knew of Jesus and His
disciples, and that they were from Galilee. Jesus has been very visible as He
has been teaching in the temple. Peter denied her accusation and moved to
a porch (i.e., vestibule leading to the courtyard) away from the light to
escape further scrutiny. As the first rooster crowed, Mark’s readers are
reminded of Jesus’ prediction (cf. v 30).
14:69-71. The same servant girl saw him again and told those who stood
by, “This is one of them!” Her comment reveals that the disciples as a
group are also under suspicion. Those who hear her also chime in, saying,
“Surely you are one of them for you are a Galilean, and your speech
(i.e., accent) shows it.” The reader can sense Peter’s predicament as the
progression of recognition moves from the slave girl to the others standing
around the courtyard. Suspicion of his association with Jesus is growing.
To convince them of his disassociation with Jesus, Peter began to curse
and swear “I do not know this Man of whom you speak!”
14:72. A second time the rooster crowed reminds Peter that he had fallen
into the very trap Jesus warned him about, and which he vigorously denied
would happen. This reveals a deeper meaning for Christ’s earlier words:
“The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” And when he thought about it
probably means that the second crow forced Peter to put the pieces together
concerning the evening’s events, including his boast, his desertion of Christ,
and his three denials. Then he wept.
5. Jesus’ Roman trial (15:1-20)
 15:1. The chief priests held an early morning council with the Sanhedrin.
The chief priests emerge as the leading Jewish authority, being named
twelve times in chapter 14 with five references in chapter 15.
Pontius Pilate (AD 26–36) was the Roman procurator whose chief duty
was to keep the volatile Palestinian area quiet for Rome. Although the
Sanhedrin could recommend the death penalty, Pilate had to confirm their
recommendations.
15:2. Pilate’s question, “Are you the King of the Jews?” reveals that the
Sanhedrin’s strategy is to charge Jesus with treason. This is the first use of
the phrase the King of the Jews in Mark’s Gospel.
Jesus’ only comment recorded by Mark before Pilate is, “It is as you say.”
Though Jesus was in a sense (positionally) King of the Jews at that time, He
had to die on the cross in order to take away the sins of His future subjects.
Jesus came the first time, not as the ruling and reigning King, but the
Suffering Servant.
15:3-5. From 15:3 onward the chief priests take the lead as they accused
Him of many things. But the result was that He answered nothing. His
silence in the face of many allegations caused Pilate to marvel.
15:6-8. Mark supplies some additional historical information for Gentile
readers. At Passover, and perhaps other feasts, Pilate would customarily
grant political amnesty by releasing one prisoner…whomever they
requested. One named Barabbas led a murderous political insurrection
against Roman rule. That such a man would be preferred over Jesus
highlights the blind hostility of the Jewish rulers.
15:9-10. Since Pilate knew that the chief priests had handed Him over
because of envy, he asked the crowd, “Do you want me to release to you
the King of the Jews?” Pilate hoped they would answer yes (cf. Matt
27:17-26; Luke 23:13-25).
15:11-14. The chief priests stirred up the crowd to ask for the release of
Barabbas. Pilate then asked, “What then do you want me to do with Him
whom you call the King of the Jews?”
When they cried out again, “Crucify Him!” Pilate incredulously asked,
“Why, what evil has He done?” Pilate’s own words demonstrate the
injustice of this trial, but are brushed aside with repeated calls to crucify
Him.
 15:15. Clearly Pilate does not believe Jesus is guilty, but wanting to
gratify the crowd, released Barabbas to them; and he delivered Jesus,
after he had scourged Him, to be crucified. The picture of substitution is
seen in that Barabbas deserved to die for his sins but was released, whereas
Jesus died in his place.
15:16. The soldiers led Him…into the hall called Praetorium. This hall
was a courtyard at Herod’s palace in an area open to the sky but surrounded
by buildings or walls. A Roman garrison under normal conditions would
include six hundred soldiers.
15:17-19. They clothed Him with a purple garment. To complete the
mockery of a king they put on a crown of thorns…on His head.
The soldiers began to salute Him, saying “Hail, King of the Jews!”
They struck…spat…and mockingly worshiped Him. The thorns may be a
divinely intended allusion to the curse of Gen 3:17-19. Man’s curse was
born by Jesus.
15:20. After they had mocked Him, they took off His mock attire and
put His own clothes on Him, and led Him out to crucify Him. Public
nudity was socially offensive to the Jews so they put His clothes back on for
the long march to Golgotha.
6. Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and burial (15:21-47)
15:21-22. Apparently Jesus began carrying the cross (i.e., crossbar) but
was too weak from the scourging to continue. Thus the soldiers compelled
Simon…to bear His cross. Simon was from Cyrene, a city in North Africa
on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea (cf. Acts 13:1). He was the father of
Alexander and Rufus, probably known to Mark’s readers.
Their destination was Golgotha…Place of a Skull, a fitting name for a
place of death.
15:23. Then they gave Him wine mingled with myrrh to drink. This
wine flavored with myrrh may have been an attempt by sympathizers along
the way to relieve Him of the pain (cf. Prov 31:6); another drink is offered
later (v 36) but Jesus did not want His senses numbed of the suffering He
was voluntarily enduring.
15:24. Having stripped Him of His clothing, the soldiers crucified Him,
and then divided His garments among themselves by casting lots, a direct
fulfillment of Ps 22:16-18. Rome permitted soldiers to take the clothes of
those whom they crucified as a morbid perk.
15:25-26. It was the third hour (9 a.m.) when they crucified Him. A
victim would often have a placard hanging around his neck detailing the
charges as he carried his cross. The inscription of His accusation was
written above: THE KING OF THE JEWS. Ironically what they meant
as mockery was reality indeed.
15:27-28. Jesus was crucified with two robbers, one on his right and the
other on his left. Jesus is center stage. Mark records that this too fulfills
Messianic prophecy (Isa 53:12).
15:29-32. As those who passed by blasphemed Him, it becomes evident
that Christ is totally abandoned. His popularity from just a few days ago has
vanished. They mock and challenge Him who vowed that if the temple were
destroyed He would rebuild it in three days to “save Himself and come
down from the cross!” Ironically in order to fulfill the promise to which
they refer, that is, in order to rise from the dead on the third day, He had to
remain on the cross until death.
Likewise, the chief priests along with the scribes were mocking among
themselves by saying, “He saved others; Himself He cannot save.” They
did not believe that He had saved anyone (i.e., that He gave anyone eternal
life), nor that He would save Himself. (Alternately they may have believed
that He delivered others from death’s door, but He could not deliver
Himself from death.)
They further demanded that He come down from the cross to prove His
authenticity (cf. 8:11-12), but Jesus had already presented enough proofs of
His identity (John 20:30-31). Dying on the cross and rising from the dead
would be the greatest proof and sign of all (John 20:30-31). Also Christ’s
death on the cross is a reminder to the disciples that one must lose his life to
save it (cf. 8:35).
Lastly, Mark reveals that even the two thieves who were crucified with
Him reviled (lit., “were reviling”) Him. This word stresses that they
participated with His accusers in mockery. Jesus was totally abandoned by
man.
15:33. Jesus had been on the cross for three hours (third to sixth hour)
when there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. The
unnatural darkness signified God’s judgment on sin, as well as His
displeasure with Israel who rejected their King (cf. 12:1-12).
15:34. At the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice…“My God,
My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Ps 22:1). The physical agony was
not the only cost to Jesus—He suffered separation from His Father as He
bore the sins of the world on His body (2 Cor 5:21; 1 Pet 2:24). Probably
Jesus intends for the listeners to think of the entire twenty-second Psalm,
which ends with the worldwide rule of Messiah (cf. Ps 22:22-31). If so,
there was both pain and triumph in this cry.
15:35-36. Some of those who stood by misunderstood and thought Jesus
was calling for Elijah, so in jest they mocked Him again by offering Him a
sponge full of sour wine and saying scornfully, “let Him alone; let us see
if Elijah will come to take Him down.”
15:37. Mark records that Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and
breathed His last, a euphemism for death. This concise statement reveals
that Jesus did not die a normal death from crucifixion: (1) His physical
strength is evident. Normally a person on a cross may live for two or three
days. (2) He controlled His own death in that He breathed out His life. (3)
The timing of His cry right after the third hour of darkness suggests that the
purpose for His death has been fulfilled. He died for the sins of the world,
not His own sins.
15:38. The death of Christ prompted the tearing of the veil in the temple.
The temple had two curtains and Mark does not specify which one was torn
(or whether the veil might refer to both of them.
The first curtain separated the courtyard from the Holy Place, while the
second curtain separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. Many
interpret this tearing as foreshadowing God’s destruction of the entire
temple in AD 70 (cf. 13:1-2; 14:48; 15:29).
The tearing of the inner curtain might symbolize the reality that God had
opened the way for man to approach Himself through Christ’s death (Heb
10:20). The fact that the veil was torn (passive voice) in two from top to
bottom shows that God did the tearing and that it has special meaning. (It is
even possible that both of the suggested implications were divinely intended
in the one act.)
15:39. The centurion, who stood opposite Him…said, “Truly this Man
was the Son of God!” Was this Gentile born again at this point? He was if
he understood what Jesus as the Son of God promised, namely, eternal life
to all who believe in Jesus for eternal life (cf. John 11:25-27; 20:31).
This is the climax of the book that Mark has been leading up to since his
opening statement in 1:1.
15:40-41. Other than the anonymous woman who anointed Jesus for burial
(cf. 14:3-9), women as disciples have largely been absent from Mark’s
narrative. These women who were looking on from afar are strategic
witnesses of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection. While the men have fled,
these women could do nothing but watch. Mary Magdalene is so named
after her hometown on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee and was
well known (cf. Luke 8:2). Mary (cf. Matt 27:61) is recognized by her sons
James the Less and of Joses. Salome appears at the empty tomb (cf. 16:1).
These three ladies were obviously well known in the early church for Mark
to mention them as witnesses.
These women followed Him, revealing that some of Jesus’ disciples were
women who ministered to Him financially (cf. Luke 8:3), especially when
He was in Galilee.
15:42. Jesus died sometime after the ninth hour (cf. v 33). Evening is a
time period before sunset. Mark records for Gentiles that it was the
Preparation Day, that is, the day before the Sabbath. Jesus would need
to be buried before sunset when the Sabbath began.
15:43-45. Joseph of Arimathea (twenty miles NW of Jerusalem), a
prominent council member of the Sanhedrin was a secret disciple of Jesus
(cf. John 19:38). He was waiting for the kingdom of God which means
that he had identified with Jesus’ message as He preached. At great risk to
himself, as a prominent council member of the Sanhedrin, it took courage
to ask Pilate for the body of Jesus when hostilities were great. John records
that Nicodemus was with Joseph (cf. John 19:38-40). Joseph’s dealings with
Pilate would certainly become known.
Pilate marveled that Jesus was already dead because victims normally
lingered on, even though scourging by itself could kill a man. Pilate,
summoning the centurion who had witnessed Jesus’ remarkable death (cf.
v 39), was able to verify that Jesus had died, so he granted the body to
Joseph.
15:46. A respectful but hurried burial is described as Joseph bought fine
linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. He then laid Him
in a tomb…and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb. Most
victims would be buried in a mass grave by the soldiers, yet Joseph uses his
own tomb which had not been used (cf. Luke 23:53; John 19:41).
15:47. Mark prepares for resurrection morning by noting that two of the
faithful women mentioned, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of
Joseph observed where He was laid so that they could visit the tomb after
the Sabbath.
VII. The Servant’s Resurrection and Ascension (16:1-20)
A. The Discovery of the Empty Tomb (16:1-8)
16:1. Jesus died around 3 p.m. on Friday afternoon. Since the Sabbath
began at sundown (around 6 p.m.), it was too late to complete all the normal
burial preparations until after the Sabbath was past (i.e., Sunday morning).
Thus a number of women who were followers of Jesus bought spices, that
they might come and anoint Him.
16:2-4. On the first day of the week these women left for the tomb when
it was dark (cf. John 20:1) but arrived when the sun had risen. They came
needing to find some men to move the stone away from the tomb. As they
discussed this, they arrived and saw that the stone had been rolled away.
16:5-7. When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man who was
clothed in a long white robe. Matthew 28:2 tells us that he was an angel.
While Luke (24:4) and John (20:12) mention two angels, Matthew (28:3-5)
and Mark mention only one since their focus was on the angel who is
speaking.
The angel seeks to comfort them by saying, “Do not be alarmed. You
seek Jesus of Nazareth who was crucified. He is risen.” The women are
given a mission to tell Jesus’ “disciples—and Peter—that He is going
before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you.” They
are to be reunited in Galilee (cf. 14:28) where they had spent so much time
together.
16:8. While the other three Gospels state that the women proceeded to tell
the disciples, only Mark tells that there was an initial pause. They fled from
the tomb, for they trembled and were amazed. And they said nothing to
anyone, for they were afraid. They were initially overwhelmed to
passivity, but quickly processed the angel’s words and went to tell the
disciples.
 B. The Last Twelve Verses of Mark: Jesus’ Postresurrection
Appearances and Ascension (16:9-20)
Perhaps the greatest textual difficulty in the NT is the authenticity of Mark
16:9-20. The primary question is whether Mark’s Gospel ends at v 8 or
includes vv 9-20.
The vast majority of modern scholars believe that vv 9-20 are not a part of
the original text, primarily because two of the oldest uncial manuscripts,
Codex Sinaiticus (Aleph) and Codex Vaticanus (B), do not contain vv 9-20.
Many scholars also argue that the style and vocabulary of vv 9-20 do not
match the rest of Mark’s Gospel. For example fifteen words in the last
dozen verses do not appear elsewhere in the Gospel of Mark. Therefore it is
concluded that the ending is not authentic.
However, vv 9-20 appear in an overwhelming majority of manuscripts.
The ending also has early testimony from a number of second and third
century church fathers who predate Vaticanus and Sinaiticus. While Jerome
is used in evidence of the omission of these verses, he actually included
them in his fourth century Latin Vulgate.
The internal argument that fifteen of the words in vv 9-20 are not used
elsewhere in Mark is weak. No other part of Mark’s Gospel describes Jesus’
appearing to His disciples or commissioning them after His resurrection.
This same process could be used to disprove that Paul wrote the Pastoral
Epistles, or John the Book of Revelation.
Many of those who believe that vv 9-20 are not original believe that the
original ending of Mark has been lost. Few think that Mark ended his
Gospel at v 8 with the women fleeing the tomb in fear. That would be an
odd way to end his work. The assumption that there was an original ending
that was subsequently lost has no evidence.
Such longstanding and wide acceptance of these verses cannot be treated
lightly nor dismissed easily. The inclusion of vv 9-20 has solid witness and
should be considered original.
1. Jesus appears to His disciples (16:9-13)
16:9. Jesus rose early on the first day of the week. His first post
resurrection appearance was to Mary Magdalene, out of whom He had
cast seven demons. Mark lists Mary as the key
witness to Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection (cf. 15:40, 47; 16:1, 9).
 16:10-11. In contrast to Mary’s devotion is the disciples’ disbelief. The
Eleven (cf. v 14) and others (cf. Luke 24:22-24) who were disciples of
Jesus would be those who had been with Him (cf. 3:14) who mourned
and wept. When Mary reported that He was alive and that she had seen
Him, they did not believe.
16:12-13. These two verses are parallel to Luke’s longer description of
Jesus appearing to the two disciples on the Emmaus Road (cf. Luke 24:13-
35). Jesus appeared in another form. What this means is not clear. It
implies that Jesus visibly looked different. As Luke explains, “Then their
eyes were opened and they knew Him” (Luke 24:31). The different form
was evidently only apparent, not actual.
That Jesus appears to these two as they are going into the country may
imply what Luke writes explicitly, that they had heard the news of Jesus’
resurrection, but did not believe it. But after meeting with the risen Lord,
they believed and told it to the rest, but they did not believe them either.
This reveals that even with multiple and trustworthy eyewitness accounts,
the apostles were not easily persuaded to believe in the resurrection of
Jesus.
2. Jesus commissions the disciples (16:14-18)
16:14. Later that same day on Sunday evening (cf. John 20:19) Jesus
appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table. Mark uses the eleven as a
generalization, since Thomas is not present on this occasion (cf. John
20:24). He strongly rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart,
because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had
risen. This strong word rebuked is the same word used in Mark 15:32 of the
two thieves who reviled Jesus on the cross. Jesus wanted the Eleven to hear
of His resurrection from other witnesses before seeing Him, perhaps so that
they may understand those to whom they will witness.
16:15. In this context of unbelief and hardness (cf. Matt 28:17; Luke
24:37-38), they are to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to
every creature.” Go could be translated “as you are going,” but the aorist
participle (poreuthentes) carries an imperatival force from the main verb
preach (kērussō), thus the command is “Go!” They are sent into all the
world.
 The term gospel is used variously throughout Scripture. Mark uses gospel
eight times (cf. 1:1, 14, 15; 8:35; 10:29; 13:10; 14:9; 16:15). In 1:14-15,
Jesus came to Galilee “preaching the gospel (i.e., good news) of the
kingdom of God, saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is
at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.’” There seems to be a distinction
in the gospel of the kingdom of God and the narrower gospel of justification
by faith alone. The usages in 8:35 and 10:29 are in discipleship contexts
where disciples are invited to lose their lives “for My sake and the
gospel’s.” The gospel in this context could refer to the gospel of the
kingdom, which would include losing one’s life to save it in the kingdom,
or it could refer to serving Christ and the gospel of grace with the result of
saving one’s life in the kingdom. The reference in 13:10 is the preaching of
the gospel during the Tribulation period. However, Matt 24:14 refers to this
as the gospel of the kingdom. Contextually, this gospel would include the
gospel of grace but also the good news of Christ’s coming kingdom. The
last two references in 14:9 and 16:15 simply refer to the preaching of the
gospel in the world. Again this could refer to the gospel of grace or more
likely in the discipleship contexts it refers to the gospel of the kingdom.
Believers are to preach the gospel of grace, but they are also to proclaim the
good news of the kingdom, which inspires them to persevere so that they
may reign with Christ (e.g., 2 Tim 2:12).
16:16. The statement “He who believes and is baptized will be saved” is
often cited to prove that water baptism is a condition of justification.
However, there are several reasons why this is false. First, water baptism is
not a condition for justification elsewhere in the NT (cf. John, Romans,
Galatians). Second, the only condition of justification in Scripture is
believing in Jesus (cf. Rom 3:1-8; Gal 2:16; 3:6-14). Baptism is the first
step that one who has believed should take (Matt 28:19). The Lord
concludes this statement by saying, “he who does not believe will be
condemned.” Thus the basis of condemnation is not unbelief plus failure to
be baptized, but only unbelief.
Another view sees the words will be saved as referring to deliverance
eternally as well as here and now. To escape eternal condemnation requires
only belief in Christ (cf. Mark 16:16b), whereas to be saved from the wrath
of God in this life requires belief and obedience (cf. Rom 10:9-14),
symbolized by being baptized (Mark 16:16a).
 Still another view sees this future salvation as referring to more than the
reception of eternal life. The disciples already had eternal life, but their
salvation was yet future. When Jesus said these words, before Pentecost, the
Holy Spirit did not permanently indwell the apostles or other believers.
After Pentecost, He did.
For unbelieving Palestinian Jews guilty of crucifying Jesus, they too would
be justified by faith alone, but they would have to be baptized in order to
receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (e.g. Acts 2:38; 22:16). Therefore Mark
may be using the term salvation the way Luke and Paul use it, as a full
package including eternal life, the forgiveness of sins, and the gift of the
Holy Spirit.
16:17-18. To encourage these fearful disciples in their commission, Jesus
predicts that unusual signs will follow their ministry (cf. 6:7-13, 30).
“These signs” are not statements about all believers of all time. Jesus
indicates these signs “will follow those who believe,” confirming the
message they preach to unbelievers (cf. v 20). Those who believe most
likely refers corporately to the believers during the apostolic age. While the
NT tells of some believers who “cast out demons” and who spoke in
tongues, only the apostle Paul is specifically reported to have survived the
bite of a serpent (Acts 28:3-6).
3. Jesus ascends to heaven (16:19-20)
16:19. Jesus had spent forty days with His disciples following the
Resurrection (cf. Acts 1:3) when He was received up into heaven, and sat
down at the right hand of God. The verb received up is in the passive
voice which implies that it was the Father who carried Him back to heaven.
Jesus sat down, which signifies that His work of redemption is complete (cf.
Heb 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2) as well as His exaltation as Lord (cf. Acts 2:33;
Phil 2:9-11). His position at the right hand of God denotes Jesus’ power as
present Ruler and Lord.
16:20. The obedience of these early disciples to the Great Commission is
recorded as an encouragement to all disciples to finish the work God has
given. And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working
with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.
Though the Lord Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, He is not passive.
But as Lord of the Church (cf. Eph 1:20-23) He is working with them (i.e.,
the disciples) by the Holy Spirit. And by accompanying signs He confirmed
the word they preached (cf. vv 17-18). Again the purpose of the signs was
to confirm the proclamation of the word to unbelievers. Mark is recording
in v 20 the fulfillment of vv 15-18.
Likewise the word confirm is used in Heb 2:3-4, which states that those
original eyewitnesses had the word confirmed to those who heard Him, that
God bore witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and
gifts of the Holy Spirit. Both contexts are from a past perspective. The
implication is that by the time Mark wrote his Gospel, this was already
accomplished and was not going on at the time of his writing. This is not to
say that the Great Commission is not valid today, nor that they preached to
every people group in the world, but that from God’s perspective they
accomplished what He gave them by His power. Also as believers today
continue the work of the Great Commission, they can be assured that God
will keep His promises to them.
 Luke
ALBERTO SAMUEL VALDÉS
INTRODUCTION
The beautiful Gospel of Luke reaches heights of literary excellence
unparalleled in the writings of the NT. It exalts the Lord Jesus Christ as the
promised Messiah Who will fulfill all of God’s promises to Israel.
The Gospel—and its counterpart Acts—underscore the faithfulness of God
to His covenant promises. Despite their rejection of Him at His First
Advent, Jesus already looks forward to that future time when Israel will
welcome Him at His Second Advent.
Luke–Acts encompasses the whole scope of God’s plan from His OT
promises to Abraham and his descendants to the first century rejection of
Messiah by the chosen nation, the Church age, the Jewish War of AD 66-70
and the Roman destruction of Jerusalem, the future completion of God’s
plan for Israel, and the establishment of His Kingdom.
In the Holy Scriptures only Luke-Acts tells that story.
Writer
Early Church literature from the mid to late second century unanimously
ascribe the Gospel and Acts to Luke, the beloved physician and co-laborer
with Paul the apostle (cf. Col 4:14; Philem 23-24; 2 Tim 4:11-12). He knew
eyewitnesses to the ministry of Jesus (1:2). Additionally, he indicates by his
use of the first person plural we that he participated in certain facets of the
missionary work of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10-17; 20:5-16; 21:1-18;
27:1–28:16). His name never appears in the narrative but he anonymously
authored both books (cf. Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1-3).
His careful investigation, superlative writing skills, and concern for the
spiritual welfare of Theophilus, his recipient, render him the perfect author
for this work.
Recipient
Scholars offer three general suggestions for the identity of Theophilus:
1. A symbolic address for all believers,
2. A proper name—of a high priest Theophilus who served from AD 37-41
(Antiquities XVII.123-125; XIX.297-298),
3. A pseudonym for a high profile Roman official.
The first two suggestions inadequately account for the title most excellent
—unusual for either Jewish high priests or believers in general. The third
possibility seems the most likely and yet admits further refinement:
Theophilus may designate King Agrippa II, a personage in Acts (cf. Acts
25:1–26:30).
W.G. Marx, who first proposed this view, saw Luke-Acts as an effort to
further evangelize King Agrippa II beyond Paul’s presentation in Acts 26.
However, the preface of Luke (1:1-4) and content of both volumes favor a
believing recipient. Various evidences render viable the possibility that
Luke wrote to an already believing King Agrippa II.
Date
Luke most likely composed his Gospel and the Book of Acts in Rome
during the two year period of the Apostle Paul’s house arrest there—AD 60-
62. The narrative itself concludes an indefinite time after the Apostle Paul’s
two year house arrest in Rome.
Various details point to a date in the early 60’s for the composing and
publishing of both Luke and Acts.
The Acts narrative does not mention significant events that potentially help
delimit its date, including the death of James the Lord’s brother in AD 62;
the initiation of the Jewish rebellion against Rome in AD 66; the fire in
Rome and the subsequent persecution by Nero against the Church in AD
64; and the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
Luke would have already begun his research during Paul’s imprisonment
in Caesarea (ca. 57-59) where he would have learned much about the early
church via his proximity to Jerusalem and contacts such as Philip (Acts
21:8) and Mnason of Cyprus, an early disciple (21:15).
He would then have worked on Acts in Rome and completed it sometime
after Paul’s release from prison (cf. Acts 28:30-31).
Purpose
Luke writes to bolster the faith of one who has already believed in Jesus—
to help strengthen his Christian life (1:1-4). He especially addresses doubts
and challenges relevant to believers who live in the period between the First
and Second Advents of Jesus.
Under the general rubric of fortifying the Christian life of Theophilus, the
narrative intertwines discipleship lessons with a historical account that
underscores eyewitness testimony of the life, death, resurrection, and
ascension of Jesus (1:1-4, 24); absolute coherence with what the OT
prophets have written (Luke 24:25-27; cf. Acts 26:27); and assurance of
Jesus’ return —to establish the Kingdom promised to Israel, reward
believers, and judge those who rejected Him (2:25-38; 13:34-35; 19:11-27).
The narrative also validates the 12 witnesses to Jesus’ life and ministry
who will facilitate the establishment of the Church (6:12-16; 22:14-34; cf.
Acts 1:12-26). Luke’s Gospel will focus on Jesus’ mission on earth
(especially to the Jewish nation) and Acts on the mission of the exalted
Jesus from heaven (especially to the Gentiles).

OUTLINE
I. Luke Presents His Work (1:1-4)
II. God Begins to Fulfill His Promises to Israel (1:5-80)
III. The Birth of the Messiah Fulfills God’s Promises (2:1-52)
IV. Many Credentials Validate Jesus as the Messiah (3:1–4:44)
V. The Nation Rejects the First Advent Ministry of the Messiah (5:1–9:6)
VI. The Rejection of Messiah will Prompt an Interadvent Era (9:7–13:22)
VII. The Messiah Will Return to Reign after the Interadvent Age (13:23–
19:47a)
VIII. The Messiah Vindicates Himself and Prepares His Disciples (19:47b–
21:38)
IX. The Nation Pursues the Messiah to the Death (22:1–23:56)
X. The Resurrection of Jesus Anticipates the Blessing of God (24:1-49)
XI. The Witnesses Anticipate Their Task with the Blessing of the New High
Priest (24:50-53)

COMMENTARY
I. Luke Presents His Work (1:1-4)
 1:1. Luke wrote when a second generation of believers in Jesus had risen.
Many of these had taken in hand to write an orderly narrative of the
supernatural and historical events that had been fulfilled in their midst.
1:2. Luke himself still had access to firsthand eyewitnesses and ministers
of the word. These had faithfully preserved the memory of what Jesus had
accomplished and spoken (cf. Acts 1:1) and accurately delivered this
information.
1:3. Luke had perfect understanding of the story of Jesus (and by
extension of His Church) from the very first. He had both consulted
trustworthy sources as well as lived through some of the events he writes
about (cf. the “we sections” in the book of Acts). From the human
perspective this granted him impeccable credentials as a historian. From the
divine perspective the guidance of the Holy Spirit granted his work inspired
status as part of God’s Word.
1:4. Luke faithfully recorded the history of the Lord Jesus and the early
Church for the spiritual benefit of Theophilus. Theophilus needed to know
the certainty of those things he had already been instructed in as a
believer. Luke’s Gospel comprehensively answers the lingering doubts that
hindered Theophilus from a joyful, and openly-confessing Christian life.
II. God Begins to Fulfill His Promises to Israel (1:5-80)
A. The Angel Gabriel Visits Israel (1:5-7)
1:5. God’s perfectly timed plan began to come to fruition in a time of
dwindling hope. Rather than fulfilling their national destiny as a kingdom of
priests (see Exod 19:1-6), Israel lived under foreign domination by the
Roman Empire. The announcement of God’s intervention to reverse this
would come first to a priest named Zacharias who belonged to the
division of Abijah, the eighth of twenty-four priestly orders active in the
weekly service of the Temple (see 1 Chr 24:1-19). His wife Elizabeth had
descended from Aaron to whom, along with his sons, God had assigned the
priesthood in Israel (cf. Lev 8–9).
1:6. Luke characterizes them as righteous before God. This underscores
their consistent (not perfect) obedience to God’s will. The word righteous
describes right conduct, whether of believers or non-believers (cf. the
characterization of Cornelius as righteous in Acts 10:1-2 before he came to
believe in Jesus as Savior).
 1:7. Contrary to Old Covenant expectations for obedient believers the
couple had no child (cf. Deut 28:1-14; Ps 127:3-5). This priestly pair
picture the situation of the nation itself near the end of the Old Covenant.
Like Israel, Elizabeth was barren. And like the nation and its priesthood
and law, she and Zacharias were both well advanced in years (cf. Heb
8:13). Though hope dwindled, God would intervene initially by answering a
prayer for a son.
B. Zacharias Disbelieves the Angel Gabriel (1:8-23)
1:8. God often works when his servants already find themselves actively
participating in the way of obedience. Thus, we see Zacharias serving as
priest before God.
1:9. Both Luke and Acts begin with the casting of lots as an indicator of
God’s sovereign choice (cf. Acts 1:15-26). In the context of dependence on
the Lord, the casting of lots would reveal God’s will in situations that called
for selecting between alternatives (cf. Prov 16:33; Jonah 1:7). With
everything proceeding according to the custom of the priesthood, God
selected Zacharias to burn incense in the temple of the Lord (a special
privilege).
1:10. Twice a day, in the morning and in the afternoon, the faithful in
Jerusalem gathered at the Temple to pray at the time of the daily sacrifices
(cf. Exod 30:1-8; Dan 9:20-21; Acts 3:1). Everything coincided perfectly
and providentially: the priestly service of Zacharias, the prayers of the
multitude, and the arrival of God’s messenger with the preliminary answer
to their prayers in the person of the forerunner of Messiah, John.
1:11. An angel of the Lord appeared at the right side of the altar of
incense in the Holy Place, the forecourt of the highly restricted Holy of
Holies. This altar stood in front of the curtain that separated both courts (see
Luke 23:45b). The angel’s appearance at the right side shows the high
degree of detail that Luke had access to.
1:12. Luke records Zacharias’ emotional state as troubled and full of fear
(cf. Luke 1:26-30; 2:8-9). The encounter happened unexpectedly.
1:13. The angelic messenger commands Zacharias not to “be afraid” and
offers a rationale for his visit. He assures him, “your prayer is heard; and
your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name
John.” The angel’s message would have responded to the personal plight of
Elizabeth’s and Zacharias’ childlessness and also moved beyond it to God’s
gracious provision for the nation—the prophesied forerunner of Messiah.
1:14. The angel then tells Zacharias about the “joy and gladness” he
himself will experience. In addition, the angel affirms that “many will
rejoice at his birth.” The arrival of John would signal the soon birth of the
Messiah which would certainly occasion joy (cf. Luke 2:10-11).
Furthermore, those who heeded John’s message of repentance would
experience the joy that accompanies obedience to God.
1:15. The angel explains why John’s birth would occasion such joy: “He
will be great in the sight of the Lord.” Jesus would later affirm John’s
greatness (Luke 7:28). Furthermore, John would “drink neither wine nor
strong drink.” Leviticus 10:9 prohibits alcoholic strong drink for Aaron’s
sons during their service and Num 6:1-4 instructs Nazirites to abstain
completely during their vow.
The angel then tells Zacharias that John would “be filled with the Holy
Spirit.” Both Jeremiah (Jer 1:4-10) and Paul (Gal 1:15-17) had been set
apart by God before birth as His spokesmen. Luke-Acts associates the
filling of the Holy Spirit with precise and powerful speech.
1:16. John’s Spirit-enabled proclamation would “turn many of the
children of Israel to the Lord their God.” This terminology reflects the
repentance message proclaimed by God to the children of Israel. We must
not assume that John’s message went forth to a completely unconverted
audience. Both the OT and NT prescribe repentance for believers who have
departed from the path of righteousness (cf. 2 Cor 12:20-21; Revelation 2–
3). At the same time, the angel here specifies a Jewish audience. God’s
covenant relations with that nation required a national response from them
in order for Him to bless and fulfill His promises to them. God grants
eternal life without works to those who simply believe in Jesus for it.
However, He does bless and reward obedience.
1:17. John would minister “in the spirit and power of Elijah” but would
not fulfill the prophecy of Mal 4:5 which will see fulfillment during the
future Tribulation before the return of Jesus. His ministry would
nonetheless mirror the message of Mal 4:6.
The empowering and carrying out of John’s ministry culminates in one
objective: “to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” John’s
ministry has a national focus as he endeavors to prepare the nation for the
Lord, the nation’s promised Messiah.
1:18-19. Zachariah expressed doubt and the angel identified himself as
Gabriel (“God’s valiant one”), “who stands in the presence of God.” God
had sent him to proclaim “glad tidings.”
1:20. The occasion of good news results in a negative sentence upon
Zacharias. Zacharias receives a judgment in kind: he “did not believe” the
angel’s words and so he would be “not able to speak.” The sentence
would last “until the day these things take place.”
1:21. The events surrounding the announcement of John’s birth had begun
to stir “the people” as they marveled that he [Zacharias] lingered so long
in the temple. The waiting crowd suspected something unusual.
1:22. When Zacharias finally emerged the people perceived that he had
seen a vision in the temple. However, the crowd did not learn the content
of Gabriel’s message. Zacharias remained speechless.
1:23. After Zacharias completed the days of his service (a full week, cf. v
8), he departed to his own house. Elizabeth would have learned through
written means (cf. 1:63) from Zacharias himself about both her upcoming
pregnancy and the character and ministry of her long awaited child.
C. God Removes the Reproach of Elizabeth (1:24-25)
1:24. The text succinctly records the fulfillment of part of the angelic
announcement by affirming that his wife Elizabeth conceived. Then, she
hid herself five months.
1:25. Elizabeth exclaimed, “Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the
days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.”
God reversed her reproach by removing her barrenness. He could do
likewise for the nation.
D. The Angel Gabriel Visits Mary (1:26-38)
1:26. Elizabeth lived in the hill country of Judah (cf. Luke 1:39). Mary
resided in the relatively unimportant and despised city of Galilee named
Nazareth.
1:27. God sent Gabriel to a virgin. Mary’s own words confirm her
virginity (see Luke 1:34). Her civil status as betrothed signifies that she
and Joseph had already entered into a formal marriage covenant.
 1:28. The angel Gabriel tells her to “rejoice,” identifies her as “highly
favored” (in the NT only here and in Eph 1:6), announces that “the Lord is
with” her, and signals her as “blessed…among women.”
1:29. Mary has a similar initial reaction as Zacharias upon hearing the
angel’s message. But in contradistinction to Zacharias’ response, Mary
considered what manner of greeting this was. The intimate details of
Mary’s thoughts is evidence of Luke somehow having access to Mary’s
intimate thoughts and perspective (cf. Luke 2:19).
1:30. Gabriel reassures Mary and gives her the rationale for his comforting
words, “you have found favor with God.” Mary would receive an
undeserved and gracious benefit from God—one incompatible with fear.
1:31. Gabriel tells Mary she would “conceive” and “bring forth a Son.”
This conception represents the beginning of the full identification of the
second Person of the Godhead with mankind. As in the case of John, the
angel Gabriel prescribes the Child’s name.
1:32. The angel Gabriel now provides more specifics about this special
Son: “He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest.” The
Sonship enjoyed by Jesus knows no close parallel on the pages of Scripture
or in the universe itself (cf. Hebrews 1). In addition to the exclusive and
intimate Sonship relationship that Jesus enjoys with the Father he also
sustains a regal human sonship as David’s Descendant par excellence and
supreme Heir of his throne (cf. 2 Samuel 7; Psalms 2; 89).
1:33. The “house of Jacob” refers to Israel rather than the Church. This
specifically signals the Jewish nation as physical descendants of Jacob in
continuity with the OT promises made to them. “There will be no end” to
His reign for no one can surpass Him.
1:34. Mary’s question, “how can this be, since I do not know a man?”
sets up the announcement of the miraculous conception of the Lord Jesus
Christ.
1:35. The angel spells out the way in which Mary, unequivocally a virgin,
would conceive. The angel mentions the two other Persons in the Trinity,
the “Holy Spirit” and the Father (“the Highest”). The two actions, “come
upon” and overshadow, refer to God’s powerful and protective working in
Mary for the conception of the absolutely pure Savior. “Son of God”
identifies the Child as Messiah.
 1:36. The angel then reveals to Mary that her relative Elizabeth “has also
conceived a son in her old age.” And, whereas people had formerly known
her as barren she had already progressed to the “sixth month” of her
pregnancy. The two births anticipated the fulfillment of God’s plan to bring
blessing to Israel.
1:37. The angel gives the irrefutable rationale for these improbable
pregnancies—“For with God nothing will be impossible.” God would
bring to pass everything connected to Messiah, His message and His
mission.
1:38. Mary designates herself “the maidservant of the Lord.” She
humbly and confidently receives Gabriel’s message with the full assurance
that God would bring every word to pass (See 1:37). The angel then
departed from her.
E. Mary and Elizabeth Rejoice Together (1:39-56)
1:39. Luke then informs of Mary’s trip to the hill country…to a city of
Judah. She traveled with haste to the undisclosed city. Judah had known
Messianic associations (cf. Gen 49:8-12; Ruth; Micah 5:2).
1:40. Mary entered the house of the still speechless Zacharias and
greeted Elizabeth. This simple greeting leads to additional knowledge
about this uniquely special Child.
1:41. Elizabeth hears Mary’s greeting, and John responds from within her
womb. He leaped in her womb. Luke explains why in v 44. Furthermore,
Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. Luke often connects the filling
of the Holy Spirit with speaking (e.g., Luke 1:15, 67; Acts 4:8, 31; 13:9;
19:6). And so, the very next verse records Elizabeth’s Spirit-enabled
response to Mary’s greeting.
1:42. Elizabeth spoke out with a loud voice. She blesses Mary and “the
fruit of her womb.” Elizabeth not only knew about Mary’s pregnancy but
she also knew the identity of the Baby she carried.
1:43. Elizabeth wonders why God has granted her the privilege of
receiving a visit from Mary whom she describes as “the mother of my
Lord” (cf. 1:76b; 2:11). Again, we see knowledge about Messiah and an
accompanying acceptance of His arrival via a normal—albeit supernatural
—human pregnancy.
 1:44. Elizabeth spells out the hearing process very precisely: “as soon as
the voice of your greeting sounded in my ears.” The sound of Mary’s
voice occasioned the joyful response from the preborn John.
1:45. Elizabeth then blesses Mary for having believed in “a fulfillment of
those things.” God would bring to pass everything He had revealed to
Mary. Blessedness comes from believing what God has said, especially
about Messiah.
1:46-47. Mary responds with poetic praise commonly known as her
Magnificat (Latin for magnifies) which continues up to v 55. Mary models
her expression of worship after Hannah’s praise to God for her own
supernatural pregnancy (cf. 1 Sam 2:1-10).
Mary first glorifies “the Lord” and then rejoices “in God my Savior.”
1:48. Mary then clarifies the nature of the deliverance she experiences.
“He has regarded the lowly state of His maidservant.” Whereas
Elizabeth’s neighbors and relatives rejoiced with her, “all generations”
would “call Mary blessed.” The Incarnation only happened once and no
other woman in history shares that privilege.
1:49. Mary refers to God as “mighty” and says He did “great things for”
her. Mary had submitted to God’s plan and now praised Him for His work
in her and towards her.
1:50. Mary now transitions from extolling God’s favor extended
personally to her to what He can do for others. She affirms that “His mercy
is on those who fear Him.” To fear God means to live aware of His
character, His will, and the consequences of faith or unbelief, and obedience
or disobedience.
1:51. The birth of Messiah assured that ultimately all unbelievers who
proudly and unwisely resist His loving will and reign would experience His
powerful judgment—“strength with His arm” (cf. Ps 2; Luke 14:11;
19:27). While “in the imagination of their hearts” they considered
themselves exalted, the reality that God would bring upon them would show
otherwise.
1:52. The Lord brought down rulers “from their thrones” and “exalted
the lowly.” God opposes haughty thinking as identified in v 51, while those
who trust God without exploiting others and considering themselves
independently powerful will experience God’s exaltation.
 1:53. God “filled the hungry with good things” (cf. Luke 16:19-31, esp.
v 25) and “the rich He has sent away empty.” The Scriptures instruct the
wealthy to use their riches for good (cf. 1 Tim 6:17-19), but those whose
riches serve as a substitute for trust in God will not receive anything from
Him. Those who recognize their need can expect good things from Him.
1:54. Mary then further specifies the recipients of God’s favor as “His
servant Israel.” Israel benefits due to the “remembrance of His mercy.”
This refers to God’s promises to Abraham. In the past He had sent Moses to
deliver His people. Now He would send the Deliverer par excellence, the
Messiah.
1:55. The birth of the Messiah through Mary represents God’s
remembrance of the promises He had made previously to the Jewish
patriarchs (“our fathers”). Mary specifies Abraham and then mentions
“his seed.”
1:56. Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months, almost to full term,
but departed before the actual birth of John the Baptist.
F. The Birth of John Anticipates the Birth of the Messiah (1:57-
80)
1:57. Luke couches the culmination of Elizabeth’s carrying John to full
term in the language of fulfillment. Her full time came and so Elizabeth
brought forth a son.
1:58. Elizabeth’s neighbors and relatives acknowledged that the Lord
had shown great mercy to her. Luke highlights God’s mercy throughout
his narrative in that the Lord helps all who seek Him. Thus John’s birth
resulted both in glory to God and rejoicing with Elizabeth. A positive
response to John’s future ministry would have brought these to the nation of
Israel itself—glory to God and national joy.
1:59. The circumcision of John took place on the eighth day (cf. Acts 7:8)
as prescribed by the Lord (cf. Gen 17:1-14). The neighbors wanted to name
him after his father, Zacharias. However, the angel Gabriel had already
communicated the child’s name before his birth (cf. Luke 1:13).
1:60. Elizabeth’s affirmation reflects Gabriel’s instruction (cf. 1:13)—their
son “shall be called John.”
 1:61-62. Those present complained and consulted his father, Zacharias,
regarding the naming of the child. The fact that the kin made signs
indicates that Zacharias could neither speak nor hear.
1:63. He silently signaled for a writing tablet and wrote saying: “His
name is John.” The birth of this child and the accompanying events did not
fit into a traditional pattern but did conform to divinely ordained
circumstances that those with Scriptural knowledge would recognize.
1:64. The naming of the newborn provided an occasion for Zacharias to
obey (note Gabriel’s instructions in Luke 1:13). Immediately his mouth
was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, praising God.
1:65. The instantaneous reversal of Zacharias’ speechlessness provoked
awe, interactive discussion, and intriguing dialogue throughout all the hill
country of Judea.
1:66. Luke prompts the continued curiosity of his reader with the question,
“What kind of child will this be?” The ensuing speech by his father,
Zacharias (known as the Benedictus, Latin for Blessed be) elegantly
answers this question by intimately tying John’s mission to the Messiah’s
own and weaving long-standing OT expectations with joyful expectancy of
their fulfillment.
1:67. The Holy Spirit empowered Zacharias to prophesy concerning John.
He does so in the context of God’s covenant promises to His people, Israel
(cf. Luke 1:13-17).
1:68. Zacharias blesses the “Lord God of Israel” because “He has
visited” His people and accomplished deliverance for them. He identifies
God as the divine Benefactor of the nation who compassionately intervenes
in Israel’s time of need by accomplishing deliverance through the provision
of a powerful Davidic Ruler.
1:69. Zacharias identifies David as “His servant.” The “horn” identifies
Jesus, the Davidic Ruler par excellence Who also would serve His Father,
the Lord God of Israel just as He promised.
1:70. This verse highlights the prophetic process whereby the Lord God
Himself speaks inerrantly “by the mouth of His holy prophets.” Readers
could look back upon prophetic history and identify these set apart
spokesmen of God. The phrase “who have been since the world began”
underlines the unchangeableness of God’s promises.
 1:71. Zacharias further clarifies the reason for the Lord God’s visitation:
“That we should be saved from our enemies.” This squarely places this
redemption and salvation in the sphere of temporal realization.
1:72. God would undoubtedly “perform the mercy promised to” the
nation’s forebears and “remember His holy covenant” with Abraham (cf.
Genesis 15; 22). God will actually resurrect the patriarchs so that they can
participate in the blessings wrought by the Messianic deliverance (cf.
Daniel 12).
1:73. Zacharias ties the fulfillment of God’s plan to “the oath which He
swore to our father Abraham” (cf. Gen 22:15-18; Heb 6:13-20). From the
perspective of Zacharias the raising up of the awaited Davidic Ruler signals
deliverance from their earthly enemies with a view to Israel’s unhindered
worship before the Lord.
1:74. The Greek text emphasizes “without fear.” Oppressive enemies had
hindered Israel’s long awaited worship experience in the land God promised
them. They needed God’s intervention and protection to bring it to fruition.
1:75. Israel would ultimately serve in God’s presence with “holiness and
righteousness,” and for “all the days” of their life. Jesus, the Messianic
Davidic Ruler, would bring His people into the ideal worship experience as
promised long before to Abraham.
1:76. Zacharias then turned his attention to direct prophecy concerning
John. John would serve as “the prophet of the Highest” with a specific
mission: “to prepare His ways” (cf. Isa 40:3; Mal 3:1a).
1:77. John’s mission entailed giving “knowledge of salvation”—
temporal, political, and spiritual deliverance for the Jewish nation, “His
people.” But, this deliverance entails a spiritual component, “the remission
of their sins.” The OT shows how the political condition of Israel reflected
their spiritual status as a nation. Obedience brought national blessing.
Disobedience reversed these blessings and led to subjugation by a foreign
power (cf. Deuteronomy 28–30; Judges).
1:78. This knowledge of salvation came to Israel “through the tender
mercy of [their] God.” The beneficent coming of Messiah, the Dayspring
from on high, would signal the dawn of the new era promising Messianic
salvation and forgiveness of sin to God’s covenant nation, Israel.
1:79. The Messiah would “give light to those who sit in darkness.” He
would bring truth, hope and life-giving release to those who needed
deliverance. He would also “guide their feet into the way of peace,” the
obedient lifestyle that brings God’s blessing. Thus, Zacharias concludes his
Spirit-directed speech.
1:80. A report about John closes the unit. He grew and became strong in
spirit. This refers to John’s physical growth and spiritual fortification—the
strengthening of his capacity to choose, think, and feel in conformity to
God’s character and will. This two-fold development coupled with his
living in the deserts prepared him for the day of his manifestation to
Israel (cf. Isa 40:3 and Luke 3:2).
III. The Birth of the Messiah Fulfills God’s Promises (2:1-52)
A. Mary Gives Birth (2:1-7)
2:1. In those days…Caesar Augustus (reigned 27 BC–AD 14) issued a
decree that all the world (i.e., the Roman empire) should be registered.
2:2. Luke affirms that this census first took place while Quirinius was
governing the Roman province of Syria. Due to lack of external attestation
critics of the Scriptures charge Luke with misplacing a 6-7 AD census by
Quirinius (cf. Acts 5:37) here during the reign of Herod the Great (who
died in 4 BC). However, Luke knows of two censuses (calling this one first)
and has a sterling reputation as a historian.
2:3. This decree set everyone in motion so that all traveled to their own
city, the place of their ancestral lineage or beginnings—not necessarily their
actual birthplace (cf. 2:4).
2:4. In response to the edict, Joseph went to the city of David
(Bethlehem). They went to Bethlehem because he was of the house and
lineage of David.
2:5. Joseph traveled to Bethlehem with Mary, his betrothed wife (cf.
Luke 1:26-27). Her description as betrothed again indicates the stage in the
Jewish marital custom in which the legally married couple awaited the
future sexual consummation of the marriage. Thus, Mary is pregnant and
still a virgin.
2:6. While there Mary came to full-term in her pregnancy. Luke’s
terminology reveals that Joseph and Mary probably arrived in Bethlehem
several days before she went into labor.
2:7. In Bethlehem, Mary brought forth her firstborn Son. The firstborn
qualified as the principal heir in a Jewish family. Mary then wrapped Him
in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no
room for them in the inn.
B. Angels Announce the Messiah’s Birth to Shepherds (2:8-20)
2:8. The scene moves to shepherds who kept watch over their flock by
night. Shepherds in Bethlehem customarily kept their flocks outside year
round irrespective of winter conditions. This weakens the argument that
Jesus must have been born in the Spring around Passover. The
announcement to shepherds may reflect Jesus’ Davidic roots since David
also shepherded flocks in Bethlehem.
2:9. An unnamed angel of the Lord stood before the shepherds and the
glory of the Lord shone around them. The combination of the angelic
appearance and the brightness of the Lord’s glory caused the shepherds to
be greatly afraid.
2:10. The angelic messenger tells the shepherds to “not be afraid.” He
announces “good tidings of great joy which will be to all people.”
2:11. The angel personalizes the birth announcement saying “there is
born to you this day in the city of David a Savior.” The titles given to this
Child—Savior, Christ and Lord identify Him as Israel’s awaited Deliverer,
Anointed One, and Ruler.
2:12. The angel gives the shepherds an identifying sign. They would find
“a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” The angelic
messenger thus provides a striking contrast between the loftiness of the
titles borne by the Child and the uncommonly humble scenario in which
they would find Him.
2:13-14. After the angel proclaims both the regality and humility of the
Child, other angels join in to praise God. The multitude of the heavenly
host appears to offer praise for the Savior’s birth. These holy angels
joyfully, willingly, and spontaneously give “glory to God” for the birth of
the Messiah.
2:15. The angels returned into heaven after their announcement to the
shepherds. The shepherds then encourage each other to “go to Bethlehem”
and see this wondrous event. The words “which the Lord has made
known to us,” highlight the gracious and instructive privilege afforded to
the shepherds.
 2:16. The shepherds hastened to the site and found Mary and Joseph,
and the Babe lying in a manger. The Babe in the manger furnishes the
confirmatory sign for the angel’s message (without implying disbelief
among the shepherds).
2:17. As a consequence of seeing Jesus, they made widely known the
saying which was told them. Luke’s narrative highlights their spreading of
the message concerning Jesus, the Child, as well as its broad dissemination.
2:18. Those who heard the message marveled at those things which
were told by the shepherds. The sequence of events, the coherence of the
account, and their combined and complementary eyewitness testimony
together provided a powerful witness to the Savior’s birth.
2:19. Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart.
She thus provides an example of a proper response to revelation about
Messiah as she prized these sayings about Him and meditated upon them.
2:20. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God, which
reveals another proper response to revelation concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ. The basis of their praise, all the things that they had heard and
seen, supports their testimony.
C. The Relationship of the Messiah to Jerusalem and Nazareth
(2:21-40)
2:21. Jesus’ earthly parents lived in obedience to God’s Law and so
circumcised Him when eight days were completed. Luke underscores how
His given name, Jesus, corresponds with the name given by the angel.
2:22. Luke now further highlights their obedience. After completing their
time of purification—ritual cleansing from impurity as a result of
childbirth—according to the Law of Moses, Mary and Joseph bring the
Child to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. Presenting a firstborn son
to the Lord comprised another facet of OT obedience (See Exod 13:1-16
and Leviticus 12).
2:23. Luke explains that the Mosaic legislation regarding firstborns
represents the law of the Lord. Jesus would live under the Law even from
infancy (cf. Gal 4:4).
2:24. The offering of “a pair of turtledoves or young pigeons” (rather
than the costlier one year old lamb) signals the couples’ financial condition
and economic status (See Leviticus 12). God thus facilitates the obedience
of the humble so that everyone can have access to His blessing.
2:25. The text now draws attention to Simeon. This man exemplifies OT
covenant faithfulness as demonstrated by Luke’s description of him as just
and devout. The Consolation of Israel refers to the longed for result of
Messiah’s visitation upon Israel—the comforting of the nation from all its
trials—rather than to Messiah Himself. Finally, the fact that the Holy Spirit
was upon him speaks of the Spirit’s beneficial presence upon his life.
2:26. The Holy Spirit had revealed to Simeon that he would not see
death before he had seen the promised Messiah. God rewarded Simeon’s
piety with personal revelation concerning the arrival of Messiah during his
own lifetime.
2:27. Simeon came by the Spirit into the temple so that he arrived before
the couple, Joseph and Mary, and the Child Jesus whom they had brought
to do for Him according to the custom of the law. Led by the Spirit,
Simeon could see the promised Messiah who would fulfill his very
expectations.
2:28. Simeon then took Him up in his arms and blessed God with the
words now known as the Nunc Dimittis (Latin for Now dismiss). Simeon’s
firsthand experience with Messiah evidences the certainty of Israel’s future
consolation.
2:29. Having seen God’s deliverance personified in the Child Jesus,
Simeon can now “depart in peace,” knowing that God will keep His word.
2:30. Simeon had seen God’s salvation by having seen the Child, Jesus.
2:31. Simeon then reaffirms the Lord’s concern for those beyond the
borders of Israel in that He prepared salvation “before the face of all
peoples.”
2:32. Simeon spells out the beneficial results of Messiah and His salvation.
First, He will serve as “a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles.”
Second, Jesus will bring renown or glory to Israel as the Ruler par
excellence.
2:33. Joseph and Mary marveled. Luke once more emphasizes amazement
and marveling as a fitting response to truth about the Messiah.
2:34. Simeon blessed the Child’s earthly parents and then addressed Mary
His mother by first proclaiming the effect that Jesus would have upon
“many in Israel.” Some would fall, meaning they would reject Messiah
and suffer the accompanying downfall. Others would rise by believing in
Him. He would be “a sign” from God to the Jewish people, but would “be
spoken against.”
2:35. Simeon then predicts that Mary would suffer emotional pain. He
predicts “a sword will pierce through your own soul also.” She would
witness the wrong reasoning “of many hearts” (presumably in the Jewish
nation) leading to a negative response against her Child.
2:36. Here Luke compares Simeon with Anna. Luke describes Anna as a
prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher which affirms
her prophetic gift and her Jewish pedigree. Luke informs us that she had
both an exemplary marriage and widowhood.
2:37. Anna spent the rest of her life in service to the Lord in the temple. In
fact she served there with fastings and prayers night and day (cf. Acts
26:7).
2:38. God provides the perfect providential timing so that Anna’s arrival
coincided with Joseph and Mary’s presence in the Temple. Having seen the
Child she gave thanks to the Lord. Luke once again shows us the
appropriate response to Messiah, namely thanksgiving and telling others
about Him. Redemption here speaks of political and spiritual liberation for
the nation.
2:39. Joseph and Mary completed all things according to the law of the
Lord and returned to the region of Galilee to their own city Nazareth
where the sequence of events leading to the birth of Messiah had
commenced (cf. 1:26).
2:40. The Child grew and became strong in spirit, filled with wisdom.
These statements do not militate against the deity of the Child. Rather, His
perfect responses to the diverse situations of life—as one Person with two
natures (simultaneously perfect God and true Man yet without sin)—
resulted in the only perfect human personality development ever. And in the
process, the grace of God was upon Him. Jesus enjoyed the Father’s favor
as He grew physically as well as psychologically. He did not develop as
Deity because an unchanging, perfect existence such as God cannot change.
D. The Messiah as Son of God and Son of Joseph and Mary (2:41-
52)
 2:41. Luke tells us that His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the
Feast of the Passover. This testifies to their consistent obedience to the
Law of the Lord. Thus, Jesus grew up in a home that modeled faithful and
Godly obedience to the precepts of the Lord.
2:42. Having reached twelve years of age, Jesus traveled with His family
up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast for their yearly
Passover journey. The Mosaic Law required that every Jewish male appear
before the Lord in Jerusalem for the feasts of Passover, Tabernacles (or
Booths), and Pentecost (see Deut 16:1-17).
2:43. Luke now explores the Sonship of the Boy Jesus. He writes that
Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem after Joseph and His mother had left.
This verse could lend itself to misguided applications about parental
responsibility. Rather, it simply sets up the ensuing scenario which will
clarify the dual relationship of the Lord Jesus to His heavenly Father on the
one hand and to His earthly parents on the other.
2:44. Families and friends would make the pilgrimage to Jerusalem
together in an environment of mutual accountability. Thus, they went a
day’s journey, and sought Him among their relatives and
acquaintances. But they sought Him in the context of earthly relationships,
while Jesus took care of His responsibilities in connection with the
heavenly realm.
2:45. The fruitless search among their relatives and acquaintances took
them back to Jerusalem where they had last seen Jesus.
2:46. They found Him after three days. This possibly foreshadows the
apparent absence of Jesus for three days during His last Passover in
Jerusalem where He would accomplish His Father’s business—only to
reappear again on the third day.
2:47. Luke details how all who heard Him were astonished at His
understanding and answers. Positive responses of astonishment and
amazement (at this point) comprise customary emotions in response to
Messiah.
2:48. Luke allows us to hear Mary’s voice as she offers her motherly
rebuke to the Boy. Her maternal reaction and pointed question set up the
perfect opportunity for additional knowledge about Jesus.
2:49. Jesus mirrors His mother Mary’s words with a question that also
includes a mild rebuke. He asks, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not
know that I must be about My Father’s business?” In this way, His
parents’ anxiety gave way to an enhanced knowledge of Jesus. He exercised
a divine prerogative consistent with both His Messianic identity and His
earthly familial relationships.
2:50. The fact that Mary and Joseph did not understand at this point may
indicate how normal a childhood Jesus experienced in that Jesus’ words did
not immediately call to mind incidents that may have signaled His Person
and work.
2:51. Jesus then went home to Nazareth with Mary and Joseph and was
subject to them. The Christian disciple would learn that high position and
lowly submission make for a reconcilable pairing. Luke’s reference about
Mary keeping these sayings in her heart encourage the reader to likewise
meditate on them.
2:52. Jesus’ increase in wisdom and stature reflects His obedient lifestyle
and normal physical human development. He also grew in favor with God
and men. God the Father responded positively to the human obedience of
Jesus (perfect under the Law, cf. Gal 4:4-5), and others would have also
seen Him favorably. Jesus achieved this without participation in sin (cf. Heb
4:14-16).
IV. Many Credentials Validate Jesus as the Messiah (3:1–4:44)
A. The Testimony of John the Baptist (3:1-20)
3:1. Luke moves the narrative up to AD 28/29, the fifteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar. Tiberius Caesar (AD 14–37) reigned as emperor
over the Roman Empire while Pontius Pilate (AD 26–36) governed Judea.
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, ruled as tetrarch, a king-like
governor authorized by Rome. Herod’s brother Philip held the same office
both over Iturea and the region of Trachonitis. Also, Lysanias held the
tetrarchy of Abilene, a region later ruled by King Agrippa II.
3:2. Annas (AD 6–15) and his son-in-law Caiaphas (AD 18–36) served
as high priests during this time. Annas served by influence as the originator
of this priestly dynasty, but Caiaphas held the official position.
In this political and priestly context God bypassed the acting religious
leaders and instead the word of God came to John the son of Zacharias
in the wilderness (cf. 1:80).
 3:3. John ministered in all the region of the Jordan. The nation of Israel
needed to reestablish its fellowship with God. The public act of water
baptism pictured a renewed allegiance to God and a confession of past
waywardness. This act of repentance resulted in forgiveness of sins, which
refers to cleansing and restored fellowship. Repentance and the symbolic
baptism did not confer eternal life or justification—only belief in Jesus can
grant this as John 3:16-18; 5:24-25; 6:47; 11:25-27; 20:30-31 clearly teach.
However, in a similar manner in which 2 Chronicles 7 called the nation
(composed of believers and non-believers) to repentance as a condition for
fellowship with God on a national scale, John likewise did this in
preparation for the appearance of Jesus, the awaited Messiah.
3:4. John’s mission fulfilled OT prophecy about the voice of one crying
(see Isa 40:3-5). John had dwelt in the wilderness and people went there to
hear him (cf. 7:24). The wilderness setting reflected the spiritual and
political barrenness from which Israel needed deliverance. John exhorted
them: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” The
nation’s obedient response in the wilderness would open up an unhindered
highway for Messiah to bring His kingdom blessing.
3:5. John’s message transitioned from the nation’s responsibility (v 4) to
the consequent change that Messiah’s arrival would bring. Isaiah reveals
that “every valley shall be filled” and “every mountain and hill brought
low.” These topographical changes represent God’s work in providing for
areas that lack and bringing down the proud, exalted, and self-sufficient (cf.
1:47-55). Furthermore, with His advent “the crooked places shall be made
straight and the rough ways smooth.” The coming of Christ would undo
hindrances and obstacles brought about by sin so as to provide easy access
to His blessing and testify to His work (cf. 1:79).
3:6. The nation’s proper response would also facilitate the Gentiles’
deliverance as foretold by the OT. “All flesh” (Jewish and Gentile) would
“see the salvation of God.” John’s preaching thus reaches beyond the
ethnic borders of Israel but does so via the Jewish response to Messiah.
3:7. John accused the religious leaders (cf. Matt 3:7) and those who
followed them of being a “brood of vipers.” The “wrath to come”
references the temporal judgment that would befall the nation in the Jewish
War of AD 66–70.
 3:8. John then gives them the ideal solution for their perilous position.
They needed to “bear fruits worthy of repentance.” They must exhibit
righteous behavior corresponding to their confessed disobedience and
decision to change. Furthermore, they should not assume their pedigree
would deliver them. In fact, God could “raise up children to Abraham
from these stones” if necessary (cf. 19:40). National heritage cannot
replace the spiritual relationship that God calls them to.
3:9. Further, the crowd should not delay in setting things straight with God
because “even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees.” John’s very
preaching evidenced God’s mercy in providing them an opportunity of
escape. Should they choose to disobey they would bear the consequence.
Though fire in the Scripture can refer to eternal judgment, it most often
refers to temporal consequences. The OT uses fire to speak of God’s
judgment and cleansing of the disobedient nation (cf. Lam 4:11-13; Ezek
22:21). The context indicates which meaning the Biblical author has in
mind. Here, the fiery judgment again looks forward to the Jewish War of
AD 66-70.
3:10. John’s preaching caused the people to doubt their security. Their
question sets up a central treatment of the Biblical perspective regarding
repentance. John shows that repentance always connotes a decisive change
in disposition (repentance itself) with a view to changing one’s behavior
(the fruit of repentance).
The intimate connection of repentance with good works necessarily
precludes it as a condition for the reception of eternal life. Rather, God
gives eternal salvation freely to anyone who simply believes Him for it (see
John 3:16-18; Rom 4:1-8). God nevertheless cares about our obedience
because it affects the quality of our relationship with Him, the fullness of
our earthly life, and our eternal recompense.
3:11. John’s response reveals the nature of his call to repentance and his
ministry of preparation for the Messiah. His first instruction focuses on
providing for the poor. Those with “two tunics” should “give to him who
has none.” Likewise, the one “who has food” should share it with the
needy (cf. 1 Tim 6:6-10).
3:12. The economic nature of John’s instruction may have pricked the
hearts of the tax collectors. These tax collectors worked for foreigners
(who held tax contracts with the Roman government), had regular contact
with unclean Gentiles, and sometimes stole from their fellow countrymen
through their own tax hikes. They recognized John as a teacher and asked
him “what shall we do?”
3:13. John does not tell the tax collectors to leave their job, but to perform
it with integrity. He instructs, “Collect no more than what is appointed
for you.” This instruction squares perfectly with the Lord Jesus’ teaching
on taxation (cf. Luke 20:20-26).
3:14. Similarly, the soldiers asked the same question. Rather than
instructing them to renounce their work he admonishes, “Do not intimidate
anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.” They should
not use their powerful position for evil and live satisfied with their earnings.
3:15. The stature and impact of John naturally caused the people to
wonder whether he was the Christ or not. Their wondering leads to the
presentation of Jesus that follows shortly in the narrative. As they reasoned
in their hearts John gave them additional clarifying information to reflect
upon.
3:16. John unequivocally clarified his relation to the coming Messiah by
contrasting their respective baptisms and their comparative stature. John’s
might in comparison with Jesus’ did not even qualify him to loose His
“sandal strap.”
The two baptisms referenced by John complement each other. The first
baptism, the water baptism by John, pertained to Israel as a nation,
included both believers and unbelievers, and served to prepare the nation
for Messiah. The second baptism, effected by the Lord Jesus Christ, would
bestow “the Holy Spirit” upon believers and effect a more thorough
purification.
3:17. John follows the imagery of wind and fire with the picture of a
“winnowing fan” used to “clean out” a “threshing floor.” Farmers used a
winnowing fan or pronged shovel to toss grain into the air and so separate
the wheat from the chaff. The barn represents the absolute safekeeping of
believers by the Messiah, whereas the “unquenchable fire” portends the
equally permanent judgment of hell.
3:18. The concise picture captures the essence of John’s message to the
people—a nation under the threat of imminent judgment. It also
underscores Israel’s false security in their descendence from Abraham.
 3:19-20. John rebuked sin in whatever sphere he found it. Consequently,
Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias (the
wife of his half brother whom he married—contrary to Lev 18:16 and 20:21
—after divorcing his own spouse) and for all the evils which Herod had
done contributed an additional most serious offense to his malevolent
repertoire. The arrest of John put an end to his public ministry, though he
continued to speak to Herod himself (cf. Mark 6:20) and have contact with
his own disciples (cf. Luke 7:18-35).
B. The Baptism of Jesus (3:21-22)
3:21. Luke returns the reader to John’s wilderness ministry when Jesus
also was baptized. Jesus participated in the same baptism of repentance as
the nation. But since He could never sin, any repentance on His own part is
excluded. Nevertheless, He could represent the nation in identifying with
their sins as He would later do by His death, which His baptism prefigured
(cf. Luke 12:49-50).
Then, while He prayed, the heaven was opened. This signaled a prelude
to the descent of the Holy Spirit from the Father to Jesus, the Son of God.
3:22. After heaven opened the Holy Spirit descended…upon Him
signaling His anointing for Spirit-empowered ministry (see Isa 42:1; Luke
4:18-19; Acts 10:38). Then the Father spoke with words rich in
significance, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” The
OT employs the language of sonship for the relationship between God the
Father and the enthroned Messiah (cf. Ps 2:7). The words hearken back to
David’s son, Solomon, in his kingly relationship to God (2 Sam 7:11b-17)
as well as to Abraham’s relationship to Isaac, the son of promise (Gen 22:1-
2). The announcement thus points to both the sacrificial and regal facets of
Messiah’s work.
C. The Genealogy of Jesus (3:23-38)
3:23-38. Luke then provides a genealogy after the baptism of Jesus and
before His temptation by the devil. The baptism of Jesus signaled His
entrance into public ministry at about thirty years of age (the age at which
OT priests entered their service [Num 4:30]; the age of David at the
commencement of his reign [2 Sam 5:4]). In one sense, the genealogy
distances Jesus from Joseph by adding the qualification being (as was
supposed) the son of Joseph. The genealogy nevertheless also affirms the
Davidic lineage of Jesus via the inclusion of King David. Luke
purposefully places Jesus’ temptation (in part) against the backdrop of
Adam, as son of God. Adam experienced Satan’s temptation in the Garden
and failed. Jesus, as Son of God will face the enemy in the wilderness and
triumph.
D. The Temptation of Jesus (4:1-13)
4:1. After His baptism, Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit. The same
Spirit that empowered Jesus for ministry led Him into the wilderness, the
place of testing and further growth (cf. Matt 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13).
4:2. In the wilderness Jesus was tempted for forty days by the devil.
Jesus ate nothing in those days although we can surmise that He did drink
water (see Exod 34:28 for Moses’ fast of forty days and nights on Mt
Sinai). Afterward He felt physically hungry (but presumably spiritually
strong).
4:3. The devil seized on Jesus’ hunger to tempt Him. Rather than question
His identity as Messiah the tempter invited Him to provide bread for
Himself independently of His Father’s will and ability to provide.
4:4. In reply, Jesus refers to Deut 8:3, “Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word of God.” This does not mean that we should balance our
eating with Bible reading. Rather, we should depend on the Lord for our
necessities. Jesus, as the Prophet greater than Moses, will faithfully and
abundantly provide for all of Israel’s necessities through His word.
4:5. Having failed to cause Jesus to stumble through wrongful self-
sufficiency, the devil then showed Him all the kingdoms of the world.
Luke describes the devil’s offer in terms of the oikonomia—which can also
refer to the Roman empire.
4:6. The devil proposed “all this authority I will give to you, and their
glory.” Satan has the right to do so because they have “been delivered to”
him. The devil retains authority and free choice over that which he unjustly
gained.
4:7. The unholy trade entailed worship of Satan in exchange for all the
kingdoms of the world—“all will be Yours.” This second temptation aims
to bypass the obedience requisite for Kingdom privilege in the future (see
Hebrews 1; Phil 2:5-11).
 4:8. Jesus would have known that He, as the Davidic Son of God, would
inherit all these kingdoms in the future (cf. Psalm 2). He attacks the
temptation directly by referring back to Deut 6:13, “You shall worship the
Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.” This response does not
deny that the devil retains authority over these kingdoms for a limited time.
4:9. The third temptation aims to have Jesus illegitimately presume on His
identity as God’s Son by soliciting Him to an ostentatious (and foolish)
display in the context of God’s promise to protect Him. Satan brought Him
to Jerusalem and set Him on the pinnacle of the Temple where the priests
carried out their work. By a public leap and spectacular rescue Jesus would
ostensibly gain public acclaim as Messiah while avoiding death altogether.
4:10. Unique to this temptation, Satan quotes Scripture. The devil selects
Psalm 91, a Psalm which praises God for His protection of His servants.
The devil states, “For it is written, ‘He shall give His angels charge over
you to keep you.’” (See Exod 23:20; Ps 34:8; 103:20 for other OT
references to angelic protection.) Satan distorts Psalm 91:11 twisting its
sense to his own evil purposes by promising angelic aid should Jesus leap
from the temple. Ironically, God speaks at the conclusion of that very Psalm
(vv 14-16) offering His protection, life, and deliverance to those who obey
Him.
4:11. The devil caps his argument with Ps 91:12 explaining that the angels
would even hold Jesus up “in their hands” so that He would not so much
as strike His “foot against a stone.”
4:12. Once again, Jesus quoted from the book of Deuteronomy (6:16),
“You shall not tempt the Lord your God.” Aside from the fact that this
answer hints at His deity, this statement also reveals the intention of Jesus to
obey the Father in all things.
4:13. These temptations do not exhaust the enemy’s attempts or signal the
end of all future encounters. The devil simply departed from Him until an
opportune time.
E. Isaiah’s Prophetic Testimony (4:14-30)
4:14. Jesus now leaves the Judean wilderness victorious over the devil and
returns to Galilee to commence His public ministry.
4:15. They had already established synagogues throughout Galilee and
both Jesus and the early apostles availed themselves of their services for
teaching opportunities. At this early point in His ministry everyone
glorified Him.
4:16. Jesus came to Nazareth, His childhood home, and went to the
synagogue on the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day lasted from Friday’s
sunset to Saturday’s sunset. Jesus went as His custom was. Here, He
attended the meeting and stood up to read.
4:17. They handed Jesus the book of the prophet Isaiah one of the most
important OT books for Messianic prophecy. Jesus opened the book and
found the place in Isaiah 61 which speaks about Himself.
4:18. Jesus began to read from Isa 61:1 which identifies the Messiah as
One empowered by the Holy Spirit, and then delineates His mission. Up to
this point Luke has not recorded any of Jesus’ miraculous works. His
ensuing ministry would validate His Messiahship.
4:19. Jesus continues to read up to Isa 61:2a which speaks of “the
acceptable year of the Lord” (the time to avail oneself of Messianic
deliverance). In this way He emphasizes all the gracious, Spirit empowered
facets of Messiah’s ministry and stops short of God’s equally holy and
righteous work of judgment (cf Isa 61:2b).
4:20. After reading, Jesus closes the scroll and gives it back to the
attendant. The transparent power of Jesus’ presence and reading of the text
caused all in the synagogue to stare.
4:21. Jesus then says “today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”
Jesus the Messiah stood in the midst of those at the synagogue that day, and
they themselves qualified as the poor, brokenhearted, captives, blind, and
oppressed that Messiah came to deliver.
4:22. The audience initially responded positively so that all bore witness
of Him and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His
mouth. However, this soon gave way to questioning His validity and
identity as they asked, “Is this not Joseph’s son?” The question indicates
their incredulity. How could one of their hometown boys make such a lofty
claim?
4:23. Jesus anticipates their unbelief and expresses it in a proverb (literally
parable)—“‘Physician, heal yourself!’” Jesus does not disagree with this
in principle since He would use supernatural miracles to validate His
messianic claims (see John 20:30-31). However, they had already heard of
the miracles “done in Capernaum,” and they wanted Him to perform some
for them as well.
4:24. Jesus answered their proverb with another—“no prophet is
accepted in his own country.” Their negative hometown disposition
foreshadowed the broader rejection from His Jewish countrymen.
4:25. Jesus backed up His proverb with a page from Israel’s history. He
reminded them that “many widows” lived “in Israel” under conditions of
intensified necessity during a portion of Elijah’s ministry.
4:26. In this context of desperation, Elijah’s ministry by-passed many
Jewish widows in favor of a single Gentile one—“Zarephath in the region
of Sidon” (See 1 Kings 17:1-16). In this way the despised Gentiles enjoyed
the sought after deliverance which evaded the unbelieving and disobedient
nation.
4:27. Jesus then offers another similar example of “many lepers…in
Israel in the time of Elisha.” Again, a single Gentile—“Naaman the
Syrian”—received much needed healing in contrast to many Jewish lepers
that remained in their desperate condition (See 2 Kings 5:1-19). Like a leper
the chosen people stood in need of cleansing from their sins and
reincorporation to the congregation of true worshipers.
4:28. Thus, with these two fitting comparisons the Lord both shows that
they should accord Him greater respect and demonstrates the better
response from the Gentiles (and their consequent blessing). Predictably,
they were filled with wrath, which further revealed the spiritual
impoverishment of Israel itself.
4:29. The crowd wanted to throw Him down over the cliff. Their
murderous intentions presage His future rejection and death outside of
Jerusalem.
4:30. Jesus escapes by passing through the midst of them. This
foreshadows what will happen later in the Gospel (cf. 7:1-10; 17:11-19) and
Acts. Jesus, the Messiah, confirms His Messianic identity through His
mission and miracles, encounters general rejection from His own (to the
point of death), departs, and finds acceptance among the Gentiles.
F. His Authoritative Word (4:31-37)
4:31. Jesus then moves back to Capernaum, a city of Galilee where He
had already performed miracles (cf. v 23), and begins teaching them on
the Sabbaths. Luke does not mention that Capernaum would serve as
home headquarters for the Lord Jesus (see Matt 9:1; Mark 2:1). Although
Jesus announced His prophetic ministry in Nazareth (cf. v 16-21), He
commenced His miracle working testimony to the nation here. This may
account, in part, for Jesus’ prediction of Capernaum’s future condemnation
(cf. 4:23; 10:15; Matt 11:20-24).
4:32. When the audience in Capernaum heard Jesus they were astonished
at His teaching. Jesus did not have to rely on rabbinic tradition or debate,
but spoke with divine authority. His teaching amazed the crowds for His
word was with authority.
4:33. The deliverance of a demonized man in the synagogue confirms
Jesus’ power and authority. The loud voice may indicate intense
apprehension before the Lord, a futile attempt to intimidate, or both.
4:34. Since Luke refers to a single demon, the plural we might indicate a
single unclean spirit speaking for all demons collectively.
The designation “Jesus of Nazareth” may serve to taunt the Lord in view
of the rejection by His own hometown. But, Jesus had indeed “come to
destroy” them in connection to the establishment of the promised
Kingdom. The unclean spirit’s words reflect the radical incompatibility
between him and Jesus—“the Holy One of God.”
4:35. Jesus rebuked the demon by issuing a double command: “Be quiet,
and come out of him!” Throwing the man down in their midst may
indicate the last defiant act of the demon against the authority of Jesus. The
fact that it did not hurt him shows the comprehensive nature of Jesus’
healing.
4:36. The response of the crowd hints at the general ineffectiveness of
contemporary exorcists in contrast to the “authority and power” of Jesus.
Both the written narrative and the historical miracle serve to confirm Jesus’
identity and message. The emphasis on His word highlights His own divine
authority and the power of the Spirit with which He ministered. It also
prepares for the thematic underpinning of Jesus as the Prophet like—and
greater than—Moses in the next unit (5:1–9:7).
4:37. The impressive deliverance gave rise to widespread testimony into
every place in the surrounding region. Having established Jesus’
authority against demons or unclean spirits, the narrative transitions to His
power over physical illness. Structurally, this report introduces a transitional
subunit (vv 38-41) to the next major unit (5:1–9:6).
G. The Merciful Power of Messiah (4:38-41)
4:38. Jesus moves from the religious realm of the synagogue to the
domestic setting of Simon’s house. Simon appears in the story without
explanation regarding his identity, perhaps because Theophilus knew him.
In this way Luke paves the narrative path for his next major unit (5:1–9:6)
which highlights Simon and the other disciples. Luke also informs the
reader that Simon had a wife (cf. 1 Cor 9:1-5) whose mother was sick with
a high fever. Unnamed persons make intercession to Jesus concerning her.
4:39. Luke reports that Jesus stood over her and rebuked the fever.
Authentic miracles conformed to Jesus’ character and message, achieved
immediate results, and enabled the previously afflicted person to carry on
with their activities. Thus, immediately she arose and served them. Her
service pictures the ideal response or activity undertaken by one who has
experienced the benefits of the Savior’s ministry. It also relates to the theme
of the contribution by believing women to the Messiah’s ministry (see 8:1-
3).
The verb epitimaō (“rebuked”) appears in 8:24 where Jesus rebukes the
threatening winds and waters. In both cases, after the use of this verb,
someone does not want Jesus to depart (here, the crowd; in chapter 8, the
Gadarene).
4:40. In Luke’s Gospel narrative Jesus never refuses a request for healing
(or for eating together with someone). The Lord’s compassionate touch
physically and visually associated Him with those He healed so that no
confusion arose as to Who accomplished the work.
4:41. The Lord effected spiritual deliverance so that demons also came
out of many, crying out and saying, “You are the Christ, the Son of
God!” Their affirmation befits the emphasis of this larger unit (3:1–4:44)
which identifies/validates Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah promised to
Israel. The Lord’s restrictive response reflects His holy separation from
every evil and His sovereign supervision over the spread of the message
about Him. Jesus would reign in Israel as God’s Son. Their expulsion and
silencing display His power and regal authority. Ironically, the demons
know His identity while the nation’s leaders refuse to recognize Him.
 H. The Growth of the Mission Presages the Need for Help in the
Ministry (4:42-44)
4:42. The statement when it was day indicates that Jesus healed
throughout the post Sabbath night (cf. v 40). That next morning He
departed and went into a deserted place where irrespective of the need
for replenishment the crowd sought…to keep Him from leaving them.
4:43. Jesus responds to the implied request—Stay here with us—with a
clear and compassionate statement of His purpose. The narrative
underscores the plan of God—Jesus “must preach the kingdom of God to
the other cities also.” “The kingdom of God” refers to the promised reign
of Messiah over Israel and the world (cf. Acts 1:8).
4:44. Having established the identity of Jesus of Nazareth as the promised
Messiah, Luke concludes this unit with a report of the Messiah’s
characteristic activity (in line with His stated purpose in v 43), preaching in
the synagogues. Additionally, he introduces the next unit (5:1–9:6) which
both begins and ends in Galilee.
V. The Nation Rejects the First Advent Ministry of the Messiah
(5:1–9:6)
A. The Messiah Prepares His Witnesses for Their Future Ministry
(5:1–11)
5:1. Luke transitions to the Lake of Gennesaret—the well-known Sea of
Galilee. The setting and the ensuing narrative chart the course for this unit
(5:1–9:6), which will highlight the word of God, the role of Jesus as
Prophet, the selection of and training of the Twelve, and the ironic positive
response of the Gentiles to the Jewish Messiah.
5:2. Jesus surveyed His surroundings and saw two boats recently used by
the fishermen. He seized the opportunity to place the boat into the service of
His teaching (and thereafter His recruiting of disciples).
5:3. Jesus entered his boat and requested that he put out a little from the
land. Jesus shares Simon’s boat, which will serve as a vehicle for Jesus to
meet Peter in his own sphere of familiarity—on the sea and fishing. Though
Luke does not give the content of Jesus’ speaking here, one can surmise that
He spoke about the kingdom of God (cf. 4:43 which describes His mission).
 5:4. When He had stopped teaching the crowds, Jesus specifically
ordered Simon to launch out into the deep and let down your [plural in
the Greek and thus a reference to their nets] nets for a catch.
5:5. Jesus had had great nighttime success in His ministry at Capernaum
(see 4:40-44). This highlights both the authority of Jesus’ word as well as
Peter’s disposition to obey despite evidence that again they would catch
nothing. The previous unit 3:1–4:44 has already established the authority of
Jesus’ word (see 4:31-37). The provision of fish through obedience to
Jesus’ word relates thematically to the first temptation in that God will
provide for His own through His Word.
5:6. Peter obeyed Jesus and consequently their net (singular), which the
fishermen had cleaned as they “called it a day,” now stood in danger of
tearing apart because of the huge catch. Jesus had provided
superabundantly.
5:7. Peter and Jesus signaled their partners in the other boat (note the
two boats in v 2). Beyond this, they filled both the boats to the brim so
that they began to sink.
5:8. The miraculous catch made such an impact on Simon Peter that he
fell down at Jesus’ knees. His words here betray an initial unbelief at the
Lord’s command. Further, Peter recognizes his own sinful state in contrast
to the powerful holiness of the Lord.
5:9. Once again Luke reports the proper response of astonishment to Jesus’
person and works. Peter as well as his fishing companions were
astonished. The huge catch possibly foreshadows the kind of results Peter
and the others could expect in their future ministry.
5:10. The awe-inspiring catch possibly also served as a psychological
safety net of sorts—they need not worry about their economic sustenance.
Jesus had bested them in their own field—He knew where to find fish and
so encourages and challenges them, saying, “Do not be afraid.” Luke then
introduces the other two inner circle disciples, James and John, and
highlights Peter as the leader.
5:11. Their response pictures the ideal disposition of all who decide to
follow Jesus as disciples—they forsook all and followed Him. They
already enjoyed the free gift of eternal life (cf. John 2:11 which precedes
this incident and already presents them as believers).
 B. Two Representative Miracles Witness to the Nation’s Religious
Leaders (5:12-26)
5:12. Luke uses similar introductions to juxtapose two healings (cf. v 17).
Ostensibly news about Jesus and His healing ability had already reached the
certain city (literally one of the cities hearkening back to the “other cities”
of 4:43). Luke also brings to the fore one of the despised class of their
society, a leper. The leper’s response revealed his accurate perception of the
Savior. He simultaneously affirmed the Messiah’s ability to heal and His
prerogative to do so (or not).
5:13. Jesus first put out His hand and touched him, virtually
guaranteeing that the leper would receive his healing (under OT regulations
this would render one ceremonially unclean) and He assured him saying, “I
am willing.” He then pronounced the authoritative command, “be
cleansed.” As indicative of the power and reality of Jesus’ word
immediately the leprosy left him.
5:14. The Lord’s instructions—to tell no one and yet to show himself “to
the priest”—indicate both a strategy of controlled growth and a focus on
the religious leaders. The leper’s showing himself to the priest (singular)
would nonetheless serve “as a testimony to them.” Most importantly, it
shows that Jesus upheld the OT Law which He came to fulfill (and then
replace with the New Covenant).
5:15. Notwithstanding the Lord’s instructions, the report went around
concerning Him all the more. The great multitudes who came show the
extent of His witness to the nation.
5:16. As an expected consequence of intense ministry activity Jesus
customarily withdrew into the wilderness and prayed. Extended spiritual
effort required repose and communion with the Father. Thus the wilderness
represented not only the place of testing but also of fellowship, rest, and
recuperation.
5:17. The Pharisees and teachers of the law enter the narrative with a
representation from every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem, and a
corresponding opportunity both to witness Messiah’s miraculous power
firsthand and guide the nation to Him. The fact that the power of the Lord
was present to heal them does not indicate that Jesus’ power to heal “came
and went” or appeared only during certain windows of opportunity. Rather,
it indicates both His gracious disposition and present availability to the
nation—if they wanted to avail themselves of His power to heal and forgive
them. The unfolding narrative reveals their preliminary suspicions (cf. 5:21)
about the Savior and yet their ultimate glorifying of God (cf. 5:26).
5:18. The word behold draws attention to some men who brought on a
bed a man who was paralyzed. These men approached the place where
Jesus taught, hoping to present the paralyzed man before Him. (The
ensuing narrative draws a contrast between them and the Pharisees and
teachers of the Law.)
5:19. The crowd (apparently composed primarily of religious leaders from
all of Palestine and so representing the nation as a whole—its leaders and
populace) posed an obstacle to the men’s merciful endeavor on their
friend’s behalf. As a consequence they went up on the housetop and let
him down with his bed through the tiling.
5:20. Jesus sees their faith and then addresses the man in the bed. With
the customary authority of His word Jesus proclaims, “Man, your sins are
forgiven you.” Like the leper of 5:12-16 these men had absolute belief in
the healing ability of Jesus. The narrative unequivocally highlights faith as
the sole condition for forgiveness.
5:21. The scribes and the Pharisees ironically ask the very questions to
which they themselves needed a correct answer. The first—“Who is this
who speaks blasphemies?”—ironically foreshadows their own
blasphemous response to the Messiah (11:14-20). The second—“Who can
forgive sins but God alone?”—highlights the truth they needed to
recognize, and it aids the transition to the confirmatory miracle that follows.
5:22. The fact that Jesus perceived their thoughts serves as a prelude to
His showing that He can accomplish what only God can do. He asks them,
“Why are you reasoning in your hearts?” Neither Jesus nor the
Scriptures eschew reason. Further, Jesus never demands blind faith. On the
contrary, He provides ample reason for anyone to believe with their eyes
wide open, and He would soon provide weighty evidence via immediate
physical healing.
5:23. Jesus asks them a question to which everyone present knew the
answer. This highlighted the powerful authority of His word, a principal
theme of this unit. The answer (in the form of Jesus’ miracle) would both
validate His forgiveness of the paralytic’s sins and underscore His deity.
 5:24. Had Jesus committed blasphemy, God the Father (who obviously
saw and heard the proceedings) would not have granted Him power for the
healing of the paralytic. Jesus wants them to know that He, “the Son of
Man”—a messianic title that those learned men would have certainly
known from Dan 7:13-14—had “power on earth to forgive sins.”
5:25. As expected, when Jesus gives the word immediately he rose…took
up what he had been lying on, and departed. The healed man’s actions
obediently paralleled everything Jesus had said. Further, he departed
glorifying God. This furnished a living testimony that unequivocally and
effectively counterclaimed the charge of blasphemy. Everyone in the house
could attest to the miracle.
5:26. Jesus’ healing convinced them so that glory to God replaced
accusations of blasphemy. Nevertheless, the narrative already provides a
glimpse of future trouble with the religious leaders.
C. The Legalistic Leaders Reject the New Covenant Ministry of
Messiah (5:27-39)
5:27. After a further revelation of Jesus’ prerogatives and power Luke
records an explicit and surprising call to discipleship—which adds to the
strange things affirmed in 5:26. He invites Levi (also known as Matthew as
a comparison with Matt 9:9-13 shows), a culturally despised tax collector
to follow Him.
5:28-29. Levi’s response pictures the ideal disciple (cf. 5:11b). Levi then
gave Jesus a great feast in his own house. Discipleship leads to true and
festive joy in the company of others who desire to know the Savior better.
Levi’s list of invitees reflected the same attitude as his new Master, Jesus.
His feast included a great number of tax collectors and others. Ironically,
the religious leaders who supposedly possessed the better spiritual values
did not want Jesus in their house—the nation and/or the temple.
5:30. The distance between the contemporary religious leaders and Jesus
and His followers increases. The scribes and the Pharisees approach Jesus
indirectly through His disciples to grumble and ask a question to which
they as religious leaders should have known the answer (and that ironically
highlighted their own spiritual failure): “Why do You eat and drink with
tax collectors and sinners?” The NKJV incorrectly capitalizes the plural
you.
 5:31. The Pharisees had addressed Jesus’ disciples. But Jesus answers
instead with a statement that calls for immediate self-diagnosis and that
either rebukes or consoles those who hear it: “those who are well have no
need of a physician, but those who are sick.” The statement affirms two
mutually exclusive options.
5:32. This famous mission statement from Jesus—“I have not come to
call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance”—functions on various
levels. It rebukes the self-righteous by highlighting their own self-delusion
of moral uprightness; it excludes the actually righteous (those like Simeon
and Anna who already enjoyed fellowship with God); and it invites the
unrighteous (those lacking in moral uprightness) to harmonious relations
with Him—the goal of repentance.
5:33. Jesus’ well-placed rebuke-invitation sends the religious leaders on
another accusatory tack. In their self-deluded cunning, the religious leaders
aligned themselves with John the Baptist’s disciples against Jesus and His.
By this tactic they implied their own respectability/correctness and
ironically confirmed the Master Physician’s on-target diagnosis of their self-
righteousness. Luke’s narrative will show that they rejected both John and
Jesus (cf. 7:29-35; 20:1-8).
5:34. In Greek, Jesus’ question implies a negative response (something
like of course not!). His presence (characterized as the opportunity for
companionship with a bridegroom at a wedding) calls for joyful celebration.
“The friends of the bridegroom” (literally the sons of the bridal chamber)
should take full and joyful advantage of the little time left with Him.
5:35. Jesus’ response represents a veiled reference, the fifth intimation, to
the Savior’s approaching death.
5:36. In a parable Jesus describes the consequences of using “a piece
from a new garment” to mend “an old one.” On the one hand, the
mending process tears the new garment, and on the other hand, the new
cloth will “not match with the old.” In this way both sides “lose”
(especially the new). This picture underscores the integrity of the new
garment versus the old torn one which needed mending (as well as the
essential incompatibility of both).
5:37. Further, if a person “puts new wine into old wineskins…the new
wine will burst the wineskins and be spilled, and the wineskins will be
ruined.” Both illustrations serve to bring out the obvious disagreement and
distinction between the Pharisees’ values and beliefs and those of Jesus.
The garment illustration underscores the essential incompatibility and
futility of trying to mix and match legalistic religion with a New Covenant
perspective. The second picture highlights the incapacity of the religious
leaders’ legalistic system to accept Jesus.
5:38. Jesus offers the simple answer. Only the introduction of a new
covenant would preserve the “new wine” and “new wineskins.”
5:39. Jesus then builds on the illustration. His second statement
foreshadows the obstinacy of the religious leaders in their preference for
“the old.”
D. Two Incidents Contrast the Values of Messiah with those of the
Contemporary Religious Leaders (6:1-11)
6:1. Luke highlights and transitions to a Sabbath setting where Jesus and
His disciples plucked the heads of grain and ate them rubbing them in
their hands—a perfect scenario to display the pharisaic attitude versus that
of Jesus and His disciples.
6:2. The accusatory attitude and question of some of the Pharisees intrude
upon the idyllic scene. Because the OT Law instructed reapers to leave
some crops unharvested for the needy to reap (Lev 19:9-10), the religious
leaders concerned themselves only with proper Sabbath observance (from
their own perspective).
6:3-4. Jesus’ answer focuses on His authority—in line with His regal
ancestor, King David—and so bypasses the question of the Sabbath. He
challenges the Pharisees, asking, “have you not even read this, what
David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him?”
Jesus thus implicitly aligns Himself, His disciples, and His values with
David and his companions. His response silences them, places them in the
dilemma of having to choose their own perspective over against David’s,
and directs their attention to His own authority.
6:5. Jesus then affirms, “the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.”
He refers to Himself as the Son of Man for the second time in Luke’s
Gospel (see 5:17-26) and describes Himself as the Messianic authority over
the Sabbath itself (and thus over what one could righteously do on that
day). This placed Him on the same level as God the Father who gave the
Sabbath commandment in the first place.
 6:6. A subsequent Sabbath episode demonstrates the veracity of Jesus’
claim regarding His Lordship over the day and displays its true nature and
intent. The basic scenario—He entered the synagogue and taught—and
the presence of a man whose right hand was withered set the scene for a
compassionate and powerful display that will anger the Pharisees and set
their murderous plans against Jesus further in motion.
6:7. The religious leaders’ actions and underlying motives paint a sobering
picture of legalistic righteousness. They watched Him closely…that they
might find an accusation against Him. This shows neither love for God
nor for neighbor.
6:8. Jesus knew their thoughts. Consequently He set up a compassionate
object lesson which would convict and silence the self-righteous Pharisees.
The man precisely follows Jesus’ instructions—“arise and stand here.”
The man with the withered right hand arose and stood.
6:9. Before healing the man, Jesus offers a preemptive strike against the
Pharisaic perspective. With a single question He takes away all their verbal
weapons: “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil?”
6:10. Jesus said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” The man obeyed
and his hand was restored—a testimony to the genuine healing power of
Jesus.
6:11. Rather than rejoice at the restoration of the man’s right hand they
were filled with rage. Their response ironically shows them as Sabbath
breakers at heart. They neither wanted to do good nor save life.
E. The Messiah Presents His New Wine to the Nation (6:12-49)
6:12. Luke highlights the prayerful dependence of the Lord Jesus upon the
Father (cf. 3:21; 5:16; 9:18, 28-29; 11:1; 18:1; 22:32, 39-46). Here he
records how in those days—ostensibly those of 6:11 where opposition had
begun to intensify—Jesus went out to the mountain to pray. The days
ahead called for a corresponding strengthening as He continued all night
in prayer.
6:13. The ever growing danger to His life possibly brought into relief the
need to select official representatives/witnesses that would continue His
work after His death. And so, after a night of prayer, He called His
disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve. These men would
continue to learn from Jesus (as did the other disciples), but would share
additional responsibilities commensurate to their future role.
6:14. As usual in the Gospels the list begins with Peter. Then he names
Andrew (in relation to Peter as his brother) before naming the other two of
the inner circle among the apostles, James and John. He then continues
with Philip and Bartholomew.
6:15. Luke continues the enumeration of the Twelve with Matthew and
Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot.
6:16. In this context of planned opposition Luke differentiates two men
named Judas—one, the son of James, and the other, Judas Iscariot who
also became a traitor.
6:17. Jesus now communicates the new wine content for the new wineskins
—which will function in concert with the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the
context of the New Covenant. His audience included a crowd of His
disciples and a great multitude of people. Luke describes a two-fold
motivation for the large crowd: they came to hear Him and be healed of
their diseases. The narrative details point to a different message than the
Sermon on the Mount recorded in Matthew 5–7. The use of similar
language does not necessarily equate the two as Jesus may have
communicated similar content in different contexts. This sermon records
Jesus’ essential new wine values—rejected by the nation’s leaders and yet
instructive for the future Church.
6.18. Luke distinguishes another group—those who were tormented with
unclean spirits and succinctly records that all without exception were
healed. Up to this point, Luke has focused primarily on Jesus’ actions.
Here, for the first time in the narrative, he presents an extended section of
Jesus’ teaching.
6:19. The amazing healing power coming forth from Jesus moved the
whole multitude to seek to touch Him (cf. 8:43-48). Now that Luke has
shown the values of the Pharisees through narratives he will directly reveal
those of Jesus through reported discourse.
6:20. Jesus begins His new wine message by focusing first on His
followers. Jesus lifted up His eyes toward His disciples. His initial words
—four beatitudes—contrast the situation of His disciples in the present age
versus their lot in the future Kingdom. He assures, “Blessed are you poor,
For yours is the kingdom of God”—the coming Messianic kingdom
which Jesus the Messiah would establish. These poor had their entrance
into the kingdom assured by simple belief in Messiah.
The advent of God’s promised kingdom will reverse negative physical
need and emotional pain rendering these as both transient and anticipatory
of blessing. This audience literally lacked material prosperity. Furthermore,
they could now enjoy the blessings which accompany obedience to Jesus.
6:21. The ensuing beatitudes build on the first which specifies the future
kingdom of God as the realm in which the now faithful will see their
reward. Jesus continues, “Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall
be filled.” The future kingdom—which will appear in connection with the
national conversion of Israel—will amply recompense whatever
impoverishment the disciples would experience in the present age. He
added, “Blessed are you who weep now, For you shall laugh.”
6:22. The fourth beatitude promises blessing to those who stand with Jesus
in the midst of opposition (experiencing hatred, exclusion, and reviling “for
the Son of Man’s sake”). His words would help strengthen the disciples in
light of the coming troubles that had already started to brew (cf. 6:11).
6:23. Jesus then instructs them regarding the preferred response to
persecution. The disciples should see it as a cause for celebration—“rejoice
in that day and leap for joy”—since their “reward is great in heaven.”
Heaven identifies the sphere from where their reward proceeds and where
the Father keeps it for them (see Matt 6:19-21; 1 Pet 1:3-5), rather than the
locale in which they will experience the reward per se. The future kingdom
on earth will serve as the realm in which they will enjoy the rewards of their
present suffering for the Savior.
6:24. Jesus then addresses the men (cf. vv 22-23) who reject Messiah and
His disciples with three woes that reflect and reverse the blessings promised
to Jesus’ disciples. He declares, “but woe to you who are rich, for you
have received your consolation.” Rather than affirming a present positive
experience for the rich (the materially wealthy who also live in
corresponding independence from God), Jesus portends their future as
lacking reward. These rich had received it now.
6:25. Two more negative reversals await. Those “who are full…shall
hunger.” Those who let this present age fulfill them will experience lack in
the future kingdom. Those “who laugh now…shall mourn and weep.”
The relative joy afforded in this world would give way to tearful
mourning/regret in the next.
6:26. Jesus then again addresses His disciples with a similar warning
saying, “woe to you when all men speak well of you.” They should not
regard complimentary words from these men as indicative of God’s
approval. Jesus provides a piercing rationale—“for so did their fathers to
the false prophets.” The present generation stood in a long line of
opponents to God’s true spokesmen thus rendering praise from these men as
negative rather than positive. They persecuted the true prophets (cf. v 23)
and praised the false.
6:27. Jesus then transitions to the next facet of His discourse and
distinguishes His disciples from the men who do not heed His words (cf.
24-26). Jesus’ negative assessment and predictions concerning the
persecutors do not grant His disciples a license to hate them. On the
contrary, they should “love their enemies and do good to those who hate
them.” The broader audience possibly represents potential victims of the
contemporary leaders.
6:28. A loving disposition should give way to verbal affirmation. They
should “bless those who curse” them and also “pray for those who
spitefully use” or mistreat them. These commands neither deny nor
ameliorate the evil of their enemies. Rather, it places them in the
perspective of the future kingdom (cf. v 20) so that their present evil only
presents part of the picture. The disciples can enjoy a secure future from
God’s hand and so can ask for His favor on their enemies—as a route to
bring them to the knowledge of Him.
6:29. A strike “on the one cheek” should lead the disciple to “offer the
other also” and the taking of the cloak should give occasion for not
withholding the tunic. This refers to courageous dignity in the context of
discipleship (cf. for the Son of Man’s sake in v 22d). It does not sponsor
spousal or child abuse as the context deals with religious persecution in the
context of discipleship. Jesus Himself escaped from dangerous situations
(cf. 4:30) as did also the apostle Paul (cf. Acts 9:23-25).
6:30. Furthermore, the disciples should “give to everyone who asks” of
them. (In Luke’s narrative Jesus heals everyone who seeks healing.)
Conversely, even “from him who takes” their possessions, they should
“not ask them back.” God’s provision for the material necessities of His
own and His love for all undergirds these instructions (cf. 27, 32).
6:31. Jesus then communicates the basic principle to them, the well-known
Golden Rule, which affirms that “just as you want men to do to you, you
also do to them likewise” (see also Lev 19:18; Matt 7:12). This serves as a
transition to a consideration of what happens if the disciples do not follow
these instructions.
6:32. If the disciples “love those who love” them they have no credit
charis “grace” for themselves beyond that of sinners who likewise “love
those who love them.” (The Lord shows that even sinners have the
capacity for agape love—the verb which appears four times here.) Clearly
the emphasis here does not fall on the capacity to love but rather on the
credit or grace accruing to disciples who love their enemies. Sinners here
may hint at the religious leaders who ironically consider outsiders to their
group sinners (cf. Luke 18:9-14).
6:33. Likewise, if they “do good to those who do good” to them, Jesus
asks “what credit (cf. v 32) is that to” them? Clearly, “sinners do the
same.” The grace vocabulary may contrast with the legalistic outlook that
will only do for others on the basis of an expected exchange.
6:34. Jesus then addresses the lending (cf. v 6:30a) motivation of disciples
as that which should go beyond the common standard of sinners who
“lend…to receive as much back.” This may point to provisions given to
those so needy that they have little or no hope of ever repaying (as they
have precisely what they need to survive).
6:35. Jesus then reviews the disposition and actions desired of disciples
and reveals the great reward they will receive for surpassing common
behaviors and expectations of sinners. They would “be sons of the Most
High,” the Father whose disposition they reflected.
6:36. Their Father serves as the role Model par excellence for their
behavior. They should “be merciful just as their Father also is merciful.”
Above all, the disciples of Jesus should not set sinners as their standard of
conduct and disposition but their heavenly Father. Narratively, this
principle serves as a transition to the next subunit (vv 37-45).
6:37. Jesus then expands His teaching with two negative commands and
one positive, each with beneficial consequences for His disciples.
Corresponding or equal results characterize these sayings. They should
“judge not,” “condemn not,” and forgive. The first does not rule out value
judgments altogether as the very sermon requires the hearers to distinguish
between disciples and sinners. The second flows from the first
consideration—illegitimate judging can lead to a final kind of judgment that
only God can render. Furthermore, the last factor—forgive—places these
commandments within the sphere of personal relations. All of the negative
consequences (should the disciples fail to follow through) relate to rewards
from the Father (and fellowship with Him) and not to the ultimate
possession of eternal life (see John 5:24). They will “not be condemned”
in the sense that God will temper His own evaluation of them with mercy
(cf. James 2:5-13). Furthermore, they “will be forgiven” in regards either
to their communion with God and/or with reference to God releasing them
from swift discipline on them when they fail.
6:38. Conversely, those who do obey Jesus’ command and give will
receive back over-brimming reward. The imagery here pictures grain that
“will be put into their bosom” (i.e., into a makeshift pouch created by
folding one’s clothing). The Lord transitions from this picture to a principle
of judgment: “For with the same measure that you use, it will be
measured back to you.”
6:39. Jesus then presents a parable that contrasts the teachings of Jesus
with that of the contemporary religious leaders—pictured as blind. He asks
the question (which expects a negative response): “Can the blind lead the
blind?” The net result is the affirmative yes answer to the question: “Will
they not both fall into the ditch?” The nation’s leaders would lead the
people to disaster via their rejection of Messiah.
6:40. Jesus then gives them a principle of discipleship, namely, that “a
disciple” enjoys no exemptions from what his own master must do. Once
“perfectly trained” he “will be like his teacher.” Both the disciples of the
contemporary religious leaders and those of Jesus would reflect the
character and values of their respective teacher(s).
6:41. The teaching and example of the contemporary religious teachers
may have already influenced those in the audience—to the effect that they
focus on the faults of others (“the speck in your brother’s eye”) while
blindly ignoring their own (“the plank in your own” cf. Luke 18:9-14). A
focus on others’ faults may betray an effort to ignore a bigger error of one’s
own.
 6:42. Further, it makes no sense to try to aid the erring brother who
indeed does have a speck in his eye, when the disciple does not “see the
plank” in his own. Far from recommending that imperfect people/disciples
not help others with their faults, Jesus instead first rebukes the faultfinder
and then provides the proper procedure: “First remove the plank from
your own eye.”
6:43. The instructions here flow from the parable of 6:39 which points to
the contemporary religious leaders. These will only count as “a good tree”
when they remove the plank from their eyes so that they can properly help
their brothers.
6:44. The Lord then gives a consequent summarizing principle which
provides a standard for measuring the religious leaders. The contemporary
religious leaders will not produce pleasant and nutritious “figs” (associated
with blessing and fruitfulness) but rather will bring forth pain as do
“thorns.” Jesus here underscores the complementary relationship between
a certain kind of plant and expectation of its fruit as a prelude to His
convicting conclusion (vv 46-49).
6:45. Words reflect what one has stored up in the heart for “out of the
abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” They have a clear choice
between the teachings and results of Jesus (the Good Man par excellence)
and those of the contemporary religious leaders.
6:46. Proper and fruitful discipleship will do what Jesus says and not
simply call Him “‘Lord, Lord’” (Jas 1:21-27; cf. Matt 7:21).
6:47. Jesus then provides a picture from the world of construction that
serves to highlight the stable, secure, and positive results that accrue to one
who “comes to Him, hears His sayings and does them.”
6:48. Jesus likens the coming judgment of the obedient one to a powerful
flood whose “stream beat vehemently against the house” built on a stone
foundation after deep digging. The river “could not shake it, for it was
founded on the rock.” If the disciple obeyed the instructions in 6:27-38,
they would have an unshakable life that would assuredly withstand all trials.
6:49. On the other hand, the person “who heard and did nothing”
resembles one who builds “on the earth without a foundation” against
whose house “the stream beat vehemently and immediately it fell.” Jesus
solemnly affirms “the ruin of that house was great.” This ruin cannot refer
to the rescinding or loss of eternal life. On the contrary, everyone who has
believed in Jesus as Savior knows the final verdict already in the present
without having to wait for the future (cf. John 3:16-18 and 5:24-25 where
God promises eternal life now, the very instant anyone believes His
promise). Furthermore, they receive eternal life by believing—not by
building (cf. John 6:47). As to discipleship, however, hearing and building
on the right foundation constitute the way to a successful life.
The house metaphor may hold implications for Jerusalem and thus
intimate the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD (cf. Luke 13:35; 19:45).
Hearing and doing on the basis of the right foundation constitute the way to
a successful edifice.
F. Two Miracles Portray the Climactic Work of Messiah (7:1-17)
7:1. The negative picture of the leaders transitions to a revealing of the
nation’s response to Jesus (and a foreshadowing of the Gentiles’ reception
of Him). The mention of Capernaum—a city used by Jesus as a home and
headquarters (cf. Matt 4:13); a locale of many of His miracles (cf. Matt
11:20-24); and the place where He found the greatest faith in Israel (in a
Gentile, cf. 7:9)—may help explain Jesus’ later pronouncement against it
(cf. Luke 10:15).
7:2. Luke then narrates two miracles which validate the message of Jesus
in the Sermon on the Plain and which set the backdrop of the nation’s future
welcome of Messiah (and the unexpected Gentile reception of Him). He
thus transitions to a Gentile centurion whose beloved servant was sick and
ready to die.
7:3. The Gentile centurion had heard about Jesus and sent elders of the
Jews to entreat Jesus to come and heal his servant.
7:4. The elders of the Jews begged Him earnestly arguing that the
centurion was deserving (cf. 10:7; 12:48; 15:19, 21; Acts 13:25, 46) of this
healing.
7:5. They then provided corroborating evidence for their claim, affirming
that “he loves our nation, and has built us a synagogue.” The centurion
sends Jewish officials who make their request on the basis of the centurion’s
merit. This man loved Israel and facilitated their learning and worship. The
narrative reverses the expected role of the Jewish nation whose historic
mission constitutes giving light to the Gentiles.
 7:6. As a response Jesus went with them. (The centurion’s love for Israel
may account in part for Jesus’ granting their request—in keeping with
God’s blessing for those who love Israel, cf. Gen 12:3a.) As they neared the
house the centurion sent a second group—friends to communicate a
message to Him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself for I am not worthy.”
The centurion’s own self perception contrasts with the message given by the
elders of the Jews who deemed him deserving (v 4).
7:7. The centurion explains the rationale behind his sending messengers
instead of coming himself—“I did not even think myself worthy to come
to You”—and asks Jesus to simply “say the word” and his servant would
undoubtedly “be healed.”
7:8. The centurion describes himself as “also…a man placed under
authority” and gives three examples of his typical commands Go, come,
and “‘do this’” and the corresponding obedience to them. The three-fold
counterbalance underlines the centurion’s significant authority. (The
centurion’s use of also may indicate a possible reference to Jesus’
submission to the Father and so his understanding of Jesus as Messiah and
God’s Servant Son.)
7:9. When Jesus heard these things, He marveled—the only occasion of
Jesus marveling in all of Luke-Acts. The centurion’s response turns into a
teaching opportunity as Jesus tells the crowd that He has “not found such
great faith, not even in Israel.” The Jewish elders that formed part of the
crowd would have heard Jesus’ praise of the centurion.
7:10. Both the Jewish elders and the friends returned to find the servant
well who had been sick. Again we see the power of Jesus’ word (this time
to heal at a distance). Two groups would have witnessed Jesus’ power and
noted the kind of faith that impressed Him.
7:11. On the day after Jesus had the opportunity to perform an even
greater miracle in a city called Nain. Luke informs us that many of His
disciples accompanied Him as did a large crowd differentiated from the
disciples by Luke.
7:12. Jesus met a funeral procession as He approached the gate of the city.
A dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother.
Additionally and sadly, she was a widow. Another large crowd
accompanied her—in correspondence to the group with Jesus (cf. v 11).
 7:13. The sad scene moved Jesus to compassion and He told her, “Do not
weep.”
7:14. Jesus approached and did something that would cause ceremonial
uncleanness, He touched the open coffin (only here in the NT). The ones
who carried the coffin stopped and Jesus commanded with His powerful
word, “Young man, I say to you arise.”
7:15. The man who was dead sat up and began to speak. Jesus tenderly
presented him to his mother alive.
The complementary miracles then potentially point to a generally
characteristic way of God’s dealings with the Gentiles and the Jewish
nation. The Gentiles would believe in Him despite His physical absence
from earth during the Church age. The Jewish nation would receive Him
back alive (as does the widow in the story) at the end of the Seventieth
Week in the context of His actual physical return.
7:16. As a response to this resurrection (the greatest miracle thus far
recorded in Luke’s Gospel) fear came upon all and they glorified God.
Thus far Luke’s narrative has recognized John as a prophet (cf. 1:76). This
represents the first time Jesus receives the appellation. In addition, the
people understand that “God has visited His people” (cf. Luke 1:68-70).
Yet, the nation needed to go farther and recognize Him as the Messiah—a
theme which Luke develops in the next subunit (7:18-35). Of utmost
importance, both miracles highlight His deity—healing from afar and
raising the dead.
7:17. News about Jesus spreads publicly and widely (cf. 4:37; 40-44),
throughout all Judea and the entire surrounding region.
G. The Nation Rejects Both John and Jesus (7:18-35)
7:18. Luke records that the disciples of John reported to him, thus
transitioning to bring John the Baptist back into the narrative (who finds
himself in prison, cf. 3:20).
7:19. The sending of messengers possibly links this account with that of
the centurion who sent his messenger to Jesus. John sent two of his
disciples to Jesus to ask “Are you the Coming One (i.e., the promised
Messiah) or do we look for another?” Significantly, at this point, the
Gentile centurion appears to have more faith than John himself. The
question nevertheless serves to highlight the unique credentials of Jesus as
the Messiah.
7:20. When the messengers arrived they communicated their purpose and
stated John’s question. The repetition of the question, this time in the
presence of Jesus, signals its significance both historically and in the
development of the narrative. Not only did John doubt, but his followers
(who carried out his request) ostensibly did also.
7:21. Luke’s reader finds the answer to the question in this verse as Jesus
performs Messianic miracles that very hour as per Isaiah 61:1-2 (cf. Luke
4:18-19). Jesus performed miracles prophesied at least 700 years before as
confirmation of His Messianic claims. Mercifully, to many…blind He
gave sight—a miracle which only Messiah accomplishes (cf. John 9:32-
33).
7:22. The double treatment of Jesus’ miracles matches the two questions
that ask for confirmation of His Messiahship. This time, however, Jesus
spells out the miracles that John’s messengers have both seen and heard,
thus providing a two-fold testimony. Theophilus, or anyone needing
confirmation of their faith would potentially identify with John’s doubts and
receive the verified testimony of Jesus’ miracles, John’s disciples, and
Luke, himself (cf. 1:1-4).
7:23. Jesus sent a gentle rebuke to John which would also touch any of the
messengers who shared his present sentiments: “blessed is he who is not
offended because of Me.”
7:24. Once John’s messengers had departed, Jesus addressed the
multitudes concerning him. The forerunner’s doubt had not changed
Jesus’ positive disposition towards him. Jesus’ question testifies to John’s
strength of character, and invites comparison with other contemporary
figures who did not measure up to John’s stature.
7:25. Jesus essentially repeated the basic question—“but what did you go
out to see?”—and asked, “a man clothed in soft garments?” Jesus’
supplied answer affirms the opposite. John did not go about “gorgeously
appareled” nor did he “live in luxury…in king’s courts”—he lived in the
deserts (cf. 1:80; 3:2).
7:26. The questions crescendo from two wrong conclusions (vv 24-25) to a
correct (and enhanced) one: John represented the last OT prophet and the
anticipated messenger for the Messiah.
 7:27. John certainly fulfilled the prophetic role but also surpassed it. Jesus
identified him as the Messianic forerunner written about by the OT prophet
Malachi (cf. Mal 3:1). Jesus’ answer identifies John and implicitly raises
the question of His own identity as the Messiah—especially because this
crowd apparently witnessed His miraculous ministry (cf. v 21). If John, the
messenger, has arrived, it would make sense to try to identify the Messiah
he prepared the way for.
7:28. Jesus affirms the superlative quality and status of the prophesied
messenger, then extends a surpassing greatness to even the “least in the
kingdom of God” as “greater than he.” Had the nation heeded John’s
message, they would have enjoyed a surpassing status to his by
experiencing the blessings of the kingdom he announced.
7:29. Jesus’ words about John and the kingdom received a positive
response from all the people so that even the tax collectors that heard Him
justified God (recognized His rightness) because they had been baptized
with the baptism of John. Their positive reaction to Jesus shows how
John’s ministry as a forerunner had done its work (in some).
7:30. In contrast to them, the Pharisees and lawyers (experts in the OT
Law) rejected the counsel of God. Their contrary disposition and rejection
of genuine OT values shows in that they even rejected the baptism of John
(the very messenger predicted by Malachi). Because the coming kingdom
required a positive welcome from the nation as a whole, the rejection by
these men would instead steer the nation towards the judgment of the
Jewish War of 66-70.
7:31. Jesus asks the crowd, “to what then shall I liken the men of this
generation?” His answer brings to light the obstinate disposition that will
reject any approach, whether Jesus’ or John’s.
7:32. Jesus compares the men of that generation to “children sitting in
the marketplace” and interacting with each other with a childish chant: We
played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we mourned to you,
and you did not weep. The music and the mourning represent a merism for
all relevant approaches to the nation. They would reject both John and
Jesus.
7:33. Jesus explains the illustration starting with John first. He “came
neither eating bread nor drinking wine” (correlative to the mourning
above) and they accused him saying, “He has a demon.” They deliberately
misunderstood John and associated him with demonic asceticism.
7:34. In contrast to John, Jesus came “eating and drinking” (correlative
of the flute playing above) and they called him “a glutton and a
winebibber.”
7:35. Both dancing or weeping represented wise responses which could
have led to belief in Messiah. Wise people would have welcomed John and
Jesus. Their welcome would validate (i.e., justify) itself as wise. The
children of wisdom contrasts to that of the Pharisees and lawyers (cf. v 30).
H. The Messiah Teaches a Believing Pharisee and a Sinful Woman
(7:36-50)
Luke then offers a vignette that shows a Pharisee who did in fact believe in
Jesus (and yet had to grow in his love for Him and others) and a sinful
woman from the city. The text considers them both wisdom’s children and
yet highlights the sinful woman as the superior example.
7:36. The opening scenario shows table fellowship with a Pharisee, a first
for the Gospel of Luke (cf. 5:30) as Jesus went to the Pharisee’s house,
and sat down to eat.
7:37. Luke then reports the appearance of a woman in the city who was a
sinner and knew Jesus’ whereabouts at the Pharisee’s home. This better
typified the kind of people Jesus enjoyed fellowship with. The woman
somehow gained entrance into the home and brought an alabaster flask, a
costly and sentimental commodity in their culture.
7:38. The woman showered courteous, respectful, and loving attentions on
Jesus to the point of even washing His feet with her tears, wiping them
with the hair of her head, and kissing and anointing them with the
fragrant oil. All of this amounted to an expensive expression of love.
7:39. The Pharisee…spoke to himself in the privacy of his own thoughts
—which Luke makes public. Of particular significance the Pharisee
questions Jesus’ identity as “a prophet” (cf. Luke 7:16). In one movement,
the man exalts himself above both Jesus and the woman.
7:40. Jesus addressed him directly and said to him, “Simon, I have
something to say to you.” One wonders if any smugness tinged Simon’s
tone of voice as he answers, “Teacher, say it.”
 7:41-42. Jesus then tells the story of “a certain creditor” and “two
debtors.” While they each owed different amounts, neither had the means
to pay. The creditor “freely forgave them both.” Having finished the story,
Jesus then asked Simon, “which of them will love him more?”
7:43. Simon “rightly judged” by answering that the one who had owed
the greater amount loved him more.
7:44. Once Simon had answered correctly in the presence of the woman,
Jesus turned to her and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman?” Then
He proceeded to detail all the respectful and sacrificial expressions of the
woman (versus all of Simon’s snubs).
7:45. Simon did not give Jesus the usual courteous kiss, while the woman
went beyond the customary and had “not ceased to kiss” His feet from the
time He entered.
7:46. Likewise, Simon had not offered Jesus the customary anointing. In
contrast, the woman had “anointed His feet with fragrant oil.” What
Simon had not done for Jesus’ head with the customary actions and
resources, the woman had done for His feet.
7:47. The respective actions of the woman and Simon showed the
forgiveness they had each received, and the consequent love they offered
the Savior. The difference in love reflects their respective degree of
gratitude.
7:48. Jesus directly tells the woman, “Your sins are forgiven.” This
statement both assures her and brings in the others around the table who had
witnessed all the proceedings. At some point she had become convinced of
His identity as Messiah—she believed in Him. She now enjoyed the initial
blessing of forgiveness that accompanies justification (see Rom 4:6-8).
Simon the Pharisee had evidently believed some time in the past. He had
invited Jesus to his house for fellowship.
7:49. Jesus’ assuring statement had its desired effect on the other guests.
Those who sat at the table with Him asked, “Who is this who even
forgives sins?” Simon the Pharisee and the woman already knew the
answer. (See Luke 5:21 for a similar response.)
7:50. If the woman had any lingering doubts about her status, Jesus
assured her, “your faith has saved you. Go in peace.” Faith and not works
saves a person. Assurance rests on Jesus’ Word. This alone should dispel
any doubt and bring peace.
 I. The Messiah Teaches about the Diverse Responses to His
Message (8:1-21)
8:1. In keeping with the mission He announced in 4:43, Jesus went
through every city and village, preaching and bringing the glad tidings
of the kingdom of God. Now however, the twelve were with Him.
8:2. The narrative about the sinful woman who believes in and loves Jesus
helps transition to the many women disciples who ministered to Him and
contributed to His ministry. Along with the twelve apostles, women who
had been healed from evil spirits and infirmities accompanied Jesus.
Luke names three of them, beginning with Mary Magdalene, out of whom
had come out seven demons. The sevenfold deliverance of Mary testifies
to the completeness of her healing. (Popularly, many seem to think that
Mary had formerly engaged in prostitution, but the Gospel accounts give no
support for this idea.)
8:3. Luke then adds Joanna (also 24:10), the wife of Chuza, Herod’s
steward, and Susanna. These and many other women facilitated the
Savior’s ministry financially. Luke simply mentions Susanna without any
additional qualification. Perhaps he included her to show that although she
had no specific “claim to fame” she still mattered to Jesus and to His
ministry.
8:4. A great multitude had come to Jesus from every city (apparently
from those He and the disciples had visited before; cf. 8:1). Jesus then
spoke to them by a parable.
8:5. The sower represents Jesus in His ministry to the nation and looks
forward to the kind of results the disciples can expect in their future work.
The story begins by picturing what happened to the first seed (in a series of
four). It “fell by the wayside.” As a result of the open-air exposure “it was
trampled…and…devoured.”
8:6. The next seed in the series “fell on rock.” This seed “sprang up” and
consequently “withered away.”
8:7. The next one “fell among thorns.” In this case “the thorns sprang
up with it and choked it.” Both grew concurrently.
8:8. Jesus then communicates the most positive result in the series. Once
this seed had grown it “yielded a crop a hundredfold.”
 The cry, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear!” comes after the last
and productive soil in the series. This last one represents the desired goal
and includes the accompanying exhortation.
8:9-10. Here Jesus draws a distinction between His disciples—to whom
“it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God”—and
“the rest” to whom He speaks in parables that “Seeing they may not see,
And hearing they may not understand.” This quotation from Isa 6:9
reveals that opposition already existed and more may lie ahead. The fact
that Jesus speaks this to the Twelve may look forward to the superseding of
the religious leaders who reject the Messiah and so do not gain new insight
into the Scriptures from Him.
8:11-12. Jesus reveals that the seed symbolizes “the word of God.” He
then explains the significance of what happens to the first seed, the one that
falls “by the wayside.” This represents “the ones who hear; then the
devil comes and takes away the word out of their hearts, lest they
should believe and be saved.” This highlights the power of God’s Word to
save people. It also brings the devil back into the narrative, who ironically
after futilely trying to use God’s Word to defeat the Messiah (cf. 4:1-13),
endeavors to nullify its power to save. Finally, it specifies belief as the sole
condition for salvation (cf. 7:50) and points out that this first group
represents unsaved people—the only one of the four kinds of soils
designated as such.
8:13. In contrast to the first group, these “receive the word with joy” and
then “believe for a while.” (This seed sprang up, according to v 6.) The
text does not signify a qualitatively different kind of belief, but rather a
chronologically shorter one. Neither does it imply that continuance in belief
achieves salvation since the one who believes receives salvation as the
immediate consequence of believing (cf. v 12) and can go in peace (cf.
7:50). But the parable as a whole deals with more than belief; it also focuses
on endurance and fruit-bearing, as the final seed in the series demonstrates
(cf. 8:8). The believer can experience the initial joy of salvation and then
proceed to develop further and endure “in time of temptation” or testing.
The fact that these “fall away” indicates previous participation in the
discipleship and growth process. God guarantees a believer’s eternal
salvation as a gift by faith alone, but the process of discipleship, although
rooted in God’s grace, demands faith and works—effort and cooperation in
obedience to Him.
8:14. This seed grows together with the thorns (cf. sprang up with it, v 7)
so that negative factors encumber its growth. Here again we see growth but
also frustrated fruit-bearing. The disciple then must take care not to allow
factors that preoccupy those of this present age to crowd out the deeper
concerns of the kingdom of God. These lack the focus and purpose that
facilitate seeing the discipleship process to its desired and mature end or
purpose—bringing “fruit to maturity.”
8:15. The final seed provides the formula for discipleship success. As v 8
states, this seed “yielded a crop a hundredfold.” Thus, obedience to “the
word” and perseverance (especially during times of testing; cf. v 13) as
well as single-hearted progress that eschews worldly concerns (without
neglecting one’s responsibilities in the world), will enable the disciple to see
the process through to significant fruit-bearing. Jesus does not specify
“salvation” as the end result of keeping the Word of God and persevering,
but rather fruit-bearing. Eternal salvation comes when one believes. Fruit
bearing for those already saved comes as the end result of keeping the Word
of God and persevering in the faith.
8:16. This saying may at some level contrast the Twelve to the nation’s
religious leaders. Rather than granting light (i.e., true knowledge of God) to
those coming to them for guidance, they kept them in darkness. Jesus now
prepares the Twelve to properly display the light.
8:17. Jesus provides a further rationale that ties in with the illustration. The
light (God’s truth or knowledge) set on the lampstand will ultimately reveal
every secret and bring “to light” everything hidden. In this context the
hiddenness deals with God’s truth. Jesus would lift the vessel off the lamp
and bring it out from under the bed. Later, the Church, consisting of mostly
Gentiles, would bring out what the nation’s religious leaders tried to
suppress.
8:18. Similar to the Parable of the Sower (cf. vv 4-8), Jesus first gives the
picture and then the explanation that proceeds from it (cf. vv 11-15). Here
He warns the disciples (cf. v 9) regarding their response to the truth. He
exhorts “therefore take heed how you hear.” The disciples need to
respond appropriately to the truth. On the other hand, those who mishandle
the truth will not gain further knowledge of it and will lose their
position/role as a communicator of it—“even what he seems to have will
be taken from him.”
8:19. Jesus’ mother unexpectedly reenters the narrative, and Luke
mentions His brothers for the first time. Their appearance here serves to
clarify the intimate nature of discipleship with Jesus (as it relates to other
close human familial relationships). They could not approach Jesus
because of the crowd. (In order for Jesus’ ensuing comment to make sense,
mother and brothers must refer to blood lineage here.)
8:20. Some from the same crowd who hinder their approach communicate
to Jesus, “Your mother and Your brothers are standing outside, desiring
to see You.” (At this point His half-brothers did not believe in Him; cf.
John 7:1-10.) The mention of mothers and brothers in both Luke 8:19 and
8:20 highlights their importance for the lesson Luke seeks to transmit.
8:21. Jesus sets down the criteria for an intimate relationship with Him:
“My mother and My brothers are these who hear the word of God and
do it.” This verse clarifies what it means to hear Jesus correctly (cf. v 18).
Obedience to God’s Word results in abundant fruit-bearing and facilitates an
intimate familial relationship with the Savior.
J. The Messiah Prepares the Twelve for Their Mission (8:22-56)
8:22. Disciples who hear correctly and go about the path of discipleship
will encounter difficulties on the way. They will need a clear
comprehension of Jesus’ identity and power to sustain them on the path of
persevering discipleship. Getting into a boat Jesus invited them to “cross
over to the other side of the lake” with Him. They would now see Jesus’
power over the forces of nature.
8:23. Luke reports that as they sailed, Jesus fell asleep. And a windstorm
came down, and they were filling with water, and they were in
jeopardy. Their future ministry experiences might include life-threatening
situations where they could doubt Jesus’ awareness, power, or concern.
8:24. Jesus’ very invitation implies that they would make it to the other
side of the lake. They had sufficiently experienced events connected to His
word to comprehend His trustworthiness and its power. Nevertheless they
fear so much that they see no other recourse than to wake the sleeping
Savior. So they awaken Jesus by informing Him of their impending death
—“Master, Master we are perishing.” (Master translates the word
epistata used in contexts that recognize Jesus’ Lordship; cf. 5:5). Jesus
consequently rebuked the wind and the raging of the waters. As usual
Jesus’ commands bring immediate results: they ceased, and there was a
calm. In keeping with a thematic emphasis in 5:1–9:6, Jesus exercises the
power and prerogatives of Deity alone (cf. 5:20-21, 26; 6:5, 8, 13, 46-49;
7:1-10, 14-16, 21, 48-50; 8:24-25, 32, 39; 9:1).
8:25. Jesus’ question both aims for self-evaluation on their part and points
to the lesson they need to learn from the seafaring trial, namely, faith. But
faith also needs an object. And thus their second question and their related
observation provide the answer regarding whom they should believe in
times of testing, namely, Jesus. No one else had ever commanded the wind
and water in this way, for no one but God could. No future storm in their
journey of discipleship need shake their faith, for Jesus could calm the
greatest life-threatening circumstances they could ever face. (See 5:21;
7:49, which also raise the issue of Jesus’ identity as Herod Antipas soon
will; cf. 9:9.)
8:26. The storm (and the disciples’ failure to believe) did not deter their
future training and usefulness. They proceeded from the point of the test
(and Jesus’ manifestation of power) to the country of the Gadarenes,
which is opposite of Galilee. Luke’s specification indicates that the reader
should look for something different on this side of the sea (for which the
circumstances on the lake have prepared both the reader and the disciples).
8:27. The instant Jesus stepped out on the land a man whom Luke
describes in great detail met Jesus. The man came from the city…had
demons for a long time…wore no clothes, and lived in the tombs.
8:28. The man already knew Jesus’ identity without Him saying anything.
His plea provides an explicit answer for the question asked inside the boat
(v 25). The man correctly identifies Jesus as the “Son of the Most High”
and comprehends that He has the power to torment him.
8:29. Jesus had already commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the
man before the demon made his request. The unclean spirit caused various
negative effects on the inhabited man.
8:30. Jesus asks the unclean spirit its name. The demon answers, Legion
because many demons had entered into the man.
8:31. The unclean spirit who spoke for the group kept asking that He
would not send them (plural) into the abyss.
 8:32. A nearby herd of many swine (unclean animals) provided the
potential next habitation for the unclean spirits. They (plural) begged Him
that He would permit them to enter the swine. And Jesus permitted it.
8:33. An immediate sequence ensued in which the swine (now inhabited
by the unclean spirits) ran violently down the steep place into the lake
and drowned.
8:34. The pig tenders saw what happened…fled, and told it in the city
and in the country. Thus they inadvertently served to bring people to the
Savior by means of curiosity and amazement at what had transpired.
8:35. When the people arrived, they first came to Jesus and then found
the man from whom the demons had departed in a condition opposite
from his previous one—a wonderful picture of the Savior’s effect on his
life. Luke reports that they were afraid, not joyful. The man’s position at
the feet of Jesus precisely foreshadows Mary’s—the ideal posture for Jesus’
followers (cf. 10:39—also Jairus at 8:41).
8:36. Those who had seen the whole transaction told the ones who feared
by what means he who had been demon possessed was healed.
8:37. Rather than allaying their fears, the whole multitude of the
surrounding region…were seized with great fear and asked Jesus to
depart from them. So He got into the boat and returned.
8:38. Apparently as Jesus sailed off, the healed man begged Him that he
might be with Him. Nevertheless, this now saved man had a potentially
great witness in this region (where people either knew him before, and/or
knew him now in his changed condition). Thus Jesus sends him away and
commissions him (v 39).
8:39. Jesus tells him to return to his own house and tell what great things
God has done. The man obediently (and probably joyfully) proclaimed
through the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him. This
episode resembles the previous one by the Sea of Galilee. This narrative
differs however, because there Jesus commands silence (5:14-15), here the
news spreads at Jesus’ exhortation.
8:40. Jesus returned to a welcoming crowd on the other side of the Sea of
Galilee. One crowd sends Him away (cf. v 37) and another one welcomes
Him.
8:41. By the word behold the narrative calls attention to Jairus, the ruler
of the synagogue who approached Jesus and begged Him to come to his
house.
8:42. His only daughter…was dying (cf. 7:11-17 for the raising to life of
an only son). The drama increases as the multitudes thronged Jesus, thus
hindering His arrival to the little girl’s side.
8:43. A woman approached Jesus for healing. Her affliction of twelve
years mirrors the age of the afflicted girl (see v 42 above). She had
exhausted her material wealth on futile medical help. None of the doctors
could heal her.
8:44. Luke has already described Jesus’ surpassing power (cf. 6:19) that
motivated people to touch Him. This scene, like the one at Nain, includes
the potential for ceremonial uncleanness. The mere touch of Jesus’ garment
brings about the healing so that immediately her flow of blood stopped.
8:45. Jesus asks, “Who touched Me?” (This points to His humanity in
the context of His concurrent divine ability to heal.) Everyone denied that
anyone touched Him. Peter and those with him offered an explanation
—“Master, the multitudes throng and press You, and You say, ‘Who
touched Me?’”
8:46. Jesus “perceived power going out from [Him].” Jesus always had
perfect divine and human consciousness. Also, the identification of the
woman would serve both to further minister to her and to proclaim the
Messiah’s work to the crowd (cf. v 47).
8:47. The woman saw that she was not hidden, and so declared to the
whole crowd what she had done and how it resulted in immediate healing.
8:48. Lest anyone misunderstand how she obtained the healing (and
primarily to confirm and assure the woman), Jesus encouraged her, “be of
good cheer your faith has made you well.” Then He tells her to “go in
peace.” Thus the Savior’s words of reassurance replace her fear with peace.
8:49. While Jesus utters this encouragement to the now saved daughter
(cf. v 48) word comes from the ruler of the synagogue’s house: “Your
daughter is dead. Do not trouble the Teacher.” Here the narrative
discloses that Jairus had accompanied Jesus all along.
8:50. The delay on account of the woman and her healing serves to bolster
Jairus—he had witnessed firsthand what Jesus could do. And thus He tells
him, “Do not be afraid.” In the face of such a potentially hopeless situation
he should “only believe.”
 8:51. Jesus only allowed the inner circle of the Twelve (Peter, James, and
John) and the girl’s parents to enter the house.
8:52. In the context of weeping and mourning, Jesus firmly assures, “she
is not dead, but sleeping.” Whereas the woman with the issue of blood
perhaps pictures the Gentiles who present an interruption of sorts before the
consummation of God’s plan for Israel, the girl could represent the nation
during the Church Age. While others may count the nation as finished,
Jesus sees her in a temporary respite awaiting His touch to reawaken her.
8:53. Those in the room ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead. The
ridicule serves to show intensified opposition and disrespect (even death did
not temper their disposition) and to testify to the girl’s undeniable death.
8:54. Jesus sent everyone (except the three apostles and the parents)
outside, and He tenderly took her by the hand. Then He simply called to
her, saying “Little girl, arise” (cf. the similar command in 7:14 which
connects these two narratives).
8:55. Luke reports that her spirit returned (cf. 23:56; Acts 7:59) and she
rose immediately.
8:56. Again astonishment marks a proper response to the miracles of the
Messiah. But Jesus charged them to tell no one what had happened.
Perhaps the rising opposition to Him motivated this instruction.
K. The Messiah Sends the Twelve to the Nation (9:1-6)
9:1. The apostles now for the first time carry out a healing ministry by
themselves (with the power and authority that Jesus grants them). As His
death drew near, training intensified. The experience on the lake (cf. 8:22-
25), encounter with the demoniac (cf. 8:26-39), healing of the woman with
the flow of blood (cf. 8:43-48), and resurrection of Jairus’s daughter (cf.
8:49-56) prepared them to launch out on their own. Thus, Jesus designed
the path of discipleship so that challenges corresponded both to the training
He provided and to a believing, obedient, and faithful response.
9:2. Their mission mirrors Jesus’ own (cf. 4:43; 5:15). He sent them to
preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick. The miracles minister
compassion as well as validate their message. This mission also narratively
responds to the invitation/command to catch men (cf. 5:10).
9:3-4. Along with what they did have (“power and authority”) they should
not take any of the customary articles of protection and provisions that
travelers took. The catch of fish at the beginning of this narrative unit (5:1–
9:6, esp. 5:1-11) would have taught them that God can amply supply for
their well-being. Further they should not go from house to house (which
might foster misconceptions regarding their mission and render them
vulnerable to malicious gossip) but rather “enter, stay…and depart” from
the same home.
9:5-6. The power and authority given to them by Jesus would not
guarantee a warm reception from everyone. (They had already experienced
some rejection; cf. 8:53.) Thus, when leaving a city that does not welcome
them they should “shake off the very dust” from their feet “as a
testimony against them.” They obey precisely by going through the
towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere (cf. Acts 24:3;
28:22). The use of city in Luke 9:5 may look forward to the mission in the
Book of Acts. Matthew 10:5-7 associates this mission with Israel. This fits
Luke’s emphasis on Jesus’ First Advent mission to Israel.
VI. The Rejection of Messiah will Prompt an Interadvent Era (9:7–
13:22)
A. The Report of John’s Demise Portends Jesus’ Death (9:7-9)
9:7. Both Herod the tetrarch and John the Baptist reenter the narrative
(cf. 3:1, 19-20). Having heard reports of Jesus’ activity, Herod was
perplexed. His confusion arose because of three conflicting explanations
offered by the populace. In Matthew and Mark, Herod attributes the reports
about Jesus to a resurrected John whom he, himself had beheaded (cf. Matt
14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29).
9:8. These relevant associations to Elijah and the old prophets should
have alerted the nation to God’s work in their midst—as they all do point to
the Messiah.
9:9. The narrative now reveals John’s fate—by the very lips of Herod who
verifies, “John I have beheaded” (cf. 3:20). The intensified persecution
and the association with Jesus introduce a hint of foreboding. Nevertheless,
for now Herod only desires to see Him.
B. Jesus Shows Himself as the Prophet like Moses—but Greater
(9:10-17)
 9:10. The apostles returned and told Jesus all that they had done. The
positioning of their return after Herod’s perplexity (vv 7-9) serves to
associate the Twelve with Jesus—now as an endangered person. He then
took them privately to a deserted place. Here Jesus would further prepare
them for future ministry. (See John 12:20-50 for a thematically relevant unit
connected to Bethsaida.)
9:11. The multitudes discovered their whereabouts and followed Him.
Jesus always welcomed those who sought His aid. He received them and
spoke to them about the kingdom of God—an important theme in this
unit (cf. 9:27, 57-62; 10:9, 11; 11:2, 20; 12:31-32; 13:18-21).
9:12. When the Twelve saw nightfall approaching, they felt concern for
the crowd. Their request to “send the multitude away” expresses the
opposite of Jesus’ designs for them. Their one rationale, “for we are in a
deserted place,” fails to recognize His presence in their midst.
9:13. Desiring to minister to both His apostles and the multitude Jesus
commands the Twelve, “You give them something to eat.” Their response
entailed only two options (neither of which included supernatural
intervention).
9:14. Luke records that about five thousand men had gathered (Matt
14:21 records additional numbers of women and children). Jesus instructed
the Twelve to “make them sit down in groups of fifty.” The orderly
arrangement in the deserted place (cf. Luke 9:10, 12) occasions a
reminiscence of the arrangement of the nation in the wilderness (see
Numbers 1). His giving the task to others (you feed them) through the
resources that He provides may point to a future day when the disciples will
carry on the work themselves with the resources He provides.
9:15. The Twelve obediently made them all sit down. This would
certainly facilitate the food distribution. But it could also serve an
apologetic purpose in that one could clearly see whether Jesus provided for
all of them.
9:16. Jesus took the meager provisions, and looking up to heaven (perhaps
in public recognition of the Father’s ability to provide [cf. 3:4]), He blessed
and broke them, and gave it to the disciples to distribute to the crowd. This
shows that Jesus is greater than all the options considered by the populace
and Herod (cf. vv 7-9).
 9:17. Twelve baskets of the leftover fragments show that God can
supply abundantly for those in His service—enough for their compassionate
ministry to others as well as for their own provision.
C. The Twelve (with Peter as the Principal Leader) Confess Jesus
as Messiah (9:18-20)
9:18. As Jesus prayed by Himself (with the disciples apparently nearby),
the question of His identity came up again (cf. 8:25; 9:9). He asked them,
“Who do the crowds say that I am?” The mention of the crowds
thematically ties this question to Jesus’ miracle (vv 10-17) and Herod’s
question (vv 7-9).
9:19. The disciples’s answer mirrors what Herod had heard (cf. 9:7-9) and
confirms popular opinion that saw Jesus as John the Baptist or Elijah, or
supposed, one of the old prophets [who] has risen again. This reveals the
culture’s blindness and unbelief in not following these options to their
logical end, namely, recognizing Jesus Himself as the prophesied Messiah.
9:20. Jesus then asks the disciples, “But who do you say that I am?”
Peter answered: “The Christ of God.” This level of comprehension and
confession called forth a commensurate level of new revelation. Jesus—the
Messiah—would now reveal the greater implications of this truth for His
own future as well as for them as His followers.
D. The Messiah Begins Explicit Instruction Regarding His
Death/Resurrection and Interadvent Realities (9:21-22)
9:21. Jesus then strictly warned and commanded them not to say this to
anyone. Perhaps He ordered this because of the confusion of popular
opinion (vv 7-9, 19) as well as the disciples’ own less-than-complete grasp
of the implications of Jesus’ messiahship (cf. Luke 24:1-49).
9:22. Jesus expressed His obedience to His Father’s plan. He “must suffer
many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests, and
scribes.” (This combination appears only here in all the Gospels—and on
the lips of Jesus.) Jesus would also “be killed, and be raised the third
day.”
E. The Messiah Reveals the Standards of Discipleship (9:23-27)
9:23. The path of discipleship would now include identification with Him
in the context of His coming suffering, rejection, and death. Jesus gives
three specific instructions on discipleship. Anyone desiring to follow Him
must “deny himself (not “die to self” as popularly taught); take up his
cross daily (indicating a willingness to follow Jesus to death if necessary)
and follow” Jesus. These conditions both surpass and build on the simple
condition of belief in Him for salvation (e.g., 7:50 and 8:12). Now His
disciples would follow His example in principle (and in some cases
literally).
9:24. Paradoxically although doing these things would presumably lead to
death, they actually bring life. Conversely “whoever loses his life for
Jesus’ sake will save it.” All who turn their back on the devil’s life plan for
them in this present age (which he rules in) will enjoy the privileges of a
full-orbed life in the future kingdom.
9:25. Discipleship in part entails profit in the context of the purpose for
which God designed mankind. A person can gain the whole world and yet
lose or forfeit himself, and thus ultimately not profit. He may not produce
anything of lasting value (or of sufficient quality) to save his life in the
sense of profit or loss. He may “lose” his life in the sense of not reaching
the highest purpose for which God created him, a crowning participation in
the future kingdom. The NKJV’s destroyed or lost unnecessarily renders
the original language to intimate eternal destruction or loss of salvation.
Eternal salvation depends solely on Jesus’ death on behalf of mankind
rather than on one’s personal sacrifice. His payment on the cross makes it
possible for God to give salvation as a gift to anyone who believes His
promise of eternal life (see John 3:16-18; 5:24-25; 11:25-27). Nevertheless,
some believers because of sin, negligence, or ignorance do not live up to
God’s highest purposes for them in their personal, family, work, spiritual, or
civic life. Life choices now impact future experience in the coming
kingdom. God’s love for believers will not change. They will keep their
eternal salvation. But, they will not qualify for the highest privileges God
will graciously grant to obedient believers unless they deny themselves,
take up their crosses, and follow Jesus (v 23).
9:26. Jesus’ description of “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words”
applies to those who do not meet the discipleship conditions delineated in
Luke 9:23. Jesus describes the assured fate of those who aim to gain this
present world rather than casting their lot with Jesus in the certain hope of
true life in the coming age: “of him the Son of Man will be ashamed.”
Instead of participating in the glorious recognition granted to those who
have lived as faithful followers of the Messiah—a glory reflective of Jesus
Himself, the Father, and the angels who did not rebel with Satan—the
unfaithful believer will feel shame before His Savior. Jesus here also reveals
a future advent separated from His first by an indeterminate amount of time.
Of utmost importance for this unit (9:7–13:22) the text here reveals the first
inkling of an interadvent age (later made explicit in 19:11-12).
9:27. As if to underscore the reality of the coming kingdom (and the
eternal value of following Him as disciples) Jesus promises, “some
standing here” a glimpse of “the kingdom of God.” All of those present
would die before the Advent of the kingdom—the future promised reign of
the Messiah. Some of their number would witness its reality before their
own deaths. (See Psalm 34 for numerous thematic associations with this
unit as well as the broader context of Luke.)
F. The Messiah Grants Three of His Apostles a Vision of the
Promised Future Kingdom (9:28-36)
9:28. The narrative unequivocally connects Jesus’ saying in v 27 with the
Transfiguration account that follows—thus fulfilling His words. Jesus and
the three “inner circle” disciples, Peter, John and James, ascend the
mountain to pray (cf. 6:12). These three apostles exemplified the kind of
believer who would save their lives for kingdom reward: Peter who
remained faithful after failure; James who died under unjust persecution for
his faith; and John who died of natural causes after a long life of
faithfulness to Christ.
9:29-30. While Jesus prayed, the Transfiguration showed a change of His
face. Also, His robe became white and glistening. These characteristics
serve as expressions of His glory (cf. v 32). Luke again uses behold to
signal that two men spoke to Jesus, namely, Moses and Elijah—arguably
the greatest of the old prophets (cf. v 7). These two OT figures had
preserved their lives for the future kingdom (cf. Heb 11:24-27; 28; 35a).
9:31. They also appeared in glory, although Jesus’ glory unquestionably
surpassed theirs. Together they spoke of His decease (literally, exodus).
The narrative now reveals the specific place of His death—Jerusalem, the
very city where He will later reign as the Davidic Messiah.
 9:32. Luke records that Peter and those with him had fallen asleep. Their
sleep (along with the next day reference in v 37) marks this as a nighttime
occurrence. Their sleep and waking may picture their death (v 27 only
promises that some of them will see the kingdom before they die—but all
would see death) and then their resurrection in time for the kingdom.
9:33. As Moses and Elijah part from Jesus, Peter exclaims, “Master (cf.
5:5; 8:24, 45; 9:49; 17:13), it is good for us to be here,” and suggests they
build “three tabernacles,” one each for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Quite
possibly this event took place during the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths,
rendering his suggestion plausible. Also possibly with the predictions of
Jesus’ death still in his mind (cf. 9:22), he surmised that perhaps they
should inaugurate the millennial kingdom at that time (and so preempt the
suffering). Whatever his motive, Peter spoke not knowing what he said.
Suffering before glory characterized the messianic predictions (cf. 1 Pet
1:3-12, esp. vv 10-12). Thus the fulfillment of the kingdom could not come
until Jesus’ passion, death, and resurrection (cf. Luke 9:22).
9:34-35. The Father then speaks (the second time in Luke’s narrative; cf.
3:21-22) in words reminiscent of Jesus’ baptism (which prefigured His
death) saying, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” The Savior’s death
would soon institute the New Covenant. So, they should look only to Him
(as Moses and Elijah undoubtedly did from their OT vantage point).
Although Jesus faces rejection and certain death, He still represents God’s
beloved Son (i.e., King). However, the kingdom would not come at that
time due to the nation’s disobedience (a theme Luke will shortly develop).
9:36. The voice…ceased and Peter, James, and John see Jesus only. The
disciples keep silent about their experience until the time after those days
(cf. 2 Pet 1:16-18).
G. The Messiah Reveals the Cause of the Interadvent Era (9:37–
43a)
9:37. On the next day they descend from the mountain and a great
multitude met Him. The kingdom scene on the Mount of Transfiguration
already included the notion of a delay before its manifestation (cf. vv 26-
27). Luke’s narrative now explores the cause of the interadvent period
before the establishment of the promised kingdom.
 9:38. The Transfiguration account (which concludes with God the Father
and Jesus, His beloved Son) is followed by an illustrative episode involving
a father and a son, his “only child,” seeking Jesus’ help. The story
illustrates the predicament of the chosen nation as God’s son (Exod 4:22
and Hos 11:1 designate the nation of Israel as God’s son).
9:39. The desperate father painted a detailed picture of his son’s problem.
This particular evil spirit came and went, departing “from him with great
difficulty, bruising him.”
9:40. The man had previously begged Jesus’ “disciples [apparently the
nine who stayed below during the Transfiguration night] to cast it out, but
they could not.” Their failure contrasts with their success on their official
mission recorded in vv 1-6, 10a. Also in keeping with the illustration, only
God Himself can ultimately heal the nation.
9:41. Jesus’ response reaches beyond the ineffective disciples to the nation
as a whole. He calls them a “faithless and perverse generation” and asks,
“How long shall I be with you and bear with you?” Even the disciples
qualified as children of their age—not even they had totally escaped the
characteristic unbelief of the nation. Jesus then orders, “Bring your son
here.”
9:42. Jesus summarily healed the child and gave him back to his father.
Again, in keeping with the illustration, the Messiah will give Israel to the
Father as a facet of His messianic work (cf. 1 Cor 15:24-28).
9:43a. Consequently all were amazed at the majesty of God. The
ensuing narrative will nonetheless return the disciples attention to the
Messiah’s passion—the necessary precedent to the kingdom glories.
H. The Messiah Continues to Prepare the Disciples for His
Passion (9:43b-50)
9:43b-44. Then, while they all marveled at what Jesus did, He Himself
addressed His disciples. His message concerns His impending death. Men
would soon deliver Jesus, “the Son of Man” over into “the hands of
men.” And those words should “sink down into their ears.”
9:45. Nevertheless, three factors hinder their reception of Jesus’ message:
(1) they did not understand; (2) it was hidden from them; and (3) they
were afraid to ask Him about it.
 9:46-47. In these perilous circumstances the disciples argued about which
of them would be greatest (ostensibly in the coming kingdom of God).
Jesus perceives the thought of their heart and sets up an object lesson—a
little child whom He places by Him (possibly to show an element of
commonality [perhaps their shared experience of rejection] and/or to
demonstrate His granting of status to the child by positioning him at His
side).
9:48. The Lord instructed, “Whoever receives this little child in My
name receives Me.” Their welcome of the child—at a proper level of
esteem—would mean they were receiving Him. Concurrently whoever
received Him also welcomed “Him who sent” Jesus, namely, God the
Father. They would not achieve greatness with a disposition that tended
toward superiority over others. Rather, “he who is least” among them “will
be great.” Children had the least social standing in their culture. By
identifying with the least, they would identify with the Messiah who also
welcomed the despised. They would need to learn this as the gospel spread
beyond Israel to places traditionally looked down on.
9:49. John chimes in with a statement designed to gain standing with
Jesus and/or to clarify the proper employment of Jesus’ name (cf. v 47).
Addressing Jesus as Master (perhaps complementing Peter’s erroneous
statement, cf. v 33), John reports, “we saw someone casting out demons in
Your name.” Other groups would rise up in the interadvent age—separate
but not inimical to them. Jesus’ name would bind them all together.
9:50. Jesus said to Him, “Do not forbid him, for he who is not against
us is on our side.” This statement might have particular relevance in light
of Jesus’ words in v 44 as the prospect of enemies grows. This subunit
(9:46-50) thus features two lessons relating to Jesus’ name: welcoming in
His name, and not forbidding those outside their immediate circle who
rightfully use His name.
I. The Messiah Begins His Journey to Jerusalem and Back to
Heaven (9:51-56)
9:51. The time had come for Him to be received up—an event which
chronologically goes beyond the Crucifixion and that therefore set the
perspective of His journey to a point beyond His death (cf. Heb 12:1-3).
The Transfiguration experience fortified Him for His future death in
Jerusalem (cf. the reference to Jesus’ face in Luke 9:29). The mention of
Jesus’ ascension fits with the thematic emphasis of the interadvent period in
this unit as Jesus will sit at the Father’s right hand during this time awaiting
His return to reign (cf. Ps 110:1; Acts 3:21).
9:52-53. Jesus, apparently in Galilee, sent messengers to prepare for Him.
The messengers entered a village of the Samaritans for this purpose.
Despite His loving intention the Samaritans did not receive Him—they had
their own rival center of worship on Mount Gerizim (cf. John 4:19-22) and
they sustained very strained relations with Jewish people.
9:54. Presumably James and John think Jesus might give them the ability
to “command fire to come down from heaven and consume them.” They
invoke Elijah for support because of the OT episode in which fire from
heaven killed fifty of the king of Samaria’s men—as a confirmation of his
authoritative revelation as a man of God (see 2 Kings 1:1-14), and possibly
because of their association with him on the Mount of Transfiguration (cf.
Luke 9:28-33, 34-36). Whereas judgment confirmed Elijah’s authority as
God’s messenger, love would validate theirs.
9:55-56. But Jesus turned and rebuked them for not knowing what kind
of disposition or spirit should characterize them. They had seen Jesus
consistently save people throughout His ministry and should have known
by now. Luke then transitions to another subunit: They went to another
village.
J. The Messiah Specifies the Sacrifices of Discipleship (9:57-62)
9:57-58. The unnamed person’s confident affirmation sets up a series of
deficient responses to the call to discipleship. Discipleship does count as the
way Jesus will save men’s lives in the sense of the ultimate fulfillment of
their purpose in God’s creation (cf. 9:23-26, 56)—not with reference to
their eternal salvation, a free gift to all who believe in Jesus (cf. John 3:16-
18). Jesus explains that “wherever you go” would include lack of creature
comforts that creatures themselves enjoyed.
9:59. In the previous example someone on the road initiated the exchange
with Jesus. This time Jesus invites another saying, “Follow Me.” This
person answered with a request to “first go and bury my father.” The
enigmatic request refers either to lingering until his father passed on (so he
could collect his inheritance—potentially the double portion of the
firstborn; cf. Gen 25:27-34; Deut 21:17); or to allow him to transfer the
bones of his father from a tomb to an ossuary after about a one-year period
of decomposition—a known custom of the day. In either case it represents a
culturally advantageous activity—gaining him either admiration on account
of his social propriety and/or actual financial gain. And in both cases it
involved a delay—either indefinite or within the constraints of about a year
(under the second option). (Under the inheritance interpretation the person
may have implied that he would finance himself with at least a portion of
the inheritance.)
9:60. This puzzling statement, “let the dead bury their own dead,” can
mean that the spiritually dead should bury other unbelievers who die. This
man receives a superlative commission: “preach the kingdom of God.”
The practical timeliness of the task at hand takes priority over an event,
which although highly significant, entails a contingency that could not
compete with the urgency of their work (especially in the context of the
road to Jerusalem where Messiah would die).
9:61-62. Another potential disciple wants to follow on the condition that
he “first go and bid…farewell” to those at his house. This man sincerely
wanted to follow Jesus on the road of discipleship. His request, however,
led Jesus to respond, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and
looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” Continuing in the task at
hand entailed usefulness in rather than entrance into God’s kingdom (which
comes by faith alone in Jesus, the Messiah). This man apparently wanted to
move forward with Jesus (by putting his hand to the plow) and at the same
time wanted to look back (at those he would leave behind at home). But
usability demands forward-looking plowing in which the worker keeps his
mind on the work at hand, and thus plows a straight furrow.
K. The Mission of the Seventy Looks Forward to the Interadvent
Gentile Harvest (10:1-24)
10:1. After detailing the rigors of discipleship, Jesus appointed seventy
others on a mission (cf. 9:1). Their number reflect the seventy nations in
Genesis 10 and looks forward to those dwelling in Jerusalem from every
nation under heaven (cf. Acts 2:5 and the broader context) on the Day of
Pentecost—the occasion of the commencement of the Church by the advent
and corporate indwelling of the Holy Spirit. These go to every city and
place He Himself would subsequently visit.
10:2. Jesus then tells them that “the harvest truly is great” and to “pray
to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers.” In Luke’s Gospel the
Twelve do not receive this same instruction (in Matthew they perhaps do as
part of a larger group of disciples; see Matt 10:37-38 “His disciples” and
10:1 “His twelve disciples”).
10:3. The lambs among wolves warning/comparison does not dissuade
Him from sending them on their mission.
10:4. God would provide all the resources needed for their mission (cf.
Luke 5:1-11). The sandals probably refer to another pair beyond their
normal footwear. Perhaps they indicate an additional encumbrance and/or
show that one pair would suffice for the length of their mission because of
God’s provisions (cf. Deut 8:4; 29:5, where God preserved the Israelites
shoes from wearing out). In addition they should not greet anyone on the
road. Perhaps the urgency of the times (as Jesus’ death approached) called
on them to avoid all distractions.
10:5-6. Jesus continues, “But whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this house.’” They could stay at any house where “a son of
peace” (a receptive person) resided. If a household would not welcome
their message, the blessing would then “return to” them.
10:7. Also, they should “remain in the same house, eating and
drinking” what they give them (cf. 5:33). Jesus validates their activity as
labor and affirms their right to remuneration for the laborer is worthy of
his wages. Nevertheless, they should “not go from house to house.” To do
so would call their motives into question. On the one hand, they could
conceivably insult their hosts by appearing to look for a better menu
somewhere else. On the other hand, they would potentially give the
impression of seeking to fleece as many hosts as possible before moving on
to another city or place.
10:8. Also they should “eat such things as are set before” them. This
instruction looks forward to the time when God would lift the kosher food
restrictions (cf. Acts 10:1-16).
10:9. Jesus’ final instruction with reference to the locales that would
welcome the seventy links miracles with their proclamation of “the
kingdom of God” (cf. 4:40, 43; 9:2). Their miracles would confirm them as
authentic bearers of the messianic message.
10:10. Conversely, if a city they enter does not receive them, they should
“go out into its streets” to proclaim another message (that yet includes the
kingdom proclamation). The mention of cities in this unit may also look
forward to Acts and the interadvent age.
10:11. Despite the strong proclamation against them (symbolizing
complete disassociation from that locale), the final message emphasizes
God’s mercy in sending messengers to them. They caused their own
rejection (cf. 9:53 for an example of non-receptivity). “‘The kingdom’”
probably came near through the message and miracles of the seventy (cf.
10:8). Their powerful witness validated their message.
10:12. Jesus then describes in comparative degree the consequence for any
city that rejected the ministry of the seventy. Significantly Jesus already
knows the outcome of that future judgment.
10:13. Jesus then proclaims a woe on two Galilean cities that rejected His
past ministry: “Chorazin and Bethsaida” (cf. Matt 11:21; Heb 9:13). Jesus
had done most of His works in these cities (cf. Matt 11:20-24).
10:14. God will judge them according to the degree of revelation they had
received. Greater revelation—not acted on—would receive commensurate
judgment.
10:15. Jesus then details the judgment of Capernaum. Capernaum
probably deserved this special underscoring because of Jesus’ using the city
as His “headquarters” of sorts. It counted as one of the cities in which He
did many works (cf. Matt 7:1-10). Also, the Gentile centurion with greater
faith than any in Israel lived in Capernaum.
10:16. The seventy would serve as full representatives of Jesus. Ultimately,
rejecting the seventy amounted to a rejection of Jesus and so of the Father
also. (See 9:48 for a similar chain of acceptance in regard to Jesus and the
Father.)
10:17. Jesus’ powerful Name subjected Satan’s emissaries to “the
seventy” without the necessity of His physical presence with them. This
surpasses the experience of the nine left below during the Transfiguration
(cf. 9:37-43).
10:18. Jesus’ statement here relates the demons’ defeat at that time—
through the ministry of the seventy—to the future fall of Satan when he
will be cast out of heaven (Rev 12:9-10). Similarly Capernaum’s present
rejection will have repercussions in the future judgment.
10:19. Jesus grants authority to the seventy after they return from their
mission. In their ensuing endeavors (apparently they still had more places to
visit) they would overcome all natural and spiritual opposition so that
nothing would “by any means hurt” them. Significantly, an apparent
allusion to Ps 91:13—the psalm deviously and sacrilegiously used by the
devil in the third temptation—appears in this promise. Ironically the devil
offered Jesus authority during the desert temptation. However, without
accepting the diabolical exchange (cf. Luke 4:5-8), Jesus could both grant
authority to others (i.e. the seventy) and protect them from all evil.
10:20. The Lord gives them an additional instruction which places their
rejoicing in context and gives them a standard. He gives them a more
significant reality to rejoice over. The command to rejoice over this implies
their permanent status as citizens of heaven—the same place from which
Satan would fall (cf. v 18).
10:21. The Lord Jesus responded to the Spirit-empowered success of the
seventy, and so in that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit with gratitude to
God the Father. The association with the Holy Spirit also sustains
associations with the future kingdom. In the context of the nation’s proud
rejection of Him, He can rejoice at the trusting childlike response of some.
Jesus’ joyful expression of gratitude to the Father displays His unique
relationship with Him.
10:22. In the light of their victory over the enemy, Jesus assured His
disciples, “All things have been delivered to Me by My Father.” This
truth provides a thematic link to the second temptation as Jesus does not
need anything Satan can offer because the Father delivered all things to
Him (cf. 4:5-8). Furthermore, He enjoyed an intimate, unique, and
reciprocal relationship with “the Father” as reflected in His affirmation
(“no one knows who the Son of Man is except the Father, and who the
Father is except the Son”) as well as the exclusive prerogative to reveal
the Father to others.
10:23. Jesus privately affirms the disciples, assuring them that they
belong to the category of trusting babes (cf. v 21). They saw the works and
heard the words that reveal the Father (when they welcomed what Jesus had
done and said). The addition of privately here may signal the presence of a
broader audience.
10:24. The Lord here probably speaks of OT saints who longed for a
clearer picture of messianic prophecies (cf. 1 Pet 1:3-12, which nevertheless
does not mention kings). As participants and witnesses of God’s visitation,
they saw what others only “desired to see and hear” but did not.
L. The Messiah Instructs a Representative of His Era (10:25-37)
10:25. A certain lawyer, an expert in the OT law, stood up and tested
Jesus. The lawyer comes with suspect motives and presumes on his own
correctness and righteousness.
10:26. Jesus directs him back to the OT Law and asks, “What is written
in the law?” This question further places Jesus in the authoritative role of
Teacher using the lawyer’s term of address.
10:27. The lawyer responds with an impeccable textbook answer citing
both Deut 6:5 and Lev 19:18. The emphasis on heart, soul, and mind point
to the inner motivations for loving God in contrast to superficial legalism.
10:28. As the Teacher par excellence Jesus answers in kind—reflecting the
lawyer’s self-confidence in his own righteousness—but unequivocally
cognizant of the Law’s inability to save anyone from eternal condemnation
(cf. 2 Cor 3:4-18; Gal 2:16; 3:10-12, 21b).
10:29. The man nevertheless seeks to justify himself, and he asks Jesus,
“who is my neighbor?” The lawyer focuses on the second half of his own
response. Perhaps he defines neighbor as his fellow Jewish countryman and
perceives himself as a sterling example of obedience to this portion of the
Law. Ironically his question ends up not justifying him.
10:30. Jesus answered with a parable that reveals the lawyer’s mistaken
perspectives and lack of justification on any level. The mention of both
Jerusalem and Jericho connects this narrative to the conclusion of Jesus’
own opposite journey from Jericho to Jerusalem (see 18:35–19:47a).
10:31. As the parable proceeds, “by chance” another person appears—a
passerby “priest came down that road.” After seeing the torn traveler, this
priest “passed by on the other side.” This person charged with teaching
the OT Law did not love his neighbor (cf. Mal 2:1-9).
10:32. Then another religious figure connected to Jerusalem and its
worship, “a Levite” (cf. Acts 4:36; John 1:19), “passed by” and mirrored
the disposition and action of the priest. The Levites aided the priests in
special service initially with the movable tabernacle and then later the
temple (cf. Num 8:5-26; 18:1-7). Two contemporary religious figures tied
intimately to the Law and the temple failed to reflect God’s highest
purposes—love for the Lord and for others.
10:33. “But a certain Samaritan” (commonly despised by the Jewish
people of the day because of their mixed heritage), “as he journeyed saw”
the man and “had compassion.”
10:34. Jesus details the many expressions of love and compassion shown
to the traveler by the Samaritan. This contrasts with the curt and loveless
avoidance of the priest and the Levite. The beat-up man contributes nothing
to his deliverance and recovery—he pictures a completely passive recipient
of all the help given him by both the Samaritan and the innkeeper.
10:35. The Samaritan had to continue on his journey “on the next day.”
So he paid “two denarii” (the equivalent of two days of wages) “to the
innkeeper” and left instructions for the man’s continued care.
10:36. Now Jesus has a second question for the lawyer (see 10:26).
Ironically, although the lawyer had initiated the conversation desiring to test
Jesus, now he himself stood subject to questions about the Law.
10:37. The man answered correctly, selecting the Samaritan, that is, “He
who showed mercy on him.” Jesus then exhorted the man to “go and do
likewise.” The master Teacher’s question placed the lawyer in an active
role as neighbor (as opposed to the passive and selective perspective which
colored his question). Jesus’ answer set this lawyer on the journey from
representing one of the wise and prudent (v 21) to having the disposition of
a babe (v 21) who through faith in Jesus would possess eternal life and
receive a recompense from Him as well. (See James 2 for an explanation of
how the Royal Law applies to NT believers.)
M. Two Women Help Illustrate the Preferred Posture for the
Interadvent Age (10:38-42)
10:38. Jesus’ move to a certain village signals a transition to another
subunit (cf. the similar 9:56b). Martha appears here in the narrative for the
first time. The narrative does not mention the disciples and so focuses the
attention on Jesus (cf. 9:36a).
 10:39. Martha’s sister Mary exemplifies the posture of the interadvent
believer: at Jesus’ feet (signaling worship) and listening to Him (indicating
her disposition to do what He says).
10:40. Martha—distracted with much serving—appealed to Jesus’
compassion and justice. She asks Him to tell her sister to help. Martha
wanted Mary’s actions to mirror her own.
10:41. Jesus suggests the opposite. Addressing her twice, He describes her
as “worried and troubled about many things.”
10:42. In contrast to the many things on Martha’s mind, Jesus assured her,
only “one thing is needed.” Perhaps to her surprise, Jesus sets up her sister
as an example to follow. He explains, Mary perfectly reflects the Father’s
instruction at the Mount of Transfiguration: “This is My Beloved Son” (sit
down at His feet in recognition of His kingship), “Listen to Him” (hear His
Word).
N. The Messiah Teaches His Disciples the Model Prayer (11:1-13)
11:1. The narrative transitions from listening to Jesus (cf. 10:38-42) to
speaking to God the Father. Jesus prayed in a certain place. When He
ceased, an unnamed disciple said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The
mention of John and “his disciples” couches the prayer that follows in the
context of discipleship.
11:2. The Lord responded to the request with instructions that fit the
interadvent period — from the church age to the Seventieth Week of Daniel
(when the petitions would reach their utmost relevancy). The initial words
establish a familial connection with God (“our Father”) and a correlative
boundary of holiness and reverence (“in heaven”). The three expressions
that follow serve as a prelude to the requests that ensue (vv 3-4) by first
establishing the posture of the disciple before God.
The first expresses the desire for universal esteem of the Father’s name,
and thus His person.
The second expression conveys a longing for God’s promised kingdom
rule to appear—the very kingdom rejected by the nation.
The final facet—“Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven”—will
see ultimate realization in the future kingdom.
11:3. The prayer then transitions to the first personal petition: “Give us
day by day our daily bread.” The first temptation (4:3-4) already taught
that God will righteously supply sustenance without one having to succumb
to Satan’s enticements. The request appears in the plural—not as the
petition of an individual.
11:4. The next petition reminds the disciple of the fallibility that still forms
part of their experience. The petition refers to the fellowship of the disciple
with God (“forgive us our sins”) and their forgiveness of others (“we also
forgive everyone”). It refers to a life-long reality (the need for forgiveness
daily) and conditions the disciple’s fellowship forgiveness on their
pardoning of others. In contrast, eternal forgiveness (forensic forgiveness)
comes once and for all on the basis of faith alone in the Savior (cf. John
3:16-18; Rom 4:1-8; Eph 1:7).
The disciple seeks protection from falling into sin at all. This does not in
any way charge God with enticing anyone to sin—the devil’s endeavor (cf.
James 1:12-14). Rather, it petitions God to not place the disciple(s) in the
context of temptation or testing (where the devil could potentially gain an
advantage) and asks for the corresponding benefit of deliverance from the
devil—a disciple’s fallen angelic adversary.
11:5. Jesus then tells a motivational story aimed at encouraging His
disciples to petition God boldly—despite circumstances that would usually
render a positive answer unlikely. His story begins with the interaction
between two friends at an uncomfortable hour (“midnight”)and moment of
need.
11:6. The narrative then reveals the occasion of the request. The circle of
characters now moves to three friends—two of which lack resources (a
traveler, and a host who appeals to the other friend on the sojourner’s
behalf).
11:7. Jesus then presents the initial negative response from the friend who
receives the midnight petition: “‘I cannot rise and give to you.’”
11:8. The story climaxes with the key that surpasses their bond of
friendship and achieves the desired response. Jesus affirms, “because of his
persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” Friendship
lies at the basis of the request, but boldness underlies the positive response.
The word translated persistence by the NKJV (anaideian) more precisely
signifies boldness or shamelessness. The teaching therefore highlights
boldness rather than repetition (cf. Heb 4:16 for a similar thought).
 11:9. The Lord follows up the principle with a threefold invitation to
prayer that underscores cause and effect: “Ask, and it will be given to you;
seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” The friend
in the parable would not have received what he needed had he not boldly
petitioned his friend. The same disposition should characterize the disciples
when they pray.
11:10. The Lord then further motivates the disciples by assuring them of a
positive response from the Father: “For everyone who asks receives, and
he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. ”
11:11-12. Jesus appeals here to the fathers in the listening audience—“any
father among you”—by comparing a beneficial provision given in
response to a child’s request with a harmful alternative (each connected
with the wilderness). The fathers in the audience intuitively understand the
expected answer to the Lord’s questions. Every caring father would provide
his child with the beneficial provision asked for.
11:13. The Lord closes the motivational illustration with an argument from
the lesser to the greater. If fallen human fathers naturally give their children
“good gifts,” God the Father will surely provide “the Holy Spirit” to those
who petition Him. Belief in Jesus as Savior constitutes the only condition
for receiving the Spirit in the present church age as shown at the home of
Cornelius (cf. Acts 10:43-48; 15:7-11; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 12:12-13). The
reference here however probably pertains to Israel on a national scale—they
would ask the Father for the Holy Spirit by their belief in Messiah and
repentance (cf. Acts 2:38-39, 40-41). The following context shows why
Israel did not experience this blessing on a national scale in the first century.
O. The Messiah Shows the Cause for the Interadvent Age (11:14-
26)
11:14. The narrative transitions to a story of exorcism. At one level this
narrative connects to the previous subunit (vv 9-13) by the reference to the
Holy Spirit (v 13) who empowered the Messiah for His ministry (cf. 3:21-
22; 11:20-23; 12:10-12). The condition of the man reflects the identifying
characteristic of the demon. Thus when the demon had gone out…the
mute spoke. The deliverance occasions three representative responses of
the divided nation: some marvel (v 14), some blasphemously accuse (v 15),
others test Him by seeking a sign from heaven (v 16).
 11:15. Some of those who witnessed the deliverance of the mute man
blasphemously accused Jesus, asserting, “He casts out demons by
Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.” This blasphemous accusation
perceives Jesus as a mere human figure in league with mankind’s worse
enemy. It reveals the depth of the nation’s rejection of Messiah—reckoning
Him as the complete opposite of His holy identity. Luke does not relate this
accusation to the unforgivable sin as the other Synoptics do (Matt 12:22-30;
Mark 3:20-27).
11:16. The most grievous level of rejection leads to the presentation of
another characteristic response of the nation: testing Him. The authoritative
and beneficial casting out of the demon serves as a foil to show up the
hardness of heart of those who sought…a sign in spite of having just
witnessed Jesus’ power.
11:17. The Lord then pinpoints another facet of the nation’s falling short of
seeing the arrival of the promised kingdom—division within (“a house
divided”). Interestingly Luke records the unpardonable sin not here but later
(12:10). The Lord’s words here may thus reflect the political and religious
division of the nation—one of the human causes of the war of AD 66-70
leading to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
11:18. Jesus asks them a question that shows the irrationality of their
blasphemous suggestion. Why would Satan fight “against himself?” He
asks this on account of their sinful accusation—“because you say I cast
out demons by Beelzebub.”
11:19. Jesus’ next question forces the blasphemous accusers to face the
fact of His messianic identity. By condemning their sons, they would in the
same breath condemn themselves as their teachers. The alternative—to
affirm that Jesus cast out demons by the power of God—leads to the
conclusion they rejected: the messiahship of Jesus. Consequently, Jesus
affirms, “therefore they will be your judges.”
11:20. The Lord completes the impeccable syllogism for them, saying,
“surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.” They could not deny
God’s power working through Jesus’ ministry and signaling the nearness of
God’s kingdom.
11:21-22. The strong man could then refer to Annas, the unofficial yet
influential leader of the nation’s religion who lived in a palace and
commanded his own guard (cf. 3:2; 22:52; Acts 4:5-6). If so, the stronger
man could refer to Titus and the conquest of AD 70 when the Romans
actually destroyed the temple and took its treasures away to Rome (as
depicted on the Arch of Titus in Rome, Italy).
11:23. As a result of the leaders’ rejection of Jesus the Messiah—and their
refusal to gather their fellow Israelites (the sheep of His pasture) to Him—
they would conversely contribute to their scattering (one of the realities of
the Roman conquest in AD 70).
11:24. The actions of the “unclean spirit” may then reflect the story of the
nation and its largely unbelieving religious leadership.
11:25-26. The ministry of Jesus (and the complementary witness of the
Twelve and the early church) would have essentially cleansed the nation of
demonic habitation. This may account for the parallel condition of the
house (i.e. Israel) when the unclean spirit returns. When the demon finds
the house “swept and put in order,” he sets out to worsen the original
situation. The condition of the nation would parallel the experience of the
man as a result of their rejection of Jesus. They would end up worse —at
least for a time— with their rejection of Jesus and consequent destruction in
AD 70.
P. The Messiah Pinpoints the Fundamental Problem of the Nation
(11:27-28)
11:27-28. While Jesus spoke these things (vv 17-26), a certain woman
addressed Him with a blessing. Her words affirm Jesus on the basis of the
blessedness of His earthly mother (Mary). But admiration does not replace
obedience.
The appearance of this short narrative between vv 14-26 and vv 29-54
serves to highlight the fundamental disobedience of the nation under its
unbelieving and legalistic religious leaders.
Q. The Messiah Teaches Publicly to the Growing Multitudes
(11:29-36)
11:29. Luke’s description of the crowds reflects the national scope of
Jesus’ words. Although Jesus had worked many miracles, the sign here
contextually probably refers to Jesus’ preaching to that first century
generation of the Jewish nation who witnessed God’s visitation and did not
believe (cf. Matt 12:38-42; Mark 8:11-13). The references to the wisdom of
Solomon (v 31) and the preaching (kerugma or proclamation) of Jonah (v
32) both refer to something one hears and point to this as the sign.
11:30. Jesus then gives a rationale for His statement. Generation here
identifies Jesus’ Jewish contemporaries who witnessed His ministry and
which from the perspective of the nation as a whole sought a sign.
11:31. Response to a Davidic king (son of God; cf. 2 Sam 7:1-17, esp. v
14) in the past by the Gentile “queen of the South” also served to
underscore the unbelief of the nation (and perhaps anticipates the positive
Gentile response to Jesus?). Jesus’ contemporary generation did not listen
to Him despite His geographical proximity and surpassingly greater wisdom
and Person.
11:32. Jesus describes how “the men of Nineveh will rise up in the
judgment” with that contemporary generation “and condemn it.” Whereas
they “repented at the preaching of Jonah,” the nation rejected Jesus, “a
greater than Jonah.” Fittingly, Jesus knows details of the final judgment
related to that generation as an entity or whole (no doubt exempting the
remnant that did believe in Him).
11:33. After establishing the culpability of the nation in light of two OT
examples Jesus illustrates the fundamental problem of the nation—their
response to the truth. The leaders have both made it inaccessible (“in a
secret place”) and hidden it (“under a basket”). This illustration sets up
the events and exclamations at the Pharisee’s house when Jesus, Himself
“the light,” attends a dinner in response to an invitation (vv 37-54).
11:34. Jesus then explains the dynamic behind the handling of the light
described in v 33. Their perception of and response to God’s truth will
affect the “whole body” positively or adversely. The nation’s religious
leaders fell into the category of those whose “eye is bad.”
11:35. Jesus then warns the crowd about their interpretation and
application of the truth. If they utilized the OT light (i.e., knowledge) as a
platform for legalism, self-righteousness, covetousness, and prideful
comparison with others (as their leaders did), then that good light would
ironically produce darkness for them (because of their bad response).
11:36. Jesus concludes, when the individual “is full of light” (through a
proper perception of and response to the truth), then their whole
person/personality will shine with the effects of God’s truth.
 R. The Messiah Dines with Pharisees and Lawyers (11:37-54)
11:37. The introduction of a certain Pharisee illustrates Jesus’ teaching
about light and darkness. The Pharisee invites Jesus to dine with him. Jesus
responds affirmatively to every request or invitation in the Gospel, so He
went in and sat down to eat.
11:38. The Pharisee’s response already indicates that his knowledge (or
light) has eventuated in darkness. Rather than focusing on the privilege and
opportunity of having Jesus as a guest, he notes a ceremonial infraction
(one that is not in the OT). Jesus will now give light—sound teaching—to
all who enter that house.
11:39. Jesus uses both the occasion of eating together, the ceremonial
customs of the day, and the pharisaic emphasis on external sanctity over
internal purity to teach His host a lesson. The Pharisees overemphasized
externals (“the outside of the cup”) but neglected the weightier inner
dispositions and actions God desired.
11:40. The Lord rebukes them—calling them “foolish ones”—for not
recognizing that the God they believe they honor by observing the external
rules of purity also made their inner person. To truly honor Him would
require a comprehensive obedience that cared for the inside disposition and
motivations as well.
11:41. The solution to both inner and outer cleanliness lies in the giving of
alms. Jesus points to the intimate connection between one’s possessions and
his inner life. If they do this, He affirms, “all things are clean to you.” An
inner disposition that gives to the needy (as opposed to holding on to
material possessions) cleanses the inward motives and affects the outward
sphere also (through provision to others). Once they give alms various
results ensue: They let go of the thing(s) they covet; they actually exercise
charity; they focus on others and not on themselves; and most importantly,
they do what God wants them to do.
11:42. Jesus then utters a series of three woes directed at the Pharisees,
each of which displays the opposite of a benevolent disposition toward
others. The first woe focused on their meticulous tithing of “mint, rue, and
all manner of herbs” at the expense of passing by “justice and the love of
God.” Justice and love refer to the righteous and loving treatment of others
in conformity to God’s character. Because Jesus as well as His audience
lived under the Law, these Pharisees properly had to tithe (cf. Gal 4:4-6).
The problem did not lie in their external tithing but rather in their blind
neglect of God, whom they presumed to please. The OT Law always
emphasized the lovingkindness and social concern that ought to
characterize God’s people.
11:43. The second woe focuses on the Pharisees’ penchant for the
prominent display of themselves and for public recognition. They thrived
on self-centeredness both “in the synagogues” and “in the marketplace.”
This attitude further alienated them from God and from those who needed
their aid.
11:44. The third woe adds the scribes to the already-mentioned Pharisees.
Jesus describes both as hypocrites—their outer and inner lives did not
match. He compared them to “graves which are not seen.” People did not
always take cognizance of their hidden uncleanness.
11:45. On hearing this one of the lawyers saw the applicability of Jesus’
words to them. The lawyers refers to scholarly students of the Mosaic law
and its proper application. Luke associates them closely with the Pharisees.
Luke elsewhere associates them closely with the Pharisees (cf. 7:30; 14:3).
11:46. The lawyer’s complaint helps transition to Jesus’ woe against them.
Their legal prescriptions for people went far beyond the OT commandments
so that they loaded men “with burdens hard to bear.” Ironically they
negated the very Law they studied and contributed to moving people further
away from God and His will.
11:47. The second woe of three against the lawyers rebukes them for
building “the tombs of the prophets,” as an extension of the fact that their
“fathers killed them.” At first glance this seems as if they receive a rebuke
for doing a good deed. However, Jesus’ words indicate a connection
between them and their ancestors.
11:48. Jesus reveals how these lawyers actually “bear witness” that they
“approve the deeds of” their forebears. On the one hand these killed them
but they built their tombs. Whereas outwardly the monuments might appear
as a noble endeavor, they actually memorialized their ignoble relationship
to their murderous forefathers.
11:49. Jesus then explains that because of this “the wisdom of God also
said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles’” (a reference to the NT
prophets and apostles that served as a foundation for the church; cf. Eph
4:11). Furthermore “‘some of them’” they would “‘kill and persecute.’”
Their killing and persecution would show the link between the forefathers
that killed the OT prophets and their contemporary descendants.
11:50. The sending of these new prophets and apostles would serve this
purpose: “That the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the
foundation of the world may be required of this generation” (i.e., Jesus’
contemporaries). The persecution of the prophets and apostles would
establish the link between the disobedient leaders of the nation under the
Old Covenant and the leaders of the nation during the transitional era to the
interadvent age. The ensuing destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 would set a
seal over that epoch and serve to look toward the future coming of Messiah.
11:51. Jesus then specifies the line of persecution as commencing with
“the blood of Abel” (cf. Gen 4:1-15; Heb 12:24) and concluding with “the
blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple.”
Matthew refers to a Zechariah, son of Berechiah, killed between the temple
and the altar (cf. Matt 23:34-35), followed by a pronouncement of judgment
on that generation—ostensibly referring to the destruction of Jerusalem in
AD 70 (cf. Matt 23:36-39). Jesus’ words may mean that the future
persecution of NT prophets and apostles (v 49) by these religious leaders
would link them to their murderous forefathers whose transgressions span
from Genesis, the first book of the Hebrew Scriptures, to the last, 2
Chronicles (cf. 2 Chron 24:17-22 which records the murder of a Zechariah
son of Jehoiada in the temple court). Some see a reference to the known but
unrecorded death of the OT prophet Zechariah (cf. Zech 1:1).
11:52. The lawyers then receive their third and climactic woe for having
“taken away the key of knowledge.” This key underscores the fact that
people must believe correct information in order to receive eternal life and
enjoy a true relationship with God (cf. John 3:16-18; 20:30-31). These
lawyers both disbelieved the truth and placed obstacles before those seeking
to enter the kingdom.
11:53. The religious leaders respond negatively to Jesus’ words—they
began to assail Him vehemently. They also began to cross-examine Him
about many things.
11:54. The scribes’ and Pharisees’ response to Jesus’ teaching vindicates
everything He has said about them and serves to foreshadow harder times
ahead. Rather than listening to His teaching, they sought to catch Him in
something He might say, that they might accuse Him.
S. The Messiah Addresses the Multitudes About the Contemporary
Religious Leaders (12:1–13:9)
12:1. The pharisaic hostility narrated in 11:53-54 sets the thematic
background for Jesus’ warning. The “innumerable multitude” reflects the
significance of His message—it merited wide exposure and reflected a
national scope. Jesus focused on His disciples first. “Leaven”—symbolic
of spreading evil—could influence the disciples themselves. They should
therefore guard themselves against the destructive disposition “of the
Pharisees.”
12:2. Hidden motives and true character will one day come to light. This
could refer to a revelation further on in the course of human events and/or at
the future judgment. Jesus had in fact just revealed the Pharisees’
hypocrisy.
12:3. Jesus then gives His disciples (and the listening crowds) a practical
application. Darkness ultimately will not cloak evil words. Secret speech
will become public.
12:4. The discourse then turned to those who felt threatened by pharisaic
power and pressured to conform to their ways. Jesus communicated His
compassionate stance by addressing His audience as “My friends,” and
assuring them they need not fear men.
12:5. Jesus then directs their fear in the proper direction. God the Father
retains ultimate authority over life and over hell. This verse thus dispels the
popular myth that the devil has charge of hell. The admonition has diverse
applications to the listening audience. The disciples who had believed in
Jesus need not fear hell (lit. Gehenna). They should lovingly respect the
Father and stand in awe of Him (rather than of the Pharisees). On the other
hand, any unbelievers in the crowd had reason to fear future condemnation.
The phrase “after He has killed” may point to the temporal judgments of
AD 66-70.
12:6. Jesus then poses a question designed to encourage the disciples and
highlight God’s concern for them. If God shows concern for one sparrow,
despite the negligible cost of five, He surely shows greater care for highly
valuable disciples/friends.
 12:7. Jesus highlights the Father’s tender concern for each person. As a
logical consequence they should “not fear, for they are of more value
than many sparrows.” The reassurance from Jesus would serve to comfort
the disciples as they went on their mission in a hostile context.
12:8. To confess Jesus “before men” means to acknowledge Him openly
—especially in hostile contexts. The believer who does this can expect open
praise and recognition at the future judgment of the believer. The confession
here does not constitute a condition for eternal salvation. Further, it does not
necessarily refer to a one-time public recognition of Jesus. Belief alone in
Jesus results in eternal life and always happens secretly in the heart whether
one openly confesses it or not (cf. John 12:42-43; Rom 10:10a).
12:9. The believer who does not publicly confess Christ before men will
not receive the commensurate recognition before God’s angels. This denial
does not affect the secure gift of eternal life which a believer possesses from
the very instant in which he or she believes (see John 5:24-25). It does
nevertheless represent loss of eternal rewards. (See discussion at 2 Tim
2:11-13.)
12:10. In this context Jesus instructs His disciples about two kinds of
negative responses to Him. First, “anyone who speaks a word against the
Son of Man,” probably pertains to those who initially respond negatively to
Him on the mere basis of His humanity. This saying does not promise a
blanket forgiveness for all irrespective of belief. Rather, it delimits those for
whom forgiveness still exists as a possibility.
Second, others recognized the Spirit-empowered miracles that testify of
Jesus’ identity as the Messiah and yet harden their hearts against Him (e.g.,
John 9:24-31). “Him who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit” represents
those unbelievers who intuitively understood God’s handiwork or
“fingerprints” in the ministry of Jesus and the early church and yet verbally
denied Him.
12:11. The friends of Jesus would suffer persecution when openly
identifying themselves as His followers. Consequently Jesus says, “do not
worry about…what you should say.”
This verse does not correspond to or provide a method for sermon
preparation. The Lord Jesus here speaks of provisions for the disciples in
the context of persecution.
 12:12. Jesus then provides the rationale undergirding His command to not
worry. Whereas Jesus’ enemies would blaspheme the Spirit, conversely,
His friends would experience His timely and empowering ministry.
12:13-14. Someone from the crowd recognizes Jesus’ surpassing wisdom
and asks Him to intervene in a personal concern. The man’s question helps
to pinpoint the nation’s problem—division between fellow Jewish brothers
—and to clarify Jesus’ identity. Jesus responds, “Man, who made Me a
judge or an arbitrator over you?” The question both denies the man’s
request and forces him to think about the source of Jesus’ authority. His
question draws attention to two of the underlying problems of the nation:
misunderstanding of Jesus’ identity, and covetousness.
12:15. Jesus seizes the opportunity to warn the brothers against
covetousness and to instruct them on where they can find true life. People
should guard themselves against an undue emphasis on the acquisition of
material possessions. He follows the warning with an instructive rationale:
“for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he
possesses.” Thus Jesus warns, instructs, and arouses curiosity both as to the
meaning of life and as to Himself.
12:16. Jesus apparently addresses the brothers themselves as He spoke a
parable to them. An already “rich man” receives a bountiful supply from
his field, which “yielded plentifully.”
12:17. The rich man then ponders what to do with this supply. The
revealing of his inner dialogue reflects God’s omniscience and explores the
attitudinal root of covetousness.
12:18. He decides to hoard his abundant goods. Thus far, his every action
points back to himself.
12:19. After hoarding his possessions he plans to address his soul. The
man makes his future plans on the basis of a mistaken premise. He counted
on his possessions and longevity. He concluded, “‘take your ease; eat,
drink, and be merry.’”
12:20. The parable takes a shocking turn as God, Himself verbally shakes
the man into reality by saying, “‘Fool! This night your soul will be
required of you.’” God’s question strikes at the heart of the conflict
introduced by the man in the crowd (v 13). He cared little about God and
concerned himself with material possessions.
 12:21. Jesus then completes the illustration. “So is he who lays up
treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” Because God would
require the man’s life that very night, he had no time to enjoy his self-
centered pursuits.
12:22. Building on the parable, Jesus turned his attention back to His
disciples and explained how to qualify as rich toward God (unlike the
foolish man in the story). Jesus simply instructs, “do not worry.” The wise
person trusts God and puts away anxiety in relation to the necessities of life
—food for sustenance and clothing for protection.
12:23. The Lord does not deny the significance of life’s necessities.
Rather, He goes beyond the simple reality and assures that life is more than
food, and the body is more than clothing. Thus He both affirms spiritual
truth and arouses curiosity as to what more life consists of.
12:24. Jesus then undergirds His instruction with two illustrations. He
invited His disciples to “consider the ravens.” In contrast to the fool in the
parable, the ravens did not “sow nor reap”—they did not carry out any of
the expected activity for their daily provision. Further, they had no
“storehouse or barn” to provide for their future need. Yet Jesus affirms
that “God feeds them.” He then calls on them to consider their own worth
in comparison to “the birds.” If God provides for the lesser ravens, He will
certainly provide for the greater disciples. And He will provide for both the
present and the future.
12:25-26. Jesus then highlights the pointlessness of worrying. Everyone
who considered Jesus’ question even superficially would readily know the
answer. Having explicitly commanded them not to worry, Jesus then
underscores its futility. Not only should they not worry, anxious thinking
does not accomplish anything.
12:27. The second illustration focuses on clothing. Jesus tells His disciples
to “consider the lilies, how they grow.” These flowers do not “toil nor
spin.” Yet their array exceeds the fine clothing available to wise and rich
“Solomon in all his glory.” The mention of Solomon fits the wisdom
emphasis of Jesus’ parable (vv 16-21) as well as the previous Solomonic
comparison (cf. 11:31).
12:28. This illustration, like the previous one, hinges on the issue of
comparative worth. If “God so clothes the grass,” He will do much more
for the disciples. Jesus then makes explicit the implicit issue underlying the
instruction by addressing them as “you of little faith.” Trust in God
undergirds the proper relationship to material possessions as well as the
possibility of living in a spiritually rich way.
12:29-30. A similar admonition and encouragement follows which
underscores the status of the disciples in contrast to the unbelieving world.
The repetition shows the significance of these concerns in relation to the
spiritual life. Jesus undergirds His command (“do not seek”) with a
rationale based on their relationship with God: “the nations of the world
(who do not trust God) seek after those things.”
12:31. A positive command follows the negative one. Jesus encourages a
better course of action. If they “seek the kingdom of God,” then “all these
things (i.e., the very things the nations seek independently of God) will be
added” to them.
12:32. Jesus tells His followers not to fear and tenderly refers to them as
His “little flock.” Fear and faith cannot coexist. The disciples should
entrust their present and future welfare to their loving Shepherd knowing
that it pleased God the Father “to give them the kingdom.”
12:33. The disciples can show their lack of fear (and trust in God) by
following the directive: “Sell what you have and give alms.” By doing
this they would invest in the future kingdom by providing eternal “money
bags” for themselves. Their giving on earth would accrue “treasure in the
heavens” to create an absolutely sure investment. No human thief could
steal it from them, and no earthly pest like a moth could destroy it. The
Lord’s instruction contrasts with the behavior and disposition of the rich
fool in the parable. It also addresses the attitude of the nation as a whole.
12:34. By seeing their material possessions in terms of heaven, the
disciples would keep their sights on God, others, and the future kingdom
(where they would receive recompense). The disciples could avoid worry
and distraction by placing their treasure in the heavens far above the
temporal dangers that could diminish or destroy them. Further, because they
would receive these treasures back, in a manner of speaking, in connection
with the future kingdom (see vv 31-32), they could focus now on the proper
pursuit of that kingdom yet to come.
12:35. Preparedness and activity should mark the interadvent-age disciples
as they expectantly await the return of the Messiah. Inhabitants in Bible
lands would have to take up the bottom of their garments and tuck them into
their belt to facilitate movement in certain kinds of work. This kind of
preparation would indicate readiness for action. The lit lamps indicate
visibility provided for nighttime activity, especially during the interim night
of the present age.
12:36. The disciples should also maintain a sense of expectancy. Jesus’
words presuppose His return to heaven (cf. 9:26) and entail instructions for
the interim. They should “wait for their master, when he will return.”
Working and watching disciples can thus welcome the returning Master
immediately.
12:37. The disciples’ preparedness and activity will result in an
unexpected blessing. Jesus “will come and serve them,” rewarding their
service with His own! The use of assuredly (amēn, see also 4:24; 12:37,
44; 18:17, 29; 21:32; 23:43; 24:53) highlights the saying.
12:38. Jesus retains the nighttime imagery (cf. lamps in v 35) and then
speaks to them in terms of the night watches. The saying encourages
faithful expectancy of the Master’s arrival, whether early or late and implies
an interim—either shorter or longer—before His return.
12:39. The illustration shifts from the servants of a household to “the
master of the house” and a retrospective look at a household robbery. In
hindsight, if he “had known what hour the thief would come,” he would
have taken measures to prevent the loss. For the householder in the
illustration the time of preparedness and watchfulness had come and gone.
The recipients of the Lord’s teaching still had the opportunity to take heed
and prepare accordingly.
12:40. Jesus then emphasizes the readiness that should characterize
believers in light of their not knowing the precise time of His return.
Building on His illustration about the thief, He concludes, “for the Son of
Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” This saying alone negates
every prediction of Jesus’ return uttered since that time.
12:41. Peter then asks, “Lord, do you speak this parable only to us, or
to all people?” He wanted to know if Jesus’ instructions pertained only to
the Twelve or to the broader number of disciples. (The NKJV unnecessarily
adds the words only and people. This latter addition implies the
applicability of Jesus’ words to unbelievers—an incorrect assumption
clearly contradicted by the ensuing context.) The word servants may have
led Peter to wonder if the parable applied especially to them.
 12:42. Jesus responds with another question. The question looks forward
to the care of believers by their leaders (the “wise steward”) during Jesus’
absence. Peter himself deals with the subject in his first epistle (1 Pet 5:1-
4).
12:43. The Lord affirms the blessedness of the “servant whom His
master will find” faithfully and wisely carrying out the responsibility
expressed in the preceding verse—the care of those in God’s household.
The use of doulos (“servant”) here—different from oikonomos
(“steward”) in the preceding verse—potentially broadens the application to
all believers in their responsibility to edify others in God’s family with their
spiritual gifts, a topic also later addressed by Peter (cf. 1 Pet 4:10-11).
12:44. Jesus promises that He will recompense faithfulness in present
spiritual responsibilities with ruling privileges in the future kingdom: Truly,
I say to you that he will make him ruler over all that he has. (See 22:24-
30 for related teaching directed specifically to the Twelve, and Matt 25:14-
30 for similar words applied to all believers.) Service now leads to rulership
later.
12:45. Sadly, not every servant carries out his stewardship faithfully
during Jesus’ absence. Some conclude, “‘My master is delaying his
coming.’” This concept gives rise to two terrible actions: maltreatment of
those under his care, and excess—gluttony and dissolution. The language
and responsibility of the servant pictures him as a believer. Some believers
have suffered under pastoral leaders who have spiritually abused them and
who focus their efforts on self-gratification and excess.
12:46. Although the disobedient servant has full awareness of the fact of
the Master’s coming, His actual return will catch that one “when he is not
aware.” A twofold consequence follows. The cutting “in two” constitutes
figurative language—especially since the same person then gets appointed a
portion that contrasts with the reward promised to the faithful (cf. v 44).
The language may evoke Heb 4:12-13 and the piercing precision of God’s
Word. The judged servant retains the gift of eternal life (cf. John 5:24) but
receives a fitting recompense—a portion (cf. v 42) commensurate with his
unbelief and irresponsibility. Unbelievers refers here to those who did not
believe the truth relative to Jesus’ coming and their responsibility in light of
His accompanying evaluation of them at the Second Advent.
 12:47. Whereas vv 35-38 dealt only with blessed servants, Jesus now
spells out the consequences for disobedient ones. The servant’s degree of
knowledge as well as his actions determine the appropriate judgment. This
one “knew his master’s will” and yet “did not…do according to his
will”—the apparent opposite of the girding for service and the maintenance
of a lit lamp pictured in v 34. Figuratively, this kind of servant “shall be
beaten with many stripes.”
12:48. Ignorance of God’s will does not absolve a disobedient believer of
all consequence. It does however ameliorate it. This servant “shall be
beaten with few.” He receives the same kind of consequence, but less.
Jesus then communicates the essential principle that undergirds this
judgment. The first portion of the saying applies to those under the care of a
steward (who depending on his faithfulness provides less or more to the
male and female servants). The second part applies to the steward who had
received the commission of caring for the household. In this way the leaders
experience a more severe consequence (cf. James 3:1) than those under
their care, and yet God holds all of them responsible.
12:49. Jesus then expresses His desire to complete His work. The fire
pictures His purifying judgment on Israel (cf. Mal 3:1-6; 4:1-3). He adds,
“and how I wish it were already kindled!” Jesus looked forward to the
time when the purified nation would enjoy its promised blessings. However,
before this accomplished reality He had to die as a Sacrifice for the sins of
the world.
12:50. Jesus first had redemptive work to accomplish. He refers to His
anticipated and dreaded death as a baptism. The Lord’s words give insight
into the apprehension He felt as the cross lay before Him (cf. 22:39-46).
12:51. Jesus continues to amplify His purpose. Ultimately the mission of
the Messiah would eventuate in peace. However, the unbelief that
characterized the nation would delay that reality.
12:52-53. He then explained the division in terms of how His presence
among them would affect families. Differing responses toward Jesus cause
division “in one house.” He describes the familial discord in detail.
12:54. Jesus then compares common knowledge of the weather by the
multitudes in first-century Palestine with their discernment of God’s
visitation. They could look out over the Mediterranean Sea and correctly
discern “a shower is coming.” Yet they could not discern the presence of
Messiah in their midst, an easier endeavor than predicting rain.
12:55. Furthermore, when they would “see the south wind blow”—from
the desert toward the region of the Dead Sea and the wilderness—they
would correctly discern “there will be hot weather.”
12:56. Jesus rebukes them by designating them as hypocrites. They had
the ability to correctly “discern the face of the sky and of the earth” but
did not discern the visitation by God Incarnate in their very midst and the
corresponding opportunity to see the fulfillment of His promises (cf. 1:68-
79). Jesus’ words show that the multitudes had the capacity to recognize
Him as Messiah. He had certainly provided sufficient evidence and some
had already responded. In fact, His miracles provided clearer proof than the
cloud rising and the wind blowing.
12:57. Their ability to discern coupled with the failure to do so rendered
them culpable. After four centuries of prophetic silence the unparalleled
ministries of John and Jesus should have led them to respond positively—
they did not.
12:58. Jesus then draws a parallel between the contemporary protocol for
the settlement of civic disputes and the nation’s opportunity for settling
their accounts with God. Rather than waiting until an unsettled matter with
an adversary reached “the magistrate,” they should “make every effort
along the way to settle with him.” Contrariwise it would escalate to a
forceful appearance before “the judge” who would then deliver them to
“the officer,” who would then “throw them into prison.” Jesus offers this
beneficial advice even in the face of their rejection of Him. They still had
opportunity to believe in Him.
12:59. The Lord assures them that if they reject His advice they will “not
depart from” prison until they have paid “the very last mite.”
13:1. Luke thematically links this subunit (13:1-9) and the previous one
(12:54-59). The report of gratuitous slaughter by Pilate in the context of
worship both presumes the guilt of those who died while fulfilling their
religious duty and the relative innocence of those who recounted the event
for Jesus. The comment perhaps intends to highlight the injustice of
governing authorities despite efforts to behave correctly—and so to present
an objection to Jesus’ instructions.
 13:2. Without justifying Pilate’s actions, Jesus’ question classifies the
killed Galileans as sinners. His question centers on the relationship of guilt
and consequence, misfortune, and suffering. It also helps set up His
merciful warning in the next verse.
13:3. The Lord Jesus responds to His own question with an unequivocal
“no.” This does not deny the notion of degrees of sin (see 12:47-48).
Rather, the very question presupposes different intensities of evil and sin.
The question deals with the comparative level of sin between the killed
Galileans and the others who had not suffered their fate. The Lord does not
assign greater sin to those who died. Jesus’ answer transitions into a
warning: “unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” His warning
echoes the selfsame message of John at the outset of Luke’s Gospel (see
3:7-9).
13:4. The Lord then furnishes His own example of those who met an
untimely or unexpected death. Both unfortunate incidents occur in
Jerusalem—the first ostensibly in the Temple precincts (13:1) and this one
at Siloam.
13:5. Jesus affirms that their sin did not exceed that of others in Jerusalem
despite a tower falling on them and killing them. He then repeats the
warning of v 3. Both true-to-life illustrations make the same point:
persistence in sin leads to physical death. In the Jewish War of 66-70 some
would die from directly inflicted wounds and others would perish by
accident.
13:6. A parable highlighting God’s mercy to Israel follows the warning
about repentance. This parable focuses on the positive results or fruit (of
repentance) that God expected from the “fig tree,” a figure for the nation of
Israel. The activity of “seeking fruit” refers to God’s first century visitation
to Israel to fulfill His promises to them.
13:7. The man who came “‘seeking fruit’” addressed the “keeper of the
vineyard.” The “three years” possibly refer to the period of Jesus’ earthly
ministry thus far. He ordered, “‘Cut it down.’” At this point the nation had
still not responded positively to their promised Messiah, and so they
deserved judgment.
13:8. The keeper of the vineyard requested mercy on the fig tree. He offers
to dig around it and fertilize it.
 13:9. The fig tree’s future hinged on its fruit production after additional
measures to promote its productivity. The parable warns those who heard it
during the actual ministry of Jesus, and shows God’s merciful and long-
suffering treatment towards the unbelieving nation before the horrific
judgment of 70 A.D.
T. A Crippled Daughter of Abraham Pictures the Deliverance of
the Nation (13:10-17)
13:10. Luke now presents a transitional story that introduces the theme of
Abrahamic descendence and its ramifications for the future kingdom—the
undergirding component of the next major unit (13:23–19:47a).
13:11-13. A woman in the synagogue pictures the dilemma of the nation.
Jesus saw, called her, proclaimed her free (“you are loosed”). He then laid
His hands on her and healed her. Consequently, she was made straight,
and glorified God—two salutary results needed by the nation.
13:14. Sadly the nation’s disposition blinded them to the Messiah’s
merciful work. If the woman in the narrative stands for the nation as a
whole, the ruler of the synagogue illustrates the prevailing attitude of its
leaders—merciless and misguided. The ruler “laid down the law” by
quoting, “There are six days on which men ought to work” (cf. Exod
20:9; Deut 5:13). He both misapplied the statute (regarding Jesus’ healing
as work) and denied the lovingkindness of God that undergirded the
commandments, including the one about “the Sabbath.”
13:15. The Lord called the ruler a “hypocrite” (cf. 6:42; 11:44; 12:56)
because “on the Sabbath” he and the others cared for their animals. They
exempted their own financial and material concerns from the strict
observance they enforced on others. Further, they had more compassion on
their livestock than on the woman (see Jonah 4:11 for a possible ironic
association).
13:16. Jesus designates this woman as a “daughter of Abraham,” which
signals her as a Jewish believer in Christ (cf. Gal 3:7). If the description
“daughter of Abraham” designates her as a believer and not simply a
Jewess, then it shows her as a recipient of Messiah’s mercy to Jews who
rather than disbelieve, believed in Him. The reference to Satan as having
bound her does not refer to demon possession. Satan—much less demons
—cannot inhabit believers. Significantly not a single Bible passage speaks
of or warns believers about demonic possession. Satan can nevertheless
afflict believers physically (cf. 2 Cor 12:7; 1 Tim 1:18-20). The woman
pictures the nation’s ills in part because of a self-righteous misapplication of
the Law under which it labored. Satan, whose name means accuser,
fittingly corresponds to the legalistic bondage of the nation. Jesus argued
for the righteousness of having her “loosed from this bond on the
Sabbath.”
13:17. The rebuke attained a desirable twofold effect. Both results are
associated with Messiah’s Second Advent when His adversaries will
become a footstool and both Israel and the Gentiles enjoy a time of peace
(cf. Pss 2; 110; Isa 60:1-3; 62). Already, the division that He predicted
showed itself (cf. Luke 12:51-53).
U. Two Parables Picture the Kingdom Program during the
Interadvent Age—From the First Century to the Second Advent
(13:18-22)
13:18-19. Luke concludes this major unit (9:7–13:22) with two brief
parables that contrast God’s work in preparing the establishment of the
kingdom throughout the interadvent age with the detrimental teaching that
opposes it—as initiated by the Pharisees in Jesus’ day.
Jesus first presents a positive picture likening “the kingdom of God” to
“a mustard seed.” The miniscule mustard seed “grew and became a large
tree.” Thus the kingdom will progressively grow until it accommodates all
of its citizens.
13:20-21. The Lord now transitions to the negative element present in the
gradual progress of the kingdom program by repeating the essence of His
first question.
Jesus answers with an additional simile comparing a facet of the kingdom
program to leaven (yeast). The “three measures” potentially picture three
periods: Jesus’ ministry, the church age, and the Seventieth Week. With the
pharisaic teaching and disposition the spread of the leaven had already
begun (cf. 12:1). This parable reaches up to the end of this age when the
Messiah returns to set up the promised kingdom.
13:22. Luke closes this unit (9:7–13:22) with another summarizing
transition. He records how Jesus went through the cities and villages
carrying out a ministry of teaching. Although He continues journeying
toward Jerusalem (cf. 9:51), His certain death did not deter Him from
caring for others by instructing them.
VII. The Messiah Will Return to Reign after the Interadvent Age
(13:23–19:47a)
A. The Messiah Explains the Kingdom Opportunities for the
Nation and for the Gentiles (13:23–14:24)
This unit raises a question about entrance into the kingdom—which
explains why it would not come at that time.
1. The Gentiles will enjoy kingdom benefits on a par with Old
Testament patriarchs (13:23-30)
13:23-24. While Jesus continues on His journey to Jerusalem, an unnamed
person inquires, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” The question deals
with the promised OT Messianic deliverance—or salvation—anticipated by
the godly believing remnant (cf. 1:68-75) and the number of those who will
experience it.
Jesus responds to a larger group. The exhortation does not address the
issue of finding “the narrow gate” (in the NT only here and Matt 7:13-14),
but rather of entering through it—by belief in Him. Jesus here affirms
neither that one can earn eternal life through strenuous self-effort nor that
only a few will see salvation. The many refer to Jewish contemporaries of
Jesus who witnessed His ministry and yet rejected Him (cf. esp. v 29). The
gravity of the future consequence merits every effort in the present to avoid
it.
13:25. Jesus describes a future attempt to enter the kingdom by the same
contemporaries who had rejected Him. As “Master of the house” He will
either exclude people from, or welcome them into, the future millennial
kingdom, here pictured as a house where guests enjoy an exclusive dinner
banquet. When He closes “the door” of opportunity (i.e., He returns to
establish His reign), then those very contemporaries would “begin to stand
outside and knock.” But because they had not expended the effort to
validate Jesus’ claim to messiahship—and consequently believe in Him
—“He will answer...‘I do not know you.’” Entrance into the kingdom
requires a spiritual union with Jesus—established forever the instant that
one believes in Him as Savior.
 13:26. The ones outside will then attempt to help the Master’s recollection
saying, “We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our
streets.” Ironically their claim confirms their just exclusion from the house.
They experienced Jesus’ compassion and teaching and yet rejected Him.
13:27. Those outside the house hear the same message again with the
addition of a command: “‘Depart from me all you workers of iniquity.’”
In addition to having no relationship with Jesus they did evil. The basis of
their condemnation lies in the words “‘I do not know you.’” The phrase
workers of iniquity describes their characteristic sin.
13:28. The Lord predicts deep regret—“weeping and gnashing of
teeth”—for unbelieving Jewish people who witnessed His ministry
firsthand and yet rejected Him. They will experience profound pain when
they see the famous “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets”
in the kingdom and they themselves barred from entering.
13:29. Not only will they not participate with their Jewish forefathers and
prophets, but Gentiles—whom they typically despised will “sit down in the
kingdom of God.” This close fellowship of the Gentiles with Messiah
strikes a marked contrast with the exclusion of those in the chosen nation
who rejected Him.
13:30. The Lord employs this saying (“there are last who will be first,
and there are first who will be last”) with different senses in the Synoptic
Gospels (cf. Matt 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31). Here it contrasts the last—
Gentiles—with those in the Jewish nation first in privileges (cf. Rom 9:1-
5).
2. The nation aligns itself with Herod and with its own history of
murdering prophets (13:31-33)
13:31. Luke reports that on that very day some Pharisees came, telling
Jesus to get out and depart because Herod wanted to kill Him. These
religious leaders served as messengers for Herod, and they also shared his
murderous sentiments. They truly did desire for Jesus to get out and depart.
13:32. The Lord calls Herod a fox and informs him of His itinerary. In
keeping with the priestly direction of this larger unit (13:23–19:47a) the
phrase “I shall be perfected” relates to the completion of Jesus’ earthly
suffering, and so intimates His subsequent fittingness for His
compassionate, powerful, and eternal priesthood. His suffering and passion
would render Him compassionate and merciful while His resurrection and
ascension would show Him incomparably more powerful than any Levitical
priest.
13:33. After specifying His message to Herod Antipas, Jesus must
nevertheless continue to travel because “it cannot be that a prophet
should perish outside of Jerusalem.” The Lord shows His kingly
authority (in not allowing Herod to set His agenda), identifies Himself as a
prophet, and sets up one facet of His work as High Priest—to die in
Jerusalem.
3. The Messiah laments over Jerusalem (13:34-35)
13:34. The Lord laments over the very city where He would die. The
repetition, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem” displays intensity of emotion as He
contrasts His desire to “gather [them] together” protectively with their
unwillingness to believe in Him, repent of their sins, and consequently
receive the blessings promised to them in the OT. The words “but you
were not willing!” express hardheartedness and the simple reason for the
coming troubles in AD 66-70, culminating in the destruction of Jerusalem
and its temple.
13:35. Jesus proclaims their judgment: See! Your house is left to you
desolate. But the Lord would still bless the nation in the future. He adds a
note of solemn and yet assured hope: “assuredly, I say to you, You shall
not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who
comes in the name of the Lord!’” They would welcome Him in the future
at His Second Coming (cf. Zechariah 12—14; Rom 11:25-36).
4. A meal and a healing reveal the heart of the Pharisees (14:1-6)
14:1. The juxtaposition of this narrative in which Jesus eats at the house
of one of the rulers of the Pharisees and His lament over Jerusalem shows
how the disposition of the leaders justifies Jesus’ declaration over the city.
This encounter proves no exception as they watched Him closely to find
fault in Him.
14:2. Luke then provides medical information that foreshadows conflict:
there was a certain man before Him who had dropsy. Jesus’ compassion
for the sick man coupled with a legalistic perception regarding healing on
the Sabbath sets up potential conflict.
 14:3. Knowing that they watched Him closely (v 1), Jesus uses the
opportunity both to heal the man and to teach His audience. He initiates the
exchange with the lawyers and Pharisees by asking, “Is it lawful to heal
on the Sabbath?” This skillful question helped unveil the true nature of the
Sabbath commands and the disingenuousness of the religious leaders.
14:4. The lawyers and Pharisees kept silent. Only Jesus speaks throughout
the whole narrative. Their silence signals their self-condemnation whereas
Jesus’ compassionate miracle validates His message. Jesus took hold of the
man, healed him, and let him go.
14:5-6. Jesus then asks another question that compares the relative worth
of animals and human beings. This question represents an advance over a
similar previous question that focuses on the feeding of animals (see 13:15).
In this case the animal stands in danger of imminent death. The question
shows how for these religious leaders their financial concerns exceed their
piety. In their value system the potential financial loss of the animal merited
its rescue—and the relaxation of their Sabbath regulations.
Their lack of answer demonstrates that all of them would pull out their
donkey or ox. They not only favored animals over humans but also
misunderstood the loving and merciful foundations of the Law.
5. The Messiah instructs regarding proper humility and
kingdom/resurrection reward (14:7-14)
14:7. Their silence here (as opposed to any sort of verbal attack) may have
signaled a willingness to listen (at some level), and so, He told a parable to
those who were invited. Jesus noted how they chose the best places and
told them a story that addressed their actions and their underlying
disposition.
14:8. Jesus uses an invitation “to a wedding feast” to teach about the
relationship between humility and exaltation. Humility does not mean to
denigrate or deceive oneself about one’s own true worth. Rather, it means to
not presumptuously assume prerogatives for oneself.
14:9. In the story the host who had extended the invitation to both guests
comes and says, “Give place to this man.” As a result the one who
presumptuously took the highest place “begins with shame to take the
lowest place.” In this parable both guests remain in the banquet but one
must take a lower position.
 14:10. In contrast to the desire to take the most important seat Jesus
instructs, “go and sit down in the lowest place.” This way the host may
grant the invitee a better seat saying, “Friend, go up higher.” This parable
teaches humility as the path to glory (in the context of eternal reward).
14:11. Jesus then notes that humility waits for God to exalt rather than
taking that prerogative for oneself.
14:12-14. Having addressed the other guests, Jesus then speaks to His
host. When the host gives “a dinner or a supper,” he should not invite
those with means to repay with a reciprocal invitation. Instead, Jesus
encourages the host to invite to a feast those without the means to
reciprocate. The downtrodden invitees cannot repay, but God will. Here
Jesus promises His host a future reward if he obeys: “you will be blessed.”
The “resurrection of the righteous” refers to the bringing back to life of
everyone who has believed in Jesus and died before His return (cf. John 11,
esp. v 24; 1 Cor 15; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Rev 20:1-6). The righteous here
identifies those whom God has declared righteous by faith alone—by
believing in Christ for eternal life or salvation (Rom 3:21–4:25; Eph 2:1-
10). God will repay them for their righteous acts at the resurrection.
6. The Messiah instructs about Gentile participation in light of
Jewish rejection (14:15-24)
14:15. The guest’s blessing may represent a ruse to call attention away
from the Lord’s teaching on rewards (cf. 11:27 for a similar blessing
scenario). From this man’s perspective even the basic experience—to “eat
bread”—counts as sufficiently blessed. If he speaks as a believer, then he
has not truly embraced the concept of rewards given at the Resurrection (cf.
14:14). If he represents a nonbeliever, then he pictures someone who
presumes entrance, probably on the basis of physical Abrahamic
descendence (cf. 3:8-9; 13:23-30). Jesus’ answer shows that kingdom
participation demands a response of faith in Him regardless of privilege or
ethnicity.
14:16. Jesus responds with an illustration in which the many refers to the
Jewish nation to whom the Messiah originally came in fulfillment of OT
promises.
14:17. The story presents a two-stage process whereby a host would send
out a servant “at supper time” to alert those who had already previously
received an invitation.
14:18-20. Contrary to the expected positive response, the invitees “all
with one accord began to make excuses.” The first three invitees (vv 18-
20) collectively represent one class that offer up three progressively
stronger excuses. The purchase of “‘a piece of ground’” serves as the first
person’s excuse, “‘five yoke of oxen’” as the second. A third invitee offers
the most compelling rationale: “‘I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come.’” This third person completes the first group invited to the
great supper.
14:21. The “master of the house” responds with anger when he hears
“these things.” His response indicates that attendance at this prepared
supper exceeds the considerations offered as excuses by the invitees.
Angry, the master changes the invitation list and instructs his servant to
“bring in here the poor, and the maimed and the lame and
the blind.” This updated invitation lets one know that privileged people
comprised the original list of invitees—persons without the profound
setbacks or handicaps mentioned in connection with the new effort.
14:22. The servant obeys and comes back with a new report: “still there is
room.” This shows that from a broad perspective the number of negative
responses exceeds that of the positive ones and leaves room for more who
want to partake (see 13:23-24).
14:23. The “highways and hedges” point to the Gentiles in the further
outskirts. “Compel” means to strongly urge, but not force. The master
desires that his house may be filled.
14:24. Jesus’ parable here makes a clear distinction (already evident in the
prior context) between the first group identified as “those men who were
invited” and the other two groups. The first group received an invitation.
The next two groupings had not received the initial calling but yet
responded positively when the servant invited them to come.
B. The Conditions of Efficacious Discipleship (14:25-35)
14:25. Jesus continued to travel (toward Jerusalem; see 9:51; 13:33), and
great multitudes went with Him. The fact that Jesus turned to speak to
them contributes to the picture of them following Him and thus of
discipleship. The large numbers show that not all rejected Jesus.
 14:26. Jesus then communicated the requirements for discipleship to the
following multitudes (in words often twisted by cults and sectarian groups).
The phrase “cannot be My disciple” serves as the operative phrase (see
14:26-27, 33). To “hate” one’s kin and “his own life” refers to a conscious
choice to place all in second place to Jesus, but not to seek malice,
encourage neglect, or inflict harm on oneself or others.
14:27. Jesus makes this affirmation in the broader context of His journey
to Jerusalem where He will die. To “bear one’s cross” in the discipleship
relationship means to cast one’s lot with Jesus and so share His fate even if
it includes shame in the eyes of the world and perhaps death. It signifies
following Jesus regardless of the consequences.
14:28. Jesus offers two vignettes that deal with the sober reflection and
assessment that a potential disciple must undertake before initiating the
serious discipleship process with Jesus. The first story deals with the
potential public humiliation one can face if he begins the discipleship
process and does not complete it. The discipleship endeavor calls for proper
assessment of resources, for perseverance, and for recognizing one’s
potential for public humiliation in the face of failure. Thus, to sit and
“count the cost” represent the preliminary steps for one wishing to pursue
the disciple relationship. Jesus then communicates the public consequences
for not doing so.
14:29. Not counting the cost would lead to public humiliation. Outsiders
will mock anyone who “has laid the foundation”—by initiating into the
process of discipleship—and does not have the strength or resources to
finish. Discipleship entails both a private reflection and a public process
open to evaluation by others.
14:30. Jesus records the evaluation of the mockers. This cannot refer to
losing one’s salvation or to halting a process that would somehow have
earned it because no one can ever do enough or behave sufficiently well to
earn eternal life.
14:31. Jesus’ second example couches discipleship in the context of
warfare and the strength needed to defeat an opposing king. The key phrase
“sit down first and consider” underscores the deliberateness of
discipleship (cf. v 28).
14:32. If the king with the smaller army surmised that he could not face
the one with the greater army he would send “a delegation” and request
“conditions of peace.” The distance of the strong army serves to buy time
for the less powerful king for reflection on the challenge ahead.
14:33. Jesus called disciples to forsake any possession that interfered with
devotion to Him.
14:34. “Salt” served to preserve and season food as well as to fertilize
land. If it lost its potency, however, how would it “be seasoned?” Those
who did not meet Jesus’ requirements for discipleship would fail to impact
the world.
14:35. The saying does not teach that God will cast a believer into hell or
that a failing disciple loses his salvation. Rather, the outside world itself
(men) recognizes the inefficacy of their witness and discards them. The
Lord Jesus concludes with the exhortation, “He who has ears to hear, let
him hear!” The stories and the illustration call the listener to self-
evaluation and obedience to the Lord’s teaching.
C. The Messiah Contrasts God’s Love with the Self-Righteous
Exclusivism of the Religious Leaders (15:1-10)
15:1. Although many, especially among the religious leaders of the nation,
might not have ears to hear (see 14:35), all the tax collectors and the
sinners drew near to hear him. Jesus attracted and welcomed the very
ones despised and excluded by the religious leaders of the day.
15:2. The ones who intensely studied the Scriptures and so ostensibly
would most want to hear Jesus—the Pharisees and scribes—instead
complained about Him. Their twofold complaint grew out their self-
righteousness and jealousy.
15:3. Jesus told them a parable that both condemned the disposition of
the religious leaders and comforted the ones who had responded to Him.
Furthermore, it contrasted the failure of those leaders with His own faithful
love as the Shepherd par excellence.
15:4. Jesus’ question immediately engaged the audience. His perseverance
“until he finds it” shows his concern for the sheep’s safety and welfare.
(Compare 15:4-7 with Matt 18:12-14.) In contrast to the contemporary
religious leaders, Jesus cared for each and every one of the sheep of God’s
pasture.
15:5. When the owner finds the sheep he “lays it on his shoulders,
rejoicing”—a tender image of a customary method used by shepherds in
the rescue of weary or wounded lambs/sheep.
15:6. The rejoicing of the sheep’s owner spreads to his “friends and
neighbors” as he calls them together. The Pharisees and scribes should
have rejoiced with Jesus whenever any tax collector or sinner drew near to
Him. Instead, they complained.
15:7. The very sinners these religious leaders complained about had
availed themselves of companionship with Jesus and listened to Him (cf.
13:24-25). Repentance did not eternally save them. Nevertheless, it placed
these sinners in the sphere of Jesus’ presence and teaching where they could
in fact come to believe in Him. In contrast, the Pharisees and tax collectors
did not endeavor to enter the narrow gate. They had not responded to God’s
seeking of them (via the message and ministry of John and Jesus). Rather,
they counted upon their Abrahamic descendence and legalistic
righteousness (cf. 3:7-18). Their superior and self-righteous attitude towards
their countrymen betrayed their own status as neither just nor repentant. The
fact that Jesus knew about the heavenly responses to earthly events should
also have drawn their attention to His Person and message.
15:8. Jesus follows His story of a man who has lost a sheep with that of a
woman who “having ten silver coins…loses one.” She then lights a lamp,
sweeps the floor and continues to “seek diligently until she finds it”
(emphasizing both its value and her effort).
15:9. As in the previous story, the protagonist wants others to share in the
joy. In this case, the woman calls together her “friends and neighbors” to
“rejoice with” her.
15:10. The conclusion to this story differs slightly from the previous one.
This one makes no comparison, but simply mentions “one sinner who
repents” (see 15:7). In addition, it speaks of “joy in the presence of the
angels”—a probable reference to God’s rejoicing rather than the joy of the
angels themselves (15:7). Various features establish the complementary
relationship of the two stories: one deals with a man, the other with a
woman. In each case someone loses something of value; in both cases the
person finds the missing thing; and both conclude in a scene of rejoicing
with others followed by an insight into heaven.
D. The Messiah Anticipates the Reception of Gentiles as Sons of
Abraham (15:11-32)
 15:11. The Lord Jesus introduces a third instructive story. Its plot begins
with a simple family scenario. The “two sons” picture two perspectives on
the love of God—that held by law oriented religious leaders (the older
brother or son) and that experienced by those who clearly fell short of the
Mosaic Law (the younger son), and yet experienced God’s blessings.
15:12. The younger of the two asks his father for the “‘portion of goods
that falls to’” him. Thus, the father “divided to them his livelihood.”
Them references both siblings. The younger received the portion that
belonged to him (1/3 of the inheritance)—less than the older brother who as
the firstborn would have received a double portion (see Deut 21:15-17 for
OT background).
15:13. The “far country” underscores his distance from his father and the
former life he lived. His prodigal lifestyle resulted in the squandering of his
inheritance. He would experience a complete reversal of fortune at his own
initiation. The father in the story allows the young son to make his own
decision and receive the consequence of his actions.
15:14. The plot reaches a crisis point when two negative circumstances
coincide: “he had spent all” and “there arose a severe famine in the
land.” As a consequence “he began to be in want.” Unfortunately, he had
squandered all of his inheritance.
15:15. In his desperate straits “he joined himself to a citizen of that
country.” This man “sent him into the fields to feed swine”—animals
deemed unclean under the OT law (cf. Lev 11:1-8; Deut 14:3-8). Even his
“solution” represented another step downward in his spiral.
15:16. Jesus paints an even bleaker picture. Despite his longing “no one
would give him anything.” Ironically, “the swine ate” better than he did.
15:17. The sad scenario persisted until he came to himself. His “father’s
hired servants” experienced abundance while he languished with a foreign
taskmaster in a faraway land.
15:18. The story traces the prodigal’s thoughts: “I will arise and go to my
father.” He then rehearsed a confession that he intended to recite upon his
return to his father. He acknowledges his sin “against heaven” and also his
father.
15:19. The son’s sense of unworthiness prompts him to add a condition for
his acceptance: “make me like one of your hired servants.”
 15:20. Following his resolve (v 18) and his rehearsal (vv 18-19) the son
begins to carry out his plan. Accordingly, “he arose and came to his
father.” The father, however, preempted his son’s confession. With the son
“still a great way off,” his father “ran and fell on his neck and kissed
him.”
15:21-23. The son’s repetition indicates his resolve to recognize his
wrongdoing (see v 18). The father responds by instructing his actual
servants to reverse the son’s impoverished condition.
15:24. The father then offers his rationale for the festive welcome. Like
the lost lamb, his son figuratively “‘was dead and now is alive again’”
(see vv 5-6). And like the coin, “he was lost and then found.” Narratively,
the merriment at this point sets up the contrasting response of the elder son.
15:25. Because the older brother “was in the field,” he missed his
younger sibling’s return and the preparations for the celebration. As he
approached the house “he heard music and dancing” (only here in the
NT). His discovery of the festivities as he returned from work may have
intensified the negative feelings against his brother.
15:26. As a reflection (and yet a contrast) of the father’s actions, the older
son similarly called “one of the servants and asked what these things
meant.” Interestingly, he doesn’t call his father to ask. (See comments at
13:23.)
15:27. The killing of “the fatted calf” presupposed every other
celebratory measure. It signaled the pinnacle of the celebration.
15:28. The elder son “was angry and would not go in.” He thus
represents the only non-participant to the homecoming festivities. The
father’s going forth to speak to the elder son reflects the same concern he
had for his younger sibling.
15:29-30. The older son offers a threefold rationale for his anger and
strengthens his explanation with the contrast that follows. His complaint
may have cultic overtones in that harlots in Gentile locales often were
temple prostitutes. If so, the elder brother here accuses the youngest of the
ultimate Gentile sin—participation in false idol worship. In his mind then,
the killing of “the fatted calf” would entail the strongest possible ironic
and inequitable response to the prodigal son’s return—a sacrificial and
slaughtered reward for one who participated in idolatrous practices.
 15:31. The father’s answer extends beyond the fatted calf. It deals first
with relationship and communion and then proceeds to possessions. The
obedient son has an abiding access to fellowship with the father as well as
the enjoyment of all he possesses.
15:32. The repetition here on the lips of the father communicates the
central message of the parable: “We should make merry and be glad”
whenever anyone returns to God’s ways irrespective of our personal history
(or theirs).
E. The Messiah Teaches about the Eternal Benefits of Wise
Stewardship (16:1-13)
16:1. Jesus then provides the setting of the story intended to teach
stewardship to His disciples. The verb wasting sets up a thematic
connection with the preceding parable of the prodigal son who spent all (see
15:14) and devoured his father’s livelihood (see 15:30). The rest of the story
hinges on the steward’s response to the accusation and his consequent loss
of employment. The story will also have implications for the Pharisees and
their attachment to material possessions.
16:2. The rich man calls the steward to account asking, “‘what is this I
hear about you?’” The master wanted “an account” of his possessions
before the steward’s final dismissal.
16:3. The narrative reveals the steward’s concern and sets up further
conflict by the closing of two possible solutions: “‘I cannot dig; I am
ashamed to beg.’”
16:4. The steward then devises a plan whereby in the face of his imminent
unemployment others would welcome him “into their houses.”
16:5. The story now reveals the steward’s shrewd strategy: “he called
every one of his master’s debtors (only here in the NT) to him” and
inquired, “‘How much do you owe my master?’” The question initiated a
reduction of debt which would benefit all involved.
16:6. The steward—who had authority to speak on behalf of the master—
began with a debtor who owed “‘a hundred measures of oil’” and
instructed: “‘Take your bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty’”—
(from about 3000 liters of olive oil to 1500, or three years of wages to a
year and a half’s worth—a substantial and generous debt reduction).
 16:7. The steward then gave a second debtor who owed “‘a hundred
measures of wheat’” a smaller 20% reduction. Irrespective of the amounts,
both reductions alleviated the debtors, assured payment for the master, and
acquired accommodations for the steward.
16:8. The story concludes with an observation: “the sons of this world
are more shrewd in their generation than the sons of light.” The parable
thus underscores the worldly wise way in which unbelievers (i.e. sons of
this world) deal with each other for their own benefit. It calls on believers
(i.e. sons of light) to emulate their disposition, foresight and savvy without
adopting their morality.
16:9. The parable (vv 1-8) sets the stage for Jesus’ lessons for His
disciples—and by implication for the Pharisees who also heard the Lord’s
teaching (cf. v 14). The first enjoins the disciples to “make friends…by
unrighteous mammon,” the resources used by the sons of this world for
wicked ends. The rationale places the benefit of doing so in the next life.
Like the shrewd steward who prepared himself (cf. vv 3-4), wise disciples
use material resources in light of the future eventuality of death—
represented by the euphemistic “when you fail”—when money will no
longer serve them. They will acquire believing friends now with a view to
enhanced joy later when they will fellowship together in the kingdom—but
not as a condition for entrance into the kingdom (cf. John 3:16-18).
16:10. The Lord Jesus then unfolded related principles regarding
stewardship. Faithfulness in the least portends that the disciple will act
faithfully “also in much.” Similarly, unjust dealings in the least forecast
the same “also in much.” Thus, the disciple’s stewardship of relatively
insignificant financial resources serves as an indicator of their potential for
weightier spiritual responsibilities.
16:11. Disciples who do not faithfully handle “the unrighteous
mammon” cannot manage the far more significant spiritual resources and
responsibilities that the Lord could potentially entrust to them. And so Jesus
asks, “who will commit to your trust the true riches?”
16:12. A disciple’s unfaithful use of material resources now—“what is
another man’s”—will disqualify them from receiving an enduring reward
of their own. God, the ultimate Owner of all resources, will evaluate each
disciple’s present stewardship in order to determine their future reward.
 16:13. Disciples cannot divide their love and loyalty between two totally
consuming alternatives. Jesus specified, “You cannot serve God and
mammon”—wealth personified. The servant’s choice will affect their life
now and their eternal reward later.
F. The Lord Applies His Lessons on Stewardship to the Pharisees
(16:14-18)
16:14. Whereas the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, needed to
heed Jesus’ lessons on stewardship (16:1-3), instead they derided Him.
The steward in the parable would lose one house (the master’s) but gain
welcome into many due to his shrewd preparation before having to give
account. The Pharisees’ day of reckoning would also come—but they did
not care to prepare in the interim. Instead of using money to gain friends for
eternity, they allowed it to hinder the reaching of others for God.
16:15. The Pharisees paraded an external righteousness before others (cf.
18:9-14). Nevertheless, God knew their hearts. Their hypocrisy, misguided
values, and self-deception all stemmed from their love of money
16:16. “The Law and the Prophets” constituted God’s binding revelation
all the way “until John.” This does not mean that the OT ceased with John.
On the contrary, Jesus here affirms the seamless connection between the OT
and John’s ministry/message. Nevertheless, a new era had dawned—one
heralded by John the Baptist and foretold by the OT. No one—not even the
Pharisees—would enter “the kingdom” on the basis of their keeping of the
Law.
16:17. A tittle identifies a miniscule mark that formed part of some
Hebrew letters. God would uphold the smallest facet of the Law—
ironically, the same divine standard the Pharisees used to blindly justify
themselves.
16:18. Jesus then offered one especially relevant example of the binding
and exacting nature of the OT law—God’s standards for divorce and
remarriage. Both of His statements presuppose that the original divorce
transpired for non-permissible grounds. Now, the Lord Jesus does not here
intend to communicate all of the Scriptural teaching on divorce.
Nevertheless, His words represent fundamental instruction.
 G. A Rich Man Embodies the Ills of the Nation’s Leaders (16:19-
31)
16:19. Jesus then tells a story that ties together the downfalls of that
generation. The “rich man” in the parable enjoyed the basic necessities of
food and clothing on a heightened level, at their highest quality, and on a
continual, uninterrupted basis. The lavish portrayal helps set up the contrast
with Lazarus that follows.
16:20. The story then sets out the condition of “a certain beggar named
Lazarus.” This man was laid at the rich man’s “gate” where he invariably
would see him. Lazarus lived in physical proximity to, and yet at the
opposite extreme of, the rich man.
16:21. The story does not indicate whether or not Lazarus did eat “the
crumbs.” Rather, “the dogs” seemed to show more compassion for him
than the rich man did.
16:22. Whereas others had previously laid the poor man at the rich man’s
gate, now he enjoyed close fellowship with Abraham, the physical
progenitor of the Jewish nation and spiritual father of all who believe in
Jesus (cf. Rom 4:1-5).
16:23. In death, the rich man experiences a radical reversal of fortune. He
finds himself “in torments in Hades” (see also: Matt 11:23; Luke 10:15;
Acts 2:27, 31). He could also see “Abraham” (v 22) with “Lazarus in his
bosom.” This negates any notion of “soul sleep” or unconscious
intermediate experience for the dead. Rather, both the rich man and Lazarus
experience conscious, rational, and sentient life beyond death. In addition,
Jesus describes both of them as possessing bodies (of some sort) as the rich
man “lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off.”
16:24. Now, death reverses their roles. The rich man requests that Lazarus
serve as a mediator for him. The rich man then called out, “‘Father
Abraham, have mercy on me.’” He recognized Abraham as a patriarch of
the faith. Interestingly, he didn’t ask Abraham himself to come and comfort
him. Rather, he requested, “send Lazarus.” The diminutiveness of “‘the
tip of his finger’” underscores the intensity of the rich man’s suffering.
Ironically, the same tongue that formerly tasted the food denied to Lazarus
now asked for even a hint of water in order to cool it off. Water served as
the perfect remedy for he found himself “tormented in this flame.” Other
Scripture indicates that this does not represent the final abode for the
unbelieving (cf. Rev 20:11-15). Rather, Hades served as the destination and
abode during the intermediate state.
16:25. Abraham gives the rich man a twofold response. He addresses him
as son and asks him to ““remember (also at 24:6, 8; Acts 11:16) how in his
lifetime he received his good things,’” and “‘likewise Lazarus evil
things.’” Abraham does not provide a rationale to explain why each
received what they did and when. He rather just states a fact that implies an
inherent justice to their respective lots in the afterlife. “Evil things” does not
identify morally evil things but rather hurtful ones that caused pain and
hardship for Lazarus during his life. The contrast may also imply the rich
man’s responsibility to have helped Lazarus during his difficult life.
16:26. Abraham then provides a conclusive reason that shows the absolute
impossibility of carrying out his request. The rich man can see and converse
with Abraham and yet the “great gulf” forbids any further contact.
16:27. Seeing the justice and absolute irreversibility of his condition the
rich man then turns his attention to his family. He asks that Abraham
(whom he addresses as father) send Lazarus to his father’s house.
16:28. Curiously, although he mentions his father’s house, his concern lies
with his “‘five brothers.’” The request for Lazarus himself to go possibly
means that the brothers also knew Lazarus (and had treated him like their
brother had).
16:29. Abraham responds by reminding the rich man of the essential,
powerful, authoritative, and irreplaceable role of “‘Moses and the
prophets.’” In the Scriptures, the five brothers could find all the truth they
needed to avoid the same fate as him. From Moses they would have learned
about justification by faith alone (Genesis 15:6). From the prophets they
would have learned about social responsibilities towards the poor and
downtrodden.
16:30. The rich man imagines that if a messenger goes to his brothers
“‘from the dead, they will repent.’” The messenger will add weight to the
testimony of Moses and the prophets. While repentance certainly would not
keep the brothers from going to the place of torment, their failure to repent
reveals their unbelief.
16:31. Abraham reaffirms the reliability and authority of Scripture, saying,
“‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets neither will they be
persuaded though one rise from the dead.’” The brothers thus
foreshadow the nation’s continued unbelief even after the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus—the only general sign they would receive.
H. The Messiah Provides Additional Instructions on Discipleship
(17:1-10)
1. Instruction to Disciples with AD 66-70 in view (17:1-4)
17:1. The hardness of heart intimated by rejection of God’s Word and the
resurrection of Jesus or even someone like Lazarus raised by Jesus (cf. John
12:9-11) occasions a warning to the disciples about days to come—
ostensibly after His own Resurrection and Ascension.
17:2. The Lord Jesus then strengthens the warning by comparing a specific
terrible consequence with an unspecified one which qualifies as worse than
death. Death by drowning—apparently without the possibility of recovering
the body—marks the preferable option to the causing of these offenses. The
“little ones” refer either to literal children, Jesus’ disciples in general, or
recently converted—and thus especially vulnerable—believers.
17:3. The awful consequence befitting an offending outsider leads to a
consideration of offenses within the group of disciples themselves.
Rebuking the sinning brother constitutes the first step. Jesus then implies
that we should not let a fellow believer “off the hook” until they
acknowledge their wrongdoing. If we do not do this it will drive a wedge
between members of the body of Christ. It nevertheless does not imply that
we should subjectively hold a grudge until a fellow Christian recognizes
their wrongdoing (subsequent to our rebuke). After specifying the
methodology, the Lord Jesus then focuses on a believer’s disposition to
forgive in the context of repeated offenses.
17:4. In this case, the sinning believer apparently returns on his own
without the need to rebuke (thus highlighting one’s disposition towards
forgiveness rather than the duty to rebuke as in the previous verse). The
phrase “seven times in a day” emphasizes the completeness or all-
encompassing nature of the sin and may imply that the person has
committed the same offense repeatedly—and thus to the limit of trying
one’s patience and willingness to forgive.
2. Further instructions to the Disciples (17:5-10)
 17:5. The perceived magnitude of Jesus’ command regarding repeated
forgiveness motivated the apostles to request “increase our faith.” They
related their faith to their ability to carry out the Lord’s commands (cf. Matt
17:19-20; 21:20-21; Mark 11:22-23).
17:6. The Lord’s answer focuses on what the apostles can do with minimal
faith. If they had “faith as a mustard seed,” they could—by simple
command—uproot a “mulberry tree” and have it “planted in the sea.”
Forgiveness—in the circumstances described—did not demand that much
faith.
17:7. The Lord Jesus then addresses the apostles (and possibly the wider
audience) from the vantage point of themselves as masters with their own
servants at their disposal. Jesus’ question presupposes knowledge of a
servant’s duties in that cultural context. The audience would know that the
servant had additional work to do before he could partake of his own meal.
17:8. The servant would come in, “prepare the supper…gird himself
(also at 12:37; Acts 12:8), and serve” the master until he had finished his
complete meal. Then, he could eat.
17:9. The master did not have an obligation to thank the servant for
carrying out his obligations. The delineated duties indicate the understood,
expected, and binding responsibilities of a servant in that culture.
17:10. This story indicates that the apostles required no greater faith than
the one they possessed already in order to carry out the Lord’s commands
regarding rebuking and forgiveness (cf. vv 3-5). Forgiveness represented an
essential duty of God’s servants. The illustration does not negate the Lord
Jesus’ teaching on eternal rewards for faithful believers (e.g. 19:11-26).
I. The Messiah Belongs to a Better Priesthood (17:11-19)
17:11. Luke then returns the readers (Theophilus and all future ones) to
Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. The mention of Jesus passing through the
midst of Samaria and Galilee helps alert the reader to the diverse
ethnicities that He would encounter in His travels. Further, it shows that
Jesus Himself ministered in these areas before the apostles and early
believers did. (17:11-19 only appear in Luke.)
17:12. Luke does not specify where this episode took place revealing only
that Jesus entered a certain village. The lepers, as social outcasts, both
associated with each other and stood at a distance from Jesus.
 17:13. The lepers’ request indicates prior knowledge of Jesus. They knew
His name and recognized His power to help them.
17:14. The Lord responded with a command that reflects the OT
instructions with respect to skin diseases (Leviticus 13—14). The ten
obeyed Jesus’ instruction and as they went, they were cleansed.
17:15. Luke singles out one of the lepers who when he saw that he was
healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God. Apparently, that
healed leper did not first present himself to the priests, but returned to Jesus.
17:16. Only at this point does Luke reveal the most significant fact
regarding the healed man’s identity: And he was a Samaritan.
17:17. Jesus draws attention back to the nine other lepers (who had also
been cleansed). He asks, “Were there not ten cleansed?” (The Greek form
of the question expects a positive response.) “But, where are the nine?”
17:18. Jesus adds an additional facet to the scenario by posing another
question: “Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God
except this foreigner [only here in the NT]?” The question focuses on
returning to “give glory to God.”
17:19. While each of the ten lepers experienced a physical cleansing of his
condition (see 17:14), apparently only one received spiritual salvation as
well. Jesus reassures the one who returned to give thanks by affirming,
“Your faith has made you well.” The healed leper did not need anything
else in order to either receive or retain salvation. He had met the ultimate
High Priest and all-sufficient Savior.
J. The Messiah Teaches About His Future Parousia (17:20–18:8)
17:20. Narratively, the question posed by the Pharisees follows the
healing of ten lepers where only the sole non-Jewish recipient of His grace
returns to give thanks (cf. 17:11-19). The disposition displayed by the
remaining nine hints at one of the reasons why the nation would not see
“the kingdom of God” come during their lifetime. Jesus’ response has
special relevance to the Pharisees (cf. 17:22 where He addresses the
disciples). “The kingdom” would not arrive via their visual observation nor
by means of their legalistic observances or efforts at faultfinding (cf. 6:7;
14:1; 20:20). Essentially, then Pharisaic observation on any level would not
bring the kingdom.
 17:21. The referent they refers to those in the future who will not have to
point here or there to experience “the kingdom of God.” In fact, the
Pharisees need not look elsewhere—they stood right in the King’s presence
and had witnessed the power of His future Kingdom. The word translated
within cannot signify that the largely unbelieving Pharisees had God’s
kingdom somehow invisibly residing in their hearts. Rather the Kingdom
lay within reach of their heart by belief in the Savior.
17:22. Jesus transitions to a period marked by His physical absence. The
first reference to days foretells the time of the Jewish War (AD 66–70)
marked both by Jesus’ physical absence as well as the hardships brought on
by the Roman siege. The sufferings of those days would make them “desire
to see one of the days of the Son of Man”—days marked by deliverance
of believers by Jesus in the context of temporal ruin and destruction.
17:23. In this context of the trials of AD 66-70, the disciples need to guard
against false encouragements to the effect that Jesus resides physically in
their midst. People (possibly false teachers and/or their followers) will say,
“‘Look here!’” or “‘Look there!’” promising a face-to-face encounter
with the risen—and apparently secretly hidden—Lord. Jesus unequivocally
warns, “Do not go after them or follow them.” Moreover, His response
centers on Himself and the proper recognition of His return.
17:24. The Lord undergirds His warning by highlighting the visible and
universal nature of His return “as the lightning that flashes out of one
part under heaven shines to the other part under heaven.” The words
nevertheless focus on Him—“so also the Son of Man will be in His day.”
17:25. Before Jesus returns to set up His Kingdom He must fulfill the
redemptive mission of His first Advent. “This generation” refers to Jesus’
contemporaries. Their rejection of Messiah would publicly display their
unbelief and unwillingness to repent and bring about the days referenced in
17:22.
17:26. “The days of Noah” reference a specific segment of Noah’s life
characterized both by deliverance and destruction. The Rapture—which
initiates “the days of the Son of Man”—will introduce progressive
destruction that spans the whole Tribulation period (in the same manner that
the catastrophic events of the Flood extended beyond a single day). In
addition, those days will entail the element of surprise as the Rapture will
come upon a world that carries on its daily life without special regard for
the arrival of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Matt 24:37-39).
17:27. The days of the Son of Man will commence in like manner as did
the days of Noah. Jesus does not emphasize any particular sinfulness of
those days but rather a disregard for the arrival of the Son of Man. The
entrance of Noah into the ark references the future Rapture when the Lord
takes the Church into His protective care. The flood designates the
judgments of the Seventieth Week entailing the seal, trumpet, and bowl
judgments (and conceivably any catastrophes that ensue after the Rapture
and in connection with it—see a possible reference to this in 1 Thess 5:1-3).
17:28. Two time periods will comprise the days of the Son of Man. The
first corresponds to the first half of the Tribulation period initiated by the
Rapture (and includes the parallel to Noah entering the ark). The second
focuses on the time from the 3 1/2 year midpoint onwards and relates to
“the days of Lot.” In the future days of the Son of Man people’s activities
will parallel those at the time of the catastrophic judgment on Sodom (and
the surrounding cities). In contrast to the days of Noah Jesus does not
mention marriage here, possibly due to the patent joylessness of the second
half of the Tribulation, the time of Jacob’s trouble (cf. Jer 30:7). Rather, He
includes commerce, agriculture, and construction.
17:29. In a similar fashion to the scenario pictured by the days of Noah,
people carried on their daily existence “until the day that Lot went out of
Sodom.” In contrast to Noah (who enters the ark), Lot exits Sodom. The
days of Lot picture a different facet of the days of the Son of Man which
reflect a more particularized and Judean setting (cf. Luke 17:30-37; Matt
24:15-28; Mark 13:14-27). Satan will focus his persecution especially upon
the Jewish nation in a final concentrated attempt to destroy God’s chosen
covenant people. This calls forth the warning issued by the Lord Jesus.
17:30. The Lord completes the comparison: “Even so (kata tauta; lit.,
“according to these things”) will it be in the day when the Son of Man is
revealed” and then follows it with explicit instructions.
17:31. The Lord’s instructions underscore the urgency of that future time.
The details of this portion as a whole (vv 31-37) do not fit the Rapture or
the Second Coming proper, which comes after the great tribulation (cf. Matt
24:29-31). Rather, they warn that the dangerous setting will make self-
preservation a priority (and yet ironically will call for self-abandon—vv 32-
33). Rather than returning to gather up goods, the believer should “not turn
back” for material possessions.
17:32. The Lord adds a sober warning: “Remember Lot’s wife”—a
concise admonition of sure consequence for those who opt to delay their
flight to safety. Interestingly, believers of that time will need this kind of
warning. They shouldn’t compromise the opportunity that the Lord provides
for safe harbor.
17:33. The Lord employs a familiar saying (that may carry a connotation
of eternal reward) to speak of actual life or death consequences in the
perilous second half of the Seventieth Week. Those who seek to retain their
earthly possessions at the cost of obedience to Jesus’ command to flee “will
lose” their earthly life. Those who obey will preserve their physical life and
enjoy the rewards of obedience to God.
17:34-35. Because He knows the future, the Lord can prepare those who
belong to Him. The reference to “two men in one bed” may indicate
people huddling together for the sake of safety or a father and son (cf. Luke
11:7).
17:36. The NKJV includes an addition found in some manuscripts of the
Majority Text: “Two men will be in the field: the one will be taken and
the other left.” Each illustration emphasizes the choice of only one from
each pair despite their external commonality.
17:37. The curiosity of the disciples prompts the question, “Where,
Lord?” Jesus’ answer has produced various interpretations. It either
pictures the judgment of unbelievers, or the deliverance—or persecution—
of the believing Jews near the end of the age.
18:1. The grim prospect of future times of peril may have left the disciples
wondering about the Lord’s intervention into the dangerous scenario. Jesus
allays their concern with a sympathetic urging “to pray” that encourages
them to think about the nature of God. The twofold exhortation affirms the
necessity of prayer always and the complementary effort to “not lose
heart.” Prayer facilitates the latter—both go hand in hand. (Vv 1-8 appear
only in Luke.)
18:2. The judge in Jesus’ parable lacked both reverence and compassion
—a description that sets up the narrative conflict to follow.
18:3. The parable then transitions to and introduces a character worthy of
compassion and societal concern—“a widow.” The widow voiced her
concise yet poetic request. The words “get justice” and adversary form a
wordplay in the original language. She essentially says “Get justice for me
from the one acting unjustly against me.”
18:4. The judge “would not” vindicate the woman “for a while.” This
foreshadows a time when he would. Further, it would provide hope for
believers in the midst of a trial who might mistakenly feel that the Lord has
delayed His intervention for too long. The repetition of the phrase “I do not
fear God nor regard man” underscores the all-encompassing callousness
of this judicial official.
18:5. The widow’s persistence prevails. The judge reveals his own aim or
self-concern: “lest by her continual coming she weary me.”
18:6. The Lord then provides an interpretive key to the parable. The
words of “the unjust judge” would serve to instill hope in the disciples and
encourage them to pray (see v 1). If the widow obtained justice from an
unjust judge, what could God’s people expect from their loving, merciful,
and just Judge?
18:7. The parable ends with a question designed to show that God—
loving, just, and merciful—will surely vindicate “His own elect who cry
out day and night to Him.” God has chosen His people (Israel) and they
belong to Him (in contrast to the widow of the parable who enjoyed no
relationship with the unjust judge).
18:8. Once the period of perseverance has transpired, God will speedily
bring judgment on the persecutors of those who belong to Him. The Lord’s
next question addresses the perseverance of believers during the perilous
second half of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (the great Tribulation). It does
not inquire whether “the Son of Man” will find believers on the earth (He
will), but rather which ones will remain faithful to the end.
K. The Messiah Reveals the Nation’s Varied Responses to Himself
(18:9-34)
18:9. Luke follows the parable of the persistent widow with another—the
parable of the Pharisee and the publican, and provides a twofold description
of its intended audience: those who trusted in themselves that they were
righteous, and despised others. The adjective righteous here refers to
practical righteousness.
 18:10. The Lord specifies that “two men went up to the temple to pray.”
Without additional information the first-century reader might
instantaneously favor “the Pharisee” as more upright than the “tax
collector.” The story will show that neither could claim righteousness—but
only one of the two admits it.
18:11. First, “the Pharisee” compares himself to other men in what he
does not do. The comparison with the tax collector himself heightens the
climax of the story. Furthermore, while the Pharisee praises God, saying,
“thank you that I am not like…this tax collector.” Ironically he needed
to follow that very same tax collector’s example of humility before God.
18:12. As if further motivated by comparing himself with the tax collector,
the Pharisee then highlights his own positive actions. The boast carries an
implicit accusation: rather than stealing by overcharging, the Pharisee
presented tithes from all of his possessions. Although he presumed to thank
God, he actually only praised himself (in addition to disobeying God by
despising the tax collector). Ironically, although the Pharisee counts himself
as exceeding the demands of the OT Law, he still does not have enough
righteousness to qualify as being justified before God. No sinner does.
18:13. The story now turns to the tax collector. His actions contrast with
the Pharisee: he has no pride (he “will not…raise his eyes”) and boasts of
nothing (but rather “beat his breast”). Further, the Pharisee speaks much
more than the tax collector. Significantly, both begin their prayer by
addressing God, but the Pharisee speaks much more than the tax collector
who can only say, “God, be merciful to me a sinner.” Here the tax
collector asks God to deal with him as One who holds nothing against him.
The request anticipates the priestly work of Jesus on the cross when He
offers Himself to the Father and so satisfies God’s justice. Because the tax
collector recognizes no cause of merit in himself, he must rely completely
on God’s mercy.
18:14. To humble oneself here does not represent a meritorious action but
rather a recognition of one’s lack of merit (not lack of worth) before God.
Both men came to the temple—only one went home enjoying a right
relationship with God. He could go home in peace.
18:15. Luke transitions from the kind of disposition needed for right
relations with God, to the related topics of entrance into the kingdom and
eternal reward. He provides an illustration of the kind of disposition needed
for both—the trusting (believing) disposition that characterizes children. He
records an episode involving the humblest, most dependent, unpretentious,
and unassuming of society: infants. The infants provide a perfect and living
picture of the principle of v 14b above. Babies had nothing to give, nothing
to boast about—and everything to receive. God cares about children, and
He even set them up as role models for qualities consistent with the values
of His kingdom.
18:16. Childlike belief undergirds everything having to do with “the
kingdom”—one enters the kingdom by belief in Christ as Savior and one
obtains reward in the kingdom by believing Jesus’ words about future
recompense (in the context of sacrifices made and hardships endured for the
sake of the future kingdom).
18:17. This verse sets up the lesson that the rich ruler (who subsequently
enters the narrative in v 18) needed to learn: childlike faith or belief in Jesus
Christ guarantees entrance into the kingdom of God. “A little child” would
have nothing to offer in terms of social status or any kind of bargaining
power.
18:18. Luke’s narrative brings to the fore someone on the opposite side of
the social scale from children. The ruler’s question reveals his perspective
regarding Jesus and eternal life. He considers Jesus a “Good Teacher” and
“eternal life” as a meritorious inheritance. His question does not
distinguish between entrance into the kingdom and enrichment in it. He sees
both facets as meritorious. However, Luke’s narrative has already shown
that merit does not play any role in entering (cf. v 17). This ruler needed to
see Jesus as the Messiah (both God and Man) and comprehend the primary,
essential, and gratuitous nature of eternal life as a gift.
18:19. Jesus first challenges the ruler’s perception of Him and then deals
with his understanding of eternal life. At first, it might seem that Jesus
distances Himself from the designation “God.” However, He clarifies the
ruler’s conception of what good means—only God “is good” and, He
arouses curiosity in the ruler regarding His (Jesus’) own identity. If only
God qualifies as good, Jesus’ question all but confirms His own identity as
God. Jesus here not only uses the Law lawfully to lead people to Himself,
but He also functions in much the same way as the Holy Spirit would (in
His work of conviction of sinners, cf. John 16:8-11) once He, Himself, had
returned to heaven. When Jesus promised that He would send another
Helper, He affirms that He had—during His own earthly ministry—already
carried out similar functions to the Holy Spirit’s future work.
18:20. The next facet of Jesus’ answer addresses the question posed by the
ruler. Jesus pointed Him to the Mosaic Law under which both He and the
ruler lived. “The commandments” of the Law prescribed God’s specific
standards for obedience. Consequently to merit eternal life—as a reward—
would require doing these things (cf. Gal 3:10-12; Jas 2:10-11).
18:21. The ruler’s answer simultaneously reveals his self-righteousness
and sets him up for Jesus’ startling assessment of his chances of inheriting
eternal life. Also the very fact that he felt the need to ask the question in the
first place may evidence a hint of insecurity in the rich ruler.
18:22. Jesus waits to hear the ruler’s response before answering.
Characteristic of that generation, the ruler lacked “one thing”—love for
God and others (or faith, see comments on v 23). So Jesus challenged him
with the two complementary commandments that reflected the two greatest
ones—love for God and for others (cf. Mark 12:28-31).
18:23. The ruler’s significant sorrow mirrored the great wealth he
possessed. The ruler made no counter offers; he understood the Lord’s
response with clarity. Faith could conceivably constitute the one thing the
ruler lacked. Nevertheless, love seems to fit more with the emphasis on the
commandments (v 20) and the ruler’s response—All these things I have kept
from my youth (v 21). In either case the Lord Jesus skillfully provides him
with the truth he needed at that moment—truth that could lead the ruler to
belief in Him as Savior.
18:24. As before, Jesus speaks after noting the ruler’s response. The ruler
could have entered “the kingdom of God” by simple belief in Jesus. His
great riches, however, posed an obstacle to belief because—at that point in
his life—he trusted in them instead (cf. Mark 10:23-27).
18:25. To heighten the difficulty attending a rich person’s entrance into the
kingdom (by simple belief in the Lord Jesus Christ) Jesus offers an amazing
analogy about “a camel” attempting to pass through “the eye of a needle.”
Trust in riches often competes against simple belief in Christ (cf. Mark
10:24).
18:26. Jesus’ comparative illustration elicits shock from the disciples.
Their question does not reflect self-doubt regarding their own salvation. It
possibly relates to their own perception of who will most likely receive
their message when they go out on their missions.
18:27. The Lord Jesus offers the solution to the characteristic difficulty in
the salvation of a rich person. In fact, as Luke’s narrative progresses,
Zacchaeus, a rich man, receives salvation (cf. Luke 19:1-10). The disciples
would experience evangelistic success with all kinds of people (including
the rich) because of God’s power in facilitating belief (cf. Matt 19:26 and
Mark 10:27).
18:28. The narrative then transitions from the rich ruler’s need to believe
in Jesus to the recompense that faithful believers can expect. Peter’s
exclamation includes an implicit question. Jesus had promised the ruler
treasure in heaven as a recompense for his potential obedience. Peter wants
to know what his actual response of following Jesus would gain for him and
his faithful colleagues.
18:29. With the guarantee—“Assuredly, I say to you”—Jesus promises
rewards to everyone who has made personal sacrifices on the pathway of
discipleship. These difficult choices all count as sacrifices “for the sake of
the kingdom of God.” This promise does not contradict Biblical
commands to love and provide for one’s family (cf. Eph 5:25-33; 1 Tim
5:8). Discipleship may demand temporary absences but not a forsaking of
family.
18:30. Jesus says that anyone who has sacrificed the security of his home
and close family ties will receive a rich recompense “in this present time,
and in the age to come everlasting life.” Everlasting life here cannot refer
to the gift of eternal life conditioned on simple belief. The possession of
eternal life comes solely as a free gift to all who believe Jesus’ eternally
binding promise—“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me has
eternal life” (John 6:47). God grants this gift in the present the very instant
anyone believes in Jesus (see 5:24-25). The promise here therefore refers to
a future reward—enhanced enjoyment of eternal life in the coming kingdom
—as well as “many times more” [than the sacrifice one has made] in this
present time. Thus God will graciously and abundantly repay both in this
life and the one to come.
18:31-32. The pathway of discipleship led “to Jerusalem” where Jesus
would soon sacrifice His very life. Jesus restricts this information to the
Twelve and explained that the OT prophets had already written about
everything He would soon experience in Jerusalem. He uses the familiar
“Son of Man” self-designation that highlights both His humanity and His
deity.
Jesus then explains what He means by “all things.” Jesus’ suffering
commenced even before His actual crucifixion. Rather than turning aside
from His purpose He persisted all the way to the Cross.
18:33. Jesus further explained, “They will scourge Him and kill Him.”
The Lord then predicts His resurrection also as a precise reflection of the
prophets’ predictions concerning Him.
18:34. Although Jesus had already told the disciples about His future death
and resurrection (cf. 9:22) Luke reports that at this point “they understood
none of these things.” This verse once again places illumination or
comprehension of Biblical truth under the sovereign control of God who
facilitates understanding as He wills.
L. A Blind Man and a Tax Collector Welcome Messiah’s Visitation
(18:35–19:10)
18:35. Luke then reports that as Jesus approaches Jericho (cf. 10:30)—on
His continuing journey to Jerusalem—a certain blind man sat by the road
begging. This narrative sustains various reminiscences of the story of the
Good Samaritan and its surrounding context, which strengthens the
association of the Samaritan as a picture of Jesus Himself—the Savior of
the downtrodden rejected by the proud, self-righteous nation.
18:36. The blind man heard a multitude passing by and asked about its
significance.
18:37. Significantly Jesus’ mission as He Himself announced in the
synagogue at Nazareth from the prophecy of Isaiah entailed giving sight to
the blind (see Isa 61:1-2; Luke 4:18-19). While His own blinded hometown
rejected Him to the point of attempting to kill Him (see Luke 4:14-30) the
blind man’s next words reveal his understanding of Jesus’ regal identity,
compassionate disposition, and divine power.
18:38. The blind man cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have
mercy on me!” The largest concentration of associations of Jesus with His
Davidic lineage occur early in the Gospel (see 1:32-33, 68-71; 2:1-5, 11).
This blind man knew what the nation as a whole should have recognized—
Jesus, the Davidic King, would show mercy to Israel, delivering it from
foreign domination and sin, if only they would welcome Him and request it.
18:39. The effort by those who went before to silence the blind man
served rather to call greater attention (both historically and narratively) to
Jesus’ identity. The cry of the blind man underscores both the royal
authority and divine compassion of the Lord Jesus Christ.
18:40. Whereas the multitude sought to silence the man, the kingly and
compassionate Jesus chose to stop and help him.
18:41. The Lord offered the man a carte blanche invitation: “What do you
want me to do for you?”—the only such request in the whole Gospel.
Without hesitation he said, “Lord that I may receive my sight.” Jesus, the
Davidic Messiah, would have done the same for Israel had they desired it.
18:42. The Lord Jesus spoke authoritatively as the royal Son of David. He
then added, “your faith has saved you” (made you well). Once again as in
other instances in the Lucan narrative spiritual salvation accompanies
physical healing.
18:43. Without delay, immediately the man received his sight.
Furthermore, he followed Jesus glorifying God. The miracle touched all
the people who, seeing it, gave praise to God. (See the very similar 5:25-
26 and compare with Acts 3:7-10.)
19:1.The narrative progresses to Jericho—an oasis city whose climate led
Herod the Great to build a winter palace there. Jericho also had a tax
collector’s booth because of its strategic and solitary roadway into
Jerusalem.
19:2. Luke then draws attention to a new character, Zacchaeus, both a
chief tax collector and rich. The populace would have felt particular
reprehension toward one who unjustly profited from his own countrymen.
Zacchaeus thus embodied two facets of the nation’s populace: the outcast
and despised on the one hand and the proud and self-sufficient on the other.
Both needed the Messiah.
19:3. Though Zacchaeus sought to see, both the large crowd and his short
height conspired to conceal Jesus from him.
19:4. Zacchaeus exerts himself to find out about Jesus—the narrow gate to
the kingdom (cf. 13:24)—who offers the kingdom as a free gift to all who
simply believe His promise.
 19:5. When Jesus reached the sycamore tree He looked up and saw
Zacchaeus. Jesus commanded him to “make haste and come down,”
adding, “for today I must stay at your house.” Jesus’ stay at Zacchaeus’
house pictures the reception that the nation—the other house (cf. 13:35)—
should have given Him.
19:6. Zacchaeus responds precisely to Jesus’ command: he made haste
and came down. Then, he received Him joyfully.
19:7. In contrast to Zacchaeus’ joy at having Jesus, the Son of David (see
18:38-39), stay in his home, the whole multitude complained. The original
language emphasizes their perception of Zacchaeus as a sinful man by
positioning the phrase “with a man who is a sinner” at the beginning of
their complaint.
19:8. Zacchaeus serves as a sterling example of the repentance preached
by John the Baptist and by Jesus (3:7-14; 5:27-32). In fact, Zacchaeus
surpassed both John’s instructions and the OT requirement for reparations
—the addition of 20 percent beyond the original value of the stolen goods
(cf. Lev 5:14-26). Whereas the narrative of the blind man focused on
salvation by faith alone, this story emphasizes repentance. Belief in Jesus
and national repentance would have brought about the kingdom and the
promised OT blessings. Now, the realization of the kingdom would have to
await a future time (see Luke 19:11).
19:9. Both “son of Abraham” and the similar “daughter of Abraham” (cf.
Luke 13:10-17) describe a justified believer (see Gal 3:1-14). Whereas
Zacchaeus’ fellow countrymen would have questioned his fidelity to his
physical Jewish heritage, his belief in Jesus (which probably occurred
sometime during the course of Jesus’ stay in his home) rendered him a
spiritual son of Abraham as well. In fact, John the Baptist minimizes the
claim to descendancy from Abraham when not accompanied by repentance.
Zacchaeus’ belief in Jesus and his subsequent repentance rendered him a
true Jew and Israelite in every sense of the word (cf. Rom 2:17-29; 9:6-8).
19:10. The narrative now reveals why Jesus had to stay at Zacchaeus’
home (cf. v 5). Jesus’ stay conformed to and expressed His compassionate
mission. Jesus’ mission clashed with the exclusivistic way and self-
righteous disposition of the religious leaders who did not care for the lost
(cf. Luke 15). The encounters with the blind man and Zacchaeus—both
outcasts—reveal Jesus’ compassion as well as how Israel should have
responded to their Messiah.
M. The Messiah Clarifies the Timing of the Kingdom (19:11-27)
19:11. Luke reports that as they (Zacchaeus’ household and the multitude
of disciples and detractors) heard these things, Jesus added another
parable. His proximity to Jerusalem coupled with the expectation that the
kingdom would appear immediately set up both the parable and His entry
into the city (vv 28-40).
19:12. Jesus’ parable extends all the way from Israel’s rejection of Him at
His First Advent—through the intervening period of His physical absence
and corresponding responsibility of His servants—to His return to reward
His own and judge His enemies. The nobleman represents Jesus. The “far
country” here refers to heaven (cf. 15:13 for a different use), and the
kingdom to the universal inheritance which the Lord Jesus won by faithful
obedience to God the Father (See Ps 2; Phil 2; Heb 1).
19:13. The “ten servants” represent the totality of His servants during this
present age. He charged them: “Do business till I come.” This both
clarifies their responsibility and assures them of a future reckoning. At the
outset no servant has any advantage over any other—all receive precisely
the same amount and assignment.
19:14. Whereas the servants do business after the nobleman departs, in
contrast, “his citizens hated him.” The citizens naturally refer to
inhabitants of Jerusalem. They sent a clear message to God the Father of
their continued rejection of Messiah.
19:15. The nobleman’s return pictures the return of Jesus to set up the
Messianic Kingdom promised in the OT (cf. Pss 2, 110). At that time He
asks that His servants give account for “how much every man had gained
by trading.” The scene here deals with the evaluation of believers. At that
time the faithful servants receive their recompense—responsibility over
cities in Messiah’s kingdom.
19:16. The evaluation proceeds in descending order of the servants’
faithfulness. The parable only reports on the assessment of three—each one
symbolic of high praise, praise, and no praise, respectively. Because ten
represents completeness, “the first” servant possibly represents the highest
attainable yield. He utilized his resources to the fullest and so gained a
commensurate return.
19:17. This first servant receives singular praise from his Master: “‘Well
done, good servant.’” In addition to superlative verbal praise the especially
faithful servant is granted authority in the Kingdom of His Master (cf.
Luke 16:10-12).
19:18. Consonant with the descending order of faithfulness, “the second”
servant reports: “Master, your mina has earned five minas.” The
decreased yield indicates less fidelity on his part. Having begun with the
same amount as the first servant, he gained half as much.
19:19. The Master places this second servant “‘over five cities.’”
However, this one does not hear the superlative praise accorded to the first
servant evaluated (see v 17).
19:20. The final servant in the series then approaches. His response differs
dramatically from the others’. He acknowledged that the mina ultimately
belonged to the Master (note: “your mina”), but did nothing profitable with
it.
19:21. This servant’s fear led him to disobey his Master. But that same fear
testifies to the servant’s knowledge of the Master’s will and disposition. He
knew that his Master would come to collect from his own efforts.
19:22. The servant’s excuse/explanation serves as the very basis for his
negative evaluation. He knew the Master as “‘an austere man’” who
collected what He “did not deposit” and reaped what He “did not sow.”
His knowledge sets up the consequence meted out to him—loss of rulership
privileges in the Kingdom (not eternal condemnation). The characterization
of this servant as wicked refers to his unfaithful handling of the mina
entrusted to him and not to his nature as unregenerate or unsaved. He
qualifies as a servant evaluated along with the others—clearly believers.
The master afterwards deals with unbelievers described as enemies rather
than servants (cf. 19:27).
19:23. The Master then questioned the servant’s decision making. The
money—and whatever it potentially gained—belonged to the Master.
19:24. The returning Master instructed “those who stood by”—a possible
reference to angels: “‘Take the mina from him, and give it to him who
has ten minas.’” This servant should have deposited or sown what his
Master entrusted to him. As a consequence befitting his knowledge and
mismanagement he would now lose what he did not sow and they would
deposit the mina in the account of the first servant.
19:25. The ones who stood by responded with evident surprise.
Apparently, the first servant deserved the additional mina because he earned
more than the second with the same initial amount.
19:26. Jesus then reveals a general principle undergirding His future
judgment of believers. In the case of the first and second servants
—“everyone who has”—refers to the initial investment plus the earnings.
In the case of the unfaithful servant “what he does not have” refers to the
potential gain he could have accrued. Further, in his case “what he has”
refers to the initial amount he mistakenly thought he could retain despite his
irresponsible handling of it.
19:27. After recompensing His servants, the Master then turns his attention
to the citizens who initially rejected Him (see v 14). The enemies refer to
unbelievers who rejected Messiah and His reign. This fits the evaluation of
believing servants in connection with Kingdom responsibilities (vv 19-26)
as well as the end of the age scenario pictured in Matt 13:41-42, 49-50.
N. The Messiah Enters Jerusalem Triumphantly (19:28-40)
1. The acclaim of many pictures the desired response (19:28-38)
19:28. The phrase, When He had said this, connects the parable of the
minas (and especially the mention of the enemies at the conclusion) with the
report of Jesus’ progress. In Jerusalem He would find His enemies and
they would seal the city’s sure destruction in AD 70.
19:29. Jesus drew near to Bethpage and Bethany. These villages lay east
of Jerusalem at the mountain called Olivet—an elevation associated both
with Jesus’ Ascension and Second Coming. At that time, He sent two of
His disciples to prepare for His entrance.
19:30-32. The Lord instructed the two unidentified disciples to enter the
village opposite them. Jesus then told them precisely what they would find
and what they should do. The fact that “no one has ever sat” on it
highlights its special use by Jesus.
In contradistinction to Adam, not only did Jesus have authority over the
animals, He also enjoyed Lordship over its owners. Consonant with this
“the Lord” made provision for a contingency which in fact arose (cf. v 33).
 19:33. As they carried out Jesus’ instructions the animal’s owners (lit.
kurioi or lords) asked the two disciples, “Why are you loosing the colt?”
The question shines a light on Jesus’ authority. The episode would serve to
emphasize both His prophetic ability and qualifications for rightful
kingship. The disciples should have taken notice and received comfort from
this.
19:34. The disciples answered precisely as Jesus had instructed. The
repetition of the phrase “the Lord has need of him” underscores Jesus’
Messianic sovereignty.
19:35. The actions of the disciples accord with the respect due to a King as
they willingly sacrifice their garments for His comfort. Thus, they set
Jesus on him.
19:36. Interestingly, Luke does not mention palm branches as the other
Gospel writers do (See Matt 21:6-11; Mark 11:7-10; John 12:12-15). As
Jesus went, many spread their clothes on the road to make a pathway for
the King. This action serves as a picture of how the nation as a whole
should have responded and recalls John the Baptist’s message in Luke 3:4-
5.
19:37. The Lord’s drawing near to the descent of the Mount of Olives
(cf. Luke 19:37; 21:37; 22:39) may prefigure His return to the same
mountain at the future establishment of the Kingdom. Now, the throng of
disciples rejoiced and praised God loudly as a response to all the mighty
works they had seen. Later, the Lord would ascend from that very
mountain (cf. 24:51; Acts 1:9-12).
19:38. Although the Lord undoubtedly knew the prophecy and directed the
events (at least to some measure), no one could have orchestrated the
response of the crowd or contrive all the mighty works they had seen (see v
37). The Triumphal Entry represented a culmination brought on by a
crescendo of Messianic miracles. Most importantly, only this King could
enjoy the unqualified approval of the Father as the rightful and righteous
Heir of the Davidic throne.
The crowd’s joyful expressions recall the praise at His birth: “‘Blessed is
the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ Peace in heaven and
glory in the highest!”
2. The religious leaders respond negatively (19:39-40)
 19:39. Amidst the joyous welcome and proclamation of Jesus as King
some of the Pharisees appealed to the authority of the very Messiah whom
they rejected. The Triumphal Entry thus provides the backdrop for the
questioning of Jesus’ authority which ensues in the narrative. Here we find
Luke’s final reference to the Pharisees in the Gospel narrative (cf. 5:17 for
the first).
19:40. Jesus responded that if the crowd “should keep silent, the stones
would immediately cry out.” The NKJV adds immediately (not included
in the Greek text). Ironically, even the stones had more spiritual sensibility
than the majority of the Pharisees. Nevertheless, both Luke and John
provide examples of Pharisees who did believe in Jesus (cf. Simon the
Pharisee in Luke 7:36-50, esp. v 42; John 12:42-43; Acts 15:5).
O. The Messiah Weeps over Jerusalem (19:41-47a)
19:41. The Pharisees’ request (v 39) presages the rejection to come. The
Lord Jesus wept compassionately understanding the consequences that
would befall Jerusalem (cf. Mark 13:1-2; Matthew 24:1-2; Luke 21:5-6).
19:42. Jesus addressed Jerusalem as representative of its inhabitants and
leaders (cf. 13:34-35). The Triumphal Entry furnished an ideal setting for a
full-scale joyous reception of the Messiah. Sadly, the Pharisees’ request
represented the predominant response of the city and its leaders. The Gospel
narrative began with the expectation of peace for the Jewish nation in
keeping with OT promises (See Luke 1:68-79). Instead, they would now
experience the disastrous destruction of the Jewish War of 66-70. The
salvation expected by Simeon (cf. 2:30) would await the Second Coming of
the Messiah.
19:43. The Lord then revealed details of the destruction that awaited the
city and that occasioned His sorrow. The adding up of enemies and their
aggressive actions highlights both the certainty and desperateness of the
situation.
19:44. The enemies would level Jerusalem—portrayed as a mother with
children—so that they would not leave “one stone upon another.” The
Lord clarified the basis for the deserved discipline: “because you did not
know the time of your visitation.”
19:45. This cleansing of the temple complements an earlier one
performed at the commencement of His ministry (see John 2:13-22). Here,
it furnishes evidence for Jesus’ judgment against them. They essentially
chose money over God (cf. 16:13).
19:46. Jesus hearkened to the inscripturated purpose of the Temple “‘My
house is a house of prayer’” (see Isa 56:7). The religious leaders—who
profited from the sales—had instead turned it into “a ‘den of thieves.’”
Because this probably took place in the court of the Gentiles it hindered
their access to worship of the true God.
19:47a. Jesus taught daily in the temple. His regular and well-received
teaching in the sphere of the Sadducees’ authority would surely arouse
opposition.
VIII. The Messiah Vindicates Himself and Prepares His Disciples
(19:47b–21:38)
A. The Messiah Silences His Enemies (19:47b–20:44)
19:47b. The Lord Jesus had established Himself as a popular/well-
received Teacher in the Temple. Luke subtly introduces the interplay
between the accepting people and the antagonistic religious leaders.
Ironically, none of the enumerated religious leaders fulfill a godly ministry.
19:48. The jealous leaders sought a way to kill Jesus at the same time that
He enjoyed a positive reception from the people. The phrase all the people
marks a strong delineation between the nation and its religious leaders.
They stood in the way of a unified positive response to the Messiah.
20:1. The peoples’ positive response toward Jesus (see 19:47-48)
motivated a strategic—and evil—reaction from the Jewish leaders. The
predominance of the chief priests…scribes, and elders reflects the change
of location to the temple precincts. Jesus’ ministry consisted of teaching the
people in the temple and preaching the gospel (lit., evangelizing).
20:2. Ironically the leaders themselves needed to answer their own
questions. They did not really even possess authority to question Jesus this
way.
20:3. Whereas the Pharisees asked Him a two-pronged question, Jesus
needed only “one thing” to derail their attempt to entrap Him. He will lead
them to deduct that God gave Him divine authority to minister.
20:4. The Lord Jesus does not ask about the message of John as such, but
rather about his baptism. “The baptism of John” encompassed both his
message and his person. Anyone submitting to it understood the message of
repentance in preparation for the arrival of the King and His kingdom, thus
fulfilling John’s function as forerunner to the Messiah. The religious
leaders’ answer would positively or negatively affect the peoples’ opinion
about them.
20:5. The leaders’ reasoning among themselves (and subsequent response
to Jesus) incriminates them. Significantly they recognized belief as the
proper response to John’s message.
20:6. The first response would have occasioned a potentially incriminating
question from Jesus, the second option would have incurred the wrath of
“the people” because they considered John “a prophet.” In either case the
leaders should have responded positively to John—leading to a believing
welcome of Jesus.
20:7. The answer they finally settled on condemned them just the same for
they answered that they did not know its source. Surely by this time the
leaders should have known the origin of such a significant and well-
received figure in their midst. Their denial of John reflects their rejection of
Jesus and His message.
20:8. Jesus’ answer (“Neither will I tell you by what authority I do
these things”) appears as a kind of lex talionis (a judgment in kind,
characteristic of the Mosaic Law). The reli-gious leaders’s response showed
that they sought potentially self-incriminating evidence rather than genuine
dialogue. They did not deserve further revelation, and so, they received
none.
20:9. The Lord Jesus then directs His attention to the broader audience of
the people and spoke a parable to them. In similar fashion to the Parable of
the Minas (cf. 19:11-27, esp v 12) someone entrusts a stewardship to others
and then leaves to “a far country for a long time”—enough to justly
expect a harvest from the vineyard.
20:10. “At vintage-time” the Owner of the vineyard “sent a servant to
the vinedressers,” to collect “some of the fruit.” But rather than giving
him the expected gain, the vineyard farmers “beat him and sent him away
empty-handed.”
20:11. The second prophetic messenger sent by the Owner did not fare
much better. Like the first servant, this one did not receive the just and
expected harvest from the vinedressers. He too reaped unjust treatment
from them.
20:12. The owner responded by sending yet a third servant. This one they
wounded and “cast him out.”
20:13. The question “What shall I do?” rhetorically motivates the
listener/reader to follow the rationale of God’s plan as He sends one servant
after another to the hardened vinedressers. It further highlights the response
God the Father expected and desired from them.
The owner of the vineyard decided to “‘send my beloved son,” which
represents the Lord Jesus Christ (see 3:22; 9:35; Eph 1:6). Seeing the
beloved son would purposefully remind the vinedressers of the owner
Himself. They would thus ostensibly extend to the Son the same respect
due to the Father.
20:14. When they saw the owner’s son they culminated their past
wickedness with murderous planning. The inheritance here represents
Jerusalem. By taking the Lord Jesus out of the way they thought they would
have free reign in Israel. Ironically their killing of Jesus assured that He
would ultimately receive the inheritance as the resurrected Lord.
20:15. The reference to casting the owner’s son “out of the vineyard”
reflects the crucifixion of Jesus outside the gates of Jerusalem (see Heb
13:12). The Lord Jesus attributes the judgment of the vinedressers to “the
owner of the vineyard” rather than to the son. Thus the very God they
claimed to serve would mete out judgment against them.
20:16. Because Jesus directs the parable to His immediate audience, the
judgment here refers to the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70. Whereas
they sought eternal life, they would meet death instead. And, although they
sought to retain religious control of the temple and the nation, God would
“give the vineyard to others.” The interesting response of the
chief priests, the scribes, and the elders both incriminates them and shows
their inability to avoid the judgment proclaimed against them. They could
have avoided it by believing Jesus, but not by wishful thinking.
20:17. Rather than sharing in the joyous response of those who rejoiced at
the Triumphal Entry, they participated in the rejection spoken of in Ps
118:22. Their rejection of Jesus would give way to God the Father
establishing Him as “the chief cornerstone.”
 20:18. Jesus’ masterful responses (vv 19-40) furnish a verbal
foreshadowing of the grinding “to powder” that awaits His enemies. The
stone refers to Jesus Himself. Some would trip over Him while walking
along the path. On others He would fall in judgment. Both would
experience somewhat unexpected judgment and suffer on account of their
response to Him.
20:19. Jesus’ words (along with the OT confirmation from Ps 118:22)
proved too much for the leaders. They nevertheless restrained themselves
because they feared the people. They responded by waiting for another
occasion to carry out their evil intentions.
20:20. Because they themselves could not seize Jesus openly, they sought
a way for Jesus to ensnare Himself with His own words. Once ensnared
they planned to deliver Him to…the governor (i.e. Pontius Pilate).
20:21-22. The spies sent to entrap Jesus first heap flattery upon Him, then
pose their crafty question: “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or
not?” This could potentially ensnare the Lord in various ways. It could turn
the crowd (which had endeared themselves to Him) against Him if they
perceived that His answer favored the Roman Empire that oppressed them
by means of taxation. The popular disdain of tax collectors testifies to the
potential trouble a wrong answer could occasion. In a context where anti-
government revolutionaries might arise and foment rebellion, the Jewish
spies would seize on any potentially inflammatory statement to turn Jesus
over to the authority of the governor.
20:23. Despite their stealth and flattery, Jesus perceived their craftiness
and responds with a question that foreshadows the futility of their efforts.
Surely One wiser than Solomon (cf. 11:31) could easily defend Himself,
show up their foolishness, and further establish His own credibility. With
these words, Jesus spoke rightly as they proposed He would. Now He
would teach rightly with a brilliant object lesson.
20:24. Jesus then asked, “Whose image and inscription does a denarius
have?” They answered and said, “Caesar’s.” The response underscored
their subjugation to Rome.
20:25. Jesus’ response both avoids personal favoritism and affirms the
way of God in truth (see v 21). It favored neither the Jewish people nor the
imperial authority, but rather upheld both their civil and religious
obligations.
 20:26. Jesus’ unassailable answer thwarted the plans of the spies and
caused them to keep silent.
20:27. Luke turns his attention to an attempt to trap Jesus in the religious
sphere. He reports that some of the Sadduccees approach to ask their own
potentially ensnaring question. In contrast to the spies they do not preface
their inquiry with flattering words (cf. 20:27-40 with Matt 22:23-33 and
Mark 12:18-27).
20:28. The Sadduccees believed only the first five books of the OT. Thus
their question reflects a belief in Moses as author of the Pentateuch. They
set up their potentially entrapping question by establishing a two-tiered
supposition on which to build.
20:29. The Sadducees then offered up a story built on the Mosaic
foundation they had already laid. Their argument would hinge on the
successive marriages of “seven brothers” to the same wife and then the
death of all involved.
20:30. The second brother repeats the history of the first. The
childlessness forms a key part of the argument, for it sets up the ensuing
marriage (in conformity with the teaching of the Torah).
20:31. The Sadducees establish the point of the story with “the third”
brother. The number three establishes a firm witness or testimony and the
number seven is the number of completeness or perfection. As for the fate
of the brothers, “they left no children, and died.”
20:32. The Sadduccees then lay down the final facet of the second tier of
their foundation. Since their question concerns the afterlife, every character
in their story must die.
20:33. Having relegated everyone to the grave, they now pose their
question. Their inquiry assumes their misguided belief concerning the
falsity of “the Resurrection” and future existence.
20:34. Jesus responds with a lesson in eschatology, anthropology,
angelology, and OT exegesis. At this point Jesus’ response does not really
impinge on the teaching of the Sadducees for He makes an observation all
would agree to. Nevertheless the mention of “this age” implies another age.
This would contradict the Sadducees’s teaching.
20:35. Jesus then proceeds to impart knowledge of that future age which
they deny (and which points to His supernatural knowledge). The phrase
“counted worthy” does not mean that believers must earn their
resurrection. The Lord Jesus promises believers both eternal life and
resurrection on the basis of simple belief in Him (see comments at John
11:25-27). Rather, Luke’s writing (both the Gospel and his Acts narrative)
concerns itself with the worthiness or unworthiness of those who receive
some benefit from God. An unbeliever can render himself unworthy of
eternal life by not believing in Jesus (see Acts 13:46). The worthy ones in
this case will receive the gratuitous benefit of resurrection from the Lord.
Nevertheless the emphasis of the passage falls on the inapplicability of
marital relations in the age to come.
20:36. In the age to come, believers will count as “equal to the angels” in
the sense that neither angels nor resurrected believers can die.
20:37. Jesus then seals His response to the Sadducees with a passage from
the writings of Moses, the only ones they believed. Not only did the
keeping of God’s promises to “Abraham…Isaac, and…Jacob” necessitate
their resurrection, but the Lord still qualified as their God in Moses’ day,
although they had died hundreds of years before.
20:38. The Lord could identify Himself in this manner to Moses because
“He is not the God of the dead” and so “all live to Him.” The Sadducees
now learned that the patriarchs still lived. In the future God would raise
these patriarchs to physical life again—although this time with immortality.
20:39. On the one hand Jesus had conceded their point—marriage bonds
would not extend into eternity via Resurrection. On the other hand this
would not negate the Resurrection itself (as the very Scriptures they revered
indicated). As in the prior question meant to test Him, Jesus won the respect
of His listeners and defused a possible controversy.
20:40. The Lord Jesus’ wise responses soundly silenced His enemies with
respect to both potential civil and spiritual ensnarements so that they dared
not question Him anymore. Now, He would ask them a question that
would highlight His identity as Messiah and hint at His deity.
20:41. Jesus’ question to the crowd—“How can they say that the Christ
is the Son of David?”—leverages the well-known universally accepted
notion that Messiah would descend from David.
20:42-43. Jesus affirms the Davidic authorship of Psalm 110 by quoting
from it. By doing this He forces His listeners to grapple with the words of
David—the best king they had had and the model for the kings that
succeeded him.
 “The Lord” (YHWH) promises that He will make Messiah’s enemies His
footstool. The quote contains a veiled warning to Messiah’s enemies (which
might include some in that very crowd).
20:44. Jesus’ question (after they exhaust theirs, v 40) leads to the
conclusion they should have arrived at: He is the Messiah, the Son of
David, par excellence. The same Messiah (or Christ) whom David
reverenced as his Lord also descends from him.
B. The Messiah Prepares His Disciples (20:45–21:38)
20:45. The Lord Jesus then turns the whole scenario around on them.
Whereas they did not want to carry out anything against Him publicly
because they feared the people (v 19), Jesus in the hearing of all the people
addresses His disciples and warns them against the leaders (in their very
presence as well).
20:46. Luke presents a concise warning directed at the disciples whereas
Matthew records a long discourse which includes woes aimed at the
Pharisees (see Matthew 23). “The scribes” exhibited self-exalting behavior.
They devoured any attention given them and customarily sought it.
20:47. But they displayed aggression also. Rather than helping
emotionally and economically distressed widows, these men went after
their remaining financial resources. Their offenses culminate by their use of
presumably sincere prayers for the purposes of ostentation. As a
consequence Jesus assures that “these will receive greater
condemnation,” a statement that clearly teaches degrees of punishment in
the future judgment and afterlife—both denied by the Sadducees (cf. the
concise prayer that Jesus communicates to His disciples, 11:2-4).
21:1. Luke often calls attention to the actions and attitudes of the rich (cf.
Mark 12:41-44).
21:2. In customary Lucan style, the narrative contrasts the poor widow
with the rich contributors.
21:3. Jesus offered His divine and categorical commentary on the scenario
He had just witnessed: “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put
in more than all.” Interestingly He condemns neither the widow nor the
rich for contributing to the corrupt temple leadership.
21:4. The Lord then offers the rationale behind His evaluation: Her greater
need (in contrast to the abundance of the rich contributors) augmented her
offering beyond that of all the wealthy contributors combined. Further she
essentially contributed her very life in that she gave “all the livelihood that
she had.”
21:5. The preceding narrative helps set up a prediction concerning the
destruction of Jerusalem and the temple itself (cf. Matt 24:1-2; Mark 13:1-
2).
21:6. Jesus seized the moment to predict the future destruction of
Jerusalem in AD 70. The magnificence of Herod’s temple must have made
Jesus’ words seem amazing to those who heard Him say this. Nonetheless
the destruction would topple all the beautiful stones that they had just
admired (cf. Matt 24:2; Mark 13:2).
21:7. Jesus’ astounding statement sparked an immediate response from the
disciples. They wanted to know when this destruction would occur and
“what sign will there be.”
21:8. As the Second Advent approaches, more messianic deceivers and
imposters will appear. Jesus forewarned, “many will come in My name.”
Multiple false prophets would arise with a twofold message: ‘I am He,’
and, ‘The time has drawn near.’ In times of significant distress disciples
would desire to see the Lord. But even disciples must stand guard against
deception. They must not be deceived or go after them.
21:9. The Lord Jesus offers a third instruction. The disciples should “not
be terrified” when they hear violent reports “for these things must come
to pass first.” The divine necessity provides the stable foundation of God’s
sovereign control even in the midst of unsettling rumors and reports. These
events will transpire during the first half of Daniel’s seventieth week (cf.
Matt 24:4-8, which characterizes these as the beginning of sorrows). Thus a
few more years would transpire before the Second Advent of the Lord. He
clarified, “but the end will not come immediately.”
21:10. The first half of the seventieth week would also include conflicts
between nations (see Matt 24:7).
21:11. The “great earthquakes in various places, and famines and
pestilences” and “fearful sights and great signs from heaven” provide a
succinct description of the turmoil and terrors of the Seventieth Week.
(Similar events that occur before the Seventieth Week begins do not
especially signal the Second Advent of Christ or fulfill these words.)
 21:12. The Lord Jesus now begins to answer the questions originally posed
in v 7 as He returns to a time before all these things. His ensuing words
find fulfillment in the Acts narrative, Luke’s following work. These
predictions would transpire before both the Second Advent and the
destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.
21:13. The negative responses against the disciples would serve a positive
purpose—opportunities to witness for the sake of Jesus’ name. He
promised, “it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” Thus
the Lord assured them of a divine design undergirding the human devices.
21:14. He then provided further encouragement for them in view of the
coming persecutions. The disciples should not prepare beforehand an
answer for the occasions presented in v 12.
21:15. The Lord Jesus would give them the communication skills and
sanctified wisdom needed to confound their persecutors and convince their
audiences. Jesus Himself would demonstrate this ability in responding to
His adversaries. The quality of their response would demonstrate continuity
with the wisdom of the Savior Himself—so that they would share both in
His suffering and in His ability to handle them.
21:16. Nevertheless, a divinely enabled ability to communicate would not
necessarily rescue them from death. Moreover, their commitment to Christ
would arouse opposition “even by parents and brothers, relatives and
friends.”
21:17. The persecution and adverse responses would reach beyond close
relationships to others. Their allegiance to the Lord would arouse
opposition from all.
21:18. Jesus’ promise either applies only to the immediately preceding
statement, if it promises preservation of physical life; or it refers to the
preservation of all faithful believers in the sense that God will fully preserve
them whether they lose their lives or not.
21:19. The Lord then gives them an instruction with an inherent promise:
“In your patience possess your souls.” They would gain their lives by
persevering faithfully through all the adverse circumstances endured for the
sake of Christ. Christian virtue in the form of faithful endurance for the sake
of Jesus will result in the possession of one’s life as a reward. This
statement pertains to believers who already possess eternal life as a
guaranteed gift. Further, it deals with a future reality brought about by the
believer’s endurance. Although they would certainly receive God’s help
(see vv 13-14), they would have to show personal faithfulness in the context
of persecution (cf. Luke 21:20 with Matt 24:15-28 and Mark 13:14-23).
21:20. Having answered their first question, Jesus now responds to their
second inquiry, “what sign” will there be “when these things are about to
take place?” When they “see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, they
would know that its desolation is near.”
21:21. The armies around Jerusalem would serve as a signal to the
disciples (who did not share the specific guilt of rejecting Jesus) to flee.
21:22. Judgment on the Jewish nation—characterized by the destruction of
Jerusalem—would precede its assured redemption in the future. Theophilus,
as well as other believers, needed to know the certain hope that lay beyond
the ruins of the toppled temple.
21:23. The trials and judgment of AD 70 would bring particular hardship
on women who would be pregnant or “nursing babies.” Significant
distress would characterize “those days” of wrath on the Jewish nation.
Their belief in Jesus and their repentance would have averted the coming
judgment and renewed their fellowship with God. Now they would face dire
consequences.
21:24. Jesus then details the Roman siege and its consequences. Some
would die at the hands of sword wielders, and soldiers would take others
captive. They would end up scattered in various nations. Refusing the
Messiah and His New Covenant, they will experience the curses of the
Deuteronomic Covenant (Deut 28–30). The phrase “times of the Gentiles”
appears only in Luke’s Gospel. These times see Israel without possession of
their homeland and without their Davidic King on the throne.
21:25. The notion of fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles (in the
preceding verse) and the mention of “signs in the sun, in the moon, and in
the stars” signal a switch back to the end of the age (cf. 21:11). The
language transitions from a localized Judean setting to a universal and
celestial scenar-io. Astronomical signs, international distress, and aquatic
upheavals will precede the Second Advent of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf.
Matt 24:29-31; Mark 13:24-27).
21:26. The signs, distress, and disturbances will occasion merited fearful
reactions from mankind. Thus “men’s hearts failing them” will
accompany the various manifestations. Mankind will respond this way
because “the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”
21:27. The “power and great glory” of the Second Advent will surpass
the diverse manifestations witnessed by mankind during those days.
21:28. Jesus now provides instructions that contrast with those given in v
21. Now, rather than taking flight, they should take heart “because your
redemption draws near.” Redemption here refers to the deliverance of the
Jewish nation from all their enemies with a view to their enjoying their
covenanted blessings and fulfilling their God-ordained mission in the land
God promised them. The language here cannot apply to AD 70 for the
Jewish nation did not experience the long awaited redemption then.
21:29. Jesus’ direct prophecies lead to a parable related to the fulfillment
of end-time events. The “fig tree” may represent Israel while “all the
trees” stands for the other nations, thus lending a more universal or
international perspective to the parable (cf. Matt 24:32-34; Mark 13:28-30).
21:30-31. Just as the budding of the trees signaled the nearness of
summer, events both in Israel as well as internationally would signal the
proximity of God’s kingdom. The “kingdom of God” refers to God’s future
kingdom, commencing with Jesus’ millennial reign and then extending into
eternity.
21:32. Jesus promises that the contemporaries of those events “will by no
means pass away till all these things take place.”
21:33. The Lord Jesus had just affirmed the passing away of that
generation once all those things transpired. All those things would have to
happen before the passing away of that generation. Now He affirms the
permanence of His words and the passing away of “Heaven and earth.”
And heaven and earth would pass away after the millennial reign of Christ
(cf. 21:33 with Matt 24:35 and Mark 13:31).
21:34. Jesus’ words turn from the prophetic future to the present times.
“That Day” refers to the Day of the Lord, which commences with the
Rapture (and relates to the beginning of Daniel’s seventieth week). This
constitutes a warning to those who live in the Church Age regarding their
comportment in anticipation of the Day of the Lord, which will begin with
the Rapture.
21:35. The Day of the Lord “will come as a snare.” It will introduce—
with worldwide consequences—the final seven years of this present age.
 21:36. In light of the sudden commencement of the Day of the Lord
believers of the Church should “watch…and pray.” A positive evaluation
at the future Judgment Seat of Christ requires watchfulness and
prayerfulness now in anticipation of Jesus’ return to rapture the church. All
believers of the church age will “escape all these things that will come to
pass” but not all will “be counted worthy” to do so. All will also appear
before the Lord Jesus’ Judgment Seat (cf. 2 Cor 5:10-11). Nevertheless, not
all will stand.
21:37. Luke concludes this unit (19:47b–21:38) with a summarizing
report. After spending the nights on the Mount of Olives Jesus would teach
in the temple.
21:38. At this point the Lord Jesus still moved freely without imminent
threat of imprisonment or violence. He still enjoyed favor with the people.
IX. The Nation Pursues the Messiah to the Death (22:1–23:56)
A. The Enemies of Messiah Plan His Death (22:1-6)
22:1. The Passion narrative (22:1–23:56) begins by highlighting the
proximity of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover—two feasts
that had merged into one because of their intimate connection (cf. Exod
23:14-15; Leviticus 23; Deut 16:1-17).
22:2. The chief priests and the scribes had not succeeded in trapping
Jesus with trick questions. Ironically the very religious leaders who should
have readily welcomed Jesus as Messiah sought instead to kill Him.
However, because of His popularity a public arrest might ultimately work
against them. Consequently they feared the people and needed an insider
to facilitate their murderous intent.
22:3. Satan found a willing accomplice in Judas. His identification with
the Twelve heightens his guilt as one who had ample and close exposure to
the Savior (cf. 22:3-6; cf. Matt 26:14-16; Mark 14:10-11).
22:4. Neither Luke nor the other evangelists provide a clue regarding
Judas’ motives other than his apparent love of money—reflected in his
thievery (see John 12:1-8). Judas conferred with the religious leaders about
how he might betray Him to them.
22:5. The theme of rejoicing in the Gospel takes a wicked turn as the chief
priests and captains were glad. They agreed to pay Judas. Both his
unregenerate nature and susceptibility to greed provided the raw material
for Satan to employ in this evil endeavor. At the same time, Judas chose this
course of action for himself—he betrayed the Savior for financial gain.
22:6. Judas promised and sought opportunity to betray Him in the
absence of the multitude. Judas aligns himself with Satan who also waited
for an “opportune time” (cf. 4:13). Ironically when they approach Jesus to
arrest Him they come “with a multitude” (cf. 22:47).
B. The Messiah Sends Peter and John to Prepare the Passover
(22:7-13)
22:7. The close proximity of this verse to the preceding subunit (22:1-6)
associates Jesus with the Passover Lamb that must be killed. As in other
instances in the Gospel the necessity verb must signals divine design (cf.
22:7-13 with Matt 26:17-19; Mark 14:12-16).
22:8. While Judas made unrighteous preparations for betraying Jesus, the
Lord sent Peter and John, to “prepare the Passover.” The Lord Himself
would partake of the Passover in obedience to the OT Law and in
communion with the disciples.
22:9. Although Jesus sends Peter and John to prepare the Passover, they
look to Him to direct every detail. Their question helps display Jesus’
sovereignty over His own death.
22:10. The Lord provided exact instructions. His precise knowledge of
who would meet them when and doing what manifests His divine
foreknowledge. The man would meet Peter and John and they would
“follow him into the house” in Jerusalem.
22:11. At His first recorded Passover at age twelve, His parents found Him
discussing with the teachers (cf. 2:46). At this last Passover Luke describes
Him as “the Teacher.” The fact that He will eat with His disciples reflects
their spiritual kinship. People usually celebrated this feast with their
immediate family—and perhaps joined by one other family.
22:12. The “master of the house” would “show them a large, furnished
upper room.” There Peter and John would “make ready.” The
preparations involved procuring an unblemished firstborn lamb, sacrificing
it at the temple, and obtaining the other prescribed elements of the feast as
detailed in Exod 12:1-28, 43-51.
22:13. Disciples of the Lord Jesus can take heart in His perfect knowledge
of the future. They can confide fully in His word. Thus they went and
found it just as He said to them. And in obedience to Him Peter and John
prepared the Passover.
C. The Messiah Prepares His Disciples for His Departure (22:14-
34)
22:14. Luke passes from the preparation of the supper to participation in it.
The hour may refer to the time of the Passover meal itself as well as to the
initiation of His Passion hour (cf. John 12:23; 13:1; 17:1-2). The
participation of the twelve apostles—including the unbelieving Judas—
shows the grace and love of God in providing Jesus, the Lamb of God for
the sins of the whole world. Jesus died for the sins of every single person
(cf. Matt 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; John 6:51-58; 1 Cor 11:23-25).
22:15. The Lord Jesus’ passionate expression reflects a Hebraic style of
speech used for underscoring a thought. He deeply “desired to eat this
Passover” with His apostles before His Passion.
22:16. The Lord offered a rationale for His intensified longing. This
Passover meal commemorated one facet of the Passover symbolism—
spiritual deliverance from sin on the basis of the sacrificed Lamb of God—
and it anticipated another—political and spiritual deliverance for Israel in
connection with the Second Advent of the Lord. Both would be “fulfilled
in the kingdom of God.”
22:17. The Lord then transitions from eating to drinking. Only Luke’s
narrative mentions this cup. The Lord Jesus will drink wine again with His
disciples after the meal and there provide a symbolic interpretation (cf. v
20).
22:18. Because wine accompanies celebratory rejoicing, the Lord would
“not drink of the fruit of the vine until” the arrival of “the kingdom of
God.”
22:19. The Lord pronounced the symbolic meaning of the bread as His
own “body…given” on their behalf—including Judas who had not yet
exited the supper to carry out his betrayal (see John 13:1-30). He also
prescribed its observance as something they should “do…in remembrance
of” Him. Only Luke narrates the actual institution of the Lord’s Supper (cf.
1 Cor 11:17-26).
22:20. A supper followed the breaking of the bread (and the first cup
mentioned in v 17). Whereas the bread represented His body, the cup stood
for “the new covenant” in contrast to the old Mosaic Covenant. Like the
offering of His body, Jesus would shed His blood for all of them.
22:21. Judas, the betrayer would hand over the very Savior who would
give His life for him. If Jesus gave His life for the person who betrayed
Him, He certainly died for every sinner.
22:22. The Lord Jesus here affirms both divine sovereignty and human
responsibility. The divine counsel had determined His death, but a man—
Judas—had carried out the betrayal willingly and without coercion. God
included it in His plan by permission, and Judas carried it out by his own
sinful choice.
22:23. Luke underscores how little the other apostles suspected any
among themselves of betrayal. At some point after this, Satan enters Judas
again (see John 13:2, 27) and he departs into the night to deliver the Lord
into the hands of His enemies.
22:24. From the question of betrayal, Luke transitions to a report of a
rivalry among them. Perhaps Luke intends the reader to see this as a
further development of the discussion regarding who would betray the Lord
(cf. 9:46-48).
22:25. The Lord Jesus intervenes in the dispute by first introducing an
example from the style of governance “of the Gentiles” under whose civil
authority they lived. He called to mind two characteristics of their kings.
22:26. The Lord then unequivocally instructs them to act “on the
contrary.” His instructions essentially turn the expected and customary
order upside down. He offers principles and manners of conducting oneself
that conform to those of the future kingdom.
22:27. Having illustrated a rival model of greatness, the Lord Jesus then
offers Himself as the preferred example of humble service. He leads the
apostles to arrive at the lesson themselves by asking them two questions,
the latter one rhetorical. After they assent to His conclusion, Jesus points
out His own posture among them—“as the One who serves.” Surely none
could object to His example and lesson on greatness and service.
22:28. The Lord Jesus then promises a reward to the remaining eleven
apostles. At this point, Judas had departed and Peter would soon betray
Him. Nevertheless all—except Judas—had “continued with” the Lord up
to this point.
 22:29. The Lord rewards His faithful apostles with “a kingdom.” This
reward mirrors the reign that the Lord Jesus Himself received. Their
intimacy with His suffering would result in the closest experience possible
of the reigning privilege He would enjoy.
22:30. The bestowal of kingdom privilege would enable them to “eat and
drink” at the Lord Jesus’ table in His kingdom—a special privilege akin to
sitting at the head table. They would also “sit on thrones.” The Jewish
nature of the millennial kingdom accounts for their “judging the twelve
tribes of Israel.” Judas forfeited these privileges by unbelief and betrayal.
22:31. The request by Satan may here reflect the devil’s desire to cause
disturbance on the other side of the Cross. In other words he may figure that
the Cross will not prove an obstacle to the establishment of Messiah’s
kingdom. So he turns to attempting to derail Peter, the leader and
spokesman of the Twelve.
Luke draws a comparison between Satan’s restrained manner in dealing
with Peter and his more aggressive approach with the unbelieving Judas.
Satan simply enters the willing Judas, whereas he asks permission to harass
Peter. The Lord reveals that “Satan has asked for you.” God granted
Satan’s petition but used it for Peter’s ultimate edification. This experience
fortified Peter and rendered him a more useful servant (cf. Matt 26:31-35;
Mark 14:27-31; John 13:36-38).
22:32. If Peter’s “faith should…fail,” that would not affect his eternal
salvation at all. While some teach that Jesus’ prayer keeps the believer
saved, His intercession here rather keeps Peter safe from a spiritual defeat
that would hinder or derail his future usefulness in ministry. The granting of
eternal life (John 4:24-25) and justification by faith (see Rom 5:1) represent
an irreversible bestowal granted to the believer once and for all. Peter
would return to Jesus as His faithful follower with the spiritual resources to
strengthen other believers—potentially especially those who had failed
their Lord and needed reassurance of future usefulness to their Master.
22:33. Peter does not readily acquiesce to the Lord’s words. Ironically
Peter denies his future denial (cf. Acts 10:14).
22:34. The Lord Jesus then reveals to Peter what will result from Satan’s
sifting. He knows both what Peter and a nearby rooster will do. Despite his
courageous claim, Peter, whose name means rock, would contradict his
claim with the unassailable witness of three denials.
 D. The Evil and Brief Hour of Satan and the Religious Leaders
Begins (22:35-53)
22:35. Peter’s denials would take place in the context of Satan’s futile yet
very real effort to derail God’s plan. In anticipation of the trouble to come
the Lord Jesus had the Twelve recall a previous mission where they
experienced God’s provision for them despite the fact that He had instructed
them to go “without money bag, knapsack, and sandals.” As in other
instances Jesus leads them to reason to the correct conclusions.
22:36. Jesus’ instructions here reflect the culmination of His mission and
the crescendo of antagonism from the leadership in Jerusalem. The
increased context of hostility called for supplies that would facilitate self-
preservation (a “money bag” or knapsack) and self defense (a sword).
Although the supplies would change, they would still lack nothing (v 35).
22:37. The Lord here identifies Himself as the Suffering Servant
prophesied by Isaiah about seven hundred years earlier (Isa 52:13–53:12).
In fulfillment of OT prophecy the Lord Jesus would die “with the
transgressors” despite His absolutely holy character and conduct. The life
of the Lord Jesus Christ had a prophetically expressed end—His death on
behalf of sinful humanity.
22:38. The disciples swiftly responded to the request for weapons. Jesus
here recognizes the validity of self-defense in principle. The “two swords”
would be enough for self-defense while simultaneously denying any
revolutionary purposes—in case they tried to level that kind of accusation
against Him and His followers (cf. Acts 21:37-40). Two weapons would
hardly suffice against the imperial forces.
22:39. The safety of the Upper Room soon gave way to the satanically
driven threat and attack on the Mount of Olives. Scripture associates the
Mount of Olives with the victorious ascension and second advent of the
Lord (cf. Acts 1:1-12; Zechariah 14). Here it would serve as the arena for
Satan’s evil purposes.
22:40. The Lord Jesus came to the place, Gethsemane, though Luke does
not state the name. He then exhorted the disciples, “Pray that you may not
enter into temptation.”
22:41. The Lord Jesus had instructed His disciples to pray, and then He
withdrew from them to petition the Father in private.
 22:42. The cup in Jesus’ prayer represents His suffering and the petition
reflects His humanity. In humble obedience He bows to the Father’s will for
Him.
22:43. An angel appeared, bringing Jesus strength for the coming
suffering.
22:44. Jesus then prayed more earnestly. He prayed so intensely and
suffered so much that His sweat became like great drops of blood.
22:45. When Jesus concluded His prayer He returned to His disciples and
found them sleeping from sorrow. Psychologically sleep can signal
depression.
22:46. The Greek word katheudō used here for sleep (in contrast to
koimao in v 45) carries moral connotations in the Pauline Epistles. Its
connection here with temptation hints at the connection between prayer
and spiritual alertness or watchfulness.
22:47. The whole scene bears incongruity: they wanted to arrest the Lord
without a crowd (v 6), but they arrived with a multitude. Judas, who
should have taken his stance with Jesus, comes to betray Him and chooses a
kiss as the method of betrayal (cf. Matt 26:47-56; Mark 14:43-50; John
18:1-11).
22:48. The Lord Jesus addressed His betrayer directly. As on other
occasions the Lord refers to Himself as “the Son of Man.” Judas attempted
to mark out the Savior with an unholy kiss, the very One who would return
to judge mankind and set up His kingdom (Dan 7:9-14).
22:49. The disciples’ justifiable question arose when they realized Judas’
betrayal and saw the threatening multitude that accompanied him (v 52
below specifies that they bore “swords and clubs”). Significantly more than
one disciple inquired about attacking them, as the plural indicates: “shall
we strike with the sword?”
22:50. Only John’s Gospel identifies Peter as the aggressor here (John
18:10-11). He struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right
ear.
22:51. The Lord Jesus did not hinder the evil mission of Judas and the
religious leaders. He instructed, “Permit even this.” From a human
perspective, the Lord Jesus’ disposition reflects the outcome of His intimate
prayer with the Father (see vv 39-42). He then exemplified love for His
enemies as He touched his ear and healed him.
 22:52. The healing of the servant’s ear established Jesus’ posture before
His enemies—He would not counterattack. He then asked the multitude a
question that revealed their disposition, “Have you come out, as against a
robber, with swords and clubs?”
22:53. Jesus’ words highlight both His innocence (He taught openly and
“daily in the temple”) and their evil cowardice. The hour refers back to the
one Luke referred to in v 14. It pertained to the chief priests, captains of the
temple, and the elders as well as to “the power of darkness”—the devil’s
limited evil authority.
E. The Religious Leaders Construct Their False Case (22:54–
23:2)
22:54. After Jesus allows His arrest, they led Him and brought Him to
the house of Caiaphas the high priest (cf. Matt 26:57; Mark 14:53). This
action represented their efforts at gathering charges against Jesus with a
view to bringing Him before Pilate. The high priest’s persistence displays
his level of hard-heartedness. Luke then brings the apostle Peter into the
narrative and reports that Peter followed at a distance (cf. Matt 26:58, 69-
75; Mark 14:54, 66-72; John 18:15-18, 25-27).
22:55. At Caiaphas’s house Peter sat among them—an action that
presages his denial of the Lord by his association with the others in the
courtyard of the high priest.
22:56. While in the high priest’s courtyard a certain servant girl saw
Peter by the fire. Her perceptive gaze both validated Peter’s identity as a
follower of Jesus as well as facilitated his progressively unfolding denial.
22:57. Peter responds to the girl with his first denial. Not only does he
disavow any association with Him; he denies knowing Him altogether.
22:58. This time a man approached (in contrast to the servant girl earlier).
In addition, the man’s affirmation does not directly associate Peter with
Jesus but rather with His followers—“You also are of them.” Peter again
denies the association.
22:59. After two opportunities to recoup and openly state his allegiance to
Jesus, someone else approached Peter. This person once again associates
Peter with Jesus because “he is a Galilean” (cf. vv 56, 58).
22:60. Peter denied the affirmation for the third time (see 22:34). The
power of darkness had influenced Peter. Satan had sifted him as wheat.
Nevertheless the rooster that signaled the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy
regarding Peter’s denial also heralded the morning—and with it hope. The
close timing between the third denial and the rooster’s crow heightens both
the denial and the infallibility of the fulfillment.
22:61. After Peter’s third denial the Lord turned and looked at Peter.
Only then did Peter recall the word of the Lord (cf. Matt 26:75; Mark
14:72).
22:62. Peter’s repentant return (cf. v 32) began immediately. He went out
and wept bitterly (cf. Matt 26:75 for the only other NT use).
22:63. Peter possibly did not witness what happened next for he had gone
out (see v 62). Those who held the Lord Jesus mocked and beat Him—for
the first of various occasions after His arrest.
22:64. The taunt of Jesus’ accusers shows that they understood something
of Jesus’ supernatural person. The same mocking displays that they
understood that His ability to prophesy involved the communication of
information by God without the use of His natural senses.
22:65. Their taunts counted as blasphemous, seeing that they actually
mocked God incarnate.
22:66. With the words as soon as it was day Luke signals that Jesus
suffered at the hands of His torturers until morning arrived. Thus at
daybreak they led Him into their council. The council consisted of all the
religious leaders who—under Rome—administered issues dealing with the
Jewish people (cf. Matt 26:59-68; Mark 14:55-64).
22:67. After Jesus would not defend Himself physically or respond
verbally to the religious leaders’ taunting, they asked Him directly, “If you
are the Christ, tell us.” Their demand shows that they understood the
essential issue concerning Jesus’ identity—His messiahship (see Luke 2:11,
26; 4:41; 19:20). Jesus’ answer underscores the corresponding necessary
response—to believe in Him as the Christ—the Messiah, the Savior (cf.
John 4:25, 29, 42; 20:30-31).
22:68. The Lord then considered the other option—asking them what they
think about Him. His persecutors would neither answer nor release Him.
Both possible courses of actions display their guilt. Their silence in the face
of the options presented by the Lord Jesus showed their culpability.
22:69. The Lord Jesus then implicitly identified Himself as “the Son of
Man” written about in Dan 7:9-14. The designation “power of God” here
refers to God the Father. He thus identifies Himself as the King who will
deliver the nation and as the Priest par excellence—in the order of
Melchizedek. Both roles fit the Interadvent Age as the Lord both now
serves as High Priest for believers and awaits the Second Advent when He
will rule from Jerusalem.
22:70. Jesus’ words bring about their desired aim. All the religious leaders
ask Him, “Are you then the Son of God?” His response masterfully places
the answer on their lips—and so consequently their own culpability.
22:71. Ironically the words of Jesus’ accusers render them culpable—and
not Jesus. The Lord had given them all the testimony they needed to
believe in, and welcome Him as their Messiah. They had “heard it
themselves from His own mouth.” Truly they stood in the presence of One
greater than Solomon in His wisdom (cf. 11:29-32).
23:1. Having secured a charge or negative testimony in a religious context,
the Jewish leaders needed to condemn Him before the civil authorities and
thus they led Him to Pilate (cf. Matt 27:11-14; Mark 15:2-5; John 18:33-
38).
23:2. The religious leaders accused Jesus before Pilate of several patently
false charges. Even the accurate charge that He claimed “that He Himself
is Christ, a King”—emphasizes His kingship in order to raise Roman
suspicion and opposition against Him.
F. The Roman Authorities Ascertain No Valid Charge Against
Jesus (23:3-23)
23:3. Pilate’s question limits the sphere of Jesus’ kingship to the Jews.
The Lord’s answer is affirmative: “It is as you say” (cf. Matt 27:11-14;
Mark 15:2-5; John 18:33-38).
23:4. Pilate renders his judgment addressing the chief priests and the
crowd. The governor unequivocally states, “I find no fault in this Man.”
As customary in Luke-Acts the persecution against both Jesus and the early
Church often originates with the religious leadership.
23:5. Pilate’s clear affirmation of innocence inflames the crowd. They
again accused the Lord. Their jealousy with regard to the people comes to
the fore.
23:6-7. The mention of Galilee as the starting point of Jesus’ ministry
captures Pilate’s attention. As a Galilean, Jesus belonged to Herod’s
jurisdiction.
23:8. Herod had desired for a long time to see Jesus because he had
heard many things about Him and he hoped to see some miracle (see
9:7-9 and 13:31-33).
23:9. Herod questioned the Lord Jesus with many words. Nevertheless,
like a Lamb silent before its shearers, He answered Him nothing (see Isa
53:7).
23:10. In contrast to Jesus’ silence before Herod, the chief priests and
scribes stood and vehemently accused Him.
23:11. In keeping with the Herodian interest evident in his books, only
Luke reports Herod’s actions against Jesus. The gorgeous robe recalls the
Joseph story. Having completed their humiliation, they sent Him back to
Pilate. On the human level the final decision regarding Jesus’ fate would
rest with Pilate.
23:12. The fact that that very day Pilate and Herod became friends
with each other foreshadows the reconciliatory effect of Jesus’ death.
Jesus’ powerful person even effected reconciliation between unbelieving
foes. Ironically rather than fomenting trouble in the Roman Empire, events
tied to Jesus even prevented future friction between Pilate and Herod
Antipas.
23:13. The Gentile ruler Pilate then assembled the Jewish leaders—the
chief priests, the rulers, and the people. Luke now specifies the
participation of the Jewish populace in the decision-making process that
leads to the condemnation of the Lord Jesus.
23:14. Pilate’s statement to the Jewish accusers of the Lord focuses on the
charge of misleading the people—ironically what the leaders themselves
did. Further, even a pagan official could see what they did not, namely,
Jesus’ innocence. Pilate found no fault in Jesus.
23:15. To strengthen his judgment even further, Pilate reminds them of
Herod’s exonerative findings (which they witnessed).
23:16. Pilate had arranged for a possible deal with the chief priests, the
rulers, and the people that allowed for a lesser punishment. He would
chastise Him and release Him rather than have Him executed.
23:17. Now the occasion of the Passover further facilitated an opportunity
to free the Lord Jesus because tradition required that Pilate release one of
them at the feast.
 23:18. The name Barabbas signifies son of the father. Thus on the one
hand, the nation and its leaders chose an unrighteous son of the father, and
on the other hand, Jesus’ death frees believers from deserved condemnation
to join the Father’s family as His children.
23:19. The leaders and the people chose the freedom of a guilty criminal,
known for rebellion and murder. The Lord Jesus would have brought the
very opposite to Jerusalem—peace and life. Now, in AD 70 they would
suffer because of their rebellion, and they would die.
23:20. Despite the crowd’s clear choice, Pilate tried yet again. Luke
reports that he wanted to release Jesus and again called out to the crowd.
23:21. The crowd responded to Pilate’s renewed appeal with the cruel
request, “Crucify Him, Crucify Him!”
23:22. Pilate affirms the Lord’s innocence, again saying, “I have found no
reason for death in Him.” Pilate’s desire to release Jesus testifies in a
positive manner regarding both the Lord’s past actions (He has done
nothing wrong) and His future path—the governor expects no trouble.
23:23. Still nothing would sway the nation’s religious leaders and the
crowd. With loud, demanding voices they urged that He be crucified.
G. Pilate Reluctantly Sends the Messiah to His Death (23:24-56)
23:24. The nation’s hardness of heart and Pilate’s now weakened resolve
sealed the verdict. Pilate agreed to execute Jesus.
23:25. Barabbas’s offenses represent the basic sins of mankind—rebellion
against God and murder whether by action or attitude (cf. 1 John 3:15-16).
23:26. The appearance of Simon concurrently with Jesus bearing the cross
shows the level of suffering Jesus had already undergone. It also shows the
Father’s provision for the suffering Servant. Luke does not report that Pilate
had Jesus scourged (see Matt 27:26-31; Mark 15:15-20). Instead it pictures
the disciple who willingly carries the cross (cf. Luke 9:23).
23:27. The great multitude signals the significant amount of sympathy
that the crowd still felt for the Savior.
23:28. Despite His own suffering, the Lord still found strength to offer a
divine perspective on the scene. “Daughters of Jerusalem” identifies the
women of Jerusalem. The Lord Jesus, even in the face of His own suffering,
displayed compassion for the women and children who would suffer
through the future destruction of Jerusalem which would come as a
consequence of the nation’s rejection of Him.
23:29. The phrase “the days are coming” refers to the predicted
destruction of Jerusalem (cf. 17:22). Now because of Israel’s disobedience
they will experience destruction rather than deliverance. Childless women
would fare better under the siege conditions of AD 66-70 than mothers.
23:30. The responses Jesus describes evidence a punishment worse than
death. The end of life would be the preferred alternative (cf. Heb 10:26-39).
23:31. The things done “in the green wood” refers to the actual days they
lived in and the leader’s actions in rejecting and crucifying the Lord. “The
dry” references the coming destruction and the evil actions to be brought
against the people then.
23:32. The mention of the criminals sets up the events at the Cross and
shows the incongruity of pairing the sinless Jesus with two evildoers on
their way to death.
23:33. They finally arrived at the place called Calvary (lit., cranium or
skull). The scene of the Crucifixion resembles a royal court with the King
enthroned in the middle of two others.
23:34. In another show of compassion Jesus uttered His first words from
the Cross. His petition mirrored the immensity of their crime as well as the
all-encompassing scope of His death on the Cross. His prayer reflected the
infinite seriousness of the crime in that God the Father could have instantly
judged them—so that the petition may reflect both a stay of execution of
sorts and a hopeful expectation that they will avail themselves of the
Father’s forgiveness in the future when they realize the scope of their sin
(cf. Acts 2:29-39).
In addition, it reflected the scope of the Atonement in that the Lord Jesus’
death would suffice for their forgiveness once they had believed in Him.
The theological perspective that limits Jesus’ sacrifice only to future
believers cannot adequately account for this statement—unless it argues that
all those present eventually believed in Him—an unproveable assumption.
The petition also took their ignorance (“they know not what they do”)
into account (See 1 Tim 1:12-17).
The soldiers actions fulfill the prophecy in Psalm 22.
23:35. In the face of their mockery, the people stood looking on. Even at
this point the rulers mixed insults with a demand for a sign. Ironically
Jesus could not “save Himself” if He purposed to save others. The rulers’
remark shows how little they understood Jesus or His mission—the very
scene they witnessed pointed precisely to His identity as the Christ, the
chosen of God.
23:36-37. Besides the ignorant and yet culpable tauntings of the religious
leaders, the soldiers unsuccessfully tried to provoke Jesus into drinking
sour wine and echoed the ignorant taunts of the leaders.
23:38. The soldiers’ mockery reflected the inscription that was written
over Him in…Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. The superscription in multiple
languages reflects the universality of Jesus’ sacrifice. It also reflects the
universality of the guilt for His death.
23:39. The boldness of those insulting Jesus both intensifies and gets
closer in proximity to His person. The statement from one of the criminals
may have counted as blasphemy because he classed Jesus (God incarnate)
in the same category as themselves—bona fide criminals—by the addition
of the phrase “and us.”
23:40. Matthew reports that initially both criminals insulted Jesus (Matt
27:44). Perhaps Jesus’ composure, compassion, and regal stateliness
persuaded the other criminal regarding his initial misjudgment of the
Lord’s person and character.
23:41. The mocking criminal should have especially measured his words
because as the other one argued, they had received the death penalty justly
for their deeds. Contrariwise, he protested, Jesus “has done nothing
wrong.”
23:42. After addressing the blasphemous evildoer, the other criminal
petitioned the Lord directly. His request presupposes his belief in Jesus as
Messiah, the chosen of God—everything that His enemies denied by their
taunts. His request also displays his belief in Jesus as a King—the King of
the Jews as the superscription read and the mockery echoed. Further, he
also surmised that Jesus would somehow establish His kingdom after His
death on the Cross. In addition he also knew that Jesus had done nothing
wrong and that an insult against Him showed a lack of reverential awe or
fear before God.
23:43. The Lord’s response leaves absolutely no room for doubt. Jesus
assures the criminal that they will see each other “in Paradise” that very
day. Further, Jesus’ words, “with Me,” imply companionship and
proximity.
23:44. The darkness symbolized/reflected the sinless Savior’s bearing of
the sins of the world. The phrase over all the earth refers to Palestine
rather than to the whole world. Each hour, from the sixth hour (noon) until
the ninth hour (3:00), served as a witness to their sin. The divine
synchronization of the sun’s darkening with the Savior’s death graphically
illustrates God’s displeasure towards the nation (cf. Matt 27:45-56; Mark
15:33-41; John 19:28-30).
23:45. Other supernatural events attended the crucifixion of the Savior.
The death of the Messiah fulfilled the significance of the Day of
Atonement. The public manifestation of Jesus shedding His blood on the
cross had replaced the private mercy seat in the temple, where the High
Priest sprinkled the blood once a year on the Day of Atonement (see Rom
3:21-26; Hebrews 9).
23:46. Having accomplished His perfect work on the Cross, the Lord cried
out with a loud voice, quoting Ps 31:5. At the time of death the Lord Jesus
entrusted Himself to His Father. He trusted the Father both in life and in
death.
23:47. A proper response to the Lord Jesus glorifies God the Father. The
dignified death of the Lord Jesus touched the centurion who witnessed it.
In keeping with this Gospel’s emphasis on the humanity of Jesus as the
Second Adam, Luke reports the centurion’s perception of the Lord as “a
righteous Man.”
23:48. The Crucifixion had drawn a multitude of onlookers. Jesus’
disposition and royal dignity made a profound impression on the whole
crowd. Perhaps they perceived the moral incongruity of Someone like Jesus
crucified on a cross and simultaneously mocked and taunted.
23:49. Jesus’ acquaintances also witnessed His crucifixion. The fact that
they stood at a distance may reflect either fear or a desire not to interfere
with the soldiers charged with carrying out the crucifixions. In any case
they serve a function as witnesses.
23:50-51. Luke then transitions from the death of the Lord Jesus and the
immediate reactions to the preparations for His burial. Luke specifies that
Joseph belonged to the same council of Jewish religious leaders that
condemned the Lord. But he is described as a good and just man who had
not consented to the actions taken against Jesus (cf. Matt 27:57-61; Mark
15:42-47; John 19:38-42).
23:52. Joseph’s kingdom hopes rested with the same Jesus whose body he
had just gone to claim. His request for the body may signal this hope for the
future kingdom.
23:53. Joseph carefully handled Jesus’ body. Luke describes the tomb as
one where no one had ever lain before.
23:54. This took place on the Preparation, the day in which observant
Jews prepared for the Sabbath rest. Whereas God finished His work of
Creation and then rested on the Sabbath, Jesus finished His work on
Calvary and then lay in the tomb on the Sabbath.
23:55. The actions of the women supply important confirmatory
information regarding the veracity of Jesus’ death and burial.
23:56. Then the women who had ministered to Him in life served Him in
death with spices and fragrant oils.
X. The Resurrection of Jesus Anticipates the Blessing of God
(24:1-49)
A. Women Discover the Empty Tomb of Jesus and Men Disbelieve
the Resurrection (24:1-12)
24:1. Luke contrasts the last Sabbath under the OT Law (cf. 23:56) with
the beginning of a new week under the New Covenant. The women clearly
expected to find the body of the Lord because they brought the spices they
had prepared (cf. Matt 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-8; John 20:1-10).
24:2. The women discovered an anomaly as soon as they arrived (cf., Matt
28:1-3). The fact that more than one woman went to the tomb serves the
apologetic purpose of providing multiple witnesses to the Resurrection.
(See Deut 19:15 for the OT law regarding multiple attestation.) That women
served as the primary witnesses argues for the veracity of the account—a
falsifier would have utilized men because women enjoyed no credibility as
witnesses in the first century.
24:3. The women entered an empty tomb. The emphasis on the body
naturally underscores the reality of Jesus’ physical bodily resurrection.
Further, rather than a remembrance of His death, this tomb (related to the
word for memory) would bring to mind His resurrection.
 24:4. The absence of the Lord’s body undoubtedly perplexed them. This
fact argues against any theory that suggests that the disciples stole the body
of the Lord, for neither they nor the others in the inner circle had clearly
comprehended about His resurrection (as the ensuing context clarifies). The
narrative later identifies the two men as angels.
24:5. The women’s disposition transitioned from being perplexed to being
afraid. The Greek for “the living” is a singular adjective (with an implied
noun) so that the living One better captures the sense. The question
highlights the essential incompatibility of the living Lord with death in any
association.
24:6. The two men reminded the women of the words Jesus “spoke to”
them before of His death and resurrection. The mention of Galilee may also
help to bolster their message, since the Lord did many compassionate and
confirmatory miracles there. In fact He accomplished two resurrection
miracles in Galilee—the raising of the only son of the widow of Nain (7:11-
17) and of Jairus’ only daughter (8:46-56). These miracles undergirded His
claim as the Messiah. Significantly the Lord will not include Galilee in His
command in Acts 1:8.
24:7. The women had already lived through two of the prophesied events
the angels referenced and now had witnessed the third—the Lord had
indeed risen “on the third day.” Any part of a day would count as a whole
day in the reckoning, so that a part of Friday, all of Saturday, and the early
portion of Sunday would count as three full days.
24:8. When the two men called to mind what Jesus had said, the women
remembered His words. This underscores the fulfillment theme in this
book and forms one of the connections to 1:5-80, which highlights the joy
of believing what God says as well as the consequence of unbelief.
Theophilus could gain assurance from seeing Jesus’ words fulfilled.
24:9-10. The narrative distinguishes between the apostles and all the rest
(i.e., the other disciples of Jesus). Luke’s Gospel pictures Judas for a last
time in the Garden of Gethsemane betraying Jesus with a kiss (cf. Luke
23:47-53). His betrayal had effectively removed him from the circle of the
Twelve and so the Eleven remained.
24:11. The Gospels paint a somewhat unflattering portrait of the apostles.
The apostles knew these women by name and had traveled with them, yet
they did not believe them.
 24:12. Focusing on Peter, Luke records his actions in rapid succession
(and all with reference to him alone). Whereas at the beginning of the
Gospel the babe wrapped in swaddling cloths served as a sign to the
shepherds of the annunciation of the Savior’s birth (cf. 2:12), now the linen
cloths lying by themselves testify to the Lord’s resurrection.
B. The Revelation of Jesus on the Road to Emmaus (24:13-35)
24:13. Incredulity and amazement set the stage for the illumination needed
by the disciples regarding the truth of the resurrection. The distance of
seven miles afforded sufficient time for their encounter with Jesus and the
revelation they needed to receive (cf. Mark 16:12-13).
24:14. These disciples already knew the essential facets of what had
happened not only in the previous few days but also throughout Jesus’
ministry.
24:15. As they conversed and reasoned about the recent occurrences,
Jesus Himself drew near and went with them. They had not yet heard
any report of anyone actually seeing Jesus (see v 24c). They only knew
about the empty tomb.
24:16. Conversing and reasoning serve as a precursor to knowledge of the
Savior. Nevertheless personal knowledge of Jesus in the context of both
initial salvation or communion with Him requires additional illumination.
Their inability to know him physically serves as a picture of their
incredulity. These disciples had already believed in Him previously for
eternal life. Nevertheless, even believers need to believe additional truth
about Jesus in order to deepen their relationship with Him.
24:17. The Lord asks a question that may represent a divine use of the
Socratic method for the sake of both the disciples in the narrative and for an
educated reader like Theophilus. Their sadness, though commendable
because it testifies to their sensitivity to Jesus and His Passion, nevertheless
shows their blindness and unbelief regarding the Resurrection. The mention
of their sadness sets up the scene for the joy of discovering the living
Savior.
24:18. Luke then identifies one of the two disciples whose name was
Cleopas, an otherwise unknown disciple in Jerusalem. His words to Jesus
overflow with irony. Cleopas possibly conceived of Jesus as one of
thousands of pilgrims “in Jerusalem” for the Passover Feast. Jesus Himself
represented the Passover, and His death fulfilled the meaning of the Feast
itself.
24:19. The Lord Jesus then asks, “What things?” Cleopas then gives
Jesus a synopsis of the Gospel events that both bring to light the prophetic
underpinnings of His death and underscores their blindness to those very
things. The mention of Jesus as “a Prophet” picks up a significant Lucan
thematic emphasis.
24:20. Cleopas’ explanation of the events essentially lays the blame for
Jesus’ death on “the chief priests and our rulers.” Their opposition to the
Lord will continue in the Book of Acts in their antagonism to His Church.
24:21. Cleopas says that Jesus’ death put an end to their hopes that He
was going to redeem Israel—the very expectation introduced at the
beginning of the Gospel narrative (cf. 1:68-79). The word redeem means to
liberate from an oppressive situation or to set free. Ironically Jesus’ death
provided the only once-and-for-all payment for the sins of the nation and so
their redemption. Cleopas’s next words contain a key phrase—“today is the
third day”—which should have alerted them to Jesus’ words and their
fulfillment.
24:22. Each additional facet of Cleopas’ recounting adds to the dramatic
irony of his words. The details that astonished the disciples should have
also convinced them. Their early arrival furnishes an apologetic purpose as
it provides little space for some kind of conspiracy to unfold. This timeline
may indicate that death could and did not hold Jesus for any longer than
necessary. In addition, it shows a precise fulfillment of prophecy; He rose,
as He predicted, in three days.
24:23. Cleopas offers even more evidence for the resurrection. The
women did not find His body and angels said He was alive. Luke earlier
establishes the reliability of God’s angelic messengers and the foolishness
of not believing them (see 1:5-80).
24:24. The irony reaches a climax as Cleopas tells the very risen Jesus that
“the women” had not seen Him! The use of the plural “certain of those”
indicates that others beside Peter “went to the tomb” to verify their report
(cf. 24:12; John 20:1-10).
24:25. The Lord Jesus then gives them a deserved and yet loving rebuke.
His compassionate reprimand focuses on the prophetic word which they
should have believed. In validating “all that the prophets have spoken,”
Jesus showed that He believed in the trustworthiness of the OT. This
demonstrates that the OT prophets wrote prophetically and accurately about
the future Messiah. So that with one sentence the Lord Jesus contradicted
many wrong teachings about the Scriptures, their composition, and their
reliability.
24:26. The Lord Jesus asks a question that points to the principal obstacle
to belief in Him as “the Christ.” His question demands an affirmative
answer and once again underscores the divine plan that must see fulfillment.
The Messiah’s death fulfilled God’s plan and conformed to the Biblical
pattern of suffering before glory. Joseph, Moses, and David all suffered
before their exaltation in God’s purposes. Thus, the suffering of Messiah fits
a familiar OT pattern.
24:27. The Lord then gave them the perfect Bible lesson—one that every
believer would have loved to have heard. Despite the fact that Luke does
not record Jesus’ actual words, one can still learn much from his report:
Moses wrote the Law, an essential and foundational portion of the OT
which pre-announced the advent of the Messiah and teaches concerning
Him; The prophetic literature of the OT—“all the Prophets”—taught about
Jesus; The writings of Moses and all the Prophets constitute “the
Scriptures,” a division that covers the complete OT.
24:28. When the Lord Jesus, Cleopas, and the unnamed disciple neared
Emmaus, Jesus indicated that He would have gone farther. The Lord
Jesus had not revealed His destination, and neither had they recognized
Him. His indication of traveling farther in no way implies deceit. Rather, it
serves as a teaching tool of sorts in the same way His questions to the two
disciples function at the beginning of this narrative (cf. v 17). In His
omniscience Jesus knew every detail of their conversation, but He used the
question to take them through a teaching process. He draws out a response
from them.
24:29. The two disciples’ desire to have Jesus “abide with” them reflects
the desired perspective and experience of the interadvent disciples. The
experience of the Lord’s Supper (hinted at in the next verse) pictures
fellowship with Christ and with those who belong to Him around the meal
that remembers Him.
24:30. Luke’s Gospel highlights Jesus’ table fellowship with those He
loved. Here in an extended post-Resurrection appearance and conversation
He sat at the table with Cleopas and his unnamed companion. He took
bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Jesus’ sacrifice
(pictured by the broken bread He offers them) provides the basis for all true
fellowship.
24:31. In the context of table fellowship, their eyes were opened and
they knew Him. Upon their recognition of Him, He vanished from their
sight.
24:32. With the Lord Jesus gone, they began to recollect their experience
with Him. If the road to Emmaus serves as a picture of the disciples’ path,
then this shows that Jesus will accompany believers “on the road” and
speak to them through “the Scriptures” as He grants illumination on the
way.
24:33. The amazing revelation they had just received called for an
immediate response. They rejoined the circle of believers in Jerusalem and
specifically the eleven and those who were with them gathered together.
24:34. The two returned to find the eleven saying, “The Lord is risen
indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Already at this point they had
multiple attestation to the Lord’s resurrection. This agrees with 1 Cor 15:1-
11, which records that the Lord Jesus appeared to Peter (named Cephas in
that context) before showing Himself to the other apostles.
24:35. The disciples shared Resurrection stories with each other. Luke
again mentions the breaking of bread, which points to an abiding lesson:
the early church could experience fellowship and communion with the risen
Christ in the context of a communal meal of loving fellowship.
C. Jesus Proves His Resurrection to the Eleven and the Others
(24:36-43)
24:36. The Lord Jesus’ salutation, “Peace to you” represents both His
heartfelt desire and will for them as well as the ideal result of unhindered
communion between the believer and the Lord. The risen and victorious
Savior in the midst of gathered believers results in peace.
24:37. Fellowship with the Savior represents a reciprocal relationship with
Him. Although He offered peace, they were terrified. They had witnessed
the Lord raising others from the dead (cf. 7:11-17; 8:40-56) but had not
clearly understood that He Himself would resurrect bodily (cf. 24:1-12).
 24:38. The Lord immediately addressed the issue. The circle of believers
responded to Jesus’ appearance with fear and doubts. The Lord would put
emotions and misgivings to rest with physical evidence—His very real and
resurrected body.
24:39-40. The Lord Jesus offers as proof His human body—physically
identical to the body that grew from embryo to adult (see also 1 John 1:1-3).
His pierced “hands and feet” establish a positive identification between the
body they saw crucified on the cross and the one He now presented to them
as evidence of His physical resurrection. He then explains the essential
distinction between spiritual and corporeal or bodily existence and invites
them to confirm His physicality for themselves.
24:41. The narrative returns to two essential emotions of the Lucan
narrative—joy and marveling. Jesus’ request for food would furnish the
final piece of evidence for His bodily resurrection. Belief would replace
doubt as they shared a meal with the risen Lord Jesus.
24:42-43. The disciples offered the risen Jesus a piece of a broiled fish
and some honeycomb. The resurrected Lord had not yet eaten in the
presence of the Eleven, although He ate with the two disciples who had
traveled to Emmaus (cf. v 30, He gave it to them). Now He would eat in
their presence to prove the reality of His bodily resurrection; an
incorporeal spirit or ghost cannot eat.
D. The Lord Jesus Commissions His Witnesses (24:44-49)
24:44. The Lord again relates His life, death, and resurrection to the
witness of the OT. “The Law” and “the Prophets” identifies the whole OT
Scripture. The Lord here specifies “the Psalms” because of their particular
contribution to messianic prophecy, especially with reference to His
Resurrection and Ascension—major themes in Acts (cf. Acts 1:9-11; 2:25-
35).
24:45. As evident throughout this whole narrative the Lord Jesus must
grant illumination or insight into the Scriptures in order for people to
comprehend.
24:46. The Lord then declares the message regarding both Him and their
mission as validated by the OT. First, He gives them the basis for their
mission: He had “to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day.” The
suffering of the Messiah should not have surprised them. (See also Acts
3:17-18; 17:2-3; 26:22-23.)
24:47. After establishing the basis for their mission—His death and
resurrection—He describes their task in terms that will reflect their post-
Pentecost experience. The Acts narrative shows that in general terms, the
nation Israel needed to repent of their rejection of Jesus, their Messiah
—“beginning at Jerusalem,” the very place that should have welcomed
Him. Gentiles—who lacked the prophetic preparation for Messiah’s
ministry—needed to turn their back on idolatry and polytheism. Belief in
Jesus represents the only condition for receiving eternal life (cf. John 3:16-
18; 5:24-25; 11:25-27). Nevertheless why would the Jewish nation believe
in Jesus for eternal life when they had rejected Him as a blasphemous
criminal? Thus in regard to Israel the task for the witnesses involved
providing the proper context in which belief in Jesus could happen—one
where the nation could see that the OT picture of the Messiah perfectly
matched Jesus of Nazareth. Similarly in the polytheistic and idolatrous
Gentile mission field, faith in Jesus would involve providing the proper
sphere for their belief—one in which the living God does not coexist
conceptually with man-made idols (cf. Acts 14:11-18).
24:48. Luke then records Jesus’ commissioning of these believers with the
words “And you are witnesses of these things.” They would offer
eyewitness testimony about how Jesus fulfilled the OT message in their
midst through His life, ministry, death, and resurrection.
24:49. The fulfillment of their mission would require supernatural power
—the promised Holy Spirit whom Jesus would send from the Father. The
power would come from “on high” and thus constitute a heavenly,
benevolent, and personal empowerment for their earthly ministry. And, in
Jerusalem the Lord would show who would now speak for Him.
XI. The Witnesses Anticipate Their Task with the Blessing of the
New High Priest (24:50-53)
In 1:1-4 the eyewitnesses and servants testify to Luke and to Theophilus
(cf. among us in 1:1). In 24:50-53 the witnesses anticipate their task—a
work that Luke will detail in the Book of Acts. This unit both describes the
Ascension and anticipates it in the Book of Acts (cf. Acts 1:1-12). The
Book of Acts will commence similarly with the Ascension from the Mount
of Olives (near Bethany) and a return to Jerusalem to await the day of
Pentecost (cf. Acts 1:12).
24:50. After instructing them to stay in Jerusalem, He led them to the
point of His departure and return (see Acts 1; Zech 14:1-5). As the Levitical
high priest would bless the people (see Heb 2:10–3:6; 4:14–5:10), here the
High Priest par excellence also blessed His own. Thus their last physical
memory of Him entails the reassurance of His blessing upon them (cf. Mark
16:19-20; Acts 1:9-11).
24:51. Although He was parted from them, the Lord assured them with
the reassurance of His desire for their welfare. The Greek verb for parting
appears as an active form and signals the proper initiative of Jesus in His
return to the Father. The passive carrying up reflects the welcome of His
Father who had accepted His work and now received Him back to His right
hand. Despite His physical departure, Acts testifies to His intimate
involvement with everything having to do with His Church—all who
believe in Jesus, Jewish and Gentile, joined to Him by the Holy Spirit.
24:52. The response of the believers witnesses to the positive nature of
Jesus’ farewell and return to the Father. The believers’ worship responds to
His deity and His post-Resurrection position as Lord (cf. Acts 2:36). Their
great joy testifies to their anticipation of the fulfillment of every promise of
God which Jesus would accomplish at His return, as well as to their
blessedness in His absence.
24:53. The believers returned to the only place of worship they knew—the
temple in Jerusalem—but now with a different appreciation and
perspective. Luke’s last Amen represents the desired response to everything
he recorded in his Gospel: the fulfillment of all Jesus has promised during
His first advent. For Theophilus, the same effect in his life would signal that
he now knew the certainty of those things in which he had received
instruction.
 John
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
The Fourth Gospel is the only book in the Bible written to unbelievers. It is
written to tell unbelievers what they must do to have eternal life (John
20:30-31).
Authorship
The early church testifies that John wrote the Fourth Gospel. Though the
author never identifies himself by name, he describes himself as “the
disciple whom Jesus loved” and he “who also had leaned on His breast at
the supper, and said, ‘Lord, who is the one who betrays You?’” (John
21:20). Only Peter, James, and John fit that description. However, the
author is clearly not Peter as John 21:20-21 shows. Since Herod killed
James in AD 44 (Acts 12:2), the beloved apostle John authored the Fourth
Gospel.
Purpose
The author states his purpose for writing: “These [signs] are written that
you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing
you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). That John’s purpose is
evangelistic is evident throughout the book (e.g., 1:12-13; 3:16-18, 36;
4:10-11; 5:24; 6:47; 11:25-27).
However, some suggest that John’s purpose is not solely evangelistic. Such
a view, they say, would fail to take into account why John included the
Upper Room Discourse. However, the final discourse is a magnificent
presentation of Jesus as He knowingly approaches His own death. Surely
any unbeliever reading this would be amazed at the way this Man lived His
last day. No other man in all of history faced his death in this way. Surely
John 13-17 is powerful proof that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and
that His promise of eternal life to all who believe in Him is true.
Audience
 In light of the book’s stated purpose, the intended readers were unbelievers
(John 20:31).
Possibly John was writing to a specific group of people (possibly one
family) whom he knew. John was from an affluent family with a thriving
fishing business (cf. John 18:16 and comments there). Thus the readers
might have been affluent and well-educated Jews.
Date
Most scholars date John between AD 80 and 95. However, John 5:2
suggests a date before AD 70: “Now there is [present tense] in Jerusalem by
the Sheep Gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew, Bethesda, having five
porches”. The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 almost certainly leveled
the five porches.
Additionally, if John’s Gospel was written after AD 70, why did John not
mention the destruction of the temple (e.g., in 2:23-25)?
The Relationship of John to the Synoptics
Matthew, Mark, and Luke wrote to believers to tell them how to follow
Christ. Differences in audience and purpose distinguish John from the
Synoptic Gospels and create features unique to his presentation.
Features Found in the Synoptics and Not in John
John’s account excludes Jesus’ genealogy, birth, boyhood, baptism,
temptation, and transfiguration (though see 1:14). Likewise, parables,
scribes, Sadducees, demons, tax collectors, lepers, and the institution of the
Lord’s Supper find no place in John.
Features Found in John and Not in the Synoptics
The evangelistic conversations in John 3, 4, 7, 9, and 11 are found only in
John. The turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana, the
resurrection of Lazarus (chap. 11), Jesus’ washing of the disciples’ feet, and
most of the Upper Room Discourse and Jesus’ High Priestly prayer are
unique to John’s Gospel.
While the other Gospels use the verb to believe (pisteuō), they do so much
less frequently than John does: Matthew, 11 times; Mark, 15 times; Luke,
10 times; John 99 times.
 Simple Vocabulary, Complex Concepts
Unlike the Synoptic writers, John uses a small and simple vocabulary—
just six hundred different Greek words. However, his words convey
remarkably profound thoughts notoriously difficult to understand (e.g.,
1:16-17; 3:20-21; 5:29; 6:53-58; 8:30-32; 15:6). John delights in speaking
in polar opposites: light and darkness, night and day, life and death. Simple
and few words, beautifully and profoundly put together, testify to the
unbeliever that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

Key Words and Expressions

Key Words in John
The apostle repeats words he wishes to emphasize: two nouns translated
life, 46 times (zōē, 36 times, and psychē, 10 times); the adjective eternal or
everlasting, 17 uses (in relationship to life); and the verb to live, 18
occurrences. The word translated Father occurs 156 times, of which 35 are
My Father.
Translators typically mistranslate the Greek word Ioudaioi, used 68 times,
as Jews. Instead, as a Galilean Jew, John addresses the opposition to Jesus
as Ioudaioi, meaning Judeans or Judean Jews.
As noted, the verb to believe occurs 99 times. John testifies or bears
witness (used 47 times) with eight signs (used 17 times) that his readers
might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. John emphasizes the
promise of eternal life by repeating words in his account.
Key Expressions in John
A number of expressions stand out in John. These include Jesus’ “I am”
statements and various expressions using the word believe.
1. I am (egō eimi). There are the seven famous “I am” statements of Jesus
(which occur a total of 14 times since there are seven repetitions) in John: “I
am the bread of life” (6:35, 41, 48, 51). “I am the light of the world” (8:12;
9:5). “I am the door (10:7, 9).” “I am the good shepherd” (10:11, 14). “I am
the true vine” (15:1, 5). “I am the resurrection and the life” (11:25). “I am
the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6). These seven sayings all demonstrate
that Jesus is the source of eternal life to all who believe in Him.
 The simple expression “I am,” with no predicate nominative explicitly
stated, called unpredicated, is used six times by Jesus where the predicate
nominative is clearly implied (John 8:24, 28; 13:19; 18:5, 6, 8) and once
where He suggests His eternality and deity with an allusion to Exod 3:14,
“Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58).
What follows are five expressions using the key word believe.
2. Believing in Him (pisteuō eis auton). This expression occurs 16 times in
John’s Gospel using either the indicative or a participle (2:11; 3:15, 16, 18;
4:39; 6:40; 7:5, 31, 39, 48; 8:30; 9:36; 10:42; 11:45, 48; 12:42). Although
some commentators question whether those who believe in Jesus in John
8:30 and 12:42 have eternal life, John indicates that whoever believes in
Him has everlasting life that can never be lost (e.g., John 3:16, 18).
3. Believing in His name (pisteuō eis to onoma autou). This expression
occurs 3 times in the Fourth Gospel (1:12; 2:23; 3:18). All who believe in
His name are born of God (John 1:12-13; 3:18). While some commentators
question whether those in John 2:23 exercised saving faith (see exposition),
there is no room for doubt since John uses the same expression in 1:12 and
2:23.
4. Believing in Me (pisteuō eis eme). This expression occurs 11 times in
John’s Gospel (6:35, 47; 7:38; 11:25, 26; 12:44, 46; 14:1, 12; 16:9; 17:20).
Once again, all of the uses of this expression refer to saving faith.
5. Believing in the Son (pisteuō eis ton huion). This expression occurs
twice (John 3:36; 9:35). Whoever believes in the Son, in the sense used in
John’s Gospel (cf. 11:25-27), absolutely has everlasting life. Of course, not
all who believe in Jesus’ deity have eternal life, but all who believe that the
Father sent the Son to give eternal life to all who simply believe in Him for
it.
6. Believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (pisteuō hoti...). This
expression occurs three times (John 6:69; 11:27; 20:31). Some argue that
there is a difference between believing in (pisteuō eis) Jesus and believing
that (pisteuō hoti) Jesus is the Christ. These references in John’s Gospel,
especially the purpose statement, refute the idea that believing that Jesus is
the Christ is different than believing in Him for eternal life.
Words Used Rarely or Not at All by John
 The words repentance, repent, obedience, and obey appear nowhere in
John’s Gospel. The word confess only occurs three times, and never as a
condition of eternal life (1:20; 9:22; and 12:42). The English word commit
only is found twice in the NKJV of John, translating the Greek words
pisteuō and didōmi in John 2:24 and 5:22. John never speaks of people
committing themselves to Jesus for eternal life. Even the words Savior
(4:42) and save (3:17; 5:34; 10:9; 12:27, 47) are rare in the Fourth Gospel
since John’s emphasis is on eternal life to those who believe in Jesus.
Though today repentance, obedience, confession, and commitment are
commonly taught as conditions of eternal life, the Lord Jesus never taught
that. As the Fourth Gospel clearly attests, the Lord Jesus said that believing
in Him is the sole condition of eternal life.

Jesus’ Eight Signs

in John’s Gospel
John presents his testimony around eight signs in order to persuade his
readers that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, who gives eternal life to all
who believe in Him (20:30-31). The eight signs are: Turning water into
wine (2:1-11); a long-distance healing of a boy (4:46-54); healing an invalid
at the Pool of Bethesda (5:1-18); feeding the 5,000 (6:5-14); walking on
water (6:16-21); healing a man blind from birth (9:1-7); raising Lazarus
from the dead (11:1-45); and Jesus’ own crucifixion and resurrection (John
2:18-22; 18:1–20:29). Any of these signs is capable, by itself, of leading a
person to faith in Christ. Of course, a person could even come to faith in
Christ without knowing about any of the eight signs (e.g., 1:41, 45, 49-50;
4:39-42; 20:29).

The Text
Hundreds of copies of Greek manuscripts of the Gospel of John have been
found. A fragment of John’s Gospel dates back to the early second century
(AD 125-150).
Although differences between manuscripts are exceedingly minor, two
major variations occur in the Greek manuscripts and are evident in the
modern English translations. In John 5:3-4 a few early manuscripts (CT)
omit the ending of v 3 and all of v 4, dealing with the stirring up of the
water by an angel and the first person stepping in being healed. The
majority of manuscripts (MT) contain those 32 Greek words (43 English
words).
The other variation is larger. In John 7:53–8:11 the MT (and NKJV)
records the story of the woman caught in adultery, treating it as a genuine
portion of God’s Word. The CT (and the NASB and NIV) include the text,
but with a note indicating they do not believe it is Scripture.
The evidence in favor of the inclusion of the longer readings in both places
is given in the commentary on those two passages.

OUTLINE
Theme: John calls his readers to believe in Jesus for everlasting life.
I. Prologue: The Word Gives Eternal Life to All Who Believe in Him (1:1-
18)
II. Introduction: Eyewitnesses Testify that Jesus Is the Christ (1:19-51)
III. Five Signs that Show the Wisdom of Believing in Jesus (2:1–6:71)
IV. Two Signs that Show the Folly of Not Believing in Jesus (7:1–12:50)
V. One Sign Shows the Best Reason to Believe in Jesus (13:1–21:23)
VI. Conclusion (21:24-25)

COMMENTARY
I. Prologue: The Word Gives Eternal Life To All Who Believe in
Him (1:1-18)
John lays the foundation for his book in the prologue. While many chiastic
structures have been proposed, the evidence is not sufficient to conclude
that John intended such an arrangement.
1:1. John’s Gospel opens majestically. The word God is used in two
different senses here. The first use, the Word was with God, refers to God
the Father. The second, and the Word was God, refers to the deity of the
Word. Surely this must have puzzled the original unbelieving readers. But it
would have also gained their interest. The designation the Word suggests
this Person is the One who communicates divine truth.
1:2. The Word has always been in relationship with God the Father. As in
v 1 the beginning refers not to the point of Creation but to the eternality of
the Word.
1:3. If all things were made by Him, then that would suggest that He was
in charge of creation. That all was made through Him suggests that he was
actively involved in the work of creation (cf. Gen 1:1-2; Col 1:16; Heb 1:2).
But God the Father was in charge. While Jesus is equal with the Father
(John 10:30), He also willingly does His will (e.g., John 5:19-20, 36, 43).
1:4. A logical extension of v 3 is that in Him was life. This is the first time
the word life is used in John’s Gospel. Jesus did not receive life. He is and
always has been life (11:25; 14:6; 1 John 1:2; 5:20).
Eternal life is sourced in the Word. Those who believe in Jesus have
everlasting life (John 1:12-13; 3:16; etc.).
The life which is the Word enlightens people. People who are lost in
darkness need the light of men to show them the way. While many in
today’s postmodern culture suggest the inability of finite man to grasp
infinite verities, John has no such reservations.
1:5. Darkness entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned as a result of
the devil’s attack on the light (Genesis 3). It will continue until Jesus
establishes His eternal kingdom. But the light shines in the darkness.
When the seed of the woman (Gen 3:15) entered the world (John 1), He
threatened the realm of darkness. Would the darkness be able to counter this
threat?
The word translated comprehend (katelaben) in the clause and the
darkness did not comprehend it, can also mean overcome. This fits the
context better and is supported by the use of the same words in 12:35.
Wickedness opposed the light, but failed to overcome it.
1:6-7. God sent John (first proper name in the book) for two reasons: for
a witness in order that (hina) he might bear witness of the Light and in
order that (hina) all through him might believe. The former was John’s
immediate purpose; the latter his ultimate purpose.
This is the first occurrence of the word believe in John’s Gospel. Clearly
the implied object is the Light/Word.
The Synoptics record that John the Baptist’s ministry included calling
people to repent. Yet nothing of that is said in John’s Gospel, evidently
because his purpose was evangelistic (20:30-31). The words repent and
repentance (metanoeō and metanoia) do not occur even once in John’s
Gospel. This is very telling. If repentance were a condition of eternal life,
John would have said so.
1:8. Like the moon that reflects the light of the sun, John the Baptist was
not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of the Light. Believers
should witness about the Light and leave the results up to God.
1:9. The apostle now brings the attention of the readers back to the Light:
That was the true Light. The participial phrase coming into the world
can be connected with every man (adjectival use of participle) or with the
verb gives light (circumstantial use). The second option is preferable. By
coming into the world He gives light to every man in the sense that the truth
is available to all (cf. 16:7-11).
1:10. John introduces a tragic note. Even though He was in the world,
and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him.
John is using the OT concept of knowing God as a reference to being born
again.
1:11. The Light/Logos came to His own domain (neuter), earth, and His
own people (masculine), Israel, sadly did not receive Him.
1:12. Some within the nation received Him. This verse says nothing about
inviting Jesus into one’s life. To receive Christ is to believe in His name
(cf. 2:23; 3:18; 20:31). There is no difference in John between believing in
His name and believing in Him (cf. 2:11, 23). Those who believe in His
name have the right to become children of God.
1:13. To become a child of God (v 12) is to be born of God (v 13; cf. 3:1-
18). The new birth is not of blood, indicating that it is not due to one’s
bloodline (e.g., not due to being Jewish). Nor of the will of the flesh shows
that this birth is not a matter of physical desire. Nor of the will of man (lit.,
male) reveals that it is not the decision of a human father. In the ancient
world the decision to have children was that of the father.
The new birth is of God, that is, a divine act (cf. 6:39-40). It is the Father’s
will that all who believe in the Son have eternal life.
1:14. This is the last use of the Word in John’s Gospel as a title for Jesus.
John and the other disciples beheld His glory. They saw His glory at the
Mount of Transfiguration, in the signs Jesus did, and in His sinless life.
Full of grace and truth refers back to glory. Possibly this alludes to
Exodus 33-34 where God (likely the preincarnate Christ) revealed His glory
to Moses (see esp. Exod 33:18-19). The glory Jesus manifested was that of
the only begotten [or the one and only] of the Father. Jesus was fully
gracious and fully truthful.
1:15. The preexistence of the Word is confirmed by the testimony of John
the Baptist: “He was before me.” John the Baptist is referring to both
temporal and existential supremacy here. Though John was a great prophet
(cf. Matt 11:11), he recognized that Jesus was His Lord and King.
1:16. Verses 16-18 are the words not of John the Baptist, but of the author.
Believers have received of His fullness (cf. 1:14). The expression grace for
grace means that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is inexhaustible.
The new birth and the Christian life are impossible apart from God’s grace.
The whole of the Christian life, from start to finish, is the reception of
God’s marvelous grace in Jesus Christ.
1:17. John tells the readers that the law was given through Moses, but
grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. The Mosaic Law was never
a means of obtaining eternal life. John corrects this misperception in all his
references to the Law in the book (see esp. 7:19). People obtained eternal
life in the OT the same way people do in the NT era: by grace through faith
(cf. 5:39, 46-47; 8:56; Gen 15:6; Gal 3:6-14). They looked ahead to the
coming Messiah and believed in Him for eternal life. There was grace and
truth during the time of Moses. But Jesus uniquely and fully embodied
grace and truth.
This is the only reference in the prologue to Jesus’ name. It is highly
dramatic and effectively motivates the reader to learn more about Him. This
is also the fourth and final use of grace (charis) (1:14, 16 [twice], and here).
John expects the reader to see the concept of grace operating throughout
Jesus’ interaction with people (e.g., His evangelizing the immoral woman
of Samaria in John 4), even though the word grace does not occur again in
John’s Gospel.
1:18. How does man learn about God and His love if no one has seen God
at any time? The only begotten (or one and only) Son has declared
(exēgeomai, expound, make known) Him. The expression, who is in the
bosom of the Father (cf. “with God,” v 1), refers to Jesus’ intimacy with
the Father (cf. John 13:23).
The words at any time mean that every OT appearance of God (e.g.,
meeting with Adam and Eve in the Garden, confronting Cain, meeting with
Abraham before destroying Sodom and Gomorrah, meeting with Moses on
Mount Sinai) was actually an appearance of the preincarnate Christ.
The prologue ends leaving the reader tantalized and wanting to know more
about this One who is called the Word, the Light, and the only begotten
Son.
II. Introduction: Eyewitnesses Testify that Jesus Is the Christ (1:19-
51)
A. John the Baptist Testifies that Jesus Is the Christ (1:19-34)
1:19. Here is his first reference to the Jews (better, the Judeans, hoi
Ioudaioi; see Introduction) in John. Most of the time the designation hoi
Ioudaioi is used negatively and refers to those who oppose Jesus and even
seek to kill Him (5:16, 18; 7:1; 8:48, 52: 9:22; 10:31; 11:8; 19:7, 12).
However, on a few occasions it is used positively, especially on the lips of
Jesus (e.g., “salvation is of the Jews,” 4:22; see also 8:31).
John 1:19–2:11 speaks about six days, with day five missing: day one
(1:19-28), day two (1:29-34), day three (1:35-42), day four (1:43-51), and
day six (2:1-11). The sixth day ends with “This beginning (cf. Gen 1:1) of
signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee” (2:11). A new creation week is dawning
as the Light shines. The apostle is presenting Jesus as the Source of the new
creation.
The first question the delegates ask is a great one: “Who are you?”
1:20-21. The beloved disciple chooses introductory words to emphasize
John’s role as a witness to Christ: He confessed, and did not deny, but
confessed. John’s actual replies get increasingly shorter, ultimately pointing
people to Jesus: “I am not the Christ” (five words in Greek); “I am not”
(two words in Greek); “No” (one word in Greek).
John’s negative answer to, “What then? Are you Elijah?” seems to
contradict Jesus’ words regarding him in Matt 11:14, but it does not. See
discussion there.
“Are you the Prophet?” shows that the Jewish authorities believe that the
Messiah was to be a different person than the Prophet promised by Moses
(Deut 18:15). John knew that he himself was a prophet, but not the Prophet.
1:22-23. As yet, the delegates had no answer to give to those who sent
them. John the Baptist’s response is to quote Scripture about the Messiah’s
forerunner (Isa 40:3).
The word Lord in the Hebrew text of Isaiah is Yahweh. John the Baptist
was preparing the way for the coming of Yahweh Himself. John is not
saying that Jesus is like Yahweh. He is saying that Jesus is Yahweh. In other
words, sometimes in the OT Yahweh refers to the Father and sometimes to
the Son.
1:24-25. The Pharisees send some of their own (they were from [or of]
the Pharisees) to question John the Baptist. No explanation is given about
the Pharisees. John is laying the foundation for future interaction with this
group. The Pharisees are mentioned twenty times in John’s Gospel. Nearly
all of these refer negatively to those who oppose Jesus and seek His death
(e.g., 7:32; 8:3, 13; 11:57; 12:42; 18:3).
The Pharisees ask John, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the
Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” While the Jews of the first century
practiced various washings for purification (cf. 2:6; 5:4; Luke 11:39),
evidently the Pharisees expected only the Christ, Elijah, or the Prophet to
baptize with reference to the coming Messianic Age (see Ezek 36:25;
37:23; Zech 13:1).
1:26-27. John again deflects attention from himself to Christ (One among
you). Slaves, not dignitaries, removed sandals and washed feet (yet see
13:2-11). John the Baptist, however, picks the lowliest task and indicates
that he is not even worthy to do that for such an exalted Person. The
interrogators must have been taken aback. Surely the Coming One must be
the Christ if John the Baptist is not even worthy to touch His sandals.
1:28. The majority of Greek manuscripts read Bethany, not Bethabara.
This is not the village near Jerusalem (John 10-11). This village is beyond
the Jordan, alluding to the time when Israel was beyond the Jordan. Joshua
led the new nation across the Jordan and into the Promised Land (Josh 3).
John presents Jesus as the new Joshua who will lead His people across the
Jordan into the Promised Land and vanquish all Israel’s foes (something
Joshua failed to do).
1:29. John now identifies Jesus in sacrificial terms. The expression the
Lamb of God (i.e., of God the Father) means Jesus is the ultimate Passover
lamb (cf. 19:36), the suffering servant of Isaiah 53.
Many believe that John meant that Jesus potentially takes away the sin of
the world. He only actually takes away the sins of those who believe.
However, the statement should be taken at face value (cf. 1 John 2:2). Jesus
at the cross actually took away the judicial barrier which made it impossible
otherwise for sinners to have eternal life. The basis of eternal condemnation
is thus not one’s sins, but one’s rejection of the life of God (cf. Rev 20:15;
see also John 3:18; 5:24). This does not mean that all sins are forgiven (cf.
Acts 10:43; 1 John 1:9). It means that sin is no longer a barrier and all are
now savable.
1:30. If John the Baptist’s audience had accepted his testimony, they
would have believed in Jesus.
1:31. At some point God revealed to John that he would see the Spirit
descend on the Messiah. That took place when he baptized Jesus—a point
not mentioned in this Gospel. However, John saw the Spirit descend on
Jesus before His baptism as well. That would explain why John indicated he
was unworthy to baptize Jesus when He came for baptism (cf. Matt 3:14-
16).
Here John answers the question he had been asked the previous day (cf.
John 1:25). John baptized to reveal the Messiah to Israel and to prepare
them for His coming (cf. v 7; Luke 20:3-5).
1:32-33. This dove-like appearance did not physically remain on Jesus.
Rather, John is saying that the Holy Spirit remained on Him throughout
His earthly ministry, continually empowering Jesus (cf. Isa 11:2; 42:1).
Whereas John baptized only with water, Jesus baptizes with the Holy
Spirit. The word baptize means to immerse or to identify with. It is used of
literal immersion in water in John’s baptism and in Christian baptism in the
NT. In light of Acts 1:5; 11:16; 1 Cor 12:13, to be baptized with the Holy
Spirit is to be placed into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit.
All three Persons of the Trinity are intimately involved in the work of
redemption. The Son (vv 29, 34), sent by the Father (v 29), and empowered
by the Holy Spirit (v 33), “takes away the sin of the world” by His death on
the cross (v 29).
1:34. Nowhere in the Fourth Gospel is the term son (huios) used to refer to
believers (though see Gal 4:6-7; 1 Thess 5:5; see also Rev 21:7, used of
overcomers). Rather they are called children (tekna) of God (1:12). Jesus
alone is called the Son of God in John’s Gospel.
The Jewish people expected the Messiah to be the final and ultimate Son
of God. All the kings of Israel were called sons (representatives) of God at
their inauguration (cf. 2 Sam 7:14). Of course, the ultimate fulfillment of
those sons was the one and only Son (Ps 2:7).
When John the Baptist called Jesus the Son of God, he was identifying
Him as the long-awaited Messiah King.
B. Andrew Testifies that Jesus Is the Christ (1:35-42)
1:35-37. John’s testimony regarding Jesus quickly bears fruit. On the third
day (cf. vv 19, 29, 35) John is talking with two of his disciples. As he sees
Jesus walking, he again identifies Him as the Lamb of God, implicitly
inviting them to leave him and follow Jesus. One of these two disciples is
Andrew, Peter’s brother (v 40). The other, left unnamed, is most likely the
apostle John himself.
1:38-39. They immediately begin to follow. Jesus asks, “What do you
seek?” These are the first recorded words of Jesus in John’s Gospel. The
question is actually profound. The word seek (zeteō) occurs thirty-five times
in John’s Gospel, referring often to the Judeans who were seeking to arrest
and to kill Jesus. With this question Jesus was focusing their attention on
their ultimate concern: What is it that you want out of life?
The two disciples of John the Baptist answer, “Rabbi…where are You
staying?” They now know that He is the long-awaited Messiah (cf. v 41).
They wish to stay with Him and learn from Him.
The word translated staying is another key word in John’s Gospel: menō.
This is the third use of the term (the first two uses dealt with the Spirit
remaining on Jesus, vv 32, 33; cf. 14:16; 15:4-16). These two disciples of
John the Baptist abide with Jesus.
1:40-41. Andrew is the first in John’s Gospel specifically to identify Jesus
as the Messiah: “We have found the Messiah.” Witnessing need not be
complicated to be effective.
To obtain eternal life one must believe that Jesus is the Messiah in the
sense that He gives eternal life to those who believe in Him (see the
discussion of 11:25-27 and 20:30-31).
When Jesus came, some, like John the Baptist (cf. 1:31, 33), already were
born again since they believed in the Messiah for eternal life, though they
did not yet know who He was. This is likely the case with Andrew and the
other disciples of John the Baptist as well since John gives no report of
Jesus speaking of eternal life to them. Evidently they believed John’s
preaching about the Coming One and believed in Him for eternal life. When
they found out that Jesus is that Coming One, they sought to become His
disciples.
1:42. Andrew took his brother to Jesus. The Lord gives Simon a new
name: “You are Simon the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas
[Aramaic for Peter].” The hint as to the point of this name change is John’s
editorial note, which is translated, A Stone. This suggests that Peter would
be an important figure in his future service for Jesus. Peter plays a
prominent role in John’s Gospel (cf. 6:66-71; 13:3-11; 20:1-10; 21:7, 15-
19).
The Synoptics seem to place the renaming of Simon later. However, Mark
3:16 and Luke 6:10 look back to this earlier incident. Matthew 16:18 then
reports on a later occasion when Jesus plays on Simon’s new name.
C. Philip and Nathanael Testify that Jesus Is the Christ (1:43-51)
1:43-44. On day four Jesus is about to depart for Galilee for the wedding
at Cana (2:1-11). Before He leaves, Jesus makes two more disciples, each of
whom testifies about Him. Jesus found Philip and said to him, “Follow
Me.” The statement that Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew
and Peter, may suggest that one or both of them had something to do with
Jesus calling Philip.
1:45. As Jesus found (huriskei, historical present) Philip (v 43), so Philip
found (huriskei again) Nathanael. The disciple learns from his Teacher,
and spiritual multiplication occurs.
Philip says, “We have found Him of whom Moses...and also the
prophets wrote.” Philip is indirectly saying that he has found the promised
Messiah.
Philip identifies him as “Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” This is
one of only three references to Joseph other than the birth and infancy
accounts (see John 6:42 and Luke 4:22). By saying this it appears that
Philip was unaware that Jesus was born of a virgin or that He was born in
Bethlehem.
1:46. Nathanael’s response shows that he neither accepted nor flatly
rejected Philip’s words: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
Philip said to him, “Come and see.” Jesus used that same expression
“Come and see” when He invited Andrew to abide with Him (v 39). Philip
learned from Jesus to invite people to come and see for themselves if Jesus
is indeed the Messiah.
1:47. Jesus is contrasting Nathanael with Jacob, a man of guile (Gen
27:35). He is making a play on words since Jacob’s name was changed to
Israel (Gen 32:28). Thus Jesus is saying something like, “Behold an
Israelite in whom there is no [Israel].” Nathanael’s character was above
reproach.
1:48. “How do You know me?” shows that Jesus’ remark hit home.
Nathanael wants further proof that Jesus is the Messiah. Jesus removes all
doubt when He reveals a detail which He could not possibly know unless
He was the Messiah: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the
fig tree, I saw you.”
1:49. The title, “Son of God,” is Messianic (cf. 2 Sam 7:14-16) as is
evident in the phrase to which it is in apposition, “You are the King of
Israel!” Nathanael is rejoicing in the discovery of the long-awaited
Messianic King.
1:50. There is a lot more evidence of the fact that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, yet to come. Nathanael is the first person in John’s Gospel who
is specifically said to believe in Jesus, although John indirectly shows that
John the Baptist, Andrew, Peter, Philip, and the unnamed disciple believed
too.
1:51. Jesus is alluding to Jacob’s dream when he saw “the angels of God
ascending and descending” on a ladder (Gen 28:12).
Thus the play on Jacob’s name and character, begun in v 47, is concluded
here. Jesus is showing that Jacob’s ladder was a picture of Christ. The
ladder of Genesis 28 is “the Son of Man.” The Lord Jesus, who first refers
to Himself as the Son of Man here in John’s Gospel, is the Ladder, the
Mediator, between God and man.
The expression Son of Man occurs twelve times in John’s Gospel (1:51;
3:13, 14; 5:27; 6:27, 53, 62; 8:28; 12:23, 34 [twice]; and 13:31). It comes
from Dan 7:13-14. Daniel’s Son of Man is the prophesied King of Israel
who will rule over the whole world in the earth’s final kingdom. In light of
Nathaniel’s reference to Jesus as King of the Jews, this is the intended sense
in v 51 and in all of the uses in John’s Gospel.
There is a change from the second person singular in v 50 to the second
person plural in v 51. Jesus makes it clear that it is not just Nathanael who
would see greater things. All of the disciples—and the readers—would see
additional evidence that Jesus is the sole Mediator between God and man.
III. Five Signs that Show the Wisdom of Believing in Jesus (2:1–
6:71)
In this section John includes five signs Jesus did in order to lead people to
faith in Him (cf. 20:30-31).
A. The First Sign (2:1–4:42)
1. The first sign: water to wine (2:1-11)
2:1. On the third day refers to day six, the day after the last day
mentioned (John 1:43). A wedding in Cana of Galilee (cf. 4:46) took place
on day six in this new-creation week. Thus in this sequence, like the
original creation, Jesus completes His new-creation work on day six (vv 1-
11).
Weddings symbolize new life. This is the first of eight specific events that
John calls signs (2:1-11, 18-22; 4:46-54; 5:1-16; 6:1-14; 9:1-41; 11:1-44).
2:2-3. Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. Evidently
His disciples refers to the new disciples, Philip, Peter, Nathanael, the
apostle John, and possibly others.
Running out of wine would be a terrible embarrassment at a first century
Jewish wedding. The mother of Jesus became aware of this problem and
said to Him, “They have no wine.” Mary expected Jesus to provide the
wine in a miraculous way (cf. vv 4-5).
2:4. “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me?” (lit.
“Woman, what to you and to Me”). This Greek idiom has no exact English
correspondence. Jesus was not being disrespectful toward His mother (cf.
19:26).
Jesus’ hour refers to the cross (cf. 12:27-28; 13:1, 31-32; 17:1; 19:27), his
focus throughout His ministry. Jesus does not say that His hour would come
prematurely if He does this miracle. Rather, in light of the fact that He
actually performs the miracle, He must be indicating that He will do only
those things the Father has given Him to do, and only at the proper time (cf.
4:34).
2:5. Mary expects a miracle, instructing the servants, “Whatever He says
to you, do it.”
 2:6. John surely has a reason for stating that there were…six water pots
of stone. In Scripture six is often an incomplete number. That there were
not seven pots suggests that something was lacking.
The stone waterpots were used for ceremonial Jewish washings:
according to the manner of purification of the Jews. This may represent
the legalistic works-salvation thinking of pharisaic Judaism (cf. 4:28; 5:39-
47). If so, this miracle has meaning on two levels: It gives evidence that
Jesus is the Messiah, and it shows the error of pharisaic Judaism’s
soteriology.
The waterpots show that Judaism without the Lamb of God was
incomplete. No permanent purification could be given apart from the
coming of Jesus’ hour (cf. Heb 10:1-19).
2:7. Jesus’ command to “Fill the waterpots to the brim with water”
suggests something about the overflowing nature of the wine Jesus provided
at the wedding, and of the life it represents. Jesus gives life to the brim to
those who believe in Him. And this life is not merely unending life in the
kingdom of God. It is a life that is brimming with potential (cf. 10:10).
2:8. The imperative draw is a rare NT word, antleō. It is not used outside
of John’s Gospel and is only used in John chapters 2 and 4 (2:8, 9; 4:7, 15;
see also 4:11 where a related noun, antlēma, occurs). A comparison with
John 4 suggests that the water-to-wine sign illustrates that Jesus gives living
water, the message which if believed springs up into everlasting life, to
those who ask for it.
2:9. The expression, the master of the feast (architriklinos, the head
waiter or chief steward), occurs in the NT only in this passage (vv 8 and 9).
In v 9 the expression is used twice. The second use (the last word in the
Greek sentence, showing added emphasis) is surprising since one would
expect a pronoun instead.
The chief steward symbolizes the rulers of the Jews, the chief stewards of
the nation. They saw the evidence that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God,
yet they did not know where He was from.
The chief steward is not presented in a negative light. However, this does
not deny his connection with the Jewish authorities. Thus far in John they
have not been presented negatively. Although John does not say what
happened, one would expect that the master of the feast soon discovered the
source of the wine and likely believed in Jesus. So too at least some of the
Jewish leaders, who observed the signs Jesus did, discovered that He is
indeed from God, and came to faith in Him (cf. John 3:14-18; 12:42-43).
That the servants…knew where the water was from may suggest that they
represent those who believe in Jesus. They know that He is from above and
that He gives life to those who believe in Him.
In the only other place in John’s Gospel where the term bridegroom
(numphios) occurs (3:29, three times), John the Baptist calls Jesus the
bridegroom. The point may be that some of the rulers of the Jews marvel at
the greater works Jesus did and seek Him out (cf. John 3:1ff).
2:10. This verse has figurative application to Jesus and the Law of Moses.
Jesus is “the good wine,” which has been kept “until now.” The Law of
Moses is that which is inferior. It was merely “a shadow of the good things
to come, and not the very image of the things” (Heb 10:1). God has saved
the best for last (Heb 1:1-2).
2:11. This is the first sign reported by John. That John uses the word
beginning (archē), rather than first (prōtos), suggests an inclusio with 1:1.
The Word who was in the beginning with God the Father, began to do signs
which manifested His glory.
Some suggest that v 11 reports the time His disciples first believed in
Him. However, Nathanael, Peter, Andrew, and Philip had already come to
believe in Him. Thus, while it could be said that they believed in Him at this
point, it would not be accurate to say that they first believed in Him on this
occasion.
John could mean that all those who were following Jesus at this beginning
stage of His ministry were believers (and born again; cf. 3:16). If this view
is correct, then Judas was not yet a disciple, nor were any of the unbelieving
disciples who are mentioned in 6:64. More likely, not wanting to discuss the
exceptions at this point, John presents the picture in general terms.
2. Jesus cleanses the temple (2:12-22)
2:12. After the first sign, and before going to Jerusalem for the Passover (v
13), Jesus went down to Capernaum with His mother, His brothers, and
His disciples. The purpose of the visit was evidently to rest. After this
suggests a different day, that is the seventh day, the day of rest in the new
creation week begun in 1:19. This verse is a hinge between the sign of 2:1-
11 and the cleaning of the temple in vv 13-17 and the sermon that arose
from it (vv 18-22).
2:13. This Passover was at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry—probably in
AD 30. The Synoptic Gospels indicate that Jesus cleansed the temple at the
end of His ministry, during the week in which He was crucified (cf. Matt
21:12-13; Mark 11:15-17; Luke 19:45-46). Thus Jesus cleansed the temple
twice, at the beginning and end of His ministry.
The Lamb of God went up to Jerusalem for the Passover. Unfortunately,
what He finds in the temple is anything but encouraging.
2:14-16. The awesome power of Jesus is evident. Surely crooked
merchants must have objected to this treatment. Yet there is no hint that any
of any them tried to stop Him. Jesus either sovereignly hindered opposition,
or He manifested such righteous indignation that all were too afraid and
amazed to try to stop Him.
On this occasion Jesus chastised them for making His Father’s house a
house of merchandise. They were lining their pockets at the expense of
worshippers.
The imperative, Take away (Arate), is from the same verb (airō) used by
John the Baptist of Jesus in 1:29. By telling the sellers to “take these things
away,” Jesus was figuratively taking away the sin of the world in an
experiential sense. In the eternal kingdom Jesus will have taken it away
completely. One day the zeal Jesus demonstrated will be a universal zeal
that all subjects of the kingdom will have.
When Jesus removed the sacrificial animals from the temple, He pictured a
coming day when there would be no more need for such sacrifices (1:29;
Heb 10:10, 14).
2:17. At that time His disciples remembered the OT Scripture about the
Messiah (Ps 69:9). These men knew the OT Scriptures well.
Regarding the Messiah being “eaten up,” the text of the NKJV has a past
tense: “Zeal…has eaten Me up.” However, the majority of manuscripts
have a future tense: “Zeal…will eat Me up.”
The OT prophesied that the Messiah would have a consuming zeal for the
temple and for God the Father. Jesus was consumed with doing what His
Father had sent Him to do (4:34).
His consuming dedication ultimately consumed Him when He gave up His
life on the cross (cf. 2:19-22).
 2:18-21. The Jews, the Judean religious authorities, said to Him, “What
sign do You show to us, since you do these things?” There was certainly a
skeptical tone to the question. That they ask for a sign suggests that they
recognize that by cleansing the temple and speaking of “My Father’s
house,” Jesus was presenting Himself as the Messiah.
Jesus’ answer is proleptic: “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will
raise it up.” The Jews misunderstood (cf. Matt 26:60-61). Yet, what Jesus
was promising was a far greater miracle; He was speaking of the temple of
His body.
Jesus’ death and resurrection are the eighth sign in John. Jesus
intentionally calls His body this temple, alluding to the reality that He will
be the new temple (Rev 21:22).
2:22. Jesus’ disciples also did not understand what He meant at that time.
It was only when He had risen from the dead, after His appearances, that
they remembered that He had said this to them. At that time they
believed the Scripture [OT prophecies] and Jesus’ words.
Since the disciples were born again before they believed in Jesus’
resurrection (cf. 2:11; 3:16), and since John’s Gospel was written after the
resurrection to tell people how they could have eternal life (20:31), belief in
Jesus’ resurrection is not a condition of eternal life.
3. Jesus’ encounter with Nicodemus, the secret disciple (2:23–
3:21)
2:23-25. Though he doesn’t name them, John indicates that Jesus
performed signs while in Jerusalem at the Passover. As a result many
believed (episteusan, also in v 22) in His name (cf. 1:12). John makes a
play on words when he says, But Jesus did not commit (ouk episteuen)
Himself to these new believers. He knew that they were not (yet)
trustworthy, for He knew what was in man.
Many writers say that these verses introduce the theme of a belief in Jesus
that is less than saving. They also cite 8:30-32 and 12:32-33. Thus these
verses are seen as a warning that even though a person may believe in
Jesus, he may not believe in Him in such a way as to be born again. Such a
view makes assurance of one’s eternal destiny impossible.
Actually these verses introduce the theme of secret believers. The people
in question are genuinely regenerate; however, because of their fear of
persecution, they do not openly confess their faith in Jesus.
Jesus committing Himself to people is not the same as Him giving them
eternal life. While there are no other references to Jesus committing
Himself to people in John’s Gospel, there are two synonymous expressions.
Jesus manifested Himself (14:21) and made known those things His Father
had told Him (15:14-15) to believers who obeyed Him. Both of these
passages show that Jesus commits Himself only to believers who are
obedient to Him.
The verb testify in v 25 (martureō) is an inclusio back to the noun
testimony in 1:19 (marturia). John the Baptist is the preeminent example in
the Fourth Gospel of one who openly testified for Jesus. The new believers
are a sad contrast to him. They were unwilling to tell others openly of their
faith in Jesus.
John skillfully repeats the word man in 2:25 and 3:1. Immediately after the
words, He knew what was in man (2:25), John says, “Now there was a
man…” (3:1). The new believers in 2:23 were like the man who came to
Jesus under the cloak of darkness (3:2).
John the Baptist is the paradigm of the open believer (cf. 3:22-36);
Nicodemus is the paradigm of the secret believer (3:1-21). Every time John
mentions Nicodemus, he writes that he came to Jesus by night (3:2; 7:50;
19:39). Night is a symbol of darkness and of secrecy. There are hints in
7:45-52 and certainly in 19:38-42 that Nicodemus believed in Jesus, though
without openly confessing Him.
Even before the new believers of 2:23 had done anything, Jesus knew that
they, unlike John the Baptist, but like Nicodemus, were not ready to confess
Him. Because of that, He did not entrust them with the depth of truth He
reserved for His friends.
3:1. The chapter break is unfortunate. Nicodemus is the prime example in
John’s Gospel of the untrustworthy believer (2:23-25).
Often in John’s Gospel the names of individuals are not told (e.g., the
woman at the well, the paralytic, the woman caught in adultery, the man
born blind). That this man is identified by name suggests that he plays a
special role in the book.
The only NT references to anyone named Nicodemus are in John’s Gospel
(3:1, 4, 9; 7:50; 19:39). He was a man of the Pharisees. As a ruler of the
Jews he was a member of the Sanhedrin.
 In light of John 12:42, it is reasonable to draw the conclusion that John is
giving the account of how one of the rulers came to faith in Jesus.
3:2. This man came to Jesus by night (cf. 7:50; 19:39). Nicodemus did
not want his interest in Jesus to be public knowledge.
Since Nicodemus could be faulted for approaching Jesus secretly, one
might think that Jesus would censure him before he could even say
anything. However, instead He listens and then responds with a clear
presentation of the message of life.
Using the first person plural, Nicodemus is including some of the rulers
(e.g., Joseph of Arimathea, 19:38) who, like him, knew that Jesus was “a
teacher come from God.” They know this “for no one can do these signs
[cf. 2:23] that You do unless God is with him.”
3:3. In His omniscience, Jesus knows the question on Nicodemus’s mind
and He answers it: “Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom
of God.”
The word cannot (ou dunatai, literally “is not able”) is a verbal link
between Nicodemus’s comment and Jesus’ answer (no one can versus he
cannot, vv 2, 3). Dunatai occurs six times in vv 2-9 and is a clue to the
theme of the whole passage. John, by his careful repetition of this word and
the negatives and interrogative particle used with it, is focusing on man’s
inability to bring about his own salvation/new birth.
Since the Greek word translated again (anōthen) means either again or
from above (cf. 3:31; 19:11, 23), and the context supports both meanings,
Jesus probably means that this birth is both a second birth and is a birth
from above (i.e., from God; cf. 1:13).
Seeing the kingdom refers to entering and participating in it (cf. 3:5, 36;
8:51). Jesus has not yet told Nicodemus what he must do so that God would
regenerate him (cf. vv 14-18). Jesus first shows him his need for the new
birth.
While the expression the kingdom of God is common in the Synoptic
Gospels, it occurs only in John’s Gospel here and in v 5 (cf. 18:36). This
can be explained by the emphasis in John on eternal life as the present
possession of all who believe in Jesus. In these verses John reveals the
future aspect of regeneration, the kingdom of God which Jesus will
inaugurate when He returns.
 3:4. Nicodemus, like the woman at the well (cf. John 4:15) is confused,
thinking about a second physical birth. But he does get something right. He
understands that Jesus is talking about a second birth.
3:5-6. There are three main views of “born of water and the Spirit.” The
baptismal regeneration view is contrary to John’s Gospel and the entire NT,
since believing, not baptism, is the sole condition of eternal life. The symbol
of regeneration view understands the expression born of water and the
Spirit to refer to the life-giving work of the Holy Spirit parallel to “born of
the Spirit” in v 6. Water is an OT figure for the life-giving work of the
Spirit (Isa 44:3-5). While possible, there is a simpler understanding. The
third view is that by born of water refers to physical birth (and to amniotic
fluid) and that born of the Spirit refers to spiritual birth (regeneration). Two
facts support this view. First, v 6 is parallel to v 5 and serves to explain it
and it speaks of both physical and spiritual birth. Second, Nicodemus was
clearly thinking about physical birth (v 4). While it is possible that Jesus
would speak of spiritual birth only in v 5 (the symbol of regeneration view)
and then talk of both physical and spiritual birth in v 6, it is more natural to
take both verses as dealing with physical and spiritual birth.
3:7-8. The imperative “Do not marvel” is in response to Nicodemus’s
question in v 4. Though Nicodemus was surprised by what Jesus said in v 3,
he should not have been.
Jesus told Nicodemus (the first you is singular) about the universal need
(the second you is plural) of the new birth.
The Greek word pneuma means both wind and Spirit/spirit. Clearly wind
is the primary, or possibly the only, sense intended. However, John may
have in mind the other meaning as well.
3:9. Nicodemus now wants to know how this new birth can be realized.
Jesus explains both how it is possible and how one receives the new birth
(vv 10-18). This is the last mention of the name of Nicodemus until 7:51.
3:10-12. The article before teacher suggests that he is recognized as one of
the leading teachers of Scripture in Israel. Of course, John expects the
reader to see the irony in this, for Jesus is in reality “the teacher of Israel.”
The OT taught the new birth, but without using that precise language (cf.
Gen 15:6; Isa 53:11; Jer 31:31-34; Hab 2:4). There was certainly much
teaching about the new birth in Israel via the prophets (most of what they
said was not recorded in Scripture) and everyday people (as Jer 31:34
shows, “No more shall every man…say, ‘Know the Lord’”). John the
Baptist taught on the new birth as well (cf. 1:33; 3:36). With this
background, Nicodemus should have understood Jesus’ explanation of vv 3-
8. That he did not understand shows how terribly flawed things were at the
very top of religious instruction in Israel.
When Jesus said, “We know,” He was deliberately repeating Nicodemus’s
first words to Him in v 2. This repetition is a mild rebuke of him and his
fellow rulers.
However, it is likely that the first person plural also conveys that Jesus is
speaking of Himself and His Father. Thus anyone who rejects the testimony
and witness of Jesus is rejecting the testimony of God the Father.
The vast majority of people in Israel, including most of its rulers, rejected
Jesus’ witness (“you [plural] do not receive our witness” and “you do not
believe”). Compare John 1:11-12.
The earthly things refer to the new birth and entrance into the kingdom (vv
3, 5-8). The heavenly things refer to truths He was about to share on what
must take place (the descent of Jesus from heaven, His being lifted up on
the Cross, and the response of believing in Him for eternal life in order for
regeneration by the Spirit to occur).
That John includes no other questions from Nicodemus strongly suggests
that he came to faith in Christ as a result of what Jesus is about to say. This
conclusion is reinforced by John’s two other references to Nicodemus
(7:45-52; 19:38-39).
3:13. Jesus is uniquely qualified to talk about regeneration, since He alone
“came down from heaven.” This is the second time in John’s Gospel that
Jesus refers to Himself as “the Son of Man” (cf. 1:51), a Messianic title
(Dan 7:13-14).
The clause “who is in heaven” is not found in some early Greek
manuscripts and so it is missing from some English versions. However,
since it is found in the vast majority of manuscripts, this powerful statement
is likely original. While on earth talking to Nicodemus, Jesus was also in
heaven (i.e., omnipresent).
3:14. The link with v 13 is the repeated reference to “the Son of Man.”
When God heard the complaints from the people about the miraculous
manna He provided freely, He sent deadly serpents among them, killing
many (Num 21:4-9). Directed by God, “Moses lifted up the [bronze]
serpent in the wilderness.” Whoever looked at it was healed. The uplifted
serpent was a type of Christ, picturing how the Messiah would make people
savable.
The verb hupsaō (lift up) occurs twice here, once in the active voice and
once in the passive. The comparison is between Moses [who] lifted up the
serpent and “the Son of Man who must be lifted up.”
Though it is unlikely Nicodemus understood this at the time, the lifting up
of the Son of Man refers to Jesus’ death on the cross (8:28; 12:27-28),
which was a way in which He was glorified (17:1; cf. Acts 5:31).
The lifting up of Jesus on the cross was necessary for men to be savable
and for Jesus to fulfill that for which the Father had sent Him. Jesus was
moving toward that hour with great deliberateness.
3:15. This is the first use of the full expression “eternal life” in John. The
verb have is in the present tense. Eternal life is a present possession. The
moment anyone “believes in Him” he has eternal life.
3:16. God the Father’s motivation in giving “His only begotten Son” to
die for mankind was His great love for all (“the world”). Only begotten
does not imply that Jesus was created by God the Father. Jesus is eternal,
like the Father and the Spirit (John 1:1). Rather, monogenēs means one and
only. Jesus is God’s only Son, and He always has been.
Everlasting life is received the very moment one “believes in” Christ. The
issue is belief, not behavior (even though God wishes believers and
unbelievers to behave well).
Should conveys the fact that the verbs perish and have are in the
subjunctive mood, which conveys a condition. Jesus is saying that whoever
believes in Him will not perish but will have everlasting life. Compare 3:15;
5:24; 6:47; 11:27.
While some suggest that 3:16-21 are editorial comments by John, there is
nothing to indicate that John has inserted his own remarks. These are still
the words of Jesus.
3:17. God sent “His Son not to condemn, but to save the world.”
Condemnation and salvation here are parallel to perishing and everlasting
life in v 16. The salvation Jesus gives the believer is everlasting life (cf. Eph
2:5).
3:18. “He who believes in Him is not condemned.” The one “who does
not believe” lives in a constant state of condemnation and death (cf. 5:24).
Three times in this verse Jesus refers to the necessity of believing in Him to
escape eternal condemnation. John’s Gospel is rightly called the Gospel of
belief.
3:19-21. Jesus continues the theme of condemnation emphasized in the
previous three verses. “The condemnation is that the light has come into
the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their
deeds were evil.” When Jesus, the Light of the World, came, most people,
rather than loving the light He brought, loved the spiritual darkness they
were in. Their evil deeds were the reason for their rejecting Jesus.
Verses 20-21 are difficult to understand. If “coming to the light” refers to
believing in Jesus, then eternal salvation is only for the one who already
“does the truth” (v 21)! Of course, that proves that coming to the light is
not a reference to saving faith. The repeated and clear teaching of the
Fourth Gospel is that eternal life is a free gift received by faith alone in
Christ alone (e.g., vv 12-18).
The expression comes to the light in vv 20 and 21 is a flexible expression
that refers to association with the light. Even unbelievers can associate with
the light. John 6:60-64 states that some of His disciples did not believe in
Him. They came to Him and followed Him, but they did not believe in Him.
However, v 21 most likely concerns believers who associate with the light.
An open believer does the truth (cf. 1 John 1:6) and has works that “have
been done in God.”
Nicodemus is being challenged to come out into the light of day and
publicly confess Jesus as the Messiah. John the Baptist is the prime
example of one who does the truth and comes to the light (cf. vv 22-36).
Verse 20 probably refers to both believers and unbelievers. Both will only
come to the light if they are willing to allow the light to expose their evil
deeds. This happened often as Jesus preached to crowds. He revealed wrong
attitudes and wrong actions. People would not come to hear Him if they
were unwilling to have their evil exposed.
4. John the Baptist, the open disciple, confesses Jesus (3:22-36)
3:22. If the encounter with Nicodemus took place in Jerusalem, then the
reference to coming into the land of Judea refers to coming into the
Judean countryside.
 The reference to Jesus baptizing means that He supervised His disciples as
they baptized in His name (cf. 4:2). This was not Christian baptism since
that did not begin until the church was born on the Pentecost after the
resurrection.
3:23-24. Rather abruptly the apostle shifts his attention to John the
Baptist. The people who were baptized are neither named nor described so
that the readers focus on John the Baptist’s witness of Christ. Verse 24
implies that the original readers of the Fourth Gospel knew that John the
Baptist was later imprisoned (and beheaded).
3:25-26. The exact nature of this dispute…about purification is not made
clear. Their ultimate motive, however, seems to be to get John to criticize
Jesus.
The Judeans came directly to John and reported to him that Jesus (“to
whom you have testified”) was having much more success baptizing than
he was: “all are coming to Him!” They were trying to bait John into
making some prideful remark in defense of his own ministry. His response
surely must have amazed these self-righteous interrogators.
3:27. What an amazing reply! John’s statement is applicable in every area
of life: “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from
heaven.” John recognized that his ministry had been given to him by God.
John’s statement is also an indirect rebuke to those confronting him
regarding their view of Jesus and of themselves.
3:28-30. John reminds them that he had heard him say, “I am not the
Christ” but “I have been sent before Him” (cf. 1:20). John is not jealous
of Jesus’ success as those who came to test him assumed. Instead, like the
feelings of “the friend of the bridegroom” when the groom arrives for the
wedding, John’s joy is full as Jesus’ ministry eclipses his.
John knew well that Jesus “must increase, but I must decrease.” After
all, his role was to prepare the way for Jesus’ ministry (cf. 1:23; 3:28). If he
did his job well, then naturally his followers would become Jesus’
followers.
3:31. As there is absolutely no hint of a break in the dialogue, vv 31-36 are
John the Baptist’s words, not the words of the apostle.
John the Baptist testifies to Jesus’ origin: “He…comes from above” and
“He…comes from heaven.” As a result He is also “above all,” including
the Baptist. John is testifying that Jesus is God incarnate. Indeed, John’s
words in vv 35-36 are almost identical to Jesus’ words in 10:25-30.
3:32-34. John boldly proclaims that Jesus testifies faithfully of heavenly
truth, and yet “no one receives His testimony.” The Baptist may mean that
the vast majority of Israel rejects Christ (as in 1:11). But since some
received Jesus’ testimony (cf. 1:12; 3:33; 1 John 5:9-11), he probably is
saying that none of those who have come from the Jewish authorities to
question Jesus receives His testimony.
The last part of v 34 is difficult: “for God does not give the Spirit by
measure.” It does not mean that all believers are equally gifted or equally
spiritual (cf. 1 Cor 3:1-15; 12:1-31). Rather, it means that if God is speaking
through someone (a true prophet), then whatever he says is absolutely true.
There is no such thing as a person who speaks falsely under the power of
the Spirit.
3:35-36. John’s witness reaches its zenith: “The Father loves the Son,
and has given all things into His hand.” This leads John to repeat the
message Jesus told Nicodemus: “He who believes in the Son has
everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life,
but the wrath of God abides on Him” (cf. vv 14-18).
The expression “he who does not believe” in v 36b translates the
participial construction ho apeithōn (lit. “he who does not obey”). Failure to
believe in Jesus was disobeying the Father who sent Him. Hence “he who
does not believe” is a good paraphrase. To gain eternal life one must obey
God’s command to believe in His Son.
The one who does not believe “shall not see life” (cf. 3:3, 5 where seeing
the kingdom of God equals entering into it). Not only that, but he currently
is experiencing “the wrath of God” (cf. 3:18).
5. Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman (4:1-42)
4:1-3. Jesus left Judea because He knew that the Pharisees had heard
about His ministry and would come to Him if He stayed there. It was not
yet His hour (cf. 2:4; 7:1; 13:1; 17:1). As noted later (cf. 7:1), the Pharisees
were seeking to kill Jesus. But He would not allow this before the right
time.
Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples. His aim was to train
them. This also eliminated the problem after His death and resurrection of
people claiming special honor because Jesus Himself baptized them (cf.
1 Cor 1:14-17).
4:4. Geographically, Jesus did not need to go through Samaria. When
traveling north from Judea to Galilee, most Jews went out of their way to
avoid contact with Samaritans (cf. v 9). The necessity was one of divine
appointment, not geography. Jesus knew that a woman of ill-repute and
many other Samaritans were ripe for the harvest. There He could lead
people to faith in Him, and show His disciples how to evangelize.
4:5-6. Jesus and His disciples walked about thirty miles that day, coming
to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar…about the sixth hour (6:00
PM). Jesus’ true humanity was evident in that He was genuinely wearied
from His journey. Though human, He was, is, and always will be fully
God as well.
4:7-8. Jesus broke the social customs of His day by asking a woman of
Samaria, “Give Me a drink.” He asked with full knowledge that it was He
who would give her water and not the other way around.
4:9. The woman is surprised by His request and seeks to know why He
asks her for a drink. John’s editorial comment captures the basis of her
question: Jews of that day had no dealings with Samaritans.
4:10. There is irony here as the subsequent dialogue makes clear. The
woman did not know “the gift of God or who it is” that was speaking to
her. Yet He knew her and the gift (cf. vv 16-18). The gift is everlasting life
that can never be lost (4:13-14). It is absolutely free to the recipient. The
Giver is Jesus Himself. He alone is the source of “living water”—that is,
water that gives life, eternal life, to all who receive it.
Jesus is saying that if she knew the gift and the One who spoke to her, then
she “would have asked Him, and He would have given her living water.”
It is appropriate for unbelievers to ask God to bring them the saving
message. Later, she asks Him for that living water (v 25).
4:11. Like Nicodemus, this unnamed woman was thinking on the physical
level. She thinks Jesus is offering her some special type of water (compare
v 15). She appears skeptical and wants to know where He gets “that living
water.”
4:12. “Are You greater than our father Jacob?” She suspects that is
precisely what He is claiming. “Jacob gave a well” which two thousand
years later still produced good water. Could this stranger give even better
water, from a well that would never run dry?
4:13-14. Jesus answers her question indirectly in the affirmative. Jacob’s
water only temporarily quenches thirst: “Whoever drinks of this water
will thirst again.” The water Jesus gives, living water, eternally quenches
thirst: “But whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never
thirst.” One drink is all it takes of this living water.
Verses 13-15 negate the idea that faith must be continuous in order to be
“true saving faith.” Drinking symbolizing believing (cf. 6:35). One drink,
that is, one act of believing in Jesus, results in eternal life. Jesus specifically
denies that one must keep on drinking in order to gain life.
The living water is the saving message which once received (once drunk)
springs up into everlasting life. As Jesus makes clear in the following
verses, the living water is the truth that Jesus is the Messiah who guarantees
everlasting life to all who believe in Him. Believing in Jesus results in
eternal life taking up residence in the recipient so that he or she actually has
an eternal living water fountain within.
4:15. Still thinking on the physical plane, the Samaritan woman wants to
be able to give up having to “come here to draw” water. Jesus now focuses
the conversation further so that she will come to believe that He is a prophet
and indeed the promised Messiah.
4:16. The woman believes that the Messiah, when He comes, will reveal
all things (vv 25, 29). He knows what she believes about the Messiah, and
since He knows her past (and her future), He reveals His knowledge of her
to make her begin to wonder if He might be the Messiah. The command to
“Go call your husband, and come here” would be innocuous with other
people. But with this woman it moves the conversation toward His identity.
His purpose in doing this is not likely to point out her sinfulness. This
woman was already acutely aware of her sinfulness.
4:17-18. Her response, “I have no husband,” is true, but evasive. She
does not deceive the omniscient One. “You have had five husbands, and
the one whom you now have is not your husband.” This woman was like
a Hollywood star today: five former husbands and now a live-in
relationship with a man to whom she is not married.
4:19-20. “Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet.” What an
understatement. Surely this One is more than a prophet.
 The Samaritans worshiped on Mount Gerizim. The woman is now
beginning to think in spiritual terms. Obviously this Man is from God. So
she raises a spiritual concern on where one should worship God.
4:21. The imperative, “Believe Me,” may well call for more than
acceptance of what Jesus says about worship. It is also a call to accept His
claim that “salvation [everlasting life, v 14] is of the Jews” (v 22) and that
He is the Messiah (v 26).
With the coming of the church age (“the hour is coming”), worship will
not be linked to physical places like Mount Gerizim or Jerusalem. Instead,
each believer will be a temple of the Holy Spirit (vv 23-24; 1 Cor 6:19).
4:22. Her worship was based on ignorance (“You worship what you do
not know”). She did not know that the Messiah would be Jewish, though
she knew He was coming (v 25). As a result, she did not know that
“salvation is of the Jews.”
This is the only use of salvation (sōtēria) in John. The Lord likely is
referring to the deliverance of the world from its bondage to sin. Surely she
expected a coming age in which Messiah would rule. That age, that
salvation, is “of the Jews.”
Jesus is saying that salvation is through the Messiah—who is Jewish—and
is found in the (OT) Scriptures, which are also Jewish (cf. Gen 15:6; Isaiah
53; Hab 2:4).
4:23-24. True worship is not limited to a special location like the temple.
Jesus taught that true worship was a matter of the heart. “Worship in
spirit” is in contrast to the Jewish and Samaritan practice of the day to
worship with great detail to form and ritual, not heart attitude. “Worship in
truth” is set against both the Samaritan and Jewish tendency to worship in
a manner contrary to Scripture (cf. 3:25; 5:10, 39-47; Luke 18:9-14).
4:25. Like many Jews and Samaritans in her day, she has messianic
expectations: “I know that Messiah is coming.” However, unlike most,
she now wonders if He is the Messiah. He has told her details of her life no
stranger could possibly have known (cf. v 29). He has spoken like no other
speaks. She is asking Him for the living water (cf. v 10).
4:26. With perfect timing, Jesus tells her “I who speak to you am He [i.e.,
the Messiah].” (See Introduction for a discussion of the unpredicated “I
am.”) At that very moment the disciples return with lunch. He has led the
woman to faith and set the stage for other Samaritans to believe and for the
disciples to learn a valuable lesson about evangelism.
4:27. Social custom of that day forbade a Jewish man to speak with a
woman—especially a Samaritan woman—in public. While the disciples
were bothered by this break from the social custom (they marveled that
He talked with a woman), they do not ask Jesus about it, for they know
that He has good reasons for everything He does. They probably fear that a
rebuke would come if they ask a foolish question (cf. Matt 16:24).
4:28-29. The woman then left her waterpot (cf. John 2:6), a valued
possession, because she had to tell someone that she had found the
Messiah! She testifies that He is omniscient (“Come see a Man who told
me all things I ever did”) and that He is the Messiah (“Could this be the
Christ?”). She couches her witness as a question, probably not because she
has doubts (see vv 39-42), but because she is a woman with a checkered
past.
The waterpot she left behind was a vessel that held the old water that
would not permanently quench one’s thirst. Figuratively she was leaving
behind works salvation. She now knew about the living water that indeed
quenches one’s thirst forever with just one drink. This brand-new believer
gives a powerful witness about Jesus.
4:30-34. The result of her witness was that the men of the city went out…
and came to Him. The disciples were surprised when He said to them, “I
have food to eat of which you do not know.” They wondered if someone
brought Him something to eat. Jesus’ “food [was] to do the will of Him
who sent [Him], and to finish His work.” That is what nourished His inner
self. So too believers who obey God experience contentment and peace (cf.
15:11; Gal 5:22-23).
4:35. Jesus was referring to the men coming out to see Him (possibly
wearing white) when He spoke of “the fields…white for harvest.” Just as
men harvest grain to receive its fruit, so in a spiritual sense believers can
harvest “ripe” unbelievers by leading them to faith in Christ.
4:36-38. Jesus now launches into a brief discussion of eternal rewards.
Anyone who does God’s work, “receives wages and gathers fruit for
eternal life.” Wages (misthos) refers to eternal rewards, not eternal life. The
former is a free gift (cf. 4:10); the latter a payment for work done.
 Gathering fruit for eternal life refers either to leading other people to faith
in Christ (and hence to eternal life) or to laying up treasure for oneself,
which will be useful in one’s eternal experience. In light of 1 Cor 3:5-15—
which is surely based on the Lord’s teaching here—the latter interpretation
is suggested. However, possibly the Lord meant both things with the one
expression.
The work of God is a team effort. Neither the sower nor the harvester is
more important or more highly rewarded. Often the reaper has “entered
into the labors” of others who sowed before him. Both of them will
“rejoice together” at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
The doctrine of eternal rewards is helpful for unbelievers as well as
believers. It shows that while eternal life is secure the moment one believes,
there are solid reasons to live for God.
4:39. Again John uses his key word: belief. Many of the Samaritans of
that city believed in Him because of the word of the woman who
testified, “He told me all that I ever did.” This verse and v 41 confirm
that the metaphor of drinking water in vv 10-14 is an illustration of faith.
Some of the Samaritan men believe in Jesus as a result of the woman’s
testimony about Him even before they personally hear and see Him (cf. vv
40-42).
4:40-41. Those who urged Him to stay with them probably included both
new believers (v 39) and seeking unbelievers who were soon to become
new believers (v 41). The latter group believed because of His own word
when He stayed there two days.
4:42. The only occurrence of the term Savior in John’s Gospel is here.
John’s emphasis is on Jesus as “the Christ,” the Messiah who gives eternal
life to all who believe in Him. Of course, the reason He can do this is
because He is “the Savior of the world,” the One who takes away the sin
of the world (1:29).
B. The Second and Third Signs (4:43–5:47)
1. The second sign: Jesus heals a nobleman’s son (4:43-54)
4:43. After a successful evangelistic effort in Samaria, Jesus departed
from there and went to Galilee, His original destination (see v 3).
4:44. The statement, a prophet has no honor in his own country, could
look backwards or forwards. His own country is Judea (cf. 2:13-25; 3:22–
4:3). The place where Jesus had honor to illustrate this saying was either
Samaria (looking back) or Galilee (looking forward), or both.
4:45. While there were times when Jesus was not received well in Galilee
(cf. Mark 6:1-6), this was not one of them. On this occasion the Galileans
received Him, having seen all the things He did in Jerusalem at the
feast. Those who had come to believe in Him then (cf. 2:23) surely were
among those anxious to hear more from Him.
4:46-47. The second sign, like the first (2:1-11), occurs at Cana of
Galilee. However, unlike the first, the second is much more of a long-
distance miracle.
This certain nobleman from Capernaum was likely a royal official in the
court of Herod Antipas, the tetrarch of Galilee. He went to Him and
implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of
death. Capernaum was about twenty miles away. He urged Jesus to come
back with him, since he evidently thought Jesus had to be in physical
contact with a person to heal him.
4:48. Jesus’ words, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will
by no means believe,” are a mild rebuke. However, Jesus gave signs to
lead people to faith (cf. 20:31). The rebuke probably concerns the need of
the Jewish people (you is plural here) to witness personally one or more
miracles before they would believe. Well-attested reports of signs, along
with Jesus’ powerful teaching, should have been sufficient.
4:49. The nobleman is not dissuaded. He asks again, “Sir, come down
before my child dies!”
4:50. Jesus heals by fiat: “Go your way; your son lives.” Then the man
believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. There is
no more pleading. Something—Jesus’ powerful words, His manner, the
look on His face—convinces him that Jesus has healed his son (or will
gradually heal him over time).
4:51-52. As he was going down, his servants met him. They say exactly
what Jesus has said, “Your son lives!” When the man inquired of them
the hour when he got better, he discovered it was the time when Jesus
made His pronouncement, at the seventh hour.
4:53. The object of the belief in this verse is clearly different than the
object of belief in v 50. On the day of the healing, the nobleman believed
that Jesus had healed his son. On the day after the healing, the nobleman
and his whole household believed that Jesus is the Messiah, the Savior of
the world.
Why the nobleman did not believe that Jesus is the Messiah at the same
time he believed that He had healed his son is a bit of a mystery. Evidently
until He spoke with his servants he did not put together what this miracle
meant about Jesus. He probably is the one who led his whole household to
faith in Jesus.
4:54. Both signs which Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into
Galilee had their intended result: people believed in Him. The miracles
Jesus performed remain today as wonderful apologetics for the Christian
faith.
2. The third sign: Jesus heals the man at the pool of Bethesda
(5:1-16)
5:1. This feast of the Jews could have been the Passover mentioned in
6:4. As a result of the plot to kill Him (5:16), He may have
left Jerusalem before the feast actually occurred.
5:2. That John used the present tense saying, there is in Jerusalem by the
Sheep Gate a pool, suggests that John’s Gospel was written before A.D. 70
and the fall of Jerusalem. This pool probably no longer existed after the
Romans destroyed Jerusalem.
5:3-5. What a perfect place for Jesus to perform a sign! Jesus selects one
of the people who had been seeking healing the longest, a certain man who
had an infirmity thirty-eight years! To heal such a man should have
convinced the greatest skeptic that Jesus is indeed the Messiah.
The second half of v 3, starting with waiting for the moving of the water,
and all of v 4 are excluded from a few early Greek manuscripts. Thus
translations such as the NASB and NIV omit this verse and a half.
The NKJV is correct to include the section in question since the vast
majority of manuscripts include it. John does not tell how many times an
angel had appeared and stirred up the water. This may have happened
only once; however, the man whom Jesus heals implies it had occurred a
number of times (see v 7).
5:6. Jesus initiates this conversation by asking, “Do you want to be made
well?” Evidently Jesus, knowing how the man would respond, wanted him
to express his belief in the healing power of the water when stirred up. Jesus
would then heal him solely by His command.
5:7. The sick man answered indirectly in the affirmative as he lamented,
“when the water is stirred up…while I am coming, another steps down
before me.” Clearly he does not realize that the One speaking to him is
about to heal him merely by speaking the word.
5:8-9. Jesus said to him, “Rise, take up your bed and walk.” Healing
and response were immediate. What a miracle! A man who had been
paralyzed for almost four decades is suddenly restored to full health in an
instant.
The end of v 9 foreshadows conflict: And that day was the Sabbath.
Jesus chose the Sabbath to perform this sign to stir up the pharisaic
religious leaders of Israel just as surely as the angel used to stir up the
waters of the pool.
5:10. The OT did not forbid carrying one’s bed on the Sabbath. However,
the Judean religious leaders had established many extrabiblical laws which
they felt were valid applications of the OT commands. Absurdly they
rebuke him who was cured, “It is the Sabbath; it is not lawful for you to
carry your bed.”
As v 16 makes clear, it was the healing itself that really irritated the
religious leaders. Their self-righteous rules and regulations even forbade
healing a man on the Sabbath.
5:11. The man does not back down. He appeals to the authority of the One
who healed him. Who would not take up his bed and walk if the person who
miraculously healed him told him to do so? It makes sense to obey the
command of such a person even if the religious authorities had laws against
it.
5:12. The question from the religious leaders, “Who is the Man who said
to you, ‘Take up your bed and walk’?” was not borne of a conviction that
anyone who could do such a miracle must be seriously considered as
possibly being the Messiah. Rather, they were concerned that anyone who
could do such a miracle on the Sabbath must surely not be from God (see v
16). They likely know that Jesus did this (cf. 2:23). They are looking for
direct testimony from the man who had been healed.
5:13. Since the man did not know who it was who had healed him, it is
clear that Jesus did not heal him on the basis of his faith. John does not say
why Jesus had withdrawn after performing this great miracle.
5:14. Afterward Jesus found him in the temple. It is not that the man
found Jesus. Jesus found him. Jesus said to him, “See, you have been
made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” Grace is not
a license to sin. Evidently the man’s lengthy infirmity was due to some
unnamed sin in his life thirty-eight years earlier. Jesus has now graciously
healed him. However, He also warns the man that even a worse thing would
happen to him if he returns to that sin.
Some commentators believe that Jesus was threatening the man with hell if
he chose to indulge in a life of sin. Such a view, however, is not suggested
by the context or by Biblical theology. One does not escape hell by avoiding
a life of sin. Temporal well being is clearly in view. For the believer or
unbeliever, sin never pays.
5:15. Evidently the man wanted to please the Jewish authorities more than
he wanted to please the One who healed him. Knowing that the Jewish
leaders felt that Jesus had sinned by healing on the Sabbath (v 10), he
reported His identity as soon as he discovered it.
5:16. For the first time in the Fourth Gospel, the expression the Jews
(better, the Judeans) represents those opposed to Jesus and His ministry.
The Judean authorities were unwilling to reconsider their view of the
Sabbath or of the Messiah. As a result, in spite of convincing evidence that
Jesus was the Messiah, they persecuted Jesus, and sought to kill Him.
3. Discourse on eternal life and the resurrection of life (5:17-47)
5:17. Knowing what was in their hearts, Jesus answered them, “My
Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” Neither
Jesus nor His Father ceased working on the Sabbath. If God did cease all
activity on the Sabbath, then the universe would come apart (Heb 1:3).
5:18. The Judean leaders wanted to kill Him, because He…broke the
Sabbath, and said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with
God. They rightly understood Jesus was claiming to be equal with God.
Surely this should have caused great caution and even fear on their part.
Instead, they became all the more determined to kill Him. Dogmatic
interpretation
can lead otherwise rational people to reject persuasive evidence.
 5:19. Jesus again responds to their unvoiced objection: “The Son can do
nothing of Himself, but what He sees the Father do; for whatever He
does, the Son also does in like manner.” The leaders felt He was
blaspheming by claiming equality with God. Jesus is morally incapable of
doing anything of Himself—that is, contrary to the will of God the Father.
Evident in Jesus’ words is submission to the Father (cf. comments on
10:30-33 and 14:28). Jesus willfully chose to submit to God the Father with
whom He is totally equal in power, glory, holiness, and essence.
5:20. “The Father loves the Son.” The verb loves here is phileō, not
agapaō. This is the only reference in John’s Gospel to the Father loving the
Son using the verb phileō. Six times in John agapaō is used of the Father’s
love for the Son (3:35; 10:17; 15:9; 17:23, 24, 26). Probably no intended
difference in meaning exists between the two Greek verbs in John.
The Father’s love for the Son leads Him to “[show] Him all things He
Himself does.” Just as a human son imitates his earthly father, so Jesus
learned His vocation from His Father in heaven. For millennia Jesus had
seen the Father heal people on the Sabbath (though, of course, without
people charging Him with sin).
Jesus then says, “He will show Him greater works than these, that you
may marvel.” These “greater works” will be greater than the miraculous
healing of the paralytic, which engendered the current conflict. The
“greater works” include, if not refer exclusively to, the Son giving
everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him (see vv 21, 24). The Father
wants the Son to do such marvelous works that Israel might marvel and
believe in Him.
5:21. Since the Son does what He sees the Father doing, it is not surprising
that “as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the
Son gives life to whom He will.” The life Jesus gives is both physical life
(raising the dead) and everlasting life (cf. v 24; 10:28). Verse 21 is further
explained in vv 24-26.
5:22-23. The words “all judgment” include all eschatological judgments,
the judgment of believers, the Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:10), and the
judgment of unbelievers, the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15).
The Son’s role as judge has as its purpose “that all should honor the Son
just as they honor the Father.” The implicit claim of the Judean
authorities to honor the Father was a false claim because they failed to
honor the Son whom He sent. Honoring the Son surely included believing
in Him (v 24).
Verses 22-23 are further explained in vv 27-30.
5:24. This verse does not teach that one can gain eternal life by believing
in God the Father and yet not God the Son. Actually Jesus is here stressing
the need to believe in Him for everlasting life. Clearly to believe in God the
Father one must hear/believe Jesus’ words since the Father sent Him to give
this message (see v 23).
All three major verb tenses—past, present, and future—are used here in
reference to the eternal destiny of the believer. Eternal life is the present
possession (“has everlasting life”) of all who believe in Jesus. Believers
have already “passed from [the sphere of] death to [the sphere of] life” in
a positional sense. And those who believe in Jesus are guaranteed that they
“shall not come into judgment” [or condemnation, see John 3:18],
confirming that the eternal destiny of believers is settled.
5:25. Those who are spiritually dead will gain eternal life the moment they
“hear the voice of the Son of God.” Hearing is a figure of speech for
believing (cf. vv 24, 46-47). This verse has nothing to do with those who
are physically dead as the immediate context (cf. vv 39-47) and other
Scripture make clear (e.g., John 11:26; Heb 9:27). Unbelievers are dead
people walking around. They lack God’s life, eternal life.
5:26. This verse may seem to contradict Jesus’ eternality and deity. In
what sense does “the Father [have] life in Himself” and in what sense has
He “granted the Son to have life in Himself”? All members of the
Godhead have had life forever. Therefore this verse is not referring to the
life the Father and the Son have always had and will always have.
Life in Himself refers to the ability to give men life (Ps 36:9). The Father
granted the Son that ability. Whenever anyone believes in Jesus, He gives
him everlasting life (cf. 5:21). Thus for people who want everlasting life
(see 5:39) to reject Jesus is the height of folly since He is the only Source of
that life (cf. 14:6).
5:27. Jesus not only has been granted by the Father the ability to give life,
but the Father also “has given Him authority to execute judgment” (cf.
5:22-23). The causal clause, “because He is the Son of Man,” refers both
to Jesus’ ability to give everlasting life and to execute judgment. Jesus has
these abilities precisely because He is the Son of Man (cf. Dan 7:13-14).
 5:28-29. Jesus is teaching about two different resurrections related to
coming judgment. There was no cause for marveling in that, for the Judean
leaders believed in two future resurrections. Probably what they would
likely “marvel at [was that] all who are in the graves will hear His [the
Son of Man’s] voice.” Since they did not believe Jesus was the Messiah,
they did not believe He would have any role at the end of the age in raising
and judging the dead.
Jesus speaks of the resurrections of “those who have done good [who
will] come forth…to the resurrection of life,” and of “those who have
done evil [who will come forth] to the resurrection of condemnation.”
This may sound like works salvation. However, in light of the Fourth
Gospel as a whole, and even in light of this immediate context (cf. 5:24, 31-
47), this is an impossible interpretation.
Some understand these verses to teach that all believers will be
characterized by good deeds and all unbelievers by evil deeds. However,
there is no such promise in Scripture. Some believers fail to advance
beyond spiritual infancy before they die (cf. 1 Cor 3:3; 11:30; Heb 5:12). In
addition, some believers do not endure in faith or good works (Luke 8:13; 2
Tim 2:11-13; Jas 5:19-20). Also the implication is that the reason the first
group is resurrected to life is precisely because they did good.
This could be an example of Johannine use of absolute language.
Positionally speaking all believers are holy and sinless. It is also possible
that Jesus is pointing out the futility of salvation by works. No one does
good (cf. Rom 2:7, 13; 3:10-11, 20).
Another view is that the reference to doing good alludes to believing in
Jesus and that the reference to doing evil concerns rejecting Him. This fits
the immediate context (cf. 5:24, 39-47). It also harmonizes well with 3:36
and 6:29.
5:30. Verse 30 is essentially a restatement of v 19, setting vv 19-30 apart
as Jesus’ answer to the furor over His healing on the Sabbath. What Jesus
did was given to Him by the Father, and hence it overrides the traditional
rabbinic understanding of what could and could not be done on the Sabbath.
All Jesus did was in fulfillment of “the will of the Father who sent Him.”
5:31. Jesus begins to shift His message. The verb “bear witness”
(martureō) and its related noun witness (marturia) occur seven and four
times respectively between vv 31-39. According to the OT an issue was
verified at the testimony of two or three witnesses. If Jesus had born witness
of Himself, with no other witnesses, His witness would not be proved true.
But there are four compelling witnesses to its truthfulness.
5:32-34. The first witness to Jesus’ claims was John the Baptist. The
Jewish leaders “sent to John” (cf. 1:19-28). Yet they did not believe John’s
witness.
As an aside, in v 34 Jesus states that He does “not receive testimony from
man.” That is, He knows His role directly from the Father (cf. 1 John 5:9-
13) and hence needs no testimony from man. But they did have that need.
Jesus’ aim is “that [the listeners] may be saved (sozō)” (i.e., that they
might gain everlasting life; cf. John 5:24-26, 39-47). This is one of only six
uses of sozō in John (see Introduction).
5:35. “[John] was the burning and shining lamp” that gave light to the
nation about the Light (cf. 1:8). The Judean listeners “were willing for a
time to rejoice in his light.” Jesus stops short of saying that they believed
John’s testimony about Him. In fact, vv 40 and 46 clearly say that they did
not believe. John the Baptist, the first prophet in over four hundred years in
Israel, was a powerful witness to Jesus’ claim to give eternal life to all who
believe in Him.
5:36. The second witness to Jesus—“a greater witness than John’s”—
was the very “works which the Father gave Jesus to finish.” The Sabbath
healing for which He was being persecuted was a prime example. Such
works should produce faith, not murderous skepticism.
5:37-38. The third witness was “the Father Himself.” Jesus indicts His
listeners for not receiving the Father’s testimony: “You have neither heard
His voice at any time, nor seen His form.” Their ears were closed to the
Father’s testimony.
That they never saw God’s form probably alludes to their never truly
seeing Jesus, for to see Him is to see the Father (cf. 1:18; 14:9). The
religious leaders were blind about Jesus and the Father’s witness to Him (cf.
John 9:39-41). As a result they did not have “His word abiding in [them].”
5:39. The fourth witness to Jesus is “the Scriptures” (i.e., the OT). Sadly
the Jews who rejected Jesus did so based on their dogmatic yet flawed
search of the Scriptures. While many OT scholars say that the Jews had no
concept of eternal life, Jesus here says they did: “in them you think you
have eternal life.” They thought the OT guaranteed them eternal life if they
lived up to its commandments. Yet the OT writings, Jesus says, “are they
which testify of Me.”
5:40. Jesus indicts his listeners: “But you are not willing to come to Me
that you may have life.” Whereas coming after Jesus is a discipleship term
(e.g., Matt 16:24), coming to Jesus is a figure for believing in Him (cf.
6:35).
Jesus is not implying that there is a volitional aspect to belief. Actually He
is merely stating a fact. The Jewish leaders and their followers were not
willing to come to Jesus that they may have life. They felt they had already
found eternal life in the OT Scriptures (5:39). Since Jesus’ teaching
conflicted with their understanding, they rejected Him and His teachings.
It would be wrong to conclude that since they were unwilling, none of
them would come to faith in Jesus. Before Saul of Tarsus met Jesus on the
road to Damascus, he gave no indication that he was willing to come to
Jesus to have life. God may choose to override a person’s unwillingness.
The implication is that being willing to come to Jesus makes it more likely
that a person will come to faith in Him.
God delights in those who diligently seek Him (Heb 11:6), in those who
search the Scriptures to determine if something is true (Acts 17:11). Jesus’
words encourage people to be willing to come to Him to gain life.
5:41. Jesus received honor from the Father (cf. 17:1), “not…from men.”
And that, of course, is the attitude His followers should have as well.
5:42. When Jesus says, “you do not have the love of God in you,” is He
saying that the listeners do not love God (objective genitive) or that God
does not love them (subjective or possessive genitive)? Since God loves the
world (3:16), it seems that the former is in view. If the readers loved God,
then they would have believed in Jesus (5:45-47). To seek to kill Jesus (v
16) is to fail to love God.
5:43-44. The Judeans of that day did not receive Jesus, who came “in
[His] Father’s name,” but they would receive a self-serving rabbi, who
came “in his own name.”
To believe in Jesus, a Jew of the first century had to go against the
religious traditions of his contemporaries. A desire to “receive honor
from” others made it unlikely that a person would believe in Him.
Jesus is not saying that such an attitude makes belief in Him impossible.
Later John wrote that “even among the rulers many believed in Him, but
because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him…for they loved the
praise of men more than the praise of God” (12:42-43). While the word for
praise is not the same as the word used here for honor, their meanings do
overlap.
5:45. While all judgment has been given to Jesus (v 22), He will not
“accuse [his listeners] to the Father.” An objective standard that accuses is
the Word of God. Jesus refers to Moses (i.e., his writings, the Pentateuch)
since those were so revered by the Jews. Sadly the Jews of Jesus’ day, like
many Jews and Gentiles today, trusted (or hoped) in Moses (i.e., observance
of the Law of Moses) to get them into the coming kingdom.
5:46. Ironically, though Jesus’ listeners trusted in Moses, they did not
believe him, “for he wrote about [Jesus].”
Where did Moses write of Jesus? In Gen 3:15 he reported the prophecy
that the seed of the woman (i.e., the Messiah, born of a virgin) would bruise
the head of the seed of the serpent (Satan). Abraham offering up his only
son Isaac foreshadowed God’s offering of His only Son, Jesus, as the Lamb
of God (22:1-14). When Moses told of the Passover of Exodus 12, he was
picturing the coming Messiah who would be the ultimate Passover Lamb
(John 1:29; 1 Cor 5:7). The sacrifices Moses outlined in the Book of
Leviticus were “a shadow of the good things to come” (Heb 10:1). The
“Prophet like me” of whom Moses spoke in Deut 18:15-18 is Jesus (cf.
John 1:45).
5:47. If those who revere Moses’ writings “do not believe his writings
[about Jesus], how will [they] believe [Jesus’ own] words?” This is the
corollary to v 46: He who believes Moses believes Jesus; he who does not
believe Moses does not believe Jesus.
C. The Fourth and Fifth Signs (6:1-71)
1. The fourth sign: Jesus feeds the five thousand (6:1-14)
6:1. Based on Matt 4:12–14:12 (the time not reported by John), about six
months separate 5:47 and 6:1. Jesus withdrew with His disciples to the
northeast side of the Sea of Galilee—also called the Sea of Tiberias (cf.
21:1), evidently to rest and pray after receiving news of John the Baptist’s
death (cf. Matt 14:12-14).
6:2. Even in a relatively deserted place (Matt 14:13-15; Mark 6:32) a
great multitude followed Him. They were motivated to pursue Him
because they saw the signs which He performed on those who were
diseased. Yet most of them were motivated by carnal desires (John 6:26),
not the prospect of gaining eternal life for which the signs were designed
(see 20:30-31).
6:3-4. Jesus went up on a mountain and there sat with His disciples for
several reasons. First, this gave them a good vantage point from which to
see the crowd and for Jesus to set the stage for the miracle. Second, it gave
Jesus an easy escape route when the people sought to make Him king by
force (v 15). Third, that He was geographically above the people whom He
miraculously fed reinforces His claim that He is the bread of God who came
down from heaven (v 33).
This took place just before the second of three Passovers John mentions
(cf. 2:13, 23; 6:4ff; 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14). The Passover was a
national celebration of Jewish independence in which the nation looked
forward to the coming of the Messiah. Since He was now there, these
Passover celebrations should have been especially joyful. This may give
added explanation to the crowd’s fervent efforts to install Him as King (v
15).
6:5-6. A teachable moment is being engineered by the greatest Teacher of
all time. Jesus gives Philip a pop quiz: “Where shall we buy bread, that
these may eat?” Philip had seen Jesus perform many miracles, although
none quite as grand as the one He was about to perform. Would Philip
suggest that Jesus could meet the need with only a word?
6:7. No, Philip missed the point. “Two hundred denarii worth of bread
is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
However, he did recognize the enormity of the need. Two hundred denarii
was the wages a common laborer would make in two hundred days. In
today’s dollars that would roughly be equal to $20,000. And that sum would
not begin to meet the need. That would provide only a little for each one.
To feed five thousand men (plus probably fifteen thousand women and
children; see comments on v 10) would require much more money.
6:8-9. The test of Philip was, of course, a test for the other disciples as
well. Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, had an idea: “There is a lad here
who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among
so many?” The tone of his question suggests that he knew it was silly even
to mention such a thing; yet he mentions it. Could it be that Andrew knows
that Jesus can miraculously meet the need? That Andrew even mentions the
bread and fish suggests he thought it possible that Jesus might turn a little
into a lot—as the year before He had turned water into wine.
6:10. That John mentions there was much grass in the place seems like
an odd element of the story to mention. Could this be designed by John (and
the Holy Spirit) to allude to the twenty-third Psalm? Jesus sees these needy
people as sheep without a shepherd (Matt 6:34), and so He leads them into
green pastures.
The men sat down, in number about five thousand. Matthew writes that
women and children were present too (Matt 14:21). So probably twenty
thousand or more people were fed that day.
6:11. Though He had the power and authority as God the Son to perform
this miracle, yet He stopped and gave thanks first! How much more should
believers give thanks for all God gives them?
Philip spoke of the huge cost of even providing “a little” food for each
person (v 8). Yet each one ate as much as they wanted. Five loaves and
two fish might feed one family, but certainly not five thousand families!
Only the Messiah could multiply the bread and fish to feed so many.
6:12-13. When they were filled, Jesus makes sure that His disciples
know well that there is more food left over than when they began. The
enigmatic saying, “so that nothing is lost” may simply remind the
disciples how precious the bread and fish was which Jesus miraculously
provided. Or it may be a precursor to the Bread of Life discourse that
follows. Jesus loses nothing (cf. v 39) of all who believe in Him.
6:14. Those men [who] had seen the sign refers to the opinion of many in
the crowd. This sign convinced them that Jesus is “the Prophet who is to
come into the world” (Deut 18:15-18).
This should not be confused with the belief that Jesus is the Messiah
because vv 30 and 36 show that most in this crowd did not believe in Him.
As seen in 1:19-21, the Jews distinguished between the prophet and the
Christ. This would be similar to someone today who believes in Jesus’ deity
and yet who does not believe that He is the Christ, the one who guarantees
everlasting life to all who simply by faith in Him (John 11:25-27).
2. The fifth sign: Jesus walks on water (6:15-21)
 6:15. This grand miracle, against the backdrop of high eschatological
expectations and the coming Passover, resulted in the crowd wanting to
take Him by force to make Him king. The sentiment was fine. The timing
was not. As a result, Jesus went further up the Golan Heights by Himself
alone. The crowd’s desire to have Jesus as its King was based on physical,
not spiritual, considerations (cf v 26).
6:16-17. Why His disciples went down to the sea without Jesus is not
stated or implied. Matthew 14:22 reports that He told them to go on without
Him. No indication is given as to why they chose to cross the Sea of Galilee
at night, rather than waiting till morning. For experienced fishermen this
would have been no cause for concern so long as the sea was calm—which
it was when they departed from shore.
6:18. Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. The
ultimate cause of this storm was the Lord Jesus. He had another lesson to
teach the Twelve.
6:19. Imagine the disciples’ fatigue and fear after they had rowed about
three or four miles in terrible seas. According to Matthew and Mark’s
Gospels, they were in the middle of the sea at this point (Matt 14:24; Mark
6:47).
The disciples were afraid when they saw Jesus walking on the sea and
drawing near the boat. They thought they were seeing a ghost (Matt
14:26; Mark 6:49). Whether God sovereignly hindered them from
recognizing Jesus—as was the case on a number of occasions in Jesus’
post-resurrection appearances—or whether the terrible conditions and
darkness were the cause, the Twelve did not recognize Him.
6:20-21. Jesus identifies Himself saying, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then
they willingly received Him into the boat. John chose not to report that
Peter got out and at the Lord’s bidding walked on water until his faith
faltered (Matt 14:28-31). Nor did he write that when Jesus got into the boat
the winds stopped and the disciples said, “Truly You are the Son of God”
(Matt 14:32-33).
On the other hand, only John reported that after the disciples received
Jesus into the boat it was at the land where they were going. Jesus, His
disciples, and the boat all were immediately transported several miles
across the sea to the shore. After hours of struggle to go part way, Jesus
took them the remaining distance with no effort on their part. This could be
a picture of people coming to Christ for eternal life. People struggle and
struggle, ineffectively trying to gain life by their best efforts. Then when
they believe in Jesus for that life, immediately they have it.
3. Discourse on the Bread of Life (6:22-59)
6:22-25. Apparently two different groups came to Jesus after this sign. The
people who were left behind on the other side of the sea saw that there
was only one boat—the one that Jesus’ disciples entered without Jesus—on
the far shore. They got into boats and came to Capernaum, seeking
Jesus.
In addition, other boats came from Tiberias, near the place where they
ate the bread.
Either or both groups might have asked Him, “Rabbi, when did You
come here?” The question suggests they suspect that another miracle had
taken place. They may not have known He walked on water; however, they
probably thought He arrived in some supernatural way.
6:26-27. These people were seeking Him for the wrong reason: because
they “ate of the loaves and were filled.” They should have been seeking
Him because they “saw the signs” and were convinced that this is the
Messiah, the giver of eternal life.
Bread is “food which perishes.” Jesus invites them to “labor…for the
food which endures to everlasting life.” This invitation seems odd since
everlasting life is a free gift (4:10; Rev 22:17). The context is different than
John 4:34-38 where eternal rewards are in view. Here Jesus is speaking of
the gift of eternal life He gives to the believer (cf. vv 29, 35).
This passage and Luke 13:24 (“strive to enter through the narrow gate”)
suggest that for some obtaining eternal life will involve effort. Those who
have become confused by a false teaching, such as the legalists Jesus is
evangelizing, often must labor if they are to escape its clutches.
Cornelius in Acts 10 illustrates the point of this verse. His prayers and
alms, while not buying salvation for him, pleased God and so He sent Peter
to him with the saving message (Acts 10:5, 35; 11:14).
It is “the Son of Man” who gives people everlasting life. He is able to
give life “because God the Father has set His seal on Him.”
6:28-29. The question of the listeners—“What shall we do, that we may
work the works of God?”—is a logical one in light of Jesus’ call to labor
for the food that endures to everlasting life (v 27). They use the noun form
(erga, works, plural) of the verb Jesus had just used (ergazomai).
The Lord makes a vital distinction between the works, plural, about which
they ask, and the work, singular, which God actually requires. Anyone who
believes in Jesus has done “the work [singular] of God.” The sole
condition is to “believe in Him [Jesus] whom He [the Father] sent.”
Believing in Jesus is a work in the sense that it is an act. But it is a passive
work as John 4:10-14 clearly shows. Believing in Jesus is not a work in the
Pauline sense (Eph 2:9), for Paul has in mind active works (plural) of
obedience to God’s commands. A failure to understand John 6:29 results in
misinterpreting a host of other passages (e.g., Matt 7:21; Acts 6:7; Rom
1:5).
6:30-31. Strangely the crowd asks Jesus to do another miracle “that they
may see it and believe.” The sign they want is more bread: “Our fathers
ate the manna in the desert.” They reason that if Jesus is the Messiah, He
ought to be able to provide an ongoing supply of free bread just as Moses
did for forty years with the manna.
6:32-33. The manna, Jesus informs His listeners, was actually not given by
Moses at all. Jesus’ Father gave the manna, just as now, “My Father gives
you the true bread from heaven.”
Jesus was talking about Himself (cf. v 35). He is “the bread of God…
from heaven” (cf. 3:13) who “gives life to the world” (cf. 1:4; 3:16; 4:14;
5:24).
6:34. His listeners, like the woman at the well (4:15), initially think that
Jesus is speaking literally rather than metaphorically: “Lord, give us this
bread always.” They want this free bread always.
6:35. This is the first of Jesus’ “I am” statements (cf. 8:12; 10:7 [and v 9],
11 [and v 14]; 11:25; 14:6; 15:1 [and v 5]).
Jesus, “the bread of life,” is the source of eternal life to all who partake of
Him by believing in Him. The one “who comes to [Jesus] will never
hunger.” The one “who believes in Him will never thirst” (cf. 4:14).
These metaphors affirm the fact of eternal security for those who believe in
Him. At the very moment of faith eternal life becomes the secure and
irrevocable possession of the believer.
6:36. Though they saw Him and His signs and heard His preaching, Jesus’
listeners “do not believe.” They do not believe that He is the source of
eternal life and that He gives it to all who believe in Him.
6:37-40. All who will ever believe in Jesus have been given to Him by
“the Father.” All such people “will come to” Jesus, that is, they will
believe in Him. Once a person “comes to” Jesus, He guarantees, “I will by
no means cast [him] out.” This is an understatement. Jesus will hold him
close forever (cf. 10:28-29).
Jesus came “to do…the will of Him who sent [Him].” He then clarifies
what His Father’s will is: “that of all He has given Me I should lose
nothing.” As with the promises in vv 35 and 37, this promise eliminates the
idea that eternal life can be lost. If even one person who comes to faith in
Jesus ends up lost, then Jesus failed to do the will of the Father!
Jesus reiterates: “this is the will of Him who sent [Him] that everyone
who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life.” The
life Jesus gives is irrevocable. The will of the Father is to believe in His Son
whom He sent (cf. Matt 7:21).
Twice Jesus promises to “raise [the believer] up at the last day” (vv 39-
40; see also vv 44, 54). The last day refers to the end of this age.
6:41-42. They knew Jesus’ “father and mother.” That was convincing
evidence to them that He was not the bread of God from heaven.
Rather than complain about what He said, they should have meditated on
the signs He did and on His words and then searched the Scriptures (cf.
John 5:39; Acts 17:11) to see if He fit the OT prophecies about Messiah
(e.g., Mic 5:2; Isa 7:14; 2 Sam 7:14).
6:43. Jesus knew that His listeners were murmuring among themselves
about His claim to be from heaven. This murmuring was an outgrowth of
their failure to believe that Jesus gives eternal life to those who believe in
Him (vv 35-36).
6:44. “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws
[elkuō] him.” Belief in Jesus never occurs unless a person has first been
drawn to Him by God the Father (cf. Rom 3:11).
Jesus does not say anything about the extent, duration, or resistibility to
this drawing. All He said is that drawing is necessary for belief to occur.
According to John 12:32, the only other figuratively use of elkuō in John
(18:10 and 21:6, 11 refer to the literal drawing of a sword and a net), and
16:7-11, the extent of drawing is universal. The duration of the drawing is
variable, for God may draw someone for eighty years or He may draw
someone for only a short time (cf. Acts 13:46 and Rom 1:18-32). This
drawing is resistible. Judas resisted intense drawing for over three years. All
who die as unbelievers have rejected God’s drawing.
Unbelievers can labor for the food that endures to everlasting life (v 27)
because the Father is drawing them. However, if an unbeliever hardens his
heart, God may cease drawing him.
6:45. When Jesus says, “And they shall all be taught by God,” He may be
referring to Isa 54:13 or Jer 31:34 or to no OT verse in particular. His point
is that the OT taught drawing as well. This verse affirms universal drawing:
all shall be taught by God. Those who hear and have learned from the
Father come to faith in Jesus. God’s drawing does not eliminate human
responsibility.
6:46. Knowledge of the Father comes through the Son (cf. 1:18). He who
rejects Jesus thus rejects the Father drawing him. He who responds
favorably to the Father’s drawing will believe in Jesus.
6:47. Here is the saving message simply put: “He who believes in Me has
everlasting life.” Jesus guarantees everlasting life to all who believe in
Him. The words in Me are found in the majority of manuscripts and are
rightly included in the NKJV.
6:48-50. The manna in the wilderness was a type of Christ. It gave
temporary physical life: “your fathers ate the manna…and are dead.” It
also pointed to the ultimate Bread of Life who gives everlasting life: “I am
the bread of life…that one may eat of it and not die.” Whoever eats of
the Bread of Life—that is, whoever believes in Jesus—will not die
spiritually.
6:51. Jesus asserts again that He is the source of eternal life: “I am the
living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this
bread, he will live forever.” The end of this verse is an allusion to the
cross: “I shall give…My flesh…for the life of the world.” He gave His
flesh (also called His soul or His life elsewhere—Matt 20:28; John 10:15)
so that the world might have life. Jesus made the world savable (see
comments on 1:29 and 6:53).
6:52. Once again Jesus’ opponents are annoyed with Him: “How can this
Man give us His flesh to eat?” Rather than trying to understand His
meaning, they mock Him with this sarcastic question.
 6:53-58. While some have seen a direct reference to the Lord’s Supper in
these words, that view is not valid. Jesus is illustrating belief in Him when
He said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His
blood, you have no life in you” (cf. vv 35, 47). The Lord’s Supper is a
memorial of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood (1 Cor 11:24-25), not the
source of eternal life.
The reference to abiding in Christ in v 56 concerns having life, or living in
Him (cf. v 57). This is a positional concept here (unlike chapter 15, and 1
John, in which believers are challenged to abide in Jesus in their
experience).
The manna was a temporary solution. It could sustain life only a day at a
time. To stay alive people had to keep eating that bread each day. And even
then the one who ate the manna eventually died. However, “he who eats
this bread [the bread of life] will live forever.” The moment one eats the
bread of life (6:35, 48, 51) he has everlasting life that can never be lost.
6:59. The preceding dialogue (vv 25-58) took place in the synagogue as
He taught in Capernaum. Jesus taught on hillsides, in the temple, in
synagogues, in the streets, and in homes. He reached out to a people who
were largely set in their opposition against Him.
4. Many of Jesus’ disciples, including some believers, depart
from Him (6:60-71)
6:60. Not only did those who opposed Jesus (“the Jews,” vv 41, 52) have
difficulty with this teaching, but so did many of His disciples, who said,
“This is a hard saying; who can understand it?”
6:61. Jesus’ omniscience shines through. He knew in Himself that His
disciples complained about this. Many of Jesus’ disciples were offended
by this teaching.
6:62. The connection with the preceding seems to be this: If they were
offended (v 61) by His claim to have descended from heaven (vv 38, 58),
would they still be offended if they saw Him “ascend where He was
before?”
Jesus states no conclusion to the question. A probable reason is that some
people who were offended will later, after His ascension, remain so, while
others will then respond in faith. While Jesus does not state it here, His
ascension would be preceded by His resurrection and His post-resurrection
appearances. This later evidence would persuade some to believe (e.g. Acts
2:22-47, esp. v 44).
6:63. Once again, the connection with the preceding discourse is difficult.
The key to understanding lies with the word flesh. In His preceding
discourse Jesus said that “whoever eats My flesh...has eternal life” (v 54).
Yet here Jesus says that “the flesh profits nothing,” in contrast to “the
Spirit who gives life.” A literal eating of Jesus’ flesh would not give life.
The eating metaphor pictured faith (see v 35).
“The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life.” One who
believes Jesus’ words gains life because the Holy Spirit regenerates all who
believe in Him (cf. 3:1-18).
The statement that “the flesh profits nothing” may allude to the
impossibility of earning eternal life.
6:64. Some people who were following and being instructed by Jesus
nonetheless did not believe in Him. They were disciples, but they were not
yet born again. Discipleship is in no way synonymous with salvation.
Jesus knew which of His disciples were believers and which were not. He
chose and trained and loved Judas, all the time knowing that he did not
believe in Him and that he would betray Him.
6:65. Like v 44 (see the discussion there), Jesus’ statement that “no one
can come to Me unless it has been granted to him by My Father” is
sometimes understood to teach that only a small percentage of humanity,
the elect, are able to believe and be born again.
This interpretation is unjustified for several reasons. First, God never
commands something that is impossible for the hearer to do. And God
commands all people to believe in His Son. Second, since God is drawing
all, including those who never believe (12:32; 16:8-11), He surely has
granted to all that they may believe. Third, the unbelieving disciples He is
addressing are being strongly drawn to faith in Christ. Indeed, whatever the
point of v 65, it surely is related to calling these unbelieving disciples to
faith.
Another interpretation understands Jesus to be calling His unbelieving
disciples, or any unbelievers, to prayer. Unbelievers would be wise to pray
that it might be granted to them to come to Christ. Jesus’ preceding
discourse was part of the Father’s drawing. The listeners should seek to
understand and believe His words, for they give life (v 63). If they turn
away from Jesus because they find His teaching difficult to believe, then
they walk away from that which the Father has granted them. Such a step is
very dangerous for there is no guarantee that they will have another
opportunity to hear and believe in Jesus.
6:66. Sadly, many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no
more. Comparing v 66 with v 64 shows that some of those who withdrew
from Jesus were believers. Some did not believe (v 64); yet many withdrew
from Him.
This verse shows it is possible for believing disciples to drop out of
Christian instruction. Diligence is needed (cf. Heb 10:24-25).
6:67. Since some believing disciples had departed, it was conceivable that
even the Twelve might withdraw.
6:68-69. Peter and the other disciples know that Jesus is “the Christ, the
Son of the living God” (cf. 11:27; 20:31). Therefore they have no desire to
leave Him to go to anyone else. Peter’s statement, “You have words of
eternal life,” does not mean that the Eleven (who already believed in Jesus)
were unsure of their eternal destiny and were looking for Him to tell them
how they could have eternal life (cf. 2:11; 5:24; 6:35-40). Rather, Peter
realized that Jesus was giving them a fuller understanding of eternal life. He
was teaching them about bodily resurrection, the Tribulation, the
Millennium, eternal rewards, and the importance of fishing for men.
6:70. The correlation of this verse with the preceding is unclear. Some
suggest that the Lord is rebuking Peter for a prideful attitude. Yet nothing in
Peter’s response suggests pridefulness. Indeed, his words are one of only
three recorded references to Jesus being “the Christ, the Son of [the living]
God” (cf. 11:27; 20:31). A better solution is that Jesus is correcting Peter’s
statement. Peter said, “we have come to believe.” Peter seems to think that
all twelve disciples believe in Jesus. Yet Jesus knows otherwise and reveals
that fact.
6:71. John identifies the betrayer as Judas Iscariot. Of course, John
personally did not learn this until later (cf. 13:25-30; 18:2-9).
IV. Two Signs that Show the Folly of Not Believing in Jesus (7:1–
12:50)
A shift occurred at the end of chap. 6 with the reference to those disciples
who did not believe in Jesus and to Judas who would betray Him. The
response to the first five signs had been relatively positive. Many had come
to faith after those signs. However, after the fifth and sixth signs those who
come to faith in Him decreases and determination to kill Him increases.
A. Jesus at the Feast of Tabernacles—Preparation for the Sixth
and Seventh Signs (7:1–8:59)
1. Jesus prepares to go up to the feast (7:1-13)
7:1-2. Jesus walked in Galilee (cf. 6:59) for He knew of the efforts of the
Judean leaders to kill Him. At the times of the feasts it was common for
Jews to travel to Jerusalem (in Judea). This helps explain the request of
Jesus’ brothers.
7:3-5. Jesus’ half-brothers challenge Him to “go into Judea” and to do
mighty deeds there. Along with some of the disciples (6:64), even His
brothers did not believe in Him.
After His resurrection, of course, His brothers came to believe in Him.
Two of them, James and Jude, became authors of Scripture. James also
became the head of the Jerusalem church (see Acts 15).
7:6. Time (kairos) here is a different word from hour (hora) in 2:4. Thus
Jesus may not be repeating the point He made to His mother (i.e., that His
glorification by the cross was not yet at hand). When He says, “My time
has not yet come,” He may simply be saying that it was not yet time for
Him to go back to Jerusalem.
For His brothers, however, they could go to Jerusalem any time they
wanted. No one was seeking to kill them.
7:7. The world could not hate Jesus’ brothers because they were yet
unbelievers and thus members of the world system. “But it hates [Jesus]
because [He] testif[ied] of it that its works are evil.”
7:8. Jesus encouraged His brothers to “go up to this feast.” He told them,
however, “I am not yet going up to this feast, for My time has not yet
fully come.”
There is a seemingly minor textual variant in this verse. The MT reads, “I
am not yet [oupo] going up to this feast.” The NASB, however, leaves out
the word yet: “I do not go up to this feast.” This difference is major since
the only way to understand Jesus here as not lying is to credit Him as
meaning that He was not yet going up (cf. NIV).
 7:9-10. For a time after this conversation Jesus indeed remained in
Galilee just as He implied He would. Then later, He went up to the feast in
Jerusalem secretly, not openly, probably since to do so openly would have
changed the course of events.
Jesus now leaves Galilee for the last time before the Cross. His next
appearance in Galilee would be in His resurrection body (Matt 28:10).
7:11. This is another example of people “seeking Jesus” for the wrong
reason, in this case, to trip Him up and, if possible, to kill Him. “Where is
He?” is reminiscent of Herod who asked the magi to report Jesus’ location
so his soldiers might kill Him (Matt 2:8).
7:12. One group said that Jesus “deceives the people.” John does not say
if the other group—those who said, “He is good”—were believers or not. It
is possible that very few of these believed that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Savior of the world. Compare Luke 18:18 (“Good Teacher”). A positive
attitude toward Jesus is not the same as believing in Him for eternal life.
7:13. Whether believers or unbelievers, no one spoke openly of Him for
fear of the Jews. The Judean authorities were putting out of the synagogues
those who confessed faith in Jesus (cf. 12:42).
2. Jesus testifies at the feast that He is the Christ (7:14-36)
7:14-15. The feast of tabernacles lasted for seven days, beginning on the
Sabbath (Lev 23:34). Thus the middle of the feast probably refers to
Monday, Tuesday, or Wednesday—the third, fourth, and fifth days of the
feast. Jesus had remained incognito until this point.
Jesus’ teaching was exceedingly impressive: “How does this Man know
letters, having never studied?” The Jewish leaders marveled at how one
not formerly trained could have such an amazing grasp of the Scriptures.
Unfortunately this recognition of Jesus’ brilliance did not lead His
opponents to faith (see v 20).
7:16-17. Jesus said, “My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.”
He neither received it from men, nor did He make it up. He was speaking
the doctrine His Father gave Him. This is a beautiful promise: “If anyone
wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is
from God.” While this promise applies to all that Jesus taught, it especially
concerns the issue of what one must do to have everlasting life. All who are
willing to do what God says will discover that all who simply believe in
Jesus have everlasting life (cf. 5:40). Unfortunately, most of Jesus’ listeners
did not will to do His will. Instead they were seeking to kill Jesus and put
His teaching to an end (7:19-20).
7:18-19. Jesus was seeking “the glory of the One who sent Him” and
who gave Him His doctrine. Jesus claimed something about Himself that
could not rightly be said of any other person: “No unrighteousness is in
Him” (cf. 2 Cor 5:21). In contrast to Jesus, His listeners were sinners:
“None of you keeps the law” (cf. Jas 2:10; Gal 3:10). Sinners need a
Savior. However, instead of looking to Jesus to save them, they were
seeking to kill Him.
7:20. Instead of admitting their desire to kill Him, the crowd lies: “You
have a demon. Who is seeking to kill You?” Because Jesus’ teaching
conflicts with their dogmatic understandings, they conclude that Jesus is in
league with the devil.
7:21-23. The “one work” to which Jesus refers is His healing of the lame
man on the Sabbath during His last visit to Jerusalem (5:1-16). This is clear
from His reference to the legality of “a man receiv[ing] circumcision on
the Sabbath” and to their objection to His having “made a man
completely well on the Sabbath.”
While the NKJV translation “you all marvel” in 7:21 suggests that the
crowd had a positive attitude toward the miracle Jesus performed, the Greek
verb need not have a positive connotation. In fact the context reveals a
negative reaction. The Jewish legalists are astonished or surprised by the
inconsistency of a great deed done on the Sabbath.
7:24. Jesus does not criticize His listeners for judging His actions. Rather,
He criticizes the basis on which they judged His actions. Judging
“according to appearance” refers to a superficial interpretation. On the
other hand, “righteous judgment” concerns a careful analysis of all the
facts to draw a proper conclusion. In this case the facts are the OT teachings
about the Sabbath. The OT nowhere forbids healing on the Sabbath.
7:25-27. Some in the crowd are favorably impressed by Jesus’ words and
deeds; yet they are confused. If He is the Christ, as suggested by the bold
manner in which He speaks and the rulers’ inability to refute or seize Him,
then why is it that “no one knows where He is from”?
These Judeans were evidently unaware of OT prophecies that said that the
Christ would be born in Bethlehem (Mic 5:2), and yet be called a Nazarene,
since He was to be raised in Nazareth (Matt 2:23, evidently referring to Isa
11:1).
7:28-29. In answer to the murmuring (v 27), Jesus cried out…saying,
“You both know Me, and you know where I am from.” Yet He says that
they “do not know” the Father who sent Jesus. Jesus was mocking the
crowd. He said, “But I know Him, for I am from Him, and He sent Me.”
Jesus is claiming here to be the mediator between His Father and mankind.
7:30. Offended by His rebuke, the religious leaders sought to take Him.
They were unable to do so, however, because His hour had not yet come.
God sovereignly hindered them from fulfilling their desires at this time.
7:31. John reports that many of the people believed in Him. Thus they
were regenerated (cf. 3:16). They rightly reasoned that only the Messiah
could do the amazing miracles Jesus did.
7:32. The legalistic, self-righteous Pharisees could not tolerate such
thinking. Compelled to stop Jesus’ message of grace, they tried to arrest
Him.
7:33. Jesus was fully in charge. He would not allow them to take Him yet:
“I shall be with you a little while longer.” His hour had not come. When
His hour came, then He would “go to Him who sent [Him]” (i.e., after His
crucifixion, resurrection, and appearances).
7:34. Ironically, they seek Jesus so they might kill Him, but He says a time
is soon coming when “You will seek Me and not find Me.” This may
allude to the empty tomb, which remains perplexing for unbelievers. Of
course, after His ascension, for anyone to find the Risen One he would have
to go to heaven to see Him, something unbelievers cannot do.
7:35-36. The Jewish authorities are still thinking in purely earthly terms:
“Where does He intend to go that we shall not find Him?” They think
Jesus will escape somewhere on earth, maybe “among the Greeks.” They
cannot accept the fact that He would rise from the dead and return to His
Father. If that were true, then their carefully crafted gospel of works
salvation would be proved false.
3. The Judean religious leaders fail to silence Jesus at the feast
(7:37-52)
7:37. The last day…of the feast was the greatest day of the seven. More
worship and praise and messianic expectation took place on that day than
on the previous six.
Jesus’ invitation, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink” (cf.
4:10-14; 6:35; Rev 21:6; 22:17) was set against the backdrop of the water-
pouring rite at the feast. The high priest would carry a golden pitcher filled
with water from the Pool of Siloam back to the temple. He would then pour
out the water before the Lord. This pouring recalled the water in the desert
that God miraculously provided from the rock.
Thus Jesus’ allusion to the water He offers pictures a better provision: one
drink forever quenches the recipient’s spiritual thirst (cf. 4:14; 6:35).
7:38. Jesus speaks of a future time when “He who believes in Me, as the
Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” In
light of the following, many take this as referring specifically to the time
when the Spirit indwells believers. Yet Jesus is speaking of a time future to
this life. While the coming indwelling ministry of the Spirit would make it
possible for the heart of a believer to “flow rivers of living water” now, that
is not at all certain. What is certain is that in eternity all believers will be
rivers of living water. Such rivers will indeed literally be found on the new
earth (cf. Rev 22:1). At that time every believer will figuratively be such a
river, with living-water blessings for all those around them.
7:39. John informs the reader that Jesus spoke concerning the Spirit,
whom those believing in Him would receive after Jesus’ glorification (i.e.,
His resurrection and ascension).
Four ministries of the Holy Spirit occur at the moment of faith:
regeneration (John 3:3-8), indwelling (John 14:17), baptizing (John 1:33),
and sealing (Eph 4:30).
7:40. Many from the crowd responded to Jesus’ proclamation with the
positive affirmation, “Truly this is the Prophet” (cf. Deut 18:15-18).
7:41-42. Another group affirmed, “This is the Christ.” However, this
group was questioned by people who were sadly uninformed. Jesus did
indeed come “from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem.”
The Scriptures did not say He would grow up there, however. His
upbringing in Nazareth of Galilee was completely consistent with the OT
(cf. Matt 2:23; Isa 11:1).
7:43-46. There was a division among the people because of Him.
Though some wanted to arrest Him, others opposed the idea. But the reason
no one laid hands on Him is that He was not yet ready to allow it!
 The officers (the temple guards) were asked, “Why have you not
brought Him?” Their answer was very revealing: “No man ever spoke
like this Man!” There is a blend of awe and fear in their response.
7:47-48. No doubt the Pharisees were frustrated when even their own
guards were drawn to Jesus. The Pharisees’ question, “Are you also
deceived?” is ironic, for they themselves were deceived. The Pharisees
were rightly concerned: “Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees
believed in Him?” Nicodemus was one such man. He is about to stand up
for Jesus (v 51)—yet without confessing his faith openly, for he is still a
secret disciple. A bit later John reports that many of the leaders believed in
Jesus (12:42).
7:49. The religious leaders claim to “know the law” (of Moses) so well
that they, unlike “this crowd,” think that Jesus—who heals the lame, walks
on water, turns water into wine, feeds five thousand with one small meal,
and teaches with such authority that all are amazed—is a fraud! Religious
dogmatism is a terribly blinding disease.
These experts should have seen, as Nicodemus did, that Jesus is a teacher
sent from God and should have looked to Him to give them eternal life.
7:50-51. This is the second of three references to Nicodemus in the Fourth
Gospel. Each time readers are reminded that he came to Jesus by night.
Nicodemus represents the secret believer. Unlike him, believers should
confess their faith in Jesus, not keeping it a secret, even if it costs them
persecution.
Nicodemus challenges his peers, yet without specifically revealing his
faith in Christ: “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and
knows what he is doing?” He is beginning to heed Jesus’ call in 3:21, even
if only with baby steps. Nicodemus wisely points out that their judgment
before a trial was in itself a violation of the very law they claimed to revere.
7:52. Nicodemus’s peers ridicule him: “Are you also from Galilee?
Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of Galilee.” The religious
authorities wrongly reason (see comments above on vv 41-42) that since
Jesus is from the region of Galilee, He cannot be a prophet.
4. Jesus’ encounter with the woman caught in adultery (7:53–
8:11)
 Over 900 of 925 manuscripts include this account of the woman caught in
adultery. This passage is surely part of Scripture in light of the external (and
internal) evidence.
7:53–8:2. With the ending of the Feast of Tabernacles, everyone went to
his own house. Jesus, however, a Man with no home of His own (Luke
10:58), went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning the next day,
He came again into the temple. The people there came to Him; and He
sat down and taught them. His reason for being there is about to be
revealed.
8:3-4. Scribes came with the Pharisees to try to trap Jesus. They brought
to Him a woman caught in adultery and set her in the midst before Him.
They report to Jesus and His audience, “Teacher, this woman was caught
in adultery, in the very act.” (That they did not also bring the man was a
violation of the Law and shows the hypocrisy of those testing Jesus.)
8:5-6. They felt they had Jesus trapped. He either had to condemn this
woman to instant death or violate the Law of Moses. If He did the latter,
they might have some justification for arresting Him.
Jesus’ initial response is puzzling: Jesus stooped down and wrote on the
ground with His finger. (The words as though He did not hear are not
found in the MT or CT.)
This no doubt alludes to Moses receiving the tablets of stone written with
God’s own finger on Mount Sinai (Exod 31:18). Moses broke the tablets
and the Lord again wrote them with His finger (Exod 32:19; 34:1).
As Jesus is being tested about the Law of Moses, He writes on the ground
with His finger. The only two places that mention God writing with His
finger are here and Mount Sinai. Jesus is identifying Himself as the
Lawgiver.
8:7. Jesus’ answer is amazing: “He who is without sin among you, let
him throw a stone at her first.” By His answer He spares her and yet does
not violate the Law. He lets them make the point for Him (v 9).
8:8. Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. Just as He had
twice written the Law on the two tablets with His finger, now He writes on
the ground a second time with His finger. During this writing the woman’s
accusers were convicted (v 9). John’s unbelieving readers should grasp
Jesus’ claim to be the One who gave Moses the Law in the first place.
 8:9-10. The oldest were quickest to leave. They were the first to admit
that they were not without sin themselves. Soon they all had left. Jesus’
question “Has no one condemned you?” concerns condemnation to
physical death. With no accusers left, only Jesus remains to condemn her.
8:11. Jesus extends grace to her: “Neither do I condemn you.” He does
not condemn her to death, though she deserves it.
John does not say whether she obtained eternal life at this time. This
experience could well have led her to believe in Jesus for eternal life and to
follow Him as well.
Jesus gave a command with His gracious forgiveness: “Go and sin no
more.” Grace does not promote licentiousness. The experience of God’s
grace should produce gratitude and loving service to Him. At the very least
one who has experienced grace must take care lest something worse happen
(cf. John 5:14).
5. Jesus confronts those who oppose Him (8:12-59)
8:12. It is not known whether the woman caught in adultery left at this
time or stayed to hear Jesus teach. However, His teaching here clearly is a
natural outgrowth of His dealing with her.
This verse concerns discipleship (“He who follows Me”), not receiving
eternal life (conditioned on believing in Jesus). Those who follow Christ
(i.e., His disciples) “shall not walk in darkness” in their experience.
Rather they will “have the light of life,” meaning they will walk in the
light that Jesus gives His followers (cf. 1 John 1:5-10).
8:13. An old refrain is brought up again (cf. 5:31-47): “You bear witness
of Yourself; Your witness is not true.” Jesus had already answered this
charge during a previous visit to Jerusalem.
8:14. This time Jesus does not repeat His answer of 5:31-47. That a person
witnessed of himself did not, in itself, prove that his witness was not true.
Jesus “came from” and was returning to heaven and His Father and the
Holy Spirit. Both the Father and the Spirit also bear witness of Jesus
(through Philip, Nathanael, John the Baptist, Jesus’ works, Simeon, Anna,
Lazarus, and others).
Jesus brings up the issue of His origin because He is turning the
conversation to point the audience to faith in Him.
 8:15. The Pharisees judged by external standards (“according to the
flesh”). To them an immoral person like the woman caught in adultery
could not enter God’s kingdom. They felt eternal life was only for those
who maintained external piety (cf. Luke 18:9-14; John 8:31-59).
When Jesus says, “I judge no one,” He is clearly speaking of a nuance of
judgment. For elsewhere He said the Father has committed all judgment to
Him (John 5:22). In context He seems to be denying judging anyone
according to the flesh. Alternately, He might be speaking of the judgment of
condemnation. Strictly speaking, He does not condemn people. He came to
save, not to condemn (John 3:17). People are condemned to physical death
by their own actions.
8:16. At the Judgment Seat of Christ and at the Great White Throne
Judgment, Jesus will judge all believers and unbelievers, respectively, to
determine their degree of reward in the kingdom or their degree of
punishment in hell. Jesus’ “judgment is true” precisely because His
judgment is in perfect harmony “with the Father who sent [Him].”
8:17-18. Jesus reminds His listeners that “the testimony of two men is
true.” Thus while Jesus “bears witness of” Himself, His witness is true for
“the Father who sent [Him] bears witness of [Him].” That Jesus stresses
repeatedly that the Father sent Him is due to the fact that His Jewish
audience wrongly felt they could believe in the Father but not Jesus.
8:19. In light of v 22, the Pharisees followed Jesus’ point and with their
question, “Where is Your Father?” they were seeking to have Him clearly
identify God as His Father so that they might arrest and kill Him. They
“know neither [Jesus] nor [His] Father.” To reject Jesus is to reject God
the Father.
8:20. The Jews, whom Jesus was openly teaching in the temple, did not
carry through their plan to seize Him at this time: No one laid hands on
Him. They were unable to do so because His hour had not yet come.
8:21. Jesus gave four pithy powerful prophecies. First, “I am going
away.” Here is a veiled prediction of Jesus’ rapidly approaching death and
bodily resurrection.
Second, “You will seek Me.” In light of the fourth statement, Jesus was
referring to the time after His ascension to heaven. Just as the Jewish
leaders sought to kill Lazarus after he rose from the dead (cf. 12:10), so
they would seek to find and kill Jesus after He rose from the dead.
 Third, “You…will die in your sin.” See the comments on v 24 below.
Fourth, “Where I go you cannot come.” Unbelievers cannot go to
heaven. Only those who accept the free gift of life Jesus offers can do that.
8:22. The Pharisees (cf. v 13) were close to the proper understanding.
Jesus was predicting His death and His resurrection. However, He was not
saying that He would “kill Himself.” Rather, He would willingly lay down
His life for the sins of the world.
8:23. Unbelievers are “from beneath…[and] are of this world.” Their
worldview was wrong. Jesus was offering them special revelation “from
above,” revelation from One “not of this world.” A new world is coming
and Jesus will be its Ruler.
8:24. This verse (and v 21c) does not contradict John the Baptist’s words,
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John
1:29). Jesus, by His death and resurrection, makes people savable. He
removes the barrier to salvation which sin presents. However, that does not
mean that unbelievers stand sinless before God.
The expression “I am He” (He is implied but is not in the Greek) concerns
Jesus’ claim to be the life-giving Messiah (cf. 4:25-26; 11:27; 20:31). A
person must believe that Jesus is the Christ, that is, the One who guarantees
eternal life to all who believe in Him, in order to be set free from his sins.
To die in one’s sins means that unbelievers will forever be slaves of sin.
Believers, of course, are not in their sins (cf. Eph 2:1, 5) in the sense that
they are no longer slaves of sin (cf. Rom 6:7, 14, 18, 20, 22).
8:25. By saying, “I am,” without qualification, Jesus led the Pharisees to
ask Him, “Who are You?” Jesus, however, chooses not to answer their
question directly. Rather, He says He is exactly the One He had been telling
them about all along.
8:26. There was much more Jesus could say: “I have many things to say
and to judge concerning you.” He knew His audience well. Every detail of
every person’s life was known by Him. Yet that is not what He was here to
reveal. He spoke “to the world those” things that He “heard from Him”
who sent Him. It was a true message, for God the Father “is true.”
However, Jesus came to deliver the message of salvation (and not to judge
—that will occur after His second coming). In rare cases (e.g., like the
woman at the well) He revealed some of the things that one day He will say
when He judges His audience.
 8:27. When Jesus referred to the One who sent Him (v 26), the Pharisees
did not understand that He spoke to them of the Father. In the ensuing
exchange, however, they realize that this is what He meant (cf. v 59).
8:28-29. Jesus alludes here to the cross when the Jewish leaders would
“lift up the Son of Man” (cf. 3:14; 12:32). Jesus would allow His
crucifixion when the proper time arrived (cf. 13:1; 17:1) because He came
for this purpose (1:29).
Two different Greek words are used by John to refer to lifting up, hupsaō
(here) and airō (cf. John 15:2). Every time hupsaō is used, it refers not
simply to physical lifting, but to exaltation. The Jewish rulers were
unwittingly going to exalt Jesus.
After Jesus’ crucifixion His listeners would “know that” He was the
Messiah (“I am He) “and that [He did] nothing of [Him]self.” Yet most of
them remained unbelievers (cf. John 1:11). One possibility is that He means
that some of them would know this. Or, He may mean that they will all have
every reason to know that Jesus is the Messiah, whether they actually knew
that or not. The cross provides overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the
Messiah sent by the Father.
When Jesus said, “I always do those things that please Him,” He was
stressing His sinlessness, the truth of His message, and the need to believe
in Him in order to please the Father.
8:30. When He spoke these words, many believed in Him. Since all who
believe in Him have eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24; 6:35, 47), these new
believers have eternal life.
8:31-32. Jesus now addresses Himself to the small group who believed
Him within the larger crowd. Many antagonistic unbelievers were listening
in.
Discipleship clearly is not identical with the new birth. Born-again people
need to do something else—“abide in [Jesus’] word”—to be His
“disciples indeed.” One cannot be a follower of Christ without knowing
and applying His word.
Jesus’ promise that those who abide in His word “shall know the truth,
and the truth shall make [them] free” has mistakenly been taken by some
to refer to some freedom an unbeliever experiences when he believes in
Christ. This is contextually impossible. Jesus is talking to believers (vv 30,
31). It is believers who are set free from the bondage of sin when they abide
in Jesus’ words. Only an abiding believer experiences freedom from sin’s
bondage.
8:33. The key question confronting vv 33-59 is this: who is meant by the
third person plural pronouns they and them (vv 33, 34, 39, 41, 42, 58, 59)?
Many say it refers to the believers of vv 30-31 and that their faith was
spurious. But this explanation is not reasonable. John says those in vv 30-31
believed in Jesus. Yet Jesus Himself indicates in 8:45-46 that the latter
group did not believe Him, thus distinguishing the two groups.
There is an obvious change of referent. Here the third plural pronoun in
They answered Him looks to the far antecedent in vv 13, 19, 22, 25, and
27. Basically the whole chapter—except for the excursus of vv 30-32—
deals with Judeans opposed to Jesus and seeking to kill Him.
Offended by Jesus’ words to the new believers, the Pharisees said, “We
are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to
anyone.” They conveniently overlook their bondage to Rome and their
slavery to sin that caused God to give control of Israel to Gentiles.
8:34. Since everyone sins, Jesus’ pithy statement here is puzzling:
“Whoever commits [lit., does] sin is a slave of sin.” The solution is that
Jesus is speaking here of positional slavery to sin, which differs from
experiential freedom from sin mentioned in v 32. No one ever sins as an
expression of the new birth (cf. 1 John 3:9; Rom 6:18). Jesus’ self-righteous
listeners did not believe in Him and hence were still slaves of sin both
positionally and experientially (cf. John 8:7-9). Only those who were set
free positionally (vv 31-32) could then be set free experientially by abiding
in Jesus’ words.
8:35. “A son,” a born of God person, “abides forever.” That is who the
believer is at the core of his being. A believer is not “a slave” to sin in his
position.
8:36. This verse, unlike v 32, is addressed to unbelievers: “If the Son
makes you free, you shall be free indeed.” To be free from sin’s bondage
one must be set free by the Son of God. To be made free positionally,
unbelievers would need to believe in Jesus. Implicitly Jesus is inviting these
unbelievers to be born again and set free.
8:37-38. In a physical sense Jesus’ listeners were “Abraham’s
descendants.” Yet their spiritual father was the devil, not Abraham (cf. v
44). This is evident because they “seek to kill” Jesus, the One who speaks
what He has seen with His Father. They could not become children of God
as long as “[Jesus’] word had no place in [them]” (i.e., as long as they did
not believe Him).
8:39-41a. They are aware that Jesus is in some sense questioning their
relationship to Abraham. Thus they reassert their claim, “Abraham is our
father” (cf. v 33).
Jesus denies their claim to a spiritual kinship with Abraham: “If you were
Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham…You do the
deeds of your father.” The devil is the father of all sin. To “seek to kill”
Jesus—a true spokesman of God—is to act like what they were—children
of the devil.
8:41b. The word we in “We were not born of fornication” is emphatic.
They believe that Jesus was born of fornication. They now claim, “We
have one Father—God.” They are rejecting Jesus’ claim to be the Son of
God even as they claim to be God’s children.
8:42. Paternity by example is a Semitic idiom: “If God were your Father,
you would love Me, for I proceeded forth and came from God…” The
point is that a child of God would love Jesus since God the Father loves
Jesus.
These words are directed toward unbelievers. However, they are also
applicable to believers who do not act like children of God, although they
are positionally. Later Jesus will say to believers, “If you love Me, keep My
commandments” (John 14:15).
8:43. This verse is confusing at first reading. The Pharisees “[did] not
understand [Jesus’] speech because [they were] not able to listen to [His]
word.” Why were they unable?
They were unable to listen to Jesus’ word because they had hardened their
hearts against Him. They chose to reject Him. John 7:17 stands as a witness
against them: “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the
doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”
See also John 5:40; Acts 17:27; and Heb 11:6. However, they did not do
this alone. Someone was behind the scenes deceiving them.
8:44. Jesus now builds on what He has already said. He now makes
explicitly clear that “your father” in vv 38 and 41 referred to Satan, “You
are of your father the devil.” The Jewish authorities are seeking to kill
Jesus because they follow Satan, who “was a murderer from the
beginning.”
They are unable to listen to Jesus’ word (v 43) because their father “does
not stand in the truth [and] because there is no truth in him.” The devil
“is a liar and the father of it.” Jesus is boldly saying that Israel’s leaders
have been lied to by the devil and have bought the lies. Satan had deceived
most of Israel and kept them from believing in Jesus (cf. Luke 8:12; 2 Cor
4:4).
8:45. Obviously one who has embraced falsehood on a given subject has
decided that what is really true is erroneous. Thus when Jesus “tell[s] the
truth,” they naturally “do not believe [Him],” since His teaching did not
fit their flawed belief system.
8:46. Jesus alludes back to the woman caught in adultery. She was found
guilty of sin, although no one cast a stone at her because they all were also
sinners. However, Jesus is not a sinner. His first question—“Which of you
convicts Me of sin?”—is actually an assertion of His own sinlessness!
His second question is equally pointed: “If I tell the truth, why do you
not believe Me?” A sinless Man should be believed!
8:47. As with v 42, these words apply both to unbelievers, who are not “of
God” positionally or experientially, and to believers who are out of
fellowship and hence who are not “of God” experientially (cf. 1 John 3:10;
2 John 9; 3 John 11). Of course, the immediate application is to an
unbelieving audience (8:46). Only the person who is “of God” positionally
and experientially “hears [i.e., accepts and applies] God’s words.”
8:48. Samaritans were hated by Judeans. To say, “You are a Samaritan
and have a demon” was even more insulting than charging that He was
born of fornication (v 41). Jesus’ opponents do not stand neutral regarding
Him. They hate Him and His message.
8:49. Jesus denies their allegation that He has “a demon” and asserts that
their insults are undeserved. Jesus does “honor [His] Father”—unlike His
audience.
8:50. Jesus says, “I do not seek My own glory.” His first coming was
filled with persecution and dishonor such as He was experiencing on this
occasion. The “One who seeks and judges” is God the Father. The Father
seeks to glorify Jesus. And He would glorify Jesus by His death and
resurrection.
 The statement that the Father judges seems to contradict Jesus own words
cited in John 5:22. Two explanations are possible: (1) God the Father judges
all those who reject His Son (v 46); but the way He does this is by having
His Son do the actual work of judging. (2) God the Father judges Jesus’ life
and ministry. It is His Father’s approval that Jesus desires, not the approval
of the Jewish people. The latter fits the context better.
8:51. In light of the rest of the Fourth Gospel, it is evident that the
expression, “if anyone keeps My word,” refers to belief in His promise to
give eternal life to all who believe in Him for it (3:16; 5:24; 6:47). The verb
keep (tereō) means to observe or in this context to accept (cf. v 8:46).
The expression, “he shall never see death,” refers to spiritual, not
physical, death (cf. John 11:26). Except for believers alive at the Rapture of
the church, all believers will die physically. However, no believer will
experience spiritual death since the life Jesus gives is everlasting.
8:52-53. Their reason for the accusation of demon possession is Jesus’
claim regarding death: “Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and You
say, ‘If anyone keeps My word he shall never taste death.’” The listeners
wrongly think that Jesus is claiming that neither He nor those who believe
in Him will ever die physically.
They also, however, think that by His claim Jesus must think He is saying
He is greater than Abraham and the prophets. In this they are correct. Jesus
suggests as much in vv 56 and 58.
8:54. The reason Jesus says, “If I honor Myself, My honor is nothing,”
seems to be that His identity is evident by the works He does. Jesus is
honored by the works His Father gave Him to do. He is merely saying what
the Father gave Him to say.
8:55. If Jesus’ listeners truly knew God, then they would also know Jesus.
The fact that they did not believe in Jesus shows that they “have not
known [God].”
Jesus, on the other hand, does know the Father and “keep[s] His word.” If
Jesus’ audience wanted to know the Father, they needed to believe in Jesus.
8:56. There was sarcasm in Jesus’ words when He said, “Your father
Abraham,” since He had already said that they were not Abraham’s
children spiritually (v 39).
Jesus makes this amazing statement, “Abraham rejoiced to see My day,
and he saw it and was glad.” We are not left to wonder what the audience
thought. They express it.
8:57-58. Abraham died about two thousand years before this date. The
crowd thus reasonably asks, surely sarcastically, “You are not yet fifty
years old, and have You seen Abraham?” They know that Jesus could not
possibly have seen Abraham.
There are lots of things that Jesus could have said. In His preincarnate
form He indeed met with Abraham on multiple occasions (e.g., Gen 15:1-
21; 17:1-22; 18:1-33). However, Jesus doesn’t mention those incidents.
Instead, He alludes to an incident in which He met with Moses: “Before
Abraham was, I AM.” Jesus is not only claiming to precede Abraham in
time, but also to be Yahweh (“I AM”) who met with Moses at the burning
bush (see Exod 3:14).
Abraham believed in Jesus. Why didn’t those who claimed to be his
children?
8:59. Their reaction is predictable: they took up stones to throw at Him.
The chapter has come full circle. Like bookends the chapter opens and
closes with threatened, but unfulfilled, stonings. Jesus uses His supernatural
powers and slips through the midst of them unharmed, thwarting their
efforts to kill Him.
B. The Sixth Sign: Jesus Heals the Man Born Blind (9:1-41)
This chapter records the story of a man who is unafraid to stand up to the
legalistic Jewish authorities.
9:1. The day is Saturday, the Sabbath, although this is not noted until v 14.
Most likely this event occurred in Jerusalem. Jesus saw a man who was
blind from birth. By selecting this man He is able to illustrate a spiritual
truth by means of physical healing, the sixth sign (vv 40-41).
9:2. The disciples, like most Jews of their day, believed that suffering was
a result of sin. Thus they ask, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his
parents, that he was born blind?” Both truth and error are reflected in the
disciples’ question. On the one hand, all suffering is a result of the sinful
condition of man. In addition, specific suffering of an individual is often
directly related as the effect of some specific sin he or she committed (cf.
John 5:14; 1 Cor 11:30). On the other hand, as this incident and other
passages of Scripture show (e.g., Job, Gal 4:13; 2 Cor 12:7), not all
suffering is directly a result of one’s own sin or the sin of one’s parents.
 9:3. When Jesus says, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” He is
not stating that the man or his parents are sinless. He was denying that his
blindness was judgment against some sin in his life or the life of his parents.
The healing of this man’s blindness is a dramatic demonstration of God’s
power at work in and through Jesus.
9:4-5. What does Jesus mean by “the night is coming when no one can
work”? Night refers to the time between Jesus’ First and Second Coming
(cf. Rev 21:23). This is evident in that Jesus did His work “while it is day”
and in His saying, “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the
world.”
Yet people have worked for God since Jesus’ ascension (cf. 1 Cor 3:6-8).
How does this fit with Jesus’ pronouncement? The solution might be found
in John 15:6. Apart from the work of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus would
send, no one could do anything for God during earth’s night when the
Messiah is absent. Thus v 4 looks at believers from the standpoint of their
own power and initiative.
This age is truly the dark ages. The time between Jesus’ first and second
advents is like the long nights of the Polar Regions in winter. If believers
are not careful to abide in Christ (15:6), they will follow the deeds of
darkness.
9:6-7. As with the woman caught in adultery (chap. 8), Jesus stoops down
to the dirt. This time, instead of writing it in, He spat on the ground and
made clay with the saliva. By healing the man on the Sabbath with clay
He had made, Jesus broke two man-made laws of the Jewish people.
Making clay and healing were both prohibited by the Pharisees on the
Sabbath.
Why did Jesus require the man to “Go, wash in the pool of Siloam”?
Why not just heal him on the spot? Jesus wanted this man, like Naaman in
the OT (2 Kings 5:1-14), to obey some small matter to receive the miracle.
Most likely the saliva and the clay have symbolic significance. The saliva
came from the mouth of Jesus. This suggests the Word of God. The clay
came from the dirt, the raw material of the original creation of man. This
suggests humanity. Thus this man’s healing had two elements: the Word of
God mixed with humanity.
The man went and washed. The water likely symbolizes the water of life
(4:10-26), in this case giving life to his dead eyes. “Siloam” means Sent.
The One who told him to go there and wash was sent “from God” (9:33).
After the man washed off the mud, he came back seeing!
9:8-9. The amazement of the neighbors and those who previously had
seen that he was blind is natural. Surely, this is the only time in their lives
they had heard of a man blind from birth gaining his sight. In fact, the event
was so amazing that they doubted their eyes.
The crowd’s response to this man is exactly like that of Israel to Jesus.
Some said, “This is he.” Others said, “He is like him.” The man,
however, said something Jesus often said, “I am he [unpredicated, lit., I
am].” This healing gives amazing proof that Jesus is the Messiah.
9:10. Once they accept that the miraculous took place, they ask, “How
were your eyes opened?” Possibly, they think there is some natural
explanation.
9:11-12. Whatever answer they expected, this was surely not it. The
occurrence must be a miracle and the key to it is in the “Man called Jesus”
who performed it. This of course leads the audience to ask the formerly
blind man, “Where is He?” He could not tell them because he had left
Jesus to wash in the pool of Siloam and had not been back to Him since.
9:13. They brought him…to the Pharisees. Possibly they did this
because they wanted the religious leaders to share in the joy of this miracle
and also to help them find the Miracle Worker. More likely, however, they
knew the Pharisees would respond angrily to someone doing a miracle on
the Sabbath and, sharing that reaction, they hoped the Pharisees would find
the culprit in order to judge Him.
9:14. John waits, probably for dramatic effect, to tell the readers that it
was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. Again
Jesus exposes the traditions of men (including their works-salvation system)
by healing on the Sabbath.
9:15. The Pharisees also asked him again. Though the Pharisees surely
heard this answer to their question from those who brought the man, they
want to hear it for themselves. They hope the man will change his story
under the glare of public scrutiny.
The man, however, repeats the same account he had given previously (cf. v
11)—except that he now tells it more concisely. His testimony sounds rather
matter-of-fact. The man does not sound like one who is trying to say what
he thinks his interrogators want to hear.
 9:16. Whether the Pharisees realized that this Miracle Worker was Jesus is
not stated until later in v 22. However, undoubtedly they knew it could be
only Him. Who else had ever done such a thing except Jesus of Nazareth?
Some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He
does not keep the Sabbath.” Others said, “How can a man who is a
sinner do such signs?” They were not suggesting that He is sinless, but
merely that such a man surely must be a godly person or else God would
not permit Him to do such a sign.
9:17. The Pharisees seek out the opinion of the [formerly] blind man. He
boldly proclaims, “He is a prophet.” The man is pulling no punches.
Evidently his gratitude for the healing overrides any fear he might have of
being censured by the Pharisees.
9:18-20. The opening words, But [the Judeans] did not believe
concerning him [or Him], stand out because they are first in the sentence
and the sentence structure is a bit odd. Possibly John intends the readers to
understand that the Jews do not believe what happened to the man born
blind nor do they believe that the Man who healed him is the Messiah.
Only when they spoke with the parents of him who had received his
sight did the Pharisees believe that this man had indeed been blind from
birth. With the testimony of his parents, people who clearly are very
concerned to say the right thing (cf. v 21), the Pharisees become convinced
that a miracle took place. This leads them to ask, “How then does he see?”
9:21-23. The parents were being evasive when they twice said, “we do not
know.” John says they answered this way because they feared the Jews,
for the Jews had agreed already that if anyone confessed that He was
the Christ, he would be put out of the synagogue (cf. 12:42). This might
imply that the parents indeed believed that Jesus is the Christ. Or it may
simply mean that they understood that any positive statement made about
Jesus could result in their being expelled from their place of worship.
Whatever joy they experienced over their son’s miraculous healing, they
were unwilling to state their opinion on who opened his eyes and how it
happened.
The parents’ statement, “He is of age; ask him,” indicates that he is at
least thirteen. Since he is called a man (v 1, anthropos), it seems likely that
he was at least twenty (cf. Num 14:29-31).
 9:24. They again called the man who was [had been] blind and said to
him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.” The
Pharisees’ appeal evidently comes from the group convinced that Jesus is
sinning by performing a miracle on the Sabbath (cf v 16). They ask the
young man to contradict his earlier testimony (v 17).
How strange pharisaical thinking is. To give glory to God, according to the
Pharisees, one must call Jesus “a sinner.”
9:25. The unnamed man’s response is not as forceful as it might have
been. Earlier some had said, “How can a man who is a sinner do such
signs?” (v 16). Yet he refuses to call the One who gave him sight a sinner,
and he reaffirms the reality of the miracle.
9:26. For the third time (cf. vv 10, 15), the second time by the Pharisees—
the man is asked, “How did He open your eyes?” The Pharisees are giving
him one last chance to vary his testimony.
9:27. This man, unlike his parents, is not overly afraid of the Jewish
authorities. His questions, “Why do you want to hear it again? Do you
also want to become His disciples?” clearly reflect a sarcastic tone.
9:28-29. Ego can blind people to the truth right before their eyes. The
Pharisees are so proud to be right—at least, so they think—that they are
closed to the clear implications of the well-attested miracle that had just
occurred.
They reviled the man because he did not say what they wanted. While
their charge, “You are His disciple,” is not yet true, it appears he is open to
being His disciple. To the Pharisees that would be apostasy: “We are
Moses’ disciples. We know that God spoke to Moses.” But clearly they
do not believe that God spoke to “this fellow.” In their estimation one could
not be a disciple of both Moses and Jesus. After all, they feel that Jesus
broke the Law of Moses by performing this miracle on the Sabbath.
9:30-33. The man confronts the Pharisees’ dogmatic rejection of Jesus. His
reasoning is outstanding. This miracle is a strong apologetic for faith in
Jesus. He makes a profound statement: “If anyone is a worshiper of God
[i.e., is God-fearing, devout, a word used only here in the NT] and does His
will, He hears him.” While that is certainly true of Jesus—God the Father
did hear Jesus—the man is making a broader statement. This is similar to
some of the things Jesus had said previously (e.g., 5:40; 6:39-40; 7:17; see
also Acts 10:35). Either he had heard some of Jesus’ earlier teachings, or he
knew the OT well.
9:34. The Pharisees resort to an ad hominem response. Unable to counter
his logic and the evidence, they slander his character: “You were
completely born in sins, and are you teaching us?” Like Jesus’ disciples
earlier (cf. v 2), they think he was born blind either because of his own sins
(evidently foreseen by God) or the sins of his parents. The learned religious
leaders of Israel were unwilling to learn from a beggar. They were not
teachable. They continued in their blind rejection of Jesus, despite
overwhelming reasons to believe in Him.
They cast him out, both to silence him and to warn others who are
tempted to confess that Jesus is the Christ. This is the best thing that could
have happened to the man. He is now cut off from the legalistic message of
the Pharisees. He is now ready for his second healing by Jesus that day. It is
time for another mixing of the Word of God and human response (cf. 9:6-7).
9:35. The text implies that the reason Jesus sought this man out was
because he refused to give in to the pressure of the Pharisees. This account
is similar to that of the conversion of Cornelius in Acts 10 (cf. Heb 11:6).
The NKJV, reflecting the MT, reads “Son of God,” and the CT reads “Son
of Man.” The textual evidence strongly favors the NKJV reading. This
reading fits with the purpose of John’s Gospel, that all who believe that
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God have life in His name (John 20:31; see
also 11:27).
This man did not yet see that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus initially told
him to go to the pool of Siloam to wash and receive physical sight. Then,
Jesus mixed His word with the clay of human experience, in this case the
man’s interaction with the Pharisees. As a result of that interaction, the man
realized that Jesus is a prophet and that He has been sent from God.
Jesus’ question, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” is like the first
rinsing with the water of the pool. It shows that, spiritually speaking, the
man still has mud packs on his eyes. He does not yet see that Jesus is the
Christ. However, if he rinses a bit more, the mud packs will be gone
completely.
9:36. The man would surely have recognized Jesus’ voice as being that of
the Man who gave him sight. However, Jesus has not yet told him that He is
the Son of God.
 The man knows that Jesus is a prophet sent from God. Thus when he says,
“Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” there can be no question
that the man will indeed believe in the One whom Jesus indicates.
9:37-38. Jesus’ response here is like that of His response to the woman at
the well. He told her, “I who speak to you am He” (4:26). Here He similarly
says, “You have both seen Him and it is He who is talking with you.”
Once Jesus identified Himself as the Son of God, the man asserts, “Lord, I
believe!” Jesus words are like the final rinsing away of the mud packs. Now
the man could see spiritually that Jesus is indeed the long-awaited Messiah.
This is the one and only specific reference in the Fourth Gospel of anyone
worshiping Jesus. The reason for this is probably because Jesus never
encouraged and rarely allowed anyone to worship Him. If He had, then His
hour would have come before He wanted it to arrive. At this point,
however, His hour is very close (see 13:1).
However, unlike John 4 or the other evangelistic encounters in John’s
Gospel, here Jesus never mentions everlasting life. To say the least, that is
odd and should cause us to wonder why. Since we have no other
evangelistic encounters in John where everlasting life is not mentioned by
Jesus, it seems probable that this man is an OT believer, that is, one who
previously had believed in the coming Messiah for everlasting life but who
did not yet know that Jesus is the Messiah in whom he had already
believed. If this is correct, it would mean that the man was already born
again before he met Jesus, and that here is a Johannine example, like John
the Baptist earlier (1:33, “And I did not know Him”), of an OT saint coming
to believe that Jesus is the Messiah whom he had already believed in (cf.
Luke 2:25-38 re. Anna and Simeon). The way he handled himself before his
inquisitors sounds like a man who was an OT saint who already knew that
he had eternal life by faith alone in the Messiah alone.
Another possibility, unlikely, is that Jesus told the man of everlasting life,
but John did not report that.
9:39. Jesus did not “come into this world” in order to condemn (krinein)
it (3:17; 12:47). Yet He did come “for judgment” (krima, only here in
John). Jesus probably means that how people respond to Him will be the
basis of their ultimate judgment, whether believers at the Judgment Seat of
Christ or unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgment. Only those who
names are written in the Book of Life will escape the lake of fire (Rev
20:15; cf. John 5:24).
He came “that those who do not see may see.” That is, He came to bring
men to faith in Him. Also He came “that those who [think they] see may
be made blind” [i.e., that sighted people would recognize their spiritual
blindness]. He came to show unbelievers, like the Pharisees in this chapter
(see vv 40-41), that they are spiritually blind. Jesus wants unbelievers to see
that their works salvation is spiritual blindness. While not stated, the
implication is surely that once a person recognizes that he is spiritually
blind, he should call out to God to heal him of his spiritual blindness so that
he might see and believe the saving message.
Everyone is born blind, spiritually speaking. God must remove the satanic
blinding (2 Cor 4:4-6; Acts 16:14) so that they can see that Jesus is the
Messiah who guarantees eternal life to all who simply believe in Him.
9:40. Some of the Pharisees grasped that Jesus was speaking symbolically
of spiritual blindness: “Are we blind also?” or, more accurately, “We aren’t
also blind, are we?” The Greek expects a negative answer.
9:41. The Pharisees who said, “We see,” did not believe that they were
spiritually blind. The words “your sin remains” mean that these people are
still in their sins (cf. 8:24). The physical and spiritual healing of the man
born blind shows the healing power of God’s Word for those who respond
in belief to Jesus and its condemning power for those who reject Him.
C. The Good Shepherd Discourse (10:1-42)
The time sequence between 9:1-41 and 10:1-39 is not certain. Only v 22
gives a temporal indicator. However, the lack of such indicators suggests
that the events are all contemporaneous. This is supported by the fact that
the good shepherd motif occurs in both the first and second half of John 10.
10:1-2. Sheep were kept in an enclosure during the night to protect them
from thieves and wild animals. In some cases only one flock was kept in a
pen. Often, however, several families kept their flocks in one enclosure and
hired a watchman (doorkeeper, v 3) to guard the gate each night. In the
morning the shepherd(s) would enter the enclosure by the gate so that he (or
they) could let the flock(s) out to graze that day.
“He who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some
other way, the same is a thief or a robber.” A thief would not open the
gate for fear the watchman would catch him. A thief could refer to the
religious leaders of Israel (cf. Jer 23:1-4; 25:34-38; Ezek 34:1-10), but then,
why the singular? More likely the ultimate thief, the ultimate opponent of
the Good Shepherd, Satan, is meant. He seeks to keep people from being
saved (cf. Luke 8:12; 2 Cor 4:4).
“He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” Jesus is
using both of these figures, “the door” and “the shepherd,” to refer to
Himself (see vv 9, 11), though his listeners do not yet grasp this (cf. v 6).
10:3-5. The shepherd has a personal relationship with his flock. “The
sheep hear his voice” and his alone as that of their leader. In complete trust
the sheep follow their shepherd.
The shepherd of the ancient Near East “goes before them; and the sheep
follow him, for they know his voice.” This differs from the shepherds in
the West who trail their flocks and drive them with sheep dogs. Sheep do
not “follow a stranger [because] they do not know [his] voice.”
10:6. Jesus’ hearers did not understand what He was teaching.
10:7. In one sense the door represents Jesus. “I am the door” is the third
“I am” statement by Jesus in John’s Gospel (cf. 6:35; 8:12). To become a
member of God’s flock one must go through Jesus. There is no other way
(cf. 14:6).
10:8. “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers.” The
word all (pantes) is sometimes used in Scripture, as it is today, to refer to a
majority or a large number. A great number of the spiritual shepherds of
Israel who had come (the words before Me are not found in the MT),
certainly the vast majority, did not speak for God. But men like Abraham,
Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, David, and John the Baptist, to name but a
few who had already come, were not thieves and robbers.
“The sheep [i.e., OT saints] did not hear them.” Did Jesus mean that no
OT saint was ever duped by the false shepherds of Israel? Both the Old and
New Testaments are replete with examples of believers who were duped at
least to some extent by false leaders. Jesus again is referring to the majority.
Most OT saints did not accept the false teachings of Israel’s false priests
and prophets.
10:9. “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved.” Here is one of five
uses of the word saved (sōzō) in the Fourth Gospel (cf. 3:17; 5:34; 12:27,
47). Since three of the four other uses of sōzō in John are clearly equivalent
to eternal life (cf. 3:17; 5:34; 12:47), most likely that is essentially meant. In
a context dealing with the illustration of sheep, it is more natural to say, “he
will be saved,” than “he will have eternal life.”
The reference to one who “will go in and out [of the sheep pen] and find
pasture” could refer to a meeting of basic physical needs, here and now (cf.
Matt 6:33) or to a safe and pleasant eternal experience. Possibly both are in
view (see v 10b).
10:10. “The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to
destroy.” The thief, unlike the shepherd, is not concerned about building up
and protecting the flock. Satan (and the false teachers he employs) uses
people to his own advantage.
Jesus, is totally unlike the thief: “I have come that they may have life,
and that they may have it more abundantly.” Jesus came to give eternal
life to all His sheep, to all who believe in Him. Life more abundantly here
refers either to an abundant experience of life now or to both now and in
eternity. The latter is probably in view. All believers have life. That is
absolutely free (cf. 4:10-14). However, only some believers have and will
have life more abundantly. Jesus wants all believers to have this more
abundant experience in life. However, to obtain it one must abide in His
word (cf. 8:30-32; 1 John 2:28).
10:11. This is the fourth “I am” saying in John: “I am the good shepherd
[who] gives His life [psychē] for the sheep.” Giving His life refers to His
approaching substitutionary death, though few if any in the crowd probably
understood that at this time.
10:12-13. “A hireling” is not presented as a particularly bad person. He is
simply more concerned for his own life than he is for the life of the sheep
under his care. While not commendable, it is certainly understandable. And
“the wolf,” like the thief, is an enemy, who “catches the sheep and
scatters them.”
The hireling flees before the wolf because he “does not care about the
sheep.” This should not be taken in an absolute sense. Surely the hireling
had some level of concern for the sheep. The point here is that his care
ended when his personal safety was in serious jeopardy.
10:14-15. “The Good Shepherd” knows and is known by His sheep. This
reciprocal knowledge parallels the fact that “the Father knows Me, even
so I know the Father.” The statement, “and I lay down My life [psychē]
for the sheep,” seems out of place because it is preceded by a semicolon,
instead of a period, in the NKJV. This should be viewed as a new sentence.
It is an inclusio with v 11.
10:16. While Jesus personally ministered almost exclusively to the Jewish
people during His earthly ministry, He also loved Gentiles. He was about to
die for all (3:16). After His death, resurrection, and ascension, His
followers, in keeping with His directions (cf. Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8),
would evangelize and disciple Jews and Gentiles alike.
Gentiles, the “other sheep…which are not of this fold,” were to be part
of the same flock (“one flock”) as Jews. This does not deny a distinct
future for Israel. What Jesus might mean is that in the Church there is no
distinction between Jews and Gentiles (cf. Gal 3:28; Eph 2:14-18).
Alternately, He is thinking of eternity future and saying that regenerate
Jews, the Church, and the regenerate Gentile nations (1 Cor 10:32) will
make up “one flock,” though they will be three separate groups. If so, then
the flock is also Trinitarian: one being (the people of God), but three
distinct entities.
10:17-18. Only here (“My Father loves Me”) does the NT state that the
Father loves Jesus. While the Father has always and will always love Jesus,
He loved His Son in a special sense because He willingly gave up His life
for His sheep “that [He] may take it again.” Four times Jesus asserts that
when He dies it will be because He allows it, not because He is
overpowered (cf. vv 11, 15, 17-18).
God has a special love for believers when they obey Him. God’s grace in
regeneration does not eliminate the need for daily obedience in order to
please God.
10:19-21. Many Judeans accused Jesus of being demon possessed,
whereas others said this was impossible because a demon could not “open
the eyes of the blind.”
10:22. The chronological tie with what precedes is uncertain. Verses 22-30
could immediately follow v 21, or there could be a two-month gap here (cf.
7:2). The former is more likely since the content of Jesus’ remarks is a
logical continuation of what preceded.
Today the Feast of Dedication is called Hanukkah and is celebrated in
December. It is an eight-day feast that commemorates God’s deliverance of
the Jewish people from Antiochus Epiphanes. In 168 BC he desecrated the
temple. In 165 BC Judas Maccabeus re-consecrated it. This feast is not
commanded in the OT. That John mentions it without comment may
suggest that it was acceptable to the Lord to add this feast to Israel’s
religious calendar.
The clause and it was winter probably foreshadows the coming betrayal
and death of Christ (cf. 13:30, “And it was night.”).
10:23-24. By now the reader of John’s Gospel should recognize the danger
involved when Jesus walked in the temple. When would He allow the
Jewish authorities to seize Him? Jesus had already told the Jews in
Jerusalem that He is the Christ. However, He had told them in indirect
ways. (He had, of course, told the woman at the well plainly; 4:25-26.)
They want Him to make this claim directly: “If You are the Christ, tell us
plainly.” Their reason for this request is evidently so that they might arrest
Him.
10:25. Here is another clear, yet indirect, affirmation by Jesus that He is
the Messiah: “I told you and you do not believe.” Jesus also says, “that
works that I do in My Father’s name, they bear witness of Me” (i.e.,
they too show He is the Messiah).
10:26-27. Jesus repeats, “you do not believe,” and gives the reason:
“because you are not of My sheep.” While this could be an allusion to
election (individual or corporate), more likely the point is that if they were
of His flock now, they would believe.
He is not suggesting that his listeners will never become part of His flock,
or that they are unable to do so. They simply are not at this point.
Nor is He saying that those who believe in Him never stop believing (cf.
Luke 8:13). It is clear in this context that these people have never believed
in Him.
Some commentators make much of the fact that Jesus says of His sheep,
“and they follow Me.” They think He is saying that if a person believes in
Him, then he perseveres in discipleship. But the context does not support
this assertion. Jesus is using figurative language. That sheep hear and
follow their shepherd illustrates people believing in Jesus, “the good
shepherd” (v 10). Verses 25-26 deal with unbelief and v 27 with belief.
Commitment of life and ongoing obedience are completely foreign to the
text. Compare John 6:28-29.
 10:28-29. As in John 3:16, Jesus says, “And I give them [His sheep, that
is, believers, vv 25-27] eternal life, and they shall never perish.” He
guarantees it. If eternal life could be lost then the Lord Jesus is lying here
and throughout the Fourth Gospel.
Some who do not believe in eternal security have suggested that these
verses do not restrict the believer from taking himself out of Jesus’ hand.
They say that while no one can snatch a believer out of the hands of Jesus
or God the Father, he can jump out on his own initiative. But there is zero
contextual support for this view. “Shall never perish” means what it says.
“No one,” while inclusive, refers primarily to the thief (cf. v 10), the great
enemy. Satan cannot pluck a believer out of Jesus’ or the Father’s hand, no
matter what he does, not even by getting the believer to want out. Once a
person believes in Jesus, he is stuck with everlasting life.
10:30. Jesus ends with the powerful statement, “I and My Father are
one.” This could refer to oneness of purpose, oneness of essence, oneness
of intention, and so forth. In this context Jesus means that He and the Father
are united in guaranteeing the eternal destiny of all who believe in Jesus (cf.
vv 28-29). In light of what follows, it is also a thinly veiled affirmation of
His deity, His oneness of essence and being with the Father.
10:31-32. The response is swift and predictable: the Jews took up stones
again to stone Him. They consider His statement blasphemous and hence
deserving of death. Evidently before even one stone is thrown, Jesus speaks.
He was unwilling to allow them to kill Him now—and certainly not by
stoning. He was awaiting the cross.
A person was always stoned for vile deeds, not for “many good works.”
Jesus’ question pointed up the foolishness of their rejection of Him: “For
which of those works do you stone Me?”
10:33. Jesus’ opponents understood that His claim to be one with the
Father (v 30) was blasphemous. Of course, His good works should have led
them to reject that conclusion and seek to understand what He meant.
10:34. This is an argument from the lesser to the greater. If God said of
imperfect judges in the Psalms, “‘You are gods,’” then Jesus, the one and
only perfect Man, is reasonably called God (for that is His identity).
Jesus was quoting from Ps 82:6. There unjust judges are called gods (Heb.,
elohim; Gk., theoi). Probably the point is that judges in Israel were
representatives of God. To be unjust and to represent God was a terrible
offense to God, the ultimate Judge (82:8). Clearly Ps 82:6 did not teach
polytheism (cf. Deut 6:4)!
10:35-36. Jesus’ point is that if mere men, and unjust men at that, are
called “gods,” then “Him whom the Father sanctified and sent into the
world” surely is not blaspheming when He says, “I am the Son of God.”
10:37-38. Jesus invites the audience to believe in Him because of the
works He does. If His works are “the works of [His] Father,” then they
should believe in Him. His works indeed prove “that the Father is in
[Him], and [He is] in [the Father].” Obviously if they believed that, they
would believe that they have eternal life in keeping with His promise (cf.
John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 10:28).
The postmodern idea that a person should believe in Jesus in the absence
of evidence is directly contradicted by this and many other passages. Belief
in Jesus is reasonable: “Believe the works.” Belief in Jesus should be
based on a number of powerful witnesses, including the miraculous works
Jesus did.
10:39. In spite of Jesus’ works, the Jews sought again to seize Him. Since
it was not yet His hour, Jesus escaped out of their hand.
10:40. Jesus went away again beyond the Jordan for two reasons. First,
He withdrew to avoid arrest before the proper time. Second, He went to this
specific place because seed had already been sown there. It was time to
harvest (cf. vv 41-42).
10:41-42. John the Baptist’s mission was “to be witness of the Light, that
all through him might believe” (1:7). A number of people to whom John
had witnessed now believed in Him there.
To whom did these people say, “John performed no sign, but all the
things that John spoke about this Man were true”? That would be an
odd thing to say to Jesus. People would not likely call Him “this Man”
when speaking directly to Him. Instead these people came to Him and said
this to others in the crowd.
It is a thrilling aspect of witnessing that fruit from one’s efforts might
come years later and totally unknown to us—at least until the Judgment
Seat of Christ.
D. The Seventh Sign: Jesus Raises Lazarus from the Dead (11:1–
12:50)
 11:1-3. The seventh sign begins benignly: Now a certain man was sick,
Lazarus of Bethany. His sisters, Mary and…Martha, send word to Jesus
that he is ill.
These three were very dear to Jesus. Lazarus is “he whom You love” (cf.
v 5). Mary is the one who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped
His feet with her hair (cf. John 12:1-8). They certainly expected Jesus to
heal Lazarus (cf. vv 21, 32).
11:4. Jesus knew that Lazarus would die (cf. v 14), yet He said, “This
sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God.” He means that it
would not result in Lazarus leaving this world at this time. The sickness was
an opportunity for Him to raise Lazarus from the dead. As was the case in
the other miraculous healings in John’s Gospel (cf. 4:46-54; 5:1-18; 9:1-7),
all were designed to reveal the glory of God the Father and of Jesus and to
lead people to faith in Jesus for eternal life (20:30-31).
11:5. In v 3 Mary and Martha assert that Jesus loves (phileō) Lazarus and
in v 5 John notes that Jesus loved [agapaō] Martha and her sister and
Lazarus. This change from phileō to agapaō seems purely stylistic. Unless
the context indicates otherwise, agapaō and phileō are synonyms. Bible
teachers err today when they read a great difference in meaning between
these words without contextual warrant. See comments on 21:15-17.
The fact that Mary is not mentioned by name may also be merely stylistic.
In v 1 John says, “Mary and her sister Martha.” Yet after v 2 Mary is not
mentioned again by name under v 28 (see also 11:32, 45). In light of the key
role Martha plays in vv 20-27, the emphasis on Martha here foreshadows
the prominent role she is about to play in the unfolding of this miracle.
11:6. Why would Jesus deliberately have stayed two more days in the
place where He was when Lazarus was very ill? He did so to heighten the
impact of the upcoming miracle. Evidently Lazarus died before Jesus even
received the message from Mary and Martha (cf. vv 11, 17). If Jesus had
left immediately after receiving the message, Lazarus would have been
dead for about two days (v 17). This delay made the miracle that much
more amazing.
11:7. When the two days were up, Jesus announced His intention to “go to
Judea again.” Lazarus was in Judea, near Jerusalem (v 18). This was the
region where Jesus’ opponents were strongest and where His life was in
great danger.
 11:8. The disciples object saying, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to
stone You, and are You going there again?” This seems a reasonable
objection from a human perspective. Of course, realizing the One saying
this is He who heals the sick, walks on water, and feeds multitudes with a
single meal, they should have either asked their question differently (e.g.,
“Lord, are you testing us again?”) or else raised no objection at all.
11:9-10. Jesus sometimes spoke in riddles even to His disciples, wanting
them to think about what He said. The reference to one who “walks in the
day [and who] does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world”
refers to one who obediently follows Jesus, who is “the light of the world.”
The one who “walks in the night…stumbles, because the light is not in
him.” This refers to the person, believer or unbeliever, who is not
obediently following Christ (cf. 1 John 1:5-10). “The light is not in” the
person who “walks in the night.” As is the case in 1 John as well, “in him”
looks at the experience of a person, not his position.
It is always healthy to obey God and unhealthy to disobey Him. To walk
contrary to God’s will is guaranteed to produce trouble. Being saved from
eternal condemnation does not exempt a person from the truth of these
verses. Only by walking in the light can a believer experience the fruit of
the Spirit.
11:11. Sleep is a common NT metaphor for death (cf. 1 Cor 11:30), and it
is used only in reference to believers. “Our friend Lazarus sleeps” means
that Lazarus is dead. The disciples do not grasp this initially. And when He
says, “I go that I may wake him up,” they do not understand that He was
speaking of raising Lazarus from the dead.
This verse should not be interpreted to teach that when believers die they
experience what some call soul sleep. When believers die, they go directly
and consciously into the presence of the Lord (2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23).
11:12-13. The confusion of the disciples when they say, “Lord, if he
sleeps he will get well [sōthesētai, lit., “he will be delivered/saved”],” is
somewhat humorous.
11:14-15. Then Jesus said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead.” Verse 14
is very abrupt and matter of fact. In Greek “Lazarus is dead” is just two
words (Lazaros apethane). Why did Jesus put it so abruptly? Probably He
did so for the shock value. The disciples—and John’s readers—are now
fully alert to what is to come.
 The purpose clause, “that you may believe,” cannot refer to the Eleven
believing that Jesus is the Messiah. They already believed that (cf. 2:11;
6:69). Instead, Jesus is likely suggesting that this sign will later contribute
to them believing that He has risen from the dead (cf. 20:1-29).
The death of Lazarus gave Jesus some cause for gladness, “I am glad for
your sakes that I was not there” (v 15), and some cause for grief and pain
(vv 35-36). Mixed feelings are not necessary proof of a fallen nature. Jesus
had mixed feelings on this occasion because the situation warranted both
emotions.
11:16. The disciples know that there is great danger in Judea. They finally
anticipate Jesus’ death, as well as their own. Thomas’s words are very
brave: “Let us also go, that we may die with Him.” Thomas was ready to
die for his Messiah. This should have a powerful impact on the unbelieving
readers.
11:17-18. When Jesus came, He found that [Lazarus] had already been
in the tomb four days. The stage was set for another remarkable sign that
would testify to the truthfulness of Jesus’ claim to be the Messiah who
guarantees eternal life to all who believe in Him.
Jesus and His disciples traveled about forty miles on foot to reach Bethany,
a two-day journey (cf. v 6). John’s gives us another ominous pithy
statement: Bethany was near Jerusalem.
11:19. Many family members and friends were present to comfort Mary
and Martha. In the first-century Jewish culture grieving typically went on
for days, as it did in this case.
11:20-22. Martha, unlike her sister who waits for an invitation (vv 28-29),
takes the initiative and as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, [she]
went and met Him.
Verse 21 is a confession of great faith. Martha does not say, “Lord, if You
had been here, my brother [might] not have died.” Rather, she asserts
boldly that “my brother would not have died.” She was convinced that
Jesus’ love for Lazarus insured He would have healed him.
When Martha says, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of
God, God will give You,” she suggests Jesus might raise Lazarus from the
dead on this very day. Her later words in vv 24 and 39 lead some
commentators to rule out that interpretation. Yet in light of the clear
meaning of v 22, as opposed to the ambiguity in vv 24 and 39 (see
comments there), it is best to understand that she is confessing belief that
Jesus might raise Lazarus from the dead that very day.
11:23. Jesus responds by saying, “Your brother will rise again.” Yet He
does so without announcing when Lazarus would rise, and without
indicating that He Himself will be the one raising Him.
11:24. Martha naturally thinks in terms of an eschatological resurrection:
“I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” The
Greek word for last is eschatos. Eschatology is the study of the last things
or last days.
When Martha refers to “the last day,” she might mean the end of Daniel’s
seventieth week (Dan 9:27), or the end of the Millennium. Both of these are
spoken of as “the last day” in Scripture. Unaided by the teaching of NT
epistles and the Book of Revelation on this subject, it was probably the rare
OT saint who understood the fine points of eschatology. Martha knew, as all
OT saints did, that someday in the future God will raise the believing dead
so that they will physically be present to take part in the Messiah’s eternal
kingdom on earth (cf. Job 19:25-27; Dan 2:44-45; 7:9-14, 26-27; 12:1-3).
11:25-27. This is the fifth “I am” saying. In this one Jesus makes two
assertions about Himself, not one. By saying, “I am the resurrection and
the life,” Jesus is stating that He is the source of both bodily resurrection
and life eternal. The human requirement for resurrection and life is
believing in Jesus.
As “the resurrection” Jesus promises that “He who believes in Me,
though he may die, he shall live.” Many people think Jesus is speaking
here of physical death, yet spiritual life. But that makes no sense. First, he
is comparing physical death with physical life in v 25. Not until v 26 does
He explain what “I am the life” means. Second, Jesus is explaining what “I
am the resurrection” means. As “the resurrection,” Jesus resurrects
believers.
While even unbelievers will be resurrected (5:29, “the resurrection of
condemnation”; see also Rev 20:13), Jesus is here referring to “the
resurrection of life” (5:29). Jesus guarantees the believer glorified pain-free
bodies forever.
As “the life” Jesus promises, “Whoever lives and believes in Me shall
never die.” This pithy statement is power packed.
 He promises no future spiritual death for the believer. “Shall never die” is
a bit of a surprise. Jesus often refers to believers having eternal life now as a
present possession (e.g., 5:24; 6:47). Here that same truth is brought forth,
but it is presented by denying its opposite. The believer cannot lose the life
that Jesus gives Him. This is one of the strongest and clearest statements of
eternal security in the entire Bible.
“Shall never die” finds parallels in John with other guarantees by Jesus
about what will not happen to the believer in the future. These include
figures of speech such as “shall never thirst” (4:14; 6:35), and “shall never
hunger” (6:35), and statements such as “shall not come into judgment
[condemnation],” and “shall never perish” (10:28; see also 3:16).
The promise is to whoever “lives and believes in [Jesus].” Once again,
this is a surprise. Elsewhere John speaks of the one who believes in Jesus
(e.g., 3:16; 6:35, 47), without the additional “whoever lives.” Why does
Jesus add these words here?
Jesus only offers His life to living human beings who believe in Him. He
does not extend eternal life to nonhumans (Satan, fallen angels, demons);
nor does He extend eternal life to humans who die in unbelief.
Jesus asks Martha, “Do you believe this?” This is one of only two
“invitations” in the entire NT (cf. John 9:35) and it is a far cry from modern
invitations. He is asking her if she believes that He guarantees resurrection
and everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him. Her answer is quite
instructive.
Many people today say saving faith is unknowable before one dies. The
best one can do, they say, is find evidence of regeneration in one’s life.
Sadly many people weigh out their good and bad works in their minds,
hoping to convince themselves they really believe.
Martha, being ignorant of that way of looking at faith, answers
affirmatively. She does not pause to examine the quality of her life. She
does not hesitate for fear of being presumptuous. She gives a
straightforward answer. What she affirms believing—that Jesus is “the
Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world”—is precisely
what John says in his purpose statement is the content of saving faith
(20:31).
Martha does not psychoanalyze her faith. This text shows that there is no
distinction between so-called head faith and heart faith. Faith is faith. As
long as a living human being comes to believe that Jesus is “the
resurrection and the life,” that is, “the Christ, the Son of God,” his faith is
saving.
If Martha’s response were flawed, surely Jesus would have corrected her
and John would have reported that correction. Thus, since Martha was sure
she believed in Christ and had eternal life, so is everyone who believes what
Jesus says here. In fact, if someone has never known with certainty that he
has eternal life, it shows that he not yet believed Jesus’ promise.
The expression “the Son of God” is in apposition here to “the Christ.”
The title “the Son of God” is a Messianic expression. As in 1:49, the
Messiah is God’s King Son.
Martha knows that Jesus guarantees bodily resurrection and everlasting
life to all who believe in Him precisely because she is convinced that He is
“the Christ, the Son of God.”
11:28-30. Jesus through Martha invited Mary to speak with Him privately
(see secretly) before He raised Lazarus.
Mary’s quick response, in light of what is known from her following
actions and words (v 32), suggests the great love and respect she has for
Jesus. She is ever ready to come when He beckons. She is a model disciple.
11:31-32. Mary’s sudden departure does not go unnoticed. The intended
private meeting with the Lord Jesus would actually be public (cf. vv 33,
36). The stage was now set for a miracle that should surely have led any
open person to come to faith in Jesus. That Mary fell down at His feet is
certainly a sign of submission and probably an act of worship. Her words to
Jesus are the same as Martha’s (cf. v 21). She, too, has great faith in Him.
11:33-35. Mary and those with her begin weeping again over the death of
Lazarus. Even though He knows what He is about to do and that it will turn
their sorrow into joy, Jesus groaned in the spirit and was troubled. After
asking, “Where have you laid him?” and after hearing their response
(“Lord, come and see”; cf. 1:39, 46), Jesus wept. Jesus is a Man of
compassion who cares deeply for His friends.
Perhaps Jesus wept because He was touched by the pain of the mourners,
or because He grieved the reality of death, or because He was sorry to be
bringing Lazarus back to this fallen world. The simplest explanation is the
first one: He was upset, so He wept.
 11:36-37. The mourners conclude that Jesus wept because “He loved
[Lazarus].” Then they ask a logical question based on that love and Jesus’
proven miracle-working ability: “Could not this Man, who opened the
eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
Their question shows that knowledge of His healing of the man born blind
(John 9) was well known. Some in the crowd might have been present at
that miracle. Their question also shows that these either believed that Jesus
was the Messiah, or that they were probably close to such faith (cf. 11:45).
11:38-39. Another wave of sadness and pain (cf. v 33) comes over Jesus as
He approaches the tomb. Surely the crowd must have wondered what He
was doing when Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Some likely
anticipated the soon-to-be miracle. Martha’s response, “Lord, by this time
there is a stench,” might suggest that she was not one of these people.
However, there are many possible explanations as to why she would say
this.
Under Jewish law to come in contact with a dead body was to defile
oneself. Jesus, however, has no such concern.
11:40. This verse is a bit puzzling. John does not report earlier that Jesus
had told Martha, “If you would believe you would see the glory of God.”
He told the disciples that Lazarus’s sickness was intended to result in God
being glorified (v 4). He had told Martha that all who believe in Jesus will
be resurrected (vv 25-26).
Either John chose not to report all that Jesus said to Martha, or else Jesus
expected Martha to think about what He said. Jesus was not telling Martha
about the bodily resurrection of believers as part of a class on eschatology.
His comments directly related to her concern about the death of her brother
Lazarus. Martha and Mary did believe as evidenced by their permitting the
stone to be rolled away without further objection.
11:41-42. To emphasize that Lazarus was dead, John refers to him as the
dead man. As compelling as the upcoming miracle would be, Jesus knows
that by praying aloud before doing the miracle, He is showing His
dependence on the Father.
Jesus is not violating His own prohibition against praying in order to be
seen by men (Matt 6:5). That prohibition concerned public prayers whose
aim was to impress people with one’s piety. To pray publicly in thanks to
God is fine so long as it is not showy and improperly motivated.
 Jesus’ prayer also reveals essentially what the purpose statement of John’s
Gospel says (John 20:30-31), namely, that the purpose of this sign, as with
all the signs, is “that they may believe that You sent Me.” By believing
that the Father sent Jesus, they would also believe the message the Father
gave Him to preach, that all who believe in Him have everlasting life (John
11:25-27).
11:43-44. Jesus was not timid in His command. He cried with a loud
voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” Does John’s reference to Lazarus being
bound hand and foot, followed by Jesus’ command to “Loose him, and
let him go,” mean more than its specific application regarding Lazarus?
John may intend the reader to see in v 44 the truth earlier taught in 8:30-32,
that those who believe in Jesus and abide in His words will be set free
experientially from bondage to sin (8:30-32).
11:45-46. There are two responses to this amazing miracle by Jesus. Many
of the Jews [present] believed in Him. But some…told [the Pharisees] the
things Jesus did. Of course, the ones who “believed in Him” gained eternal
life (cf. 3:16; 11:25-26). Those who report Jesus to the Pharisees evidently
remain unbelieving and desire to please the religious leaders—even if this
leads to the death of a Man who raised Lazarus from the dead.
11:47-48. Rather than changing their opinion of Jesus in light of this
amazing miracle, the chief priests and the Pharisees plot to eliminate Him
before many more believe in Him! It is very difficult for people to give up
long held beliefs—even in the face of compelling evidence to the contrary.
The rulers were partially right when they said that if they did not do
something, “everyone [would] believe in Him.” A day is coming, at the
end of the Tribulation, when every surviving Jew will indeed believe in
Jesus (Matt 24:13; Rom 11:26). And at that time “the Romans will come
and [attempt to] take away both our place and nation.” However, the
rulers were wrong in suggesting that “the Romans” would succeed.
Messiah Jesus will deliver the nation without allowing that to occur (Rom
10:13; 11:26).
11:49-52. The words of Caiaphas are capable of two interpretations. On
one level, the one he intended, it was better that Jesus should die rather than
that the nation would perish at the hands of Rome. On another level, the one
intended by God, Caiaphas’s words meant that Jesus’ substitutionary death
would provide (future) salvation of the nation from sin and eternal death.
 John indicates that Caiaphas’s words also have application not for that
nation only, but also…[for] the children of God who were scattered
abroad. While this might refer only to Jews scattered around the world and
not living in Israel, it likely refers to Gentiles, whom Jesus had earlier
called “other sheep who are not of this fold” (10:16). The end result would
be that Jesus “would gather together in one the children of God.” The odd
expression in English “in one” is equally odd in Greek. The NIV translates
this, “to bring them together and make them one.” It is best, however, to
keep the translation as vague as the original. While this might refer to a
general unity, it could also refer to the specific unity of Jews and Gentiles
together in one body, the Body of Christ, the Church.
11:53. The Jews had sought to kill Him before this (cf. 5:16; 7:44-45;
10:31, 39). The raising of Lazarus, however, increased their fervor. From
that day on they plotted to put Him to death.
11:54. Jesus no longer walked openly among the Judeans. He withdrew
to a city called Ephraim to avoid immediate arrest because His hour had
not yet come. In addition He may have wanted to rest with His disciples
before the climactic Passion week.
How long this was before the Passion week is not known (cf. 11:55; 12:1),
but it was surely very close (cf. v 55).
11:55-57. The Passover of the Jews was near. This is another of John’s
pithy ominous sayings. This was the fateful Passover that occurred between
Calvary and resurrection Sunday. Many went up to Jerusalem before the
Passover, to purify themselves. In addition they sought Jesus, and spoke
among themselves about Him as they stood in the temple. John may be
suggesting here that true purification was indeed to be found in Jesus. His
substitutionary death was just around the corner.
Because of the Jewish leaders’ command that if anyone knew where He
was, he should report it, that they might seize Him, Jesus’ possible
appearance was very much on the minds of most of the pilgrims. Would He
come to the feast in spite of the threats against Him?
The stage is set for Jesus’ preparation for burial (12:1-11), His triumphal
entry (12:12-19), the Last Supper (13:1-30), His farewell discourse (13:31-
16:33), His high priestly prayer (chap. 17), His arrest, trials, and crucifixion
(chaps. 18–19), and His resurrection (20:1-21:25). All these events would
occur quickly, very close together, for His hour had come (cf. 13:1; 17:1).
 12:1-3. Chapter 12 is a hinge chapter. It gives more information about
Lazarus (see vv 1-11, 17-19), thus connecting it with chapter 11 and the
seventh sign. The reference to “many signs” in 12:37 includes and
emphasizes the seventh sign as well. It also includes the last of Jesus’ public
preaching and hence it is linked with chapters 1-11. However, as it prepares
for what is to come—His death and resurrection—it also is linked with
chapters 13-21. The whole book hinges here.
The first-time reader of John’s Gospel surely has great anticipation when
he reads of Jesus’ return to Bethany. Jesus had very recently raised
[Lazarus] from the dead there. Now He would enjoy table fellowship with
Lazarus and his two sisters.
Martha, ever the activist, served. Mary, in her familiar spot at Jesus’ feet
(cf. Luke 10:39), showed her love when she anointed [His] feet with very
expensive aromatic oil and then wiped His feet with her hair. Mary was
very generous in the amount she used (a pound) and in the quality of the
oil. These events occurred six days before the Passover.
12:4-6. Mary’s act is viewed by Judas as wasteful, not generous and wise.
Judas, identified again by John as one of His disciples who would betray
Him (cf. 6:71), estimates the value of the oil as “three hundred
denarii”—or a year’s wages for a common laborer! Since the Lord does not
correct his statement, it is likely that the amount was a good estimate.
At least one of the reasons Judas betrayed Jesus is alluded to: greed. Judas
was a thief, and had the money box; and he used to take what was put
in it. His concern was not really for “the poor.” Other than his act of
betraying Christ and his subsequent suicide, this is the only NT report of
Judas’s sins. What a sad epitaph: “he was a thief.” Sadder still is that he
betrayed the Messiah for money.
12:7-8. Jesus graciously responds to what Judas said, not what really
motivated his words. Jesus does not wish to expose Judas. Rather, He
wishes to let Judas do his dirty work so that His hour might come. Jesus
refers directly to “the day of My burial.” Clearly He was prophesying
about His own death as well. Whether anyone questioned Him about this, or
why no one did, is not known.
“The poor you have with you always, but Me you do not have always,”
suggests that concern for the poor is a fine thing, but in this situation the
higher priority is preparing the Messiah for burial.
 12:9-11. Many Jews came to see Lazarus. This was a reasonable
response. However, an unreasonable response came from the chief priests
[who] plotted to put Lazarus to death also, because on account of him
many of the Jews…believed in Jesus. Signs like the raising of Lazarus
were designed so that people would believe in Jesus (20:31). Yet the chief
priests did not believe in Jesus, and they wanted to keep others from
believing in Him as well. So they plotted to kill both Lazarus and Jesus.
12:12-13. The next day refers to Sunday of Passion week. It is now five
days until the feast, that is, until Passover (cf. v 1). Because a great
multitude…took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, this
day is called Palm Sunday. The palm branches were used to pave the way
for Jesus into the capital.
The appellation “Hosanna!” originally meant “save now” (cf. Ps 118:25).
However, it came to be a shout of praise. “Hosanna to the Son of David!” in
Matt 21:9 means something similar to “Praise to the Son of David [our
Deliverer]!” Thus “Hosanna!” here means “Praise our Deliverer!” Jesus is
acclaimed as “the King of Israel!” What a paradox that five days later the
Jews crucify their king!
12:14-15. John gives less detail of this account than the Synoptic writers.
The quotation combines Zech 9:9 and Isa 40:9. “A donkey’s colt”
symbolized peace and gentleness. Jesus would have chosen other
transportation—for example, a war horse (cf. Rev 19:11)—if He was
coming as a political deliverer. On this occasion He was coming as a
spiritual deliverer.
The quoted command, “Fear not,” was especially needed in Jerusalem.
The inhabitants of Jerusalem (“daughter of Zion”) had been guilty of
fearing the Pharisees (cf. 7:13; 9:22; 12:42; 19:38; 20:19). Jesus’ triumphal
entry was a call to identify with Jesus openly for it is better to please the
King than to remain in the synagogue and displease Him.
12:16. His disciples did not understand Jesus’ triumphal entry on a colt
at first (i.e., at that time). After Jesus was glorified [a reference to His
resurrection], then they remembered that these things were written [i.e.,
prophesied] about Him and that they had done these things to Him. This
is another example of the Spirit of God illuminating believers regarding the
truths of Scripture.
 12:17-18. In the crowd along the roadway were some who were with Him
when He raised [Lazarus] from the dead. They bore witness, telling
others in the crowd what Jesus had done. This testimony about Jesus
probably began in Jerusalem when reports about His coming to the city
began to circulate (v 12). Many in the multitude along the way had not
witnessed this sign (see also 11:47 and 12:37), but they met Him because
they heard about it.
12:19. The Pharisees were very frustrated. They were desperate to arrest
and kill Him; yet this certainly was not the time for such action for a riot
would have occurred (cf. Mark 14:1-2).
When they say, “Look, the world has gone after Him!” they are using
both hyperbole and irony. Many Jews from Jerusalem, Israel, and the
dispersion, and even some Greeks (vv 20-21), are coming out to Him—but
not all the people of the world.
Ironically those coming out to meet Jesus are mostly unbelievers (cf. v 37,
although note v 42). They believe He raised Lazarus; but they do not
believe He is the Messiah who gives everlasting life to all who believe in
Him.
12:20-22. The temporal connection with vv 12-19 is uncertain. It could be
the same day or a day or two later.
When John says, there were certain Greeks among those who came up
to worship at the feast, he is probably referring to Gentiles, not to
Hellenistic Jews (cf. Acts 6:1). These Gentiles were not necessarily from
Greece itself. The term Greeks is used throughout the NT to refer to any
non-Jew within the Roman (formerly Greek) Empire.
These Gentiles were God-fearing. That is, they were Gentiles who
worshiped with Jews in synagogues. This is evident in that they were
coming to Jerusalem to worship at the Passover (John 12:20).
Why they came to Philip is not stated. Possibly it was because he had a
Greek name. Possibly it was mere happenstance. Philip came and told
Andrew, rather than approaching Jesus directly with their request, probably
because he was not sure what to do. Jesus’ ministry was to the lost sheep of
Israel (cf. Matt 10:5-6); however, He did say that He had other sheep who
would come to faith in Him (John 10:16; see also 4:4-42).
12:23-24. Before Jesus had said, “My hour has not yet come” (2:4; 7:8).
Now He declares, “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be
glorified.”
The time of Jesus’ glorification refers to His death, resurrection, and
ascension (cf. vv 24; 13:1; 17:1). Crucifixion was a humiliating experience.
He “endured the cross, despising the shame” (Heb 12:2). However, His
humiliation was also ultimately a source of glorification and joy for Him
(Heb 12:2, “for the joy that was set before Him”).
The analogy of “a grain of wheat” dying illustrates the tremendous
blessings that would result from Jesus’ death. His death provided life for
untold millions!
12:25-26. Jesus then spoke of the symbolic death of His disciples. Eternal
rewards are in view as in the parallel passages in the Synoptics (Matt 10:38-
39; 16:24-27; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27; 12:16-34; 14:26-35).
The believer “who loves his life will lose it.” That is, he will forfeit
fullness of life in the life to come, and now as well. “He who hates his life
in this world will keep it for eternal life.” This is a rare reference by Jesus
in John’s Gospel not to the present possession of eternal life (e.g., 3:16;
5:24; 6:35, 47), but to a possible future abundant experience of that life. The
same idea is in Matt 19:29; Gal 6:7-9; and 1 Tim 6:12, 19.
The issue is serving and following Jesus—discipleship, not eternal
salvation. Just as Jesus gave up His life, so should His followers (cf. 1 John
3:16-18). The Christian who squanders his life on worldly pursuits will
forfeit an abundant eternal experience.
As in many passages on rewards (e.g., 1 Thess 5:10, 23; Rev 21:6-7;
22:12-17), the Lord gives believers both the possibility of fullness of life
forever and the promise of being forever “where I am” (see esp. 1 Thess
5:10).
“God the Father will honor” those who serve His Son. The honors will
be announced at the believer’s judgment day, the Judgment Seat of Christ
(cf. 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Cor 5:10; 1 John 2:28; 4:17).
12:27-28. Jesus is troubled by the knowledge of the pain soon to come.
However, this anxiety does not move Him to ask, “‘Father, save Me from
this hour.’” Save here refers to temporal deliverance—in this case from
scourging and crucifixion. Jesus will glorify His Father (and Himself) by
what He is about to do.
Jesus came to earth to die on the cross. This verse helps explain the report
in the Synoptic Gospels where Jesus asks that the cup might pass from Him.
As this verse shows, He was not asking that He avoid the cup of wrath, but
instead He was asking that He be permitted to drink the cup, to die on the
cross, at that time, not because this was His will, but because it was the
Father’s will.
This exchange between God the Son and God the Father is beautiful. Jesus
asks, “Father, glorify Your name.” Then the Father says, “I have both
glorified it and will glorify it again.” The Father had glorified His name
through Jesus’ mighty works in the past and would continue to do so by
means of Jesus’ substitutionary suffering and death, as well as by His
resurrection and ascension.
12:29-30. The inability of some to understand what God the Father said is
unexplained but understandable. Since “this voice did not come because
of Me, but for your sake,” some must have understood it. This was more
compelling evidence that Jesus is the Messiah.
12:31. In what sense would Jesus’ death be a “judgment of this world”?
While the purpose of Jesus’ death was to make men savable (see comments
on 1:29), only a minority (those who actually believed in Jesus [cf. John
1:11-13; Matt 7:13-14]) would be saved. All who reject Jesus stand
condemned (John 3:18). Those who die without ever having come to faith
in Christ will remain condemned forever. Thus while Jesus’ death makes
men savable, it also judges all who reject Him.
“The ruler of this world” refers to Satan (cf. 2 Cor 4:4). He would “be
cast out” when Jesus finished His work at Calvary. This refers to Jesus’
ultimate victory over Satan which, though still future, was initiated in the
cross.
12:32-33. As John makes plain, lifting up refers to Jesus’ crucifixion—
being “lifted up” on a cross—not to His ascension (cf. 3:14; 8:28). Jesus
promised to “draw all” to Himself. (The word “peoples” is not in the
Greek.) Some suggest Jesus was promising to attract all kinds of men (e.g.,
Jews, Egyptians, Ethiopians, etc.). However, the natural sense is that He is
promising to pull everyone toward Himself. Through the Spirit Jesus is
beckoning all to believe in Him (cf. 16:7-11).
These verses help explain 6:44, which has the only other figurative use of
the verb to draw (helkuō) in John. (It is also found in 18:10, drawing a
sword, and in 21:6, being unable to draw a net filled with fish.)
 12:34. Evidently the crowd understood Jesus to be referring to His death.
This confused them. How can the Messiah leave? Did not the OT say “that
the Christ remains forever” (e.g., Dan 7:13-14)?
John wrote that Jesus says, “If I am lifted up” (v 32). The crowd reports
Him as having said something slightly different: “The Son of Man must be
lifted up.” The difference can be easily understood. The crowd was
paraphrasing what Jesus had said. He had referred to Himself as the Son of
Man in v 23. He had also referred to the necessity of His coming death (vv
23-24; see also 3:14; 8:28).
The crowd’s confusion leads to the question, “Who is this Son of Man?”
They are not seeking identification—Jesus already indicated He is the Son
of Man who would be lifted up (cf vv 23, 32). Rather, they wonder what
Jesus meant by that expression. Was it equivalent to the Son of Man in Dan
7:13-14? If so, how could this be since Daniel said that the Son of Man
would have “an everlasting dominion”?
12:35-36. What did Jesus mean by “Walk while you have the light, lest
darkness overtake you”? In light of v 36 He probably means that people
are foolish if they fail to seek God and believe in Him while they can. Jesus
may cease drawing a person to Himself. The departure of Jesus, the light of
the world, thus symbolizes what can happen to anyone anytime. Any person
who rejects the light he has already received may find that things get darker.
In such cases the darkness has “overtaken” him. Those who “believe in the
light [i.e., in Jesus] become sons of light.” This is true of them in their
position, though in their experience they may or may not walk in the light
(1 Thess 5:5-8).
12:37-38. There was overwhelming evidence that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Savior of the world. Yet in spite of the evidence the vast majority of Israel
did not believe in Him!
As sad as this was, it was not unforeseen. God had prophesied through
Isaiah that this would be the response of most of the Jews (Isa 53:1). Isaiah
predicted that those who would believe in the suffering servant would be in
the minority—and they are.
12:39-40. As mentioned above under vv 35-36, those who repeatedly
reject the light may come to a point where God ceases drawing them. In
such cases God “has blinded their eyes and hardened their heart”
because there is a limit to His patience. John’s citation of Isa 6:1 indicates
that God had done precisely this to many in Israel at that time. John did not
mean that all unbelievers in Israel were hardened. Some Jews of that
generation came to faith in Christ after this point. Two months later three
thousand came to faith in Christ on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41). And
after that, many other Jews came to faith in Jesus for eternal life, including
Saul of Tarsus.
12:41. When Isaiah saw His glory and spoke to Him, it was probably
God the Son in His preincarnate glory whom he saw and with whom he
spoke (cf. John 1:18). Also, the third person singular pronoun in 12:37 and
42 clearly refers to Jesus. If v 41 does refer to Jesus’ glory, it underscores
the foolishness of rejecting Him, for His signs (v 37) and His glory (v 41)
are compelling reasons for believing in Him.
12:42-43. Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were secret believers
among the rulers of Israel (cf. 19:38-39). They and others like them
believed in Him, but they did not confess Him. These verses clearly show
that a person can believe in Jesus yet choose not to confess Him. This
should be obvious since anyone who simply believes in Jesus has eternal
life (3:16).
Failure to confess one’s faith in Christ, while not damning, has negative
consequences. For to love the praise of men more than the praise of God
is to forfeit the praise of Jesus at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Only those
who endure in their confession of Christ will rule with Christ (cf. Matt
10:32-39; 2 Tim 2:12; 1 John 2:28; 4:17).
12:44-45. Since the Father sent Jesus to proclaim the saving message, to
believe in Jesus is ultimately to believe “in Him who sent [Him],” that is,
God the Father. To reject the One whom the Father sent is ultimately to
reject the Father as well. Jesus’ message is directly from God the Father!
How tragic that those who claimed to believe in God rejected Jesus’
message!
Reminiscent of what John told the reader at the end of the prologue (1:18),
Jesus said, “He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me.”
12:46. Does the purpose clause, “that whoever believes in Me should
not abide in darkness,” refer to positional or experiential truth? In light of
the ensuing words in vv 47-50, the former is probably in view. In that case
should refers to something that happens at the moment one meets the stated
condition of believing in Jesus. John 3:16 has the same kind of wording.
 At the moment of faith a person becomes a child of the light (12:36).
Before death or the Rapture believers are capable of walking in the darkness
(cf. 1 John 1:5-10); however, never again are they a part of the kingdom of
darkness and death.
12:47-50. Jesus ends His last personal appeal to the people of Israel to
believe in Him. While the one “who rejects” Jesus will suffer eternal
condemnation, that was not Jesus’ purpose in coming into the world: “I did
not come to judge [condemn] the world but to save the world” (see 3:17-
18). As in 3:16-17, save refers to the granting of everlasting life to all who
believe in Him: “His command is everlasting life.” Jesus’ message, as He
said many times before, was actually God the Father’s message:
“Whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak.”
V. One Sign Shows the Best Reason to Believe in Jesus (13:1–
21:23)
The inclusion of John 13-17 has led many to suggest that the purpose of
John’s Gospel is only partly evangelistic. However, if someone reading
John’s Gospel has not yet come to faith in Christ, this section gives
compelling reasons to believe in Him. Here is Jesus the night before His
arrest, trials, scourging, and crucifixion. He shows that He knows fully what
is about to happen. He faces these events confidently, and He shows that
this is His desire.
Also in chaps. 13-17 is found the wonderful potential in this life Jesus
gives. For one who has not yet come to faith, this too is a compelling reason
to believe in Him.
A. Jesus’ Final Discourse Leads to the Eighth Sign (13:1–17:26)
1. Jesus washes the feet of the disciples (13:1-11)
13:1. The phrase, before the feast of the Passover, refers to the night
before Jesus’ crucifixion when Jesus and His disciples ate the Passover
meal (v 2). Jesus knew that His hour had come that He should depart
from this world to the Father. (Paul similarly spoke of his own impending
death as “the time of my departure,” 2 Tim 4:6). When John says that Jesus
loved them to the end, he is probably referring to the expressions of His
love in washing their feet, teaching them, and praying for them this last
night (chaps. 13-17).
 13:2-4. The text does not say that the devil forced Judas to betray Jesus.
Rather, it says that the devil [had previously] put it into the heart of Judas
Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray Him. When Judas betrayed Jesus later this
night, it was because he chose to yield to satanic temptation.
Verse 3 seems to be out of place. However, it is helpful to look both ways
in the immediate context. Looking back, while Jesus was about to be
betrayed by one of His own disciples (v 2), God was in total control. Jesus
had even predicted this betrayal earlier (cf. 6:70-71). This was no surprise
to Jesus. He willingly gave Himself up for mocking, scourging, and
crucifixion.
Looking forward, while Jesus was about to assume the role of a lowly
servant by washing the disciples’ feet, He was fully aware that the Father
had given all things into His hands. Jesus was able to do the lowliest of
tasks cheerfully and without losing His dignity precisely because He knew
His identity and where He was going.
Surely the disciples must have been shocked when Jesus rose from
supper and laid aside His garments, took a towel and girded Himself
(cf. v 5). He was preparing to wash their feet! He evidently had never done
this before (cf. Peter’s reaction in v 8).
13:5. People of that day wore sandals without socks. The roads were very
dusty. Thus their feet would become dirty and need washing. It was a
common practice for a host to provide a servant to wash his guests’ feet.
However, it was unheard of for the host himself to wash their feet.
Evidently Jesus washed and dried the feet of eleven of the disciples without
incident. However, Peter was not about to allow this without a fight.
13:6-8. Probably Jesus intentionally waited to wash Peter’s feet until last.
He knew how Peter would respond and He wanted to use it to explain the
significance of what He had done and what He was about to do for Peter.
Peter cannot imagine that Jesus would wash his feet (cf. v 8), but rather
than saying so directly at first, he asks a foolish question. Jesus’ promise
that Peter would understand “after this” (v 7) seems to refer to a few
minutes later because in vv 8-10 and vv 12-20 Jesus explains what He is
doing.
Jesus’ response to Peter’s emphatic resistance, “You shall never wash my
feet!” comes in two parts (vv 8b and 10), both dealing with fellowship. The
word translated “part” (meros) is a term related to fellowship and rewards.
It is not a synonym for those who have eternal life. It concerns the right to
serve Him now and to rule with Him eternally (see Acts 1:17, 25; Rev
20:6). Evidently if Peter had persisted in refusing to let Jesus wash his feet,
he would have lost his position as a disciple.
13:9-11. Peter then completely changes his tune. A minute before he
gruffly refused footwashing. But now he says, “Lord, not my feet only,
but also my hands and my head!” He clearly does not wish to lose his part
in Jesus’ band of followers.
Jesus’ response to Peter’s offer is revealing. This footwashing incident
illustrates perfectly the truth John would later write about in 1 John 1:9. The
metaphor of being clean refers to positional forgiveness—what Paul calls
“the washing of regeneration” (Titus 3:5). All the disciples, except Judas
(John 13:11), were believers and were “clean” in their position before God.
However, even clean people need cleansing in order to keep their part in
Jesus’ service.
2. Jesus sends Judas out to betray Him (13:12-30)
13:12-15. After He had washed their feet, Jesus once again reclined on
His mat. The words sat down translate the Greek anepesen (from
anapiptō), which actually means to lie down or recline, especially at a meal
(cf. vv 23-25). Jesus’ opening question, “Do you know what I have done
to you?” is rhetorical (cf. v 7). The disciples do not have a clue why Jesus
did what He did. He follows the question with the explanation (vv 13-17).
The disciples call Jesus “Teacher and Lord.” The latter expression meant
to the disciples that Jesus is their Master. It may also have meant to them
that Jesus is absolutely sovereign, God in the flesh. However, it is unlikely
that the disciples had this full understanding of Jesus’ lordship. Their
actions suggest otherwise.
Thus if their Teacher and Master washed their feet, they ought to follow
His example and serve one another. Jesus was not establishing footwashing
as a third practice, along with baptism and the Lord’s Supper, for the
Church Age. Except for one passage, which clearly does not refer to a
church ordinance (1 Tim 5:10), nowhere else in the NT is footwashing
mentioned or commanded.
There is no NT evidence that the disciples ever washed each other’s feet.
Jesus was not commanding them literally to wash the feet of their fellow
disciples. Instead He was using footwashing, the lowliest of tasks, to
illustrate the depths His followers should go in serving Him by serving each
other. These men became the leaders of the early church. And yet they, like
their Lord, were to lead by example. All followers of Christ need to
remember this lesson.
13:16. Jesus’ words, “a servant is not greater than his master,” do not
mean that a servant is of lesser ability than his or her master. (Of course, all
servants of Jesus are of lesser ability than He.) The point concerns
authority. A servant is of lesser authority than his or her master. Thus if the
master willingly does the lowliest of tasks, so must the master’s servant. For
a servant to refuse to do a lowly task commanded by his master would be an
act of defiance.
13:17. Jesus now returns to the point He began in v 12. He has given the
disciples the knowledge they need to obey Him in this matter. However,
obedience is not guaranteed. Unfortunately servants of Christ disobey Him
at times. Thus Jesus promises blessings on those who follow His humble
example of service: “Blessed are you if you do them.”
13:18. Jesus was not speaking “concerning all of [the Twelve].” One of
them was an unbeliever who that very night would betray Jesus.
In light of what He just said, one might think that the words, “I know
whom I have chosen” refers to the Eleven, but not to Judas, the betrayer.
Yet the opposite is being said. Jesus chose Judas and is allowing His own
betrayal “that the Scripture may be fulfilled.” Jesus earlier specifically
said, “Did I not choose you, the Twelve, and one of you is a devil?” (6:70).
Choosing or election in the NT is primarily about service. People are
chosen to do something.
13:19. At first this statement is very puzzling: “Now I tell you before it
comes, that when it does come to pass, you may believe that I am He.”
The disciples already believed in Jesus (cf. 2:11). To believe in Him was the
same as believing Him when He said, “I am He” (cf. 8:24).
The key to understanding 13:19 is the time element. While the disciples
believed in Jesus at that moment, their belief would fade to doubt after His
betrayal and subsequent crucifixion. This verse concerns the revival of their
faith after these events.
That Jesus predicted many things about His death (including His betrayal)
before it occurred, served, along with His post-resurrection appearances, to
restore the faith of the disciples after the cross.
13:20. After the faith of the disciples was restored (v 19), they would share
His message with many. The disciples had previously been sent out by
Jesus on two witnessing trips in which they invited Israel to receive the
kingdom. After Jesus ascended to heaven, they would again be sent out—
this time to carry His teachings to the ends of the earth (Matt 28:18-20).
The saying, “He who receives whomever I send receives Me,” means
that anyone who accepts the message from those whom He sends out is
actually accepting Jesus and His message.
13:21-22. Jesus was troubled in spirit when He begins to identify His
betrayer specifically. The disciples evidently do not grasp from v 18 that the
betrayer is one of them. Now the disciples looked at one another,
perplexed about whom He spoke. How could one of them betray Jesus?
The eleven non-betrayers cannot imagine any of the Twelve doing such a
thing.
13:23-25. John, the one leaning on Jesus’ bosom, is the disciple whom
Jesus especially loved. John is reclining on a type of chaise lounge
immediately next to Jesus. Peter is too far away to ask Jesus privately who
the betrayer is. For some unstated reason Peter chooses not to voice his
question publicly. Possibly he fears that Jesus will indicate that he is the
one! John asked, “Lord, who is it?”
13:26. Jesus answered John’s question by giving Judas “a piece of
bread.” Apparently neither John nor any of the other disciples, except
Judas himself, understood (cf. v 28). This offering of bread is one final
gesture of love extended to Judas.
13:27a. By saying that Satan entered Judas, John could mean that at that
very moment Judas gave in to Satan’s temptation to betray Jesus. If this is
correct, then John is using entered metaphorically. Or he could be referring
to demon possession. One or more demons, representatives of Satan, may
have entered Judas’s soul at that moment. Or, this may refer to Satan
himself possessing Judas’s soul.
As there is no good reason to conclude that John was speaking
metaphorically, one of the latter two interpretations is intended.
13:27b-29. Jesus, knowing that Judas was about to betray Him,
encourages him to act immediately: “What you do, do quickly.” Yet he
disciples miss the point. Some of them speculate that Jesus is sending him
out because Judas had the money box and that He wants Judas to “Buy…
things…for the feast,” or…[to] give something to the poor.
Why is Jesus not more explicit so that the Eleven understand what is
happening? A probable reason is that this knowledge might have rendered
them practically incapable of hearing His further teaching. They might have
become fearful of arrest, torture, and painful death. And they might not
have permitted Judas to go.
By being indirect Jesus leaves the disciples in the dark for the time being,
yet gives them proof for later that He had been in control every step of the
way.
13:30. Judas left immediately. If Jesus had not sent Judas out, there would
have been no good time for him to leave before the arrival at the Garden of
Gethsemane. Even then it likely would have been difficult for him to leave.
If Jesus had not taken the initiative, it is unlikely that He would have been
crucified on Friday and put in the tomb immediately before the Passover
began.
The sentence, And it was night, is brilliant here. Darkness and night
symbolize the realm of evil and death. How fitting that Judas would betray
Jesus during the time of darkness. An unbeliever reading these words could
easily be highly disturbed. Going away from Jesus in unbelief leads one
into the darkness. To avoid an eternal darkness, forever separated from
Jesus and His kingdom of light, one must believe in Him.
3. Jesus prepares the disciples for His death, resurrection, and
ascension (13:31–16:33)
The remarks that follow Judas’ departure are solely for a believing
audience, though the intended readers are unbelievers (see the comments
before v 1). Jesus knows of His impending death, resurrection, and
ascension, and is preparing His disciples for those events and for the time
after that as well.
13:31-32. Jesus’ betrayal would swiftly lead to His death. This was not to
be perceived as a calamity (though the disciples would do so at first).
Rather, it was a triumph: “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God [the
Father] is glorified in Him.” Death was not a part of God’s design. Adam
and Eve chose death. As a result, God became Man to conquer death.
 13:33. The diminutive designation, “Little children” (teknia), used only
here in John’s Gospel (but seven times in 1 John—2:1, 12, 28; 3:7, 18; 4:4;
5:21), expresses Jesus’ deep and abiding love for these men.
Jesus was soon to depart: “I shall be with you a little while longer.” He
would leave these men whom He loved. Their task would be to carry on His
work in His absence.
When He now says to His disciples what He had formerly said to the
Judeans, “‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’” Jesus does not mean
that His disciples can never come to where He is going (see v 36). Rather,
He means that as long as they live in their mortal bodies they will be
physically separated from Him.
13:34-35. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love
one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.” This
command to love was not new in the sense of complete originality. Several
times the OT calls for people to love one another (e.g., Lev 19:18, 34; Deut
10:19; Mic 6:8). Rather, it was new in the sense of clarity and grandeur. The
OT did not clearly call for love like what Jesus showed in His death.
Jesus was referring specifically to the Eleven when He said, “By this all
will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
This certainly has application today to all open disciples of Jesus.
In that day when the apostles loved each other sacrificially, those who
observed this love knew they were disciples of Jesus. This verse does not
mean that whenever any Christian today loves other believers sacrificially
that all who observe will know he or she is a disciple of Jesus. Buddhists,
Hindus, and atheists sometimes will act in ways that are expressions of
sacrificial love.
Only if believers today are like the apostles were after the Day of
Pentecost, open bold witnesses of Christ, does this statement have broader
application. The disciples, known followers of Jesus, would show men that
they had truly learned from Him by loving as He loved.
13:36-37. Peter asks the Lord to explain what He meant about His
departure (v 33): “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus’ answer is cryptic:
“Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me
afterward.” Peter evidently correctly understands that Jesus is talking
about dying and going to heaven, for he says, “Lord, why can I not follow
You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.”
 Peter boldly asserts his intention, not merely his willingness, to die for
Jesus. Of course, if he did die with Jesus, then he would follow Him
immediately. The Lord knew, however, that this would not be the case (v
38).
The English translation obscures an important point. Peter literally said
that he intended to “lay down” [his] psychē for Jesus’ sake. The word
psyche„ means soul or life. The words “psychology,” “psychiatry,”
“psychosomatic,” and the like come from it. The Greek speaker understood
laying down one’s psychē as referring to giving up one’s life, either literally
by death or symbolically by giving up one’s pleasures and possessions.
Several NT passages contain the “salvation” of the psychē. See, for
example, Matt 16:24-27; 1 Pet 1:9; Jas 1:21; 5:19-20. Believers save their
lives here and now—and in terms of eternal rewards—by giving up their
lives in service for Christ. They gain by losing. Peter seemed to understand
this point and intended to follow through with his conviction.
13:38. Jesus knows that Peter’s good intentions will not result in
flawlessly good actions. Indeed Jesus tells Peter, “Most assuredly, I say to
you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.” In
other words, before he rose the next morning, three times Peter would
contradict his claim to stand with Jesus in the midst of conflict.
The text does not report Peter’s reaction. Was he crestfallen? Possibly.
However, it seems more likely that he could not believe his ears (cf. 18:10).
The next words from Peter’s lips reported in John’s Gospel are his three
denials of being a disciple of Jesus (18:17, 25, 27)!
Discipleship is not without its pitfalls. Faithful disciples sometimes fail.
Failure may even be so great that a Christian denies being a follower of
Christ. Believers should strive not to deny Him. But if they deny Him, they
can take heart from Peter’s example and remember that the Lord did not
give up on him (cf. 21:15-19).
14:1. No doubt the Eleven were disturbed by talk of a traitor among them,
of Peter denying Jesus, and of Jesus dying and leaving them. Thus Jesus
seeks to comfort them on a night when it is He who should be comforted by
them.
Jesus wanted His disciples to see the big picture, as He did (Heb 12:2), and
not look solely at His sufferings.
 The form of the Greek verb believe (pisteuete), used twice here, is either
indicative or imperative. Thus the second half of this verse can be made up
of one statement and one command (“You believe in God, believe also in
Me,” NKJV), two statements (“You believe in God; you believe also in
Me”), or two commands (“Believe in God; believe also in Me”). The first
option fits the context best. The Eleven already believe in God in that they
believe Jesus whom He sent (John 5:24). But they need to continue to
believe in Jesus even after He dies on the cross and returns to heaven.
14:2. “My Father’s house” refers to heaven or to the whole universe.
Many commentators suggest that heaven and some vague sort of heavenly
dwellings are in view. This is highly unlikely because the eternal abode of
believers is the new earth, not heaven (Rev 21:1-27). The dwellings
(monai) are said to be presently existing at the time Jesus spoke (in My
Father’s house are [present tense] many mansions). This likely refers to
temporary dwellings in the third heaven where believers who die before the
Rapture will stay. It could also refer to literal homes or apartments which
someday will come down with the New Jerusalem out of the new heavens
onto the new earth. Compare 2 Cor 5:1, “we have [present tense] a building
from God,” referring to our glorified bodies we will receive at the time of
the Rapture, yet a present tense is used.
The Lord indicates that He is going back to the third heaven to prepare a
place [topos, a different word than the word for mansions] for you. This
likely refers to the New Jerusalem. Revelation 21:2 refers to the descending
New Jerusalem as a bride prepared for her husband. That verse is probably
parallel to John 14:2. The New Jerusalem with its golden buildings is being
prepared by Jesus both for His disciples’ pleasure and for His own. This is
very comforting. Though Jesus was leaving, He was promising a coming
eternal kingdom in which there would be no sin and no pain (cf. Rev 21:4)!
14:3. Jesus promised to come back to earth “and receive [from
paralambano] you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.” In
view here is the Rapture (cf 1 Thess 4:13–5:11, which has many parallels
with John 14:1-3). Compare Matt 24:40-41 where the Lord also used the
same verb, paralambano, to refer to the Rapture.
14:4-5. They know that Jesus is going back to heaven and that He is the
way to heaven (v 4; cf. 13:36-37). Thomas’ question suggests he is
uncertain what Jesus means and wants Him to say more plainly where He is
going.
14:6. Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life,” [and] “no one comes to
the Father except through” Him. This famous verse is the sixth “I am”
statement by Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. But exactly how way, truth, and
life are related is unclear. Most likely the first element is central. Jesus is the
only way to the Father (cf. 10:9). That is so both because He is the truth (cf.
1:18) and because He is the life (cf. 11:25-26).
14:7. The concept of knowing in Greek, as in English and Hebrew, is
flexible. It can refer to many kinds of knowledge. The disciples already
knew Jesus on several levels. However, they did not yet know Him well.
They did not believe that He revealed the Father to them (see vv 8-9).
Jesus is showing the disciples that their knowledge of Him is not yet
mature, and He is promising them that very soon (after the cross and His
resurrection and ascension, with the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost) their
knowledge would be mature.
14:8-9. Philip apparently wants to see a manifestation of the glory of God
the Father: “Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us.” That
reflects a major misunderstanding. No one has ever seen God the Father
(1:18). Jesus is the one who reveals the Father. To see Jesus is to see a
manifestation, for Jesus is fully God.
14:10-11. The Eleven surely believed that Jesus and the Father were
closely related. Yet they did not yet fully understand the unity of the
Godhead. This was a truth which they would soon understand and accept
(cf. v 7). Both Jesus’ “words” and His “works” prove that He and the
Father are one in essence and purpose.
14:12. “Greater works than these” refers to works greater in extent, not
greater in kind. It is impossible to do works that are greater in kind than
what Jesus did. But, for example, on the Day of Pentecost Peter led more
people to faith in Jesus—about three thousand (Acts 2:41)—than Jesus
likely did in His entire earthly ministry.
This is a promise not just to the Eleven, but also to each one “who
believes in” Jesus. Believers today do not have the miracle-working power
the apostles had to back up their witness (Acts 1:8). But because the Holy
Spirit indwells believers, they are able to do works that are greater in extent
than what Jesus did in His three years of ministry (cf. John 16:7).
 14:13-14. These verses are not a promise that all prayers of Christians will
receive “yes” answers. Jesus gave a condition for answered prayer. He said
one must pray “in My name…that the Father may be glorified in the
Son.” That means praying in accord with Jesus’ character and nature.
Prayers that are inconsistent with Jesus’ character and nature (e.g., praying
for success in smuggling drugs) are obviously not guaranteed a “yes”
answer.
If a person prays that God will be glorified through his hardship, then he
knows he will receive a “yes” answer. A believer may die or suffer terribly
from hardship, but if in doing so God is glorified, then he has done the right
thing and will be rewarded accordingly at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Other conditions to answered prayers are not specifically mentioned here,
but are implicit in what Jesus says. Other conditions include keeping His
commandments (cf. John 15:7; 1 John 3:22) and praying in accord with
God’s will (1 John 5:14).
14:15. Some may claim to love God while walking in sinful disobedience.
However, they are wrong. Love for God is not a mere feeling, any more
than love for anyone is a mere feeling. Love is active: “If you love Me,
keep My commandments.” The grace of God is not a license to sin.
Rather, it is a powerful incentive to obedience. John develops this theme in
more detail in his first epistle (cf. 1 John 2:3-11; 3:16-18).
14:16-18. During the dispensation of the Law of Moses, which still existed
at this point, believers were not routinely or permanently indwelt by the
Holy Spirit: “He dwells with you [now] and will be in you [after
Pentecost].” Exactly how this affected OT believers is uncertain. Certainly
it lessened, yet without eliminating, their ability to serve God. Enoch
walked with God; Abraham was a friend of God; and David was a man after
God’s heart.
The disciples and all believers in the Church Age would be permanently
indwelt by the Holy Spirit, “He [the Father] will give you another Helper,
that He may be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth,” from
Pentecost onward (cf. Rom 8:9). The Holy Spirit would help them serve
God—just as Jesus had done when He was with them.
Jesus’ promise in John 14:18, “I will come to you,” probably refers to the
coming of the Spirit, alluding back to “He…will be in you.” (The other
options are that Jesus is alluding to His resurrection or to the Rapture.)
 14:19-20. The time references, “a little while longer” and “at that day,”
refer to Jesus’ death and resurrection, respectively. Jesus’ post-resurrection
appearances were almost exclusively to believers: “the world will see Me
no more, but you will see Me.” Saul of Tarsus was an exception—and so
possibly were Jesus’ half brothers, James and Jude. However, even in these
cases the Lord knew they would cease being part of “the world” at that
point because they would come to faith in Him for everlasting life when
they saw Him.
Jesus’ bodily resurrection both guaranteed the bodily resurrection of all
believers (“Because I live [an allusion to His bodily resurrection in a
glorified body], you will live [physically in glorified bodies] also”) and
showed the disciples and subsequent believers that a union exists between
Jesus and the Father (“I am in My Father”) and between Jesus and all
believers (“and you in Me, and I in you”). In light of the preceding
context (v 17), the latter union refers to the indwelling presence of the Holy
Spirit in all believers.
14:21. Jesus repeats and expands on what He said moments before (v 15).
To obey Him is to love Him: “He who has my commandments and keeps
them, it is he who loves Me.” Of such a believer Jesus says, “He who
loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest
Myself to him.”
While God loves all believers because they are in Christ, He has a special
love for obedient believers. Jesus is teaching that progressive sanctification
is by faith plus works. Rather than guaranteeing that all believers persevere
in good works, this passage teaches that it is commanded and expected.
Jesus’ self-disclosure to the obedient believer (“I will…manifest Myself to
him”) is probably referring to more than His post-resurrection appearances
to the disciples, who were far from paragons of obedience immediately after
His death. He is referring to giving obedient believers special insight into
His Word, assuming they read, study, and meditate on it (cf. John 2:24-25;
Luke 8:18; 19:26).
14:22. Judas (not Iscariot) [cf. Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13] asks a question
which shows that he, and probably the other disciples as well, do not quite
understand what Jesus is saying. He may have been asking how Jesus could
“manifest [Himself] to [the apostles], and not to the world?” If He
established His kingdom on earth—which is what the disciples thought He
was going to do immediately (cf. Matt 16:21-23)—then He would manifest
Himself to all.
Or Judas might have been asking why Jesus would do this (cf. John 4:9).
The latter is more likely Judas’ intention in light of the answers Jesus gives
in 14:23-24.
14:23-24. This answer seems to be a restatement of what has just been said
in v 21.
Jesus is restating the reason He and the Father will abide with obedient
believers. However, He states this in a unique way: “We will come to him
and make Our home with him.” The word translated home is the same
word (monē) used in v 2 when Jesus spoke of the many “mansions” or
dwellings in His Father’s house. In fact, this word is used only these two
times in the entire NT.
The implication of this link between vv 2 and 23 is that the present
dwelling of God within believers is a foretaste of the eternal kingdom when
God will dwell with them on the new earth.
14:25-26. Implicit in what Jesus promises is that the Eleven will be
obedient and will show their love for Him. Otherwise He would not,
through the Holy Spirit, teach them all things and bring to their
remembrance what He had said.
The first half of the promise, “He will teach you all things,” is directed
solely to the apostles. The Spirit not only brought to their remembrance
exactly what Jesus said (v 26b), but He also taught them what Jesus had
meant. Examples of this are in 2:22; 12:16; and 20:9. The apostles wrote the
NT under special direction of the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:21;
3:15-16).
The second half of the promise, “He will…bring to your remembrance
all things that I said to you,” is also only directed to the apostles. In their
writing of the NT they were enabled by the Holy Spirit to remember
precisely what Jesus had said. This is one of the most important verses in
the NT concerning Biblical inspiration and inerrancy.
14:27. Along with the Holy Spirit (vv 16-18, 26), Jesus will give His
obedient disciples peace: “Peace I leave with you…not as the world
gives.” The world can give material possessions, power, and temporary
pleasures, but it cannot give peace.
 The peace spoken of here is not the peace on earth which the angels
heralded at Jesus’ birth. That will come after the Tribulation and Jesus’
Second Coming. This refers to personal peace—peace of mind and peace
with other obedient believers. The fruit of the Spirit includes peace (Gal
5:22-23). This peace Jesus gives is sufficient to calm the fears of any
obedient believer.
14:28. Knowing that Jesus was “going away and coming back” to the
apostles should have caused them to “rejoice” for Him. Of course, it was
not wrong for them to grieve the loss of His companionship and personal
presence. But they were to grieve differently than the unsaved grieve (1
Thess 4:13), especially about the death and resurrection and ascension of
the Lord Jesus.
In what sense is the “Father…greater than Jesus”? Not in the sense of
being a greater deity as some claim. God is one and there are no degrees of
deity. Jesus and God the Father are one in essence (cf. 10:30, “I and the
Father are one”).
The Father was greater in glory than Jesus was in His incarnation. Jesus
humbled Himself in the incarnation (cf. Phil 2:6-11). When He returned to
the Father, He would regain the glory He had temporarily laid aside. For
this reason the disciples should be glad.
Jesus also meant that the Father is greater in authority. Within the
Godhead the Son and the Spirit submit to the Father’s will (John 14:24;
Luke 22:42).
14:29. This verse is almost a word-for-word repetition of 13:19. While the
disciples’ faith in Jesus would falter after His crucifixion, it would be fully
restored after His post-resurrection appearances. See, for example, John
20:24-28.
14:30. The time of Jesus’ betrayal and death was very near: “The ruler of
this world is coming.” Satan was prompting Judas to betray Jesus (cf.
13:27). What Jesus meant when He said concerning Satan, “He has
nothing in Me” is not immediately clear. And there is nothing in the
immediate context to assist in finding an answer. The idea seems to be that
Satan cannot bring a legitimate charge against Jesus. There is nothing in
Jesus, a completely sinless Man, which Satan can use to his advantage.
14:31. This is the only place in the NT where Jesus’ love for God the
Father (“I love the Father”) is explicitly asserted. It is particularly fitting
here. The one who loves Jesus obeys Him (vv 15, 23; 15:14). Jesus Himself
exemplified this truth in that He loved the Father and this love was
expressed in His total obedience.
The final sentence in 14:31, “Arise, let us go from here,” seems out of
place at this point in Jesus’ discourse. After all, He has more to say (chaps.
15–16). This may be explained in several ways. First, Jesus and His
disciples left the Upper Room and began walking toward Gethsemane. The
further discourse of chapters 15 and 16 could have taken place while
walking or at a stop along the way. This option is not without difficulty,
however, because 18:1 states that after Jesus had delivered the final
discourse and His high priestly prayer, “He went out.” A natural
understanding of 18:1 would be that He went out of the upper room at that
time.
Second, after Jesus said, “Arise, let us go from here,” something happened
which John does not report. Possibly one of the Eleven asked a question
before they arose—leading Jesus to teach more before they left.
Or third, perhaps the Eleven got up to go and Jesus gave the rest of the
discourse and His prayer while they stood and before they left. Many wise
managers conduct short stand-up meetings today. It was late and the
disciples were very tired (cf. Matt 26:40, 43, 45—three times Peter, James,
and John fell asleep in the garden when they should have been praying).
15:1. In the OT the nation Israel is referred to metaphorically as a vine (Ps
80:8; Ezek 15:1-8). The nation was intended to be like a productive vine
that bears much fruit. Instead it was like an unproductive, fruitless vine.
In this “I am” statement—the seventh and last one in John’s Gospel—
Jesus identifies Himself as “the true vine, and [His] Father [as] the
vinedresser.” Though Israel did not live up to its name as the vine, Jesus
did.
15:2 Some theologians do not believe that there is such a thing as an
unproductive believer. They are forced to argue that “every branch in Me
that does not bear fruit” refers to unbelievers. Yet it is difficult to imagine
how an unbeliever could rightly be called a “branch in” Jesus. The issue
with unbelievers is unbelief, not lack of fruitfulness.
Such an interpretation is untenable. Jesus is warning believers (see v 3,
“you are already clean”) against being unfruitful and unproductive.
Unbelievers are not in Christ and they are not branches from which He
expects fruit.
The word translated “He takes away” (airei) can also be translated “He
lifts up.”
If the former translation is correct, it suggests that unfruitful believers are
taken home (v 6). The latter translation suggests that God disciplines
unfruitful believers in an effort to spur them on to fruit-bearing. In
viticulture
low-lying branches that are unproductive are propped up (or lifted up) on
wooden stands in order to facilitate productivity.
The latter translation is probably correct for three reasons. First, the two
halves of v 2 are antithetical. Verse 2b concerns increasing the productivity
of productive branches. This suggests that v 2a concerns stimulating
productivity of unproductive ones. Second, not until v 6 is the removal of
unproductive branches clearly discussed. The distance seems to suggest that
removal is normally not instantaneous. Third, there is a play on words in
this verse which suggests that the goal of the intervention in each type of
branch is to heighten productivity. “He prunes” is the same Greek verb as
“He lifts up” except that a prefix is added (kathairei vs. airei).
The pruning of a productive branch refers to what God does in the life of a
fruitful believer “that it may bear more fruit.” God’s discipline is not
merely directed to unfaithful believers. God disciplines faithful believers as
well (cf. Heb 12:3-11; Jas 1:2-12).
15:3. Another wordplay is found in the expression “you are already
clean.” The word clean (katharoi) is very similar in form and sound to the
verb translated “He prunes” (kathairei) in the previous verse. Those whom
God clips are clean.
The reason the disciples were “already clean” was “because of the word
[Jesus had] spoken to” them. They had believed His promise that all who
believe in Him have everlasting life and shall never perish (2:11; 3:16;
11:25-27).
15:4-5. “Abide in Me” is a command (an imperative, meinate), not a
promise. There is no guarantee in Scripture that believers, those who are
positionally “clean” (v 3), will abide in Christ (cf. Rom 12:1-2 and 1 John
2:28–4:19).
 The word abide (menō) has the basic meanings of remain, live, or dwell,
either literally, or as in this case figuratively. Here it is used to refer to living
in the sphere of the true vine, Jesus. To abide in Christ is to abide in His
words, to remember and live by what He has said (cf. 5:38; 8:31; 15:7).
Jesus promises that He will abide (“and I [will abide] in you”) in the
believer who abides in Him.
If a believer ceases to remain in fellowship with Christ, he “cannot bear
fruit,” for branches can bear fruit only when they are united to the vine.
“For without Me you can do nothing” must be understood in light of v
4. It does not mean that nonabiding believers are incapable of doing
anything at all. The understood subject is doing things that please God.
When a believer lives in the sphere of the flesh, he can do nothing that
pleases God. However, believers have the Holy Spirit within them. When
they live in light of their born-again status, they produce good fruit that
pleases the Lord Jesus.
15:6. Three major interpretations are given on what it means to be “cast
out as a branch…and burned.” First, some wrongly think Jesus is saying
that nonabiding believers lose their salvation and spend eternity in hell. This
contradicts John 3:16; 5:24; 10:27-29; and 11:26. Second, others wrongly
think Jesus is saying that nonabiding believers prove that they are not true
believers, but merely professing believers who will spend eternity in hell.
Yet Jesus is talking about born-again people who are
positionally clean (v 3), not unbelievers. Third, believers who remain in an
unfruitful state over time will experience God’s temporal judgment,
possibly culminating in premature death. The third view alone upholds
eternal security, fits the particulars of the passage, and is consistent with the
rest of Scripture.
Being “cast out as a branch…and burned” refers to a common practice of
viticulture in which unproductive branches are cut off and burned. Its
application to unproductive believers is easily seen: God disciplines those
believers who persist in disobedience. Fire is a common metaphor in
Scripture for temporal judgment (cf. Lev 10:2; 1 Cor 3:10-15; Heb 6:7-8;
10:27; Jude 23). Since the Lord did not use the verb to be burned up, but
rather the less intense verb to be burned, He is holding open the possibility
that the unproductive believer may respond to the burning and return to
fruitfulness.
 The grace of God is not a license to sin. Believers who play with sin will
experience fiery judgment that may well culminate in death.
15:7-8. These verses expand on 14:13. To “abide in [Christ], and [to have
His] words abide in you” is a condition to answered prayer: “you will ask
what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
Glorification of the Father is spoken of both in 14:13 and 15:8. The former
verse links it to answered prayer, the latter to fruit-bearing.
When believers obey God and bear fruit—indeed “much fruit”—God the
Father is glorified. Fruit-bearing seems to be linked to prayer in these verses
—especially when they are compared with 14:13. Certainly one thing all
abiding believers should pray for is that they “bear much fruit” and thereby
bring glory to God’s name, demonstrating that they are Jesus’ disciples.
Since Jesus glorified the Father, so do all who follow Him.
At the heart of abiding in Christ is the one word love. God is love (1 John
4:8) and Jesus was soon to manifest that love to the ultimate degree in His
sacrificial substitutionary death on the cross. Believers who love like that
become Jesus’ friends (just as Abraham loved and was called a friend of
God).
15:9-10. “As the Father loved” Jesus, so He also loved the disciples. In
order for the disciples to continue to experience his love (“abide in My
love”) after He leaves, they must “keep [His] commandments.” Jesus is
their model since He “kept [His] Father’s commandments” to this point,
and presently He “abide[s] in His love.”
To abide in Jesus’ love means to remain in the sphere of His love. The
obedient believer pleases Him and is especially loved by Him. The
disobedient believer displeases Him (cf. Eph 4:30) and is not the object of
His love in an experiential sense (cf. Jude 20-21).
15:11. The Lord now tells the Eleven why He said this: “These things I
have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy
may be full.” To have fullness of joy a believer must obey Christ and be
loving (cf. v 12). Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Joy is not an
automatic result of the atonement. It is contingent on ongoing obedience.
The life Jesus gives is one of great potential.
15:12-13. Jesus’ commands can be summed up in the one word, love (cf.
Gal 5:14). Believers are to “love one another” in a giving, sacrificial sense,
not just when it is convenient. Jesus modeled this love in the past, “as I
have loved you,” and would again model it in His impending
substitutionary death: “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay
down one’s life for his friends.” See comments on Jas 2:14-17 and 1 John
3:16-18.
15:14. Having just spoken of laying down one’s life for his friends, Jesus
now brings that message home: “You are My friends if you do whatever I
command you.” Friendship with God is not something all believers
possess. Obedience is a condition of friendship. Abraham was called “the
friend of God” because he obeyed Him (Jas 2:21-24). God appeared to
Moses “as a man speaks to his friend” (Exod 33:11) because he too was
living a life that pleased Him. James warned, “…friendship with the world
is enmity with God…Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world
makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas 4:4).
15:15. Only on His last night with them before His death does Jesus call
His disciples “friends.” Before this He had called them “servants” (cf.
13:13, 16). Servants (lit., slaves) of that day did not normally have a close
relationship with their masters. They would simply do their master’s
bidding without an understanding of how that fit in with the master’s plans.
Friendship with Jesus is being privy to His plans: “I have called you
friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known
to you.” Maturity in the Christian comes from understanding and believing
God’s Word and thereby having the mind of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 2:14-16).
15:16. The Lord Jesus chose the Eleven to be His apostles and friends with
the result that they “should go and bear fruit.” The work they would do
would have enduring value: “your fruit [shall] remain.” This refers to
their missionary endeavors as they evangelize and disciple people (cf. Matt
28:18-20; Acts 1:8). All believers are all ambassadors for Christ (2 Cor
5:20) and can and should bear fruit for Him as they share their faith.
Prayer is a key component in outreach and fruit-bearing: “that whatever
you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” See also the
comments on 14:13-14 and 15:7-8.
15:17. Jesus repeats the command to “love one another” (cf. vv 9-14).
Love is a vital element in fruit bearing (cf. 1 Cor 13:1-3) and is a condition
of friendship with Christ (cf. John 15:14).
15:18-20a. “The world” is the world system which is satanic at its core
(cf. 14:30). It hated Jesus, and it continues to hate all who follow Him. On
the other hand, “the world…love[s] its own.”
What did Jesus mean when He said “I chose you out of the world”? He is
referring to choosing the Eleven to be His disciples, His followers. By
following Him they were no longer part of the world system. Since “a
servant is not greater than his master,” the disciples, like Jesus, would be
persecuted by the world. While eternal life is a free gift, following Jesus as
a disciple is costly.
15:20b. The statement, “if they kept My word, they will keep yours
also,” seems at first glance to be out of place. It is preceded and followed
by references to the world’s rejection and persecution of Jesus and His
followers.
Some scholars amend the text (without any manuscript support) to read,
“If they have not kept My word, they will not keep yours either.” Others
suggest that Jesus is dealing with a hypothetical not true-to-fact possibility.
A preferred view is to take Jesus’ words at face value. Clearly He is
emphasizing the world’s rejection of Him and His message in the greater
context (15:18-16:4). Here is a small ray of hope: While most rejected Jesus
and His message, some did not. Thus while most will reject the words of the
apostles, some will accept their witness. For example, on the Day of
Pentecost, just fifty days after Jesus spoke these words, Peter led over three
thousand to faith in Jesus (Acts 2:14-41).
15:21. Jesus returns immediately to telling about coming persecution: “all
these things they will do to you.” Jesus’ followers should not take it
personally when they are persecuted for sharing His message and following
Him. Such persecution is actually “for [His] name’s sake.” The ultimate
reason the world persecutes Jesus’ followers is that “they do not know
[God, the One] who sent Jesus” (cf. 17:3).
15:22-24. The sin spoken of in vv 22 and 24 is rejecting and hating Jesus.
If Jesus “had not come and spoken to them” and had not performed
mighty works (“works which no one else did”) among them, “they
would” not have been guilty of the sin of rejecting and hating Him. Failure
to believe in Him is the ultimate act of disobedience toward God. The
Judeans’ hatred of Jesus demonstrated hatred toward God the Father as
well, though they would vehemently deny this.
15:25. The term law can refer to the entire OT as this verse shows. Jesus’
words “‘They hated Me without a cause’” are from two psalms (Pss
35:19; 69:4).
There was and is no legitimate cause for people to hate Jesus, the only
sinless person ever, the Son of God. There was an illegitimate cause: Jesus’
teachings. The Jewish people misunderstood the OT and thus felt—wrongly
—that Jesus was teaching heresy.
15:26-27. Jesus has been painting a rather bleak picture. The world hates
Jesus and His teachings. The world will also hate and persecute His
followers as they bring His teachings. However, the disciples, and all who
testify concerning Jesus, will not be alone in their witness. “The Helper…
the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will also testify of
Jesus.”
The world thus has two reliable witnesses of Jesus: The Holy Spirit and a
group of men who personally witnessed His miracles and teachings.
Jesus indicates both that He will send the Spirit and that the Spirit will
proceed from the Father. This is a clear reference to the Trinity.
16:1-4. The Lord now concludes His warnings regarding coming
persecution. He gave these warnings so that the disciples “should not be
made to stumble.”
Each of them was “put…out of the synagogues” and almost all of them
were killed by people who thought they were pleasing God by doing so.
According to church tradition, all but John were martyred for their faith.
As stated before (cf. 15:21) the ultimate reason the apostles would be
persecuted and killed is that the perpetrators do “not [know] the Father
nor” the Son.
The disciples did not need to hear this warning before this (“at the
beginning” of Jesus’ ministry), because Jesus was still with them. He bore
the brunt of the persecution directly. However, once He left, they would
bear it. On the eve of His own death, He is concerned for them and for their
future.
16:5-7. Jesus now addresses His departure directly. The disciples
experienced sorrow when the Lord Jesus told them, “Now I go away to
Him who sent Me.”
It must have been difficult for the disciples to believe Jesus when He said,
“It is to your advantage that I go away” (cf. 11:50; 18:14). They loved
Him and did not want to be separated from Him. However, Jesus’ departure
was necessary: “If I depart, I will send Him [the Holy Spirit] to you.”
 16:8-11. When the Spirit came after Jesus’ departure, He began an
ongoing ministry to “convict the world of sin…of righteousness, and of
judgment.” Conviction is not forcing a person to believe something.
Rather, it is demonstrating that something is true. While this convicting
ministry aids people in coming to faith in Christ, most people reject Christ
(cf. Matt 7:13-14). This is because a person can see compelling evidence
that something is true and yet reject it.
Before Jesus’ death and resurrection the Holy Spirit convicted people of
these three things. However, the coming conviction would be more specific
just as the revelation about Christ was now more complete. Certainly John’s
Gospel is one of the main ways in which the Spirit convicts people.
Jesus indicates that the Spirit will do this “because they do not believe in
Him.” In light of John 8:24, the Spirit convicts unbelievers that they are still
in their sins (both in their experience and position).
It is “the world” that the Spirit convicts. The Lord’s statement is about
actuality, not potentiality. Thus this is a statement of what is true of all
people, even those who have never heard the name of Jesus. The Spirit
convicts all of sin, righteousness, and judgment. That conviction becomes
specifically linked to the Lord Jesus when the Bible is proclaimed.
Although Jesus no longer walks the earth and demonstrates His
righteousness corporeally, the Holy Spirit shows people that Jesus is indeed
righteous. As people hear about Jesus and His promise of eternal life to all
who believe in Him, the Spirit is at work in them moving them to believe
that Jesus fulfilled all righteousness. (Prior to receiving special revelation
about Jesus, unbelievers were convicted that God is righteous.)
In addition, as the message of life is shared, the Spirit convicts people that
all who reject Christ will be judged and eternally condemned someday.
Satan, the ruler of this world during this age, has already been judged. The
translation of the perfect passive (kekritai) by the words “is judged”
stresses the abiding result of the past event of Satan’s judgment.
16:12-13. Related to Jesus’ departure is the disciples’ need for further
guidance. There were “still…many things” Jesus wished “to say to” the
disciples, but they were not able to “bear [them] now.” Jesus promises
them that the Holy Spirit “will guide [them] into all truth,” and He adds
that “He will tell [them] things to come.” This leading into all truth
includes revelation about the future.
 These verses are not general promises to all believers. They are exclusive
promises to the apostles. In view is the revelation necessary for the writing
of the NT.
The Book of Revelation, also written by John, certainly deals with “things
to come.” So, too, does much of John’s first epistle (cf. 2:28; 3:2; 4:17-19)
and much of the writings of Peter, Paul, James, and the author of Hebrews.
And of course, all of the NT presents the “all truth” which the Holy Spirit
revealed to the apostles after Jesus’ resurrection.
16:14-15. Jesus tells His disciples that the Holy Spirit “will glorify Me,
for we will take of Mine and declare it to you.” Though it does not seem
to fit with the preceding this links with vv 12-13. The Spirit will lead the
apostles into all truth. These verses suggest that the NT glorifies Jesus. That
is, the Spirit led the apostles to reveal Jesus’ words and works to mankind.
The relationship of the three members of the Trinity is especially evident
here. The things of the Father also belong to Jesus: “All things that the
Father has are Mine.” The Spirit “will take [the things of Jesus] and
declare it to the apostles.” Thus the Father, Son, and Spirit were all actively
involved in the writing of the NT (as well as the OT, of course).
16:16-18. Jesus now returns to the theme of sorrow which He introduced
in v 6. He informs the disciples that their sorrow would be short lived.
At this point, before the cross and resurrection, Jesus’ disciples were
puzzled by Jesus’ words in v 16: “A little while, and you will not see Me;
and again a little while, and you will see Me, because I go to the
Father.” Without further revelation Jesus’ words are certainly a riddle.
Even with further revelation, there is a bit of question remaining.
Jesus may be referring to His post-resurrection appearances, or their deaths
—when they would go to His presence, or His second coming. In favor of
the first option is that Jesus did appear to His disciples just three days after
His death, and His appearance brought them great joy (cf. v 20). The latter
two options, while possible, bypass the simplest solution.
The disciples would not see Jesus for a short time (three days) because of
His death. Then they would see Him for a short time (forty days) up to His
ascension. If He were establishing His kingdom immediately after His
resurrection, they would see Him forever. Jesus’ point is that the disciples
would not see Him for a short time and then they would see Him for a short
time because He was going back to the Father (before returning to set up the
kingdom).
16:19-22. Once again Jesus demonstrates His omniscience. He answers the
disciples’ question without their even voicing it. As mentioned above, His
prophecy that the disciples would “weep and lament, but the world
[would] rejoice” refers to His coming death. That same event would
produce exactly the opposite response between the world (see v 2) and the
disciples. The disciples’ sorrow would be short-lived for it would turn to
joy when Jesus rose from the dead.
Jesus turns to an illustration from family life: “a woman, when she is in
labor, has [anguish]…but after she has given birth to the child, she
forgets the anguish” and is joyful. So, too, the sorrow of the disciples
during the time of “labor” between Jesus’ death and resurrection would
vanish when He appeared to them. The resulting joy they felt would be with
them forever: “no one will take it from you.”
16:23-24. “In that day you will ask Me nothing.” The Lord probably is
referring to prayers the disciples would offer after His ascension. These
prayers would not be directed specifically to Jesus. Rather, they would “ask
the Father in Jesus’ name.” See comments on 14:13 regarding “in My
name.”
The promise that “whatever you ask the Father in My name He will
give you” means that any prayer which, if answered would bring maximum
praise to Jesus, will be favorably answered by the Father. Saying the words,
“in Jesus’ name” at the end of a prayer does not guarantee a positive
answer.
The disciples were commanded by Jesus to “ask…that your joy may be
full.” If a follower of Jesus is praying to bring maximum praise to Jesus, his
prayers will be answered and this will result in fullness of joy for him since
believers are made to glorify Jesus. It is actually in a Christian’s own self-
interest to please God. This is a true win-win situation.
In this section Jesus summarizes. He speaks plainly with no figures of
speech. He is leaving the world. And He adds, “I have overcome the world”
(v 33).
16:25. “These things” refers to what Jesus has just said in vv 16-24,
especially vv 21-22 with the illustration of a woman in labor. The words
“these things” also occur in v 1, again referring to the preceding context.
While “these things” in v 25 could refer to vv 1-24, there is really not much
“figurative language” in vv 1-15.
“The time is coming” refers to the time of Jesus’ post-resurrection
appearances. During that time He would “tell [the disciples] plainly about
the Father” (e.g., Acts 1:3; see also Luke 24:25-49).
16:26-27. A special intimacy between the disciples and God “the Father”
is pictured after Jesus’ ascension. “In that day” the disciples would no
longer be weak in prayer (cf. Mark 14:32-42; Luke 11:1). They would pray
directly to the Father in Jesus’ name.
When Jesus said, “I do not say to you that I shall pray the Father for
you,” He did not mean that He would not pray for the disciples. He
intercedes for all believers (cf. Rom 8:34). Rather, Jesus means that they are
not to rely solely on Him praying for them. Whether He did or did not, they
are to pray.
Here Jesus reveals that “the Father…loves you, because you have loved
Me, and [because you] have believed that I came forth from God.” For a
believer to abide experientially in the love of God, he must hold fast to the
faith both doctrinally and morally (cf. 14:15; 15:14; cf. Jude 21).
16:28. For those familiar with the NT, this statement is easy to understand
and accept. Jesus, the second member of the Trinity, “came forth from the
Father…into the world” and now He was soon to “go [back] to the
Father.”
For eleven Jewish young men faced with Jesus’ prediction of His death,
this statement is more difficult to understand and accept. They would rather
share in His glory now and avoid the persecution He was predicting.
In v 30 the disciples confess their belief that He is from God, but fail to
mention the second half of v 28 about Jesus’ leaving the world and
returning to the Father. They still seem to hope that that part is not true.
16:29-30. His disciples were glad that He was now “speaking without a
figure of speech.” Their statement, “We are sure,” is from the same verb
(oida) as “You know.” This could be better highlighted with the translation:
“Now we know that you know all things.”
They profess to understand and believe that Jesus is omniscient (“You
know all things and have no need that anyone should question You,” cf.
vv 18-19), and “that [He] came forth from God.” Jesus’ mild rebuke in vv
31-33 shows that the disciples’ understanding and faith was still immature.
 16:31-33. Jesus’ question, “Do you now believe?” is rhetorical and
expects a negative answer. While they did believe in Him for the promise of
eternal life (cf. 2:11; 6:47, 68-69), they do not yet fully understand or
believe what He had just told them about His departure and their suffering.
Evidence that their claims are premature and exaggerated would come not
in days but in hours. That very night the Eleven would “be scattered” and
leave Jesus to face His trials alone. Of course, as Jesus points out, “yet I am
not alone, because the Father is with Me.”
In v 33 Jesus concludes His discourse with a return to the subject of
persecution and tribulation (“you will have tribulation”), a topic He
discussed in 15:18-25. The disciples still did not believe Jesus when He said
that persecution would soon come. They wanted to rule now, not later (cf.
Matt 16:21-28). This desire led them to ignore truth they found unpleasant
—something every person must guard against.
The final discourse ends on a positive note with the last part of v 33: “be
of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” While living “in the world”
Jesus’ followers “will have tribulation.” Yet they can take comfort that
“[He has] overcome the world” and that He will soon return to set up His
glorious, righteous kingdom.
This is the only use of the verb “to overcome” (nikaō) in the Fourth
Gospel. John uses it very often, however, in 1 John (6 verses) and
Revelation (16 verses). Anyone who has read all of John’s writings will see
an implicit call to followers of Jesus to overcome the world, thereby
becoming those who will rule with the Lord Jesus in the life to come.
Jesus speaks of His victory over “the world” as though it were already an
accomplished fact (using a perfect tense). He is speaking proleptically in
light of the cross and empty tomb which He knows are imminent (cf. Luke
10:18).
4. Jesus prays for Himself, His disciples, and all believers (17:1-
26)
17:1. The long-anticipated “hour has come” (cf. 2:4; 7:6, 8, 30; 8:20).
This hour looked primarily at the cross, but it also included what
immediately preceded (Jesus’ arrest, trials, mocking, scourging, and
carrying of His cross) and what followed (His resurrection, appearances,
and ascension). When Jesus asks the Father, “Glorify Your Son”—the only
petition in Jesus’ prayer for Himself (cf. vv 1, 5)—He is essentially praying,
“Your will be done.”
Jesus implies here what He says explicitly elsewhere: that suffering
precedes glory (cf. Matt 16:21-28; 20:19; Heb 12:2). His humiliation and
death are the means to His glorification. Since the Father sent Jesus to the
cross, when Jesus was glorified so too was the Father. By His Passion Jesus
brings glory to both Himself and the Father.
17:2-3. “All flesh” here is a Semitism which means all people. Jesus has
authority from His Father to “give eternal life to as many as [He has]
given Him” (i.e., to all who believe in Jesus; see comments on 6:37, 39, 44,
65).
Only here are the words “eternal life” found in chapters 13–21. (Life in
20:31 also refers to eternal life, though without the modifier.) This contrasts
with chapters 1–12 where the expression “eternal life” occurs fifteen times
in addition to sixteen times where life alone is used but refers to eternal life.
This fact points up that chapters 13-21 show that Jesus’ death and
resurrection, the eighth sign, are the capstone to Jesus’ message of life by
faith in Him.
Jesus does not explain here what knowing “the one true God and Jesus
Christ” entails. Nor does He say whether all who have “eternal life” know
God.
The subjunctive mood of the verb know (“that they may know You”)
may convey what is actually true of all who have eternal life. If so this
refers not to knowing God in one’s experience, but to knowing God in one’s
position.
However, it seems more likely that Jesus is saying that eternal life makes it
possible for the disciples (and all believers) to know God in their
experience. Whether they do depends on whether they abide in Jesus. This
fits with the way John explains knowing God in 1 John 2:3-11 and in John
14:9.
17:4. God the Father glorifies His Son (vv 1, 5) because He glorified His
Father and “finished the work” He gave Him. Jesus is the only person who
ever has perfectly fulfilled (or ever will fulfill) what is said in this verse,
and thus He alone is worthy of being glorified by the Father. Overcoming
believers will share in His glory (e.g., Matt 16:27; 1 Pet 4:13) as a measure
of His marvelous grace.
 17:5. Repeating His petition (see v 1), “O Father, glorify Me together
with Yourself,” Jesus reminds the Father that the glory He desires is the
very thing They had “before the world was” (cf. Matt 17:1-8; Phil 2:7).
17:6. Jesus showed God the Father to His disciples (cf. 1:18; 14:9; 17:4).
The Eleven, formerly “of the world,” ceased to be of it once they believed
in Jesus (cf. v 16). In this sense Jesus received them from the Father “out of
the world.” In a positional sense all believers are out of this world.
When Jesus said that the disciples had “kept [the Father’s] word,” He
clearly was not referring to sinlessness—or even to exemplary obedience
(cf. 8:51). Keeping the Father’s word refers to believing Jesus’ saving
message. The ultimate act of obedience is believing in Jesus whom the
Father sent (cf. 3:36; 5:24).
17:7-8. Jesus reaffirms what the disciples asserted in 16:30. The disciples
knew that Jesus is from the Father and that He speaks for Him. Jesus gives
“them the words” the Father gave Him and the disciples “received them.”
The disciples “believed that [the Father] sent Jesus.”
17:9-10. Jesus prays for the disciples, “not…for the world” (cf. Rom
8:34; Heb 7:25; 9:25). It is not appropriate to pray God’s blessings on those
who are opposed to God. Appropriate prayer for those of the world is that
they come to faith in Christ for eternal life.
The unity of the Father and Son is evident in v 10: “And all Mine are
Yours, and Yours are Mine.” Only God in the flesh could make a bold
claim of reciprocal ownership with the Father! Jesus said, “I am [or have
been] glorified in them.” How had Jesus been glorified in the lives of the
disciples? Again this cannot refer to exemplary obedience. In context it
seems to refer to their acceptance of His being from the Father (v 8). Such
recognition truly glorifies Jesus.
17:11-12. Jesus addresses God as “Holy Father.” Nowhere else in the NT
is this exact designation used. This title prepares the way for Jesus’ prayer
that the Father would sanctify (verb form from the same Greek root as holy
in v 11) the disciples by His truth (vv 17-19).
The basic petition in the majority of Greek manuscripts (see NKJV note) is
simple: keep them (v 11). The word translated through is a flexible
preposition (en) which here probably means in. Thus the second half of v 11
should read: “Holy Father, keep them in Your name which You have
given Me.” Jesus had kept them in the Father’s name and was asking the
Father to keep the disciples faithful to the character of the Father. Jesus
revealed His character to mankind (cf. 1:18; 14:9).
The verb translated keep in v 11 also occurs in v 12 (in reference to Jesus
having kept the disciples in the Father’s name) and in v 15. If the disciples
remained faithful to God’s character, then they would be one in love and in
purpose (cf. v 21 and 15:9-14).
In v 12 two Greek words are translated kept. The second occurrence,
which has the idea of guarding, is probably chosen for more than just
stylistic variation in light of the words “and none of them is lost.” The
second kept of v 12 thus probably concerns eternal security (cf. John 10:2-
30).
The exception regarding Judas should not be read as a failure on Jesus’
part. Judas never believed in Jesus. Judas was “the son of perdition,” a
Semitism referring to his eternal destiny. The word for perdition is the noun
form of the verb just used in “none of them is lost.”
The OT Scriptures that predicted the betrayer (that the Scripture might
be fulfilled) include Ps 41:9 (cf. John 13:18) and Ps 109:8 (cf. Acts 1:16-
20).
17:13-15. “These things” (v 13) could refer to Jesus’ prayer or to His
final discourse. The former is likely in view since these words occur in the
prayer, not the discourse.
If the disciples remained faithful to God—the heart of Jesus’ prayer, then
they would experience Jesus’ joy, the joy He had (and would have, Heb
12:2) in obeying the Father. This includes joy in this life (cf. John 16:20) as
well as a special measure of joy forever.
Obedience, not possessions or power, is the key to joy in the Christian life.
Verse 14 is a restatement of elements found in the preceding discourse (cf.
15:18–16:4). “The world has hated them because they are not of the
world.” Christians are to live an other-worldly existence while remaining in
this world (v 15).
Does Jesus pray, “Keep them from the evil one” or “Keep them from
evil” (v 15)? Either translation is possible. The context and the entire NT
suggests the former. Satan is the instigator of all rebellion against God. This
is a repetition of the petition of v 11. The same Greek verb is used in both
places.
 17:16. Since the disciples believe in Jesus, they are “not of the world” in
their position. They are not of the world because their Lord Himself is “not
of the world.” Jesus’ prayer that the Father would keep them faithful is
perfectly in keeping with the disciples’ regenerate selves (cf. 1 John 3:9).
17:17. This is yet another way of stating the petition in vv 11 and 15.
“Sanctify them” means make them holy, or set them apart from the world.
The Father was to sanctify the disciples “by [His] truth,” that is, God’s
Word. Holiness is obtained by the renewal of mind that comes from feeding
on God’s Word (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18). Disciples of Christ must know
God’s Word if they are to think His thoughts. And how they think
influences how they behave.
17:18. The disciples came to be known as Jesus’ apostles. The word
apostle means one who is sent. The verb used here (apostellō), translated
sent, is the verb whose noun form is translated apostle. Just as the Father
sent Jesus “into the world” to represent Him, so the Lord Jesus “sent them
into the world” to represent Him on earth.
17:19. Jesus, the sinless One, is the only human who ever perfectly
sanctified Himself. Jesus set Himself apart from the world in order to do the
will of His Father.
To be “sanctified [or set apart] by the truth” refers to progressive
sanctification (cf. 8:30-32). The sanctification of the disciples was
contingent on Jesus sanctifying Himself. If Jesus had not set Himself apart
to do the Father’s will, then there would have been no redemption, no
justification, and no sanctification. Believers can be victorious over the
world only because He has made that possible.
The means of sanctification is “the truth,” that which is embodied in
God’s Word.
17:20. Jesus now expands His prayer to include “those who will believe
in Me through their word.” The words “those who will believe” are based
on a present active participle, pisteuontōn, found in the vast majority of
Greek manuscripts. The participle is being used in a proleptic sense, as the
context shows. (Very few people at that time believed in Jesus through the
word of the disciples.)
17:21. Jesus prays that these future believers “may be one.” The oneness
Jesus speaks of is compared to the unity He shares with His Father. This is a
fundamental unity, of purpose, love, and doctrine.
Today the pluralistic thinking of the world has invaded the church. Many
church people think unity at almost any price should be their aim. Even a
casual reading of the NT shows that is not the case (cf. 1 Cor 5:1-13; Gal
1:8-9; 5:12; 2 Tim 2:16-18; 2 John 10-11). Believers are to be united only
with those who are morally and doctrinally sound. When believers are
united in purpose, love, and doctrine, this compels “the world [to] believe
that [the Father] sent” Jesus (cf. 13:35).
17:22. If the Lord is still talking about those who would believe in Him
through the apostles, then He is referring to all believers. All believers
could be said, in some sense, to be recipients of “the glory” Jesus was soon
to manifest on the cross and in the resurrection (cf. 17:1).
If the Lord is referring back to the apostles directly, which seems likely in
light of the verses that follow, then He is likely alluding to their post-
Pentecost abilities and authority. After the Day of Pentecost the apostles
would be able to raise the dead and heal the sick, actively reflecting the
glory of God, much as the moon reflects the light of the sun.
The glory Jesus would give His disciples was so “that they may be one
just as We are one.” If all believers are in view, this would suggest that the
glory they have received from the Lord (by the cross and the resurrection)
should have a unifying influence on believers. If only the apostles are in
view, this would suggest that their giftedness and authority was to produce
unity among them.
17:23. When Jesus speaks of being “in them,” He is not referring to the
indwelling of the Holy Spirit, but to His words abiding in them. That is
what produces unity and results in the possibility “that the world may
know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved
Me.”
The manifestation of unity (of purpose, love, and belief) by the apostles
was and is a powerful testimony to the world that Jesus indeed was sent by
the Father (i.e., that He is the Christ, the Son of God; cf. 20:30-31) and that
He loves them.
17:24. This verse may refer to the millennial kingdom. If that is true, then
“where I am” refers to earth after Jesus returns in His Second Coming.
That is when the apostles would “behold His glory.” Jesus looks forward to
the day fast approaching—a day eternally foreknown “before the
foundation of the world”—when the Father’s love for Him would be fully
evident. Matthew 17:1-13 records the fact that Peter, James, and John saw
Jesus’ glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (cf. John 1:14; 2 Pet 1:16-19).
17:25-26. In keeping with Jesus’ previous reference to His Father as “Holy
Father” in v 11, He now addresses Him as “righteous Father.” The
sanctification of believers (cf. vv 11, 15) is dependent on God’s
righteousness.
“The world [unlike Jesus] has not known” the Father. By contrast, the
disciples “have known that [the Father] sent” Jesus. (The Lord stops short
of saying that the disciples have known the Father; cf. 14:9 and 17:3.)
Jesus showed the disciples the Father’s character and nature: “I have
declared to them Your name.” This manifestation was designed to move
them to obedient, loving behavior “that the love with which You have
loved Me may be in them, and I in them.” In a sense Jesus showed God’s
children (cf. 1:12-13) what God is like so that they would know how to
behave.
In reference to declaring the Father’s name to the disciples, the Lord also
indicates “and I will declare it.” Jesus does this through the Word of God,
and especially through the Fourth Gospel.
B. The Eighth Sign: Jesus Dies and Rises from the Dead (18:1–
21:23)
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the most powerful sign, the most powerful
reason to believe in Him for eternal life. These four chapters are a highly
compelling way to end an evangelistic book.
1. Jesus triumphs in His arrest (18:1-11)
18:1. John does not report that Jesus agonized in prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane; or that he, his brother James, and Peter kept falling asleep in
spite of Jesus’ request that they pray; or that Jesus announced before it
happened that He was about to be betrayed and arrested (cf. Matt 26:36-46).
John omits reference to these things because they do not fit his overall plan.
He is calling unbelievers to faith and those details are not essential to that
purpose.
These words could refer to His High Priestly Prayer or to His final
discourse and His Prayer. Jesus and His disciples either left the Upper
Room or the city of Jerusalem at that time (cf. 14:31 and discussion there).
In light of v 4, it is clear that Jesus entered the Garden well aware that He
would be arrested there.
18:2-3. Judas anticipated where Jesus would go because Jesus often met
there with His disciples. Possibly Judas planned to bring the contingent to
the Upper Room if Jesus was not in the garden. However, there was no real
need. For Jesus was seeking out Judas and the party coming to arrest Him.
He was more concerned about linking up with them than they were with
Him (cf. vv 4-11)!
18:4-6. This scene is amazing. The awesome power and majesty of Jesus
is clearly evident. Taking the initiative, Jesus asks the group coming to
arrest Him, “Whom are you seeking?” Seeking Jesus for the right reason
is a good thing. Sadly these men were seeking Jesus, not so that they could
discover if He is the Messiah, but to seize and kill Him.
Jesus tells them directly that He is the One they are seeking. In light of the
Synoptics they already know He is the One because Judas had identified
Him with a kiss. Yet even after all this, they did not seize Him. In fact they
did the opposite: They drew back and fell to the ground.
This would be comical except for the deadly setting. They had been
seeking for a long time to arrest Jesus. Now when they have the perfect
opportunity in the dead of night with no one around but Jesus’ disciples,
they draw back and fall down. What powerful evidence that Jesus is the
Messiah: Even His well-armed enemies fall at His feet in awe and fear!
18:7-8a. Jesus once again asks whom they are seeking, and states that He
is indeed “Jesus of Nazareth.” He is clearly the aggressor here. He had to
work hard to get arrested because they were terribly afraid of what He
might do—even though He is unarmed and they are heavily armed and
greatly outnumbered His small band.
18:8b-9. An ordinary man would be in no position to command the
arresting party to let his followers go. However, Jesus boldly did, and they
obeyed Him.
Verse 9 is a bit of a surprise. When in 17:12 Jesus affirmed that none of
His disciples (except Judas) were lost, He appears to be talking exclusively
of spiritual lostness (cf. 6:39; 10:28). Yet here John cites a similar saying
and says that it meant that Jesus had lost none of His disciples physically, in
the sense that He preserved their lives even as He gave His life up.
 Jesus’ ability to keep His disciples physically safe in such a situation
confirms His promise to keep the disciples eternally secure. If He had been
unable to save His disciples physically, His promise of eternal salvation
would have been hollow and would have gone unfulfilled.
18:10-11. Peter’s actions reflect the disciples’ failure to understand that
Jesus must die to redeem them. They believed in Him for eternal life (cf.
John 2:11; 6:47); but they did not yet understand how He could do that.
Jesus uses a rhetorical question—“Shall I not drink the cup which My
Father has given Me?”—to remind Peter and the other disciples that His
arrest, persecution, and death are all part of the cup that the Father had
given Him to drink.
2. Jesus triumphs in His trials as Peter fails to triumph in his
(18:12-40)
18:12-14. John does not state what happened to the disciples, except that
he notes that Peter and another disciple (John himself) followed the
arresting party (v 15). Matthew writes that “all the disciples forsook Him
and fled” (26:56) and that Peter followed Jesus “at a distance” (v 58).
The men who fell to the ground before Jesus (v 6) are now allowed—after
being encouraged by Him to do so—to arrest and bind Him. They led Him
away to Annas first. More trials were to follow in rapid succession that
night.
John mentions the advice of Caiaphas regarding Jesus’ death (11:49-52)
evidently to remind the reader that Jesus is about to die for the people, not
for Himself, and that Jesus’ death is part of God’s sovereign plan, not a
tragic mistake.
Both Annas and Caiaphas were high priests (cf. Luke 3:2). Annas was high
priest emeritus. While His official reign ended in AD 15, the Jewish people
still considered him the high priest.
18:15-18. The unnamed disciple is John. He never mentions his own name
in his Gospel (cf. 20:2; 21:20, 24) and was a frequent companion of Peter.
Three points stand out in these verses. First, in spite of his bold promise to
lay down his life for Jesus (cf. 13:38), Peter quickly denies being one of His
disciples. The servant girl’s question may have actually been friendly small
talk. She evidently knew the other disciple who escorted Peter in (vv 16-
17). It was reasonable for her to wonder if Peter was a disciple of Jesus as
well. Second, the expression for it was cold is probably Johannine irony
(cf. 13:30). Not only was it literally cold outside; Peter’s heart was cold too.
Third, the author was known to the high priest. This suggests that he was
from an affluent and influential family.
18:19. Annas (vv 12-14) asked Jesus about His disciples and His
doctrine. Precisely what he asked, John does not say.
18:20-21. Jesus does not say anything about His disciples. He stands alone
in His trials and crucifixion. Annas was evidently trying to trap Jesus in
something He might say. Jesus reminds him that He “spoke openly” and
that many could testify concerning His teachings.
“Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me” points to the
need under Jewish law for witnesses—at least two or three—against a
person. It also points to the weakness of the case against Jesus. If He was
guilty of something, where were the witnesses?
18:22-24. The officer who struck Jesus had no right to do that under
Jewish law. Jesus had done nothing wrong. If He had done something
wrong by His response, then they should bring and prove contempt of court
charges against Him. This, of course, they could not do.
Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas, the reigning high priest who was
the president of the Sanhedrin. Possibly Jesus had been bound during this
hearing (cf. vv 12, 24). If so, when Jesus was struck He had been
defenseless.
Rather than reporting Peter’s three denials together, John tells of Jesus’
hearing before Annas between his accounts of the first denial and the last
two denials. This serves to magnify the shame of Peter’s actions.
18:25-27. While Jesus was physically bound (v 24), Peter was spiritually
bound (cf. 13:48). No amount of heat from a fire could warm Peter’s cold
heart (v 18). It would take Jesus to do that (cf. 21:15-19).
Those standing around the fire, servants and temple officials (v 18), said
to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” Peter denies for
the second time that he is one of Jesus’ disciples. The word also probably
refers to the other disciple (vv 15-16), John, who may have also been
standing around the fire hearing the conversation directly.
While all four Gospels report Peter’s denials, only John identifies one of
the questioners as a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off. Peter denies
Jesus once again, this time denying that he had been with Jesus in the
Garden.
A comparison of the denials of Peter in John’s Gospel and the Synoptics
raises the question as to whether Peter denied Jesus three or six times.
Possibly Peter denied Jesus three times before a rooster crowed once (v
27) and three more times before a rooster crowed a second time (cf. Mark
14:72). Equally possible is that some or all of Peter’s denials were a denial
of more than one question by more than one questioner.
If Peter had continued to deny Christ until his death, he would have lost
the privilege of ruling with Him in the coming kingdom (Matt 10:32-33; 2
Tim 2:12).
John does not report on Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas other than to indicate
that He had been sent to him (John 18:24) and then from him to Pilate (v
28). The Jews sent Jesus to Pilate, the Roman official, because they did not
have the authority under Roman law to put Jesus to death (v 31)—the very
thing they wanted. Jesus is brought to Pilate so that He might be found
guilty of some trumped-up charges and then put to death. Pilate, however,
does not find Jesus guilty of anything, let alone a crime carrying the death
penalty.
18:28. The kangaroo trial before the Sanhedrin was surely very brief. They
had already decided that Jesus is guilty of blasphemy (cf. 7:51, “Does our
law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?”). John
implies that this is the case for he only briefly mentions the trial before
Caiaphas.
Members of the Sanhedrin led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium,
Pilate’s Jerusalem headquarters. Pilate made it a point to be in Jerusalem
during the Jewish feasts so that he could deal with any possible
disturbances. His normal residence was in Caesarea.
This was either between 3:00 A.M. and 6:00 A.M. or shortly after 6:00
A.M. If the former, then the trial before the Sanhedrin was before dawn and
hence was illegal according to Jewish law. If the latter, the trial before the
Sanhedrin must have begun at daybreak and lasted only a few minutes.
It was not unusual for Roman officials to begin their work at daybreak and
to end their workday at noon.
The reason the Jewish leaders did not go into the Praetorium was
because they would have been defiled under Jewish law and unable to eat
the Passover that day.
How is it that Jesus and His disciples had already eaten the Passover and
the Sanhedrin officials had not? Several answers are possible. (1) The
Passover was celebrated on two different evenings, Thursday night (Friday
in Jewish reckoning) and Friday night (Saturday in Jewish reckoning). (2)
The officials had been unable to eat it this past night because they were
uncertain when Judas would bring Jesus to them. As a result, they planned
to eat the Passover before sundown that day. (3) Eating the Passover may
have referred to the entire week of meals associated with the Feast of
Unleavened Bread.
18:29. Pilate responds formally, asking for the accusation. He must have
known they were coming and what they wanted, for surely he had approved
the sending of a detachment of troops to arrest Jesus (cf. vv 3, 12). Already
there is a hint that Pilate does not want to crucify “this Man.”
18:30. They answered in an evasive and insolent way. Their response
would have been unthinkable unless they felt that by sending the troops
Pilate had implicitly committed himself to going along with their plan.
Otherwise why would they act indignantly with the man they hoped would
do a favor for them?
18:31-32. Pilate’s response is again technically correct. Unless Jesus has
done something contrary to Roman law, there is no point for Him to be tried
by Pilate.
At this point the Jewish leaders make their true desires known publicly.
They want Jesus “put…to death.” While Jews were permitted to stone
people for violating the inner sanctum of the temple, they had few if any
other grounds on which to execute someone. (Stephen’s execution [Acts 7]
was illegal. There is no evidence that the Sanhedrin officially sanctioned it.
Likewise, the threatened stoning of the woman caught in adultery [John
7:53-8:11] was a mob action, permitted under Jewish law, but illegal under
Roman law without a Roman trial and Roman execution.)
The method of execution under Roman law was crucifixion. Jesus had
prophesied that He would die in that way (cf. 12:32). He was determined to
die by crucifixion so that He might bear the curse of sin (hanging on a cross
was an accursed way to die according to Deut 21:33; see also Gal 3:13-14)
by shedding His blood for sinners (cf. Heb 9:22, “without shedding of blood
there is no remission”).
 18:33-35. Pilate now returns inside the Praetorium to question Jesus
privately. He asks Jesus, “Are You the King of the Jews?” because the
Jewish leaders had accused Him of insurrection against Rome, a capital
offense (cf. v 35). Jesus seems to be giving Pilate a chance to develop
personal spiritual interest in Him. “Are you speaking for yourself?” If he
were, this might well suggest Pilate would have received more revelation
about Jesus and the life He gives. Unfortunately Pilate haughtily indicates
that he has no personal interest with his question, “Am I a Jew?” He feels
that this is a purely ethnic issue with no relevance to him.
Pilate’s question, “What have You done?” suggests that he did not
believe that Jesus was before him merely because He may have claimed to
be the King of the Jews.
18:36. Jesus indirectly admits that He is the King of the Jews. Yet He does
so in such a way as to make it plain that He is not guilty of a charge of
sedition against Rome: “My kingdom is not of this world…now My
kingdom is not from here.” This implies (especially the word now) that
His being “delivered to [the will of] the Jews” is a necessary step toward
His future rule as King of the Jews.
One day Jesus’ kingdom will be on earth. However, that will be a
revitalized world. It will not be “this world,” a world whose god is Satan.
In addition, Jesus will reign forever on the new earth (Revelation 21-22).
18:37. Pilate presses Jesus for a direct affirmation of His kingship: “Are
You a king then?” The word rightly is not in the Greek text, though it is
implied by Jesus’ following words. Literally Jesus said, “You say that I am
a king.”
Here is the only direct reference (though 8:41 is an allusion) to Jesus’ birth
in John’s Gospel: “For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have
come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.” Jesus was
born and lived so that one day He will rule forever as Kings of kings (cf.
Heb 1:8-9; 12:2; Rev 19:16). During His ministry He bore “witness to the
truth” of His coming kingship.
The last sentence in this verse, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My
voice,” picks up a theme already dealt with several times in John’s Gospel:
hearing Jesus’ voice (5:25, 28, 37; 10:3-4, 16, 27). In all these previous uses
hearing Jesus’ voice was used as a metaphor for saving faith. It has the
same sense here. The point is either that all who are now “of the truth”
have come to believe in Jesus, or that those who will be “of the truth” will
believe in Jesus (before they die).
18:38. “What is truth?” is one of the most enigmatic questions of all
time. What did Pilate mean? Was he being sarcastic? Was he expressing
genuine skepticism on his own ability to discern truth?
Less than twenty-four hours earlier Jesus said to His disciples, “I am...the
truth” (14:6). The One who was the embodiment of truth stood before
Pilate. Yet Pilate does not seek to learn the truth. Whatever Pilate’s question
means, it is not a request for more information from Jesus.
By His words and surely by His manner (cf. 18:6), Jesus had convinced
Pilate that He was not guilty of any capital crime. Interestingly Pilate’s
words hint at Jesus’ sinlessness: “I find no fault in Him at all.” This is the
first of several efforts by Pilate to release Jesus, yet ultimately he did not; he
bowed to pressure from the crowd (see also vv 39-40 and 19:1-15).
18:39-40. In an effort to release Jesus, Pilate comes up with a plan. He
puts forward Jesus, whom he rightly calls “the King of the Jews,” and a
notorious robber. Surely the crowd that had just days before spread palm
leaves on Jesus’ path and shouted “Hosanna” as He passed would select
Him for release. John succinctly reports that the crowd all cried again [or
back], saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!”
3. Jesus triumphs over scourging and death on the Cross (19:1-
30)
19:1-3. So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. Why would Pilate
choose to inflict the terrible punishment of scourging on an innocent man?
The reason becomes apparent in light of the larger context (18:28–19:16).
Pilate hoped to satiate the Jewish crowd’s hatred of Jesus and avoid having
to crucify Him.
The soldiers seem to delight in mocking this man whom they evidently
think is either a detestable liar or a laughable lunatic. Ironically Jesus could
have stopped their foolishness any moment. His power and majesty (“King
of the Jews”) is evident even in His restraint.
19:4. Pilate seems to expect the crowd now to relent of its desire to crucify
Jesus. Once again Pilate asserts that he finds “no fault in Him.”
19:5. So much is conveyed in this one short verse. Jesus came out,
wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. The King of kings is
publicly humiliated. He willingly submits Himself to this, giving powerful
proof that this is indeed the Christ, the Son of God.
Pilate’s words “Behold the Man!” are a bit enigmatic. Is he belittling Him
to appease the crowd? Or is he in a roundabout way actually honoring
Jesus? Probably Pilate intended to appease the crowd, and John and the
Holy Spirit intended the reader to see the deeper significance.
Ironically, “Behold the Man!” is the answer to Pilate’s own question,
“What is truth?” (John 18:38). Jesus is the truth (John 14:6).
19:6. The chief priests and officers are not satisfied with scourging and
mocking. Only Jesus’ death will satisfy them. They demand that He be
crucified.
Pilate indignantly suggests that the Jews take Him and crucify Him
themselves. This suggestion is not serious because Pilate knows that the
Jews are not permitted by Rome to crucify anyone. The Jews had already
acknowledged this (cf. 18:31).
Once again, Pilate asserts his conclusion that Jesus is an innocent man.
19:7. The Roman prefect was assigned to keep the peace. This meant that
he would accede to local laws when possible. The Judeans appeal to Pilate
now on this basis: “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to
die, because He made Himself the Son of God.”
They may have in mind Lev 24:16. The Jews had tried to kill Jesus by
stoning when He claimed equality with the Father (cf. 10:27-33). They
considered it blasphemy for a human being to claim equality with God.
19:8-10. Hearing that Jesus claimed to be the Son of God, Pilate was the
more afraid. The religions of the day, including Greek mythology, spoke of
gods walking among men. Apparently Pilate thought that Jesus might really
be a god.
His fear drives him back to Jesus to inquire about His origin: “Where are
You from?” When Jesus gave him no answer, Pilate warns Him that His
very life is in his hands.
19:11. Pilate, the judge, is afraid. Jesus, the defendant, is not. Jesus
informs Pilate that he is exerting power over Jesus only because that power
“had been given him from above”—that is, from God the Father.
When Jesus speaks of “the one who delivered Me to you,” He could be
referring to either Judas or Caiaphas. Technically Caiaphas delivered Jesus
to Pilate. However, the Roman soldiers present at Jesus’ betrayal had been
sent by Pilate and thus Judas could easily be in view as well. Probably
Judas is in view here since he, not Caiaphas, is identified as Jesus’ betrayer
(cf. 13:18-30; 18:3).
While the actions of both Judas and Pilate are part of God’s plan and are
allowed by God, that does not alleviate their culpability. They both acted
freely. Their wills were not compromised by God’s sovereignty.
Pilate had sinned in his mistreatment of an innocent man (19:1-3). And he
would sin further by permitting an innocent man to be crucified (v 16).
However, Judas had “the greater sin” because he was privileged to receive
much greater light regarding Jesus than Pilate (cf. Matt 11:21-24).
Responsibility is related to the level of opportunity one has (cf. Luke
12:48). This passage clearly establishes that in God’s eyes some sins are
worse than others.
19:12-16a. The struggle between Pilate and the Jews continues and
intensifies. Pilate wants to release Jesus; the Jews want Him crucified.
The Roman emperor at the time, Tiberius Caesar, was one who harbored
suspicions about those under him and exacted severe punishment on those
he decided were disloyal. The Jews threaten to bring charges against Pilate
himself before Caesar if he releases Jesus. If he had let Jesus go, Pilate
would have risked his position, and possibly his life.
Ironically Pilate then brings Jesus out to the judgment seat (bēma). One
day Jesus will judge all unbelievers at the Great White Throne Judgment
(Rev 20:11-15) and all believers at His Judgment Seat (Rom 14:10; 2 Cor
5:10). Yet this day He submits to judgment by a weak, arrogant unbeliever!
Pilate brought Jesus forth about 6 A.M. (about the sixth hour in Roman
reckoning) and said, “Behold your King!” How ironic that God used a
pagan to announce to unbelieving Israel the truth that Jesus is her King!
The response is sadly predictable: “Away with Him, away with Him!
Crucify Him!” Jesus does not fit their preconceived notions of what the
Messiah would be like.
The chief priests should have known and acknowledged that Israel’s true
king was and always will be God. Yet they proclaim, “We have no king
but Caesar!” Ironically, a little over thirty years later, Israel revolted
against Caesar! The seeds of the Jewish wars were already germinating as
their chief priests proclaimed the nation’s supposed loyalty to Caesar.
 With this statement Pilate capitulated to their demands and delivered Jesus
over to his soldiers with orders to crucify Him.
The time had now come for the Lamb of God to take away the sin of the
world and make people savable (John 1:29). He would be crucified and
after six hours would breathe His last in His non-glorified body.
Four of the seven recorded statements Jesus made on the cross are given
by John.
19:16b. Pilate’s soldiers took Jesus and led Him away as the crowd had
demanded (v 15, “Away with Him”).
19:17-18. Isaac, a type of Christ, carried the wood for his sacrifice in
Genesis 22. Jesus fulfilled that type by bearing His cross, the wood, for
His sacrifice as well.
Even the place where Jesus died suggests death. It was called the Place of
a Skull, evidently because the rock formations there looked like a skull.
John does not state that the two men being crucified with Jesus were
“criminals” (Luke 23:32-33) and “robbers” (Matt 27:44). Nor does he say
what they said to and about Jesus during the crucifixion. John does not wish
to divert attention from Jesus. The only reason he mentions them at all, it
seems, is to be able later to report that their legs were broken to hasten their
deaths (John 19:32).
19:19-22. Pilate probably intended to irritate the Jews with the title he had
placed above Jesus’ head—in three languages no less! It accomplished his
goal.
God, however, had a higher purpose in what Pilate wrote. He used Pilate to
proclaim Jesus as THE KING OF THE JEWS, even in His death. In
addition, it has been suggested that there is a subtle allusion, with the three
languages, to Babel or Babylon. Jerusalem at that time was a spiritual
Babel.
The place Jesus was crucified was near the city (Jerusalem). Jesus
“suffered outside the gate” (Heb 13:12). Believers too are called to share in
His sufferings so that when they enter into the kingdom they may receive
rewards (Heb 13:13-17).
19:23-24. The words when they had crucified Jesus mean something
like, “When they had nailed Jesus to the cross and set the cross in place.” At
that time, at the start of His six hours on the cross, they divided His clothes
and “cast lots for” His tunic (an undershirt).
 This was in fulfillment of Ps 22:18, a precise prophecy: “They divided
[His] garments among them, and for [His] clothing they cast lots.” The
sovereignty and omniscience of God are in view.
19:25-27. The NKJV translation of v 25 correctly maintains the ambiguity
of the Greek. Probably four, not three, women are in view: Jesus’ mother,
Jesus’ aunt (His mother’s sister), Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary
Magdalene. It is unlikely that Jesus’ mother and her sister had the same
name.
Jesus shows His love and care for His mother by providing for her even in
this time of great suffering. The beloved disciple is John himself.
19:28-30. The Greek verb teleioō occurs three times in these verses.
Unfortunately the NKJV translation conceals this fact with three different
translations: Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished
[tetelestai], that the Scripture might be fulfilled [teleiōthe]…He said, “It
is finished [tetelestai]!” We might paraphrase in this way: Since Jesus knew
that all things were finished, in order that the OT Scripture might be
finished…He said, “It is finished!” Clearly John is emphasizing that Jesus
successfully completed all that He had been sent to do.
When Jesus said, “I thirst!” He was fulfilling Ps 69:21, “For my thirst
they gave me vinegar to drink.”
Jesus’ final words before His death were “It is finished.” This is not a cry
of despair; it is a triumphant announcement of victory.
The popular notion that tetelestai here also means “It [redemption] has
been paid in full” is not supported by the lexical evidence. While it is true
that Jesus’ death paid for the sins of all people (cf. 1:29), that is not the
precise meaning of what Jesus said in v 30.
No one took Jesus’ life from Him. He gave up His spirit freely and
willingly.
4. Jesus’ triumphs over the grave (19:31–20:31)
John makes it clear that Jesus died on the Cross. He did not merely swoon
as some skeptics have hypothesized in an effort to explain the empty tomb.
In this section John introduces Joseph of Arimathea and reintroduces
Nicodemus. Both men were Jewish leaders who were secret disciples of
Christ. They came out in the open (cf. 3:19-21) when they claimed His
body.
 19:31. The day before any Sabbath was the Preparation Day. This was
especially true the day before the Passover Sabbath. The Jewish leaders
wanted all the bodies off the crosses and buried before the Sabbath began—
that is, before sundown. Thus they asked Pilate that the legs of those being
crucified might be broken and that they might be taken away. Breaking
the legs would cause swift death. Otherwise death could have taken days.
19:32-34. The soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves. However, they
did not break [Jesus’] legs, for they saw that He was already dead. One
suggested reason Jesus died relatively quickly (in six hours) was because of
the scourging He received before the crucifixion. But since Jesus had the
power to simply lay down His life (John 10:18), it is more likely that He
died at that moment because He chose to die then. The piercing of Jesus’
side confirmed that He was dead. When blood and water came out, death
was certain.
19:35-37. John is an eyewitness of Jesus’ death. He gives this testimony so
that his readers may believe. John repeatedly stresses that the sole
condition of eternal life is believing in Jesus and Him alone.
John gives two more compelling evidences that Jesus truly guarantees
eternal life to all who trust Him for it. First, the fact that none of Jesus’
bones was broken fulfills Exod 12:46 and Ps 34:20. Second, the fact that
His side was pierced fulfills Zech 12:10. These are just two of scores of OT
prophecies about the Messiah. Their cumulative effect demands the
conclusion that Jesus is indeed the long-promised Messiah.
19:38-40. The secret disciple motif reemerges (cf. 3:1-21; 7:48-52; 12:42-
43). Until this time Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, but
secretly, for fear of the Jews. He and Nicodemus were members of the
Sanhedrin, the Jewish Supreme Court (Mark 15:43; John 3:1).
This action quite possibly resulted in both men losing their seats in the
Sanhedrin and, worse yet, being refused the right to worship in the
synagogue (cf. 9:22; 12:42).
While it is possible that they were unsaved disciples (see the comments on
6:64), John presents these men in a favorable light, thus suggesting that they
were secret believing disciples (see also 7:48-52 and Luke 24:50-51).
That Nicodemus at first came to Jesus by night is something John
emphasizes each time he mentions the man (3:2; 7:50). Finally, Nicodemus
comes to Jesus by the light of day. The death of Jesus so moved Nicodemus
and Joseph that they cast aside their fears and boldly claim Jesus’ body,
prepare Him for burial, and bury Him.
19:41-42. They bury Jesus in the garden [in] a new tomb near Golgotha.
While it is left unsaid, the implication given here and in the Synoptics (Matt
27:57-58; Mark 15:43; Luke 24:50-52) is that Joseph of Arimathea owned
this tomb. In any case, it was an expensive place to be buried. Had Joseph
and Nicodemus not claimed Jesus’ body, He would have been buried in a
common grave with the two thieves.
The OT even prophesied this detail. Isaiah 53:9 says, “And they made His
grave with the wicked—but with the rich at His death.”
Only John writes that Jesus was buried in a garden. Why would he
mention this? This may well be an illusion to the Garden of Eden in Genesis
3. Adam and Eve were driven out of the Garden of Eden and away from the
tree of life. But Jesus, the second Adam, dies on a tree to redeem man and
re-open paradise (cf. Rev 2:7).
20:1-2. On Sunday morning before sunrise Mary Magdalene (and other
women who were with her; Matt 28:1; Mark 16:1; and Luke 24:10) came to
the tomb and found the stone that sealed it moved and the tomb itself
empty. Mary ran and came to Peter and John and cried out in grief and
frustration.
20:3-10. Peter and John run to check out Mary’s report. They see that the
tomb is empty except for Jesus’ grave clothes. Peter, ever aggressive,
charges into the tomb and sees that the handkerchief that had been
around Jesus’ head is now neatly folded and in a place by itself.
John then went in also; and he saw and believed. John previously
believed that Jesus had given him eternal life (2:11; 13:10). He was already
born again. Now John believes that Jesus had risen from the dead. However,
in light of what the two unnamed disciples said to Jesus on the road to
Emmaus—“we were hoping [prior to His crucifixion] that it was He who
was going to redeem Israel” (Luke 24:21)—it is quite possible that John
temporary stopped believing that Jesus was the Messiah. (Of course, since
he had believed, he remained eternally secure; cf. John 5:24; 6:35-40;
11:25-27). His faith in Jesus is fully restored at this point.
John had not believed when he heard Mary’s report. He believed when he
saw the empty tomb for himself. Based on v 7 it seems that the neatly
folded handkerchief may have helped trigger his belief. This is not
surprising since Jesus had told John and the other disciples on several
occasions that He would rise from the dead after being crucified (Matt
16:21; 20:17-19; Mark 8:31; 10:33-34; Luke 9:22; 18:31-34).
As yet (v 9) refers to the time up to the point when John—and evidently
Peter—believe that Jesus rose from the dead (v 8). When they believed,
then they understood the various OT prophecies regarding the resurrection
of the Messiah (e.g., Pss 16:10-11; 110:1, 4; Isa 53:11-12). It all came
together for them there: Jesus’ predictions, the OT prophecies, and the
physical evidence.
Peter and John went away again to their own homes in Jerusalem.
Probably they realize that there is no reason to remain at the tomb. So they
return to tell the other disciples.
20:11-13. Most likely Mary returns to the tomb after John and Peter leave.
For if she had spoken with them, she would likely have believed that Jesus
had risen from the dead (though remember Thomas).
She saw two angels in white sitting…where the body of Jesus had lain.
The two angels were not there when John and Peter looked in the tomb. The
angels give added independent testimony of Jesus’ resurrection to Mary
(and John’s readers).
The angels know why Mary is weeping. Their question is a mild rebuke.
Mary has as much evidence as John did when he believed (cf. v 8)—and
even more if she has any idea that these men dressed in white might be
angels; yet she still clings to the idea that someone moved the body.
20:14-15. Mary’s failure to recognize Jesus is not because His glorified
body looked different from His mortal body (cf. v 28). On several other
occasions after His resurrection people who knew Jesus also failed at first to
recognize Him (Luke 24:13-32; John 21:4-7). On those occasions God
chose to hinder them from recognizing Jesus immediately—probably to
heighten the ultimate impact. The fact that divine hindrance occurred on
such occasions is apparent from Luke 24:16, 31.
Jesus asks Mary the same question the angels had asked, “Woman, why
are you weeping?” He also adds a second question, “Whom are you
seeking?” These questions prepare her for His self-revelation.
20:16. God removed the blinders from Mary’s eyes the moment Jesus said
to her, “Mary!” Her response—“Rabboni!”—while not as theologically
poignant as Thomas’s, “My Lord and My God” (v 28), nonetheless reveals
an essential aspect of Jesus’ ministry. He is the Teacher (cf. John 3:10). He
teaches, even after His death and resurrection, the truths God the Father
wants Him to pass on.
20:17. Mary was overjoyed to see Jesus, yet afraid that He was about to
leave her and that she would not see Him again until she died. So she clung
tightly to Him. When Jesus says, “For I have not yet ascended to My
Father,” He is saying that she need not worry about not seeing Him shortly.
She had an important job to do. She was to go and give a message to His
disciples.
Jesus sends Mary to tell the disciples that He said, “I am ascending.” The
present tense could mean that on Mary’s departure Jesus immediately
ascended to His Father—before He appeared to the disciples (vv 19-23). In
His glorified body He could have ascended and descended as often and as
quickly as He desired. (Even after His ascension He later descended to meet
Saul on the road to Damascus.)
Alternately, “I am ascending” might refer to Jesus’ ascension forty days
later (without denying that He went to the Father often during that time).
Compare 10:18 (“I lay it [my life] down”) where another present tense
clearly refers to a future event. The clause might be paraphrased “I will
soon ascend.”
20:18. Mary told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and she
reports to them what He said as well.
John does not report on the disciples’ response to Mary’s report. However,
Luke writes that the disciples do not believe the report of Mary and the
other women (Luke 24:9-11). Possibly only John (and Peter) believed the
report (cf. John 20:8).
20:19-21. Later the same day at evening, Sunday night, Jesus appeared to
the disciples—all but Thomas (cf. v 24), confirming the testimony of Mary
and the other women. Fearing for their lives, the disciples are meeting
behind closed, probably locked, doors.
Jesus’ greeting (v 19) and message (vv 21-23) to the disciples is
exceedingly gracious. They had deserted Him in His hour of suffering. Yet
He gives them no rebuke. Rather, He affirms that they continue to be His
representatives on earth: “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also
send you.”
 He shows His hands and His side to prove to them that it is really He (cf.
vv 27-29; Luke 24:38-39). The result was something Jesus had predicted
three nights before: The disciples were glad (cf. John 16:22, “I will see
you again and your heart will rejoice”).
20:22. Then He said, “Receive the Holy Spirit.” This command is
commonly taken to refer to Jesus imparting special enablement to the
disciples that would last until the Day of Pentecost. However, there is
reason to question this view. The disciples do not go out and share their
faith. Rather, they hide, and on occasion go fishing (21:1-11).
Jesus’ command may also be proleptic. It would be too late at Pentecost,
after His ascension, for Jesus to breathe on them and command them to
receive the Spirit. Aorist imperatives are used by Jesus in this way
elsewhere. Consider, for example, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I
will raise it up” (John 2:19). It was three years before that imperative was
carried out.
Jesus breathed on the disciples to link this experience with the giving of
“the breath of life” in Gen 2:7. After the early stages in Acts when some
received the Spirit after being born again (cf. Acts 2:38; 8:14-17; 19:6),
reception of the Holy Spirit always occurred at the very moment a person
obtained eternal life (e.g., Acts 10:44-48; cf. 1 Cor 12:13). Jesus thus shows
that He is the Giver of both physical and spiritual life.
20:23. Did this ability to forgive and retain sins cease with the apostles, or
do all believers have this authority? Most likely all believers are in view.
And does this refer to positional (Col 2:13) or experiential (e.g., Matt 6:12;
1 John 1:9) forgiveness? More likely this refers to experiential (or
fellowship) forgiveness. If believers do not forgive others, neither will the
Father forgive them (Matt 6:12). If others sin against a believer and then
repent, then that offended one should forgive them (Luke 17:4). If others sin
against a believer and then do not repent, then the offended are not to
forgive them; they are to “retain the sins.”
20:24-25. Thomas…was not with them when Jesus came. When
Thomas returned, the others told him what had happened. By his failure to
believe their report without firsthand verification Thomas gained a
nickname that persists to this day—doubting Thomas.
20:26-28. Once again Jesus appears miraculously in their midst. However,
this time Thomas is present. After greeting them all (you here is plural), He
directs Thomas to receive the proof he had demanded (cf. v 25).
John does not report whether Thomas actually touches Jesus or not. This
may imply he did not. Probably Jesus’ presence alone was more than
enough to convince him.
Thomas’s affirmation—“My Lord and my God!”—is one of the most
dramatic and powerful statements in all of Scripture about Jesus’ deity. This
is powerful evidence that Jesus indeed guarantees eternal life to all who
believe in Him (cf. v 31; 11:25-27).
Thomas was already born again. However, he had likely stopped believing
that Jesus was the Messiah (cf. Luke 24:21; see discussion above under vv
3-10). “Do not be unbelieving, but believing” likely concerns not only
believing in His bodily resurrection, but returning to believe in Him as
Messiah.
20:29. Jesus gave only a small number of people (about 500, 1 Cor 15:6)
the privilege of seeing Him bodily after His resurrection. Most who believe
do so without benefit of such direct revelation. Thomas and the others saw
and heard, and thus their eyewitness testimonies have benefitted many
people since then (John 20:30; 21:24-25; 1 John 1:1-3).
With the words “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed,” Jesus broadens the object of faith from His resurrection to His
promise to grant eternal life to all who believe in Him for it. That is
precisely the shift John makes in the next two verses (John 20:30-31).
20:30-31. John wrote selectively. Purposely leaving out a lot, he arranged
the book around eight named signs, though Jesus performed many other
signs…which are not written in this book. John’s aim was that the signs
he recorded would lead the readers to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the
Son of God, and that [by] believing [they] may have life in His name.
John does not here speak of believing in Jesus as he did elsewhere (cf. 2:11;
3:16, 18, 36; 6:47).
Believing in Him is equivalent to believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Son
of God. To result in eternal life, one must believe what John meant by that
proposition. A person who thinks that Jesus’ last name is Christ and that He
is God does not necessarily possess eternal life. By the Christ, the Son of
God John means that Jesus is the Messiah who grants eternal life to all who
believe in Him for it (see comments on 11:25-27).
 No sinner’s prayer is suggested. No mention is made of other conditions
like baptism, turning from sins, confessing Christ, commitment of life, or
the like. Anyone who simply believes the saving proposition about Jesus
has everlasting life.
The signs, and especially the climactic eighth sign, are the proofs that
Jesus really does give everlasting life to all who simply believe in Him for
it. Any of the eight signs is capable of leading a person to believe in Jesus
for eternal life. Of course, some reported in the book came to faith without
seeing any signs (cf. John 1:45, 49-50; 4:29, 42).
5. Jesus restores Peter (21:1-23)
Why does John not simply end the book at 20:31? This material is given
primarily to show the reader that Jesus did not shelve Peter after his three
denials. Rather, He gave him three opportunities to confess his love and
each time He called him to renewed service.
A second reason is that it is very fitting that an evangelistic book ends with
further proof of Jesus’ resurrection by showing Him graciously restoring a
wayward believer. The restoration of Peter is an integral part of the eighth
sign.
21:1-4. This post-resurrection appearance occurred in Galilee, where the
Lord had told them to meet Him (cf. Mark 14:28; 16:7). Seven disciples—
Simon Peter, Thomas…, Nathanael…, the sons of Zebedee [James and
John], and two others of His disciples—went fishing. Jesus’ sovereignty is
evident in that after the disciples fail to catch any fish all night, they
immediately have a huge catch when they cast the net according to His
instructions (cf. vv 3, 6).
The disciples’ initial failure to recognize Jesus (v 4) is most likely due to
temporary divine hindrance (cf. John 20:15). Perhaps it was too dark in the
early morning to see Him clearly; however, that would still not explain why
they fail to recognize His voice (vv 5-6).
21:5-6. The question, “Children, have you any food?” serves to heighten
the disciples’ frustration and sense of need before the miracle occurs.
The suggestion that they “cast the net on the right side of the boat” must
have seemed foolish after a night of unsuccessful fishing. But it might have
reminded Peter, James, and John that after another night without a catch the
Lord Jesus had told them something quite similar that resulted in a record
catch (cf. Luke 5:4-10). The result this time is equally amazing.
21:7-8. How John (the beloved disciple) recognizes that it is Jesus is not
stated. Evidently the miraculous catch has his attention and at the same time
God removes the restriction He had placed on the seven.
Always, a man of action, Peter’s plunge is perfectly appropriate. He is so
anxious to see the Lord that he swims ashore. Two hundred cubits is about
one hundred yards.
21:9-11. The word fish in v 9 is singular and probably means that Jesus
had but one fish on the grill.
In response to Jesus’ request to “bring some of the fish which you have
just caught”…Peter went up and dragged the net full of large fish to
land.
Why does John mention the number, one hundred and fifty-three? Much
has been written about some hidden meaning in the number, but there seems
no justification for any of the theories. The fact that the net is full of so
many fish and does not break—in contrast to an earlier incident recorded in
Luke 5:1-11 where their net was breaking—is symbolically significant. The
unbroken net probably symbolizes that there is room in the kingdom for all
(1 Tim 2:4). None need perish, though most will (Matt 7:13-14).
21:12-14. Jesus continues to provide for His disciples: “Come and eat
breakfast.” This special meal appears to symbolize the fact that Jesus is
ever available to meet the ongoing physical and spiritual needs of His
followers. And His eating some of the food gives additional proof of His
bodily resurrection.
John indicates that this is Jesus’ third post-resurrection appearance to His
disciples. While a comparison of all four Gospels shows that this is the
seventh appearance (counting His appearances to Mary Magdalene, the
other women, and the two disciples on the road to Emmaus), this was
indeed only his third appearance specifically to the Eleven.
The reason none of the disciples dared (presumed or took the liberty; cf.
Rom 15:18; 2 Cor 10:12) ask Him, “Who are You?” is they already knew
the answer.
21:15-17. Jesus reaffirms Peter’s position as one of the apostles. After his
three denials, Peter might have had doubts about his future role as a
follower of his risen Lord. Jesus gives Peter three opportunities now to
confess his love, and each time Jesus commands Him to feed and tend His
sheep.
The first two times Jesus asked Peter, “Do you love Me?” Jesus used the
word agapaō. The third time Jesus used the word phileō. All three times
Peter used the word phileo„ to express his love for Jesus. Some suggest that
Jesus’ change from agapao„ to phileo„ conveys the idea that Peter’s love
was in some way deficient. However, that seems unlikely.
The word phileo„ does not represent an inferior type of love. John, for
example, uses phileo„ to refer to the Father’s love for Jesus (5:20). Surely
the Father’s love for Jesus is not some lesser love! In addition Jesus’ love
for John and for Lazarus is expressed by phileo„ (11:3, 36; 20:2), as is the
Father’s love for the disciples and the disciples’ love for Jesus (16:27).
The change was merely for stylistic considerations—much like the change
from “Feed My lambs” to “Tend My sheep” to “Feed My sheep.”
Jesus wanted Peter to confess that he loved Him more than he loved fish
and fishing (“more than these”). It is highly unlikely that Jesus was asking
Peter to compare his love for Him with the love the other disciples had for
Him (cf. 1 Cor 10:12).
Each time Peter asserts his love for Jesus he also states, “You know that I
love You.” The last time he adds, “You know all things” (v 17), suggesting
he understands Jesus’ omniscience. That is why the repetition of the
question especially bothered Peter. It probably took Peter a while to figure
out why Jesus three times asked him a question to which He already knows
the answer. This was a lesson for Peter’s benefit, not a fact-finding mission!
21:18-19. Verse 18 refers generally to Peter’s future martyrdom. Someday
in the future Peter would be arrested, bound, and carried away to execution.
Peter had formerly confessed his commitment to lay down his life for
Christ (cf. 13:37). Someday he would indeed follow through on that
commitment and by so doing he would glorify God. Tradition tells that
Peter died by crucifixion in AD 64 or 65.
The command to “Follow Me” was an invitation by Christ to follow Him
on the path of obedience—a path that would ultimately result in Peter, like
His Savior, being crucified.
21:20-23. Peter is naturally interested to know if his friend John will die a
martyr’s death too. Jesus’ response to Peter is a mild rebuke. Peter is to be
faithful in following Christ regardless of what God has in store for John or
the other disciples.
John immediately corrects the notion that Jesus had promised that he
would not die before the Second Coming. When John wrote this, he was
like believers today in this regard: he knew Jesus’ return was imminent (1
John 2:18, “Little children, it is the last hour”), but he could not be sure
whether he would taste death before He did return.
Of significance is the point that Jesus’ last words in the Gospel of John
pertain to His coming again.
VI. Conclusion (21:24-25)
21:24-25. Some believe the last clause of v 24, and we know his
testimony is true, was written by someone other than John. This, however,
is unlikely. John is merely affirming the accuracy of what he has written by
using an editorial we.
The final verse is similar to the ending of chap. 20 (cf. 20:30). John wrote
selectively about the life and ministry of Jesus. To date thousands of books
have been written on what little was actually reported. Jesus is surely the
most written-about person of all time—and rightly so!
 Acts
ALBERTO SAMUEL VALDÉS
INTRODUCTION
Luke’s Gospel lays a lofty foundation for his second work—Acts. This
second work will simultaneously affirm God’s unconditional love for Israel
and at the same time confirm His love for the Gentiles—initially through
the faithful ministry of Peter the apostle (Acts 9:32–10:18) and then
expanded through the conversion and commission of Paul the apostle (9:1-
30; 13:44-48; 22:17-21; 26:12-18).
This second work continues to address the specific concerns of Theophilus
—the recipient of both books—while at the same time serving a wider
readership. The narrative underscores that God will keep His promises to
Israel (1:6-8). Saul (the apostle Paul) personifies both Israel in its initial
rebellion and then (future) conversion with a view to serving as light to the
Gentiles and then the Church via both his strong Jewish roots as well as his
Roman Gentile natural citizenship (both in one new man, so to speak). Yet
he never forsakes his Jewish compatriots for he brings the good news of
Jesus Christ to them first (despite their unrelenting persecution) and cares
for the impoverished in Jerusalem and Judea (cf. Acts 11:27-30; 12:25–
28:31).
Of pastoral interest with Theophilus in mind, Paul openly continues his
witness—without interruption or cessation—in Rome, the very place where
the emperor could order and carry out his execution. Paul desires that he
(Theophilus) experience the same open and victorious Christian life—
except for his chains. Luke’s two-volume work aims to spur Theophilus, the
recipient of both works (cf. Luke 1:1-4; Acts 1:1-3), to a stable, faithful,
and openly confessing Christian life rooted in God’s unerring prophetic
word, the reality of His future kingdom, and the priesthood of Jesus—both
in His death and in His exalted high priesthood.
Paul’s posture in Rome (although not his desire for every believer because
of his house arrest) exemplifies the preferred stance for believers during the
inter advent age as they await the return of Jesus the Messiah (1:6-11).
 Acts continues the narrative of Luke’s Gospel while simultaneously
sustaining its own message. It sets forth the Messiah as resurrected,
welcomed to the Father’s right hand, awaiting His future reign, and working
through His Spirit-empowered witnesses.
Acts shows how the largely Gentile Church grew from a purely Jewish
base—without canceling God’s promises to Israel. The Acts narrative
begins with an absolute assurance from Jesus regarding the
future realization of the kingdom (cf. Acts 1:6-8).
Acts also provides the seedbed for comprehension of the rest of the New
Testament. Luke’s narrative masterpiece not only bridges the Gospels and
the Epistles; it also provides background for every other writer of the New
Testament (either explicitly or implicitly). God had to provide
commensurate revelation to guide believers and their leaders through the
inter advent age. Paul, Peter, John, James, Jude, Matthew, Mark and Luke—
all included in the narrative of Luke-Acts—provided it. Nevertheless Paul
especially characterizes God’s work with the primarily Gentile church. Acts
presents Paul as a witness coextensive with the Twelve.
Author
The author was Luke, a physician and coworker with Paul in his
missionary work. For more details see the discussion of the author in the
Introduction to the Gospel of Luke.
Recipient
Luke wrote to one man, Theophilus. See the discussion of the recipient in
the Introduction to the Gospel of Luke for more details.
Date
Luke most likely composed his Gospel and the book of Acts in Rome
during the two year period of the apostle Paul’s house arrest there—60-62
A.D. See the discussion of the date in the Introduction to the Gospel of
Luke for more details.
Purpose
The purpose of Acts ties intimately to the spiritual life of Theophilus, its
specified recipient, and follows with complementary continuity with Luke’s
Gospel. By reading Acts, Theophilus would have understood the following:
 1. The resurrected Lord Jesus Christ is at the right hand of the Father
exercising His high priesthood on behalf of both the Church and Israel as
well as awaiting the establishment of His future reign.
2. The promised Holy Spirit empowers and guides the Church under the
Lordship of Christ and government of God the Father.
3. The relationship between Judaism and Christianity is complementary
rather than antagonistic—perfectly in line with OT promises and yet
anticipatory of their further fulfillment (in connection with the future
reception of Messiah by the Jewish nation).
4. Gentiles are fully accepted by God the Father through belief in Christ,
without the necessity of belonging to the nation of Israel either by birth or
by proselyte status.
5. Paul’s call, message, and ministry are equal to that of the Twelve.
6. The non-revolutionary political stance of Christianity does not occasion
the condemnation of either its messengers (the Twelve, Stephen, James,
Paul) or its message.
7. God’s program, purposes, and destiny for both the Church and Israel are
unstoppable (Acts 5:34-42; cf. Luke 2: 25-32; 24:44-53).
The practical goal of Luke-Acts appears on the lips of the Apostle Paul: “I
would to God that not only you, but also all who hear me today, might
become both almost and altogether such as I am, except for these chains”
(Acts 26:29). Together they reflect Paul’s words in a prior letter to the
Corinthians: “Be ye followers of me as I am of Christ” (1 Cor 11:1).
Acts also potentially brings Theophilus (if he is the same as King Agrippa
II) to the day of his conversion as well as to the obstacles to his discipleship
—specifically the reticence to publicly proclaim his belief in Christ (and
generally the temptations of riches, power, and status in this world). If King
Agrippa II in fact identifies Theophilus then the words, “This man might
have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar” (Acts 26:32) would
hold special importance for strengthening his confidence in Paul, the
apostle who led him to the Savior.
Structure
The Acts narrative unfolds in seven principal units of thought (or books)
arranged in a concentric or “sandwich” pattern with 9:32–12:24 at the
center—the granting of coequal status to Gentiles directly through Jesus (by
faith alone in Him) and dynamically signified by their reception of the Holy
Spirit—without the necessity of baptism (as per Palestinian Jews) nor the
imposition of hands by apostles. The first three units (1:1–2:47; 3:1–6:7;
6:8–9:31) reflect the last three (12:25–16:5; 16:6–19:20; 19:21–28:31).
Only the center unit (9:32–12:24) stands alone as both the culmination of
the first three as well as the theological foundation for the latter ones.
The structure follows the movement from a Jewish beginning with the
Twelve in Jerusalem to Paul—who pictures Israel in her historic mission as
light to the Gentiles—as God’s witness in Rome, the contemporary capital
of the Gentile-dominated world. It transitions from the witness of the
Twelve commissioned by Jesus to Paul, the witness par excellence to the
Gentiles.

OUTLINE
I. God Offers Messianic Salvation to Israel (1:1–2:47)
II. God Establishes the Twelve Witnesses in Jerusalem (3:1–6:7)
III. God Selects His Witness to the Gentiles (6:8–9:31)
IV. God Grants the Gentiles Equal Status (9:32–12:24)
V. God Establishes Paul’s Apostleship (12:25–16:5)
VI. God Establishes Paul as His Witness in the Gentile World (16:6–19:20)
VII. God Sends His Salvation to Rome (19:21–28:31)

COMMENTARY
I. God Offers Messianic Salvation to Israel (1:1–2:47)
In this first unit the Exalted Lord Jesus Christ anoints His witnesses and
His Church with the Holy Spirit—just as promised by God the Father. Each
of Luke’s works begins with Israel on the cusp of the fulfillment of their
promised OT blessings. At the outset each book sustains a testimony to the
covenant faithfulness and love of God for Israel. With the ascension of
Jesus, the reestablishment of the Twelve, and the advent of the Holy Spirit
on the new Church, Luke sets up the foundation from which everything else
flows.
A. God Fulfills Everything Necessary for a Renewed Offer of
Messianic Deliverance (1:1–2:3)
 1:1. The Book of Acts complements the former account, Luke’s Gospel
narrative. Both works share the same recipient, Theophilus, and the same
purpose—the establishment of Theophilus in his Christian walk (cf. Luke
1:1-4). The opening words—all that Jesus began both to do and teach—
imply that Jesus continues to act and teach in the world.
1:2. This first account followed Jesus until the day He returned to heaven.
The Holy Spirit provides continuity between the ministry of Jesus and the
future mission of the apostles whom He had chosen (cf. v 8).
1:3. The Lord Jesus presented Himself alive to the primary witnesses (cf.
13:30-31) to His resurrection after His sufferings—humiliating
maltreatment and death by crucifixion. The many infallible proofs Jesus
offered in His appearances to them throughout forty days unequivocally
confirmed His resurrection. The content of Jesus’ teaching—the things
pertaining to the kingdom of God—shows the continued viability of the
messianic kingdom promised to Israel (cf. vv 6-7).
1:4. The verb assembled together perhaps reflects a nighttime stay with
the disciples on the Mount of Olives (see v 12; Luke 22:39). Both the
significance of Jerusalem as the capital city (cf. Isa 24:23; 33:17-22; 52:1-
12; 62:1-7; Joel 3:16-17; Mic 4:1-8; Zech 8:1-8; 9:9) and the association of
the Holy Spirit with the messianic kingdom (cf. Ezek 36:24-30) may
explain the command not to depart from Jerusalem (the principal city of
Judea). Despite Jesus’ recent crucifixion and the patent animosity of the
religious leaders the disciples needed to stay together and wait for the
Promise of the Father.
1:5. The Lord Jesus contrasted two significant and yet unequal baptisms.
John’s anticipatory baptism “with water” testified to the participant’s
desire for fellowship with God with a view to the nation welcoming the
Messiah. The greater baptism “with the Holy Spirit” would spiritually join
believers in Jesus, the Messiah to Him (and to each other). It would also
initiate the indwelling, empowering, gifting, and sealing ministry of the
Holy Spirit for the Church (cf. Rom 8; 1 Cor 12; Eph 1:13-14; 4:30).
1:6. On the occasion of His ascension (see v. 9), when they had come
together the Eleven inquired, “Lord, will You at this time restore the
kingdom to Israel?” Their question both affirms and summarizes the
essential teaching on the kingdom: The Lord Jesus would in the future
establish an earthly kingdom centered in Israel.
 1:7. God the Father—in His administrative function as the Planner in the
Triune God—sets the times and seasons for the future establishment of the
kingdom in Israel. Both lay under God’s sovereign control.
1:8. Jesus promised that their power would come from “the Holy
Spirit”—the third Person in the holy Trinity. He would enable them to
serve as witnesses. Narratively “the end of the earth” represents Rome in
the literary plan of the book. From Rome one could reach all the known
nations of the time. Most importantly, the presence of the Holy Spirit would
henceforth inform the life and decisions of both the Church and the
witnesses.
1:9. The departure of the Lord took place once He had fully prepared His
disciples for both His physical absence and their future ministry. The
passage bears various thematic connections to the OT departure of God’s
glory from Jerusalem (see Ezekiel 8–11) with a view to a future return (cf.
Ezekiel 43).
1:10. The Eleven looked steadfastly toward heaven as the Lord Jesus
ascended. Then two men appeared both dressed in white apparel. Their
joint testimony serves to confirm the veracity of their words.
1:11. The two men assured the disciples, “men of Galilee,” that they
would see the Lord again. They need not “stand gazing up into heaven.”
In fact, they had just witnessed a limited preview of the manner of His
return. Jesus would come back the way they “saw Him go into heaven”—
visibly and bodily.
1:12. The disciples returned to Jerusalem (cf. Acts 12:25, MT). Luke
specifies that they traveled a Sabbath day’s journey—the half-mile
distance permitted by the religious leaders for travel on Saturday. In the
future the Lord Jesus will journey from the Mount of Olives to Jerusalem to
reign and thus initiate the one-thousand-year Sabbath rest for the nation (cf.
Heb 4:1-11; Acts 3:17-23).
1:13. Luke records that when they had entered, they went up into the
upper room (cf. 9:37, 39; 20:8) where they were staying. The list of
disciples purposefully omits the betrayer, Judas Iscariot.
1:14. The Eleven continued with one accord in prayer and supplication
along with the women (cf. 24:22), Mary His mother, and His brothers
who had not always believed in Him (cf. John 7:1-5).
 1:15. The apostle Peter, in his first recorded show of leadership—after His
restoration by the Lord (cf. Luke 22:31-34; John 21)—lead the disciples in
selecting a replacement for Judas Iscariot for the unified witness to the
resurrected Jesus.
1:16. Peter couched the circumstances of Judas’ betrayal in the context of
biblical prophecy. He explained that Judas acted freely without coercion.
David himself spoke while simultaneously guided by the Spirit. Judas of his
own accord “became a guide to those who arrested Jesus.” The narrative
denigrates Judas from apostle to a mere and evil guide.
1:17. At one point Judas “was numbered with the remaining Eleven and
obtained a part in their ministry.” Sadly, rather than serving others—the
essence of apostolic function—he served himself and betrayed the Lord.
1:18-19. The spilling of the entrails comports with Judas’ heartless
betrayal of Jesus as the same word (splanchna) means compassion or
heartfelt sympathy (cf. Luke 1:78; Phil 1:8; 1 John 3:17). Judas graphically
illustrates the judgment that would befall Judea and its hardened religious
leaders—who together conspired to murder the Savior. Their rejection of
Messiah, however, would eventuate in the Jewish War of AD 66-70 which
would turn Jerusalem into a “field of blood.” They would lose both their
city and place of authority (cf. Luke 11:49-51; 13:34-35; 19:41-44).
Furthermore God would replace the Jerusalem religious leaders with the
Twelve as overseers of His new Church (cf. Acts 3:1–6:7).
1:20. Imprecatory words from the “Book of Psalms” perfectly express the
righteous indignation focused on this, the most heinous crime in history—
the betrayal of the Savior. As one facet of Judas’ just recompense, “‘his
dwelling place’” or home would “‘be desolate’” so that “‘no one would
live in it’” (cf. Ps 69:25-26). It also fits the fate of Jerusalem, which would
become desolate because of the Roman conquest (Luke 13:35).
The other imprecatory wish that “‘another take his office’” (cf. Ps 109:8)
calls attention to Judas’ unfitness for this holy calling. Another would now
enjoy and carry out the responsibility of oversight in the early church (and
in connection with the nation of Israel in the future; Matt 19:27-28).
Jerusalem would also lose its witnessing function as a result of its rejection
of Messiah.
1:21. The replacement for Judas would have had to accompany the Eleven
“all the time…the Lord…went in and out among them.” The new
witness would have seen the full ministry of the Lord Jesus and the
remaining Eleven would have had the opportunity to surmise his
relationship to the Lord and to them.
1:22. The witness of the Twelve would encompass the complete First
Advent ministry of the Lord Jesus—from the humble beginning of His
public ministry when He underwent John’s baptism (in identification with
the nation He would die for) to His victorious return to the Father at His
ascension. Specifically they would testify to “His resurrection”—the
historical reality on which all of Christian doctrine hinged. (See 1
Corinthians 15.)
1:23. From the larger group that met the high prerequisites they proposed
two: Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
Luke records no discord or disagreement over the selection—either from
the other disciples or from the candidates themselves.
1:24. The disciples now needed a method that would unambiguously
reveal which of the two the Lord had selected. They needed insider
information that only God could provide. And so they asked God to “show
which of these two He has chosen.”
1:25. The replacement for Judas would “take part in this ministry and
apostleship.” He would both care for the church with doctrinal and moral
supervision and serve those who belonged to the Savior.
1:26. The casting of lots constitutes a valid method for revealing God’s
will in cases of selection between alternatives (cf. Prov 13:33). The
disciples first wisely selected two qualified candidates and then let God
decide between them. He selected Matthias. (The Lord Jesus had
previously chosen the Eleven and Judas Iscariot after prayerful
consideration in dependence on the Father; Luke 6:12-16.) The verb
numbered suggests the importance of keeping the Twelve intact at the
beginning of the testimony to the risen Christ and the founding of the
Church.
2:1. Luke narrates that when the Day of Pentecost—fifty days from the
Passover feast, cf. 20:16—had fully come all the believers had gathered
with one accord.
2:2. A sudden sound came from heaven where the Lord Jesus had just
ascended (thus implying His agency in the ensuing events). The rushing
mighty wind corresponds to the characterization of the Holy Spirit as wind,
as well as to His power as deity (cf. John 3:5-6).
2:3. The appearance of divided tongues may correspond to the diverse
dialects or languages in which the verbal witness to the risen Savior would
take place. The fire hearkens back to the characterization of the baptism
they would undergo as encompassing the Holy Spirit and fire (cf. Luke
3:16). The various fiery or flame-like tongues sat upon each of them. The
scene reflected the unity and diversity evident in the Body of Christ. The
tongues only alighted on believers and the Holy Spirit left none out.
B. God Again Appeals to the Jewish Nation (2:4-47)
2:4. As a result they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, thus fulfilling
Jesus’ words and the Father’s pledge. Consequently, they all began to
speak with other tongues (recognizable languages as indicated in v. 6 and
the context). Their speaking took place as the Spirit gave them utterance
—not as a self-initiated exercise. The filling of the Spirit here indicates a
special enablement which on this specific occasion as well as others
resulted in spiritually enhanced and empowered speech.
2:5. On that unique Day of Pentecost there were dwelling in Jerusalem
Jews. Their provenance from every nation under heaven indicates the
presence of Judaism beyond the limits of Palestine throughout the Roman
Empire. The opportunity to reach every nation under heaven from
Jerusalem potentially placed the fulfillment of the messianic promise within
reach. A Jewish welcome for Messiah—on an international scale—could
bring the establishment of the promised kingdom. All the essential elements
appear—Jerusalem, the capital, the potential belief of the nation in Jesus the
Messiah, and the Twelve, the rulers (under Messiah) of the regathered
nation (cf. Luke 22:24-30).
2:6. The sound of the rushing Wind aroused the crowd’s curiosity. They
had not anticipated the multilingual scenario and were confused. Each
person in the multitude heard them speak in his own language. This
narrates a miracle involving speech by the believers rather than an auditory
enablement in the hearers. They heard them speak because the speakers
spoke in the diverse dialects represented there.
2:7. As prevalent and characteristic in the Lucan writings they were all
amazed (Acts 2:12, 47; 8:13, 56; 9:21; 10:45; 12:16; 24:22). Their
amazement intensified once they perceived the fluency of these Galileans
in their own languages.
2:8. The emphasis on each individual dialect highlights the miracle of the
perfect utterance in each respective native language despite the clear
Galilean provenance of all who spoke. This does not necessarily picture a
reversal of Babel because diverse nations will still exist in the future
millennial and eternal kingdoms (cf. Rev 20:8; 22:2). Rather, it expresses
the desire of God to reach everyone and His divine enablement for the
international endeavor expressed in Acts 1:8.
2:9-11. Luke enumerates the representative Jewish people (and proselytes)
present. The multinational multitude said, “we hear them speaking in our
own tongues the wonderful works of God.” The tongues spoken here
were actual dialects recognizable in the Roman Empire of the first century.
Furthermore, the ability did not involve prophetic or revelatory speech but
rather the Spirit-enabled expression of God’s greatness and deeds.
2:12. The bestowal of the ability to speak in unlearned languages caused
the desired effect. The listeners inquired, “Whatever could this mean?”
The question gave way to an explanation and an accompanying appeal by
the apostle Peter.
2:13. Some allowed their perplexity to degenerate into ridicule. They
offered their own rationale: “They are full of new wine.” New wine would
make someone particularly susceptible to drunkenness and erratic behavior.
Ironically their mockery contained a hint of truth. These believers had in
fact received new wine that not all outsiders would comprehend (cf. Luke
5:37-39).
2:14. Luke presents a second picture of Peter’s post-Resurrection
leadership (cf. 1:15-26). The apostle stood up with the eleven for a unified
testimony, addressing the multitude.
2:15. Peter offered a practical argument against their misperception of
drunkenness “since it is only the third hour of the day.” Undoubtedly
drunkenness could not explain this experience. Nevertheless Peter had to
refute what amounted to the detractors’ best explanation of the event.
2:16. Peter appealed to the OT, affirming, “this is what was spoken by
the prophet Joel.”
The original OT prophecy describes eschatological or last days realities for
Israel. The outpouring of the Spirit only on Israelites at Pentecost validated
that they now lived in an eschatological era of fulfillment—an era already
begun during the ministry of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus. Most
importantly the advent of the Spirit evidences the return of Jesus to the
privileged right hand of the Father in heaven.
2:17. Joel’s prophecy would see its realization “‘in the last days’”—the
period initiated by the arrival of John the Baptist and visitation of Jesus the
Messiah (Matt 3; 17:10-13; Mark 1:1-15; 1 Cor 10:11; 1 Tim 4:1-5; 2 Tim
3:1-9; Heb 1:1-4; 9:26; Jas 4:8; 1 Pet 1:20; 1 John 4:1-4). God the Father
promised, “‘I will pour out of My Spirit’”—the Holy Spirit who
corresponded to His own nature as deity and thus enjoyed the same
eternality, power, and character/attributes. And He would do so “‘on all
flesh’” in contradistinction to the OT where the Spirit empowered only
kings, prophets, priests, and other select servants (cf. Gen 41:37-45; Exod
31:1-11; Num 11:16-30; Jud 3:9-11; 6:34; 11:29; 14:5-6, 19; 15:14-20; 1
Sam 16:1-13; Dan 5:10-21; Mic 3:5-8). Now God’s special enablement for
ministry would extend to all believers regardless of social status, age, or
gender. Israel’s “‘sons and…daughters would prophesy’”—speak perfectly
accurate predictive messages from God (cf. Deut 13:1-5; 18:9-22).
Additionally Israel’s “‘young men would see visions and old men would
dream dreams.’” Prophesying, seeing visions, and dreaming dreams all
entailed special revelation from God.
2:18. In the first chapter of Luke (1:46-55, 67-75) OT prophecies began
with what God had already done for His people Israel and transitioned to
what He would do in the future—as contingent on their response of belief
and national repentance. Likewise here, the subsequent verses (Acts 2:19-
20) foretell the prophetic future Day of the Lord.
2:19. God promised, “‘I will show wonders in heaven above as well as
signs in the earth beneath.’” Nothing in the historical Gospel record fits
the description of “‘blood and fire and vapor of smoke’” (in the NT only in
Rev 9:2; 18:9, 18). While some of the language here could potentially fit
the battle scenario of Jerusalem in AD 70 the text assigns the portents to
God rather than to consequences of war brought forth by men. The signs
pertain to the future end times.
2:20. The celestial signs described here fit well with the picture of the last
times in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 24:29; Mark 13:24-27; Luke 21:25-28).
Nothing recorded about the first century corresponds to this. Furthermore
the “‘great and awesome day of the Lord’” has not yet transpired. The
language suggests a unique and ultimately climactic eventuality.
2:21. A comparison of this passage with Romans 11:25-27 clearly
connotes the deliverance from God’s outpouring of wrath at the culmination
of the seventieth week. The Lord provides deliverance from eschatological
(and present) wrath to anyone—without discrimination—“‘whoever calls
on His name.’” However, they must appeal to Him. At this point it could
apply to deliverance from the wrath that would come on the wayward
generation that rejected and crucified Messiah.
2:22. As in v 14 Peter focused his message on the Jews. He also exalts
Jesus throughout his whole appeal. He highlighted the human nature of the
Lord, referring to Him as “Jesus of Nazareth—a Man attested by God”
to His contemporaries by means of “miracles, wonders, and signs. The
phrase through Him” highlights the harmonious functioning of the triune
God—the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit accomplish all their holy acts
together. It also underscores the humanity of the Lord Jesus in His humble
dependence on the Father for the accomplishment of His own miraculous
ministry. Finally, Jesus carried out His miraculous ministry “in their
midst.” The apostle Peter reminded them of their own familiarity with these
events by adding “as yourselves also know.”
2:23. Peter further describes Jesus as “delivered by the determined
purpose and foreknowledge of God.” The Father had permitted the death
of the Son in His sovereign purposes. Historically, however, they—without
coercion and of their own accord—carried out the whole sequence of
murderous violence against the Messiah. Peter offers a threefold accusation
—“you have taken Him by lawless hands, have crucified Him, and put
Him to death.” They ironically did this through the lawless hands of
Gentiles, despite the prevalent emphasis on the Law and legalistic additions
to it.
2:24. God the Father also “raised up” Jesus, resurrecting Him. He
“loosed the pains of death” (lit., “labor pains”). Peter explains that “it was
not possible that He should be held by death.” The true humanity of the
Lord Jesus allowed Him to experience physical death. His full deity and
spotless life made it impossible for Him to remain dead. For Jesus, His
death (like labor pains) simply signaled a transition to the life that would
inevitably follow.
 2:25. Although David lived centuries before Jesus, he had already written
“concerning Him.” Psalm 16 thus offers insight into the disposition of the
Lord Jesus as He carried out His earthly ministry. From the perspective of
His humanity, Jesus “‘foresaw the Lord (God the Father) always before’”
Him. David prophetically affirmed, “‘For He is at my right hand, that I
may not be shaken’” (cf. Ps 16:8-11ab). Jesus presently sits at the right
hand of the Father, awaiting His future reign (Ps 110; Matt 26:64; Mark
14:61-63; Luke 22:69; Acts 2:32-35; 5:30-31; 7:55-56; Eph 1:20-23; Col
3:1; Heb 1:3, 13; 8:1; 10:11-12; 12:2; 1 Pet 3:22). Yet during His earthly
endeavors He would draw fortitude from His Father at His right hand—the
position of strength and victory (cf. Ps 118:15-16).
2:26. The Messiah’s confidence in the Father led directly to praise (cf. Ps
16:9). From the perspective of His incarnation the Lord Jesus could live a
life characterized by strength, stability, joy, praise as well as hope for the
future. He anticipated death with the certain expectation that His body
would rest securely in the expectation of resurrection.
2:27. The Father would protect the Lord Jesus from the extensive
consequences of death. Through the prophetic psalm the Messiah
confidently asserted, “‘You will not leave My soul in Hades.’” Regarding
His humanity, Jesus knew beforehand that the Father would deliver Him
from Hades—the place of departed souls rather than hell. In addition He
affirmed “‘nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.’” The
Father would resurrect Him before the degenerative effects of death set in
(cf. the opposite example of Lazarus in John 11:39).
2:28. From the perspective of Jesus’ humanity, God the Father had “‘made
known to the Son the ways of life’” (cf. Ps 16:11)—the course of life which
pleased God and led to an enriched experience of life. He further affirms,
“‘You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’” The Father would
reward Messiah’s earthly life of obedience with an eternal and abundant joy
in His presence (cf. Heb 1:8-9; 12:2).
2:29. Peter logically transitions to David, the author of the psalm that he
had just quoted and which spoke about Jesus. Peter affirmed that in contrast
to the experience of Jesus as recounted in the psalm, “the patriarch
David…is both dead and buried.” As evidence Peter stated that “his
tomb is with us to this day.”
 2:30. Peter identifies David as a prophet and a recipient of a pledge from
God the Father. God’s oath (cf. Luke 1:73; Heb 6:16-17) to David
accompanied the covenant that God made with him (cf. 2 Samuel 7; Psalm
89, especially vv. 1-5, 20-38, 50-53). It promised David that one of his
descendants would reign forever on his own throne. “Raise up” here refers
not to Jesus’ resurrection but to God’s bringing Jesus into history,
introducing Him into the earthly scene for the purpose of His reigning.
Jesus does not sit on David’s throne during the inter advent period—an
expectation that lies ahead as a culminating feature tied to His Second
Advent. Messiah sitting on the throne of David—a final rather than
intermediary point—demands the physical resurrection of those who reign
with Him. The reign of Jesus, the Davidic Son par excellence, includes the
inherited reward of His coheirs who will reign with Him. They will reign
together after the Seventieth Week, but not before (other than spiritually
reigning in the present Christian life, cf. Romans 8).
2:31. David’s messianic Descendant, the Lord Jesus, had to live in order to
reign. Accordingly, David “spoke concerning the resurrection of the
Christ.” Jesus did not go to hell to pay for mankind’s sins. He paid for sins
on the cross (cf. John 19:30; 1 Cor 2:2; 1 Pet 2:24). However, He did pass
through the full-orbed human experience of death (except for bodily
decomposition)—followed by resurrection (which King David foresaw
hundreds of years earlier).
2:32. God the Father “raised up” Jesus from the dead. The Father did this
in the presence of these multiple witnesses both in order to validate the
claims of Christ and to show the injustice of that generation’s crucifixion of
the perfectly holy and just Messiah. But God had additional purposes for
the resurrection.
2:33. The Father also exalted Jesus to His “right hand”—the position of
favor and authority—and granted Him the authority to bestow the promised
“Holy Spirit.” In keeping with this privilege, “He poured out” the Spirit
as evidenced by verifiable phenomena—“which you now see and hear.”
Pentecost—in part—counts as evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. His authority
to send the Holy Spirit serves as a validation of Jesus’ life, ministry, and
exaltation—and in a secondary sense of the validity of the ministry of the
Twelve.
 2:34. Peter presents a key point in his presentation found in Ps 110:1:
“David did not ascend into the heavens”—but Jesus did. Furthermore
David himself recognized Messiah as his Master. He asserted, “The Lord
said to my Lord, ‘Sit at My right hand.’”
The second occurrence of Lord (rather than Lord or YHWH) does not
reflect negatively on the deity of Jesus. It highlights the relationship of
David to Jesus. David submitted to God as Master over him. The
terminology captures all the relationships described with precision: The
Father tells Jesus to take the place of honor at His (i.e., the Father’s) right
hand.
2:35. The Lord would carry out His interadvent priestly ministry (cf. Ps
110:4) until the fulfillment of the Father’s words: “‘Till I make Your
enemies Your footstool.’” The little word till shows that the Father will in
the future fulfill His promise. It also indicates an interadvent period of
indefinite duration. At some future time the Father will see to the humbling
of all of Messiah’s enemies. They will serve as the footrest of the King (cf.
Ps 110:1). Peter’s words about the end-times prophetically dovetail with
this fulfillment (cf. Acts 2:19-21).
2:36. Peter directs his declaration to “all the house of Israel” (cf. 7:42,
46; Luke 1:33; Heb 8:8, 10) and assures them that the Father rejected their
condemnation of Jesus and instead crowned Him with the titles “Lord and
Christ.” Narratively, this statement anticipates 3:1–6:7 where the Father
glorifies the name of Jesus before the people and their leaders in Jerusalem.
Rather than casting doubt on the deity of the Lord, this statement actually
affirms Jesus’ divine nature. As the God-Man, Jesus’ perfect life of
obedience to the Father—even to the point of death—merited the titles
“Lord and Christ.” This explains Jesus’ reception of a title which He
ostensibly already possesses as God (cf. Phil 2:5-11). As a complement to
this, the Father could only grant these titles to someone who does indeed
qualify as Deity. For God does not share His glory with another (cf. Isa
42:8).
2:37. Lord and Christ, the last words the audience hears applied to Jesus,
finally awaken them to the truth of His identity as the Messiah. Luke
records that they were cut to the heart—a reaction that underscores their
utmost conviction regarding Jesus as Messiah and their role in His death.
Their sensitized conscience (borne from the conviction that they had
crucified the Savior) leads to a question that reveals their belief in Jesus.
They asked “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” Their question and
Peter’s answer indicate that they had believed in Jesus.
Peter did not speak to an uninformed multitude. They knew both the
Scriptures and the miraculous ministry of Jesus (cf. v 22). The apostle Peter
presented a case for Jesus as Messiah from the OT that they could both
follow and correlate with contemporary events and past Jewish history. By
the time Peter had clarified the truth of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension
and they had correlated it with the events at Pentecost (cf. vv 29-35),
everything fell into place. They unequivocally identified Jesus as the
Messiah—and so believed in Him. Now they wanted to know what to do to
reestablish fellowship with Him.
2:38. Repentance provided the answer to their dilemma. They needed to
reestablish their relationship with the Messiah they had just believed in.
Peter does not here require additional conditions for eternal life. Belief in
Jesus counts as the singular condition for guaranteed eternal life in both the
OT and the NT. Apparently in the case of those who had the privilege of
seeing Jesus’ earthly ministry (cf. v 22), and yet disbelieved both Him and
John (cf. Luke 7:31-35), God required a public identification with Jesus by
baptism (and a corresponding rejection of participation in the sin of that
generation). Much like the way God requires confession of sins in order for
Christians to maintain and enjoy fellowship with Him (1 John 1:9), in these
unique cases God required repentance and baptism for the initiation of the
Christian life.
The Gentile Cornelius and those in his household who believed received
the Holy Spirit before their baptism (10:43-48; 11:15-18). Palestinian Jews,
however, believed in Jesus and received eternal life before receiving the
Holy Spirit (2:37-39). The initial Samaritans who believed—after the
crucifixion—also received the Holy Spirit after their baptism as well as the
laying on of hands by the apostles Peter and John (cf. 8:14-17). Repentance,
although required for fellowship, did not constitute a condition for eternal
life, since Peter recommended it to believers in Jesus already. Likewise,
receiving the gift of eternal life did not require baptism (cf. John 3:16-18).
Jesus had likened His own baptism to the death He would suffer (cf. Luke
12:50). Furthermore, the Holy Spirit came upon Him at His baptism (cf.
Luke 3:21-22). Now those of that generation who condemned Him would
publicly associate themselves with Him and receive the Holy Spirit by
whom they would join other believers in the Body of Christ. They did not
recant their Jewishness, but rather their role in the crucifixion of the
Messiah. Furthermore these conditions do not hold today, since no one of
that particular generation remains.
2:39. “The promise” of the Spirit naturally applied to them as the
covenant nation (cf. Isa 32:9-20; 44:1-5; Ezek 39:25-29; Zech 12:8-10),
while the phrase “to all who are afar off” seemingly refers to Gentiles.
However, the Acts 10 narrative demonstrates unequivocally how far indeed
the Gentiles stood in the apostle’s mind. From Peter’s perspective it
probably refers to Jews scattered in other parts of the empire. Nevertheless
geography did not constitute the main issue but rather God’s drawing of
people to Himself—“as many as the Lord our God will call.”
2:40. Peter urged them, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” The
Lord Jesus had already characterized the contemporary nation as wayward
(cf. Luke 9:41; 13:34-35). Wrath would fall on Israel during the Jewish War
of AD 66-70 which would climax in the destruction of the Holy City and
the temple. Whereas once they had approved of Jesus’ death by crucifixion,
now they would publicly align themselves—by water baptism—with the
very Messiah they had rejected before. They would not repudiate their
Jewishness but rather would recant their previous stance against Jesus
(shared especially by the nation’s religious leaders).
2:41. This verse confirms the above interpretation. The qualification those
who gladly received his word rules out infant baptism. Infants, if present,
would not have the ability to reason and respond to Peter’s persuasive
message. Nor would infants qualify as men of Israel (v 22) and men and
brethren (v 29). Luke reports that that day about three thousand souls
were added to them (i.e., to the approximately 120 disciples who had
obediently awaited the advent of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost; cf. 1:15). The
adding encompassed more than the simple numeric addition. It entailed
their incorporation into the body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-13) and the
ensuing spiritual bond or unity effected by the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph 4:1-6).
They had received eternal life only by believing in Jesus as Savior. They
then restored their fellowship with God by a public identification with Jesus
by water baptism. Now, they enjoyed communion with the Church—still
essentially Jewish at this point in its history.
 2:42. Luke here records four facets of the life of the early church: the
apostles’ doctrine (the authoritative teaching conveyed by the Lord Jesus,
confirmed by the wonder-working ability granted to them by the Father, and
superintended by the Holy Spirit); fellowship (the uncoerced communal
sharing of material possessions and the disposition that undergirded it); the
breaking of bread (cf. Luke 22:19; 24:30; Acts 2:46; 20:7; 11; 27:35),
which references the Lord’s Supper and potentially other meals enjoyed in
communion with each other (see Acts 27:35 for a potential exception); and
prayers (petitions to the Father in line with the Lord’s teaching (cf. Luke
11:1-13; 18:1-8) and OT prayer customs still associated with the temple (cf.
Luke 24:50-53; Acts 3:1). The exemplary picture of the early church
portrays the ideal interadvent interaction for the Church as well as kingdom
values for Israel—if they would choose to believe in Jesus and repent on a
national scale.
2:43. These new believers had now taken a stand apart from the nation and
associated themselves publicly with the Savior. As a consequence of their
sanctified community life fear came upon every soul—a healthy
recognition of God’s working in their midst. In a perfect complement
wonders and signs done by the apostles served as God’s continued
imprimatur on the Church. The miracles identified them with the Lord Jesus
Christ—especially with His compassion, authority, and power. The
continued enablement given to them by God also showed His favor and
approval of their ministry and message.
2:44. A new community of believers had now been unified around the
Lord Jesus and indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and were freely sharing their
material possessions.
2:45. The community of believers did not force each other through
innuendo or guilt provoking manipulation. Freely and without abusive
pressure they sold their possessions (a reference to land real estate) and
goods (possessions in general, in the NT only here and Heb 10:34), and
divided them among all, as anyone had need. Circumstantial necessity
called forth heartfelt compassion from those who belonged to Christ and
had learned from Him.
2:46. At this point they still congregated daily with one accord in the
temple—a gathering that permitted a public testimony to those in
Jerusalem. In addition they participated in breaking bread from house to
house (cf. 5:42)—partaking in the intimate communion that focused on the
Lord Jesus, His death, and His return to once again partake with them (cf.
Luke 22:14-20). Thus the Supper entailed both reminiscence and
anticipation of Jesus, all in the context of sharing with and loving each
other.
2:47. They praised God and experienced favor with all the people
(mirroring the Savior’s own early life as recorded in Luke 2:40, 52). In this
context Luke gives his first progress report: the Lord added to the church
daily those who were being saved. As a transitional conclusion to this unit
(1:1–2:47) and introduction to the next (3:1–6:7) it validates the Church and
the apostles as the agents God now worked with vis-à-vis the religious
leaders in Jerusalem. Thus the early Jewish believers in Jesus departed from
the misguided religion of their day, worshiped God in the same temple, and
experienced sincere fellowship with God and with each other. Thus far the
early church enjoyed a thoroughly positive experience.
II. God Establishes the Twelve Witnesses in Jerusalem (3:1–6:7)
A. Peter Offers Messianic Salvation to the Nation (3:1-26)
3:1. Luke moves the narrative to another day and highlights two of the
apostles—Peter and John. (See their history together at Luke 5:8-10; 6:14;
9:28; 22:8.) The move to the temple area places the apostles in contrast to
the contemporary leadership and bring into high relief which group the
risen and seated Messiah works through. Jesus’ offer of the kingdom
highlights the unbelief of the religious authorities who guide the nation—
and a principal reason why the kingdom did not come.
3:2. Peter and John encountered a certain man lame from his mother’s
womb—a significant detail that helps to validate the miracle that would
soon take place.
3:3. The man saw Peter and John about to go into the temple—a
reference to the temple complex or precincts rather than the temple
structure itself.
3:4. Luke emphasizes Peter’s fixing his eyes on him and simply mentions
that John accompanied him. Peter first secured the man’s total attention by
instructing him, “Look at us.” Interestingly Peter does not draw the man’s
attention to himself but to both John and him.
 3:5. The lame man gave them his attention. Luke reports that he expects
to receive something from them. They could certainly offer him what
neither the other worshipers nor the contemporary religious leaders could.
3:6. Rather than a monetary contribution—“silver and gold,” which he
did not have—Peter commanded, “In the Name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, rise up and walk.” The same Jesus of Nazareth rejected by the
nation still graciously works through His apostles in the carrying out of the
messianic work prophesied by Isaiah—and read by Jesus Himself in
Nazareth (cf. Isa 61:1-2; Luke 4:14-21).
3:7. Curiously, after commanding the man to rise Peter took him by the
right hand and lifted him up. This compassionate touch may have served
both to identify Peter with the man as well as to provide a measure of
confidence (if not balance) to someone who had never walked. Then
immediately the man’s feet and ankle bones received strength. This
healing thus conforms to the miracles that the Lord performed during His
ministry.
3:8. The healing happened in one fluid movement. As Peter
compassionately took the man’s hand to lift him, the man, leaping up,
stood and walked. The man then entered the temple with them. Now,
walking, leaping, and praising God, he joined the customary temple
activity of the early believers (see Luke 24:50-53). The nature of this
healing and the man’s response show the continued viability of the
messianic promises and validate Messiah’s continued ministry through the
Twelve witnesses chosen by Him (both before and after the Ascension).
3:9. The man entered the temple complex walking and praising God. He
offered an undeniable picture of God’s work through Jesus’ apostles. The
nation should have recognized the continued opportunity to receive God’s
favor.
3:10. The recognition of the identity of the now healed lame man causes
them to react with wonder and amazement (cf. Luke 5:26) and sets the
stage and the foundation for Peter’s message.
3:11. The themes of opportunity, messianic healing, apostolic authority,
the temple, and Solomon merge to pave the way for Peter’s address. The
temple worshipers continued greatly amazed at the morning’s occurrences.
3:12. Peter saw a crowd and an opportunity and thus responded to the
people. His address—“Men of Israel”—both recalls his sermon on the Day
of Pentecost (see Acts 2:22) and couches his words in the history of their
nation. Peter’s first question calls their attention to their previous
knowledge of God’s miraculous works. Peter’s second question pointed
beyond the miracle to God. Neither their “own power” nor their Godliness
had effected the miracle.
3:13. The first facet of Peter’s response (vv 13-15) builds on his initial
question to the crowd. The miracle-working God that they knew from the
Scriptures and the nation’s history had “glorified His Servant [or Son]
Jesus.” They had seen Him do similar wonders, but nevertheless they
“delivered up and denied Him before Pilate.”
3:14. Rather than requesting freedom for Jesus, they “denied the Holy
One (cf. 4:34) and the Just.” They had condemned the perfectly pure and
just Messiah. In His stead they “asked for a murderer” (cf. Luke 23:19).
Their choice reflected their own nature and destiny. They ultimately chose
death for themselves and their city as the Jewish War of AD 66–70 would
make evident.
3:15. They “killed the Prince of life”—life’s Author or Originator
—“whom God raised from the dead.” The Father resurrected the very one
they had unjustly handed over to death. Peter concludes this facet of his
response by affirming “of which we are witnesses.”
3:16. Peter now transitions to his second question (v 12). Peter specifies
that the healing of the formerly lame man transpired “through faith in His
name.” The resurrected, ascended, and seated Jesus still worked powerfully
in their midst. Peter’s use of faith here indicates that the lame man had
probably heard about Jesus before. He believed that Jesus could cause him
to “rise up and walk” (see v 6). The man whom they could see and whom
they already knew received both strength and “perfect soundness” through
faith in Jesus.
3:17. Peter now prepared a path for an appeal to repentance by affirming
“I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.” The whole
statement may reflect the Lord Jesus’ own words from the cross (Luke
23:34). The people (at least about three thousand of them) had responded
favorably on Pentecost. Now how would their leaders respond?
3:18. Consistent with his sermon on the Day of Pentecost, Peter points out
the divine design as revealed in the prophetic proclamation—“the mouth of
all His prophets” (cf. Acts 2:22-24). The Father fulfilled what He had
foretold through all His OT spokesmen. The nation should heed Peter’s
appeal as God’s authoritative spokesman.
3:19. The Apostle Peter again spoke to them from the perspective of Israel
as God’s special people—and in the context of their recent rejection of the
Messiah in Jerusalem. Despite their grievous sin, God the Father had both
allowed them to live and granted them an opportune time to respond to the
message: “Repent therefore and be converted.”
3:20. Peter assures them of a complementary consequence that would
result from their repentance—the Father would “send Jesus Christ”—
Jesus would return to establish His Messianic reign in Israel.
3:21. Peter explains that Jesus will then return to earth to establish His
kingdom (cf. Rev 17:10-18; 19:11-21). God the Father had communicated
this “by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.”
3:22. Peter validates his words with an example from the Pentateuch. The
very Moses whom they revered promised their forebears: “The Lord your
God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren” (cf. Deut
18:15). The Father would introduce into history a Moses-like Prophet from
their compatriots to whom they should render all-inclusive obedience
—“whatever He says to you.”
3:23. Peter then underscored the consequence of disobedience to “that
Prophet”—the Lord Jesus Christ. Every disobedient individual would “be
utterly destroyed from among the people.” Death and separation from the
blessings promised to Israel would ensue as the consequence for
disobedience. Additionally, if one died without having believed in Jesus, he
would sadly suffer eternal condemnation as well (cf. John 3:16-18).
3:24. In addition to Moses “all the prophets starting with Samuel and
those who follow” had predicted those days. Peter thus presents a
consistent and seamless OT testimony to the history they had just
experienced and the opportunity presently communicated to them.
3:25. Peter then brings to light the continuity of his audience with the very
prophets who had foretold the times they found themselves in and with
“the covenant which God made” with the patriarchs. He specifies the
Abrahamic Covenant, highlighting the words “‘and in your seed all the
families of the earth shall be blessed.’” Peter underscores these words to
remind them of the promised blessing that awaited them once they believed
individually and then nationally met the condition(s) for receiving their
covenanted blessings. Their kinship with the prophets who foretold these
days and their connection with the covenant God made with Abraham
should have rendered their faith and obedience a natural response—
especially in light of Peter’s words and the miraculous event that validated
his message.
3:26. With the words “to you first” Peter may have unwittingly presaged
the continued wholesale rejection of Messiah by the nation (and the
welcome reception of Him by the Gentiles). The Father had “raised up His
Servant Jesus” to the nation who would then serve as a channel of blessing
to others. The Father sent Jesus in order to bless the nation. They still had
the opportunity before them on condition of their turning from their
iniquities. Whereas they could receive eternal life as a free gift (John 3:16-
18; 4:1-32; 6:47; 11:25-27), their national (and individual) blessing
depended on their obedience. The scene that follows reveals the response of
the nation in the reaction of their religious leaders. These leaders will
exemplify the iniquities from which the nation needed to turn away. Their
blessedness depended on their believing and obedient response to the Lord.
B. God Validates the Twelve before the Religious Leaders (4:1-31)
4:1. The basic leadership of the Jerusalem temple antagonistically came
upon the two apostles at the precise moment that Peter proclaimed God’s
desire to bless Israel (cf. 3:26). Narratively, this signals the underlying
reason for the rejection of Messiah by the nation—their wayward
leadership.
4:2. These leaders came on the scene greatly disturbed. They had a dual
complaint: the apostles both taught the people (ostensibly under their
authority instead) and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the
dead. This second consideration would have especially irked the Sadducees
who did not believe in resurrection.
4:3. The religious leaders also aggressively laid hands on the two apostles
and placed them in custody until the next day. They did this because it
was already evening, and they could not submit them then to trial.
4:4. Despite the arrest of Peter and John many of those who heard the
word believed. Luke thus gives a third numerical count as the number of
men came to be about five thousand (see 1:15; 2:41). Their addition to the
approximately three thousand others who had already believed in Jesus as
Savior demonstrates their break from that perverse generation (cf. 2:40).
The narrative shows the relative helplessness of the religious leaders before
the progress of the gospel. It also sets forth two competing priestly houses
—that of the Messiah (cf. Heb 3:1-6) and of the religious leaders in
Jerusalem (cf. Heb 7:20-28).
4:5. The two apostles spent the night unjustly confined. Then on the next
day their rulers, elders, and scribes came together. The adjective their
distances the nation and its antagonistic leaders from believers in Jesus the
Messiah.
4:6. The group also included ample representation of the temple leadership
gathered together at Jerusalem. The presence of this all-encompassing
group underscores the contrast between the contemporary religious leaders
and Jesus’ new priestly house.
4:7. The accusatory question of the leader provides a perfect setting for
Peter to glorify the name of Jesus.
4:8. Peter, as the official spokesman for the Twelve, answered them, filled
with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit supernaturally enabled Peter to give
a powerful speech before the council. Peter respectfully recognized them as
“rulers of the people and elders of Israel.” Their very titles and positions
revealed a corresponding high responsibility before God and the people.
4:9. Peter began with a supposition that both questioned their detainment
and highlighted the continuing work of the resurrected Christ. He began
with the act—“a good deed done to a helpless man”—and moved to the
greater issue at hand—“by what means he has been made well.” The
opening words already show the futility of any potential charge by the
rulers and elders.
4:10. Peter then fearlessly addressed the council and “all the people of
Israel.” He unequivocally affirmed that the healing of the helpless man
took place “by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” The very Jesus
whom the leaders had crucified and “whom God raised from the dead”
performed the healing. Jesus could have healed the nation just as He had
“this man” who pictured the condition of Israel (cf. 3:1-2).
4:11. Peter’s words then recall Jesus’ own response to the leaders (see
Luke 20:1-19). He describes Jesus as the “stone which was rejected” by
them—characterized as builders. He further confirms that Jesus “has
become the chief cornerstone.” This principal stone provided identity,
order, and stability to their buildings. The leaders once again had the
opportunity to respond positively to the Messiah, the chief Cornerstone.
4:12. God has tied all salvation exclusively, uniquely, and absolutely to
belief in Jesus. Therefore Peter proclaimed “nor is there salvation in any
other.” An unassailable rationale undergirded his assertion: God had
provided “no other name under heaven given among men.” Thus
through Jesus “we must be saved.” Peter’s declaration fits perfectly with
his message on the Day of Pentecost (cf. 2:40).
4:13. The powerful poise and boldness of Peter and John testified to
God’s favor on them. The religious leaders perceived that they lacked
formal training. Interestingly, their Spirit-enabled speech, rather than the
miracle of healing, impressed the authorities of their association with Jesus.
This clearly shows the apostles as the official successors of Jesus in clear
contrast to the religious authorities who had not availed themselves of belief
in and fellowship with Him.
4:14. The combined testimony of the two apostles’ powerful poise and the
evidential presence of the man who had been healed produced a
conclusive result: they could say nothing against it.
4:15. Their lack of a credible accusation prompted a self-incriminating
plotting session by the religious leaders. They ordered Peter and John to go
outside of the council so that they could confer among themselves.
4:16. Luke reports their private deliberations: “What shall we do to these
men?” The question reveals their obstinacy. Rather than doing something
to them, why not enjoy God’s blessings with them? They acknowledged that
“a notable miracle had been done through them” and all the inhabitants
of Jerusalem knew it. The council confessed “we cannot deny it.” They
knew that the sign pointed to the work of God in their midst. Yet, they
refused to believe in Jesus.
4:17. Fearing further dissemination of the message, they decided to
“severely threaten them.” The leaders thought they had defused the threat
against themselves by crucifying Jesus. Yet His Name continued to
confound them as He worked powerfully, personally, and undeniably
through the Twelve.
4:18. Having arrived at a strategy, the religious leaders called them and
commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
The order against speaking would ostensibly also take care of any healings
commanded in Jesus’ Name (cf. 3:6).
4:19. Peter and John responded to the council’s decision with a
challenge. They confidently asserted: “Whether it is right in the sight of
God to listen to you more than to God you judge.” The challenge
revealed that the religious leaders did not speak for God—in fact it couched
them and the Deity on opposite sides.
4:20. The apostles’ response implicitly indicts them for not doing the same
—testifying to Jesus the Messiah. Peter and John had an airtight case that
actually put the council on trial. The council had also “seen and heard”
God’s word in their midst.
4:21. The council could not devise additional punishment due to the
positive reaction of the people to the miraculous healing. In direct contrast
to the religious leaders, these all glorified God for what had been done.
4:22. Luke skillfully leaves the punchline for the conclusion of Peter and
John’s encounter with the council. Each year of the man’s life counted as an
argument against the council. But the forty years also remind the reader of
Israel’s forty-year experience in the wilderness. Like the rebellious nation in
the wilderness the religious leaders had seen the fruit of the new promised
land and yet refused to believe and lead the nation to the kingdom rest.
4:23. Once the council had released Peter and John, the two went to their
own companions and reported the words of the chief priests and elders.
The narrative thus continues to underscore the distinct identities and
allegiances of both groups—the church led by the Twelve (and through
which God clearly works), and the powerless religious leaders in Jerusalem.
4:24. The answer from their companions essentially mirrors Peter and
John’s perspective before the council by relating their experiences to the
sovereignty of God. Furthermore, they anchored their response in Scripture,
God’s Word. They spoke directly to their heavenly Father, opening with a
recognition of God’s sovereignty as Creator and then transitioning to His
Kingship.
4:25. They further recognized that God spoke “by the mouth of His
servant David” and adopted the introductory questions of a royal psalm
written by him to express their sentiments regarding the actions of the
council. They proclaimed, “Why did the nations rage and the people plot
vain things” (See Ps 2:1-2)? The question intimates the ultimate futility of
fighting/rebellion against God.
4:26. The psalm then describes the antagonism of the unbelieving nations
against God’s anointed Messiah. Through their rejection of the apostles, the
contemporary religious authorities had aligned themselves against the
Christ—just as His end-times enemies will do (cf. Rev 17:10-18; 19:11-21).
The use of the possessive His highlights the Father’s approval of Jesus as
Messiah. The leaders’s stand against Jesus was rebellion against God the
Father.
4:27. Their prayer addressed God the Father and recognized Jesus as His
“holy Servant Whom He anointed.” They brought to the fore how
“Herod and Pontius Pilate (the representatives of the ruling roman Gentile
powers) with the Gentiles and the people of Israel had gathered
together” (the precise verb that appears in the psalm). These early believers
knew the Scriptures well enough to recognize biblical applications to their
contemporary events. This does not mean that they considered each
application a fulfillment. In some cases they simply recognized similarities
or parallels between the Scriptures and their experience. The psalm would
actually see fulfillment in the future. Peter and John had just lived through
an extension of the kind of antagonism against the Lord God and His
Anointed, the Lord Jesus Christ, recorded in the psalm.
4:28. The early believers lived with a vibrant consciousness of God’s
sovereignty over the affairs of men as well as with a strong sense of
personal responsibility (cf. Acts 2:23). They saw the recent resistance
against Peter and John as a facet of the outworking of God’s plan—what
His “hand” and “purpose had determined before to be done.” God works
without coercion. He does not force people to do things against their will.
To do so would make a mockery of all His judging activities (whether in
retribution or reward). Rather, in a way that surpasses the ability of human
reason, God’s plan unfolds in such a way as to provide true uncoerced
choice for human beings and unhindered omniscience and sovereignty for
the Deity.
4:29. After prefacing their request with a recognition of God as Creator
and King, they prayed, “Lord, look on their threats”—a request that
identifies the religious authorities as enemies of God and His purposes.
Then, rather than asking for protection, they prayed for boldness.
 4:30. Their prayer then connects bold proclamation with the miraculous
validation to confirm it to their hearers. The ensuing narrative of Acts
records God’s answer to this prayer as the resurrected Messiah miraculously
provides “signs and wonders” through the apostles in the power of the
Holy Spirit (cf. Acts 1:8).
4:31. The Father responded to their prayer with an immediate
confirmatory sign. God’s approval rested on the household of faith over the
temple—the other house. Again the filling with the Holy Spirit resulted in
powerful God-enabled discourse or proclamation, and so they spoke the
word of God with boldness.
C. God Establishes the Twelve before the Church (4:32–5:11)
4:32. On the heels of his recording God’s response to the prayer of the
freshly persecuted saints, Luke reports that the multitude of those who
believed were of one heart and one soul—an actual (not idealized)
representation of their unity in Christ. Luke here shows us the essence of
fellowship: the sharing of material possessions with the benefit of other
believers in view—for the sake of the common welfare of the Body of
Christ. The similarity of this picture to the one presented in 2:41-47 shows
that the threats from the religious leaders did not hinder or derail the
Christlike community spirit that they shared and enjoyed.
4:33. The wonderfully functioning community and the Lord’s enablement
as asked for in the believers’ prayer freed and facilitated the apostles’
ministry. Both the proclamation of the apostles and the living picture of the
Body of Christ provided by the harmonious community of believers gave
witness to the continued work of the resurrected and living Christ in their
midst. God’s favor rested on them bountifully—great grace was upon
them all.
4:34. The believers spontaneously responded to the needs of their
companions from a heart filled with the Savior’s love. Thus no one among
them…lacked. They did this willingly and not as a result of some apostolic
order or guilt-inducing pressure from the leaders.
4:35. This early group of believers trusted the twelve apostles for the
proper distribution of the collected funds. They laid them at the apostles’
feet and then the Twelve distributed to each as anyone had need. Thus at
this early stage the apostles apparently fulfilled deacon-like functions. In
addition, they used need as the criterion for dispersing the offerings (guided
by wisdom no doubt). Apparently both the presentation and dispersion of
funds took place in a public manner. The report also underscores the
position of the apostles as overseers and mediators of blessing to the
community.
4:36. At this point Luke introduces Joses, a believer whose character so
attracted the attention of the Twelve that they renamed him Barnabas,
which means Son of Encouragement. Luke further describes him as a
Levite of the country of Cyprus. The OT Levites owned no land, assisted
the priests in the Mosaic sacrificial system, and received their sustenance
from the same. Now, Barnabas exemplified a praiseworthy servant in the
Messiah’s new priestly house—one willing to sacrifice his own land for the
sake of the brethren’s welfare.
4:37. Thus Barnabas having land, sold it, and brought the money and
laid it at the apostles’ feet. Barnabas gained a reputation as an encourager
for he of his own accord encouraged others with financial sustenance. This
positive presentation of Barnabas provides character credentials for his later
validation of Saul as a trustworthy believer (cf. 9:26-28).
5:1. Luke draws a contrast between the sincere generosity of Barnabas
(4:36-37) and the disingenuous charity of a man named Ananias and
Sapphira his wife, who like Barnabas sold a possession. As often in the
Lucan narrative he provides the name of the personages in the story.
5:2. Luke notes that Ananias kept back part of the proceeds and his wife
was aware of it. Ananias also brought a certain part and laid it at the
apostles’ feet. Outwardly his actions reflected those of the believers who
gave freely, genuinely, and charitably (see 5:35, 37). Inwardly he had
decided to falsely misrepresent the offering before the apostles (and the
church). Multiple witnesses (the twelve apostles) attested the amount on the
basis of Ananias’s representation of his offering as the full price.
5:3. Luke does not specify how Peter knew that Ananias had
misrepresented his offering. This air of mystery points to the Lord (perhaps
the Holy Spirit Himself) as having revealed the truth to him. Again, Peter
serves as the spokesman for the Twelve and questions Ananias. His
question reveals the nature of the sin (lying), the tempter behind it (Satan),
and the one ultimately responsible for doing it (Ananias). Most importantly,
it brings out the possibility of an alternate course of action. In the same way
that no one forced Ananias to present all the proceeds of his sale, he also
had the choice either to give in to the satanic prompting or to resist it.
5:4. Peter unpacks the faulty logic behind Ananias’s choice with a series of
three questions which build to a condemnatory climax. (1) “Was it (the
land) not your own?” (Peter recognized Ananias’s right to hold private
property.) (2) “After it was sold, was it not in your own control?” (3)
“Why have you conceived this thing in your heart?” (Ananias conceived
this himself—the devil did not make him do it.) Then Peter’s conclusion
sets the unvarnished nature of his sin in pure light affirming, “You have not
lied to men but to God.” Theologically, this statement serves to show the
deity of the Holy Spirit—who shares the same divine nature with the Father
and the Son.
5:5. In this narrative Ananias does not speak. Rather, hearing these
words, he fell down and breathed his last. Ananias’s death garnered an
immediate response: great fear came upon all those who heard these
things. Somehow Sapphira did not hear about her husband’s death.
5:6. The postmortem sequence of events transpired quickly and without
ceremony: the young men arose and wrapped him up. Then, they
carried him out, and buried him.
5:7. Sapphira had approximately three hours to reflect on her complicity
in Ananias’s plan. Each hour served as a witness against her—and as a
window for repentance. Ominously Sapphira does not know what had
happened, but she would soon find out.
5:8. Peter allowed for Sapphira either to confess or to condemn herself. He
asked, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” Because she
did not yet know the fate of her husband, her answer would reveal the
unprejudiced status of her heart. She answered, “Yes, for so much.”
5:9. Peter further defined their sin. Together they had lied to the Holy
Spirit by placing a dishonest amount at the apostles’ feet. Now “the feet of
those who buried her husband” would “carry her out.”
5:10. The consequence came swiftly as immediately she fell down at his
feet and breathed her last. In a manner as quick and sober as in Ananias’s
case, the young men came in and found her dead. Then they carried her
out and buried her by her husband. Their joint decision led to a parallel
consequence: burial side by side.
 5:11. The death of two believers on account of their sin set a tone in the
church. Luke reports that great fear came upon all the church (cf. 8:3;
9:31; 11:26; 12:5; 15:3; 18:22; 20:17; cf. 12:1) and upon all who heard
these things. The circle of those affected now grew. Whereas before all
who heard these things feared, now the response encompassed all the
church as well. A healthy awe and respect overtook them all as they
realized that God took truthfulness and purity very seriously in His new
priestly house.
D. Gamaliel’s Test Validates God’s Work (5:12–6:7)
5:12. Luke provides a picture of the apostles as established within the
Church as well as in Jerusalem. After their trials with the religious leaders,
and with the first recorded church conflict dealt with (and Satan’s first
recorded foray into the newborn church now over) God continued to work
by means of the Twelve. Luke reports that through the hands of the
apostles many signs and wonders were done among the people. Thus the
Lord answered their prayer (cf. 4:29-30) and they were all with one accord
in Solomon’s porch (cf. 3:11; John 5:2).
5:13. Apparently the apostles’ healing, teaching, and dealings with the
council created a perception so that none of the rest dared join them, and
yet the people esteemed them highly.
5:14. In this context of an established leadership and corporate existence
believers were increasingly added to the Lord, multitudes of both men
and women.
5:15. The impact of the Twelve, as well as of the growing group of
believers, on the city of Jerusalem led to people even bringing the sick out
into the streets (cf. Acts 13:26; 14:21) and laying them on beds and
couches. Interestingly Peter’s shadow had more power than the whole
council of religious leaders.
5:16. Jerusalem begins to serve as the center of healing for those of the
surrounding cities (a foreshadowing of the movement beyond Jerusalem).
They brought sick people and those who were tormented by unclean
spirits to the city and they were all healed. This signaled both the spread
of Christ’s work and the failure of the religious leaders to contain the
teaching and work of the risen Lord in Jerusalem.
 5:17-18. Predictably the leaders reacted negatively. They were filled with
indignation, and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the
common prison. These measures halted the apostles’s work for the
moment, served as a warning to others, and bought time for the religious
leaders to plot a more permanent solution against the advances of the
church.
5:19. Nonetheless the Lord reversed the decisions of the high priest and
the Sadducees. At night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors
and brought them out. More than a deliverance from prison, the freeing of
the Twelve entailed a validation of their testimony and a commission to
carry on with their witness.
5:20. Thus rather than to return to the other believers as Peter and John
had done previously (cf. 4:23), the Twelve were told by the angel to “Go
and stand in the temple and speak to the people.” Both their manifest
freedom from prison and their message—“the words of this life” (cf. 3:15,
“the Prince of Life”)—correspond seamlessly with resurrection power.
Narratively the contemporary leaders would hinder their liberty whereas the
Lord granted freedom, power, and boldness. The risen Christ made this life
that they enjoyed possible by His resurrection and His sending of the Holy
Spirit to empower their bold witness (1:8). Furthermore He would intercede
for believers from His ascended position at the right hand of the Father.
5:21. The Twelve obediently responded. At the same time the high priest
and his associates convened the council together. The group also included
all the elders of the children of Israel (lit., “sons of Israel” cf. Luke 1:16;
Acts 7:23, 37; 9:15; 10:36). They sent to the prison to have them
brought.
5:22. When the Sanhedrin officers arrived to retrieve the detained
apostles, they encountered an amazing scene. The apostles had gone.
Interestingly Luke does not report any amazement from the officers. They
simply returned and reported what they found.
5:23. They offered a terse report: “Indeed we found the prison shut
securely, and the guards standing outside before the doors”—details
that help validate the supernatural deliverance that had transpired. Having
confirmed the secure arrangements, they reported that they “found no one
inside” (cf. 16:28, we are all here).
 5:24. The narrative first builds suspense by underscoring the befuddlement
of the high priest, the captain of the temple, and the chief priests who
collectively wondered what the outcome would be.
5:25. The religious leaders then had more early morning news to contend
with. Someone arrived announcing, “Look, the men whom you put in
prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people!” God’s
power and authority unequivocally rested on the apostles rather than with
the established religious authorities. The humor in the account reflects the
joy of God’s victory over death and legalistic religion.
5:26. Two interesting developments ensue. On the one hand the captain
went with the officers and brought the Twelve without violence. As for
the leaders, rather than a healthy reverence for God, they feared the
people, lest they should be stoned. Ironically, the religious authorities
feared the very punishment they themselves sought for the Twelve.
5:27. Even the apostles’ divine deliverance would not stop the religious
leaders from holding trial. When the captain and the officers arrived with
the Twelve, they set them before the council for interrogation by the high
priest.
5:28. The high priest boldly asked, “Did we not strictly command you
not to teach in this name?” From the council’s perspective this constituted
a more serious offense because of the prior warning (cf. 4:18, 21). The
hubris of the high priest focused his anger on three distinct points: (1) the
Twelve had disobeyed their orders; (2) they had “filled Jerusalem with
their doctrine”; and (3) most poignantly, the Twelve had directly implicated
them in the death of the Lord Jesus (you “intend to bring this Man’s
blood on us”). Ironically each accusation implicates them. God had
consistently overridden their orders; Jerusalem would have benefited from
the apostles’ teaching, and they had brought the guilt for the Crucifixion
upon themselves (cf. Matt 27:25).
5:29. Peter again served as the principal spokesman (a marked contrast to
his previous denials; cf. Luke 22:54-62) as he and the other apostles
answered with one irrefutable principle: “We ought to obey God rather
than men.” Peter’s principle subtly places the religious leaders on the
wrong side of God’s will. The council clearly did not speak for God.
5:30. Peter desired to witness about the Lord Jesus rather than defend the
Twelve. The very God the religious leaders claimed to worship “raised up”
the Messiah they had murdered on the cross.
5:31. Peter relates the post-Ascension work of the Lord to Israel
specifically. Not only had the God of their fathers raised up Jesus, He also
“exalted Him to His right hand as Prince (cf. Acts 3:15; Heb 2:10; 12:2)
and Savior” to their benefit. The right hand designates the place of royal
privilege next to God the Father. Prince identifies Him as the Pacesetter or
exemplary Leader or Captain whose career of suffering on the way to glory
believers ought to follow (cf. Heb 2:10; 12:2). Savior relates to His work of
delivering those who belong to Him as they pursue the same path to glory
that He Himself trod before them. To give repentance to Israel and
forgiveness of sins specifies the national repentance of Israel that would
result in forgiveness of sins regarding their guilt as a nation. As in Peter’s
speech on the Day of Pentecost the forgiveness here identifies the unfettered
fellowship that the nation would enjoy with their God.
5:32. Peter then specifies the role of the Twelve—“we are His witnesses
to these things.” They played a principal role in communicating these
truths to Israel and thus they spoke officially for God. But they did not
speak on their own. “The Holy Spirit” testified along with them (by
granting them the ability to work confirmatory miracles and by enabling
them to speak boldly and precisely about the Lord Jesus). Peter specifies
that God had given the Holy Spirit “to those who obey Him.” With this
Peter implies that these religious leaders had not obeyed the Lord. They had
not believed in the Messiah for eternal life, and had also fought against
Him.
5:33. The response of the leaders differs significantly from that of the
hearers on the Day of Pentecost. Killing the Twelve would not rid them of
all believers, but it would silence the primary witnesses to the life, death,
and resurrection of Jesus. Their response betrays their guilt and identifies
them as those who do not obey Him (cf. 5:32). Their murderous intentions
later escalate to the actual murder of Stephen.
5:34. In the midst of the murderous anger one in the council stood up to
grant some much-needed perspective. A Pharisee named Gamaliel asked
to put the apostles outside so that he could freely present his proposal and
possibly hide his own perspective from the Twelve.
5:35. Both historically and narratively Gamaliel’s words set up a litmus
test for the apostolic doctrine and endeavors. Gamaliel begins with a
cautionary note: “Men of Israel, take heed what you intend to do
regarding these men.” Ironically Gamaliel himself belongs to this council
and yet he distances himself rhetorically from its actions and decisions. The
designation men of Israel reflects their identity as the covenant people who
ought to know better and recalls Peter’s address to them. Gamaliel presents
a twofold defense of his warning. (Josephus, the Jewish historian, names
these same two men who appear in Gamaliel’s rationale.)
5:36. Gamaliel argued that “some time ago” a man named “Theudas rose
up, claiming to be somebody.” (Gamaliel here refers to a different
Theudas than the one who died later in AD 44.) Approximately “four
hundred” men allied themselves to him. Nevertheless Theudas ended up
“slain, and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing.”
Theudas’s movement failed despite his followers and efforts. Gamaliel
implicitly suggests the same possible fate for the followers of Jesus.
5:37. Gamaliel set forth another example to strengthen his argument
—“Judas of Galilee.” This revolutionary “rose up in the days of the
census (which occurred in AD 6 or 7, later than that recorded in Luke 2:1-
3) and drew away many people after him.” The story ends the same way.
Thus Gamaliel sets up his appeal on the basis of known failed revolutionary
leaders and movements of their day. Ironically the nation itself would see
dispersion after their rejection of Messiah. Gamaliel unwittingly described
the fate of the nation and its leaders who in fact fought against God in their
rejection of Jesus the Messiah. In following the treacherous lead of another
Judas Jerusalem would see destruction.
5:38. Having established his rationale the respected leader offered his
counsel: “keep away from these men and let them alone.”
5:39. Gamaliel presented a prudent observation: “if it is of God, you
cannot overthrow it—lest you even be found to fight against God.” His
words show the council’s blindness and again ironically display the fact that
so far their treatment both of Jesus and of His followers amounted to
fighting against God. Interestingly, Gamaliel also unwittingly set the
standard of measurement for the ministry of his star pupil, Paul, whose
ministry would thrive even under house arrest in Rome (cf. 28:30-31).
5:40. Luke reports that they agreed with him. Revealingly, after
Gamaliel’s speech their actions offer a clearer perspective on their motives.
Rather than simply letting the Twelve go as they agreed they first beat them
physically and commanded that they should not speak in the Name of
Jesus.
5:41. The name of Jesus remains central to this narrative so much so that
they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for His name They neither sought nor
enjoyed suffering but rather endured it in light of a greater purpose—
testifying to the reality of the Lord Jesus as the Savior resurrected, living,
and honored at the right hand of the Father.
5:42. Their boldness did not abate in the light of mistreatment from the
religious leaders. In fact they continued to gather daily in the temple and in
every house. Luke records that in both spheres they did not cease teaching
and preaching Jesus as the Christ. This helps to conclude this particular
episode but not the larger unit of thought (3:1–6:7).
6:1. Culturally Greek Jews or Hellenists felt slighted by their more
Hebraic compatriots. Specifically, the Hellenist widows were neglected in
the daily distribution—regular sustenance granted to these believing
women who had no other family or means of support (cf. James 1:26-27;
2:14; 1 Tim 5:3-15).
6:2. The Twelve immediately addressed the concern. They summoned the
multitude of the disciples. They first eliminated one possible solution by
clearly delineating their own responsibilities: “It is not desirable that we
should leave the word of God and serve tables.” They did not see the
additional task as beneath their dignity but as unwise in light of their
weightier responsibility. Both endeavors counted as ministry (cf. Acts 1:17).
6:3. The apostles then instructed their fellow believers to carefully “seek
out…seven men of good reputation.” The phrase “full of the Holy
Spirit” signifies spiritual maturity—the result of characteristic obedience
with the enablement provided by the Holy Spirit. Also, they would need
wisdom to handle delicate matters among believers. Once selected, the
twelve apostles would then officially “appoint them over this business.”
6:4. The Twelve then specified their own duties. They would dedicate
themselves “continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” This
wise and simple solution freed the apostles to pursue their primary ministry.
6:5. The proposal pleased the whole multitude. Of the seven men chosen,
Luke specifically highlights Stephen’s faith and spiritual maturity.
 6:6. These men would carry out a spiritual service and so received a
corresponding commission by the Twelve. The believers set the seven
before the apostles. The Twelve prayed and then laid hands on them.
6:7. With the apostles freed to pursue their ministry priorities, the word of
God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem. The fact that even a great many of the priests believed (see
comments on 5:32) shows the waning power of the legalistic and misguided
religious authorities. It reflects adherence to the priestly house of the
Messiah—the High Priest par excellence in the order of Melchizedek (cf.
Heb 2:16–5:10; 7–8, esp. 8:13). The next major unit of Luke’s narrative
(6:8—9:31) begins to make the move outwards from Jerusalem in
conformity with the program set out in Acts 1:8.
III. God Selects His Witness to the Gentiles (6:8–9:31)
A. Stephen, the First Martyr, Prefigures the Witness of Paul (6:8–
8:3)
1. The Hellenistic Synagogue of the Freedmen frames Stephen
(6:8-15)
6:8. Luke then highlights the ministry endeavors of Stephen, one of the
seven. His description as full of faith and power provides the basis for
doing great wonders and signs among the people. Thus far in the
narrative only the apostles have performed miraculous acts. Stephen both
reflects the character of the Lord Jesus Christ and reaches forward to
prefigure the witness of Paul.
6:9. Whereas the Twelve have thus far served as the lightning rod for
persecution from opponents, Luke now reports on Stephen’s friction with
members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (former slaves) whom he
qualifies as Cyrenians (cf. 2:9), Alexandrians (from Alexandria, the
Hellenistic capital of Egypt), and those from Cilicia and Asia.
6:10. Stephen’s person and actions as a mature and Spirit-enabled believer
presented an unconquerable force (cf. Luke 21:15-16) and the members of
the Synagogue of the Freedmen were not able to resist. Not winning a war
of words, Stephen’s opponents would have to resort to other means in order
to stop him.
 6:11. Those of the Freedmen synagogue did not directly oppose Stephen.
Rather, they secretly induced men to accuse him of speaking
“blasphemous words against Moses and God.” This false accusation
betrays the true interests of the religious leaders. God did not really occupy
their hearts principally. Their primary allegiance lay with Moses and the
Law.
6:12. Apparently Gamaliel’s counsel did not hold the religious leaders for
long. The Freedmen stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes. It
seems that positive teaching about Jesus and even accusations about their
role in His death did not irk them as much as the alleged anti-Moses
rhetoric. They seized Stephen and brought him to the council—the
supreme legislative body of Judaism.
6:13. After inciting the seizing of Stephen, the Freedmen set up false
witnesses to accuse Stephen of blasphemy “against this Holy Place and
the Law.” These two themes will ironically serve as the touchstones for an
indictment against them. Their lies help pave the way that leads to their own
condemnation.
6:14. The false witnesses presented their incendiary version of Stephen’s
words. They claimed to hear him say, “this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy
this place and change the customs which Moses delivered to us.”
Ironically, their own disobedience would lead to the destruction of the
temple in AD 70, and they themselves changed the Mosaic customs away
from a loving and genuine heart before God.
6:15. The narrative contrasts all who sat in the council with Stephen. As
they gazed steadily at him, they saw his face as the face of an angel. This
should have alerted them to Stephen’s role as a messenger from God.
Instead it confirmed their historical hardness of heart.
2. Stephen presents the Scriptural/historical case against the
nation (7:1-53)
7:1. The high priest leads the interrogation. His question “Are these
things so?” implies a concern for the truth, but it may actually mask a
desire for any opportunity for persecution.
7:2. Stephen’s introductory words appear twice in the book—here and in
the apostle Paul’s impromptu speech at his arrest in Jerusalem (cf. 22:1). He
begins with an affirmation of his kinship. He reminds them that “The God
of glory appeared to our father Abraham.” Stephen thus commences his
discourse by focusing on the call and formation of the nation.
7:3. God gave Abraham a twofold command to leave his country and
relatives, and to go to a land that God would show him. These commands
entailed a separation from his pagan past connections—geographical and
familial.
This step demanded faith. Students of the Scriptures differ on whether
Abraham had already been justified by faith at this point (Gen 12:1-9).
Some argue that Gen 15:6 looks back to this occasion. However Rom 4:1-5
and Gal 3:6 more likely point to Gen 15:6 as the time when God justified
Abraham on the basis of his belief in the Messiah who would come. The
NT records other instances of those who obeyed God before believing in
Jesus for eternal life (e.g. the man born blind, John 9:1-38 and Cornelius,
Acts 10:1-6, 43-48).
7:4. Abraham first “came out of the land of the Chaldeans (cf. Jer 24:5;
Gen 11:28, 31; 15:7) and dwelt in Haran.” Then after the death of “his
father” (Gen 11:31-32), God moved Abraham to the land of Palestine “in
which Stephen’s listeners now dwell.” Stephen thus establishes a
geographical connection between Abraham and their present location.
7:5. Despite Abraham’s dwelling in the land, Stephen affirms that “God
gave him no inheritance in it.” Yet “even when Abraham had no child,”
God promised the land “to him…and to his descendants after him.”
7:6. Israel, under Roman rule, had not yet received the land as a permanent
possession. Abraham and the other patriarchs and believers would not enjoy
it until after their resurrection (cf. Heb 3:7–4:13; 11:13-16, 39-40). God had
told Abraham that “his descendants would dwell in a foreign land,” a
reference to the experience of the nation in Egypt under foreign domination.
Stephen’s mention of “four hundred years” (cf. Gen 15:13-14) perhaps
refers not to the total time of 430 years in Egypt (cf. Gal 3:16-17) but to the
period of domination under the Pharaoh who did not know Joseph.
7:7. God judged the oppressing nation and brought His people out to serve
Him in Israel (“‘this place’”). Now fourteen centuries later the nation found
itself in a similar circumstance. Even after rejecting the offer of the
kingdom from John the Baptist and Jesus, there remained the opportunity to
see the promise realized in their lifetime.
 7:8. God gave Abraham “the covenant of circumcision” as a
complementary consideration established after the promise. In view of this
“Abraham begot Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day.”
Afterwards, “Isaac begot Jacob” who in turn “begot the twelve
patriarchs,” all keeping and perpetuating the covenant of circumcision.
7:9. Stephen sets “the patriarchs” off as at odds with God’s purposes at
the time. For despite their evil actions against Joseph, “God was with
him.” Stephen begins to compare the experiences of the Lord Jesus and
Joseph.
7:10. God’s love for Joseph resulted both in rescue from “all his troubles”
as well as “favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of
Egypt.” Furthermore Joseph’s obedience resulted in ruling privileges as
God “made him governor over Egypt and all Pharaoh’s house.”
7:11. While Joseph experienced God’s sustained blessing “a famine and
great trouble came over all the land of Egypt and Canaan” (where his
father Jacob and his brothers still lived). As a consequence the patriarchs of
the Jewish nation “found no sustenance.” This set the stage for the
blessing of Jacob’s family through Joseph whom God had sovereignly sent
ahead to Egypt.
7:12. When “Jacob heard” that Egypt had sufficient grain, he sent out the
patriarchs first. The designation “our fathers” helps Stephen establish a
common link between Israel’s founders and the contemporary generation.
God sovereignly preserved His people and providentially led them with an
ultimate view to bringing them to His place of promised blessing.
7:13. Stephen specifies how “the second time (i.e., during the second
journey to Egypt to purchase provisions) Joseph was made known to his
brothers.” The NKJV’s was made known more literally could be translated
as “came to know again” or “came to know for the second time.” As the
nation of Israel did not know Joseph, the type of Christ, until the second
time, so this may represent a subtle hint at the nation’s rejection of Jesus the
Messiah at His First Advent and welcome at His Second. Subsequently,
“Joseph’s family became known to the Pharaoh.”
7:14. God’s carefully crafted providential working through the free
decisions of Joseph, his brothers, and Pharaoh eventually led to the move of
the whole Jewish nation to Egypt. Stephen specifies that “seventy-five
people” comprised the totality of the nation at the time.
 Genesis 46:27 lists the number as seventy, not seventy-five. The additional
five may reflect others within the broader family not related by blood to
Jacob (cf. Gen 46:31-34; 47:12; 50:8b for the broader category of
household). Another possible explanation sees the figure of seventy-five as
excluding Jacob and Joseph (46:8-26 excludes both from the list of seventy)
and including Joseph’s seven grandsons (1 Chron 7:14-15, 20-25). Some
see this simply as a rounded number.
7:15. Stephen’s discourse passes over the rest of the nation’s history and
moves to the end of the patriarchs’s Egyptian experience. He recounts how
“Jacob went down to Egypt, and he died, he and our fathers.” The
family’s destiny, however, lay in Canaan—which prompted their return.
7:16. A plot of land in Canaan expressed the patriarch’s faith in God’s
promise. At their death, “they were carried back to Shechem and laid in
the tomb that Abraham bought.” The patriarchs obtained the plot legally
and for a price with a view to one day enjoying the whole land as their
possession—in the future resurrection. Stephen’s speech thus returns to
Abraham and God’s promises. Because they buried Jacob at Hebron in the
Cave of Machpelah (cf. Gen 49:29–50:13), Stephen must here refer to the
burial of Joseph and his brothers. The references in Joshua do not preclude
the transport of Joseph’s brother’s bones back to Shechem (Gen 33:19;
34:2; Josh 24:32).
7:17. With the covenant to Abraham as a background, “the time of the
promise drew near which God had sworn to him.” Meanwhile “the
people grew and multiplied in Egypt.” The actual numerical growth took
place outside the land itself in accord with God’s promise to Abraham of
multiple descendants (cf. Gen 12:2; Acts 7:5) and His revelation regarding
their oppression in a foreign land (cf. Gen 15:12-14).
7:18. The drama of the nation’s history intensified as “another king arose
who did not know Joseph.” Providentially this fit in perfectly with
everything God had spoken before to Abraham as it set up the bondage
from which the Lord would powerfully deliver them in the future (cf.
15:12-14).
7:19. In contrast to the former Pharaoh who provided for the preservation
of the nation, his successor sought their destruction. He “dealt
treacherously” with them and “oppressed” their forefathers. The
murderous motive of the Pharaoh expressed itself in his edict to have the
Jews “expose their babies, so that they might not live.”
7:20. Stephen then references Moses’ birth during “this time”—the era of
Egyptian oppression. The fact that Moses prefigured Jesus the Messiah may
help explain Moses’ status as “well pleasing” (cf. Heb 11:23; Exod 2:1-10).
In addition to the quality of his person, the arrival of Moses signaled a
further facet in the fulfillment of God’s plan for Israel. Prior to the transition
to Pharaoh’s household Moses “was brought up in his father’s house for
three months.” Stephen thus begins to bring to light parallels between
Moses and Jesus.
7:21-22. Stephen contrasts the very short amount of time Moses spent in
his own home under the care of his father (lit., “the father”) with the
occasion “when he was set out.”
The rescue of Moses by “Pharaoh’s daughter” involved more than the
preservation of his physical life. God also providentially placed him where
he could receive the best educational training of his day. Moses’ powerful
“words and deeds” contrast with the powerlessness of that generation in
both areas. For all their professed adherence and allegiance to Moses, their
actual disposition and behavior scarcely mirrored his—despite their expert
knowledge of the Law (cf. Matt 23:1-7).
7:23. Stephen then transports his audience ahead to when Moses “was
forty years old.” In line with God’s providence and secret sovereign plan
(see Acts 1:7), “it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children
of Israel.” Despite his practically lifelong association with Pharaoh’s
household, Moses retained a brotherly disposition or affinity toward the
children of Israel.
7:24. Moses’ deep allegiance to his brethren surfaced when he saw a
fellow Jew “suffer wrong” at the hands of an Egyptian. He “defended and
avenged” (cf. Luke 18:7-8; 21:22) his Israelite brother by “striking down”
the oppressor.
7:25. By the time this event transpired Moses already knew that “God
would deliver the Jews by his hand.” This episode also reveals the
misconception of his fellow Israelites: “they did not understand.” Stephen
thus signals the blindness to God’s purposes of the generation in Moses’
day, as well as those to whom he spoke.
 7:26. On “the next day Moses appeared to two of his Jewish brethren as
they were fighting.” Stephen then brings out another facet of Moses’
relation to his fellow Jews—that of reconciler. His words reveal much about
his perspective regarding the nation. Moses used a question (with an
underlying presupposition) to get them to think through their behavior.
Brethren ought to behave lovingly and not “‘wrong one another.’” Moses’
perspective anticipates the Mosaic Law. The attitude and actions of
Stephen’s audience would certainly not conform to Moses’ disposition
despite their vocal adherence to Moses teaching. The strife here potentially
reflects the factions that would lead to the Jewish War of AD 66–70.
7:27. Rather than dissolve the animosity, Moses’ question turned the
aggressor in the conflict against him. “He who did his neighbor wrong
pushed Moses away” and posed a question laced with both animosity and
irony. The man complained of Moses as “‘a ruler’” (cf. v 35) because he
interfered in his argument with the other man. He rendered Moses “‘a
judge’” (cf. v 35; Luke 12:14) because he brought a verdict on the situation:
Jewish brethren ought not wrong each other. Ironically God had called
Moses to lead and judge the Israelites (Exod 3:1-10; 18:13-27).
7:28. The aggressive man then implicitly threatens Moses by asking: “‘Do
you want to kill me as you did the Egyptian yesterday?’” In the Greek
language the form of the man’s question anticipates a negative response and
so reveals that he did not really think Moses would kill him. Rather, he
intended to let Moses know that others knew about the killing and could use
it against him.
7:29. Stephen reports that “at this saying, Moses fled to Midian.”
Perhaps he gauged the attitude of other Israelites by his encounter with this
particular man. He perceived that anyone could twist such sensitive and
potentially explosive information into a life-threatening reality for him.
7:30. After a lapse of another “forty years an Angel of the Lord
appeared to him.” The Angel appeared “in a flame of fire in a bush.” The
Angel identifies either the preincarnate Lord Jesus in the function of divine
Messenger or an angel who precedes God’s direct address to Moses—in
both interpretations God ultimately speaks to Moses. Furthermore God
spoke to Moses “in the wilderness,” the place of testing and desolation that
he had come to know intimately in the last forty years. In Stephen’s
discourse God only speaks to Abraham and to Moses—in both instances
outside the Promised Land.
7:31. Moses received a visual stimulus that captured his attention. He
“marveled at the sight” (cf. 10:17, 19; 11:5; 12:9; 16:9-10; Matt 17:9).
Amazed, “he drew near to observe” (cf. Acts 11:6; Luke 12:24, 27;
20:23). Then “the voice of the Lord came to him.”
7:32. The Lord announced, “‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’” Whereas Moses first
wanted a closer look, now he “trembled and did not dare look.”
7:33. Having identified Himself, the Lord then instructed Moses: “Take
your sandals off your feet (a symbol of reverence before Deity), for the
place where you stand is holy ground.” God’s very presence sanctified the
terrain on which Moses stood.
7:34. Stephen parallels the historical scenario of the new nation’s
oppression under foreign domination with their own contemporary situation
under Rome. The Lord affirms that He had “surely seen the oppression of
His people…in Egypt” and “heard their groaning.” Thus He had “come
down to deliver them” (cf. 7:10; 12:11; 23:27; 26:17). Moses would then
(not forty years prior to this) serve God in that purpose. Thus the Lord
commanded him saying, “And now come, I will send you to Egypt.”
7:35. Up to this point in the speech Stephen had laid a subtle groundwork
that encouraged reflection. Now he begins a not-so-subtle contrast between
Moses, the God-appointed messenger, and the nation that rejected the
Messiah they should have heeded. He also contrasts the nation’s mistaken
perception of Moses with God’s actual purpose in sending him. They did
correctly perceive Moses as “a ruler” but not in the beneficent way
intended by God. Moreover Moses received his redemptive commission
“by the hand of the Angel who appeared to him in the bush.”
7:36. After an initial rejection by the nation, Moses “brought them out”
and performed signs and wonders in three spheres of leadership—Egypt,
the Red Sea, and the Wilderness. Yet he only reached the border of the
Promised Land without entering in himself. The transition to Moses’
prophecy regarding Jesus implies that the Law (as personified by Moses)
could not bring them to the complete fulfillment of the promise. Only Jesus
could do that.
 7:37. Stephen then transitions to an explicit connection between Moses
and Jesus. Moses had told “the children of Israel” that the Lord their God
would “‘raise up for them a Prophet.’” This Prophet in some sense would
resemble Moses (“‘like me’”) and would descend from the Israelites
themselves (“‘from your brethren’”). The NKJV follows the Textus
Receptus and includes the clause “‘Him you shall hear,’” which appears
neither in the Majority Text nor the Critical Text. Deuteronomy 18 does
include it and thus it more fully reflects Moses’ original prophecy.
However, its addition here preempts, anticipates, and disrupts the sequential
building of Stephen’s argument.
7:38. Moses not only prophesied about the Messiah (Jesus), he also
received the Law, “the living oracles,” to which they professed zealous
allegiance. Although the OT Law itself could never ultimately bring life (cf.
Gal 3:19-22; Rom 3:19-20; 7:1–8:13), it still constituted God’s living Word.
Moses thus served as a mediator between God and the nation.
7:39. Despite Moses’ intimate communion with the Lord on Mount Sinai
their common forebears “would not obey, but rejected” him. Stephen then
provides an insight into their disposition revealing that “in their hearts
they turned back to Egypt.” He thus brings to light a perennial problem
with the nation: a lack of correspondence between external behavior and
internal integrity before the Lord.
7:40. Their internal disposition turned into an idolatrous display seen both
in their request as well as the actual material idol they formed. They
demanded that Aaron “‘make us gods to go before us.’” They intended to
have false gods lead them. (They had just seen the one true God defeat the
false gods of Egypt with the ten plagues and now they clamored for a
similar false deity!) They used Moses’ absence as an excuse.
7:41. Their faithless heart and disobedient disposition then displayed itself
in three specific ways (beyond the initial request to Aaron): (1) “they made
a calf” (while Moses experienced communion with God and received laws
that would enhance their lives); (2) “they offered sacrifices to the idol”;
and (3) they “rejoiced in the works of their own hands.”
7:42. That initial idolatrous rebellion provided a paradigm for their forty-
year sojourn. Stephen then recalled the question God had asked the
idolatrous preexilic nation: “‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and
sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel?’” (cf.
Amos 5:25-27). Perhaps this particular generation had forgotten their
unfaithful past. Stephen granted them a precise perspective on their historic
disobedience.
7:43. Stephen brings to light their divided loyalties and wayward hearts as
they “‘also took up the tabernacle of Moloch (a false god of the
Canaanites) and the star of the god Remphan’” (a false deity associated
with Saturn; cf. Amos 5:26). The initial idolatry that manifested itself while
Moses met with the Lord on Mount Sinai continued to seduce them in their
later history.
As a result God would “‘carry them away (cf. Acts 7:4) beyond
Babylon’” into captivity for seventy years. With this statement Stephen
sums up the nature of the nation’s disobedience to the Mosaic Law. He also
answers part of the charge made by the false witnesses against him—“This
man does not cease to speak blasphemous words against this holy place and
the law” (6:13). Having answered the last charge first, he then addresses the
accusation regarding the temple.
7:44. Stephen now presents God’s perspective concerning the Temple vis a
vis their skewed outlook. To do so he takes his audience back to when their
“fathers had the tabernacle of witness (cf. Exod 28:43) in the
wilderness.” God Himself had revealed the precise design and construction
of the tabernacle to Moses.
7:45. Stephen then makes a swift transition from the nation’s wilderness
wanderings to their entrance into the Promised Land to possess it. Their
forebears witnessed this history of the tabernacle. The second generation
received the tabernacle and “brought it with Joshua into the land
possessed by the Gentiles.” God drove these unbelieving nations out and
continued to do so “until the days of David.”
7:46. The same David “found favor before God and sought to find a
dwelling (cf. 2 Pet 1:13-14) for the God of Jacob.” David’s desire and his
son Solomon’s bringing it to fruition provide the context for the correct
perspective on the temple.
7:47. God directed the process that led to Solomon building the temple—
the house David intended to build. He responded to David’s desire but set
His own requirements for it.
7:48. Now despite God’s provision of the moveable tabernacle and later
the temple, ultimately “the Most High” (a designation highlighting the
unimaginable lofty separateness of God from the relative humility of
humanity) “does not dwell in temples made with hands” (cf. Isa 66:1-2).
7:49. The Lord expresses Himself in a fashion that encompasses all of
creation as properly belonging to Him. He affirms, “‘Heaven is My throne
and earth is My footstool’” (cf. Matt 5:35). Heaven and earth are
essentially God’s “furniture.” With this perspective, the Lord asks what
possible dwelling could humans construct for Him?
7:50. The quote from Isa 66:1-2 contrasts a man-centered versus a God-
centered perspective. The Lord asks, “‘Has My hand not made all these
things?’” It pinpoints the problem of the nation: making much of externals
and little of the Creator. The nation needed to look beyond honoring the
material temple structure to glorifying God the Creator of everything (cf. 1
Kings 8:27).
7:51. Stephen’s words constitute God’s very message to the accusatory
audience: “You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears!” They
evidenced their stubbornness by rejecting Christ despite His loving
character, unique miracles, perfect message, and resurrection. Stephen
draws a consistent line from them to their forebears stating, “You always
resist the Holy Spirit, as your fathers did, so do you.” This verdict from
Stephen fits thematically with the emphasis on the Holy Spirit in Acts and
reveals something of the Spirit’s work in the OT.
7:52. Stephen then presents evidence for his holy accusation. The question
correctly assumes an unbroken antagonism toward all of God’s prophets.
Their forebears murdered the messengers “who foretold” (cf. 3:18; 2 Cor
9:5) the Messiah’s advent. The designation “Just One” (cf. Acts 3:14;
22:14; Luke 23:47) for Jesus points out their injustice by stark contrast. In
conformity to their forebears they had now “become the betrayers (cf.
Luke 6:16; 2 Tim 3:4) and murderers” of the righteous Christ.
7:53. Stephen further characterized the council as those who had
“received the law by the direction of angels (cf. Gal 3:19) and had not
kept it.” Ironically, whereas they had set out to place Stephen on trial, they
ended up receiving a just divine verdict against themselves. They felt the
cumulative weight of his carefully crafted and Spirit-directed verdict and
reacted violently.
 3. The contemporary generation follows through on Stephen’s
words—they murder him (7:54-60)
7:54. As a result of Stephen’s righteous assessment and accusation they
were cut to the heart. The irking they felt then manifested itself
dramatically as they gnashed at him with their teeth. Their unrighteous
rage either indicates that they felt wrongly accused (thus showing their
profound hardness of heart) or that they recognized the inescapable logic
and weight of Stephen’s words.
7:55. In contrast to their resistance to the Spirit, Stephen being full of the
Holy Spirit saw the heavenly reality that validated his death and his
message to that generation. He gazed into heaven and saw the glory of
God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.
The standing position of the Lord may indicate recognition of a King
toward another ruler. Stephen’s fidelity to the point of death assures for him
a position of coheirship or kingly reigning along with Jesus in the future
millennial kingdom. The Lord Jesus here may stand in recognition of this
(in a similar fashion in which He will gird Himself and serve His rewarded
servants; see Luke 12:37). Thus He offers His rewarded servants a respect
and recognition properly reserved for Himself in view of their love and
faithfulness toward Him.
The standing might otherwise signal His readiness to return and judge the
nation (cf. Luke 22:66-71). If so, then perhaps Stephen pictures a Moses-
type figure interceding for the nation.
7:56. God had offered Stephen a glorious glimpse denied to his self-
righteous and hardened countrymen. This opening of “the heavens”
signified revelation on God’s part (cf. Luke 3:21-22; Rev 19:11-12 on the
culminating revelation of Jesus) and implicitly hinted at the direction of
God’s program for the interadvent age—the high priestly service of the
Lord Jesus Christ at the right hand of the Father. Jesus would remain at the
Father’s right hand while the Church (exemplified by Stephen as a model
disciple) would both grow and suffer persecution. This particular violent act
presaged the spread of the gospel beyond the Jewish nation to the very
Gentiles despised by the nation as inferior.
7:57. Without a way to justify themselves against Stephen’s historically
precise accusation, they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their
ears (cf. Luke 4:38; 8:37, 45; 12:50; 19:43; 22:63; Acts 7:57; 18:5; 28:8)—
picturing their refusal to hear God’s message to them. Then they ran at him
with one accord, showing the solidarity of the nation against the Messiah
and His servants.
7:58. Stephen dies a death reminiscent of His Savior’s. They cast him out
of the city (as the Lord had died outside the gates; Heb 13:12-13) and
stoned him. The witnesses contrast to the Twelve who bore testimony to
the righteous Christ. At this murderous point, Luke introduces us to Saul, a
completely unlikely beginning (and yet highly illustrative) for the
missionary and witness par excellence of God’s gospel of grace.
7:59. The enraged council then stoned Stephen. Stephen called on (the
NJKV supplies the word God, which does not appear in the Greek text), and
addressed, the “Lord Jesus,” asking Him to welcome his spirit. Biblical
anthropology teaches that death does not occur until the human spirit
departs (cf. Jas 2:26). His words recall those of his Savior on the cross
(Luke 23:46), which derive from Ps 31:5 where David confidently asks God
for deliverance.
7:60. As his final act Stephen knelt down. With either the memory or the
actual sight of the Father’s glory and Jesus at His right hand before him (cf.
v 56), Stephen cried out with a loud voice. His final petition echoed the
words of Jesus from the cross, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin”
(cf. Luke 23:34). Stephen was asking for a stay of execution for his killers.
The Lord could have surely meted out an immediate death penalty to the
murderers (see Acts 5:1-11). Stephen wanted them to have further
opportunity to believe in Jesus and to repent of their evil doings. In
language exclusively used of the death of believers in the Scriptures, Luke
tells Theophilus that Stephen fell asleep (cf. Mark 5:39; John 11:11-15; 1
Cor 11:30; 15:51; 1 Thess 4:13).
4. Saul and his persecution unwittingly promote the spread of the
Church (8:1-3)
8:1. Luke implicates Saul in Stephen’s death, which unleashed a great
persecution against the church (cf. 2:47; 11:22; 15:4, 22) which was at
Jerusalem. This marks the next major programmatic movement of the
Church in conformity to the Lord’s command (see Acts 1:8). Luke reports
how they were all scattered (cf. 8:4; 11:19) throughout the regions of
Judea and Samaria. Only the apostles remained in Jerusalem. To have the
Twelve together at the birthplace of the Church would have provided
stability and helped restrain the twisting of their teaching by the nation’s
religious leaders. Their very residence at Jerusalem, despite the recent death
of Stephen and the ensuing persecution, would have sent a message about
their commitment to Christ.
8:2. Luke reports that devout men (cf. Luke 2:25; Acts 2:5; 22:12)
carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him. This
marks a contrast between the burial of Ananias and Sapphira and of
Stephen. Yet both the married couple and Stephen belonged to the Lord.
8:3. Luke brings the narrative back to Saul and reports his violent
opposition to the Church. He made havoc by entering every house,
dragging (14:19; 17:6) both men and women, and committing them to
prison. As elsewhere in Luke’s narrative, negative actions against the
Church end up working in its favor, resulting in greater growth.
B. Philip Prefigures Peter and Paul’s Outreach to the Gentiles
(8:4-40)
1. Philip evangelizes Samaritans (8:4-13)
8:4. The persecution did not silence those who were scattered. Rather, it
disseminated the gospel even further. They literally proclaimed good news
despite the adversity they had encountered. The future ministry of Saul/Paul
would follow the same pattern of persecution and proclamation of God’s
Word.
8:5. Philip, one of the original seven deacons (cf. 6:5; 21:8), went down to
the city of Samaria, thus furthering the programmatic statement of Acts
1:8. This advance signals the spread of the gospel and also anticipates the
movement to the end of the earth.
8:6. Philip’s preaching about Christ obtained a positive response from the
Samaritans so that multitudes with one accord heeded his words. God
validated Philip’s proclamation with confirmatory signs so that his
audiences heard and saw the miracles (cf. 2:22, 43; 4:16, 30; 5:12; 6:8;
7:36; 14:3; 15:12, 22) which he did.
8:7. Luke records that many had unclean spirits or demons (cf. Luke 9:42
for the identification of both terms) that came out as a result of Philip’s
God-ordained and Spirit-empowered ministry. The NKJV rendering—were
possessed—reflects the Greek phrase having unclean spirits in the
narrative. These unclean spirits would cry out as they exited—apparently as
clear evidence of their departure. Further, many who were paralyzed and
lame were healed. The variety of beneficial results both spiritual and
physical that accompanied Philip’s ministry identifies his work with that of
the Twelve and consequently then with Jesus Himself.
8:8. Philip’s ministry produced great joy in Samaria, a city where
nondeported Jews centuries earlier had intermarried with war captives from
other countries resettled in northern Israel by the Assyrians. The spread of
the gospel to their mixed culture brings the narrative closer to the reaching
of pure Gentiles with the good news about the Savior Jesus Christ. Their
great joy reflects both their secure salvation and certain deliverance effected
there by God in His grace.
8:9. In Samaria a certain man called Simon had previously practiced
sorcery. Luke provides interesting information here about the demonic and
magical activity in Samaria—something not recorded in any of the
Gospels.
8:10. All gave heed to Simon to the point of their asserting that “This
man is the great power of God.” Philip’s presence could have made
Simon angry or jealous. Instead, it piqued his curiosity.
8:11. Simon’s longevity as the city magician contributed to his popularity.
His perennial practice astonished the multitudes. However, Simon now for
the first time encountered God-given power and spiritual authority.
8:12. The story switches back to Philip, the results of his ministry, and his
message. Luke clearly differentiates their belief in Jesus (for eternal life)
from their subsequent water baptism. Men and women publicly identified
themselves with Jesus Christ after they had believed the message.
8:13. Luke reports that Simon himself also believed and was baptized.
He then continued with Philip. As with Stephen, God confirmed Philip’s
message with miracles (cf. Acts 6:8). This supernatural ministry amazed
Simon.
2. Peter and John facilitate the Samaritans’ reception of the Holy
Spirit (8:14-17)
 8:14. The Samaritans had previously not welcomed Jesus because of His
determination to go to Jerusalem, which prompted James and John to
inquire about bringing fire down on Samaria (Luke 9:51-56). Now, Peter
and John would arrive from Jerusalem to facilitate the falling of the Holy
Spirit on them (cf. 8:16).
8:15. Thus far only Jewish believers and proselytes had received the Holy
Spirit (and none by the laying on of hands). Here Peter and John pray on
behalf of the Samaritans. The prayer facilitated the bestowal of the Holy
Spirit. The actual reception of the Spirit awaited the laying on of hands by
the apostles.
8:16. The Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of the Samaritan
believers. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Unlike the Palestinian Jews of Acts 2, the Samaritans did not need to meet
any additional condition in order to receive the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless,
the bestowal by the hands of the apostles would aid in preserving the unity
of the church in these early days. It would also validate the authority of the
Twelve and Jerusalem as the source of correct doctrine. This explains both
the delay in their reception of the Spirit and the laying on of hands for the
granting of the Spirit.
8:17. The narrative shows the Samaritans as passive in this process. God
had already given them eternal life (regeneration) as a result of simply
believing in Jesus. Now the apostles laid hands on them (including on
Simon, who believed and was baptized, cf. 8:13) and they received the
Holy Spirit.
These details contradict any interpretation that renders Simon an
unbeliever. Luke highlights Simon’s belief (v 13) without differentiating his
faith, baptism, or reception of the Spirit from that of the other Samaritan
believers.
3. Simon learns the value of sanctity (8:18-24)
8:18. Simon now comes back into the story. Having practiced sorcery for
“a long time” (see v 11), it stands to reason that he still had to deal with the
desire for fame and power. Thus when he witnessed this supernatural
occurrence He offered them money.
8:19. Simon requested this power also, that anyone on whom I lay
hands may receive the Holy Spirit. Significantly the apostles prayed for
the bestowal of the Holy Spirit on the Samaritans, indicating that they did
not have the automatic power to bestow the Holy Spirit of their own accord.
Simon desired something not even the apostles possessed.
8:20. The Apostle Peter prescribed temporal ruin for Simon as his
punishment: “Your money perish [apōleia] with you.” Peter had already
witnessed the death of two believers in a context that likewise dealt with sin
in connection with both money and the person of the Holy Spirit (cf. 4:32–
5:11). Simon thought that he could buy the gift of God (i.e., the Holy
Spirit; cf. 11:17).
The only other use of apōleia in Luke-Acts clearly refers to temporal
destruction or death (25:16). A survey of all the NT uses of apōleia shows
that it more often refers to temporal ruin or loss (Matt 26:8; Mark 14:4;
Acts 8:20; 25:16; 1 Tim 6:9; Heb 10:39; 2 Pet 3:7, 16) than to eternal ruin
or loss (Matt 7:13; John 17:12; 2 Thess 2:3; 2 Pet 2:3; Rev 17:8, 11).
8:21. Peter pronounces an imprecation on Simon: “You have neither part
nor portion in this matter.” Both words (meris and klēros) relate to
inheritance (cf. Col 1:12). Simon had no role in the (very temporary)
apostolic privilege of granting the baptism of the Holy Spirit to new
believers.
Peter also gives the reason: for your heart is not right in the sight of
God. Peter thus questions Simon’s motives, not his standing with God. The
NT abundantly testifies to the sad reality that believers can stray from the
straight path (e.g., 1 Corinthians).
8:22. Peter does not tell Simon to believe in Jesus for eternal life. Rather,
he exhorts him to repent of his wickedness that his “heart might be
forgiven.” The NKJV rendering “if perhaps” implies a slim chance of
forgiveness for Simon. The Greek text more accurately speaks of the
possibility or hope (cf. Acts 17:27, in the hope that) of God sparing Simon’s
health or life on condition of his repentance and petition (cf. 1 Cor 11:30).
8:23. Simon needed repentance and prayer. Peter correctly perceived him
as “poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.” Soon after his
conversion Simon had seriously sinned. His desire to possess apostolic
power or authority had bound him to the point of his making an offer
consistent with his pre-conversion manner of life and thought.
8:24. Simon then showed a change of heart. He recognized the Lordship of
Jesus and apostolic authority. Simon feared loss of his money, health, and
even life (v 20). The fact that Simon lived to make this petition is a good
sign (cf. Acts 4:32–5:11). His request here reveals a repentant disposition
(cf. Luke 6:45). He humbles himself and requests apostolic intercession.
4. Peter and John evangelize in Samaria (8:25)
8:25. Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in
many villages of the Samaritans. Further conversions and baptisms would
not require apostolic visits to effect the baptism of the Holy Spirit. This
verse summarizes the ministry in Samaria and reports on the continuing
activity of Peter and John. It does not however constitute a major Lucan
progress report demarcating a major unit of the account.
5. Philip travels south and leads an Ethiopian official to faith in
Christ (8:26-40)
8:26. The narrative invites comparisons with the OT prophet Jonah and the
Gentile Ninevites. The Angel’s command recalls the similar order to Jonah
to “arise and go” (using the same Greek verbs in the LXX; Jonah 1:1).
Jonah descended (cf. the verb katabainō in Jonah 1:3b, 5d) in disobedience,
whereas Philip went down (also katabainō) in obedience.
8:27. Philip immediately arose and went (note the contrast to Jonah 1:3,
LXX; and the similar obedience in Jonah 3:3). Eunuch refers to a castrated
government official. Ethiopia in the NT and in Koine Greek often refers to
the country of dark-skinned people to the south. And, Candace refers to the
queen’s title, not her name.
This impressive official who had charge of all her treasury…had come
to worship in Jerusalem. Because the Greeks considered Ethiopia as at the
end of the world (cf. Homer Odyssey 1.23), the episode prefigures the final
facet of Acts 1:8 which Paul and his missionary companions will largely
carry out. Paul will later go to the end of the earth (i.e., Rome) in Acts 27–
28.
8:28. While en route to his country, the official sat in his chariot and read
Isaiah the prophet. Isaiah undergirds the Lucan narrative at various points.
8:29. The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near and overtake this chariot.”
The NKJV’s overtake translates kollaō, which means to “adhere closely”.
Philip would for a time join himself to the eunuch’s world and concerns.
 8:30. Philip ran to him displaying his swift obedience. The Lord rewarded
the eunuch’s interest in and desire to understand the Scriptures with a
worthy interpreter to clarify the meaning for him. Philip heard him
reading aloud and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Philip’s genuine concern did not insult the man. Philip asked about the
essential question in all reading—comprehension.
8:31. Philip’s manner facilitated the interpretive and salvific encounter.
The eunuch logically responded, “How can I, unless someone guides
me?” (cf. Luke 6:39). Philip’s question suggested he could explain the text.
The man asked Philip to come up and sit with him. Philip humbled
himself as a servant and the eunuch elevated him.
8:32. In God’s providence the eunuch had been reading Isaiah 53:7-8, a
key messianic text which detailed and prophesied the Messiah’s sacrificial
death—a perfect passage for the proclamation of the gospel. He puzzled
over the words: He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; And as a lamb
before its shearer is silent, So He opened not His mouth. The passage
speaks of Messiah who willingly died on behalf of sinners.
8:33. Isaiah says, “in his humiliation His justice was taken away.” The
Lord Jesus’ unjust suffering led to His death (cf. 1 Pet 3:18a); thus, he adds,
“And who will declare His generation? For His life is taken from the
earth?”
8:34. The official then asked, “of whom does the prophet say this?” The
eunuch’s openness, curiosity, and perhaps identification with the text he had
chosen to read placed him in the perfect position to hear its proper
interpretation.
8:35. Philip began his explanation at this Scripture and then
characteristically preached Jesus to him (cf. Acts 8:5). An emphasis on
Jesus should characterize all of our evangelistic endeavors.
8:36. At some point en route they came to some water. Seeing it, the
eunuch asked, “What hinders me from being baptized?” Biblically only
one answer qualifies one for baptism: belief in Christ. He could undergo
water baptism immediately on belief. Luke’s inclusion of this question
helps to set up the Gentile scene at the home of Cornelius (cf. 10:47).
8:37. The NKJV followed the Textus Receptus here. However, both the
Majority and Critical Texts exclude this verse.
 8:38. The eunuch commanded the chariot to stand still. The absence of a
specific confession of belief does not place in doubt the eunuch’s belief in
Christ. The man’s desire for baptism, and the very fact that Philip baptized
him, shows that he believed.
8:39. Both came up out of the water. This strongly suggests baptism by
immersion. With this, Philip’s mission concluded abruptly. The same Spirit
of the Lord that initially commanded him to go up to the chariot now
caught Philip away. As with Jonah, the Lord supernaturally provided
transportation for His messenger.
Luke reports that the eunuch saw him no more, implying that the eunuch
had the necessary means available to enable his Christian growth. He
certainly had the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit. Surely the Lord would use
him to testify to his countrymen. This foreigner foreshadowed the
expansion to the Gentile world. Significantly, he does not need the presence
of an apostle to receive the Holy Spirit. The fact that he went on his way
rejoicing attests to his assurance.
8:40. Philip was found at Azotus—a coastal city. He then traversed a
pathway of preaching as he proclaimed Christ in all the cities till he came
to Caesarea (not Caesarea Philippi but Caesarea Maritima on the coast of
the Mediterranean). Luke mentions this Caesarea numerous times and in
key places, marking it as one of the most important cities in his historical
narrative (cf. 8:40; 9:30; 10:1, 24; 11:11; 12:19; 18:22; 21:8, 16; 23:23, 33;
25:1, 4, 6, 13). The mention of Caesarea here gives a geographic
foreshadowing of the next step in the programmatic expansion of the early
church. Philip serves as a bridge both to Paul’s future ministry to the
Gentiles and to Peter’s opening the door to the end of the earth.
C. God Saves His Witness, Saul of Tarsus, and Delivers His
Church (9:1-31)
1. Saul intends to bring believers bound to Jerusalem (9:1-2)
9:1. After showing that Saul’s threats did not hinder the spread of the
gospel in the least, Luke accurately portrays him as still breathing threats
and murder against the disciples of the Lord. Saul went to the high
priest, little knowing that he would soon encounter God’s true High Priest,
the Lord Jesus Christ.
 9:2. He asked letters (cf. 22:5) from him to the synagogues of
Damascus (cf. 22:5-6, 10-11; 26:12, 20; 2 Cor 11:32; Gal 1:17). He sought
official permission to take believers as prisoners to Jerusalem. The
designation the Way (cf. 19:9, 23; 24:22) underlined believers as belonging
to Jesus (the Way personified, John 14:6) and following a life path that
emulated their Savior and Lord (cf. Acts 19:9, 23; 24:22). Ironically,
whereas Paul requested letters (lit., “epistles”) to help him destroy
believers, he would in the future write epistles to build them up.
2. The Lord saves and commissions Saul (9:3-9)
9:3. Saul’s blind antagonism and zeal for his religious traditions had kept
him from seeing the truth. As he approached Damascus…suddenly a light
shone around him from heaven. The shining light signaled a revelation of
the person of Christ.
9:4. Saul fell to the ground. (The text does not affirm that he fell from a
horse). He then heard a voice that asked, “Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me?” The question underscores the intimate relationship
between Jesus and those belonging to Him. The believers’s union with
Christ renders actions against them as offenses against Him. But the love
and mercy of Jesus extends beyond His own to His enemies and persecutors
(cf. Luke 6:27-36). The repetition of Saul’s name by the Lord signals strong
heartfelt emotion (recalling the Lord’s lament over Jerusalem (cf. Luke
13:34-35) and reveals the Lord’s merciful love even for one such as Saul.
9:5. Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” He then heard: “I am Jesus,
whom you are persecuting.” Ironically Saul had unwittingly been doing
what his favorite teacher warned against, fighting against God (cf. 5:38-39).
The KJV and the NKJV reflect the Textus Receptus rendition. The better
reading, as reflected in the MT and CT, omits the second statement by Jesus
in v 5 (cf. 26:14) and the supposed comments by Luke in the first half of v
6.
9:6. Verse 6 actually continues the words of Jesus from the first half of v 5:
“But arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do”
(cf. Jonah 1:1-2; 3:1-2; Acts 26:16). Saul’s Damascus destination now took
on a new purpose.
9:7. Saul had not traveled alone. Luke records that the men who
journeyed with him stood speechless (cf. 22:9).
 9:8. Saul had remained on the ground with his eyes closed during his
initial encounter with the Savior. He arose from the ground, and when his
eyes were opened he saw no one. The blindness in part may have served to
focus Saul’s mind on what he had just experienced.
9:9. In Damascus, Saul spent three days without sight and neither ate
nor drank. The lack of sight and both solid and liquid sustenance reflected
the solemnity of the Savior’s dealing with him and the soberness of his
response. The scene may recall Jonah’s experience in the fish as precursor
to a successful mission to the Gentiles after initial disobedience.
3. Ananias (of Damascus) knows and obeys the Lord (9:10-14)
9:10. The Savior called on one of the very believers Saul potentially would
have persecuted to minister to him—a certain disciple at Damascus
named Ananias. Jesus spoke to him in a vision (cf. 9:12; 10:3; and 18:9),
calling him by name—“Ananias” (meaning “God is gracious”). The Lord’s
knowledge of Ananias’s name shows His personalized concern for His own.
As a perfect complement to the Lord’s knowledge, Ananias responds as
someone who knows His voice: “Here I am, Lord.”
9:11. Luke’s precision in recording persons and places both testifies to the
accuracy of his knowledge and serves his narrative purposes. In the vision
the Lord instructed Ananias, “Arise and go to the street called
Straight”—the principal thoroughfare in Damascus. Once on Straight
Street, Ananias would seek “the house of Judas” (signifying praise ).
There he would ask “for one called Saul of Tarsus.” Luke now reveals
what Saul had done for the three days—he prayed. Praying provided the
context for God’s special revelation to him. God had taken Saul from a
wayward and misguided path to Straight Street and the house of praise.
Now, Ananias, whose name means “God is gracious,” would graciously
minister to him.
9:12. The Lord had also granted a vision to Saul. He would regain “his
sight” through the instrumentality of another believer. Those whom he once
despised would now minister to him for his physical and spiritual welfare.
9:13. Ananias reacted as expected. He knew about “how much harm” the
infamous Saul had done to the Lord’s own “in Jerusalem.” Perhaps
Ananias here attempted to dissuade the Lord from His command (cf. v 11).
 9:14. Ananias knew that Saul had “authority from the chief priests” (cf.
26:12) to imprison “all who call on Your name.” With this description
Ananias implicitly calls on the Lord to deliver him (and them) from Saul.
Perhaps he subtly reminds the Lord that all includes him! Other NT texts
speak of believers who call on the Lord, appealing to Him for deliverance
from threatening circumstances.
4. The Lord selects Saul as His chosen vessel (9:15-16)
9:15. The Lord calmed Ananias’s fears by identifying the former
persecutor as “a chosen vessel (cf. Rom 9:11; 11:5, 28; 1 Thess 1:4; 2 Pet
1:10) of Mine” and setting forth a plan for Saul’s future ministry
(reminiscent of His charge to the Eleven in 1:8). Saul’s ministry would
touch every facet of their society and culture.
9:16. Bearing the Lord’s name would include suffering “for My name’s
sake.” Saul’s suffering validated his apostleship and message. Why would a
false or insincere messenger submit to a course of suffering?
5. Saul sees and the Holy Spirit fills him (9:17-19a)
9:17. Ananias obediently entered the house. He first laid his hands on
him and addressed him as a fellow believer. Ananias then communicated his
purpose. The filling of “the Holy Spirit” anticipates Paul’s future and
powerful verbal witness for the Savior.
9:18. Luke reports that immediately there fell from his eyes something
like scales. He then references Saul’s baptism. The removal of Saul’s
blindness before his baptism implies full cognizance of its significance. He
entered the baptismal waters with his eyes wide open.
9:19a. Saul then finally received food and was strengthened. He
followed physical nourishment with spiritual sustenance in the company of
other believers.
6. Saul preaches in Damascus (9:19b-22)
9:19b. Rather than returning them bound to Jerusalem, “Saul spent some
days” enjoying Christian companionship with fellow believers in Jesus.
9:20. Saul’s former zeal for persecution now turned into a passion for
proclamation. His first preaching presaged the future pattern of his ministry.
He would preach first in the synagogues. More importantly, he focused his
preaching on the Savior, specifically asserting that He is the Son of God,
that is, the Christ (cf. v 22; see also 2 Sam 7:14-16; John 1:49).
9:21. The markedly more negative and suspicious reaction of the others at
Damascus shows the Lord’s wisdom in selecting Ananias as the disciple to
welcome Saul into the household of faith. Those in the synagogues in
Damascus recognized Saul as the one “who destroyed (only here and Gal
1:13, 23) those who called on this (i.e., Jesus’) name in Jerusalem” and
had come to Damascus to “bring them bound to the chief priests.”
9:22. The doubts of some did not quell Saul’s enthusiasm. He confounded
the Jews who dwelt in Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the
Christ. God does not bypass man’s reason in the process of evangelization.
People need evidence to convince them.
7. Saul escapes from a plot to kill him in Damascus (9:23-25)
9:23. Saul’s ministry in the synagogues of Damascus greatly angered his
own countrymen. Whereas before he would counsel together with the
Jewish religious leaders to plot against believers, now they themselves
plotted to kill him. (Chronologically, apparently Paul spent some time in
Arabia during the many days referenced here; cf. Gal 1:17.)
9:24-25. Somehow the murderous plans became known to Saul. The
resourceful disciples took him by night so as to cloak their doings and let
him down through the wall in a large basket (cf. 2 Cor 11:32-33). One
need not always submit to martrydom in the face of a valid provision for
escape that does not dishonor the Lord (such as denial of the Lord for the
sake of preserving one’s own life). In a happy irony those whom Saul had
come to kill actually saved his life.
8. Barnabas helps Saul in Jerusalem and Saul faces another plot
to kill him (9:26-29)
9:26. Luke presents a somewhat comical account of Saul’s return to
Jerusalem. When he tried to join the disciples they feared him, not
believing that he was a disciple. This reality also testifies to the loving
treatment Saul received from the believers in Damascus.
9:27. Saul needed an advocate. Just as the Lord had provided Ananias in
Damascus, He supplied an advocate in Jerusalem. Barnabas, the son of
encouragement, came forth to provide his unique ministry to one of the
most important personages in Christian history—Saul. In God’s providence
Saul’s experience in Damascus contributed to the establishment of his
credibility in Jerusalem. Barnabas took him and brought him to the
apostles (Gal 1:18-24 provides details complementary to this period
including Paul’s fifteen-day visit with Peter, [cf. v 18], and apparently time
beyond this when he met James the Lord’s brother, [cf. v 19]). Barnabas
spoke on Saul’s behalf and provided a threefold testimony of his
genuineness: Saul had seen the Lord on the road; the Lord had spoken to
him; and he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
9:28. With Barnabas’s support Saul’s experience in Jerusalem somewhat
paralled that in Damascus. He was with them (presumably Barnabas, the
apostles, and other disciples), freely moving about Jerusalem (cf. Gal
2:22). (Part of the MT omits the phrase and going out, included by the CT
and part of the MT.)
9:29. Again, somewhat paralleling his Damascus experience, in Jerusalem
Saul spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against
the Hellenists (Greek speaking, culturally adapted, Jewish people). These
actually attempted to kill him. The conflict with the Hellenists
foreshadows the largely Gentile character of Saul’s ministry. Both
Palestinian and Hellenistic Jews opposed him to the point of desiring to
murder him. Stephen’s experience at some level had now become his own.
9. Saul is sent to Caesarea and Tarsus; Churches have peace
(9:30-31)
9:30. As in Damascus, fellow believers rescued Saul. They brought him
down to Caesarea and sent him out to Tarsus, his hometown (cf. 11:25;
21:39; 22:3). While there, Saul apparently carried out active ministry in
Syria and Cilicia (cf. Gal 1:21). The Jerusalem Council would include this
area as a destination for their letter, and Paul and Silas would visit there
with a view to strengthening believers already there (cf. Acts 15:23, 36-41).
9:31. The sending off of Saul resulted in a pleasant calm. His own
persecution of believers had ceased as well as nonbelievers’ conflicts with
him. Luke reports that the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and
Samaria had peace and were edified. Galilee appears for the first time as
a geographical area with a church presence. (The Lord does not include it in
His command in Acts 1:8.)
 This progress report concludes the third major unit of Luke’s account. It
effectively states the fulfillment of the first facets of Acts 1:8. Only the end
of the earth remained. The ensuing narrative paves the way for this.
Furthermore they carried out their lives in the fear of the Lord (a healthy
awe characterized by love and obedience toward God) and went along in
the comfort of the Holy Spirit. In this context they were multiplied. Luke
thus gives us the components of healthy church growth.
IV. God Grants the Gentiles Equal Status (9:32–12:24)
A. Two Miracles Foreshadow the Cleansing of the Gentiles (9:32-
43)
9:32. Luke reports how Peter went through all parts of the country
(Judea, Galilee, and Samaria). As he did so he came down to the saints
who dwelt at Lydda. This shows both the growth of the church as well as
the apostolic concern for the new believers. Narratively, the emphasis on
Peter alone marks a progression from the Twelve, to Peter and John, to just
Peter. Having already introduced Saul (cf. 7:58; 8:1-3; 9:1-22), this will
facilitate the later transition to him and his complementary mission to the
Gentiles (as a narrative counterpart to Peter—who also would work with
Gentiles later; cf. Gal 1:13-16; 2:6-10; 1 Pet 1:1-2).
9:33. In keeping with Luke’s concern for the individual he introduces
Aeneas. This believer had been bedridden eight years and was
paralyzed.
9:34. Aeneas experienced immediate and complete healing, thus regaining
full function. Aeneas’s miracle prefigures God granting the Gentiles
repentance unto life—a welcome into walking in the ways of the Lord that
would result in an abundant life (cf. Acts 11:18).
9:35. Aeneas’s physical healing then worked for the spiritual welfare of
many. The phrase turned to the Lord describes both believers who turned
to the Lord in the sense of aligning their lives to His will and way as well as
nonbelievers who believed in Jesus and began to follow Him as well.
9:36. From the Lord’s healing of Aeneas, Luke then moves the narrative to
Joppa and to Tabitha [in Aramaic], which is translated Dorcas [in
Greek], which means “Gazelle.”
 9:37. Providentially it happened in those days that when Peter ministered
nearby, Tabitha became sick and died. The believers there washed her
and laid her in an upper room (cf. 1:13; 9:39; 20:8). The upper room
foreshadowed a positive, life-giving work from the Lord (as elsewhere in
Acts). Rather than laying her in a tomb, they hoped for a miraculous work
from God.
9:38. In a scenario that recalls Jesus’ incident with Jairus’s daughter (see
Luke 8:40-42, 49-56)—the disciples at Joppa sent two messengers
imploring Peter to come to them.
9:39. Peter acceded to their request. Arriving, they brought him to the
upper room. The presence of all the widows testified to the quality of
Tabitha’s walk with the Lord.
9:40. Peter opted to respond to their request. He put them all out
(probably reflecting the Lord’s method in raising Jairus’s daughter, which
he had witnessed [Luke 8:51]), and knelt down and prayed. He then
turned to the body and said “Tabitha, arise”—reflecting the Lord’s simple
command in Luke 8:54. Tabitha opened her eyes, and after seeing Peter
she sat up.
9:41. Peter gave her his hand, lifted her up, and then having called the
saints and widows to reenter the room he presented her alive. God had
decided to let them have Tabitha for further ministry to them.
9:42. Similar to the healing of Aeneas, this miracle worked by the Lord
through Peter served to further the gospel. It became known throughout
all Joppa (cf. v 35). Luke describes the results here in different terms:
many believed on the Lord. The spiritual results correspond to the
physical miracle. The walking of a lame man portrays turning to the Lord in
order to walk in His paths. The resurrection of a dead person relates to life
that only God can give. In this case belief in Jesus would result in eternal
life immediately for those believing.
9:43. Peter then stayed many days in Joppa, probably ministering to the
new believers and edifying the saints already there (cf. v 38). In another
possible allusion to the Jonah history, the OT prophet sailed from the port at
Joppa away from his mission to Gentile Nineveh (cf. Jonah 1:3). Peter
would ultimately obey the Lord on his Gentile mission—after initial
hesitation. His taking up residence with Simon, a tanner (cf. 10:6, 32) also
foreshadows the movement of the gospel to the Gentile world. Under the
OT Law contact with dead animals would render a person temporarily
unclean (cf. Lev 11:24-40, esp. vv 24-28, 39-40). Peter would soon eat and
lodge with unclean Gentiles (cf. 11:1-3).
B. God Reveals His Cleansing of the Gentiles to Peter and other
Witnesses (10:1-48)
10:1. A new character enters the narrative—a certain man in Caesarea
called Cornelius, a centurion (a commander of approximately one
hundred soldiers) of what was called the Italian Regiment (about six
hundred troops).
10:2. Luke presents Cornelius in a very favorable light as a devout man
(also at v 7; 2 Pet 2:9)...who feared God with all his household. God-
fearers refers to Gentiles who worshipped with Jews in the synagogue, but
had not fully converted. Cornelius gave alms generously to the [Jewish]
people. Furthermore he prayed to God always. Cornelius thus reflects
ideals not even portrayed by Israel’s leaders.
10:3. At the ninth hour of the day (3:00 in the afternoon) Cornelius saw
clearly in a vision (cf. 9:10, 12; 18:9) an angel of God who came and
called him by name. This marks the only visit by an angel to a nonbeliever
in all of Luke’s writings (with the possible exception of the angelic
announcement to the shepherds regarding the birth of Messiah). God
perfectly knows Cornelius’s motives and actions. He knows everyone
everywhere and can carry the revelation concerning Jesus to anyone who
wants to know Him.
10:4. Cornelius observed the angelic messenger and grew fearful. He
asked, “What is it, Lord?” (Here Lord constitutes a term of respect rather
than deity.) In the angel’s response, the word memorial indicates that God
had taken cognizance of Cornelius’s disposition and actions. Cornelius
brought pleasure rather than displeasure to God.
10:5-6. The angel instructed him to “send men to Joppa and send for
Simon whose surname is Peter.” The angel included Simon’s surname to
distinguish him from “Simon, a tanner” with whom Peter was staying. The
reference to the seaside home would help Cornelius’s men locate the apostle
Peter. Further the scriptural association of “the sea” with the Gentile
nations (cf. Isa 57:20; Ezek 26:3, 17-18; Dan 7:2) and the potential for
ceremonial uncleanness in the handling of dead animals (cf. Lev 11:24-28,
39-40) help color the episode. The statement, “He will tell you what you
must do,” does not appear in either the MT or the CT.
10:7. As soon as the angel left, Cornelius summoned two of his
household servants and a devout soldier from among those who served
him. The group’s composition would have served to legitimize their
message to Peter. Luke’s specification of the soldier as devout may identify
him as one who lived up to John the Baptist’s instructions to soldiers (see
Luke 3:14), whether he had ever heard them or not.
10:8. Cornelius explained all these things to his men. They would not
have thought it strange to have an angelic visitation if they too were God-
fearers, as seems likely. Furthermore the explanation would have added
weight to their mission. Then he sent them to Joppa.
10:9. God had prepared Cornelius for Peter’s message. Now He prepared
Peter for Cornelius’s messengers. The next day while they traveled and
came close to the city Peter went up on the housetop to pray. (The
prevalent flat-roofed homes of the day would have served well for this
purpose.) Luke specifies that this happened about the sixth hour (noon).
10:10. Apparently while praying, Peter became very hungry and wanted
to eat. Peter’s hunger perfectly complements the vision he shortly receives
from the Lord. While they prepared his food, he fell into a trance. Trance
here signifies a sanctified and rational conscious state brought on Peter by
God Himself, rather than a hypnotic humanly produced altered state
common in eastern religions.
10:11. While in the trance Peter saw heaven opened—a signal of heavenly
revelation—and an object like a great sheet bound at the four corners.
The sheet-like object descended to Peter as it came down to the earth.
10:12. The contents of the sheet added to its novelty. It contained animals
prohibited to Jews. The Mosaic Law provided for the distinguishing
between animals and prohibited the eating of certain kinds (see Lev 11:1-47
for the OT background). The sheet indiscriminately contained all kinds of
four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds
of the air.
10:13. Peter then heard a voice say, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” The
message unequivocally came from God and challenged all of Peter’s dietary
instructions to date, and even his view of the world.
 10:14. The Apostle Peter protested the order (a response completely in
character with his past actions—see Matt 16:21-23; Mark 14:17-21; John
13:6-11): “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common or
unclean.” Perhaps Peter perceived the vision as some sort of test of his
faithfulness to God’s written will.
10:15. A voice spoke to him again the second time, adding an
explanation to the command: “What God has cleansed you must not call
common” (cf. 11:9). The vision affirmed that God had changed the OT
regulation.
10:16. God repeated His message three times. The repetition served as a
threefold testimony to the veracity of the message. The fact that the object
was taken up into heaven again signals both the conclusion of the vision
as well as a final positive testimony as to its source—heaven and thus God.
10:17. In God’s plan and providence Peter’s reflection on the vision and
the arrival of the messengers from Cornelius’s house coincided perfectly.
With Luke’s characteristic behold, he reports how Cornelius’s messengers
had asked about Simon’s house, and stood before the gate—an entryway
that implies some degree of wealth or status in society (cf. Luke 16:20; Acts
12:13-14).
10:18. The messengers asked whether Simon, whose surname was
Peter lodged there. The repetition of Peter’s name emphasizes his central
role in the events about to unfold and helps to substantiate the angel’s
message. The men would find what Cornelius had communicated to them as
he had heard from the angel.
10:19. While Peter reflected on the sheet vision he had just seen, he
received a message from the Holy Spirit: “Behold, three men are seeking
you.” This marks the first recorded message from the Holy Spirit to Peter.
The Spirit had already directed Philip in connection with the conversion of
the Ethiopian eunuch (8:26-40)—a narrative that paved the way for the
Gentile outreach. Peter’s pondering (meditation on what God had said)
indicates that he sought to understand the import of the vision—not that he
misunderstood it.
10:20. Peter received clear and unmistakable instructions: “Arise go down
and go with them.” The Holy Spirit specified “I have sent them.” The
command complements the previous order: “Rise, Peter, kill and eat” (v
13). The lifting of restrictions that separated the Jewish and Gentile worlds
would build a bridge for the gospel and for fellowship between both groups.
10:21. Peter went down to the men without yet knowing the reason for
their visit (and probably not comprehending their connection with the sheet
vision). Nevertheless he identified himself to them saying, “Yes, I am he
whom you seek.” He then sought more information asking, “For what
reason have you come?” The question helps bring the reader back to the
beginning of the story and allows Luke to laud Cornelius again.
10:22. The messengers give Peter a flattering yet accurate representation
of Cornelius as a “centurion, a just man” (cf. v 35, who “works
righteousness”). Their description marks him as a non believer who
nevertheless lived in an upright manner (as some non-Christians do.) He
had a good testimony before both God and “the Jews.” The messengers
then detailed their purpose, recounting how Cornelius “was divinely
instructed by a holy angel” to invite Peter to his house “to hear words
from him (cf. 11:14).”
10:23. The hour may have prevented safe passage back to Caesarea. Peter
thus invited them in and lodged them. The following day Peter went
away with them taking his own witnesses—some brethren from Joppa.
The Spirit had already assured Peter of the appropriateness of the trip and
the legitimacy of the request of Cornelius’s messengers.
10:24. The following day they entered Caesarea. Luke last mentioned
Caesarea in connection with Saul and his transition to Tarsus via Caesarea
(9:30). Cornelius had waited for Peter and called together his relatives
and close friends. Peter would surely bring a weighty message (cf. 11:14)
and he desired that his loved ones hear it.
10:25. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet
and worshiped him. This display of illegitimate worship testifies both to
Cornelius’s gratitude as well as to his need for sound instruction.
10:26. Peter responded by lifting Cornelius up, telling him to “stand up”
and clarifying “I myself am also a man.” With this Peter expressed a
fundamental principle of worship: people should worship the Creator, not
the creature (Rom 1:18-23).
10:27. The initial encounter with Cornelius helped clarify everyone’s role
in the meeting. Peter conversed with Cornelius and went in and found
many who had come together. The size and effort of the group in coming
to see Peter grants an early glimpse of Gentile receptivity—a manifest
theme in this Lucan account.
10:28. The apostle Peter first expresses the essential principle that the
vision overturned: “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to
keep company with or go to one of another nation.” No OT law
absolutely prohibited contact with Gentiles. Peter may here reflect the
cultural notion of the possibility for ceremonial compromise or perhaps
even moral uncleanness to occur as a result of such contact. (See Acts 1:12
for another cultural law in the Sabbath day’s journey.) He then reveals what
God has taught him: “God has shown me that I should not call any man
common or unclean” (cf. 10:14).
10:29. Peter’s realization of this truth expedited his trip to Caesarea. He
“came without objection” as soon as Cornelius sent for him. He
nevertheless still did not know the full import of the meeting. So he
inquired, “for what reason have you sent for me?”
10:30. Luke meticulously records the chronological sequence as Cornelius
recounts, “four days ago I was fasting until this hour.” Then, “at the
ninth hour” (3:00 p.m.) Cornelius prayed in the house. Cornelius reports,
“A man stood before me in bright clothing” (cf. Luke 23:11; James 2:2-
3; Rev 15:6; 19:8). Luke called the visitor an angel of God (Acts 10:3).
10:31. The man dressed in the bright clothing delivered a message from
God: “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard.” (God responded to the
prayer of an unregenerate man.) God rewarded Cornelius with a vision of
an angelic messenger and an apostolic witness. Nevertheless he would
receive salvation as a gift as Peter’s message makes clear.
10:32. The angel gave detailed instructions: “‘Send therefore to Joppa
and call Simon here, whose surname is Peter.’” He also revealed Peter’s
precise whereabouts and said, “‘When he comes, he will speak to you.’”
10:33. Cornelius recounts his own prompt obedience, and he praises Peter
for responding. The third recounting of the sequence of events concerning
Cornelius impresses its importance in the reader’s mind. The three-fold
introduction to Peter’s words underscore their weighty significance.
Cornelius says, “We are all present before God, to hear all the things
commanded you by God.” The double emphasis on God indicates a
message with divine authority which Cornelius, his household, and the
reader of Luke’s account would now hear.
 10:34. Peter commences with a principle that he later echoes in his first
epistle (1 Pet 1:17), and which sets the tone for the events to follow: “In
truth I perceive that God shows no partiality” (this particular word
appears only here in the NT, although the concept appears in other passages,
such as Rom 2:11; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1).
10:35. Peter expounds God’s perspective affirming that “in every nation
whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him.”
Peter’s statement coheres perfectly with Rom 3:1-20. God looks favorably
on and welcomes anyone who endeavors to do well in His sight—as
Cornelius in fact did. The fact that no one can earn his or her salvation and
that everyone falls short of God’s glory (Rom 3:23; Isa 64:6) does not
change this truth. Righteousness defines everything that corresponds to
God’s character and commandments whether before the Old Covenant,
under the Old Covenant, or reflected in the New Covenant—regardless of
whether a person has heard the actual command or not (cf. Rom 2:14).
God grants even Gentiles who fear Him and work righteousness the
additional revelation that they seek and need in order to receive justification
by faith (cf. Luke 13:22-30). While this in no way earns eternal salvation
(cf. Isa 64:6; Rom 4:1-8; Eph 2:8-10), it does merit further revelation from
God.
10:36. Peter explains that the Father sent a message to “the children of
Israel (cf. Matt 10:5-7, for example) preaching peace through Jesus
Christ.” But, Peter clarifies, “He is Lord of all.” Although the word came
first to Israel, Jesus the Messiah serves as Lord for all nations and every
individual.
10:37. Peter asserts that they knew the message which God sent the
children of Israel. It “was proclaimed throughout all Judea.” Thus
stubborn unbelief, not inaccessibility to the truth, would account for the
nation’s coming woes in A.D. 66-70. Peter assigns the beginning of the
preaching to “Galilee after the baptism which John preached.”
10:38. Peter fills in the details of the history. He recounts “how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth,” thus marking the beginning of His messianic
ministry at His baptism (cf. Luke 3:21-23). The anointing of Jesus for
ministry resulted in His going about “doing good and healing all who
were oppressed by the devil.” These benevolent and powerful marks of
Jesus’ ministry unequivocally showed that “God was with Him.”
Everything Jesus did reflected the Father’s plan, purpose, and power.
10:39. From Jesus’ anointing and ensuing public ministry, Peter transitions
to the Lord’s work of redemption. Peter counts himself as one of the
“witnesses of all things which He did,” thus recalling 1:8 as well as the
role the Lord Jesus assigned to the Eleven before His ascension. Despite
His mercy and powerful miracles to the nation, they killed Jesus through
crucifixion—“by hanging [Him] on a tree” (cf. Deut 21:23 for the OT
background).
10:40. Peter then affirms that the very same Jesus they crucified “God
raised up on the third day.” Furthermore the Father did not keep this a
secret, but rather “showed Him openly.” Thus the Father oversaw both the
Lord’s resurrection as well as His appearances afterwards.
10:41. The Father showed Jesus “to witnesses chosen before by God.”
Peter then identifies some of those witnesses as “us who ate and drank
with Him after He arose from the dead.” The eating and drinking
testified to both a physical resurrection and to the Lord’s continuing
humanity.
10:42. Peter’s explanation reflects messages in the Acts narrative spoken
by both Peter and Paul. The Father has granted judicial prerogatives to the
Son, the Lord Jesus. Jesus will judge the spiritually dead after the
Millennium (cf. Rev 20:11-15). He will also evaluate the lives of the
spiritually alive at the Judgment Seat of Christ, before the Millennium (cf. 1
Cor 3:5-17; 2 Cor 5:9-11).
10:43. With the skillfully set backdrop of their own knowledge about
Jesus’ ministry (vv 36-38), his own authoritative eyewitness testimony to
the Lord’s death and resurrection (vv 39-42a), and the reality of the divinely
validated judgment to come (v 42b), Peter arrives at the conclusion of his
discourse and his announcement concerns belief in Jesus Christ. Peter
clearly attributes “remission of sins” to belief in Jesus only—for anyone
who believes His promise.
Peter’s audience equated the remission of sins with once-for-all salvation.
The angel had told Cornelius that Peter would tell him words by which he
and his household would be saved (11:14). Thus they knew Peter spoke
about salvation.
 Positional forgiveness (cf. Col 2:13; Eph 1:7) covers all sins—in regard to
our standing with God—as ones accepted in Christ. Fellowship forgiveness
deals with maintaining our harmonious relations with God—as we confess
sins that hinder our daily communion with Him (cf 1 John 1:7-9).
10:44. Luke does not explicitly say that they believed (though see 11:14-
17). Rather, he skillfully lets the reader know that belief occurred both
through the dramatic report that the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who
heard the word as well as by the reaction of the believers who had come
with Peter—who in their case had received the Spirit after believing (cf.
2:37; 3:19).
10:45. Luke reports the amazement of those of the circumcision (the
Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter) because the gift of the Holy
Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also. Luke’s description
underscores the fact that Gentiles did not need anything beyond faith in
Jesus in order to receive God’s gift of the Spirit.
10:46. God granted a confirmatory sign for the sake of the surprised
Jewish believers present. Both the tongues and the praise of God reflected
the same reality of the Day of Pentecost (see 2:1-13).
10:47. God’s bestowal of the Holy Spirit on these Gentile believers
rendered the question of the appropriateness of their water baptism a moot
point. Rather than needing repentance and a public identification with the
Lord Jesus to receive the Spirit (2:38; 22:16), belief in Him sufficed. In
keeping with this Peter asked, “Can anyone forbid water, that these
should not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we
have?” His question contains an allusion to the Ethiopian eunuch’s
conversion (cf. the similar theology of 8:36). It also testifies to the church
truth which they would later learn—that, in Christ, Jewish and Gentile
believers have equal access to every spiritual blessing (cf. Gal 3; Eph 4:1ff).
10:48. Peter’s visit at Cornelius’s home established the pattern for the
Gentile world and the age of the Church—belief in Jesus for eternal life;
immediate and automatic reception of the Holy Spirit; and subsequent
Christian baptism. In keeping with this sequence Peter commanded them
to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then, consistent with the pattern
often displayed in Acts, Peter stays for some time to build up the saints.
 C. Peter Confirms the Cleansing of the Gentiles to the Apostles
(11:1-18)
11:1. Word spread to the apostles and brethren who were in Judea that
the Gentiles had also received the word of God. Gentiles had believed in
Jesus before (cf. Luke 7:1-10; Acts 8:26-40). Nevertheless the events at
Cornelius’s home entailed their ethnic and introductory reception of the
message of salvation by faith alone, the consequent bestowal of the Holy
Spirit on them, and the demonstration of equal standing for them along with
the Jews in the body of Christ (Acts 15:7-11).
11:2. News of the blessing on the Gentiles reached Jerusalem before the
apostle Peter did. When he arrived, the Jewish believers there had prepared
to confront him. Luke reports that those of the circumcision (Jewish
believers in Christ still zealous for the Law) contended with him. They had
time to develop their points of debate and immediately pounced on Peter.
The clash of the God-ordained events with their prejudiced perspective
caused deep emotional reactions.
11:3. They had readied a concise accusation: “You went in to
uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Their contention echoed what
Peter himself had asserted before God changed his thinking by means of the
sheet vision (10:14-15, 28).
11:4. Luke includes a fourth rendition of the events surrounding the
conversion of Cornelius and his household highlighting its significance. On
this occasion Peter narrates it in order from the beginning.
11:5. Peter relates the account from his perspective. His narrative matches
the details of his initial experience as recorded in 10:9-48.
11:6. Peter also adds that he observed it intently and considered (cf.
Luke 6:41; 12:24, 27; 20:23; Acts 7:31-32; 11:6; 27:39). The vision granted
by God called for Peter’s reflection. Luke’s narrative repetition of it calls
for the reader to likewise consider it thoughtfully.
11:7. Peter recounted the Lord’s command to him: “I heard a voice
saying to me, ‘Rise, Peter, kill and eat.’” This divine command validates
the killing of animals for the purpose of human nutrition. The command of
the Lord here helps Peter establish his case before the Jewish brethren who
contended with him. They, like Peter, needed instruction in order to arrive at
an understanding of the Jewish and Gentile relationship in the newly born
church.
11:8. Peter’s past response corresponded to what his believing Jewish
brethren would have thought appropriate. He had refused to eat. Peter’s
almost humorous response to the Lord underscores the depth of his
adherence to the OT Law.
11:9. “The voice” that “answered Peter again from heaven” speaks to
his present audience as well: “‘What God has cleansed you must not call
common.’” An objection against Peter would constitute a response against
God.
11:10. The three-fold repetition of the vision also helps to establish Peter’s
case before his audience as does the fact that “all were drawn up again
into heaven.” The heavenly source of the vision testifies to its veracity as a
communication from God.
11:11. Peter then recounts that when the sheet-like object returned to
heaven—“at that very moment”—another threefold witness confirmed the
revelation. “Three men stood before the house” where Peter stayed. They
had “been sent” to him “from Caesarea”—an important seaside city in
Luke’s narrative (cf. 8:40).
11:12. Peter then adds the testimony of the Holy Spirit to him. Again the
message to Peter served his own present audience well. They had waited for
Peter in order to contend with him (cf. vv 1-2), and “the Spirit” had
instructed him to doubt nothing (cf. 15:9). Also Peter took “six
brethren”—Jewish believers—with him. This doubling (or tripling) of the
basic number to establish a valid witness further solidified his narrative as
trustworthy and persuasive.
11:13. . Peter then relates Cornelius’s account (as buttressed by his own six
witnesses—the brethren who accompanied him). Cornelius had explained to
them “how he had seen an angel standing in his house.” The angel’s
message corresponded to Peter’s experience in Joppa. The angel instructed
Cornelius to send for Peter—whom God had already begun to prepare for
the encounter in Joppa.
11:14. Peter’s recounting adds an important additional detail. The angel
explains that Peter would communicate “words by which Cornelius and
his household would be saved.” The Lucan narrative associates salvation
with the ministry of the Holy Spirit. It also shows the necessity of a
believing response to God’s message in order for salvation to occur. Peter’s
words on that occasion contained sufficient information for salvation to
result (cf. 10:34-43).
11:15. Peter then places himself back into his narrative and explains that as
he “began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them” in the same manner
as He had done “at the beginning.” Peter thus emphasizes the
commonality of the Jewish and Gentile experience and shows how God
began something new at the beginning—on the Day of Pentecost, the day
the Church commenced.
11:16. Peter then introduces the witness of the Lord Jesus Himself. He also
reveals his thoughts at Cornelius’s home. When he witnessed the bestowal
of the Spirit on the Gentiles, he remembered the Lord’s promise: “‘John
indeed baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy
Spirit.’” Peter’s witnessing of the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on the
Gentiles jarred his thinking so that he saw that Jesus’ promise extended
beyond the Jewish nation.
11:17. He now draws the conclusion: “God gave the Gentiles the same
gift” they (as Jewish believers) received when they “believed on the Lord
Jesus Christ.” Peter’s choice of words reflects both the single condition for
salvation—belief in Jesus—and the bestowal of the accompanying gift of
the Spirit. Peter concluded: “Who was I that I could withstand God?”
11:18. Peter’s orderly and reasoned explanation persuaded the Jewish
believers so that they became silent. They had no further argument.
Persuasion led to praise and they glorified God in recognition that He had
“also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”
The bestowal of the Holy Spirit on the Gentiles furnishes the key to the
phrase “repentance unto life.” The narrative complements Peter’s message
to the Jewish worshipers at Pentecost (cf. Acts 2). On that occasion his
Jewish audience required repentance and water baptism as conditions for
both the reception of the Holy Spirit and the forgiveness of sins—national
reconciliation and personal restoration to fellowship with God. These
requirements related to fellowship with God rather than to the reception of
eternal life—a gift conditioned only on belief in Jesus as Savior.
Repentance unto life here references a post-belief experience related to the
pouring out of the Holy Spirit on, and dwelling in, believing Gentiles.
Zealous Jewish believers would know about OT Gentiles who believed in
Messiah and received justification from God (Rahab, Ruth, and others).
Most importantly, they would have primarily associated repentance with the
nation of Israel’s experience of fellowship with God.
These Gentiles had entered the sphere of true life and blessing
immediately after they placed simple faith in Jesus—rather than either
through the experience of a proselyte (i.e., converting to Judaism) or the
conditions placed on the wicked generation nationally charged with the
crucifixion of the Messiah (repentance and baptism). They now had the
privilege of enjoying enablement for the Christian life and its attendant
blessings through the ministry of the indwelling Holy Spirit.
D. God Establishes a Hellenistic Church in Antioch (11:19-26)
11:19. The bestowal of the Holy Spirit upon the Gentiles provided the
foundation for Paul’s ministry. Luke brings the reader back to those who
were scattered after the persecution (cf. 7:10; 14:22) that arose over
Stephen. This both facilitates the transition to the last facet of the Acts 1:8
command (the end of the earth) with the reaching of the Gentiles. It also
brings Saul back into the scenario (as he presided both over the killing of
Stephen and the ensuing persecution against believers). These persecuted
Jewish believers in Jesus traveled as far as Phoenicia (the Mediterranean
coast of the Roman province of Syria), Cyprus (cf. 15:39; 21:3; 27:4), and
Antioch (in Syria; cf. Acts 13:1; 14:26; 15:22-35; 18:22). Antioch, the last
mentioned locale, would later serve as the headquarters of the Gentile
outreach. Nevertheless at this stage they spoke the word to no one but the
Jews only. The mention of Cyprus and Antioch also anticipates Paul’s work
in those places. The church in Antioch would send Paul and Barnabas out
and they would stop first in Cyprus (cf. 13:1-4). As Luke clarifies here,
believers from the church in Jerusalem had introduced Christianity in both
places.
11:20. Nevertheless, when some of them, men from Cyprus (cf. 4:36;
21:16) and Cyrene in North Africa (cf. 2:9; 6:9; Luke 23:36), entered
Antioch, they evangelized the Hellenists (Jewish people who adopted the
Greek culture and language, cf. 6:1; 9:29), preaching the Lord Jesus. The
move toward the Hellenists represents another step toward the Gentiles. The
content of the message remained the same—the Lord Jesus.
 11:21. Luke reports God’s approval of the outreach: the hand of the Lord
—God’s beneficent and protective power—was with them. As a result of
their evangelistic concern for others and God’s enablement a great number
believed and turned to the Lord. Belief in Jesus preceded their turning to
Him with a view to a God-pleasing course of life.
11:22. News of the evangelistic endeavor reached the church in
Jerusalem where the Twelve still resided. Interestingly, however, none of
them went out to evaluate the situation. Rather, they sent out Barnabas to
go as far as Antioch (cf. v 19). The Spirit would have come on all who
believed in Jesus without apostolic mediation (in Christ’s stead). The
sending of Barnabas furnished another step toward Paul’s future ministry.
11:23. When Barnabas arrived at Antioch he witnessed the grace of God
—His kind and undeserved favor granted to these new believers—
Hellenists (cf. v 20) who had believed in Jesus. This joyful scenario
gladdened Barnabas. Because these had already received the Holy Spirit he
encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue
with the Lord. God promises salvation forever to every believer from the
very instant he believes Jesus’ guarantee of eternal life (cf. John 5:24-25;
6:47). However the Scriptures teach neither automatic nor guaranteed
perseverance of believers whether in their Christian walk or their
faithfulness to the Lord. In line with this Barnabas encourages these
believers to persevere with purpose—as a conscious choice built on their
faith, enabled by the Holy Spirit, and furthered by the ministry of other
believers (as exemplified by Barnabas himself in his time with them). The
Christian life represents a life-long and dynamic endeavor that demands
cultivation in the context of the Holy Spirit’s enablement, the Word of God,
and the participation of other believers in one’s growth.
God seals every believer with the Holy Spirit—a reality no Christian can
undo (cf. Eph 1:13-14). He promises to remain with every believer, but does
not guarantee that each one will continue with Him (cf. 2 Tim 2:11-13). In
either case God will never rescind His promise of eternal life. Rather, He
desires that believers build their Christian life on that irrevocable promise.
Secure in God’s love, they can freely grow and persevere without fear of
eternal condemnation. Barnabas encourages them to do so with the full
knowledge that he speaks to believers. Nonbelievers need a message to
believe. Believers need encouragement to continue in the faith and cultivate
their relationship to Christ in the context of the Church.
(The fact that some Bible teachers tie eternal security to perseverance in
the Christian life makes the promise of eternal life depend on a person’s
Christian maturity—and thus on some good works. Because Christians
grow at different rates—and may unfortunately sometimes participate in
sins that even unbelievers avoid [cf. 1 Cor 5]—these theological systems
offer no true teaching on assurance and essentially introduce a foreign and
untrue disclaimer to God’s unequivocal promise.)
11:24. Barnabas’s Christian character undergirded his actions. His
description paints a picture of Christian maturity. As a result of his
encouraging (rather than conflictive and critical) character and ministry a
great many people were added to the Lord. The wording reflects the
union of believers with Christ—an essential Church truth.
11:25. The mature Christian personality of Barnabus (as well as his
openness to ministry beyond the boundaries of the Jewish nation) rendered
him the perfect guide and example for Saul. Barnabas departed for Tarsus
to find Saul. The facets of God’s plan had begun to come together to
accommodate and call forth His purposes for Saul (cf. 9:6, 15-16).
11:26. Barnabas found Saul and brought him to Antioch. Here they
would forge a missionary partnership and set the foundations for further
outreach to the Gentiles. They stayed for a whole year and so assembled
with the church and taught a great many people. Furthermore the
disciples were first called Christians at Antioch (cf. 26:28; 1 Pet 4:16).
This designation marked a differentiation of believers in Jesus as a
distinguishable entity from first-century Judaism—a further harbinger of the
Gentile outreach.
E. Saul, Barnabas, and the Antioch Church Show Their Love for
the Jewish Believers (11:27-30)
11:27. Luke then reports that in those days prophets came from
Jerusalem to Antioch. This reflects the reality spoken of by Peter on the
Day of Pentecost (cf. 2:17-18) as God-ordained prophetic activity once
again appeared after approximately four hundred silent years followed by
the prophetic ministries of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ. It
also at once points out Jerusalem as the center of authoritative revelation
(approved by the apostles) and Antioch as the rising city for Gentile
missions outreach.
11:28. Luke calls attention to one of the prophets, Agabus (cf. 21:10).
This one stood up and showed by the Spirit that…a great famine would
come on all the world. This took place sometime in AD 46-48 during the
reign of Claudius Caesar (the fourth Roman emperor who reigned from
AD 41 to 54). Paul references this revelation about the famine in his first
letter (cf. Gal 2:1-10).
11:29. Sharing with the needy and impoverished furnished a touchstone
for the ministry and teaching of the Lord. In keeping with the teaching of
Jesus the disciples in conformity with the abundance they each possessed
determined to send relief to the brethren dwelling in Judea.
11:30. The church at Antioch accomplished what they had purposed in
regard to the famine relief. They then sent their contributions to the elders
(the church leaders in Jerusalem) by the hands of Barnabas and Saul (as
representatives of the believers in Antioch). This generous gesture
contributed to the unity and interdependence of Jewish and Gentile
believers in the Body of Christ, the church. It also testified to the twin
missions of Jerusalem (in reaching Jews) and Antioch (in evangelizing
Gentiles). Of great significance Paul’s official service in Acts commences
with love for the Jewish nation (from Gentile believers) as does his last
journey to Jerusalem to serve them (cf. 21:15–23:30).
F. The Nation Joins Herod in Opposition to Christianity (12:1-24)
12:1. Persecution had ceased with the conversion of Saul, and the churches
enjoyed a season of peace. Now the situation changed. Luke reports that
about that time Herod the King (Herod Agrippa I, father of King Agrippa
II; cf. 25:13–26:32) stretched out his hand to harass some from the
church.
12:2. Luke reports how Herod killed James, the brother of John with
the sword. James formed part of the inner circle of disciples along with
John, his brother, and Peter (cf. Matt 4:18-22; 10:1-4; 17:1-13; Mark 1:16-
20, 29-31; 3:13-19; 5:37-43; 9:1-13; 10:35-45; 13:1-4; 14:32-50; Luke 5:1-
11; 6:12-19; 8:49-56; 9:23-37, 51-56; Acts 1:12-14; Gal 2:1-10).
12:3. Luke then links the news of the killing with the notice that Herod
saw that it pleased the Jews, and so he proceeded further to seize Peter
also. The fact that this happened during the Days of Unleavened Bread
(cf. 20:6; Luke 22:1) recalls the Passion of Jesus Himself and underscores
the truth that disciples of the Lord may share His fate—persecution and
possible death.
12:4. Herod arrested Peter, put him in prison, and delivered him to four
squads of soldiers to keep him. (They quite possibly still remembered the
divinely facilitated escape of the apostles from prfrom prison; cf. 5:17-26.)
He planned to bring him before the people after Passover.
12:5. During Peter’s imprisonment constant (only here and in 1 Pet 4:8)
prayer was offered to God on his behalf.
12:6. After the Passover (cf. v 4) Herod was about to bring him out.
That very night Peter slept bound with two chains (cf. 21:33; 28:20)
between two soldiers. In addition, guards stood before the door…
keeping the prison. The abundance of detail recording Herod’s efforts to
secure Peter testifies to the futility of man’s attempts to restrain God’s hand
and to God’s power in delivering him.
12:7. Luke employs his characteristic behold to call attention to God’s
deliverance of Peter through angelic agency. An angel of the Lord stood
by him, and a light shone in the prison—the room where they detained
the apostle. The angel struck Peter on the side to rouse him from sleep and
instructed him to “arise quickly.” The chains binding Peter supernaturally
fell off his hands.
12:8. The angel did for Peter only what he could not do for himself. He
instructed the apostle, “Gird yourself and tie on your sandals” (only here
and in Mark 6:9) and “Put on your garment and follow me.” The
commands came in couplets and Peter obeyed.
12:9. Luke records that Peter went out and followed the angel, and yet he
did not know that what was done by the angel was real. Instead, he
misperceived it as a vision. Peter’s misperception shows the realistic nature
of the supernatural visions that God occasionally granted to people.
12:10. Luke gives a detailed rendering of Peter’s angel-assisted escape
from Herod. The angel and Peter passed through the first and second
guard posts. Then they reached the iron gate that led to the city and it
opened to them of its own accord. They exited and went down one street.
Then as soon as the angel had brought Peter into the clear, he departed
from him.
 12:11. After Peter had come to himself, he knew “for certain that the
Lord had sent His angel” to deliver him. Significantly and sadly, he aligns
“the hand of Herod” who intended to kill him with “all the expectation of
the Jewish people.” This alignment once again confirms the general Jewish
rejection of the Gospel and sets the scene for their resistance in the rest of
Luke’s narrative.
The narrative furnishes a fitting conclusion for this central unit in part
because all of the aforementioned events deal intimately with Jewish history
and facilitate a transition to the largely Gentile church. The approval by
Jewish people of the murder of James—one of the Twelve and a future ruler
in the coming kingdom (cf. Luke 22:28-30)—serves almost as a point of no
return for the nation. God by no means abandons His people or His
promises to them. Simply, the kingdom of God would not appear
immediately (cf. Luke 19:11). It would come to the nation (cf. Acts 1:6-8)
but first a period of largely (although not exclusively) Gentile deliverance
would take place. The remaining units of the book (12:25–16:5; 16:6–
19:20; 19:21–28:31) will develop this principally through the ministry of
Paul, God’s witness to the Gentiles.
12:12. After Peter reflected on the murderous attempt of Herod and the
sympathetic expectation of the Jews, he sought the fellowship of his family
of believers. He came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose
surname was Mark (cf. 12:12, 25; 15:37, 39; Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11; Phlm
24; 1 Pet 5:13). Many had gathered together praying at this house, which
may have accommodated the 120 believers who prayed leading up to the
Day of Pentecost. (This same Mark would later write the Gospel of Mark in
dependence on the apostle Peter.)
12:13. Whereas Peter easily exited the city gate, he did not so readily gain
access to Mary’s home. He knocked at the door of the gate—in contrast to
the city gate which opened automatically of its own accord. In keeping with
Luke’s concern for recording the actual names of his characters he writes
that a girl named Rhoda came to answer.
12:14. Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice and because of her gladness…did
not open the gate. Instead she ran in to where the believers had gathered
to pray for the imprisoned and imperiled apostle and announced that
Peter stood before the gate.
 12:15. Comically instead of recognizing Rhoda’s announcement as the
answer to their prayers they argued with her about what she had seen. They
attempted to discredit her, saying, “You are beside yourself” (cf. 26:24-
25). To her credit she kept insisting that it was so, while Peter still stood
outside. The other believers finally acknowledged that she had seen
something, telling her, “It is his angel.”
12:16. Peter’s persistent knocking finally obtained a response and
validated Rhoda’s insistence as the others also heard and responded. When
they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished.
12:17. Peter signaled for them to calm down, then told them how the
Lord had brought him out of the prison. Then he directed them saying,
“Go, tell these things to James and to the brethren.” James and the
brethren essentially designate the church in Jerusalem, which would serve
as a touchstone for doctrine in the face of the dissolving of the Twelve (as
an unbroken group) by Herod’s murder of James, the son of Zebedee. At the
same time Peter departs to another place. With Peter’s departure at this
point, Luke transitions to the growth of the Gentiles and more specifically
the role of Paul.
12:18. It took until day to discover that Peter had escaped Herod’s grasp.
As a result there was no small stir (the word translated “stir” occurs in the
NT only here and in 19:23) among the soldiers about what had become
of Peter. The great commotion among the soldiers testifies to their genuine
perplexity over Peter’s disappearance (and to their innocence in the matter).
12:19. Herod searched unsuccessfully for Peter. Then he examined the
guards and commanded that they should be put to death (cf. Luke
23:26). Herod then went down from Judea to Caesarea, and stayed
there.
12:20. Luke provides a detailed background of Herod’s relationship with
the twin cities of Tyre and Sidon. Their citizens had greatly angered him.
So they came to him with one accord (a key word for Luke; cf. 1:14; 2:1,
46; 4:24; 5:12; 7:57; 8:6). They had also made Blastus the king’s personal
aide their friend and asked for peace because their country depended on
Herod’s for food supplies. (Interestingly Blastus’s name relates to food and
can refer to a grapevine bud).
12:21. As a result of their request for peace, Luke reports that on a set day
Herod dressed himself in royal apparel and sat on his throne and gave
an oration to them.
12:22. The people who came to seek Herod’s favor responded to his
oratory with shouts of “The voice of a god and not of a man!” Their
acclamation rendered Herod’s voice as not of a man, leaving no doubt about
their claim.
12:23. In another Lucan report of immediate divine judgment
immediately an angel of the Lord struck him thus marking the second
angelic intervention in these narratives involving Herod. The verb struck
relates to the angel striking Peter to rouse him from sleep (cf. v 7). Whereas
there the angel strikes Peter for rescue, here he does so to Herod for
retribution because he did not give glory to God. As a fitting consequence
he was eaten by worms and died.
12:24. In contrast to the mortal consequence on Herod, the word of God
grew and multiplied. With this progress report, Luke concludes his fourth
major division. The nation’s leaders (or the nation) clearly align themselves
with the wicked Herod (who rightly suffers God’s righteous judgment) and
thus they clearly reject the Messiah and God’s plans for them. The church
nevertheless established itself in Jerusalem with the presence of the apostles
and the leadership of James. Furthermore, the Gospel’s reception among the
Hellenists brought the mission to the Gentiles a step closer. V. God
Establishes Paul’s Apostleship (12:25–16:5)
A. Paul Proclaims Light to the Gentiles (12:25–14:28)
12:25. The narrative returns to Barnabas and Saul—and yet reflects a
connection with Jerusalem—as they came back from there when they had
fulfilled their ministry. Their service to the saints in Jerusalem underscores
the harmony between both outreaches (both to Jewish people and Gentiles).
13:1. Luke provides a roster of the spiritual helpers that ministered to the
saints in the church that was at Antioch. Luke lists Barnabas; Simeon
who was called Niger—a reference to his dark skin; Lucius of Cyrene (in
North Africa, cf. 2:9; 6:9); Manaen; and Saul.
This marks the first time that Luke gives Saul a specific function in
relation to the church—he served as a prophet (receiving and imparting
revelation from God) and a Teacher (explaining that revelation to others and
showing them how to apply it to their lives).
 13:2. The group of prophets and Teachers both ministered to the Lord
and fasted for the purpose of single-minded devotion to the Lord both in
petitions and good works. As they did this the Holy Spirit ordered, “now
separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called
them.” This endeavor would work out for the glorification of the Lord
Jesus Christ in keeping with the Holy Spirit’s divinely appointed function.
13:3. The Spirit-directed mission of Barnabas and Saul came to light in the
context of prayer and fasting as the Holy Spirit revealed His will to the
leaders of the church at Antioch. Prayer and fasting also prefaced their
going out to accomplish the will of the Spirit. The laying on of hands by the
other leaders signaled their unified approval of the mission (and their
submission to the Spirit’s will without envy or jealousy over His choice).
13:4. Luke reasserts the Spirit’s guidance as they went down to Seleucia
(the port in Syrian Antioch), and from there they sailed to Cyprus.
Cypress was already mentioned in connection with the evangelizing of the
Hellenists by believers from there (11:19-20).
13:5. Luke presents the basic pattern of missionary activity on the Gentile
mission field with the first locale in which preaching occurs—Salamis.
There they preached the word of God in the synagogue of the Jews. This
strategy accomplished several goals. (1.) It facilitated that the gospel go to
the Jew first which Barnabas and Paul would surely have desired. (2.) It
allowed them to speak to Gentile proselytes and /or God fearers. (3.) It
would help them gauge the spiritual sensitivity of the Jewish people—who
would later prove to offer the most resistance to the Gospel message.
13:6. Luke reports no conversions at Salamis. He then records that they
went through the island and reached Paphos (a coastal city on the west;
cf. v 13). Here they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet (one who
either received information from unclean spirits or demons and/or created
his own prophetic-like pronouncements), a Jew whose name was Bar-
Jesus (Aramaic for son of Jesus).
13:7. This sorcerer and false prophet was with the proconsul Sergius
Paulus, who governed the province as an appointee of the Roman Senate—
perhaps Bar-Jesus fancied himself some kind of a court prophet. The fact
that the Jewish man practices sorcery while the Gentile ruler seeks the
Word of God fits both the generally hardened disposition of the Jewish
nation and the openness of Gentiles in the Lucan accounts.
 13:8. Luke then calls Bar-Jesus, Elymas the sorcerer, explaining, for so
his name is translated. Elymas withstood (also at 6:10; Luke 21:15)
Barnabas and Saul, thus seeking to turn (cf. Luke 23:2) the proconsul
away from the faith—the Christian faith as centered around belief in Jesus
Christ as Savior.
13:9. In keeping with the Gentile character of the mission and as a
correlative response to the actions of the evil Elymas, Luke records that
Saul (a Hebrew name), who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit
—a spontaneous enablement by the Holy Spirit for powerful speech—
looked intently at him (Luke 4:40; 22:56; Acts 1:10; 3:4-5; 6:15; 7:55;
10:4; 11:6; 13:9; 14:9; 23:1). Saul’s steady gaze reflects the Spirit-endowed
confidence he enjoyed. A sorcerer would neither threaten him nor deter him
from the proclamation of God’s Word.
13:10. Empowered by the Holy Spirit, Saul then denounced Elymas as
“full of all deceit and all fraud.” He also designated him a “son of the
devil” and an “enemy of all righteousness” (in concert with Elymas’s
efforts to derail the proconsul’s conversion). Saul then asked a question that
pertained directly to Elymas (but which portrayed Israel at large). This
question takes the reader back to Straight Street (9:11) where Paul himself
started on the way of righteousness. However, it reaches beyond that to the
ministry of John the Baptist as well as Jesus—both of whom the erring
nation rejected (cf. Luke 1:76-79; 7:24-35; 9:41).
13:11. Elymas may have claimed that God had His hand on him to
empower him. Saul then plays on that, affirming, “and now, indeed the
hand of the Lord is upon you” (i.e., for judgment and not revelation), and
pronouncing a sentence on him.
Whereas Elymas had possibly proclaimed himself a seer, now he would
“not see the sun for a time.” The judgment fell right away—immediately
a dark mist fell on him. Then in an ironic reversal of circumstances the
one who possibly would have claimed to offer guidance for others
(especially for Sergius Paulus) went around seeking someone to lead him
by the hand (cf. 9:9; 22:11).
13:12. Luke reports that then the proconsul believed, when he saw what
had been done. The demonstration of apostolic power left him astonished
at the teaching of the Lord. The proconsul believed teaching confirmed by
God’s supernatural power.
 13:13. Luke almost imperceptibly signals a change of leadership
describing the missionaries as Paul and his party (cf. 12:25 where
Barnabas seems to serve as the leader). He then reports on their departure
by ship from Paphos and their arrival at Perga (a city in southern Asia
minor) in Pamphylia (a Roman province on the Mediterranean in Asia
Minor). At this point Luke also makes a concise notation that will have
future repercussions. John left the mission departing from them and
returning to Jerusalem. Luke does not reveal the reason why John did so.
Nevertheless the consequences that later flow from this episode seem to
indicate that he departed for an unjustified reason (cf. 15:36-40).
13:14. Luke reports no ministry at Perga. They departed and arrived in
the city of Antioch in Pisidia—a region in the Roman province of Galatia.
Here, similar to their approach at Salamis, they went into the synagogue
on the Sabbath day.
13:15. The reading of the Law and the Prophets provided a perfect
opportunity for the proclamation of the Gospel. The rulers of the
synagogue (cf. 14:2; 18:8, 17) invited Paul and Barnabas to speak, saying,
“Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people,
say on.” Their cultural compatibility corresponded perfectly to the ready-
made opportunity. They accepted the invitation.
13:16. The apostle Paul served as the primary spokesman. Motioning with
his hand, he began by echoing the twofold invitation granted to him and
Barnabas, “Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen.” Men of Israel
addressed the ethnic and religious Jews while all you who fear God
designated Gentile seekers of the true God.
13:17. Paul’s opening words display sensitivity to the Gentile facet of the
audience while still primarily addressing the Jewish ones. He begins, “the
God of this people Israel chose our fathers.” God had sovereignly and
graciously chosen the patriarchs from whom to give birth to a nation. Later,
when an adversarial Pharaoh arose against them, God led the nation out of
Egypt “with an uplifted arm” (i.e., powerfully, openly, and decisively).
13:18. Thus far Paul brought his audience up to the Exodus and God’s
gracious dealings with His people. He then illustrates God’s mercy.
Assuredly the nation disobeyed God for “forty years.” Nevertheless the
verb translated “put up with” may rather refer here to God’s tender care of
them during the nation’s wilderness sojourn.
 13:19. Paul’s speech follows in succession chronologically to the time of
the conquest of the land, demonstrating God’s indispensable role in it as He
“destroyed seven nations (cf. Deut. 7:1) in the land of Canaan.” Then,
having judged those nations through the instrumentality of the nation (who
served as agents both of blessing and cursing) God “distributed their land
to them by allotment.” Paul shows how God’s sovereign, gracious,
merciful, and powerful hand lovingly guided the nation through her history.
13:20. The discourse then passes to the theocracy established in the land.
Without a king other than the King par excellence, God Himself, the Lord
“gave them judges for about four hundred and fifty years.” God
graciously provided leadership, protection, and deliverance for the nation
through the judges—deliverers and leaders granted to them before the
establishment of a monarchy in Israel. He did so “until Samuel the
prophet.”
13:21. For the first time in the narrative Paul mentions the nation’s request
for something. Up to this point he has brought out what God did for the
nation at His own gracious and sovereign initiative. Thus in the time of the
Judges “they asked for a king.” Consequently “God gave them Saul the
son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin.” Paul notes that Saul served
“for forty years.”
13:22. Paul then shows that God “removed him” and in his place “raised
up for them David as king.” Whereas God gave them Saul (as a response
to their misguided request), He raised up David for them. In addition, God
“gave testimony” regarding David, witnessing positively, “‘I have found
David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart.’” David reflected
God’s own values for the kingship in contrast to Saul’s self-directed
decisions (cf. 1 Sam 15:10-11).
13:23. Having mentioned David, Paul now draws a connection to the Lord
Jesus. The Majority Text (MT) here reads “brought to Israel salvation”
whereas the Critical Text (NU) and the Textus Receptus (TR) have “a
Savior—Jesus.” If correct, the Majority Text reading emphasizes messianic
deliverance for Israel as proclaimed by John the Baptist. This rendering
would nevertheless still anticipate information about Messiah through the
mention of David’s seed or descendants. Under either reading the broader
context communicates that Jesus offers deliverance to the audience (cf. vv
25-41).
 13:24. Paul continued, “after John had first preached, before His
coming, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.” In the MT
reading, Paul ties the salvation or deliverance of v 23 with John’s message
of repentance for the nation (in line with the OT condition for covenant
blessing). God brought to Israel the opportunity for national deliverance.
But this deliverance involved welcoming the Messiah—to which Paul now
turns.
13:25. Paul further explains that “as John was finishing (13:25; 14:26;
19:21; Luke 7:1; 21:24) his course he said, ‘Who do you think I am?’”
He then unequivocally affirmed, “‘I am not He,’” and further clarified
“‘but behold, there comes One after me, the sandals (lit., sandal) of
whose feet I am not worthy to loose.’” Thus John’s ministry was
particularly directed to Israel as he urged a baptism of repentance—a public
recognition of their desire for fellowship with God in preparation for the
arrival of Messiah.
13:26. Paul again appeals to his audience at this point in his presentation,
addressing them as “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham
and those among you who fear God” (a reference to Gentiles who seek to
know, respect, honor, and obey the true God—the God of the Jews). He
then proclaims, “to you the word of this salvation has been sent” (cf. v
23). Significantly Paul broadens the scope of this salvation beyond the
nation of Israel proper to the Gentiles without changing its definition. Paul’s
Jewish audience would understand his message in terms of OT salvation or
messianic deliverance.
13:27. Paul then blames “those who dwell in Jerusalem and their
rulers” (the nation’s leaders) for the Crucifixion rather than his immediate
and mixed audience. These who knew neither “Him, nor even the voices of
the Prophets which are read every Sabbath” actually “fulfilled them” by
having condemned the Lord. Ironically they fulfilled the Scriptures in
disobedience rather than righteously by recognizing the Messiah they spoke
of and who lived and ministered in their very midst.
13:28. Paul points out the guilt of Jerusalem and the nation’s leaders by
noting that “they found no cause for death in Him.” Because they could
find no justified grounds for His crucifixion, they asked Pilate to put Him
to death.
 13:29. Paul now affirms that “when they had fulfilled all that was
written concerning Him, they took Him down from the tree (cf. 5:30;
10:39) and laid Him in a tomb.” Paul thus reasserts the fulfillment of
Scripture in the life of Messiah as well as the incontestability of His death
and burial.
13:30. Once they had committed all their evil against the Lord and placed
Him in a tomb ostensibly to never hear from Him again, “God raised Him
from the dead.”
13:31. Paul makes the assertion and then provides the evidence: “He was
seen for many days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to
Jerusalem.” He thus leaves himself out of the circle of eyewitnesses. Yet
he presents evidence from a prolonged period of time and from different
geographical points—marking the beginning and end of His earthly
ministry.
13:32. Paul then offers both Jews and Gentiles “glad tidings,”
specifically, “that promise which was made to the fathers” (the Jewish
patriarchs)—resurrection into God’s kingdom (cf. 23:6; 26:6-8) which
ultimately involved blessings for both Jewish and Gentile people (cf. Luke
2:29-32).
13:33. Paul asserted that the promise the fathers heard but did not see
realized in their lifetime “God has fulfilled for us their children.” God
(the Father) did this “in that He has raised up Jesus” as predicted “in the
second Psalm.” Although Jesus already holds the assured title of Davidic
King par excellence as per the Father’s declaration at His baptism—the day
of His anointing with the Holy Spirit (cf. Luke 3:21-22; Acts 4:27), He
nevertheless will commence His actual reign on David’s throne in the future
millennial kingdom.
13:34. Paul then establishes his statement on Jesus’ kingship with its
logical validation—the Resurrection. As evidence of Jesus’ unequivocal
kingship the Father raised Him “from the dead, no more to return to
corruption.” This latter statement essentially signifies that Jesus died once
and for all and would never see death again. The promise from Isaiah 55:3
—“‘I will give you the sure mercies of David’” in its OT context applies to
the nation (at a time after David’s death). The verse then looks beyond from
the past King David to Jesus, the Davidic Son par excellence who, having
conquered death (in contrast to David whose body remained in the grave),
can offer spiritual benefits to the listeners.
13:35. Paul introduces an additional OT quotation to bolster his
exposition: “‘You will not allow Your Holy One (cf. Acts 2:27; Heb 7:26)
to see corruption.’” The Father would preserve His Holy One from the
corrupting effects of death. Only a Davidic descendant who had never
experienced the corruption of death could fulfill this promise.
13:36. Paul explains that David could not have fulfilled what these
Scriptures affirmed, as his own history validates. David “served (this word
occurs in the NT only in Acts: here and 20:24; 24:23) his own generation
by the will of God” and “fell asleep (he died a believer’s temporary death;
cf. 7:60), was buried with his fathers, and saw corruption” (cf. 13:35).
David’s body did suffer the consequences of death and decomposition.
13:37. In contrast to David, “He whom God raised up (the Lord Jesus)
saw no corruption.” This affirmation both affirms the resurrection of Jesus
as well as His fulfillment of prophecy. It identifies Him as the Subject of the
prophecy.
13:38. First, Paul identified Jesus as the Davidic King whom God the
Father raised from the dead (and honored with the title Son; v 33). He then
proclaims what Jesus can accomplish for them, affirming “that through
this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins.” Paul here uses the
same expression—forgiveness of sins that Peter used in the home of
Cornelius, without referring either to baptism or repentance (as Peter does
on the Day of Pentecost; cf. 2:37-38).
13:39. Paul then specifies the sole condition for obtaining this forgiveness
—“by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things which you
could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Paul draws a clear contrast
between the Gospel and the Mosaic Law—one results in acquittal and the
other in condemnation.
13:40. Still working within his audience’s sphere of knowledge, he warns
them from the very prophets they know. He exhorts them to “beware…lest
what has been spoken in the prophets” comes true regarding them and to
their detriment.
13:41. Paul quotes from Habakkuk 1:5: “‘Behold, you despisers’”—those
who despised the Lord and His laws in the OT before the Babylonian
Captivity, “‘Marvel and perish! For I work a work in your days (they
would serve as contemporary witnesses of something God would allow in
their lifetimes), A work which you will by no means believe (the magnitude
of the work would render it unbelievable if one only heard about it), though
one were to declare it to you’” (eyewitnesses testimony would not convince
them). In its original OT context the quote pertained to the coming
Babylonian siege and attack against Judah—a destruction so amazing that
those who experienced it would never believe by hearing of it. Thus rather
then despising God’s Word they should believe it.
13:42. Luke reports that as the Jews exited the synagogue the Gentiles
begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath.
Their request reflects their desire to understand the OT Scriptures they
would hear, read, and be taught every Sabbath. They wanted to further
comprehend the picture they had not quite yet grasped.
13:43. Luke records that when the congregation had broken up, many
of the Jews and devout proselytes evidenced a genuine interest in the
Gospel message but apparently had not yet believed. Paul and Barnabas
nevertheless persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.
13:44. Luke then records that they did “continue in the grace of God”
during the intervening week. The original audience (and perhaps others
whom Paul and Barnabas had spoken to during the week) invited others to
come. In addition, Luke equates the teaching of the two missionaries to the
word of God. God had certainly provided new revelation which, once
understood, would clearly place the OT in its proper context.
13:45. The size of the audience threatened some of the Jewish people who
had also come to hear Paul and Barnabas. Luke records that they were
filled with envy. Then, contradicting and blaspheming, they opposed the
things spoken by Paul. Nevertheless, his love for them will remain
constant (see Rom 9:1-3).
13:46. The behavior of their fellow countrymen emboldened (and probably
saddened and angered) Paul and Barnabas. They asserted, “It was
necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first”
(following the pattern carried out in the Lord’s ministry and reflecting the
special privileges given to the Jewish people as God’s chosen nation—cf.
Rom 3:1-2; 9:1-5). Nevertheless in spite of the opportunity granted them to
hear and respond positively to God’s Word, they rejected it and in so doing
judged themselves “unworthy of eternal life.” No one can earn eternal life
by placing God in their debt (by doing good works). God valued these
people and so provided for their salvation by sending a Savior to die for
them on the cross (John 3:16-18). However, they did not value the Savior,
and they rejected His message. They thus rendered judgment on themselves.
So, having presented the Gospel to the Jews, Paul and Barnabas then chose
to “turn to the Gentiles.” This refers to turning to them at this particular
locale and occasion, not a once-for-all turning to the Gentiles (cf. 14:1-2;
17:1-4, 10; 18:4; 19:8; 28:17-24 where Paul testifies to Jewish people).
13:47. Paul appeals to the mission of the Messiah to validate the Gentile
focus shared by Barnabas and him, by quoting Isa 49:6: “‘I have set you as
a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation to the ends of the
earth.’” The you in the first half of the quotation refers collectively to the
nation of Israel and individually to the Messiah. Salvation refers to the
messianic deliverance that ultimately encompasses the reign of Jesus Christ
on the earth, the final deliverance from sin, the rewarding of those who
have believed in Him for eternal life, and the lifting of the curse on the
earth. The phrase to the ends of the earth matches perfectly the last facet of
Acts 1:8. Thus, this missionary journey and the evangelistic endeavors to
follow perfectly correspond it. Paul himself would serve as a narrative
illustration of believing Israel and its God ordained purpose (cf. 22:21;
26:17-18).
13:48. The Gentiles who had continued “in the grace of God” as Paul and
Barnabas had convinced them to do (see v 43) now welcomed their words
(as quoted from Isaiah). Luke reports that they were glad and glorified the
word of the Lord. As a final consequence to the series of events beginning
with their hearing the gospel two weeks previously, as many as had been
appointed to eternal life believed. Divine planning met human freedom.
Belief in Jesus resulted in them possessing eternal life. The text does not
teach that anyone coerced these people to believe. On the contrary, the
passage highlights the free choice of those involved—some chose to reject
the truth (cf. 13:45-46) and others continued to learn and thereby believed
(13:48).
13:49. As a result of the conversion of these Gentiles the word of the
Lord was being spread throughout all the region. Apparently the
rejoicing, glorifying, and now justified Gentiles evangelized that region,
grateful for God’s grace to them.
 13:50. In sad and stark contrast to the supernaturally evangelizing Gentiles
the Jews…raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and
expelled them from their region. They had already established a group of
Gentile believers who possessed the basic prophetic and scriptural basis for
the message of forgiveness of sins and justification by faith in the Lord
Jesus.
13:51. Paul and Barnabas, like their Savior, did not attempt to manipulate,
coerce, or force their audience into belief. This approach runs contrary to
the nature of belief itself as persuasion with regards to the truth—no one
believes by force. So they shook off the dust from their feet against them
(as a visual symbol of their disassociation; cf. Matt 10:14; Luke 10:11), and
came to Iconium (cf. 14:1, 19, 21; 16:2; 2 Tim 3:11).
13:52. And God blessed the new believers. Both joy and the enablement of
the Holy Spirit represent marks of God’s grace. The absence of the
condemnation that comes about under the Law (as a result of man’s
sinfulness) and the presence of the supernatural enablement of the Spirit
(rather than natural self-effort at pleasing God) characterize God’s grace
under the New Covenant. The presence of these can serve as an indicator of
living under a grace-based church. Their absence can serve as a signal of
still living under the OT Law.
14:1. When in Iconium Paul and Barnabas went together to the
synagogue of the Jews—thus keeping their pattern and showing that they
had not rejected the Jewish nation. There they spoke in such a way that a
great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed. This time
Luke reports a mixed group of believers and records the same condition—
belief in Christ.
14:2. Nevertheless in what would represent the characteristic response of
their own countrymen, the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and
poisoned their minds against the brethren. The brethren consisted of
Paul, Barnabas, and the new believers in Jesus. These new converts had
immediately joined the family of God and household of faith by simple
belief in Jesus. They would not stand alone; they belonged to a larger group
all united to the Lord and to each other.
14:3. Apparently the adverse reaction against the new believers called on
Paul and Barnabas to remain there a long time to counteract the
misinformation propagated against them. They spoke boldly (cf. 9:27-28;
13:46; 18:26; 19:8; 26:26; Eph 6:20; 1 Thess 2:2) in the Lord and He
validated their message of His grace by granting signs and wonders to be
done by their hands. Thus for the first time Luke records miracle working
by both Paul and Barnabas. Significantly the Lord confirmed the message
of grace, publicly displaying that He dealt with sinful people on the basis of
grace not law.
14:4. Despite Paul and Barnabas’s God-enabled proclamation of grace the
multitude of the city was divided. Some sided with the Jews and others
with the apostles. Significantly the text designates both Paul and Barnabas
as apostles.
14:5. The conflict became physical so that a violent attempt (in the NT
otherwise only at James 3:4) was made by both the Gentiles and Jews,
with their rulers—the religious leaders of the Jews who would have
utilized stoning as their retribution of choice—to abuse and stone them.
14:6. Paul and Barnabas became aware of the plot and fled to Lystra and
Derbe.
14:7. As customary in Acts, attacks against the Gospel and its messengers
end up furthering its progress. Thus Luke reports that they were preaching
the gospel there.
14:8. In Lystra they encountered a cripple from his mother’s womb (cf.
3:2; Luke 1:15, 42; 2:21; 11:27; 23:29), who had never walked. The
description of this man parallels the lame man encountered by Peter and
John as they entered the temple earlier (3:1-10). The ensuing narrative both
testifies to God’s power as well as helps establish both the apostolic status
of Paul as well as his witness on a par with (and on a certain level as
superseding) that of the Twelve.
14:9. The crippled man heard Paul speaking. Paul then gazed at him
intently (cf. 1:10; 3:4, 12; 6:15; 7:55; 10:4; 11:6; 13:9; 14:9; 23:1; Luke
4:20; 22:56) and saw that he had faith to be healed. The words to be
healed can be translated “to be saved,” which renders this episode a
portrayal of eternal salvation. Sin cripples people from birth. Faith results
in spiritual deliverance for those who believe the message about Jesus—that
faith in Him gives them assured eternal life. Here, nevertheless, faith would
result in deliverance from his debilitating physical condition.
14:10. Paul addressed the man with a loud voice. He simply commanded,
“Stand up straight on your feet,” and instantaneously the man leaped up
and walked (again this recalls the lame man healed by Peter and John).
14:11. The people who witnessed the event raised their voices and
identified Paul and Barnabas with their own false Greek gods, saying, “The
gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!”
14:12. They confusedly designated Barnabas as Zeus (the ruling god in
Greek mythology) and Paul as Hermes (son of Zeus, messenger of the
Greek gods and associated with other pursuits as well), because he was the
chief speaker.
14:13. Their actions complement the culture of their city which worshiped
Zeus. Luke explains that the priest of Zeus who functioned in Zeus’ temple
in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates desiring to
sacrifice (cf. 14:18; 1 Cor 10:20) to Paul and Barnabas.
14:14. Luke here identifies both men as apostles, thus placing them on the
same level of authority as the Twelve. Despite their privileged position as
apostles they did not accept the false worship (unlike Herod in 12:20-24).
On the contrary, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude.
As they did so, they cried out.
14:15. Paul and Barnabas seized the opportunity to instruct the crowd
about the one true God—a preliminary step the two did not take with their
synagogue audiences who already believed in the God of the Scriptures (cf.
13:14-17). They appealed to their sense of reason, asking, “Men, why are
you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you.”
Having drawn a distinction between themselves and Deity (using their
common humanity as evidence), they preached to the audience, urging
them to “turn from these useless things to the living God.”
14:16. They explained that “in bygone generations” this true God they
spoke of “allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways.” God
permitted but did not approve of the Gentiles’ behavior or beliefs. This
statement reflects the fact that God had given the Law to Israel rather than
to the Gentiles. He established the nation Israel to serve as a light for them,
and He judges both the Gentiles and His chosen nation for the sin of
idolatry.
14:17. Although God did not present Himself to the Gentiles as He did to
Israel, “He did not leave Himself without witness.” He communicated His
existence and goodness “in that He did good,” granting them “rain from
heaven and fruitful seasons.” Significantly Paul and Barnabas appealed to
God’s gracious goodness to everyone (in keeping with their message of
God’s grace in the gospel) rather than emphasizing His judgment on their
sin.
14:18. Their gracious and well-reasoned words could scarcely restrain
the multitudes from sacrificing to them.
14:19. Amazingly opponents from their other stops had not ceased to
pursue them. Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there. The people of
Lystra wanted to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas, whereas these Jews in
Antioch and Iconium wanted to persecute them. They persuaded the
multitudes and stoned Paul (in an interesting alliance between
monotheistic Jews and polytheistic Gentiles). Then they dragged him out
of the city, supposing him to be dead.
14:20. Paul’s believing brethren had not abandoned him. Luke records that
the disciples gathered around him and as a result he rose up, and went
into the city. The love and concern of the brethren revived him so that
amazingly the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.
14:21. When they reached Derbe they preached the Gospel…and made
many disciples. They then made their way back in reverse order to Lystra,
Iconium, and Antioch.
14:22. Paul and Barnabas had experienced these troubles as seasoned
believers. On the other hand, the new believers witnessed much turmoil
soon after their conversion. Aware of this, Paul and Barnabas returned to
these places (despite their own negative experiences there as well as the
possibility of more opposition), strengthening the souls of the disciples,
exhorting them to continue in the faith.
Their compassionate strategy shows that believers need encouragement as
an aid to their perseverance. They can never lose the gift of eternal life.
They can, however, veer off the path of discipleship especially in the
context of its hardships. Paul and Barnabas assured them that “We must
through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.” Persevering
through hardships constitutes a normal experience for all disciples as they
await the establishment of, and their entrance into, the future messianic
kingdom.
14:23. The church needs stable leadership especially in the context of
suffering and opposition. Thus Paul and Barnabas did not leave these new
converts until they had appointed elders in every church. Each church
had more than one elder—for stability, avoidance of conflicts, wise
decision-making, and shared burden of ministry. Multiplicity also permits
the church to see complementary gifts and abilities given to her by the Lord
Jesus. They then prayed, with fasting and commended them to the Lord
in whom they had believed. They had believed in Jesus for eternal life.
Surely the Lord would also attend to their temporal needs.
14:24. Then, after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to
Pamphylia where they had landed before (see 13:13).
14:25. They took the opportunity to preach the word in Perga (cf. 13:13-
14) and then went down to Attalia. Luke had not mentioned this locale
before.
14:26. Finally Paul and Barnabas at last sailed to Antioch, the home base
for the mission outreach to the Gentiles, where they had been commended
to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. Luke
designates the varied missionary endeavor a single work. The text does not
reveal how they knew the extent of their work. Ostensibly, the Spirit guided
them through direct revelation and their own divinely guided human
wisdom.
14:27. Paul and Barnabas then came and gathered the church together
and reported all that God had done with them. They correctly, and with
genuine humility, gave God the credit for having used them. They described
God’s work in this way: He had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.
Again, the Lucan narrative highlights faith as the entrance into God’s
kingdom and the condition for salvation and forgiveness. This mission
established this reality beyond the essential introduction at Cornelius’s
house.
14:28. God then gave them a time of permanence with the believers at
Antioch. Luke reports that they stayed there a long time with the
disciples. God did not have them constantly traveling; He also gave them
times of respite and restoration in the company of stable brethren in the
faith.
B. The Council at Jerusalem Affirms the Grace Message and Sets
Ground Rules (15:1-35)
15:1. While Paul and Barnabas resided in Antioch (after their inspiring
tour of the Gentile mission field) certain men came down from Judea and
taught the brethren a message contrary to everything the two missionaries
had experienced on their journey: “Unless you are circumcised according
to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”
15:2. Not surprisingly, Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and
dispute with them. This serious situation required an unequivocal
resolution. The church in Antioch decided to send Paul, Barnabas, and
others up to Jerusalem, to the apostles and elders to resolve the issue.
15:3. They passed through Phoenicia and Samaria because believers
already resided there. They described the conversion of the Gentiles which
brought great joy to all the brethren. The brethren there recognized that
the Gentiles had in fact received salvation by faith alone in Jesus without
the need for circumcision (as the men from Judea had falsely contended).
15:4. Luke mentions three specific groups who received Paul and
Barnabas and the delegation from Antioch: the church and the apostles
and the elders (cf. v 23). Before the Jerusalem Council began, Paul and
Barnabas reported all things that God had done with them.
15:5. As a result of their report some of the…Pharisees who believed
rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command
them to keep the law of Moses.” Two major points distinguish this
objection from the one mentioned in v 1 that resulted in this trip. First, Luke
qualifies these men as believers. Second, unlike the men in v 1, these men
did not say that circumcision was necessary for salvation. They erred
regarding sanctification, not justification.
15:6. With the two perspectives clearly delineated, the apostles and
elders came together to consider this matter. Contrasting views deserve
close evaluation and consideration, especially when they impinge on the
clarity and essential nature of salvation.
15:7. The early church did not fear meaningful dialogue over controversial
subjects. Luke reports that the issue engendered much dispute (cf. 28:29).
When the discussion had ostensibly reached a point where each side had
presented its essential arguments or rationale, Peter rose up and addressed
the group. The memory of his experience with Cornelius and his household
(cf. Acts 10) undergirds his words: “Men and brethren, you know that a
good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles
should hear the word of the gospel and believe.” In his introduction Peter
essentially answered the conflict with the phrase hear the word of the
gospel and believe (cf. 10:43).
15:8. Peter then presented evidence that showed how the Gentiles enjoyed
the same spiritual privileges they did both without circumcision and
obedience to the Mosaic Law. He affirmed that “God, who knows the
heart (cf. 1:24) acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit.”
The NKJV acknowledged renders the phrase witnessed to them. God
showed His acceptance of the Gentiles by granting them the Holy Spirit.
Peter then emphasizes their equality with the Jewish believers by adding
“just as He did to us.” They could therefore boast no spiritual advantage
over them. And, they had received these spiritual benefits without
circumcision and without obedience to Moses.
15:9. Peter added that God “made no distinction between” the Jewish
and Gentile believers for He was “purifying their hearts by faith,”
without any other requirements. The Gentiles as Gentiles could enjoy
fellowship with God with nothing else needed.
15:10. Having presented indisputable points, Peter then posed a sobering
question. Peter equates their demand for circumcision and obedience to the
Mosaic Law for salvation to testing God. They placed requirements on the
Gentiles that God Himself did not, and that they personally were not “able
to bear.” Why then obligate others to do what they themselves could not?
15:11. Peter’s conclusion echoes the theme of Barnabus and Paul’s journey
—God’s grace. The NKJV communicates a future sense (“we shall be
saved”) foreign to the Biblical text. Rather, Peter interestingly uses the faith
alone Gentile manner of salvation as the standard for the Jews, qualifying it
as the same manner as they.
15:12. When Peter concluded his words, all the multitude kept silent and
listened to Barnabas and Paul. For the first time since 13:7 Barnabas is
mentioned first—perhaps because of the Jerusalem setting and his more
established credibility with the Jewish believers. Rather than providing a
verbatim account, Luke reports how the two missionaries declared how
many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the
Gentiles. By giving God the credit they placed any opponents in the
position of either accusing them of falsehood (and not suffering God’s
judgment in spite of it—cf. Acts 5 and 12) or believing their report.
 15:13. James then addressed the group, starting with, “Men and brethren,
listen to me.” James, the half brother of the Lord Jesus, led the Jerusalem
church. Rhetorically, therefore, James would have had possibly even more
credibility with a deeply committed Jewish audience than Peter.
15:14. James began with the experience of Peter: “Simon has declared
how God at the first visited the Gentiles to take out of them a people for
His name.” James thus couches the Gentile mission as God’s own initiative
in also calling Gentiles to Himself.
15:15-16. James supported his perspective with “the words of the
prophets.” Here he either gave an interpretive rendering of Amos 9:11-12
or a direct quote from a document similar to the LXX.
The phrase “‘after this I will return’” refers to the period after the
Tribulation when Messiah “‘will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which
has fallen down.’” This refers to the reestablishment of the Davidic
kingdom with Messiah, the Lord Jesus, sitting on David’s throne and ruling
from Jerusalem.
15:17. The continuation of the quotes shows the connection with Gentiles:
“‘So that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord.’” The rest of mankind
refers to “‘all the Gentiles who are called by My name.’” Essentially,
James affirms that Peter’s experience comports with what God will do in
the future kingdom and therefore poses no problem in the present
interadvent age.
The OT Masoretic Text renders Amos 9:12a in a manner different from the
wording of the LXX—and James. The LXX has seek instead of possess and
Edom for mankind: “That they may possess the remnant of Edom.” The OT
seems to use Edom for the Gentile nations who oppose Israel—perhaps
similar to the way the NT employs Greeks to speak of Gentiles in general.
Also, Messiah will mete out judgment in Edom in connection with His
judgment of unbelieving mankind/nations (cf. Isa 63:1-6).
During the millennial reign, the different peoples will still exist and come
to Jerusalem to worship the Lord (cf. Zech 8:22-23; 14:16-19).
15:18. James then affirms that the inclusion of the Gentiles was part of
God’s eternal plan: “Known to God from eternity are all His works.”
The inclusion of the Gentiles constitutes a major aspect of God’s works.
They should not place barriers on something God has planned from eternity
and blessed in the present.
 15:19. James concludes, “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble
those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God.” James’s
conclusion equates imposing circumcision and the Mosaic Law on the
Gentiles with “troubling” them.
15:20. James did however concede certain restrictions for the sake of
ministry to Jews. He felt it reasonable that Gentile believers should put no
stumbling block in front of potential Jewish converts. He prescribed that
Gentile believers “abstain from” four essentials commonly associated with
participation in idolatrous temple ceremonies: “things polluted by idols”
(foods and accoutrements connected to idol worship); “sexual immorality”
(illicit sexual relations—here in possible connection to temple prostitutes);
“things strangled” (animals strangled for pagan religious purposes);
“and…blood” (blood ingested as a drink or in raw meat). The NT does not
exempt believers (especially on the gentile mission field) from the real
potential of wanting to participate in idolatrous practices (cf. 1 Cor 10:14-
22; 1 John 5:21).
15:21. The widespread familiarity with the prescriptions of Moses
rendered the limited restrictions offered by James a practical and wise
necessity. Rather than providing prerequisites for the Gentiles’ fellowship
with God, they simply helped avoid problems and facilitated the
proclamation of the Gospel. The four items dealt with public matters that
could raise stumbling blocks to the Gospel. James excluded both
circumcision and Sabbath observance from his list.
15:22. The combined testimony persuaded the apostles and elders, with
the whole church, to send chosen men of their own company to
Antioch. Thus on their return trip Paul and Barnabas (with Paul now
listed first, as the leader) took two representatives from the Jerusalem
church—Judas who was also named Barsabas, and Silas, whom Luke
describes as leading men among the brethren. These would serve as
additional witnesses to verify the accord reached in Jerusalem.
15:23. Together these men would carry a letter detailing the council’s
decisions back to Antioch. The identification of the senders served as the
heading for the epistle: The apostles, the elders, and the brethren. They
agreed perfectly with the contents of the letter and sent it to believers in
three principal Gentile centers: Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia. To the
believers in these areas the Jerusalem church sent greetings.
 15:24. The letter to the Gentiles opens with the occasion for the
correspondence. It then reveals that the men referred to in Acts 15:1 went
out from us (but without their sponsorship, apostolic blessing, or
authority). James concisely sums up his and the Jerusalem church’s view of
the false teaching, affirming that we gave no such commandment to these
men.
15:25. The Jerusalem church underscored both the serious nature of the
error as well as their deep desire to correct the false teaching by sending
chosen men to [the Gentiles] with our beloved Barnabas and Paul.
15:26. The Jerusalem church communicated its loving respect for and trust
in Barnabas and Paul when they noted that they have risked their lives for
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15:27. The church then identified its two representatives: Judas and Silas.
These two would also report the same things by word of mouth. They
would confirm the contents of the letter.
15:28. The epistle prefaces the conclusion of the council with the
statement: it seemed good to the Holy Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you
no greater burden (cf. Matt 20:12; Gal 6:2; 1 Thess 2:7; Rev 2:24) than
these necessary things. The Jerusalem church recognized that the epistle
would in fact lay a burden (but not greater than necessary) on the Gentile
believers, but nevertheless viewed this as necessary because of the cultural
and religious climate in which they lived.
15:29. The letter reiterated in writing the four restrictions, then concluded
with a simple, nonthreatening encouragement: if you keep yourselves from
these, you will do well. Thus they couched their imperative in grace—in
perfect accord with the Gospel and God’s disposition toward the Gentiles.
15:30. Luke then summarizes their transition to the Gentile headquarters.
The gathering of the multitude together before the reading provided the
presence of further witnesses to the contents of the grace-filled epistle.
15:31. The epistle resulted in a grace-filled joyous response in the church
at Antioch. When they had read it, they rejoiced over its
encouragement.
15:32. In addition to the written encouragement, the church at Antioch
enjoyed the ministry of the two emissaries from Jerusalem. Luke reports
that Judas and Silas—both prophets—exhorted and strengthened the
brethren with many words. Judas and Silas thus fulfilled the purposes for
prophetic pronouncements: exhortation and strengthening.
15:33. After staying in Antioch for a time, Judas and Silas were sent
back from the brethren to the apostles. The twelve apostles thus still
resided in Jerusalem at this stage of the growth of the church. Their
contribution to the resolution and defusing of this early threat to the gospel
testifies to the wisdom of the apostles staying together and presenting a
united testimony for the church.
15:34. The NKJV, following the TR, includes this verse, which appears
neither in the MT nor the CT.
15:35. Luke further reports that Paul and Barnabas also remained in
Antioch. There they stayed teaching and preaching the word of the
Lord, with many others also. They neither exalted themselves over other
believers nor took all the church work on themselves.
C. Paul Emerges as the Leader of the Gentile Mission (15:36–
16:5)
15:36. Luke reports that after some days Paul initiated a return to “our
brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord,”
on their missionary journey. This occurred after allowing sufficient time for
the churches on the Gentile mission field to grow on their own.
15:37-38. Barnabas concurs with Paul’s desire to revisit the brethren.
However, he was determined to take with them John called Mark. Paul
disagreed on the basis that John Mark had departed from them on their
arrival in Pamphylia after having traveled with them as their assistant
(13:5, 13; cf. 12:12).
15:39. Their deep contention led to their parting from one another. As a
result Barnabas took Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Perhaps ministry in
Cyprus encouraged John Mark as a positive experience after his failure on
the first missionary journey. The apostle Paul and John Mark would later
successfully work together in ministry by the time of Paul’s house arrest in
Rome and up to the end of the apostle’s life (cf. Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11; Phlm
24; see also 1 Pet 5:13 for Mark’s relationship to the apostle Peter).
Luke does not take sides in this dispute over Mark. However, that in itself
leaves the impression that neither Paul nor Barnabas sinned in this matter.
Evidently this reflects a reasoned and principled difference of opinion.
 15:40. Luke reports that Paul chose Silas and departed. They ventured
out, being commended by the brethren to the grace of God . The
separation from Barnabas and Mark did not disrupt their relationship with
the believers at Antioch nor diminish God’s favor on their mission. They
went forth in the confidence afforded by the grace of God . The fact that the
Jerusalem Council had just recognized and reaffirmed God’s grace on the
Gentiles perhaps offered additional spiritual encouragement to the
missionaries.
15:41. Luke then focuses on Paul, reporting that he went through Syria
and Cilicia (cf. 6:9; 15:23, 41; 21:39; 22:3; 23:34; 27:5; Gal 1:21),
strengthening the churches. Luke perhaps subtly implies that the teaching
of God’s grace (cf. Acts 15:40) resulted in strengthening the churches (cf.
Heb 13:9).
16:1. Paul then came to Derbe and Lystra. When he arrived at Lystra,
Paul encountered an evidence of the grace to which the church at Antioch
had commended him. He found Timothy, the son of a certain Jewish
woman who believed, but his father was Greek.
16:2. Regarding his spiritual qualifications Timothy was well spoken of
by the brethren from Lystra and Iconium. In addition, his Jewish and
Greek background would grant him broad cultural access.
16:3. Paul saw the benefit of having Timothy’s assistance, and so he
wanted to have him go on with him. To that end Paul took him and
circumcised him because of the Jews who resided in that region—
another example of evangelistic pragmatism (cf. 1 Cor 9:19-23; but see also
Gal 2:3-5). Paul did this because they all knew that his father was a
Greek. It added nothing to Timothy’s essential standing before God
because he already possessed justification by faith alone and enjoyed the
presence of the Holy Spirit.
16:4. Paul, Silas, and Timothy then went through the cities delivering the
decrees decided by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem.
16:5. Luke then concludes the fourth major unit in the book with his
characteristic progress report: so the churches were strengthened in the
faith, and increased in number daily.
VI. God Establishes Paul as His Witness in the Gentile World
(16:6–19:20)
 A. God Uses Paul in Macedonia (16:6–17:15)
16:6. Paul, Silas, and Timothy went through Phrygia (a district of Asia
minor between Asia and Galatia, cf. 2:10; 18:23) and the region of Galatia
(a Roman province of central Asia Minor—originally a northern district).
Then they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia
(modern western Turkey). Luke records this as a simple fact without
explaining how the missionaries received the Holy Spirit’s message. This
notation shows the Holy Spirit’s sovereign superintendence and guidance of
the mission. The Ephesian church in Asia would later eclipse Antioch in
importance to the Gentile mission. Ephesus would emerge as a Gentile
Jerusalem.
16:7. The team then went to Mysia (a region in northwest Asia Minor) and
attempted to enter Bythynia (northwestern/central region of Asia Minor on
the Black Sea, cf. 1 Pet 1:1). However, the Spirit did not permit them.
16:8. The team obediently bypassed Mysia and came down to Troas
(region and port city in northwest Asia Minor).
16:9. While at Troas a vision appeared to Paul in the night. In this vision
a man of Macedonia (the Roman senatorial province between the Aegean
and Adriatric seas) stood and pleaded, giving Paul a concise request:
“Come over to Macedonia and help us.”
16:10. After Paul had seen the vision, the team immediately set out for
Macedonia. Luke, now writing in the first-person plural, indicates that he
joined the missionary team there in Troas (possibly his home): concluding
that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them.
16:11. With God’s guidance assured, they sailed from Troas on a straight
course to Samothrace (an island in the northeastern Aegean Sea). On the
following day they arrived at Neapolis (an Aegean seaport in Macedonia,
which granted access to Philippi).
16:12. From Neapolis they came to Philippi, which Luke describes as the
foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony. Its status as a colony
gave its citizens the same privileges as Rome. They stayed there for some
days.
16:13. In keeping with their evangelistic strategy, they ventured forth on
the Sabbath day—Saturday. However, because Philippi lacked an
established synagogue, they went outside of the city to the riverside,
where prayer was customarily made. There the team sat down and
spoke to the women who met there.
16:14. Luke mentions a certain woman named Lydia who listened to the
missionaries—a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, known for its
production of purple cloth by dying. He describes her as one who
worshiped God, a Gentile who worshiped with Jews but had not become a
full proselyte. This designation, as with Cornelius, shows that a person can
worship the true God without yet having believed in Jesus. This does not
preclude the fact that God had already initiated the search (cf. John 4:23-
24).
God granted her further revelation as a response to her positive reception
of the truth He had already given her. God will not reject a sincere seeker.
Luke signals Paul as the speaker, beginning to focus on him (cf. 16:17-18).
That God opened her heart signifies that He granted Lydia comprehension
of the saving message. The opening of the heart does not equate with
believing, which occurs as a result of this opening, nor with regeneration,
which occurs at the moment of faith, not before (cf. 16:31). The things
spoken by Paul would have centered on the Gospel.
16:15. Both Lydia and those who lived with her believed in Jesus. These
were the first to come to faith in Jesus Christ in Europe. Consequently she
and her household were baptized. Paul would not have permitted baptism
for any who had not believed in Jesus for eternal life. Lydia then entreated
them saying, “If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to
my house and stay.” Lydia’s request shows her respect for the team and
her respectability (she owned her own large house—a rarity for a woman in
the Roman world). Luke succinctly reports, so she persuaded us (only here
and Luke 24:29 in the NT).
16:16. As Paul and his team went to prayer (cf. v 13), they encountered a
certain slave girl possessed with a spirit of divination (lit., “having a
spirit of Python”). According to myth, the god Apollo killed Pytho, the
serpent son of the earth goddess, at Mount Parnassus in Delphi, Greece.
Delphi was then Apollo’s shrine and world-renowned center for prophetic
pronouncements from the Pythia, a select priestess who foretold the future
and spoke for Apollo. The terminology apparently then applied to other
women exhibiting similar behavior to the priestess at Delphi. This particular
slave girl brought her masters much profit by fortune-telling. The high
profits showed that her abilities worked fairly consistently. The ensuing
developments will explain why—demonic enablement. Only God knows
the future. Demons—as centuries-long students of human behavior with
access to vast amounts of information—can hazard some fairly accurate
guesses.
16:17-18. The unnamed girl followed Paul and his team, proclaiming a
true message: “These men are the servants of the Most High God, who
proclaim to us the way of salvation.” Ironically she announced a salvation
that she herself did not possess.
At some point the disadvantages of her publicity, plus the repeated
interruptions, possibly with sarcasm in the voice, outweighed any potential
benefit. Paul certainly did not want the pure and holy Savior and His Gospel
associated with evil. Her occupation would certainly have caused a
confusion of identity between the missionaries and the fortune-telling girl.
And so, Paul, greatly annoyed (also at 4:2 in the NT) addressed the spirit,
ordering him, “I command you in the name of the Jesus Christ to come
out of her.” The spirit came out that very hour.
16:19. The departure of the evil spirit signaled the end of the slave owners’
hope of profit. Consequently the girl’s owners seized Paul and Silas and
dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. Luke (apparently a
Gentile), and Timothy (the son of a Gentile father) were not arrested,
perhaps because they were not Jewish (cf. 16:20-21).
16:20. The owners of the girl brought them to the magistrates and
tinged their complaint with a religious and ethnic tone: “These men, being
Jews, exceedingly trouble our city.”
16:21. The accusing owners alleged, “they teach customs which are not
lawful for us, being Romans, to receive or observe.” This first detailed
conflict involving imperial authorities (cf. 14:5) sets the stage for Paul’s
later dealings with the Roman Empire—he will both respect the law as well
as strategically use his Roman citizenship to further his missionary aims.
16:22. Having heard the charges, the multitude present also rose up
together against the missionaries. Then without due process the
magistrates tore off Paul and Silas’s clothes and had them beaten with
rods (cf. 2 Cor 11:25).
16:23. The Roman officers laid many stripes on them and incarcerated
them. The magistrates commanded the jailer to keep them securely—a
detail which sets the scene for the ensuing supernatural deliverance.
16:24. After hearing his charge, the jailer put them into the inner prison
and fastened their feet in the stocks (cf. 12:4). The detailed description
heightens the effect of the release (and helps explain the emotional impact
on the jailer who so carefully secured Paul and Silas).
16:25. Luke then provides a glimpse of the disposition of the missionaries
and reveals the presence of others incarcerated with them. He writes that at
midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns (cf. Matt
26:30; Heb 2:12) to God. As they did this the prisoners were listening to
them. Paul models the counsel he later gave the Philippians (cf. Phil 4:4-5).
16:26. Luke reports that unexpectedly a great earthquake interrupted the
melodic, prayerful, and praiseful scenario. Its magnitude shook the
foundations of the prison so that immediately all the doors were opened
and everyone’s chains were loosed.
16:27. The earthquake shook the keeper of the prison out of his slumber.
Awaking from sleep, he saw the prison doors open and assumed that
everyone had escaped. Knowing that the Roman government would
sentence him to death, he drew his sword to end his own life.
16:28. Paul perceived the jailer’s suicidal intent and loudly called to him,
“Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.” The apostle rescued the yet
unbelieving prison keeper from harm and ultimately eternal ruin. Suicide
for an unbeliever results in condemnation because it takes away the
opportunity for belief in Jesus for eternal life. For a believer suicide cuts off
the opportunity for continued service to the Lord and will diminish eternal
rewards. Nevertheless, he or she retains the gift of eternal life bestowed
freely on him or her at the moment of belief (John 5:24-25; 6:37-40; 47;
11:25-27).
16:29. The jailer called for a light, ran in, and fell trembling before
Paul and Silas. The prison keeper asked for light and the missionaries
would now give him light.
16:30. The jailer brought Paul and Silas out and asked, “Sirs, what must I
do to be saved?” Paul and Silas respond to this, the most important
question in life, with a concise answer that highlights God’s free gift of
salvation.
16:31. Paul and Silas answered the jailer’s question concisely, accurately,
and conclusively: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be
saved.” The offer applied to everyone in the house. Paul and Silas assured
salvation to everyone in the jailer’s family who believed. Nevertheless the
belief of one member does not guarantee that eventually all will come to
believe in Jesus. Paul and Silas gave the prison keeper a promise of what
God does for a believer (i.e., saves him) rather than a prediction regarding
who or how many in his household would believe. (In this case everyone
did believe; see v 34.)
16:32. On delivering the simple message, Paul and Silas went to the
jailer’s home and spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all who were
in his house. The fact that Luke does not include other details regarding
Paul and Silas’s words to the jailer and his family shows that v 31 is the
uncluttered essence of the saving message (cf. John 3:16-17). Additions
based on what Paul and Silas might have said have no textual basis on
which to stand. Rather, everything in both missionary journeys (as well as
in Peter’s preaching at the home of the Gentile Cornelius) points to faith
alone in Jesus as the simple requisite for receiving God’s offer of salvation.
16:33. A potential family tragedy turned into a joy-filled occasion instead.
Luke reports that the jailer took Paul and Silas the same hour of the night
and washed their stripes (cf. v 23). Then immediately the prison keeper
and all his family were baptized. Those baptized could not have included
infants since belief in Jesus for eternal salvation is a prerequisite (cf. vv 31,
34.)
16:34. He then brought Paul and Silas into his house and set food before
them. Luke records that the jailer rejoiced, having believed in God with
all his household. The wording suggests that now Paul and Silas comprised
part of the jailer’s spiritual family as they all belonged to the household of
faith. The narrative once again reiterates the one condition that all of them
met: belief. Furthermore, the rejoicing underscores the eternal permanence
of the salvation God gave them. God’s sure promise of once-for-all
salvation—the very instant one believes—furnishes a basis for rejoicing.
16:35. A few hours later (the earthquake had taken place at midnight),
when it was day, the magistrates sent the officers, saying, “Let those
men go.” Paul and Silas potentially could have already left on their own,
courtesy of the sovereignly supervised earthquake (cf. vv 25-28).
16:36. The jailer reported their words to Paul, saying, “The magistrates
have sent to let you go. Now therefore depart, and go in peace.” The
missionaries would go in peace, but not without first setting a preventive
precedent for the benefit of the believers in Philippi.
16:37. Paul then detailed the breaches of Roman law they endured: “They
have beaten us openly, uncondemned Romans, and have thrown us into
prison” (actions that would jeopardize the authorities before the imperial
government). Paul then protested their private exit in the face of the illegal
and public proceedings against them. Accordingly he asked, “And now do
they put us out secretly?” Paul offered a more fitting course of action:
“No indeed! Let them come themselves and get us out.” Paul upheld
Roman law, retained his dignity as a citizen, and yet mercifully called
attention to injustice against himself and Silas.
16:38. Paul knew precisely how to strike healthy fear in the officials. The
officers reported his words to the magistrates, the two principal leaders
(cf. v 20). Predictably they were afraid when they heard that they were
Romans. Ironically they now stood potentially condemned for their
treatment of uncondemned fellow citizens who enjoyed imperial protection.
16:39. The magistrates came and pleaded with them and brought them
out, and asked them to depart from the city. Their departure would
represent a gracious concession on the missionaries’ part and would place
the city officials in their debt. This may have served as a potential safeguard
for Lydia, the jailer, and their respective households, as well as other
believers in Philippi.
16:40. Paul and Silas exited the prison and entered the house of Lydia
(cf. v 14). After seeing the brethren, new believers who now belonged to
their same family of faith, they encouraged them and departed.
17:1. Paul, Silas, and Timothy departed from Philippi and passed through
Amphipolis and Apollonia. The return to the third person plural they
signals that Luke stayed behind at Philippi. The three remaining
missionaries came to Thessalonica (a port city on the Gulf of Therme on
the northwest Aegean Sea; cf. 17: 11, 13; Phil 4:16; 2 Tim 4:10). In contrast
to Philippi, Thessalonica had a synagogue of the Jews.
17:2. As his custom was (cf. Luke 4:16), Paul participated in the
synagogue meetings and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the
Scriptures (the OT). The threefold reference attests to the ample testimony
they received (cf. Deut 17:6).
 17:3. The apostle Paul spent the three Sabbaths explaining and
demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the
dead. After proving Messiah’s death and resurrection from the OT, Paul
established a connection between the Messiah and Jesus of Nazareth,
affirming, “This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” Reasoning
(v. 2), explaining, and demonstrating show the nature both of evangelism
and belief. Paul aimed to convince others that Jesus is the Christ—which
results in eternal life when understood and believed (cf. John 11:25-27;
20:30-31).
17:4. After three weeks of interaction some of them were persuaded.
This group, a large number of devout (cf. 16:14; 17:17; 18:7) Greeks as
well as many of the leading women, believed in Jesus as Savior after
comparing the missionaries’ message with the OT Scriptures. These then
joined Paul and Silas.
17:5. Luke details that the Jews who were not persuaded (i.e., had not
believed) took some of the evil men from the marketplace, assembled a
mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and
sought to bring them out to the people to officially address civic matters.
17:6. The unruly mob did not find the missionaries and so dragged Jason
and brethren to the rulers of the city. Their complaint revealed the
growth of the Christian movement in the Roman Empire: “These who have
turned the world (i.e., the Roman Empire) upside down have come here
too.”
17:7. The stirred-up crowd presented two specific formal charges: “Jason
has harbored them (which provided a rationale for their attack on Jason’s
household), and these are all acting contrary to the decrees of Caesar,
saying there is another king—Jesus.” They crafted the complaints both to
exonerate them from potential charges of disrupting the pax Romana and to
arouse opposition against the Christians. The charges potentially dealt with
laws against unauthorized gatherings with political implications. They thus
painted the Christians as meeting for potentially subversive motives that
would cause civic unrest (as evidenced by tumults in other cities).
17:8. The unbelieving Jews painted Christians as agitators who fomented
political rebellion and civic unrest (on an empire-wide scale). This
understandably troubled the crowd and the rulers of the city (cf. v. 6).
 17:9. As a consequence the city leaders took security from Jason and the
rest and released them.
17:10. At this time the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away
by night to Berea (also at v 13). As customary, on arrival they went into
the synagogue of the Jews. The turmoil in Thessalonica had not
diminished Paul’s love for his countrymen.
17:11. At the synagogue of Berea they discovered that these Jews were
more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica. They welcomed the Word
of God with all readiness and searched the Scriptures daily to validate
whether these things were so. These Jewish unbelievers (many of whom
came to faith) model key principles of interpretation: openness, eagerness,
and searching the Scriptures.
17:12. As a result of the Bereans’ well-intentioned receptivity and
corroboration of the message, many of them believed. The new believers
included not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men, in
this regard somewhat mirroring Thessalonica.
17:13. Luke draws a contrast with the Bereans by reporting that when the
Jews from Thessalonica learned of Paul’s biblical preaching at Berea,
they went and stirred up the crowds. The persistent persecution even
beyond their city highlights their tenacious unbelief. Paul still retained his
deep love for his countrymen as a reflection of God’s love for them also (cf.
Rom 9:1-5).
17:14. The Berean believers took immediate action and sent Paul away,
to go to the sea (cf. 10:6, 32; 17:14; 27:30, 38, 40). Silas and Timothy
stayed. Timothy here reappears in the narrative; cf. v 10.
17:15. Berean believers conducted Paul to the idolatrous and
philosophically sophisticated Athens (cf. 18:1; 1 Thess 3:1). There he gave
his guides a command to relay to Silas and Timothy to come to him with
all speed. With this, they departed.
Narratively, this may juxtapose the most receptive Jewish audience (in
Berea) against the least sympathetic Gentile audience (in Athens).
B. God Uses Paul in Achaia (17:16–18:17)
17:16. The religious climate of Athens profoundly affected Paul while he
waited for Silas and Timothy. The word provoked occurs in the NT only
here and in 1 Cor 13:5. Paul’s emotional response reflected God’s own
perspective against idols. Significantly the apostle found himself without
his companions.
17:17. The blatantly idolatrous scenario moved Paul to enhance his usual
strategy. As expected, he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jewish and
Gentile audience who believed in God as revealed in the OT. Also he
reasoned in the marketplace daily with anyone he might find there. The
strategy of reasoning attests to the rational nature of the Gospel—belief
demands comprehension of content that makes sense.
17:18. On one of those occasions, Paul conversed with certain Epicurean
and Stoic philosophers. Theophilus would have probably studied these
philosophers. He could therefore appreciate the narrative on the basis of his
background. He would recognize Paul’s knowledge as commensurate with
his own—as well as Christianity’s coherent response to these philosophies.
Epicurean philosophy taught the cessation of conscious existence at death
(only atoms survive) and the indifference of the gods to the affairs of men.
One could achieve pleasure by avoiding wrong desires, limiting the
experience of good ones, and enjoying the company of friends.
The Stoics believed that an eternal and rational fire created both the world
and mankind. The world begins with that rational creative fire and comes to
a fiery conclusion—cyclically and endlessly. In the interim, virtue comes
from wisely ordering one’s life according to—or living in harmony with—
the reason inherent in everything (including oneself). The Stoics also valued
friendship as an expression of mutual responsibility to everyone else as co-
citizens of a world city.
Both systems denied personal eternality and ultimate accountability to God
after death.
In this context some asked, “What does this babbler want to say?”
Others, speaking from their own polytheistic viewpoint, asserted, “He
seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” They arrived at this by
misconstruing Jesus and Resurrection as the names of two foreign gods.
17:19. These inquisitive philosophers then took Paul to the Areopagus.
The word Areopagus literally means “Hill of Ares,” a reference to the war
god, whom the Romans called Mars. The KJV renders Areopagus as Mars
Hill. The men inquired, “May we know what this new doctrine is of
which you speak?”
 17:20. The philosophers’ rationale betrays a genuine ignorance regarding
Christian truth (“strange things”) as well as a sincere desire “to know.”
17:21. Luke grants some background perspective, explaining that all the
Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in
nothing else but either to tell or hear some new thing.
17:22. The apostle Paul then stood in the midst of the Areopagus (cf. v
19) and commenced with a rhetorical compliment: “Men of Athens, I
perceive that in all things you are very religious.” Paul praised the
Athenians without lauding their false religion.
17:23. Paul validated his compliment with a personal observation: “I even
found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.” Paul
tailored his words to their desire to hear something new. They obviously did
not know this God whom Paul would now “proclaim to them.”
17:24. With crystalline logic, Paul communicated essential distinctives of
the true God. “He made the world and everything in it and is Lord of
heaven and earth.” Thus He “does not dwell in temples made with
hands.” Given that God both created and rules over the universe, why
would He dwell in inferior man-made dwellings? The Athenians had
various temples readily at hand, rendering Paul’s message immediately
relevant.
17:25. As a logical corollary Paul adds, “Nor is He worshiped with
men’s hands.” God “gives to all life, breath (in the NT only here and in
2:2), and all things,” and so He lacks nothing Himself. Having set down
essential realities about the true God, Paul then transitions to how He relates
to mankind.
17:26. Paul reflects the Book of Genesis, affirming that God created
“every nation of men” from the same blood for the purpose of inhabiting
the earth. In addition, God determined when and where they fit into history.
17:27. God established these beneficial chronological and geographical
boundaries “so that they should seek the Lord.” He did this so they would
perhaps “grope for Him and find Him.” In this way Paul explains how the
unknown God has placed mankind in the best possible position to come to
the knowledge of Him. In fact, the apostle asserts that “He is not far from
each one of us.” Interestingly, they unknowingly already had a monument
to Him.
 Paul’s statement shows that all persons of sound mind can seek and find
Him. Paul did not contradict what he says here when he wrote in Rom 3:11
that “no one seeks God.” In Rom 3:11 Paul is saying that men never seek
God on their own initiative. But since God draws all to Himself (John
12:32), all can respond to God and seek Him.
17:28. Paul masterfully pointed out facets of agreement and
simultaneously set forth the newness of his belief. He explained God’s
nearness to everyone (and thus His accessibility), affirming that “in Him
we live and move and have our being.” This quotation comes from
Epimenides (whom Paul also quoted in Titus 1:12). Paul then validates this
assertion by quoting from another of their “own poets”—Aratus in
Phaenomena 5—who wrote, “For we are also His offspring.” Rather than
sustaining his point with OT Scripture, the apostle quoted from sources with
whom the Athenians would be sympathetic, and which expressed particular
truths. Here the apostle affirmed God’s nearness to His creation—without
saying Deity is identical to it. Paul also expressed the dependence of the
creation on God for everything essential to its existence.
17:29. Paul begins to draw his argument to a close. He argues that “since
we are the offspring of God” (v 28), we should not suppose “that the
Divine nature (this word occurs in the NT only here and in 2 Pet 1:3-4) is
like gold or silver or stone”—an object of man’s artistic skill or “man’s
devising.” Man’s nature analogously reflects but does not equal God’s.
17:30. Paul explains that God did not immediately judge the Gentiles
(though He retained His standards of righteousness). Furthermore the
apostle said their religious notions were expressions of ignorance. Now,
however, God commanded “all men everywhere to repent.” The
repentance here refers to forsaking the polytheistic and idolatrous pagan
notions of God and seeking a vital and real relationship with the true God.
The message here mirrors what Paul and Barnabas exhorted the idolatrous
worshipers at Lystra to do (cf. 14:15). While this is not a condition of
eternal life, the unbeliever who repents places himself in the proper sphere
to understand the saving message (cf. v 27; 10:35).
17:31. Paul argued that the Athenians should turn to the true God in light
of coming judgment: “He has appointed a day on which He will judge
the world.” And He will do so “in righteousness.” God has “given
assurance” of this coming judgment by raising their future Judge “from
the dead.”
17:32. The Resurrection posed a problem for the Athenians because
neither the Stoics nor the Epicureans believed in life after death. Not
surprisingly, when they heard of the resurrection of the dead some of
them mocked (only here and in 2:13 in the NT), and others postponed the
discussion, saying, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
17:33. Rather than pressing the crowd beyond their point of receptivity,
Paul departed from among them.
17:34. Despite the fact that the Athenians concluded the exchange, some
men joined him and believed. Happily, even one of the Athenian council,
Dionysius the Areopagite, believed, as well as a woman named Damaris,
and others with them.
18:1. Luke then records another travel transition for Paul—He departed
from Athens and went to Corinth, the capital city of the Roman province
of Achaia (cf. Acts 19:1). At this point Silas and Timothy had still not met
up with him.
18:2. While he still lacked the company of his fellow missionaries, he
found a certain Jew named Aquila (cf. 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19;
2 Tim 4:19), born in Pontus. He had recently come from Italy with his
wife Priscilla (cf. 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19). They had
departed because Claudius, Roman emperor from 41 to 54 (cf. Acts
11:28), had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome. This
expulsion transpired in AD 49 in connection with turmoil over Chrestus—
very probably a reference to disturbances arising over belief in Christ
(Christus).
18:3. Paul shared the same trade with Aquila and Priscilla and so he stayed
with them and worked. All three worked as tentmakers (either literally or a
reference to those who worked with theatrical productions).
18:4. As customary, Paul reasoned (cf. 19:8-9; 20:9) in the synagogue
every Sabbath. As a result, he persuaded both Jews and Greeks. Paul’s
method of persuasion perfectly complements the nature of belief in Jesus.
No one can force someone to believe something if he considers it false, has
insufficient information, or is confused about it. Paul’s audience listened to
his message about Jesus. Belief happens at the instant when one is
convinced of Jesus’ promise of eternal life. Doubt may arise later, but if a
person has never been convinced of the promise of salvation, he has not yet
become a believer.
18:5. Then Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, the Roman
province above Achaia where Paul had experienced persistent persecution
from his Jewish compatriots (cf. 17:5, 13). The phrase compelled by the
Spirit probably refers to the apostle’s human spirit. Whereas in Athens his
spirit was provoked when he surveyed the Athenians immersion in idolatry
(17:16), here he felt profoundly motivated to tell his fellow Jews that Jesus
is the Christ.
18:6. In an already familiar response they opposed him and blasphemed.
Paul answered with his most intensely emotional response yet in the
narrative. He shook his garments and asserted, “Your blood be upon your
own heads; I am clean”—thus placing the responsibility for rejection of
God’s grace squarely on them, turning them over to the deserved wrath for
their sins. Paul fulfilled his obligation to tell them about God’s free
salvation by faith in Jesus. Then Paul announced that he would no longer
focus on those particular Jews in Corinth, for in Ephesus (cf. 18:19) and
elsewhere he still reasons and interacts with the Jews. His emotional words
reveal his deep love for them.
18:7. Paul then departed from there and entered the house of…Justus,
a Gentile who worshiped God and whose house was next door to the
synagogue. This Gentile, living next door to the synagogue was actually
closer to the truth than those with more direct access to the truth in the
synagogue!
18:8. Despite general Jewish rejection, Crispus (cf. 1 Cor 1:14), the ruler
of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. Their
conversion served as a catalyst for others. Many of the Corinthians when
they heard the news believed and were baptized. Crispus and his family,
along with many other Corinthians, were the first believers in Corinth.
18:9. Paul’s intense reaction (cf. Acts 18:6) perhaps revealed an
underlying concern. So The Lord Himself spoke to Paul in the night by a
vision, both exhorting and assuring him: “Do not be afraid, but speak,
and do not keep silent.”
18:10. The Lord undergirded His exhortation with a promise: “For I am
with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many
people in this city.” The Lord protected Paul’s ministry in Corinth.
 18:11. As a result of the Lord’s personalized encouragement, Paul
continued there for a year and six months, teaching the word of God.
18:12. A time of tranquil teaching transitioned to one of turmoil and
religious opposition by Paul’s own countrymen. In this setting God
providentially brings Paul to Gallio—proconsul of Achaia (brother of the
famous philosopher Seneca and official in Corinth in AD 51 or 52; cf.
18:14, 17). Here the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and
brought him to the judgment seat. This judgment seat renders the Greek
word bēma (cf. 18:16-17; 25:6, 10, 17; see also 12:21) where rulers
rendered both favorable and unfavorable decisions.
18:13. These Jews presented a concise charge: “This fellow persuades
men to worship God contrary to the law” (i.e., the Mosaic Law). They
accused Paul of incorrect worship of the true God—outside the
prescriptions of the Mosaic Law. Ironically the accusation applied to the
accusers themselves, for by rejecting Jesus they could not fully worship
God.
18:14. Gallio responded before Paul could present a defense. He addressed
Paul’s accusers, crisply asserting, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or
wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reasons why I should bear with
you.” With these words Gallio already validated both Paul and Christianity
as neither evil nor criminal.
18:15. After denying the criminality of Paul’s teaching, Gallio then
categorized the conflict as “a question of words and names and your own
law”—issues of no importance to him. He then rendered his decision:
“Look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.”
This judgment showed that the Roman government still perceived
Christianity as a facet of Judaism (and therefore outside of their immediate
concern). More importantly, it set a precedent for future cases of this nature.
18:16. Gallio’s succinct judgment reflected the conciseness of the Jews’
accusation and summarily drove them from the judgment seat.
18:17. As an ancillary consequence all the Greeks decided to mete out
their own punishment. They took Sostheness, the ruler of the synagogue,
and beat him before the judgment seat. Despite this riotous situation,
Gallio took no notice of these things. His attitude bode well for the
Christian movement as it probably delayed imperial interference with
Christianity.
 C. Paul Returns to Jerusalem and Embarks on His Third
Missionary Journey (18:18-23)
18:18. With the Lord’s encouragement and the decision taken by Gallio,
Paul still remained a good while in Corinth. He then left the brethren and
sailed for Syria together with Priscilla and Aquila. Luke then notes that
Paul had his hair cut off (in connection with the conclusion of a vow) at
Cenchrea, the port of Corinth (cf. Rom 16:1).
18:19. When Paul arrived at Ephesus, he left Priscilla and Aquila there
and entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews. Despite their
rebellion against the Gospel, Paul still loved them deeply and took the
saving message of faith in Jesus to them first.
18:20. On this occasion they asked him to stay a longer time with them.
However, because of a more pressing concern, Paul did not consent.
18:21. He instead took leave of them, explaining, “I must by all means
keep this coming feast in Jerusalem,” and assuring them, “I will return
again to you, God willing” (cf. Jas 4:13-15). With this he sailed from
Ephesus.
18:22. Luke describes Paul’s subsequent movements employing an up and
down or ascending and descending pattern. He goes down to Caesarea
(where he landed; cf. 21:3; 27:5). He then goes up to greet the church.
Then he goes down to Antioch—the unofficial headquarters of the Gentile
mission.
18:23. After spending time in Antioch he departed on his third missionary
journey, traveling over the region of Galatia and Phrygia (cf. 2:10; 16:6)
in order and strengthening all the disciples.
D. Apollos Opens a Path for Paul in Ephesus (18:24-28)
18:24. During Paul’s absence from Ephesus Luke reports that a certain
Jew named Apollos described as born at Alexandria, eloquent, and
mighty in the Scriptures arrived there. Narratively, Paul and Apollos never
appear together in the same locale.
18:25. Apollos had been instructed in the way of the Lord. He was
fervent in spirit and spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord
even though he only had knowledge of the baptism of John. This testifies
to the greatness of John the Baptist and the biblical precision of his
teaching. Apollos still needed to undergo Christian baptism (Matt 28:18-20;
Acts 19:1-5).
18:26. Apollos then began to speak boldly in the synagogue—the same
place that had asked Paul to stay longer with them. Aquila and Priscilla
heard Apollos’s teaching and discerned that he needed further instruction.
So, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more
accurately. This testifies both to Apollos’s value as a teacher and to Paul’s
preparation of Aquila and Priscilla such that they could refine the
knowledge of someone mighty in the Scriptures like Apollos.
18:27. Then Apollos wanted to cross to Achaia (the Roman province
below Macedonia). To facilitate this the believers at Ephesus wrote a letter
of commendation to those at Corinth exhorting the disciples in Achaia to
receive Apollos. Luke reports that when he arrived, Apollos greatly
helped those who had believed through grace. Apollos’s expertise helped
the Corinthian believers retain the right grace-based perspective in a
potentially legalistic context (because of the strong Jewish presence there).
18:28. He did this by vigorously and publicly refuting antagonistic Jews
in the city. Specifically he demonstrated from the Scriptures that Jesus is
the Christ. He achieved this by using the OT Scriptures known and studied
by the same Jewish people who opposed him.
E. Paul Establishes the Way in Ephesus (19:1-20)
19:1. Luke correlates the respective ministry activities of Paul and
Apollos. He records that while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul had passed
through the upper regions and arrived at Ephesus—home of the
renowned temple of the goddess Artemis (Diana) and a harbor city. There
he found some disciples.
19:2. Something about his interaction with these disciples in Ephesus led
Paul to inquire, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
Some affirm that these disciples had not believed—despite the fact that
Paul’s question indicates that they had (“when you believed”). Moreover,
Acts has clear examples of believers who did not receive the Holy Spirit
immediately on belief—the Samaritans who awaited the arrival of Peter and
John (8:12, 14-17) and the early Church itself (1:4-5; 2:1-4). Undoubtedly,
Peter’s experience with Cornelius set the pattern for reception of the Holy
Spirit during the church age—belief in Jesus and the immediate
accompanying reception of the Holy Spirit (without their first having to
submit to baptism). In contradistinction, the initial scenario regarding
Palestinian Jews called for baptism as a condition for reception of the Spirit
and, with this, incorporation into the Body of Christ (cf. 2:36-39).
Their response indicated that they did not fall into the parameters of the
Gentile conversions. It also showed that they had not submitted to Christian
baptism because they would have received the Holy Spirit on doing so (cf.
2:38).
19:3. Rather than calling into question their belief in Jesus, Paul asked,
“Into what then were you baptized?” Their answer—“Into John’s
baptism”—shows why they had not yet received the Spirit. They had only
submitted to John’s baptism.
19:4. Paul recognized the significance of John’s baptism while
categorizing it as preliminary and preparatory. He affirmed, “John indeed
baptized with a baptism of repentance” in a ministry aimed specifically
at the nation of Israel in preparation for the potential establishment of their
promised messianic kingdom. Paul—in agreement with all of Acts—
differentiates between repentance and belief, thus rendering each
distinguishable. The fact that this group of disciples had submitted to John’s
baptism does not mean they had not believed in Jesus. In fact, Paul here
affirms that John the Baptist told people to believe on Him…on Christ
Jesus.
While national repentance and faith were necessary for the kingdom to
come to any given generation of Israelites, individual Jews, like individual
Gentiles, were regenerated by simply believing in Christ.
19:5. Once they heard this, they realized that they still lacked Christian
baptism and so were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. John’s
baptism, although good, was temporary. Once the nation rejected her
Messiah, the church was born and a new baptism, in the name of the Lord
Jesus, replaced the baptism of John.
19:6. Interestingly they did not receive the Spirit until Paul had laid
hands on them. Then the Holy Spirit came upon them. Also, they spoke
with tongues and prophesied. Paul did not have to pray for them to
receive the Holy Spirit (cf. Peter and John at 8:15 with the Samaritans).
Other than the Twelve, only Paul had authority to lay hands on people in
connection with the reception of the Holy Spirit.
 19:7. The presence of twelve men, the bestowal of the Holy Spirit, and the
speaking in tongues reflect the Day of Pentecost. This and the ensuing
context provide a setting for seeing Paul as God’s witness to the Gentiles,
on par with the Twelve.
19:8. Paul then went into the synagogue (thus keeping his promise of
18:21). He spoke boldly for three months with the Jews and God-fearing
Gentiles in the synagogue, reasoning and persuading concerning the
things of the kingdom of God.
19:9. Some in the synagogue audience were hardened and did not
believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude. Paul responded
by departing from them and taking the disciples with him. He thus
transitioned from there and was reasoning daily in the school of
Tyrannus.
19:10. The three months in the synagogue thus transitioned into two years
at the school of Tyrannus. As a result all who dwelt in Asia heard the
Gospel of salvation as a gift by faith in the Lord Jesus (cf. Eph 2:8-10),
both Jews and Greeks.
19:11. Ephesus stood out in various ways. It replaced Antioch as the center
of Gentile missions, thereby becoming a Gentile Jerusalem of sorts. Luke
reports that God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul.
19:12. These miracles were particularly unusual in that even
handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body, resulting in
healings and exorcisms for those simply touched by the cloths.
19:13. Paul’s God-given abilities motivated others to attempt spiritual
feats. Luke reports that some itinerant Jewish exorcists called on the
name of the Lord Jesus over people who had evil spirits. In their attempts
they would say, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
The fact that they mentioned Paul shows how powerfully God used the
Apostle to represent Jesus’ name (as the Twelve do in 3:1–6:7).
19:14. Luke then specifies that seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief
priest, participated in this misguided endeavor.
19:15. The seven sons encountered an unwanted response. The evil spirit
answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
That Luke includes this statement reflects his humor and simultaneously
highlights the central personalities in his two volumes—Jesus in the Gospel
and Paul in Acts. Narratively, it underlines the powerlessness of the
contemporary Jewish priesthood and the apostolic status of Paul.
19:16. The question did not bode well for Sceva’s sons. They learned in a
very graphic manner that the benefits of the Lord’s name belonged to those
who know Him. In the spiritually charged setting of Ephesus the Lord
would show Himself jealous for His name, not allowing any inappropriate
or unauthorized associations with it. As a result they fled out of that house
naked and wounded.
19:17. The overpowering of Sceva’s seven sons became known both to
all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus. This event together with the
extraordinary miracles that God worked through Paul would have served to
confirm his message in Asia as well as heighten respect for the name of the
Lord Jesus.
19:18. The magnifying of Jesus’ name had a salutatory effect on the
church so that many who had believed came confessing and telling their
deeds. The holding of Jesus’ name in high regard places any undignified
sinful activity in its proper light and motivates believers to forsake their sin.
19:19. The repercussions of the sons of Sceva incident also impacted
believers who had dabbled in the dark arts prevalent in Ephesus. Luke
records that many of those who had practiced magic brought their
books together and burned them in the sight of all. This public
renunciation reflected the impact of the encounter of the powerless seven
sons with the energized demonized man. When they counted up the value
of the books that were burned, it amounted to fifty thousand pieces of
silver—the equivalent of the wage for fifty thousand days of labor.
19:20. Luke concludes with his fifth progress report: So the word of the
Lord grew mightily and prevailed. The Lucan narrative now turns to the
consummation of the validation of Paul’s interadvent ministry (to a church
composed of both Jews and Gentiles) brought about both by the nation’s
rejection of Christ and God’s wise mercy for both Jews and Gentiles (see
Romans 9–11).
VII. God Sends His Salvation to Rome (19:21–28:31)
A. Paul Decides to See Rome via Jerusalem (19:21–21:14)
19:21. After these things Paul makes a decision reminiscent of 1:8. Luke
records that Paul purposed in the Spirit to first go through Macedonia
(cf. 16:9) and Achaia (cf. 18:27) and then proceed to Jerusalem. The
Greek phrase allows for a lower case spirit and could thus mean “Paul made
up his mind.” However, by the use of the word Spirit/spirit, Luke may
intend to underscore the harmony of Paul’s decisions with the desires of the
Holy Spirit.
Paul would both edify the believers in those areas and complete the
collection for Jerusalem. (See Rom 15:22-33 where Paul expresses his plan,
left unstated here in 19:21 but alluded to in 24:17.) Paul then expresses his
next destination as a matter of necessity: “After I have been there [i.e.,
Jerusalem] I must also see Rome.” The decision reflects the mission to the
end of the earth (1:8), for from Rome one could reach anywhere in the
known world.
19:22. In keeping with this plan, Paul sent into Macedonia (cf. 16:9) two
of those who ministered to him, Timothy and Erastus. Paul stayed in
Asia for a time, apparently with other helpers.
19:23. Then about that time a great commotion about the Way
transpired. The juxtaposition of the great commotion and the Way frames
the conflict. Christianity retains God-revealed, historically based, and
miraculously confirmed doctrine that will not mix with competing truth
claims. The Ephesian church had matured to the point that their defined
identity had influenced their idolatrous culture. The undeniable power of
their Spirit-enabled teaching and positive witness resulted in an economic
threat to the local idol business.
19:24. A certain man named Demetrius, a silversmith made silver
shrines of Diana, her Roman designation. These idolatrous trinkets
brought no small profit to the craftsmen.
19:25. Demetrius beckoned the craftsmen and other workers of similar
occupation to discuss the threat of Christianity to their commerce. His
opening words reveal the essential motive for the ensuing uproar—money.
19:26. Demetrius argues his case from the influence of Christianity
throughout almost all of Asia. He affirms, “This Paul has persuaded and
turned away many people, saying that they are not gods which are
made with hands.” The fact that Demetrius knows Paul’s theology testifies
to the apostle’s effectiveness. Ironically, Demetrius’s appeal to the
craftsmen makes a coherent case against idolatry. Can human hands make a
god?
 Did Demetrius ultimately believe in Jesus? The apostle John
recommended a Demetrius to the believers in Ephesus (3 John 11-12).
Perhaps this one who had beheld and defended the image of the goddess
later became a believer. The potential identification of the beloved Gaius (3
John 1) with Paul’s companion (Acts 19:29) lends credence to this
possibility.
19:27. Demetrius concludes with an appeal both to the alleged dignity of
their trade and the greatness of the temple and the goddess Diana.
Significantly he first mentions the potential financial catastrophe that
Christianity could occasion. Then he expresses concern (possibly feigned)
that “the temple of the great goddess Diana may be despised and her
magnificence destroyed.” Like his prior comment, Demetrius’s words
make the opposite case. Why should Paul, a mere human, pose a threat to
the great goddess?
19:28. The potential denigration of Diana incited the crowd. They cried
out, saying, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” They considered her
great because she fueled a lucrative business undergirded by superstition.
Ironically the incident actually testified to Diana’s powerlessness.
19:29. The religious and financial fervor led to unrestrained chaos as the
whole city was filled with confusion, and rushed into the theater (an
outdoor amphitheater with a 25,000 seating capacity) with one accord.
They seized Gaius and Aristarchus…Paul’s travel companions.
19:30. Luke does not reveal why the crowd failed to seize Paul.
Nevertheless once the melee erupted he wanted to go in to the people.
Wisely, the disciples would not allow him to do so.
19:31. The combined effort of the disciples and some of the officials
succeeded in preventing Paul from embroiling himself in the conflict. Paul’s
association with the officials shows he also had upper-class friends,
something Theophilus would duly note.
19:32. Inside the theater confusion reigned. Some cried one thing and
some another. Luke reveals that most of them did not know why they
had come together.
19:33. A new character emerged. They drew Alexander out of the
multitude, the Jews putting him forward. This man motioned with his
hand to draw attention so he could present his defense.
 19:34. Nonetheless his monotheistic stance did not play well with the
idolatrous polytheistic crowd. When they found out that he was a Jew,
they jointly cried out for about two hours, “Great is Diana of the
Ephesians!” The silencing of this man may picture the impotence of
Judaism—without the power of Jesus the Messiah—to prevail against evil.
In this way Paul “speaks” more in his absence than Alexander does with his
presence!
19:35. The city clerk used a rhetorical question to bring order: Did not
everyone know that the city served as “temple guardian of the great
goddess Diana,” as well as “of the image which fell down from Zeus.”
19:36. He then argued on the basis of the undeniability of these assertions
that, “you ought to be quiet and do nothing rashly.”
19:37. The city clerk then set out the legal reality of their actions. Gaius
and Aristarchus (v 29) had not committed any crimes. The men qualified
neither as “robbers of temples nor blasphemers” of Diana. The missionaries
exalted the Lord Jesus rather than simply denigrating the false goddess.
19:38. The city clerk offered, “the courts are open and there are
proconsuls.” He adds, “Let them bring charges against one another.”
This allowed him to uphold Roman law, protect himself, and bring to light
those responsible for the uprising.
19:39. He insisted that they deal with any other issues “in the lawful
assembly.” Further action outside of established protocol could arouse
imperial speculation. Thus their own comportment, rather than Christianity,
counted as the true threat.
19:40. The city official revealed his rationale and his concern: “We are in
danger of being called in question for today’s uproar.”
19:41. Once the city clerk had defused the disorderly situation he
dismissed the assembly. The official in effect freed the believers to pursue
their ministry in Ephesus without further unjustified trouble. This incident
shows God’s providential care of the missionaries through the Roman
government. And in keeping with the heroic emphasis of this unit, Paul and
his perspective won the day without the need for him to appear. Luke also
shows Paul as determined, but not headstrong. He wisely acquiesced to the
judicious counsel of those who cared for him.
20:1. Paul called the disciples who had wisely helped keep him out of the
fray in the theater (cf. 19:30). He embraced them, and departed to go to
Macedonia (cf. 16:9; 19:22).
20:2. Paul then went through those parts and encouraged them. The
many words may reflect the need of these believers in an especially hostile
context as well as the apostle’s planning for a potentially extended absence.
Paul’s love for the Macedonian believers brought him back to encourage
them in the faith.
20:3. Paul stayed three months in Greece. He wrote the Epistle to the
Romans during this stay. Luke reports that the Jews plotted against him as
he was about to sail to Syria. Possibly the plan involved an attack on Paul
while on the ship. On account of this he decided to return through
Macedonia by land.
20:4. Seven representatives from the Gentile mission field traveled with
Paul on the economic relief mission to Jerusalem. Together the seven
picture the completeness of Paul’s work among the Gentiles who were
spiritually indebted to the Jerusalem church (cf. Rom 15:25-27). They
would first travel to Troas.
20:5. Luke includes himself as a fellow traveler with Paul, reporting that
these men, going ahead, waited for us at Troas. In that city Paul had
received the vision that launched the facet of the Gentile mission with
himself as leader (cf. 16:6-10). Luke joined the journey there.
20:6. While their travel companions waited at Troas, Paul and Luke sailed
away from Philippi (cf. 16:11-40) after the Days of Unleavened Bread.
Five days later they joined the others at Troas and stayed for seven days.
20:7. At Troas on the first day of the week (Sunday, the day of Jesus’
resurrection) the disciples came together to celebrate the Lord’s Supper
(cf. 1 Cor 11:23-26). The meeting took place at night. Paul, ready to
depart the next day, spoke to the gathered believers and continued his
message until midnight (this word occurs in the NT only here and in
16:25, thus strengthening the ties between this narrative and 16:6-34).
20:8. Luke notes the considerable number of lamps—vessels lit with oil
and a wick—in the upper room where they were gathered together to
break bread. The MT includes Luke in the scene and reads where we were
gathered (cf. 20:5, 15).
20:9. While Paul taught, in a window sat a certain young man named
Eutychus, whose name means Fortunate. As Paul continued speaking,
Eutychus succumbed to a deep slumber. Then he fell down from the third
story and was taken up dead.
20:10. Paul went down, fell on Eutychus and embraced him. He then
encouraged the distraught believers. The affirmation “his life [lit., ‘his
soul’] is in him” describes the result of Paul’s actions.
20:11. Paul then ascended to the upper room (as a complementary second
movement to his descent in v 10), broke bread, and ate. Apparently
Eutychus’ fall delayed the celebration of the Lord’s Supper. The apostle
talked (cf. 24:26 and Luke 24:14-15 [only in Luke-Acts in the NT]) a long
while, even till daybreak (Monday morning) and departed.
20:12. Luke had withheld a vital detail till the end for dramatic impact:
they brought the young man in alive (see also 9:41; 25:19). Luke is not
implying that Eutychus missed the Lord’s Supper. Surely they brought him
in right after Paul restored his life.
20:13-14. Luke sailed with the other missionary companions to Assos to
take Paul on board. Paul had ordered this, intending himself to go to
Assos on foot. When Paul met them at Assos, they took him on board and
came to Mitylene.
20:15. The precise travel narrative continues: we sailed from there, and
the next day came opposite Chios. They they arrived at Samos and a day
later went to Miletus.
20:16. Paul followed a purposeful itinerary. He chose to sail past
Ephesus, knowing that he could not easily pull himself away from the
believers in Asia. Luke explains that Paul was hurrying to be at
Jerusalem, if possible, on the Day of Pentecost. The Jewish festivals
undergirded Paul’s itinerary. He would arrive on a harvest feast with the
representative yield from the Gentile mission field.
20:17. Paul wanted to speak to the spiritual leaders of the flock. Thus he
sent to Ephesus and called for the elders of the church. The elders could
lead the church well—independently of Paul’s physical presence—by
following the apostolic doctrine and example.
20:18. Paul’s wise counsel begins with an appeal to the Ephesians’
knowledge of his Christian conduct: “You know, from the first day that I
came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you.” Theophilus
would learn about the character of the man who from the human
perspective founded the preeminent church of Asia minor.
 20:19. Paul described his time with them as one of “serving the Lord
with all humility,” and “with many tears and trials” occasioned by “the
plotting (only in Acts in the NT; cf. 9:21; 20:3; 23:30) of the Jews.”
20:20. Paul then communicated his ministry philosophy: “I kept back
nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed (also v 27) it to you.” This he
did both “publicly and from house to house.” Sound doctrine, personal
integrity, and concern for the spiritual welfare of his hearers characterized
Paul’s teaching in both public and more intimate settings.
20:21. He also recounted the content of his ministry proclamation:
“repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (see
also Luke 24:47). Paul here referred to his ministry in Asia from the first
day (cf. 20:18). Repentance rendered unbelievers receptive to the gospel
(cf. Acts 17:30-31). However, it never served as a co-condition for eternal
salvation—which only requires belief in Jesus (cf. Acts 15:7-11; 16:31; see
also John 3:16-18).
20:22. Having communicated his past experience with them and his
transcultural message, Paul now speaks of his future plans—both his known
and unknown itinerary. He explains that he had resolutely decided to travel
“to Jerusalem.” His expression, “bound in the spirit,” reveals a deep
persuasion, which no one could deter, and which he unequivocally
considered as God’s will even in the light of accurate predictions of the
suffering he would encounter.
20:23. Paul knew that he would suffer in Jerusalem. “The Holy Spirit”
could have communicated to Paul this message by means of the
prophetically gifted believers (that he would minister in the various cities to
which he traveled). Rather than warning Paul against travel to Jerusalem,
the prophetic pronouncements simply revealed what to expect once he
arrived. The Holy Spirit could certainly have prevented him from going
there just as He had directed Paul’s movements away from Asia and
Bithynia and toward Troas (16:6-9). Thus the impending “chains and
tribulations” indicated the depth of Paul’s obedience, rather than signaling
disobedience or stubbornness.
20:24. Paul asserted, “none of these things move me; nor do I count my
life dear to myself.” He then explained why he held these twin dispositions,
saying, “so that I may finish my race (cf. 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Tim 4:6-8)
with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus.” Paul
explained his ministry essentially as “to testify to the gospel of the grace
of God” (cf. Acts 14:3; 20:32). Paul embodied the gospel of the grace of
God in that God saved him from a legalistic concept of life and in spite of
his persecution of the Church. His message consisted of belief in Christ for
salvation as a free gift and apart from works.
20:25. Paul then addresses his relationship with the Ephesian elders. He
affirms that they “will see his face no more.” He would later write to them
from Rome. While some take this as a veiled reference to Paul’s death, it
may simply represent his surmising of the logistics of his travel plans (cf.
Rom 15:22-33). The sober statement may have also served to underscore
the transfer of responsibility to the Ephesians. Similarly the emphasis on
“the kingdom of God” would perhaps help them place his departure in a
larger context—one in which the suffering of separation fit into the greater
picture of hardship for the sake of the kingdom. In that future kingdom they
would joyfully experience the fruit of their temporal hardships.
20:26. Paul then validated his ministry among the Ephesian believers. “I
testify (also in 26:22) to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of
all men.” Paul had not done or taught anything detrimental to the lives of
the Ephesians. On the contrary, he built them up.
20:27. Paul had not kept back any essential Christian teaching. He taught
them “the whole counsel of God.” These truths—available to all believers
in the Scriptures—would help the leaders reach and teach the same goals
Paul embraced: to finish both their life and ministry well.
20:28. Paul first exhorted them concerning the quality of their own
spiritual walk as leaders and then with regard to “all the flock” (cf. v 29;
Luke 12:32; 1 Pet 5:3). Describing believers as a flock recalls the Good
Shepherd to whom the sheep belonged (cf. John 10:1-21). The apostle then
mentioned how they attained to this privilege: “the Holy Spirit had made
them overseers and set them apart to shepherd the church of God.” The
MT reads the church of the Lord and God. Both renderings point to the
deity of the Lord Jesus Christ as the words which follow (“which He
purchased with His own blood”) clarify. The elders had no ownership
over other believers or the church. The Lord’s love of the Church set the
standard for the leaders’ treatment of her. They should care for it as God’s
cherished possession and lead it with the sacrificial love exemplified by her
Lord.
 20:29. Likely by special revelation, Paul warned that false teachers
(“savage wolves,” cf. Matt 7:15) would infiltrate them and treat them with
the opposite disposition of their loving Lord, exploiting rather than edifying
them.
20:30. The danger would originate both from without and “also from
among yourselves” with the singular purpose—“to draw away the
disciples after themselves.” If they recalled and retained the “whole
counsel of God” (Acts 20:27) that Paul had taught them, they would not
take the crooked path proposed by the false teachers.
20:31. Paul then commanded them to “watch and remember that for
three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.”
The word for “watch” is associated with the Judgment Seat of Christ and
with living in light of Jesus’ soon return (cf. Matt 24:42-44; 25:13; 1 Thess
5:6, 10; Rev 16:15).
Paul’s tears reflected loving concern and a desire to see each believer
attain the deepest fellowship with and highest rewards from the Lord Jesus
Christ. They also testified to the real danger for believers in missing out on
those privileges—opportunities open to every single Christian (see 2 Tim
4:7-8).
20:32. Paul concluded his exhortations and commended the leaders “to
God and to the word of His grace.” The phrase the word of His grace
probably refers to the message of grace both as eternal salvation by faith
alone (Acts 15:6-12) and to grace as the essential principle of the Christian
life as opposed to legalism (Acts 15:13-31). The same word of this grace
that would edify them in the present also guaranteed them “an inheritance
among all those who are sanctified,” a reference to all believers (cf. Acts
26:18).
20:33. With regard to finances Paul had “coveted no one’s silver or gold
or apparel.” This both testified to his innocence and set up a standard
against which the leaders could recognize the savage wolves who would
seek to ravage the flock.
20:34. Paul appealed to their eyewitness experience “that these hands
have provided for my necessities and for those who were with me.”
20:35. Paul furnished a living example by laboring to provide for himself.
By doing likewise they could “support the weak.” The weak refers to
those unable to provide for themselves financially rather than those
unwilling to work because of laziness (cf. 2 Thess 3:6-15). As a further
motivation Paul instructed them to recall “the words of Lord Jesus” which
appear only here in the NT: “‘It is more blessed to give than to
receive’”—a truth Jesus exemplified to the fullest.
20:36. When Paul finished speaking, he knelt down and prayed with
them all. The prayer on bended knees possibly reflected a more Gentile
posture for praying. Ephesians, Paul’s later letter to them, shows that he
would continue to pray for them (cf. Eph. 1:15-23; 3:14-21; note, “I bow
my knees” in 3:14).
20:37. As a result, they all wept freely, unashamedly showing their
affection for the apostle. They fell on Paul’s neck and kissed him.
20:38. The Ephesian elders felt the most pain over Paul’s statement that
they would see his face no more. After their tearful farewell they
accompanied him to the ship—a large vessel fit for the open sea.
21:1. Luke then records their course of travel from Miletus onward: a
straight course…to Cos, an Aegean island off of the southwest coast of
Asia Minor. The following day they arrived at Rhodes (an island southeast
of Cos on the Mediterranean), and then went on to Patara (a Mediterranean
coastal city in the province of Lycia in Asia Minor).
21:2. Paul and Luke found a ship sailing over to Phoenicia (the central
coastal region of the province of Syria on the Mediterranean; also at 11:29;
15:3). They went aboard and set sail.
21:3. They sighted Cyprus and passed it on the left. In this way they
sailed to Syria, and landed at Tyre, a Phoenician Mediterranean seaport
on the coast of the Roman province of Syria where they planned to unload
the cargo.
21:4. At Tyre they found some disciples and stayed there seven days.
These disciples told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem. If
their message meant that Paul should not travel to Jerusalem at all, then he
would have clearly disobeyed God—a notion contrary to the character of
this unit (19:21–28:31) that emphasizes the apostle’s qualities and God’s
approval of him. Possibly the Spirit’s instruction meant that the apostle
should not go at that specific time, and so may account for the seven days
spent in Tyre. Nevertheless the prophetic pronouncements build suspense as
to the negative circumstances the apostle will encounter in the Holy City.
 21:5. At the conclusion of their time in Tyre, they departed for the ship
accompanied by the disciples, with wives and children. Once they had
crossed the city boundaries they knelt down on the shore and prayed.
Corporate prayer thus linked the different stopping points and secured
God’s protection for the journey as well as over the believers to whom they
bid farewell.
21:6. After their farewells they boarded the ship and the disciples from
Tyre returned home.
21:7. Next they arrived at Ptolemais (modern-day Acre), greeted the
believers there, and stayed with them one day.
21:8. Then Paul and his companions traveled from Ptolemais to Caesarea
where they entered the house of Philip the evangelist (cf. 6:5; 8:4-40; Eph
4:11) and stayed with him. This is the only person in the NT explicitly
called an evangelist.
21:9. Luke notes that Philip had four virgin daughters who prophesied.
God honored another promise (cf. 2:17, “your sons and daughters shall
prophesy”).
21:10. As Luke and the others stayed many days, another prophetic voice
entered the scene—a certain prophet named Agabus came down from
Judea (see 11:28). As before, Agabus shows up in circumstances that
highlight Paul’s concern for the welfare of Judean believers.
21:11. During his visit Agabus took Paul’s belt and bound his own hands
and feet. The prophetic message symbolically pictures Paul’s arrest as
instigated by “the Jews at Jerusalem” and his consequent transfer “into
the hands of the Gentiles.” Now, rather than forbidding Paul to go up to
Jerusalem, the prophecy simply foretold what would happen to him there.
21:12. After witnessing Agabus’s graphic foretelling, Paul’s companions
(including Luke) and the believers from Caesarea pleaded with him not to
go up to Jerusalem. Their concern reflected their deep love for him.
21:13. Paul responded somewhat predictably given his prior decision (see
19:21) and strong disposition: “What do you mean by weeping and
breaking my heart?” Paul then asserted his willingness to suffer beyond
imprisonment. His love for “the Lord Jesus” rendered both suffering and
death for Him a privilege.
21:14. Luke then reports (somewhat comically): When he would not be
persuaded, we ceased, saying, “The will of the Lord be done.” Thus
Luke and the other companions submitted to the wisdom of the Lord’s will
over their own proposed course of action for Paul.
B. Paul—God’s Witness—Testifies in Jerusalem (21:15–23:10)
21:15. Luke then succinctly states, we packed and went up to Jerusalem.
21:16. Some of the disciples from Caesarea joined the group and
brought with them a certain Mnason of Cyprus. Luke describes him as
an early disciple with whom they were to lodge. Mnason had persevered
in discipleship and perhaps served as an encouragement to Paul (as a happy
recollection of his missionary journey to Cyprus and of the worthwhileness
of his work). Also Mnason would serve as an excellent source of
information for Luke.
21:17. When the group had come to Jerusalem, in contrast to the
upcoming response of the Jewish leaders there, the brethren received them
gladly (this word is used in the NT only here and in 2:41). This testified to
God’s grace on them and especially on Paul (as his early postconversion
visit to Jerusalem had a more cautious tone to it; cf. 9:26-31).
21:18. Luke reports that on the following day Paul went in with us to
James, and all the elders were present. James, the Lord’s brother, thus
still served as the leader of the Jerusalem church, along with all the elders.
21:19. Paul greeted them and offered a detailed narrative of what God
had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. As always, Paul gave
God the ultimate glory while simultaneously recognizing the role graciously
given to him.
21:20. The leaders in the Jerusalem church glorified the Lord. They also
noted “how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and
they are all zealous for the law.” These Jewish people had believed in
Jesus as their Savior (who have believed), and yet they chose to continue to
follow many of the teachings of the Law of Moses.
21:21. The leaders explained how in Jerusalem the Jewish believers had
heard that Paul taught “all the Jews who are among the Gentiles to
forsake Moses.” In practice this meant “that they ought not to circumcise
their children nor to walk according to the customs.” This complaint
came from Jewish believers in Christ and represents a post-Jerusalem
Council occurrence (cf. 15:1-35). Surely James understood that the New
Covenant freed both Jewish and Gentile believers from the Mosaic Law as
the means of fellowship with God and sanctification (cf. 15:6-11; Gal 4:21-
31; 5:1-6). Nevertheless Jewish believers could abide by their customs as a
free choice, without receiving any special spiritual benefit not accorded to
the Gentiles. The complaint here seems to extend beyond Paul’s simply
granting freedom to Jewish believers to not observe Jewish customs. The
leaders complained that Paul had taught them to abandon Jewish customs,
but he had not done so.
21:22. The combined effect of Paul’s presence in their midst and what they
had heard about him would give rise to a meeting of “the assembly.” They
affirmed, “for they will hear that you have come.”
21:23. The leaders decided that Paul should defuse the criticism and
preempt any trouble with his own personal example. So they offered, “We
have four men who have taken a vow.”
21:24. Then they instructed Paul, “Take them and be purified with
them, and pay their expenses so that they may shave their heads.” Paul
enjoyed the freedom in Christ to keep the Law, but the Lord did not require
this as a part of his Christian obedience. The apostle here operated under the
same principles that guided the Jerusalem Council when they recommended
certain restrictions on the Gentiles (cf. 15:19-31) to facilitate their relations
with Jewish people in their midst. Paul himself, in his evangelistic
endeavors, would sometimes acquiesce to local customs—yet without sin
(cf. 1 Cor 9:19-23).
21:25. The leaders of the Jerusalem church then hearkened back to the
decision of the Jerusalem Council—also Paul’s own perspective. The
Jerusalem Council never prohibited Jewish believers from keeping Jewish
customs. However, Jewish believers who opted to keep their customs
gained no spiritual advantage over Gentiles. The Lord welcomed both of
them on the same terms of fellowship—living by faith in the Lord Jesus.
Furthermore the Council did not require Gentiles to keep the customs—a
clear indication of the freedom granted to them by the Lord.
21:26. Paul agreed to their suggestion. He took the men, and the next
day, having been purified with them, entered the temple to announce
the days of purification. Thus Paul entered the temple with the men in
order to announce when their vow would expire. At that future time each
would make an offering.
 21:27. When the seven days determined for the vow were almost ended,
the Jews from Asia saw Paul in the temple. Their persistent unbelief in
Jesus and persecution of Paul in the light of his evangelistic success in Asia
underscores their hardness of heart. Then they stirred up (used only in Acts
in the NT; cf. 2:6; 9:22; 11:26; 21:31) the whole crowd and laid hands on
him. This set in motion the fulfillment of Agabus’s prophesy and started the
sequence that would ultimately end up in Rome.
That the seven days were not completed may imply that there will be no
rest for the nation until it believes in Jesus.
21:28. The Jews from Asia cried to their countrymen, “Men of Israel,
help!” They signaled out Paul as “the man who teaches all men
everywhere against” the most significant facets of Judaism. The first
accusation—against “the people”—possibly arose because of Paul’s open
association with Gentiles (cf. 20:4) and/or his granting them equal status in
Christ (cf. Gal 3:7-9). The second accusation—against…“the law”—arose
from the freedom he afforded to both Jewish people and Gentiles regarding
submission to the Mosaic regulations (Gal 3:10–4:31). The third accusation
—against…“this place”—possibly arose from his teaching that the Church
itself, and individual believers, are God’s temple (cf. 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; Eph
2:11-22).
They then falsely alleged, “he also brought Greeks into the temple,” and
thereby defiled it. Paul would not have disrespected these guidelines.
Ironically their own rejection of Jesus (as reflected in their rejection of Paul
and his message about the Messiah) would unwittingly bring about the
destruction of the temple in AD 70.
21:29. Luke immediately attests to Paul’s innocence by revealing the false
premise that led to his arrest. Jews from Asia had previously seen
Trophimus the Ephesian—one of the representatives from the Gentile
mission field—with Paul in the city. Unbelieving Jews wrongly supposed
that Paul had brought Trophimus the Ephesian into the temple. While Paul
believed that Jewish people and Gentiles shared equal status in the Church,
he would not have transgressed the religious limits of the temple in
Jerusalem.
21:30. The spontaneous appeal from the Asian Jews caused such a stir that
all the city was disturbed. This highlights the impact of Paul’s presence
and the level of persecution against him. The disturbance gave way to
aggression as the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out
of the temple. After dragging him out, immediately the doors were shut.
The shutting of the doors portrays inaccessibility for any who would reject
the message about Christ as represented by the apostle Paul. This recalls the
tearing of the veil in connection with the Lord’s death (cf. Luke 23:45),
which pictured universal accessibility to the presence of God. By shutting
Paul outside, they had removed one who could give them the doctrinal basis
for access to God, which they felt they could attain through the temple and
the Jewish sacrificial system.
21:31. At this point Luke reveals that the crowd was seeking to kill the
apostle Paul. While they attempted this, news came to the commander of
the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.
21:32. The garrison commander acted quickly, taking soldiers and
centurions and running into the tumultuous crowd. When they saw the
commander and his backup forces, they stopped beating Paul.
21:33. The commander incorrectly pinpointed Paul as the aggressor and
commanded him to be bound with two chains. The narrative that follows
attests both to Paul’s innocence and his bona fide Roman citizenship—with
all the attendant privileges. Paul will answer both of the commander’s
questions: who he was (22:1-8) and what he had done (22:9-21).
21:34. The crowd offered conflicting testimony, thereby rendering it
impossible for the commander to ascertain the motive for the uprising
against Paul. He therefore commanded him to be taken into the barracks
(presumably the Antonia Fortress; also at 21:37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32).
21:35. When Paul reached the stairs, the soldiers had to carry him
through because of the violence of the multitude against him. Ironically the
Roman forces cared more for his safety and welfare than did his own
Jewish countrymen.
21:36. The soldiers took action because the multitude of the people
followed after, crying out, “Away with him!”
21:37. Paul seized the opportunity to address the multitude (and to do so in
front of Roman witnesses). Before entering the barracks he asked to speak
to the commander. The commander’s question—“Can you speak
Greek?”—testifies to his surprise.
21:38. Apparently Paul had not spoken at all before this point. On hearing
him speak Greek, the commander connected him with an Egyptian
revolutionary. Only by mistaken identity could one confuse Paul with a
political revolutionary. Furthermore unlike them, he would succeed in his
endeavors (even as a Roman prisoner).
21:39. Paul answered with both an ethnic and a political identification: “I
am a Jew from Tarsus, in Cilicia, a citizen of no mean city”—a litotes
which expresses the greatness of the city. He then requested permission “to
speak to the people.”
21:40. Having obtained permission, Paul stood on the stairs and
motioned with his hand to the people. Luke heightens the anticipatory
drama by pointing out the great silence that preceded Paul’s speech—a
defense to his own people in the Hebrew language (cf. 22:2; 26:14).
22:1. Paul addressed the volatile crowd as “brethren and fathers,” here a
reference to the bond as fellow Jews, not as fellow believers (cf. 7:2; see
also 2:29; 3:17). Paul characterized his speech as a defense (cf. 25:16).
22:2. Paul’s address to the crowd in the Hebrew language quieted them
down even more and established an immediate identification with them (cf.
21:40).
22:3. Paul established his impeccable Jewish credentials at the outset. He
then revealed his educational pedigree, and identified with the sentiment of
the crowd by qualifying himself as “zealous toward God.”
22:4. Paul identified with his audience even in their actual persecution of
him. His zeal had also led him to attack Christians, “binding and
delivering into prisons both men and women.”
22:5-6. Paul then showed that these facts were well known by “the high
priest…and all the council of the elders.” He then transitioned to his
conversion on the road “to Damascus” where en route “suddenly a great
light from heaven shone around him.”
22:7. Paul tells how he “fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to
him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?’” The question set up an
identification between the speaker (the Lord Jesus Christ) and His church
(whom Paul had actively persecuted and intended to hurt even more).
22:8. Paul asked, “‘Who are You, Lord?’” The speaker surrounded by
light responded, “‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting.’”
He thus identified Him as the same Jesus the Christians believed in and
worshiped—the very Christians he had set out to persecute.
 22:9. Interestingly, the encounter with Jesus did not have the same
immediate impact on those traveling with Paul. They “indeed saw the light
and were afraid, but they did not hear the voice.” This pictures Paul as
the Jewish believing remnant in contrast with the rest of the nation that sees
but does not comprehend (see 28:17-27).
22:10. Paul then requested, “‘What shall I do, Lord?’” This question
shows that Paul came to faith in Jesus once He identified Himself (cf. Gal
1:11-12, where Paul makes it clear that Jesus Himself led him to faith).
Now he is ready to serve him.
The Lord did not reveal His long-term plan for Paul at this point. Rather,
He told him to “‘go into Damascus’” and await further instruction. Paul
would receive more information regarding his Christian mission in the very
city where he had intended to persecute Christians.
22:11. Paul explains that “the glory of that light” blinded him so that his
traveling companions had to lead him “by the hand.” In this way he came
“into Damascus.”
22:12. Paul then introduces Ananias as a witness on his behalf (and with
high affinity to the Jewish audience), describing him as “a devout man
according to the law, having a good testimony with all the Jews who
dwelt there.”
22:13. Paul then recounts how Ananias approached, stood before him, and
said, “‘Brother Saul, receive your sight.’” Ananias addresses Paul (then
known as Saul) as a brother, indicating spiritual kinship. Paul explains that
“at that same hour he looked up” at Ananias.
22:14. Ananias then revealed God’s purposes for Paul in terms that
connect the apostle to the historic forefathers of Israel: “‘The God of our
fathers has chosen you that you should know His will, and see the Just
One and hear the voice of His mouth.’” On the road to Damascus Paul
saw the resurrected Jesus (a qualification of apostleship) and heard Him.
22:15. Ananias then revealed that Paul would serve as “‘His witness to all
men’” of the things he had both “‘seen and heard.’” As the account
progresses, Paul’s function as witness overshadows that of the original
Twelve (corresponding with the reception of the Lord Jesus Christ by the
Gentiles and the concomitant general rejection of Him by the Jewish
nation). In this way, Paul functions alongside the original twelve witnesses
and yet with equal authority.
 22:16. The commencement of Paul’s ministry awaited his baptism and,
with it, the initiation of his fellowship with God (see comments at 2:37-40).
Paul as a classic personification of the nation of Israel had to likewise
submit to water baptism as a condition for enjoying fellowship with God.
Accordingly Ananias concisely instructs Paul, “‘Arise and be baptized.’”
Water baptism entailed a public identification with the very Lord Jesus
whom Paul had previously persecuted. Paul’s participation in baptism
would “wash away (in the NT only here and 1 Cor 6:11) his sins” as a
condition for, and thus the initiation of, fellowship with God.
22:17. Paul’s recounting then transitions from Damascus to Jerusalem. On
his return to Jerusalem, while “praying in the temple,” he fell into “a
trance.” While in the trance Paul received more special revelation from
Jesus.
22:18. Paul saw Him, Jesus, saying, “‘Make haste and get out of
Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning
Me.’” This probably occurred during the period recorded in 9:26-30, his
initial visit to the Holy City after his conversion. More significantly it
reveals the same attitude from the nation and sets a foundation for Paul’s
outreach to the Gentiles.
22:19-21. Paul could converse coherently while in this trance (cf. 22:17).
He replied, “‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and
beat those who believe on You.’” But Paul’s awful history of persecution
and subsequent conversion would nevertheless not convince the Jewish
people in Jerusalem.
The Lord’s response included the qualification “far from here,” hinting at
the end of the earth (1:8) and underscoring the profound rejection of Jesus
in Jerusalem. Paul would only gain a favorable hearing far away from there.
22:22. Paul held his audience until he recounted the Lord’s command for
him to go to the Gentiles. Perhaps this struck directly at the initial
accusation that he had brought Gentiles into the temple (21:28). Hearing
this, they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from
the earth, for he is not fit to live!” Their desire for his execution testifies
to the depth of their misguided zeal and spiritual blindness.
22:23. Emotional and graphic expressions accompanied their call for
capital punishment. Luke reports that they cried out and tore off their
clothes and threw dust into the air.
 22:24. Paul’s transfer to the barracks resumed at this point under the
commander’s order. To clarify the crowd’s motives, he instructed that they
interrogate Paul under scourging (cf. Heb 11:36), so that he might know
why they shouted against him. The fact that the commander did not know
why the conflict erupted shows that Paul had not presented a significant
threat to the Roman government. He only posed a threat to the civil order.
Otherwise the conflict consisted of a religious disagreement—specifically
as embodied by Paul and his message about belief in Jesus as the Christ.
22:25. Luke reports that as they bound him with thongs, Paul asked a
well-timed question “Is it lawful for you to scourge a man who is a
Roman, and uncondemned?” The answer to the question would both
protect Paul from scourging, and shield the Roman official from
investigation and reprisal.
22:26. God’s providential care of Paul extended even to his birthplace. As
a natural citizen of Rome he enjoyed the protection afforded by the Roman
Empire. Thus, when Paul asserted his Roman citizenship, the centurion
cautioned the commander, “Take care what you do, for this man is a
Roman.”
22:27. The commander then ascertained the veracity of Paul’s citizenship,
asking, “Tell me, are you a Roman?” Paul responded with a concise
“Yes.” For some reason the answer did not completely satisfy the
commander. A false claim to Roman citizenship carried the death penalty.
22:28. The commander responded, “With a large sum I obtained this
citizenship.” This comment allows Luke to highlight the multifaceted
status of Paul in the contemporary setting. Paul answered, “But I was born
a citizen.”
22:29. Paul’s affirmation of his natural birthright instantaneously changed
the dynamic of the situation. Luke reports that immediately those who
were about to examine him withdrew from him. In addition, the
commander now feared because he had bound Paul, a bona fide Roman
citizen.
22:30. On the following day the commander wanted to know for certain
why the Jewish people had accused Paul. So he commanded the chief
priests and all their council to appear. Having convened the Jewish
leaders the commander brought Paul down and set him before them. He
thus set the scene for a Roman citizen to appear before a Jewish council on
grounds that the commander himself did not comprehend. The narrative
thus moves from an impromptu defense to a scheduled and official one.
23:1. When the religious leaders convened, Paul looked earnestly at the
council. He affirmed, “I have lived in all good conscience before God
until this day.” By saying this he essentially called God as his witness and
qualified his actions as consistent with His will.
23:2. The high priest Ananias (also at 24:1) reacted strongly against
Paul’s clear affirmation of innocence. He ordered those who stood near to
strike him on the mouth.
23:3. Paul responded with a prophetic curse, “God will strike you, you
whitewashed wall!” The apostle substantiated his strong words by asking,
“For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me
to be struck contrary to the law?” In a forum designed to justly evaluate
Paul, the apostle instead exposed Ananias as an unjust judge and unworthy
high priest.
23:4. Luke records that those who stood by rose to the high priest’s
defense, asking the apostle, “Do you revile God’s high priest?” Paul’s
answer to this question hinges in part on the designation of Ananias as
God’s high priest as well as on his known evil behavior (cf. v 3).
23:5. Paul knows the Law and so responds with incisive apostolic sarcasm,
“I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written,
‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people’” (cf. Exod 22:28).
Superficially Paul’s response sounded like an apology. Yet his response
played on the fact that Ananias’s character and comportment did not befit a
true high priest of God. Thus the apostle’s faux confession corresponded
perfectly to a “whitewashed wall” (v 3). The subsequent narrative confirms
this interpretation.
23:6. Apparently only the Pharisees—who disliked Ananias—responded
favorably to Paul’s appraisal of the high priest. This in turn allowed the
apostle to ascertain—and capitalize on—the split composition of the
council, crying out “I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning
the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!” Paul thus
witnessed to his actual belief and won some of his accusers over to his
defense.
23:7. Predictably, after Paul’s affirmation a dissension arose between the
Pharisees and the Sadducees with the result that the assembly was
divided.
23:8. Luke then explains the theological rationale underlying the
dissension—Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel
or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both. By focusing on the veracity of
the resurrection, Paul essentially won the favor of the Pharisees and created
dissension in the council. His pharisaic affiliation did not actually conflict
with his Christian belief (cf. 15:5).
23:9. The scribes—experts in Mosaic Law—of the Pharisees’ party
helped exonerate the apostle. From their perspective the resurrected Jesus of
whom Paul spoke potentially qualified as “a spirit or angel” sent from God
(and so would complement their belief in an afterlife). Their words also
recall the advice of Gamaliel, Paul’s former teacher (cf. 5:39). The narrative
that follows continues to show that Paul, Gamaliel’s past student, lives up to
the standard of God’s favor proposed by the teacher himself—God would
see to the apostle’s success.
23:10. The great dissension threatened Paul’s safety. The commander,
concerned that Paul might be pulled to pieces by them, ordered the
soldiers to snatch him from their midst and bring him into the barracks.
C. God Brings His Witness to Rome (23:11–28:31)
1. Paul transitions from Jerusalem to Caesarea (23:11-35)
23:11. The following night Jesus again came to encourage Paul. The
words of the Lord guarantee that Paul would “bear witness at Rome” (and
they validate his decision to travel to Jerusalem; cf. 19:21).
23:12. The Lord’s encouragement was timely. In the morning some of the
Jews banded together and vowed that they would neither eat nor drink
till they had killed Paul. Quite possibly, news of the division in the council
led them to conclude that they would have to take justice into their own
hands.
23:13. The antagonism against Paul had both breadth (more than forty
conspired together) and depth (a drastic and deadly vow).
23:14. The conspirators came to the chief priests and elders and reported
their “great oath.” The repetition narratively emphasizes their
determination—as well as the futility of their plan in light of Jesus’
assurance to Paul (cf. v 11).
 23:15. The perpetrators proposed that the chief priests and elders together
with the council ask the commander to return Paul to them the next day
under the pretense of further questioning. The plotters would then kill him
before he came near. The plan thus provided for both the murder of Paul
and the protection of the religious leaders.
23:16. Two heretofore unknown relatives of Paul now appear in the
narrative. Somehow Paul’s sister’s son heard of their ambush. He went to
the barracks and told Paul. God had providentially arranged for Paul’s
nephew to hear about the evil plot.
23:17-18. True to Luke’s accurate presentation of Paul as a hero, the
apostle—as a detainee—gives orders to one of the centurions guarding him.
He presents his nephew to him and says, “Take this young man to the
commander, for he has something to tell him.” The centurion did
precisely as Paul said.
23:19. The commander took Paul’s nephew by the hand and privately
asked him, “What is it that you have to tell me?”
23:20. Paul’s nephew revealed the murderous plot to the commander
explaining, “The Jews have agreed to ask that you bring Paul down to
the council tomorrow, as though they were going to inquire more fully
about him.”
23:21. At this point even Paul’s young nephew instructed the commander,
“Do not yield to them, for more than forty of them lie in wait for him.”
He apprised the commander about their oath (cf. vv 12-14) and informed
him, “now they are ready, waiting for the promise from you.”
23:22. The commander dismissed Paul’s nephew and commanded him,
“Tell no one that you have revealed these things to me.” This encounter
led to Paul’s transition from Jerusalem to Caesarea where he would spend
two years in detainment.
23:23. The commander called for two centurions to assemble a large
detachment and horses for Paul’s safety and to “go to Caesarea at the
third hour of the night” (i.e., 9:00 PM). The large detachment seems
excessive for the more than forty mentioned by Paul’s nephew, but the
commander probably wanted to protect against the possibility of a larger
and more unwieldy group appearing.
23:24. In addition to the military force the commander ordered, “Provide
mounts (also at Luke 10:34) to set Paul on, and bring him safely to Felix
the governor.”
23:25. The commander then wrote a letter which would accompany Paul
to Caesarea. Luke provides the precise content in his narrative.
23:26. The letter follows a simple epistolary format stating the sender, the
recipient, and a simple salutation. The commander Claudius Lysias
addressed the recipient, the most excellent (the same designation used by
Luke for Theophilus in Luke 1:3) governor Felix with a simple Greetings.
23:27. The commander wrote in a concise and self-complimentary
manner: This man was seized by the Jews and was about to be killed by
them. Coming with the troops I rescued him, having learned that he
was a Roman. He conveniently left out the fact that he had Paul bound for
scourging without regard to his Roman citizenship (cf. 22:22-29).
23:28. Following in sequence (and according to logical and permissible
protocol) the commander, Claudius Lysias, related, when I wanted to
know the reason they accused him, I brought him down before their
council. This proper step could save the Romans from having to deal with
an issue that the Jewish Council could resolve.
23:29. The explanation by Claudius Lysias continued: I found out that he
was accused concerning questions of their law, but had nothing charged
against him deserving of death or chains. The pharisaic party in
Jerusalem had already similarly absolved him in the meeting of the council
(cf. v 9).
23:30. The letter then reveals its central purpose, qualifying the situation
as both a matter of safety and justice. The commander explained, When it
was told me that the Jews lay in wait for the man, I sent him
immediately to you, and also commanded his accusers to state before
you the charges against him. This move both transferred Paul to a higher
level of authority (ever closer to Rome) and saved Claudius Lysias from
further turmoil in Jerusalem.
23:31. The soldiers followed the orders precisely. They took Paul and
brought him by night to Antipatris, a city on the way to Caesarea
associated with Herod the Great who founded it and named it after his
father, Antipater.
23:32. With Paul’s safety assured, the soldiers departed the next day,
leaving the horsemen to go on with him while they returned to the
barracks.
 23:33. They finally arrived in Caesarea and delivered the letter to the
governor, Felix. Luke reports that they also presented Paul to him.
23:34. Felix read the letter and asked Paul what province (also at 25:1) he
hailed from. The commander then understood that Paul belonged to the
province of Cilicia.
23:35. Felix could have opted to send Paul to the legate of the joint
province of Syria and Cilicia to hear this case. (At that time the eastern
portion of Cilicia—the location of Tarsus—formed part of a joint province
with Syria overseen by a legate.) Roman law, however, did not require him
to do so. Furthermore, it would have complicated the case by requiring
further explanations for the legate and unnecessary travel for the accusers
from Jerusalem (who would have had to appear in person). Consequently
He told Paul, “I will hear you when your accusers also have come.” He
then commanded him to be kept in Herod’s Praetorium.
2. Paul defends himself against Jewish accusations before Felix
the Governor (24:1-27)
24:1. Luke reports that five days later Ananias the high priest (cf. 23:2)
came down with the elders and a certain orator named Tertullus.
Ananias could not have had a high regard for Paul after their exchange in
Jerusalem (23:1-10).
24:2. Tertullus, the professional orator, began by flattering Felix, affirming
that “great peace and prosperity” had come to their nation through his
foresight (only here and in Rom 13:14). In ironic contrast Tacitus, the
Roman historian, accurately asserted that Felix “reveled in cruelty and lust,
and wielded the power of a king with the mind of a slave” (Hist. 5.9).
Furthermore, his tenure brought neither peace nor prosperity. In fact his
brutality helped foment the Jewish War of AD 66-70.
24:3. Tertullus continued his thought by gratefully affirming the nation’s
receptivity of Felix’s governance, saying, “we accept it always and in all
places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness.” Tertullus tailored his
praise both to flatter Felix and implicitly accuse Paul as a potential threat to
the peace and prosperity he had brought to the nation. Ironically Jewish
reception of Paul’s message to believe in Jesus represented their only hope
for national blessing.
 24:4. Tertullus then formally requested, “not to be tedious to you any
further, I beg you to hear, by your courtesy (only here and in 2 Cor 10:1),
a few words from us.”
24:5. He then portrayed Paul in a manner completely opposite to the
official evaluation drawn up by Claudius Lysias (cf. Acts 23:29)—which
Tertullus probably had not seen. Tertullus described Paul as “a plague”;
one who caused dissension (also at 23:7, 10); and “a ringleader of the sect
of the Nazarenes,” a designation that reflected Jesus’ hometown of
Nazareth.
24:6-8. Tertullus then brought Paul’s alleged crimes to a climax. “He even
tried to profane (cf. Ezek 28:18) the temple, and we seized him.” The
NKJV follows the Textus Receptus and adds the remainder of this verse, v
7, and 8a (vv 6b-8a). According to this rendering Tertullus explains, “[we]
wanted to judge him according to our law.” Apparently this served as an
apology for disturbing Felix with this matter. Tertullus then blamed
Claudius Lysias for their presence there. Then, according to Tertullus,
Lysias commanded them to come and accuse Paul before him.
24:9. When Tertullus finished, the Jews also assented maintaining that
these things were so. Both renderings present a combined effort against the
apostle.
24:10. With the accusation complete Paul responded after the governor
had nodded to him to speak. Paul’s concise yet respectful introduction
omits any flattery while recognizing Felix’s capacity to judge correctly.
24:11. Paul begins his defense by couching his visit “to Jerusalem” in the
context of the Jewish religion.
24:12-13. Paul then set forth his case. He first explained that the
circumstances of his arrest lacked any criminality on his part. He then
asserted that his accusers could not “prove the things of which they now
accuse him.”
24:14. The apostle then offered an admission that simultaneously testified
to his belief. Paul described his beliefs as essentially those of his accusers.
He worshiped the same God and believed their identical Scriptures.
24:15. Paul then skillfully linked his Jewish belief in the resurrection and
his behavior into a coherent defense (cf. Dan 12:1-4; John 5:28-29; 11:17-
27; Rev 20:1–21:8).
 24:16. Paul then explained his way of life in light of the future resurrection
(and implied judgment): “I myself always strive to have a conscience
without offense toward God and men” in every respect and at all times.
He then mentioned the circumstances that led to his being brought to Felix.
24:17. Paul explained that after many years (thus reflective of his time on
the Gentile mission field) he came to Jerusalem “to bring alms and
offerings to his nation.” The alms and offerings represented offerings from
the Gentile mission field for the needy saints in Jerusalem (cf. Rom 15:25-
29; 2 Cor 8–9).
24:18. Paul explains that during his relief visit “some Jews from Asia
found him purified (cf. 21:26) in the temple” in a peaceful setting.
24:19. Paul then underscored the absence of these the original accusers,
saying, “they ought to have been here before you to object if they had
anything against me.”
24:20. He then moves beyond the accusation by Jews from Asia to his
appearance before the council, and he confidently challenges “those who
are here themselves” to evaluate his subsequent appearance “before the
council.”
24:21. He does offer one caveat as the only possible grievance they might
raise against him. Paul showed that the inciting statement belonged to a
religious context He also brought the truth of “the resurrection of the
dead” before Felix again.
24:22. Felix already possessed a more accurate knowledge of the Way.
Thus after listening to Paul he adjourned the proceedings and withheld
his decision, saying he would wait until the arrival of “Lysias the
commander.” This must have served as some kind of delay tactic since
Felix already knew Lysias’s judgment on the matter.
24:23. For the interval Felix commanded the centurion to keep Paul
and to let him have liberty. He also instructed the centurion not to forbid
any of his friends to provide for or visit Paul. The brutal Gentile leader
thus cared more for Paul than his own countrymen. Paul stayed in the
Herodian castle (cf. 23:35) under guard and yet with some freedom.
24:24. Felix left Caesarea and returned with his wife Drusilla, who was
Jewish. Then Felix sent for Paul and heard him concerning the essential
truth that could have allayed Felix’s fears about eternity.
 24:25. Paul reasoned about righteousness, self-control (cf. Gal 5:23; 2
Pet 1:6), and the judgment to come. As a result Felix was afraid and sent
Paul away.
24:26. Luke then reveals an ulterior motive of Felix’s—he also hoped for
a bribe. The profit motive apparently trumped Felix’s fear of future
judgment—he sent for Paul more often to converse with him.
24:27. Felix never ruled on Paul. Luke reports that after two years
Porcius Festus succeeded Felix. Moreover, Felix, wanting to do the Jews
a favor, left Paul bound.
3. Paul appeals to Caesar (25:1–26:32)
25:1. Paul’s fate—from the human perspective—now fell under Festus’s
jurisdiction. Three days after arriving at the province Festus went up from
Caesarea to Jerusalem.
25:2. The high priest and the chief men of the Jews approached Festus
and attempted to poison his perspective against Paul.
25:3. They asked a favor—that he would summon him to Jerusalem.
Their plan was to ambush…to kill him. This reveals the continuing and
murderous intent of the Jewish leaders against Paul despite his confinement
at Caesarea.
25:4. Festus wisely responded that Paul should be kept at Caesarea,
asserting that he would visit there shortly.
25:5. Festus then presented an alternative— one which they had already
undertaken under Felix. He offered, “let those who have authority among
you go down with me and accuse this man, to see if there is any fault in
him.” The repetitive nature of the narrative (this time under a different
ruler) has the effect of reaffirming the apostles’ innocence.
25:6. Festus stayed among them for more than ten days and then went
down to Caesarea. On the day following his return Festus commanded
Paul to be brought. This episode would seal Paul’s journey to Rome.
25:7. This scene is similar to the one where Paul appeared before Felix.
Once the apostle arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem
presented many strong (and indefensible) charges against him. The fact that
they could not prove them again attests to Paul’s innocence. Now the
apostle would have another opportunity to answer for himself.
 25:8. At this next defense, Paul added that he had done nothing “against
Caesar”—an affirmation that distances him from the Jewish context and
foreshadows his appeal.
25:9. Festus’s response both affirms Paul’s innocence (by his not
condemning Paul) and attests to his own degradation and opportunism (by
wanting to do the Jews a favor). He asked Paul “to go up to Jerusalem
and there be judged.” Certainly Paul’s innocence would not change on
account of a change of locale. Paul’s response shows both his wisdom and
perhaps concern for his own safety.
25:10. The apostle Paul then essentially declared himself innocent by
opting for a Roman evaluation. He supported his declaration by affirming
his innocence in regard “to the Jews.” And he chided Felix by adding, “as
you very well know.” At this point Nero served as emperor but had not yet
initiated his persecution of Christians. A few years later both Peter and Paul
would die under his reign.
25:11. The apostle both asserts his belief in capital punishment (justly
applied) and predicts that death would await him in Jerusalem if in fact he
agreed to Festus’s proposal. He then formally declares, “I appeal to
Caesar.”
25:12. Festus then conferred with the council and responded to Paul:
“You have appealed to Caesar? To Caesar you shall go!” Festus’s
declaration in principle satisfied Paul’s goal to see Rome (cf. 19:21) and
fulfilled Jesus’ promise to him regarding his future testimony there (cf.
23:11).
25:13. Luke then reports that after some days King Agrippa—son of
Herod Agrippa I and the potential recipient of the books (see also 25:13, 22-
24, 26; 26:1-3, 7, 19, 27-28, 32) and Bernice, King Agrippa II’s sister (also
at v 23; 26:30), came to Caesarea to greet Festus.
King Agrippa II had no direct governmental authority in Paul’s case—
especially as the apostle had already appealed to Caesar. This, along with
the fact that Luke has already recounted Paul’s conversion twice, raises the
question of the function of this portion of the narrative especially in relation
to King Agrippa II (and Bernice). At one level it will relate to Jesus’
prophecy, “You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s
sake” (Luke 21:12). On another level, it will narratively acquit Paul before
he arrives in Rome, for no imperial authority (including Nero) was better
qualified to hear the apostle’s case than King Agrippa II (who knew
Hellenism, Judaism, Roman governance, and the Christian Way).
25:14. After King Agrippa and his sister Bernice had been there many
days, Festus consulted with the king about Paul’s case.
25:15. Festus explained that while in Jerusalem “the chief priests and
elders of the Jews” had spoken to him about Paul and sought “a judgment
against him.”
25:16. Governor Festus then recounted his answer to “‘the accusers.’”
His words reveal that the Jewish nation’s leaders wanted death for the
apostle. His words also seem to seek to impress King Agrippa II with
adherence to Roman protocol.
25:17. Festus continued to narrate that “when they had come together
(the MT adds Greek enthade [“here”], showing that this meeting took place
in Caesarea; see 25:5-6), without any delay, the next day he sat on the
judgment seat and commanded the man to be brought in.” The account
matches the details given in 25:6.
25:18-19. Festus revealed that the complaint of “the accusers” did not
match his own preconceptions. They “had some questions against him
about their own religion.” At this point Luke shows that both the king and
Festus have knowledge of the central facet of Christianity—the death and
resurrection of Jesus.
25:20. Festus then covers up his true motive for asking Paul “to go to
Jerusalem and there be judged concerning these matters.” His
explanation does not account for the facts that he himself would ostensibly
serve as the judge (see 25:9, judged before me) in either locale and that the
powerful Jewish leadership (see 25:5, those who have authority) had
already come down to Caesarea. Thus a transition to Jerusalem would not
contribute anything to the proper adjudication of the case. It would however
expose Paul to the plots against him—a detail left out by Festus.
25:21. Festus’s account concludes with the rationale for which Paul
remained at Caesarea: “Paul appealed to be reserved for the decision of
Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I could send him to Caesar.”
25:22. After the recounting Agrippa requested “to hear the man myself.”
This detail arouses curiosity because the reader does not know King
Agrippa’s specific interest in Paul’s case. Festus responded affirmatively,
“tomorrow…you shall hear him.”
 25:23. Luke reports that on the following day Agrippa and Bernice came
in with great pomp. Then, at Festus’ command, they brought in Paul. The
pageantry—at some level—potentially matches the greatness of the
entertainment for the evening—the apostle Paul!
25:24. Festus introduces Paul in terms that make him suspect of a capital
crime. The qualification “the whole assembly of the Jews” also casts Paul
in a negative light as someone sought by a significant group.
25:25. Festus again tailors his speech to flatter himself. In reality he would
have sent Paul to Jerusalem had the apostle not “appealed to Augustus.”
Nonetheless Festus did publicly affirm that Paul had “committed nothing
deserving of death.”
25:26. Festus then declared the motive for Paul’s appearance before
Agrippa. The qualifying phrase “especially you” underscores King
Agrippa’s intimate knowledge and genuine concern for Jewish matters. It
also foreshadows how “King Agrippa” will serve as the almost exclusive
audience for the apostle Paul.
25:27. Festus offers an ironic rationale for bringing Paul before Agrippa.
On the one hand he would have sent Paul on a perilous journey to Jerusalem
for an unreasonable trial. On the other hand Festus’s words color the whole
affair as “unreasonable”—they had held Paul for two years and still they
could not formulate specific “charges against him.”
26:1. Luke records Agrippa’s concise instruction: “You are permitted to
speak for yourself.” Significantly, King Agrippa, rather than Festus, issued
the command. The apostle stretched out his hand and began his response.
26:2. Paul sincerely considered himself happy to present his situation
before “King Agrippa”—a ruler whose background he knew and who
culturally came very close to Paul himself.
26:3. Paul’s testimony acquired special significance because of the king’s
precise knowledge of “all customs and questions which have to do with
the Jews.” On this basis he appealed, “I beg you to hear me patiently.”
26:4. Paul presents his own history in the context of his countrymen’s
knowledge of his “manner of life.” This introduction provided a perfect
context for the rest of the explanation since Paul’s present beliefs fit
precisely with his background.
26:5. Paul testifies, “they knew me from the first if they were willing to
testify, that according to the strictest sect of our religion (in the NT only
here and in Col 2:18; James 1:26-27) I lived a Pharisee.” Paul skillfully
begins to cast his countrymen’s behavior in a questionable light.
26:6. Having established his solidarity with them, he then directs his
speech toward his deeper goal—testifying to King Agrippa about Jesus the
Savior. So he affirms, “And now I stand and am judged for the hope of
the promise made by God to our fathers.”
26:7. Paul then connects “the hope of the promise” to the beliefs and
behavior of his countrymen. In this way Paul shows that the constant
activity of his nation undergirds and constitutes the very reason he stands on
trial. Thus he affirms, “for this hope’s sake, King Agrippa, I am accused
by the Jews.” The apostle leads the king on a path of both comprehension
and curiosity.
26:8. Paul finally reveals the hope, asking, “Why should it be thought
incredible (this word occurs elsewhere in the NT only at Luke 9:41; 12:46)
by you that God raises the dead?”
26:9-10. The apostle helped subdue any sense of insult saying, Indeed, I
myself thought I must do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of
Nazareth. He then localizes his persecution (with authority from the chief
priests) specifically to Jerusalem, recalling that he did many things
contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth—from incarceration to the
capital punishment.
26:11. The apostle continued, laying forth his most detailed and self-
condemnatory record of persecution against those who held to the belief
that he himself now believed. The reference to “foreign cities” helps him
transition to Damascus.
26:12. In the process of persecuting Christians near and far Paul explains
that he “journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from
the chief priests” (also at 9:14).
26:13-14. At this point in his recounting Paul directly addresses Agrippa
again personalizing his narrative. The glorious “light from heaven”
affected Paul and “those who journeyed with him.” Nevertheless God
directed the accompanying revelation specifically towards Paul, “saying in
the Hebrew language (also 21:40; 22:2), ‘Saul, Saul, why are you
persecuting Me?’” Paul’s recounting reveals here for the first time that the
Lord spoke to Paul in Hebrew. God perhaps personalized His speech to
Paul’s preference. The affirmation “‘It is hard for you to kick against the
goads’” shows that God had already been working in Paul’s life to draw
him to Himself. Agricultural workers used goads to prod animals in the
direction they wished them to go. God persuades unbelievers, softening
their will, without forcing them to believe.
26:15. Paul answered, “‘Who are You, Lord?’” The response of the Lord
shows His mercy: “‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.’” Rather than
judging Saul with death the Lord responds and saves him.
26:16. By recounting Jesus’ instruction, Paul communicates his special
status as an authoritative witness for God and as the bearer of new
revelation. This would conform him to the pattern of God’s OT prophets,
which Agrippa both knew about and believed (26:27).
26:17. The Lord also promised Paul protection—“I will deliver you (also
at 7:10, 34; 12:11; 23:27; Gal 1:4) from the Jewish people, as well as from
the Gentiles, to whom I now send you.”
26:18. God also offered him purpose as He delineated Paul’s future
mission toward unbelieving Gentiles. Paul would work with God “‘to open
their eyes’”—the task of illumination, which would lead to their
conversion and all the spiritual benefits that accompany belief in the Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul would not achieve this on his own. Ultimately God would
grant the spiritual insight (see 2 Cor 4:1-6). The apostle, for his part, would
endeavor to persuade people to believe. The believer would receive
“‘forgiveness of sins’” and a guaranteed future possession, which includes
a resurrection body and eternal fellowship with God. Sanctified here refers
to the positional setting apart toward God which every believer enjoys the
very instant he believes in Christ (see Heb 10:14) rather than to the process
of sanctification—the progressive conformity of the believer to the
character of the Lord Jesus Christ.
26:19. Paul then transitions to how he carried out the Lord’s commission.
He addresses “King Agrippa” directly again (see 26:2, 13, 27), claiming
divine authority for his actions since he had received a “heavenly vision”
and thus underscores the reasonableness and propriety of obeying it. He
also implies you also should obey!
26:20. Paul then defines the geographical sphere of his activity. His stress
on “works befitting repentance” emphasizes God’s concern for
righteousness. The Lord always wants everyone—whether believers or
unbelievers—to do right and grants no one (not even non-believers)
permission to sin. The fact that people do not always do the right thing
points out their need for forgiveness—one that only comes about by faith in
Christ (rather than by good works). Eternal salvation comes by faith alone
(without any works whatsoever) and yet God, as loving and righteous, still
desires right behavior from everyone.
26:21. Paul then affirms, “for these reasons the Jews seized me in the
temple and tried to kill me.” This explanation thus highlights the
irrationality and unrighteousness of the actions of Paul’s enemies. It also
helps direct the attention toward the Jewish leaders and their motives with
the assumed question, Why should they hate Paul in that way?
26:22. Paul then offers that his actual presence before Agrippa “this day”
in itself testifies to his innocence. At the same time he seizes the
opportunity to testify to the king. Paul includes Agrippa within the scope of
his words (as the king would qualify among the great).
26:23. Paul then explicitly witnesses to Agrippa (who already possesses
both OT knowledge as well as essentials of the Gospel reinforced,
ironically, by Festus; cf. 25:18-22). Paul proclaims the Lord’s sufferings,
death, and resurrection. His designation of Jesus as “the first to rise from
the dead” designates Him as the pattern for others to come.
26:24. Although Paul had essentially directed and tailored his presentation
to King Agrippa, Festus listened to him. At this point of Paul’s speech he
loudly interjects, “Paul, you are beside yourself! Much learning is
driving you mad!” Interestingly, Festus, rather than Agrippa, reacts.
26:25-26. Paul first firmly defends himself against Festus’s accusation by
a straightforward denial, then reestablishes the rapport he had built with
Agrippa by bringing him openly to his side and forming a tacit coalition
with him against Festus. “None of these things” escaped Agrippa’s notice.
26:27. On the heels of his rebuttal to Festus, Paul addresses Agrippa
directly and asks, “King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets?” Then,
apparently sparing Agrippa from having to make a public pronouncement
that could endanger him in a number of ways, Paul answers in his stead: “I
know that you do believe.” Agrippa believed what the prophets wrote
about the Messiah.
26:28. The NKJV renders Agrippa’s response as “You almost persuade
me to become a Christian.” But, why would King Agrippa make a
statement like this especially in light of Festus’s reaction in 26:24 and the
presence of the wider audience of dignitaries (25:23-24)? It would amount
to a public declaration that with a little more time and rhetoric the king also
would join Paul in his madness! Rather, the superficially ambivalent
statement can serve both to protect King Agrippa II (in a potentially hostile
context) and communicate his belief to Paul with a wink, so to speak. The
Apostle Peter, after about three years of belief, denied the Lord in a moment
of perceived danger. Why should we not expect a brand-new believer to
exercise self-preservation with an ambivalent statement?
26:29. Paul’s response can also imply Agrippa’s belief (yet still in a veiled
manner). Paul differentiates King Agrippa from the rest of the audience and
simultaneously aligns the king with himself in a way that he does not do
with the others. The NKJV rendering “both almost and altogether” slants
the text awkwardly. Why would Paul want the king to become almost like
himself? The text literally translates “both in [or with] little and in [or with]
much.” Rather, this statement could represent the climactic statement of the
book. Paul wanted the king to believe in Jesus and commit to following
Him openly.
26:30. When Paul finished, the king stood up signaling the conclusion.
The governor and Bernice and those who sat with them also stood up.
26:31. Luke then records the private conversation of the group, stating that
as they talked among themselves they concluded, “this man is doing
nothing deserving of death or chains.” This statement affirms Paul’s
innocence and implies that he could continue to engage in his past
activities. He had done nothing wrong.
26:32. Agrippa then provides the unofficial judgment, affirming, “This
man might have been set free (cf. Luke 23:16-25) if he had not appealed
(cf. Acts 25:11-12; 28:19) to Caesar.”
4. Paul, God’s witness, reaches Rome where he preaches
unhindered (27:1—28:31)
27:1. Luke enters the narrative again in the final we section (27:1–28:16).
He writes, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to one named
Julius. Luke describes him as a centurion of the Augustan Regiment.
This transition continues the fulfillment of the Lord Jesus’ promise to Paul
and the realization of the apostle’s own desires (cf. 19:21; 23:11).
 27:2. Luke describes the voyage in precise nautical and geographical
terms. Luke notes that Aristarchus (cf. 19:29; 20:4), a Macedonian of
Thessalonica (cf. 17:1-9, 11) also accompanied them.
27:3. After setting sail they landed at Sidon (a significant Phoenician port
city in Syria; cf. 12:20) on the following day. In line with the positive
presentation granted centurions in the narrative Julius treated Paul kindly
and gave him liberty to go to his friends and receive care. This
evidences God’s tender care of Paul in granting him grace in the eyes of
Julius, the centurion. It also underscores the importance of the body of
Christ in ministering to one another.
27:4. They put out to sea from Sidon and sailed under the shelter of
Cyprus (see 13:4). The land mass of Cyprus would protect the ship from
winds that could potentially veer it off course.
27:5. They then completed the first phase of the voyage to Rome by
sailing over the sea which is off Cilicia (cf. 6:9) and Pamphylia (a
southern province in Asia Minor; cf. 2:10) and landing at Myra, a city of
Lycia.
27:6. At Myra they had to switch ships. Julius, the centurion in charge of
overseeing the voyage (v 1) found an Alexandrian ship sailing to Italy
and placed them all on board (including Luke). Apparently the centurion
retained the freedom and responsibility to arrange the specifics of the
voyage as he saw fit for the greatest efficiency.
27:7. Luke reports that they sailed slowly for a considerable number of
days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus (a dual harbor city in
southwest Asia Minor). Then, because the winds did not allow them to
continue on that course, they sailed under the shelter of Crete off
Salmone.
27:8. They then passed Crete with difficulty. The slowness and
contrariness of the winds foreshadow greater difficulties. Significantly God
providentially provided a place of respite as they arrived at Fair Havens,
near the city of Lasea (in southern Crete).
27:9. Luke reports that much time had been spent and consequently the
conditions for travel had grown dangerous because the Fast (a reference to
the Day of Atonement) was already over.
27:10. In the context of potential danger, Paul offered his wise perception
of the prospects for the voyage rather than a prophecy. In essence, sailing at
that point in time would place everything and everyone at risk.
27:11-12. Since the harbor was not suitable to winter in, Paul’s words
called for a decision between two unfavorable alternatives—one worse than
the other. Luke reports that the majority advised to set sail with the
rationale that by some means they could reach Phoenix, a seaport of
southern Crete (cf. 2:11), which opened toward both the southwest and
northwest. According to their plan they would winter there.
27:13. The softly blowing south wind persuaded the ones in charge that
they had obtained their desire. Thus they set out and sailed close by
Crete.
27:14. The chronological rendering (not long after) contrasts with the
lengthier spans previously noted (cf. 27:7, 9). The weather conditions did
not bode well—a tempestuous head wind arose, called Euroclydon.
27:15. This extremely strong wind snatched up the ship so that it could
not head into it. Consequently they decided to give in and let her drive the
vessel. The wind now came from behind the ship and providentially
propelled it forward.
27:16. Then running under the shelter of an island called Clauda (to
the south of Crete) they gained control of the skiff (a small boat towed by
the larger ship) but with difficulty. Hardship accompanied every positive
advance.
27:17. Once they had brought the skiff on board, they used cables to
undergird the ship and prevent it from breaking apart if they were to run
aground on the Syrtis Sands. Having taken precautions to preclude this,
they struck sail and so were driven.
27:18. The rough conditions called for additional preventive measures so
the next day they lightened the ship.
27:19. On the third day they threw the ship’s tackle overboard. The
three consecutive days of turmoil on the sea signal a consistent pattern
which in all likelihood would persist.
27:20. The situation reached the point of hopelessness after many days,
and no small tempest beat on them. Luke reports, all hope that we would
be saved was finally given up.
27:21. The journey goes as far as it can under the guidance of the ship’s
owner, the helmsman, and the centurion. The apostle Paul then reenters the
scene to supply his wise counsel. Luke reports that after long abstinence
from food (ironically, after the Fast had ended; see v 9), then Paul stood
in the midst of them and offered an apostolic I told you so.
27:22. Though they had not heeded Paul’s advice, he nevertheless exhorts,
comforts, and assures them that they will live despite the “loss…of the
ship.”
27:23. Paul then validates his encouraging words with the certainty
provided by divine revelation. The Lord Jesus Himself had previously
assured Paul that he would reach Rome. Nothing had changed Jesus’
previous words. Therefore on this occasion God sent “an angel.” Paul both
belonged to and served the true God.
27:24. Luke records the angel’s very message—an encouragement (“‘Do
not be afraid’”); a rationale (“‘you must be brought before Caesar’”);
and a further consolation (“‘and indeed God has granted you all those
who sail with you’”). Paul conveys this message to the others on the ship
for their encouragement. God ultimately watched over the whole process.
27:25. He then comforts them on the basis of God’s encouragement to him
(see 2 Cor 1:3-11). “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it
will be just as it was told me.” Every message from God merits absolute
belief. He cannot lie.
27:26. Paul had predicted that they would lose the ship. Now, he revealed
how: “we must run aground on a certain island.”
27:27. Paul’s prediction assured that running aground would come next.
Thus Luke reports that about midnight the sailors sensed that they were
drawing near some land.
27:28. To confirm their hunches the sailors took soundings and found it
to be twenty fathoms (120 feet). Then, when they had gone a little
farther, they took soundings again and found it to be fifteen fathoms
(90 feet). The decreasing measures build suspense as the ship approaches
shore.
27:29. The darkness and the apparent approach to land caused the sailors
to fear that they should run aground on the rocks. They responded by
dropping four anchors from the stern and then prayed for day to come.
27:30. In this desperate situation some sailors sought to escape from the
ship by lowering a skiff in to the sea, under pretense of putting out
anchors from the prow.
 27:31. Paul ascertained their plot and informed the centurion and the
soldiers, warning them, “Unless these men stay in the ship, you cannot
be saved.” Paul thus utilized the centurion and the soldiers as the means to
keep everyone aboard and safe.
27:32. The soldiers decisively ended the plot by cutting the ropes of the
skiff and letting it fall off. Now, their hope of survival hinged on the
veracity of Paul’s words (as a message from God). Significantly those in
charge of overseeing Paul now heeded his directions.
27:33-34. Close to daybreak (on the same night) Paul encouraged them to
eat, explaining, “this is for your survival, since not a hair will fall from
the head of any of you.”
27:35. Paul directed the meal in a way reminiscent of the Last Supper.
Luke reports that he took bread and gave thanks to God before all of
them. Then, when he had broken it he began to eat. Although this meal
does not constitute a celebration of the Church ordinance of the Lord’s
Supper, as a representative of Jesus he emulates His actions during the meal
that symbolized His provision of Himself for the deliverance of those who
believe in Him.
27:36. Paul’s words and initiative in eating left all of them encouraged.
Consequently they also took food themselves. Here Paul sets an example
that encouraged everyone else on the vessel.
27:37. Luke then gives the number of those both in the ship and submitting
to Paul’s directives and encouragements. He records, in all were two
hundred and seventy-six persons on the ship.
27:38. After they ate sufficiently to survive the coming ordeal (and thus
secure their deliverance), they lightened the ship and threw out the
wheat into the sea.
27:39-40. Luke reports that later when it was day the sailors did not
recognize the land. They did however see a bay with a beach, onto which
they planned to run the ship if possible. Paul had already foretold the fate
of the ship (see vv 27:21-26). Luke describes their nautical measures in
detail.
27:41. Instead of reaching the shore the ship struck a place where two
seas met and there ran the ship aground. The prow of the vessel
imbedded itself and remained immovable. The stern, however, was being
broken up by the violence of the waves.
 27:42. With the secure structure of the ship gone the prisoners could
potentially escape. Consequently the soldiers’ plan was to kill the
prisoners to prevent their escape by simply swimming away.
27:43. The centurion’s goodness toward Paul appears again in the
narrative. The official essentially retakes command and, wanting to save
Paul, kept them from carrying out their purpose. Instead, he classed
everyone as either swimmers or nonswimmers. He commanded the
swimmers to jump overboard first and get to land.
27:44. The remaining persons would escape danger, some on boards and
some on parts of the ship. In this manner everyone made it safely to land.
Thus all that Paul predicted came true.
28:1. They now reached a new stage of the voyage. Luke reports that
when they had escaped they learned that the island was called Malta (a
Mediterranean island with Sicily to the north).
28:2. Luke reports, the natives showed us unusual kindness. The
refugees from the shipwrecked vessel landed on a rainy and cold day. As a
benevolent gesture the island dwellers kindled a fire and made all of them
feel welcome.
28:3. The apostle Paul contributed to keeping the fire alive. Luke records
that when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the
fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand.
Whereas Paul had survived the elements of the storm, the perils of the
shipwreck, and the plans of the soldiers, he now battled the animal kingdom
—specifically a snake.
28:4. The natives probably surmised that prisoners comprised a portion of
those who had made it to their island. When they saw the creature clinched
to Paul’s hand, they concluded, “no doubt this man is a murderer, whom,
though he has escaped from the sea, yet justice does not allow to live.”
The natives’ reaction shows that they believed in talionic justice (justice in
kind—Paul as a perceived murderer would now suffer the same
consequence).
28:5. Paul dealt with the potentially deadly situation in an almost
nonchalant manner. Luke records that he shook off the creature into the
fire and suffered no harm.
28:6. The natives still needed more evidence regarding Paul’s safety. They
expected him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. After observing
Paul for a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they
changed their minds and said that he was a god.
28:7. After finding favor with the natives, Paul and the other survivors find
further grace. Providentially in that region there was an estate of the
leading citizen of the island, whose name was Publius. This high-profile
person received them and entertained Paul and the others courteously for
three days.
28:8. Again providentially, Publius’s father lay sick of a fever and
dysentery. Paul responded mercifully. He went in to him and prayed, and
he laid his hands, and healed him.
28:9. Paul’s mercy extended to the rest of those on the island who had
diseases. Paul did not suffer any ill effects from the viper that bit him.
Instead, he healed others with illnesses.
28:10. The natives responded with gratitude, honoring them in many
ways. Also on their departure they provided such things as were
necessary. A potentially catastrophic situation turned into an opportunity to
see an amazing contrast between God’s protection of Paul and those
associated with him, and the criminal status given him by the imperial state.
28:11. After this they stayed three months and then sailed in an
Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the Twin Brothers—the
mythical Castor and Pollux whom sailors saw as protectors on their
journeys.
28:12. They then landed at Syracuse and stayed there three days.
28:13. Departing from there, they circled round and reached Rhegium.
Luke reports that after one day the south wind blew. With the wind in
their favor they arrived at Puteoli the following day.
28:14. At Puteoli they found brethren who invited Paul and Luke to stay
with them seven days. After that they continued their travel toward Rome.
28:15. Luke records that the believers in Rome heard about their arrival
and came to meet them. Similar to his departure from Sidon when believers
encouraged him, Paul saw them and he thanked God and took courage.
God had strategically placed believers at points where Paul needed
strengthening. (At other points the Lord Himself appeared, or an angel
offered sustenance.)
28:16. After arriving at Rome, the Lord continues to give Paul grace. The
centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain of the guard. They then
allowed Paul to dwell by himself with the soldier who guarded him. The
tortuous (and yet blessed) voyage shared by Paul and the centurion may
have created a bond between them at some level. In light of this the
centurion would have recommended preferential care for Paul.
28:17. Paul, the prisoner, retains the prerogative to meet with visitors. He
feels concern over his relationship with his countrymen who lived in Rome
and so after three days he called the leaders of the Jews together. When
they met, he informs them of his innocence and of the circumstances that
brought him bound to Rome.
28:18. Paul then notes the official Roman consensus on his case, asserting
that after evaluating his case they found “no cause for putting me to
death” (26:30-32).
28:19. Paul added, “But when the Jews spoke against it, I was
compelled to appeal to Caesar.” He nevertheless clarified—“not that I
had anything of which to accuse my nation”—showing that he sought his
own welfare without at the same time seeking evil for his countrymen. Paul
still possessed a deep abiding love for them despite their persecution of
him.
28:20. Paul then revealed his essential motive for calling for them. “The
hope of Israel” entailed the resurrection of the dead with a view to the
kingdom worship experience described in Luke 1:68-75. This future
resurrection rendered bearable even his unjust incarceration and the
persecutions he endured.
28:21. The Jewish visitors then assured Paul that they had not received any
negative communications about him either officially from Judea or
unofficially from others.
28:22. These fellow Jews had nevertheless heard about Christianity and
desired to hear Paul’s thoughts about it. They asserted, “we know that it is
spoken against everywhere.” This report would nonetheless await a future
occasion.
28:23. Luke reports that on a future scheduled day many came to him at
his lodging. In this description Luke again gives us the essence of
evangelism as persuading others about Jesus Christ on the basis of what
God has already revealed in the Scriptures.
28:24. Paul’s audience responded as they had elsewhere. Luke’s
vocabulary (persuaded and disbelieved) reflects the nature of the Gospel
as a truth the hearer believes once the messenger, in cooperation with God’s
sovereign work, has convinced or persuaded them that the Lord Jesus Christ
guarantees salvation by belief in Him.
28:25. Characteristic of Luke’s narrative (cf. 17:32; 22:21-22), the
audience listens up to an especially significant point. Here, after disagreeing
among themselves, Luke reports that they departed after Paul had said
one word. The one word predicted the unbelief of the Jewish nation. Their
response conformed precisely to Isaiah’s words (cf. Isa 6:9-10). Ironically,
Isaiah also spoke about the Messiah in terms that would have permitted
them to recognize Him and believe in Him had they considered everything
with an open heart (cf. Acts 17:10-12a). Paul affirmed, “The Holy Spirit
spoke rightly through Isaiah the prophet to our fathers.” His affirmation
accords with the truth of God’s inerrant Word whereby human spokesmen
communicated God’s precise message to men—whether orally, written, or
both.
28:26. The first facet of Paul’s message underscored their lack of
comprehension and insight despite having the evidence before them. He
quoted from Isa 6:9 (LXX): “‘Go to this people and say: Hearing you will
hear, and shall not understand; And seeing you will see, and not
perceive.’” Both Paul and his audience witnessed that very dynamic.
28:27. He then explained the rationale for their lack of receptivity, quoting
Isa 6:10: “‘for the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are
hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed.’” This willful blindness
and deafness brought serious consequences. They would lose the capacity
to respond to God’s revelation (“‘Lest they should see with their eyes and
hear with their ears’”) and miss out on God’s healing of them (“‘Lest they
should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal
them’”).
28:28. Paul then drew the conclusion that led to the Jews’ departure. His
words conformed to his experience everywhere on the Gentile mission
field. His predictive announcement already had validation. Before this
point, Paul had turned “to the Gentiles” in a given locale. But now these
words seem to represent a far-reaching statement about God’s intention to
turn largely to the Gentiles during the church age.
28:29. Luke then presents the final picture of the characteristic Jewish
response during the Church age (which should not at all dissuade from
Jewish evangelism). He reports that after Paul had said these words then
the Jews departed and had a great dispute among themselves.
28:30. Luke records that Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented
house, and received all who came to him. This description contrasts with
the popular concept of Paul dwelling in a vermin-ridden cell under
intolerable conditions. Rather, Paul lived under house arrest while carrying
out his ministry and receiving help from others.
28:31. Luke describes Paul as preaching the kingdom of God and
teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ. These twin
themes comprised the essence of Paul’s message. They evidenced the
biblical hope in the future messianic kingdom which the Lord Jesus Christ
will establish at His return. The apostle thus carried out his ministry with
all confidence, no one forbidding him. Both his message and his method
—boldly and freely—help validate his integrity. Theophilus could take
heart in that he had not believed in vain and that he could continue to build
his faith on the apostle’s teaching. God had proven His faithfulness to Paul,
and Paul had demonstrated his faithfulness to God. Theophilus could
confidently imitate Paul’s following of Christ and his openness of belief.
Theophilus could confidently imitate Paul’s faithfulness to Christ,
boldness of speech, and openness of witness—no matter the consequence.
Luke finishes his work with the word unhindered (only here in the NT).
Rather than constraining his ministry, Paul’s house arrest in Rome, the
strategic capital of the empire, permitted him to pursue his ministry without
censure in a protected setting—as well as to pen four epistles (Ephesians,
Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon) that still edify believers to this day.
 Romans
ZANE C. HODGES
Introduction
Authorship
Paul names himself as the author in the first verse of Romans, just as in
each of his other twelve NT epistles. Second Thessalonians 3:17 says that
he invariably signs his name in every letter.
Romans 16:22 requires brief attention: “I, Tertius, who wrote this epistle,
greet you in the Lord.” Tertius does not claim to be the author, but to be the
secretary who inscribed a papyrus scroll as Paul dictated the book to him.
Paul had long desired to visit Rome (Rom 1:10ff, 15:22ff; cf. Acts 19:21).
The presence of extensive greetings in chap. 16 may seem odd, since Paul
had not yet gone to Rome. However, his books with the longest personal
greetings were to churches he had not yet visited. The book of Acts shows
that many of the Pauline circle traveled widely for ministry. Some of the
people Paul greets, Paul had indeed met. Others were known to Paul
through mutual friends. Chapter 16 is entirely consistent with Pauline
authorship.
Destination and Recipients
The Readers Were Roman Believers
Romans 1:7 identifies the readers as believers living in the city of Rome.
He speaks of them as ones already summoned by God to be saints. Verse 8
says that their faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world.
Paul would be shocked to learn that his message for believers would be
construed as a message for unbelievers. The term gospel should not be
viewed as a technical term, nor should it be regarded as interchangeable
with the message of life to unbelievers. Neither should salvation be seen in
Romans as a technical term for sparing someone from the lake of fire.
Rather, Paul sought to proclaim good news (to preach the gospel) to the
Roman believers (Rom 1:15). What was the good news for these believers?
Paul told them how the use of God’s Word in their daily lives would deliver
them from temporal wrath (Rom 1:16-17ff). The commentary develops this
good news for believers in detail.
The Readers Included Jewish Believers
Besides specifying that the readers were Roman believers, the book also
speaks of their ethnic diversity. Some named recipients were Jewish. Aquila
was (Rom 16:3; cf. Acts 18:2), and presumably his wife, Priscilla, was as
well. Romans 16:7, 11 identify Andronicus, Junius, and Herodion as Paul’s
kinsmen. That is, they also were Jewish.
The letter itself directly addresses Jews in Rom 2:17ff. Furthermore, unless
the use of our in 4:1, 12 were purely editorial (referring to Paul alone), the
natural implication of Paul speaking of Abraham as our father is that Jews
were among the original readership.
The Readers Included Gentile Believers
As in Ephesians and Colossians, Paul used first person plural pronouns
(we, our, us) in Romans to associate himself with those readers who were
Jewish (e.g., Rom 4:1, 12). Likewise, as in Ephesians and Colossians, Paul
uses second person plural pronouns (you and your) to refer to Gentile
readers. Specifically, Rom 11:13 says, “For I speak to you Gentiles;
inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry.”
Romans 9–11 presents Paul as a Jewish apostle to the Gentiles, who had
deep concerns for his fellow-countrymen (cf. Rom 9:1ff; 10:1ff; 11:14). In
expressing this, he urged any Gentile readers to share God’s heart for the
Jews (Rom 11:20-25).
The Readers Attended Fifteen or More Separate Congregations
Paul greets fifteen distinct groups of believers in Rom 16:3-15. Each use
of aspazomai (“greet”) distinguishes an autonomous assembly.
The first church mentioned met in a home (Rom 16:5). The other fourteen
probably met in tiny tenement rooms (about 10 feet by 10 feet). Hence these
are referred to as tenement churches (in contrast with larger house
churches).
While it is possible that there were less than 200 believers in the churches
in Rome, the total number could have been over 1,000 when Paul wrote in
AD 57. In Romans 16 Paul may have only greeted leaders and sponsors, not
entire congregations. Additionally, the named leaders and churches might
not be exhaustive, but only those known to Paul.

Thematic Statement
Romans 1:16-17 introduces Paul’s theme. For I am not ashamed of the
gospel of Christ, since it is the power of God for deliverance for
everyone who believes, for the Jew first and for the Greek. For in it is
revealed the righteousness of God by faith, granted to faith, just as it is
written, “Now the one who is righteous by faith shall live” [Hodges’s
translation].
Unfortunately, this passage has been widely misinterpreted to focus upon
how one can be saved from the lake of fire. The Roman believers to whom
Paul wrote already were believers possessing everlasting life and who were
already guaranteed never to go to the lake of fire. As a book to believers,
Romans has as its aim the presentation of truth that believers need to live
appropriately before the Lord.
As the commentary argues, Rom 1:16-17 speaks of a deliverance
[salvation] from temporal wrath that is made possible for believers by
God’s power available through the gospel.

Date and Place of Writing

Paul wrote the epistle to the Romans from Corinth during the winter of AD
56-57. Phoebe carried it to Rome from Cenchrea (Rom 16:1-2). In all
probability, she delivered it to Aquila and Priscilla, who had stayed in
Corinth in AD 51 and who embarked for Ephesus from Phoebe’s
hometown, Cenchrea (Acts 18:1-19). The likelihood is high that she knew
Priscilla and Aquila.

Translation
Whereas the other commentaries in The Grace New Testament
Commentary use the text of the NKJV, Zane Hodges used his own
translation of Romans. Words in bold show where he is citing his
translation. Space did not permit providing his entire translation. Readers
can get his entire translation of Romans at www.faithalone.org.

Outline
 The complete outline is given in the commentary itself. What follows are
the main points.
I. Introduction: Paul Connects with the Roman Christians (1:1-15)
II. Thematic Statement: The Gospel Contains God’s Power for Deliverance
(1:16-17)
III. Body of the Epistle: Spiritual Deliverance Arises from the
Righteousness God Grants to Faith (1:18–15:13)
A. God’s Displeasure with Humanity Is Manifest (1:18–3:20)
1. Humanity Stands under God’s Wrath (1:18–2:5)
2. Humanity Faces God’s Impartial Judgment (2:6–3:20)
B. The Unrighteous Can Obtain Righteousness through Jesus Christ (3:21–
5:11)
C. Those Who Are Righteous by Faith Can Live Victoriously (5:12–8:39)
1. The Sin Problem and Its Solution (5:12-21)
2. Our Freedom from Sin Through Union with Christ (6:1-23)
3. Our Means of Victory over Sin (7:1–8:39)
a. The Inadequacy of the Law for Spiritual Victory (7:1-25)
b. The Adequacy of the Spirit for Spiritual Victory (8:1-39)
D. Parenthesis: God’s Faithfulness Will Bring Deliverance to Israel (9:1–
11:36)
E. God’s Will Worked Out in the Lives of the Delivered (12:1–15:13)
IV. Conclusion: Final Remarks to the Roman Christians (15:14–16:20)
V. Postscript and Benediction (16:21-24).

Commentary
I. Introduction: Paul Connects with the Roman Christians (1:1-15)
A. Doctrinal Salutation (1:1-7)
1:1. The salutation reveals Paul’s sense both of his position and of his
purpose before God. Two phrases denote his position: a bondservant of
Jesus Christ and a called…apostle. The first title stresses subjection; the
second stresses privilege.
 Paul’s purpose is that he was set apart for the gospel of God (i.e., God
the Father). Paul probably thinks of his being set apart for the gospel as a
work of God’s Holy Spirit. If so, the implicit reference to the Spirit makes
Paul’s initial self-identification in Romans Trinitarian.
1:2. The gospel for which Paul had been separated was not his own
invention, nor was it even a revelation made especially for him. Instead, the
gospel was promised beforehand through God’s prophets of old in the
Holy Scriptures. This is Paul’s perspective in the book of Acts (see, for
example, Acts 17:2-3; 24:14-15; 26:22-23; 28:23). But this viewpoint goes
back to our Lord Himself (see Luke 24:25-27, 44-47). The gospel is rooted
in the OT.
1:3-4. The subject of the gospel is God’s Son. The first phrase, the One
who came from David’s seed, identifies His human origin in David’s royal
line. The second phrase, the One who was designated as the Son of God
with power, identifies Him as a divine Person who possesses mighty
power.
In this twofold identification, Paul begins with a reference to the
incarnation and His human status (as regards the flesh). His resurrection,
however, clearly disclosed a higher status that was related to God’s Holy
Spirit (as regards the Spirit of holiness).
The Holy Spirit is indeed the Spirit of holiness since it is He who produces
holiness in Christian experience (see esp. Rom 8:11-13). The Spirit who
raised Jesus from the dead is the divine source of true holiness.
The reality of the resurrection of the dead is manifested in the raising of
God’s Son back to physical life. Where there are first fruits, there will also
be a harvest, and that harvest will include everyone who has ever died.
Jesus will judge all men (John 5:22).
Finally, Paul implicitly lays the foundation for the truth he will more fully
expound in this epistle. The gospel, he will soon tell us, “is the power of
God for deliverance” (1:16, emphasis added). But this power for
deliverance is nothing less than the resurrecting power of “the Spirit of
Christ” (8:9-11), and so it is also an expression of the power that God has
designated His Son as possessing.
1:5. Paul acknowledges himself as the recipient both of grace and of
apostleship through Him (Jesus Christ our Lord).
 The goal of Paul’s apostleship is to bring about obedience by faith…
among all the Gentiles.
We may dismiss out of hand the view that the phrase refers to the
obedience that inevitably flows from true faith. It is possible, however, that
the phrase might mean “the obedience which is faith” in the sense that faith
is a form of obedience. That is certainly a correct doctrine (see John 3:36).
But the most natural sense here is that this refers to the obedience that can
and should be produced by faith in God’s Son. The Apostle was obviously
interested in bringing about a response of faith to the gospel message he
proclaimed (vv 1-4). But he was interested in more than that. He was also
profoundly concerned with the obedience to God that ought to result from
that faith.
Faith in God’s Son is the starting point from which obedience proceeds.
Thus Christian living is obedience stimulated by, and caused by, the original
justifying faith. Obedience is the product of such faith. Or, as the literal
rendering indicates, this is faith’s obedience! This truth will become more
evident when Romans 6–8 are considered in detail.
Paul’s apostolic ministry was aimed at producing faith’s obedience among
all the Gentiles. And this obedience was intended to glorify “Jesus Christ
our Lord,” that is, it was to be done for His name’s sake.
1:6. Paul now clearly affirms that the Gentile readership of Romans is part
of the larger circle of Gentile believers (among whom) who are the object
of his purpose to “bring about [an] obedience” that proceeds from their faith
(see v 5). Thus this letter to the Roman Christians is fully harmonious with
Paul’s apostolic goal for Gentile believers in general. His readers are among
those called by Jesus Christ and thus they possess a faith that should lead
them to obey the One who called them.
1:7. Paul concludes the formal salutation of his letter by explicitly
identifying his audience and by wishing a benediction on them. Specifically
he is writing to all who are in Rome who have become the recipients of
God’s gracious love and now have the status of saints, to which status He
had summoned (called) them. Paul’s hope and expectation for such
privileged people was that they might have an on-going experience of
God’s abundant grace and peace. As Christians they would know that these
blessings were sourced in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
 B. Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome (1:8-15)
1:8. The first thing Paul wishes to do is to assure his readers of his
appreciation for their Christian faith, news of which is widely published
throughout the whole Roman world. Though they are not his converts, he
rejoices in the fact that their faith has impacted people in countless places. It
must have been no insignificant matter for the early Christians that their
confidence in Jesus Christ was shared by people in no less a place than the
capital of the empire. The report of the gospel’s fruitfulness there must have
spread rapidly from congregation to congregation.
1:9-10. Paul’s interest in the Romans, however, goes beyond merely
rejoicing in their faith. That interest finds significant expression in his
prayer life. God Himself can witness to the fact that Paul has a constant
remembrance of them in his prayers. After all, those prayers were made to
Him. But this prayer activity, Paul suggests, is part of his service to God in
my spirit on behalf of the gospel of His Son. Since Paul knew the value of
intercession, he understood that the gospel could be truly served not only
with our lips, but also with our spirits through the medium of prayer.
But not only did Paul mention the Roman Christians constantly before
God, he also was regularly requesting…in [his] prayers the opportunity to
come and visit them in Rome. This had not been possible up to now (see v
13) and Paul realizes that the success of any effort he makes to come
depends on the sovereign will of God.
1:11-12. The desire for personal fellowship with the objects of his prayer
and the desire to be of benefit to them are merged in Paul’s heart as one
desire. The man who asks God’s gifts for men wishes naturally to be able to
give some gift himself. To be attuned to God’s generosity is to become
generous; to wish with such an attitude to see individuals is to wish to share
with them for their good.
The words some spiritual benefit take the Greek word charisma in a non-
technical sense. Paul’s doctrine about spiritual gifts was that every Christian
already had one (see Rom 12:6; 1 Cor 12:12-31). There is no persuasive
evidence that Paul believed a Christian could change his gift or add one he
did not previously possess.
Paul is not so proud, however, as to imagine that only the Romans will
benefit from mutual interaction with him. On the contrary he anticipated
that he and they would be encouraged together by means of their mutually
shared faith. The Christian teacher who thinks that other believers can no
longer bring him spiritual enhancement is a teacher in urgent need of
additional wisdom.
1:13. Many times Paul had decided to come to them but was prevented
from doing so due to his responsibilities and the persecutions he faced. But
the intention was there.
The fruit of which he speaks, the aim of his coming, was that he might
impart some “spiritual benefit” (1:12; cf. Phil 1:21-25). Elsewhere, Paul
uses fruit of the holy and beneficial results of Christian experience (see
Rom 6:21-22; 15:28; Gal 5:22; Eph 5:9; Phil 1:11, 22; 4:17), and somewhat
differently in 2 Tim 2:6.
Paul moves from the concept of his burden for the Romans to his
obligation to them. He wants fruit among them, just as he had elsewhere
among the rest of the Gentiles. He will now tell the Romans that this
desire grows out of his sweeping responsibility to the Gentile world.
1:14-15. Paul considered himself a debtor to the Gentile world because he
had “received grace and apostleship to bring about obedience by faith for
His name’s sake among all the Gentiles” (1:5). It is not that the Gentiles
have some claim on Paul in their own right, but rather that the Lord Jesus
Christ has a claim on him because of the “grace and apostleship” that He
had bestowed on Paul.
Thus, he is a debtor to every kind of Gentile—to Greeks and to
barbarians (those outside the Greek culture).
He had a readiness…to preach the gospel also in Rome. His debt extends
to those in that city as well. As the capital of the empire, of course, Rome
would be a locale unthinkable to pass by in a ministry designed to reach all
types of Gentiles.
Note that Paul’s desire to preach the gospel is personalized as directed to
you who are in Rome. No doubt the you (humin) is broad enough to
embrace the idea of “you people” who are in Rome. Naturally this includes
the unconverted whom Paul would certainly try to reach. Yet the you also
implies that he will “gospelize” his readers as well when he comes. No
preacher worth his salt would fail to spell out the gospel he preached to a
new group of Christian hearers, since the Apostle knew quite well how
readily believers could be diverted from the simple truths of God’s saving
grace. If we doubt this, we ought to read Galatians again—more carefully!
Paul’s gospel, therefore, will be proclaimed when he comes to Rome.
II. Thematic statement: The Gospel Contains God’s Power for
Deliverance (1:16-17)
1:16-17. Paul now states the fundamental theme of the epistle. The words I
am not ashamed of are an understatement for “I am quite proud of” the
gospel of Christ. He is proud of Jesus’ gospel because it is the power of
God for deliverance for everyone who believes.
In my translation, the word deliverance replaces the more familiar word
salvation that is found in most translations. The word salvation prejudices
interpreters right from the start since it is traditionally understood as
“salvation from hell.” The word deliverance properly leaves the issue open
and almost automatically elicits the question, “deliverance from what?”
An examination of the epistle to the Romans turns up the surprising fact
that after Rom 1:16 the Greek word for deliverance or salvation (sōtēria)
does not occur again until Rom 11:11 and the verbal form of this word
(sōzō) occurs next at Rom 5:9-10. Thus, the noun and verb are totally
absent from Paul’s discussion of justification in chaps. 2–4, even though, on
the traditional view, this is where they would most naturally appear.
In addition, in Rom 5:9-10, the experience from which we are saved or
delivered is specified as “wrath” (5:9). Although this word, too, has a
traditional meaning (i.e., the wrath associated with hell), Paul’s epistle does
not support this. In Romans, wrath is a manifestation of God’s temporal
displeasure. This is clear from 1:18ff and 2:5-8. Given the close proximity
of 1:16 to 1:18, and in the light of 5:9-10, we may conclude that in Rom
1:16 deliverance refers to being rescued, or “saved,” from the divine
temporal anger that is so vividly described in Rom 1:18-32.
The believing Roman recipients of this letter can embrace its message,
whether they happen to be Jewish or Gentile (Jew…and…Greek).
The gospel of Christ is the power of God since it reveals the
righteousness of God. God’s power never operates contrary to, or
inconsistently with, His righteousness. For the gospel of Christ to be a
source of deliverance for men, it must also be manifestly consistent with
God’s righteous character.
 Paul is thinking principally of the righteousness of God that is imputed to
those who believe (note especially, 3:21-22). This is made clear by the
words by faith, granted to faith. The righteousness of God is attained by
means of faith and it is bestowed on, or granted to, faith.
The following words express the connection Paul finds between justifying
faith and the deliverance he has just mentioned. Thus, “Now the one who is
righteous by faith shall live” (Hab 2:4). The righteous man, therefore, is
the one who can live in precisely the sense Paul elaborates in Romans 6–8.
In fact, he states, “if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body,
you will live” (8:13). Life in the truly Christian sense of that term can only
be “lived” by the one who is righteous by faith!
Accordingly, in Rom 1:16-17, the Apostle has set forth his theme
succinctly and effectively. He is proud of the gospel precisely because it
makes available the power of God that accomplishes deliverance in the
lives of believers. This deliverance of sinful creatures is in full harmony
with God’s own righteousness. That righteousness is revealed in the gospel
as a righteousness actually attained prior to deliverance on the sole basis of
faith. Thus the gospel leads to the realization of the profoundly important
truth stated in Habakkuk: if a person is righteous by faith he can live. For
the NT person, that is nothing less than victorious Christian experience.
III. Body of the Epistle: Spiritual Deliverance Arises from the
Righteousness God Grants to Faith (1:18–15:13)
A. God’s Displeasure with Humanity Is Manifest (1:18–3:20)
1. Humanity Stands under God’s Wrath (1:18–2:5)
a. The Declaration of This Manifestation (1:18)
1:18. The first word of this verse in Greek is the one rendered is revealed
(Apokaluptetai). The gospel, Paul has just said in v 17, is a message
wherein God’s righteousness is revealed (apokaluptetai is used there, too).
Now he speaks of the revelation of God’s wrath. The repetition of
apokaluptetai highlights the contrast.
It is precisely because man is so clearly under divine wrath that he stands
in need of a gospel of divine righteousness. Specifically, this wrath is
directed against all the ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.
 Man thus stands far distant from the basic character of God who possesses
a perfect righteousness. But, in addition to this, unrighteous man is also
hostile to the truth of God. Hence, the revelation of God’s wrath is said to
be against the sinfulness of men who suppress the truth by
unrighteousness. It is serious enough for man to deviate from God’s holy
standards. It is even more serious for him to seek to hold back God’s truth.
This tendency is everywhere on display in our own day and time.
b. The Cause of This Manifestation (1:19-23)
1:19-20. What mankind can know about God, says Paul, is perfectly
plain, that is, evident (phaneron) among them. In fact, God Himself has
made it evident (ephanerōse) to them. Paul does not imply by this that all
the information humanity might need about God falls under the category of
self-evident truth.
What Paul has in mind by what is knowable (to gnōston) is defined in v
20 as His invisible attributes, specifically, His eternal power and Deity.
These attributes are seen clearly by means of the creation of the world.
That is to say, the visible creation testifies to the awesome power, and hence
the undoubted Deity, of the Creator.
Invisible realities about God are clearly visible to the rational faculties of
mankind, that is, they are seen clearly, and this perception arises directly
from the things that have been made. Those who reject the testimony of
nature are without excuse.
The responsibility of men is precisely Paul’s point. Since God’s eternal
power and Deity can be seen clearly, humanity has no defense for its
ignorance of these realities, so that they [mankind] are without excuse. If
there is ignorance, it is willful ignorance and hence, suppression of the truth
(v 18).
Of course, the gospel Paul proclaims is itself a special divine revelation
and in no way deducible from the natural world. But if men were willing to
recognize the manifestation of the Creator which creation itself affords
them, they would then be in a position to search out the further will of their
Maker (cf. Acts 16:9-10; 17:27). However, as long as they suppress, with
their idolatry, the true witness of nature, no such progress is possible. To
acknowledge the existence of a Creator is implicitly to acknowledge human
accountability for unrighteous behavior. Unrighteous man does not want to
do that.
1:21. There was indeed a time when the God of creation was known
(when they knew God).
Paul is thinking here of the period covered in the early chapters of Genesis,
after the fall of man (Gen 4:23-24). There is no evidence prior to the flood
of a movement toward idolatry. Yet at the same time, man’s failure to honor
his Maker and to appreciate His gifts is transparent (Gen 6:5-7).
Mankind’s response to the God they knew was dramatically insufficient in
three ways. First, mankind did not glorify God as God. His manifest
“power” and “Deity” were not acknowledged with the reverence and honor
that was fitting. Second, neither were they thankful for His innumerable
gifts, starting with physical life itself. Third, they engaged in their empty
reasonings. The net result was that their senseless heart was darkened.
Out of this inward darkness arose the hideous distortion of Deity found in
idolatry.
1:22-23. Yet, strangely, man is never as self-confident as when his
ignorance is most deep: claiming to be wise, they became fools. So far
was mankind from recognizing their own darkness that they confused it
with light! The consequent descent into idolatry was a powerful testimony
to this utter lack of true perception.
Something like this darkening process has repeated itself today. Most of
academia holds tenaciously to the view that natural processes explain
everything, when in fact they explain nothing. The folly and perversity of
this attitude should be manifest.
The supreme Intelligence that is so obvious in our cosmos, and becomes
more obvious as new discoveries are made, is excluded from human
calculations. The wise have become fools.
In Paul’s day, this folly was transparent in the degradation to which the
image of the Creator-God was subjected by idolatry. The glory of the
immortal God is exchanged by some idolaters for an image made in the
likeness of mortal man. Others made idols of birds, and of four-footed
creatures, and finally of reptiles. These elements of idolatry underline the
abject decay of the concept of the living God whom mankind refuses to see
in the evidentiary character of the creation itself.
 c. The Results of This Manifestation (1:24-32)
1:24-25. Precisely because of this idolatry (therefore), God has turned
them over to their own iniquity. It is evident that the section encompassing
vv 24-32 is unified by a threefold use of the phrase turned them over found
in vv 24, 26, and 28. It is here that we meet Paul’s fundamental thought
about the wrath of God that the Apostle has already declared to be revealed
from heaven (v 18). This divine anger, Paul has said, is directed against
men who restrain the truth (vv 19-23). It is now appropriate that God’s
wrath should be spelled out specifically.
Since men have dishonored the Creator God by misrepresenting Him with
creature-like images, they are given over to the outworking of their corrupt
inward desires (the lusts of their hearts) and are dragged into a moral
uncleanness that dishonors their own physical bodies. Those who have
degraded God with “bodily” representations of Him are allowed to
experience their own “bodily” degradation!
Physical existence has no real meaning apart from a transcendent reality
that gives it meaning. When man loses his sense of a God who transcends
all physical representation, man cannot avoid reducing his own physical
experience to the shameful level of immorality. The sanctity of physical life
is only maintained by means of the perception of a God who transcends
physical life and who thus gives it its ultimate significance and value.
The idolatry described in vv 21-23 was nothing less than an exchange of
the truth of God for a lie that resulted in worshipping the creature rather
than the Creator.
In idolatry, Paul says, men have exchanged reality for a falsehood. The
truth of God’s transcendence over His creation is replaced by the implicit
lowering of God to the level of a creature of whatever form the idolater
chooses. But this in fact is creature worship. Thus, the creature becomes the
focus of everything.
In a creature-centered world, where the purposes and restraints of the
Creator are forgotten, immorality is the tragically predictable result. Yet, as
Paul affirms in the final words of the verse, the Creator whom men have
forgotten is blessed forever. Man’s inexcusable defection in no way
touches or diminishes the blessedness of the transcendent God.
 1:26-27. Man’s idolatry (vv 21-23) leads to the debasing of his physical
experience (v 24). But this debasing is founded on the exchange of truth for
a lie (v 25), leading to a similar exchange of truth for a lie in perverted
sexual practice (vv 26-27). Thus, man descends the staircase of moral
corruptness. In lesbian/homosexual behavior, mankind embraces the lie that
this form of sexual encounter is an experience equivalent to God-ordained
sex.
The dishonorable passions to which God has also turned them over,
therefore, are nothing less than distortions of reality in the sexual sphere.
The key phrase here is that females exchanged (v 26) and males also left
(v 27) their natural practice (vv 26-27).
The connection with v 25 is quite evident since the term exchanged of v 26
recalls the same verb in v 25 and thus stresses the correspondence between
the sin and its penalty.
Once again, as in v 24, man’s failure to honor God properly leads to his
own dishonor.
Paul’s description of homosexuality between males is fuller than his
treatment of lesbian activity. Paul explicitly refers to the improper sexual
desire for other men that leads to doing what is sexually shameful. In
addition, it is pertaining to males that he speaks specifically of physical
consequences.
The first words in vv 24-32 to refer to a direct physical judgment are those
at the end of v 27. Homosexual males are described as receiving back in
themselves for their error the recompense which was due them. Paul is
not referring to eternal condemnation here.
No doubt Paul is thinking of sexually transmitted diseases. Of course, the
same penalty may accompany the other sexual sins as well (vv 24, 26), but
Paul stresses here the retribution deserved by male deviants.
1:28. For a third time we are told that God turned men over to something.
This time it is to a debased mind. The reason now given is that they did
not see fit to retain God in their knowledge. The sexual perversions just
described (vv 26-27) cannot be comfortably engaged in when the human
mind is thinking about God.
But a refusal to keep God before the mind is not confined to this type of
sinner alone. When this banishing of God from the mind occurs, God
simply allows them to possess the natural result—a debased mind.
 Deprived of the ennobling concept of the Creator God, people suffer from
the depraved and defective mental life to which God has turned them over.
The result of this base mindset in humanity is that they did unseemly
things. These unseemly things are now detailed in the graphic verses that
follow.
1:29-31. The list of vices contained in these verses falls into four groups
that are indicated by the way Paul structures his list.
The opening series consists of five terms connected with the words filled
with all. Mankind’s character and behavior reflect an excess of all kinds of
unrighteousness (perhaps more specifically, “injustice”), immorality,
wickedness, greed, and malice.
The second series begins with the words full of. Five additional
characteristics of depraved humanity are now listed: envy, murder, strife,
deceit, malignity. The stress in this series falls on the harsh hostility that so
often characterizes human beings’ relations with one another. This last
word, malignity, cannot be sharply distinguished from malice, which
concluded the first chain of words. Thus, each series is rounded off by a
similar idea, namely, the spiteful spirit that manifests itself in mankind’s
interpersonal relations.
The third series in Paul’s list contains six words: whisperers, slanderers,
God-haters [or repugnant], insolent, arrogant, boastful (inventors of evil
things modifies boastful).
As inventors of evil things, nothing evil is beyond the range of their
corrupt inventiveness.
Finally, the fourth series, beginning with disobedient (apeitheis) to
parents, contains six terms that round off Paul’s withering analysis of
humanity’s condition under God’s wrath. All six of the Greek words in this
final series begin with the Greek letter alpha and thus form a climax to the
whole list that has a pleasing alliteration.
The loss of respect for parental authority brings in its wake a lack of
discernment (undiscerning, asunetous), a lack of fidelity (unfaithful,
asunthetous) whether to commitments or to established standards, a lack of
concern and affection (unloving, astorgous), a lack in the ability to
accommodate or make peace (irreconcilable, aspondous), and a lack of
elementary compassion (unmerciful, aneleēmonas). Sin is much more than
what people do. It is also what people do not do!
 Thus, Paul’s sweeping description of man’s moral state effectively
articulates the broad dimensions of God’s displeasure with sin. Man’s very
own condition proclaims loudly that “the wrath of God is revealed from
heaven” (v 18). Here, in Paul’s elaborate exposure of the depths of human
depravity, the discerning eye can see how God has “turned [humanity]
over” to the depraving effects of their own “unrighteousness and
ungodliness” (see v 18). One final charge against mankind remains to be
stated.
1:32. This verse offers a grim finale to Paul’s depiction of humanity under
divine wrath. Although God is no longer held in recognition (v 28), a
consciousness of God’s righteous standard remains. Man’s perception of
what is right and just has not been totally effaced (they know). The
realization that sin cries out for punishment can never be wholly eradicated.
Yet tragically men ignore this perception and not only perpetuate their own
sin (they not only do them), but they even go so far as to approve of those
who do them. It is bad both to do these things and to extend acceptance and
commendation to the doers!
The result is an elevation of sin to a level of respectability among sinners,
with the consequent ignoring of divine sanctions against it. This awful state
is exemplified in many ways in our own time as well.
Paul’s indictment of humanity culminates in mankind’s tragic effort to
make evil a virtue. The depth to which mankind has fallen under the wrath
of its Creator painfully discloses the nature and extent of God’s displeasure.
d. The Universality of this Manifestation (2:1-5)
2:1. Paul now addresses a would-be judge (you who pass judgment). He
is without a defense for himself because he does the same things which he
judges.
Paul draws on the vices found in 1:24-32. He certainly does not mean that
the would-be judge does every sin in that catalogue. He means that he is
guilty of some of what he condemns.
The description in 1:18-32 is not merely a denunciation of those who are
regarded as deeply depraved. On the contrary, Paul will not allow any claim
to spiritual superiority no matter from whom it comes. Paul was not
describing unique cases of depravity, but the universal condition of
mankind (cf. Rom 3:10).
 2:2. In fact, the only thing a man really demonstrates by his self-righteous
judgment of others is that he has an awareness of God’s standards. The
knowledge of God’s judgment is not confined to Israel. The moralist in
every race attests mankind’s awareness of this solemn reality.
If the moralist finds the doers of these evils “deserving of death” (1:32),
his conclusion simply confirms that God’s judgment…corresponds to
truth, i.e., it is truly deserved.
The Apostle is not talking here about eschatological judgment. Paul is
continuing to discuss temporal judgment (1:18). Indeed, the words,
“although they know God’s righteous standard, that people who do such
things are worthy of death” (1:32), make clear that Paul’s focus on God’s
temporal displeasure with sin (that can lead to death) continues from chap.
1 into chap. 2. Moralists can see the temporal judgments that God visits on
sinners and can acknowledge their justness.
2:3-4. The moralist is trapped. Since he condemns the sin around him and
justifies the “wrath” inflicted on it, how can he himself hope to escape
God’s judgment? After all, Paul’s list of vices (1:24-32, esp. vv 28-32)
include the failures of the moralist himself. If he justifies, explicitly or
implicitly, God’s judgment on others, should he not anticipate God’s
judgment on himself?
Just because judgment has not reached him yet, does he in fact despise this
delay in experiencing consequences as unworthy of his respect? Rather does
not this display of God’s kindness and tolerance and longsuffering reveal
God’s desire that the moralist himself should come to repentance? Doesn’t
he realize that God’s kind behavior toward him is His way of drawing the
moralist to repentance?
The idea of repentance here, of course, refers to the need the moralist has
to turn away from his own sins to avoid the “wrath” that God exercises
against such things (1:18). It has nothing to do with Paul’s doctrine of
justification. Indeed, this reference to repentance is the only one in the
entire book of Romans. Paul cannot be correctly understood when he is
read, as many do today, as though he reflected the thinking of contemporary
Judaism. On the contrary, his gospel came directly “through the revelation
of Jesus Christ” (Gal 1:12).
2:5. The unrepentant moralist is storing up wrath in a day of wrath. That
does not refer to some future day of eschatological wrath. Instead it refers to
the very day in which the moralist now lives since this is the day when “the
wrath of God is revealed from heaven” (1:18).
Thus the moralist refuses to come to repentance at the very time when
God’s wrathfully manifested judgment is evident all around him. His
hardness and his unrepentant heart leave him woefully exposed to the
righteous judgment of God, which the moralist not only ignores, but
which he is actually storing up…against himself.
The fundamental truth expressed in this unit (1:18–2:5) is that all men, the
moralist included, are subject to God’s wrath as a result of their sinful
behavior. This wrath is not eschatological, but a distressing present reality.
2. Humanity Faces God’s Impartial Judgment (2:6–3:20)
a. The Nature of God’s Judgment (2:6-16)
2:6. The fundamental principle stated here is simple: God will repay each
person according to his works (i.e., he gets what he deserves). He deals
fairly with humanity. The following verses elaborate this basic concept.
Mankind can expect to receive whatever those works may merit.
2:7. For the first time, Paul refers to eternal life. If God judges men here
and now by means of His wrath, He obviously also determines man’s future
destiny. God will certainly give eternal life to any who deserve it by
persisting in good work.
Unfortunately, however, no one does this (Rom 3:10, 12). Yet the principle
remains true that, if there were someone who did do good persistently (i.e.,
perfectly) and who was indeed righteous, God would give him eternal life
because of that.
The Lord Jesus Christ Himself taught this basic truth (Luke 10:25-28, see
esp. “do this and you will live”).
The words of Paul in this verse have been absurdly misunderstood as
stating a real possibility, contra 3:19-20. What we have here is a statement
of principle, not of fact. In principle, God rewards complete obedience to
His law with eternal life, but in practice no one ever acquires it that way.
2:8-9. But suppose human beings do not do what Paul has described in v 7
(so 1:18–2:6)? If “eternal life” awaits those who persist in “good work,”
anger and wrath are the portion of those whose character is different.
Paul now describes such people as those who are selfish and disobey the
truth, but obey unrighteousness instead. This description clearly echoes
1:18-32.
Furthermore, Paul wants to make it clear here (for the first time in the
epistle) that God’s wrath is directed toward such people whether they are
Jew or Greek (= Gentile). Indeed, even in the matter of wrath (contrast
1:16), the Jew has priority so that God’s manifested displeasure is for the
Jew first. Here Paul no doubt thinks of his own race in its present condition
of servitude and recognizes in them the selfish character that invites divine
judgment (cf. 1 Thess 2:15-16).
With good rhetorical effect, Paul here accumulates terms that serve to
elaborate and underline his original word wrath (see 1:18). In v 8 the
additional word is the synonym anger (thumos). In v 9, the phrase anger
and wrath is replaced by the explicative phrase tribulation and distress.
All these words, of course, are expressive of the present experience of
mankind as it lives sinfully under the cloud of divine displeasure.
2:10. Paul has already stated the final destiny of those who persist in doing
good (of which there are no cases).
But now he wants to contrast the present experience that God would award
(in contrast to vv 8-9) to everyone who does what is good. The “anger and
wrath” (v 8) and the “tribulation and distress” (v 9) which afflict sinful man
here and now could be otherwise if man did what was right. In that case
men (Jews and Gentiles) could expect God to give them glory and honor
and peace.
Of course human beings do indeed at times experience glory, or honor, or
peace, but never in the full and consistent measure in which God would
give these things if they did what is good. (Paul’s statement is
comprehensive, and not to be taken as though it could be fulfilled partially.)
Once again, as in v 7, Paul is discussing a principle, not an actual reality
(cf. 3:12).
2:11. The bottom line of Paul’s discussion from vv 6-10 is simple: there is
no partiality with God. The twice repeated reminder that the Jew stands
first in humanity’s exposure to divine wrath (vv 8-9) was designed to
underline this basic fact. Whatever the privileges of the Jews (Paul will
discuss them shortly), his race does not as a result receive an “exemption”
from the wrath God manifests toward the Gentile world (cf. Luke 12:48).
Since God is impartial in His present dealings with mankind, it follows
that final judgment will be fair as well. To this theme Paul now turns for a
treatment that is fuller than the allusion in v 7.
2:12. Jews and Gentiles will someday face the final judgment of God. Yet
in dealing with them, God will impartially take account of their differing
responsibilities.
The outcome of that judgment for the Gentiles is already envisaged in the
statement that since they have sinned without the law, they shall also
perish [i.e., shall also be eternally condemned] without the law. The
Mosaic law will not be an issue in the final judgment of those who have not
lived under it (see vv 14-16).
By contrast, the Jew who has sinned under the law shall be judged by
means of the law. God holds men accountable in accordance with the
responsibilities they have, not those which they don’t have.
One must keep in mind throughout Rom 2:12-16 that Paul is using what
may be called neutral courtroom language. The words as many as have
sinned under the law certainly do not imply that some who are under the
law may not have sinned (see 3:23). The point is that God will deal
differently with sinners inside His law and those outside of it, however few
or many they may be.
2:13. Mere hearers of the law will not be accounted righteous before
God. On the contrary, in the Day of Judgment it is only the doers of the
law who will be justified.
It is a bizarre fact that numerous modern expositors have taken this verse
to affirm that there will actually be people who will be justified because
they are doers of the law. But this view is completely impossible in the face
of the plain declarations of Rom 3:19-20.
Paul is simply stating the basic principles of the last judgment. As the
account in Rev 20:11-15 makes plain, at the Great White Throne men will
indeed be “judged according to their works, by the things which were
written in the books” (Rev 20:12). If anyone were to merit acceptance
before God based on those books, he would be justified. But that acceptance
will be granted only to those who have not sinned under the law (cf. v 12),
those who are truly doers of the law. James himself tells us, in fact, that,
“Whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is
guilty of all” (Jas 2:10).
Everyone at the final judgment will have his day in court. But then only
the doers of the law will be justified. Of these, however, there will be none
(3:20).
2:14-15. Paul now returns in vv 14-15 to the idea of judgment “without the
law” for Gentiles that he had set over against judgment “under the law” for
Jews, as stated in v 12.
How then, one might ask, can God fairly judge the Gentile world if they
have no law to be judged by and, furthermore, if only “the doers of the law
shall be justified”?
Paul’s basic idea is that Gentile behavior, coupled with their own
discussion of that behavior, shows that the work (= standards) of the law is
inscribed on their hearts. In pagan cultures there is an instinctive sense of
right and wrong that often reflects the demands of God’s law. Even pagans
generally saw evil in actions like murder, theft, extortion, adultery, and
lying.
Thus, when Paul states that whenever the Gentiles, who do not have the
law, instinctively do the things that are in the law, he is referring to the
many manifestations of morality that could easily be found in non-Jewish
societies such as that of the Greco-Roman world in which he lived. Paul did
not hold a view of total depravity that precluded him from seeing any
morality at all outside the explicit observance of the law. In fact, the law
which God had revealed to Moses fundamentally expressed an innate sense
of right and wrong that the Creator had already inscribed on all human
hearts. For Paul, therefore, the image of God was not totally defaced or
expunged by human sin.
Thus, although the revealed law of Moses will not be used against the
Gentiles in the Day of Judgment, nevertheless their conscience will be a
witness against them.
The conscience and the discussions that express it will be like co-witnesses
in the divine courtroom.
The doctrine of the Apostle Paul in this text may be traced directly to the
teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ that all of man’s words will be accessible
on the judgment day (see Matt 12:36-37).
Thus, in the judgment of Gentiles, the moralizing discussions they have
had with each other will come into play. In that way the standards they have
used to evaluate the conduct of their fellow man will become the standards
by which they themselves will be judged.
 If, for example, a pagan has said to his contemporary, “I think it is wrong
of you to deceive others like that,” yet he himself in other circumstances has
employed the same kind of deception, the very words of this pagan will
condemn him in the Day of Judgment, precisely as Jesus said they would!
2:16. What Paul has been describing will take place in the day when God
will judge men’s secrets. The phrase men’s secrets stresses what is already
implied in v 15. If all of the words men have spoken on moral matters will
be made known at the judgment—no matter how much the speakers might
wish these words to be unknown or undisclosed—then clearly God knows
all about every man. Men’s secrets, however embarrassing or shameful, will
be under scrutiny at the final judgment, precisely as Jesus also declared
when He said, “For nothing is secret that will not be revealed, nor anything
hidden that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17).
The jarring declaration that God will judge men’s secrets should function
like a convicting arrow aimed at every heart. For what human being does
not have secrets that he hopes will never see the light of day? Of course,
Paul has not yet explicitly stated man’s universal sinfulness (as he will in
3:9-18) or man’s hopeless estate if his hopes rest in God’s law (3:19-20).
But the perceptive unconverted hearer or reader of Rom 2:7-16 must
necessarily be disquieted by Paul’s emphatic insistence that in the judgment
a person will be awarded whatever he deserves. Anyone who finds hope in
that simple fact has not read this passage with enough care.
But for now, Paul is satisfied to assert that both God’s present dealings
with humanity (2:7-11) and His future judgment of humanity (2:12-16) are
and will be totally impartial for Jew and Gentile alike.
b. The Vulnerability of the Jews (2:17-29)
2:17. Adopting here (as he did in 2:1-5) the popular Greco-Roman diatribe
style, Paul hypothesizes an imaginary Jewish interlocutor who represents
the Jewish perspective about the Jewish position vis-à-vis his God. Such a
person would in fact be quite proud to bear the name “Jew” and precisely
because he possessed God’s special revelation, the law, he could rest his
religious hopes on that very law. In fact, he could quite openly boast in
God, since it was to his racial group that God had given the Torah.
2:18-20. In contrast, therefore, to the Gentiles, the Jew would claim to
know God’s will (revealed in the Torah) and therefore to be able to discern
the things that really matter. In the phrase the things that really matter,
Paul implies the disdain in which a Jew would hold not only the standards
but also the aspirations of a non-Jew.
The phrase because you are instructed and the words and you have
confidence are tied rather closely together. Since this typical Jew can
discern the things that really matter as a result of being instructed out of
the law, he has confidence in his own capacity to help others to escape their
ignorant blindness.
Paul heaps up with superb rhetorical effect a series of self-designations
that lay bare the Jewish sense of superiority to his Gentile counterparts. The
Jew thinks he is a guide, a light, an instructor, and a teacher. By way of
demeaning contrast, the Gentiles to whom he brings his wisdom are blind,
in darkness, ignorant, and babes.
As he similarly said in the previous verses, Paul says, you have the
formulation of knowledge and of truth in the law. He highlights how
such a person builds his prideful self-esteem through the information he has
acquired out of the law. But that is only hearing and is not the same as
doing the law (cf. v 13).
Though the sacred writings of the Jews were a source of pride to the Jew,
those very writings condemned him (3:19-20).
2:21-23. So, says Paul, does your performance match up well with your
confident self-assessment? Of course it did not, as the following series of
interrogations makes clear.
You might teach another person, Paul says, but don’t you teach
yourself? Have the commands that forbid you to steal and to commit
adultery taught you not to do these things? In the third question of the
series, however, Paul gives his interrogation a special slant. True, the Jew
who claimed to despise idols may never have bowed down to one, but what
about gaining financial profit from the false worship of the Gentiles?
The words rob temples no doubt refers to the willingness to receive
property stolen from temples for the purpose of reselling such items for a
profit. An observant Jew might even rationalize that in this fashion he was
helping to “deconstruct” some pagan practice. In so doing, of course, the
Jew in question participated in a theft.
The bottom line was clear. Despite his inclination to boast in the law, by
his behavior in disobeying the law the Jew was engaged in conduct that
disgraced God. The final question in the series furnishes a biting climax: Do
you dishonor God by transgressing the law? What could be more
disgraceful than to claim special privilege and standing before God while at
the same time bringing Him grave dishonor?
2:24. Paul does not leave this last question (v 23) unanswered, however.
Thinking no doubt of Scriptures like Isa 52:5 and Ezek 36:22 (but
paraphrasing their idea), Paul emphatically affirms that Jewish conduct has
led the Gentiles to blaspheme “the name of God.” This observation is a
coup de grâce to Jewish pride in possessing God’s law and was confirmed
by their own Scriptures. In so stating, Paul prepares the way for the
climaxing assertion found in 3:19-20.
Paul for the first time in this subunit refers explicitly to circumcision.
From one standpoint, the term circumcision could stand for the Jews’
commitment to the entire law (cf. Gal 5:3). This inherent connection
between circumcision and law-keeping seems implicit in these verses. But
from another point of view, mere circumcision was sometimes thought of as
virtually enough in itself to win the approval of God. This idea, however,
Paul wishes to emphatically deny.
2:25. If someone regards circumcision as the basis for his relationship to
the God who “will repay each person according to his works” (v 6) and with
whom “there is no partiality” (v 11), then the profitability of circumcision
accrues only if you do the law. But suppose you are a transgressor of the
law, that is to say, you “have sinned under the law” (v 12)? In that case,
circumcision’s profitability before God vanishes and the Jew is reduced to
the level of the Gentiles who “have sinned without the law” (v 12). Or to
put it another way: your circumcision becomes uncircumcision.
2:26-27. The converse is true as well. If disobedience to the law nullifies
the advantage of circumcision, obedience to the law by a Gentile would
make him as acceptable before God as if he had been circumcised. Thus if
an uncircumcised person should keep the righteous standards of the
law, he could expect to be justified before God. In that case, obviously, his
uncircumcision would be credited as circumcision.
But, as before, there are no such people. It should be carefully noted that
Paul’s statement is hypothetical.
Paul’s supposition here furnishes the ultimate irony for any Jew who
thought himself superior to the Gentiles by the mere fact of circumcision, or
by the mere fact of possessing God’s law. Thus the physically
uncircumcised person would judge the circumcised person. Certainly, this
was a role reversal that most religious Jews probably had never conceived
of before.
The advantages of Scripture and circumcision were his, but his
condemnation by an obedient Gentile would still be fully deserved. It
remained true that “as many as have sinned under the law will be judged by
the law” (v 12). If there were a fully observant Gentile there in that day, he
would join in condemning the sinning Jew.
The point of Paul’s hypothetical proposition is obvious. The self-confident
Jew should consider the reality that once he is a transgressor of the law, he
not only has no advantage over a Gentile, but he would actually be worthy
of condemnation by any Gentile who was not a transgressor of the law,
even though the Gentile was uncircumcised. This is another way of
affirming the utter impartiality of God (cf. v 11), however much a Jew
might imagine that God would be partial to him in the judgment.
2:28-29. Jeremiah’s point (Jer 9:26; see also 4:4; 6:10) is precisely Paul’s
point. Israel is no better than the uncircumcised Gentiles, since Israel is
“uncircumcised in the heart.” Thus Paul is simply pointing out that what it
really means to be a Jew is not determined by what is outward in the flesh.
Nor is circumcision a mere matter of the letter of the law. On the contrary,
a true Jew is one who is inwardly and true circumcision is of the heart in
the spirit. In the final analysis, says Paul, Judaism in its spiritual reality is
an inward religion and not an outward one.
It follows therefore that the source of one’s praise is crucial. The zealous
practitioner of Judaism might well revel in the praise he drew from men
(see Matt 23:5-7; Luke 11:43), but this was nothing more than empty
human glory. True praise could not come from men, but only from God
Himself, since God alone knew the heart. If he was honest, he would realize
that his own heart, like those of his ancestors, was after all truly
uncircumcised.
Here ends Paul’s direct address (in diatribe style) to the proud, self-
confident Jew (vv 17-29). Paul sweeps away all pretext that the Jew
somehow will have special advantages in the Day of Judgment. He will not.
In his own way he is as uncircumcised as any Gentile.
 Thus, the bottom line of the entire subunit (2:6-29) has been established.
God is indeed utterly impartial regarding His dealings with, and His future
judgment of, humanity. Even the Jew has no special claim on Him by virtue
of knowing the law or because of circumcision.
c. The Decisive Witness of Scripture against Humanity (3:1-20)
3:1-2. There is much advantage from every point of view (in every way)
for Jews. But Paul is not interested in pursuing all the advantages that are
alluded to by the words much in every way. The primary (first) advantage,
and the one he intends to dwell on, is the fact that they were entrusted
with the declarations of God.
Thus, the surpassing importance of Biblical revelation is highlighted by
Paul. The chosen race was uniquely privileged to have entrusted to them
what God had been pleased to reveal. Paul will now go on to make the point
that this entrustment was valuable quite irrespective of Jewish response to
these declarations of God.
3:3-4. Paul asks, For what if some did not believe? From the NT vantage
point, the problem of Jewish unbelief in the Lord Jesus Christ was finally a
problem of unbelief in their own Scriptures.
After observing that the Jews who did not believe in Him actually “search
the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life,” Jesus Christ
added, “these are they which testify of Me” (John 5:39). Subsequently He
stated, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote
about Me” (John 5:46).
Does such unbelief call God’s faithfulness into question? In view of
Israel’s unbelief, is God through with that nation? Will He abandon His
many promises to them as a national entity? Or as Paul here frames the
question, Their unbelief can’t annul the faithfulness of God, can it?
It is inconceivable, Paul affirms, that human unbelief could annul the
faithfulness of God. Indeed, even if every man [is] a liar, still God will be
true; that is, He will keep His Word and be faithful to His commitments.
That truth, in brief, is Paul’s conviction about Israel. God will be true to
them.
Jewish unbelief had led them away from God’s purpose and blessing. But,
by being true to His commitments, God would be justified [vindicated] in
[His] words since He would fulfill them. Thereby also He would conquer
when [He was] condemned.
Thus despite the present situation, God’s ultimate triumph and vindication
were assured. God would be faithful to His people and eschatologically He
would be magnified in them.
3:5-6. If God’s truthfulness and fidelity (that is, His righteousness [= His
right behavior]) stand out as a result of man’s own unrighteousness, is God
really justified if He brings wrath to bear? If He is glorified by man’s
failure, why does He punish that failure?
The Greek word translated demonstrates might also be rendered
recommends. Man’s failure is so acute that it is like a glowing
recommendation for God’s contrasting righteousness.
We surely would not say, would we, that God who brings wrath to bear is
unrighteous? Such an idea is a purely human one (I am talking in a
human manner) and it is also unthinkable (Far from it!).
Paul trumps this idea with yet another question: Otherwise how will God
judge the world? The idea seems to be that if we claim that it is unfair for
God to bring His present wrath to bear against manifest human sin, we
would also be denying His right to judge the world in the future. If the fact
that our unrighteousness demonstrates the righteousness of God undercuts
contemporary wrath, it also undercuts future judgment.
3:7-8. The argument Paul is refuting is that if God’s truth is magnified by
my untruth (i.e., my lie in denying His revealed truth), then why would my
lie constitute me as a sinner in the judgment? Paul is still thinking here of
the unbelief referred to in v 2, so that when the Jew expressed a belief
contrary to his own Scriptures, that false belief would be a lie. The basic
thought seems to be that God’s truth is enhanced by my untruth to His
glory, and Paul is not concerned with the details of how that occurs.
If one took the approach Paul is referring to, he would be denying God’s
right to judge a person as a sinner if the sinful actions had somehow
redounded to God’s glory. But this premise could lead to yet a further
(ludicrous) distortion, in which one might say, “Let us do wicked things so
that good things may happen.” Paul himself had been charged by some as
teaching this very thing. This claim he regards as slanderous.
This whole line of thought is obviously wrong on its face, and Paul simply
states that those who make such claims deserve the judgment passed on
them. In Paul’s view, such people are already under sentence of judgment
because of the manifest untruth of such claims. God’s right to “judge the
world” (v 6) cannot be denied. To Paul, the whole argument is not only
flawed, but perverse.
3:9. Paul has affirmed that there are advantages to being a circumcised
Jew, chief among which is the possession of the written revelation of God,
including the law. That advantage is not annulled by the fact that the Jews
fail to believe their own Scriptures, since their unbelief only enhances the
perfect truthfulness of God. Yet this enhancement of “His glory” in no way
nullifies God’s right to be man’s Judge. But could the Jew argue that this
“advantage” (having the revealed Scriptures, or Torah) constitutes a defense
against divine condemnation at the final judgment (cf. v 13)?
Paul answers, Not at all! By no means are Paul’s words designed to
temper what he has already said, for we have previously charged that
both Jews and Greeks are all under sin.
As a matter of fact, the Scriptures that the Jews are so privileged to have
are the very instrument by which they and the Gentiles are emphatically
condemned. Paul will now, for the first time, offer Scriptural evidence for
this by quoting a withering Biblical indictment of mankind.
3:10-18. To drive home the truth of universal human guilt before God,
Paul now adduces the ultimate proof—the Word of God. No single
Scripture is referenced here, but rather Paul draws up a catena of Scriptural
statements (Pss 5:9; 10:7; 14:1-3; 53:1-3; 140:3; Eccl 7:20; Isa 59:7-8; Prov
1:16). Thus we hear the agreed voice of the OT about the sinfulness of the
world.
Paul does not quote verbatim from the OT. His aim was not exact
quotation, but an accurate representation of the Biblical testimony he cites.
Paul probably quoted from memory.
The collection of OT citations in vv 10-18 constitutes a portrait of man as
he really is. The catena has two major subdivisions—namely, vv 10-12 and
vv 13-17. In the former verses, the stress is largely on what man does not do
(sins of omission), thus exposing man’s deficiencies. In the latter verses, the
statements are mainly descriptions of sinful words and deeds that he does
do (sins of commission), exposing man’s depravities.
Man is deficient in terms of basic character, that is, he is unrighteous
(“There is none righteous”). This deficiency is explicitly universal since
there is “not even one” who could be described as righteous. [Paul is here
paraphrasing Eccl 7:20 in language like that found in Psalms 14 and 53.] As
a natural consequence, men are deficient in spiritual perception (“There is
none who understands”), and, as a further result, man is deficient in
spiritual devotion (“There is none who seeks God”). Whatever man’s
religious inclinations may be, these do not manifest themselves in a diligent
pursuit of a genuine knowledge of his Creator. Paul would no doubt have
acknowledged that people may seek God in sporadic, or superficial, ways.
In place of a search for God, human beings “have all turned aside” to
empty, futile pursuits, with the result that “Together they have become
useless.” Man’s self-directed efforts apart from God are profitless when
summed up and weighed in the divine scales.
Not only is mankind collectively useless, but there is not a single
individual who does “good…not even so much as one.” Thus, the main
point of v 12 for Paul would be that, whether considered together or
individually, mankind is hopelessly unprofitable and produces nothing truly
worthwhile. In other words, everything is tainted by sin.
But man is also guilty of sins of commission (vv 13-17). To be noted here
is the stress on various parts of man’s body—his throat (v 13a), tongue
(13b), lips (13c), mouth (v 14) and feet (v 15). By inference, we gather that
the members of man’s body are the vehicles through which his sinfulness
comes to reality, and this subtly prepares the ground for Paul’s later
discussion about the sinful orientation of our own physical bodies (cf. esp.
7:21-25; 8:10).
To begin with, “Their throat is an opened tomb.” The implication is that
men’s corrupt words, which come out of their throats, are like the stench of
an open sepulcher, the unmistakable evidence of death within. Moreover,
the words that are formed by “their tongues” express “deceit” all too
readily, while “under their lips” lies conceal venom (“the poison of
asps”), painful and poisonous to those who hear them.
Finally, “their mouth is full of a curse and bitterness” (i.e., “full of a
bitter curse”). Thus, from throat to tongue to lips to opened mouth, the
words of men exhibit their deep sinfulness. Man’s corrupt words are
accompanied by equally corrupt actions (vv 15-17).
Paul’s catena now focuses on those actions. The spiritual “death”
disclosed by “a throat [that] is an opened tomb” leads in action to the
physical death of others, since “their feet are swift to shed blood.” And on
that pathway (“in their paths”), men leave not only the blood of their
victims but also “ruin and misery” for others (one thinks readily of the
effects of warfare). Moreover, these effects are continuous inasmuch as “the
path of peace they have not known.” Men may pursue peace, but the path
to that experience eludes their grasp. Their sinfulness invites unremitting
conflict at every level of experience.
The bottom line is this: “There is no fear of God before their eyes.” When
all is said and done, mankind refuses to determine its course with reference
to the wishes of its Creator.
In a sense, therefore, v 18 is both a summary of vv 10b-17 and an
explanation for those verses. Man’s words and actions both display, and are
rooted in, a tragic loss of the holy fear that is indispensable to the blessing
of every human creature. Here we almost return full circle to the “slide”
into depravity that was initiated by the solemn fact that “when they knew
God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were they thankful” (1:21). From
that deadly root has grown the poisonous plant of humanity’s desperate
wickedness.
What then is the conclusion? Paul now states it in 3:19-20.
3:19-20. The Scriptures address those who are under the law (i.e., the
Jews), but in the process of addressing them, the law condemns them along
with all humanity.
The net result of this Scriptural testimony is that every mouth, whether
Jewish or Gentile, is shut and left without any capacity to counter this
condemnation. By that same testimony, as well, all the world has become
accountable to God. God’s just punishment of man’s sinfulness is already
in operation through His present wrath and will culminate when man is
condemned at the final judgment.
Since the law’s condemnation is universal, it follows that by the works of
the law no flesh will be justified before Him. Not for a moment does this
truth clash in any way with Paul’s earlier assertion that “it is the doers of the
law who will be justified” (2:13) because it remains true that this principle
applies to any who can be so described. But in that passage Paul was
discussing the principle by which God will judge mankind. What Paul
states now is the reality. All men are sinners and so they can never find
justification by the works of the law.
 What the law really does, in fact, is to expose humanity’s wickedness,
because through the law comes the knowledge of sin. The conviction of
sin is precisely the effect God designed for the law, because if man’s
hopelessness under the law is truly understood, then he is prepared for
God’s provision.
In the light of the whole discussion of 1:18–3:20, therefore, it may be said
that God’s wrath that is presently visible in the world is an unmistakable
indicator of humanity’s unrighteous state. Eternal judgment is the natural
outcome to which that “unrighteousness” is leading mankind. But the
outcome of this judgment is a foregone conclusion, since in the judgment
only the doers of the law will be justified, not its mere hearers. Since there
are no such persons, mankind’s situation looks hopeless indeed. It is even
implicit that man must somehow find a way to escape the final judgment,
impossible as that seems.
Paul now turns to God’s solution.
B. The Unrighteous Can Obtain Righteousness Through Jesus
Christ (3:21–5:11)
1. God’s Righteousness Has Been Revealed to Men (3:21-31)
a. God’s Righteousness Is Available by Faith (3:21-22a)
3:21-22a. Despite human unrighteousness, God has another kind of
righteousness that is available to mankind, one testified to by the law and
the prophets.
In the major section starting at 1:18, Paul began by declaring the wrath of
God that is revealed from heaven. Now, however, something else is
declared to be revealed—righteousness. Furthermore, this revelation is not
to be discerned from human experience, as was the case with wrath (cf.
1:19-32). Instead it is a matter that God has communicated in His inspired
word, namely the law and the prophets.
As a result, God’s righteousness about which Paul is now speaking is a
matter of faith. Hence, after mentioning this righteousness, Paul goes on
immediately to define it more precisely: that is, God’s righteousness
through faith in Jesus Christ.
Thus justification by faith is not at all a human idea, but a divine idea.
 But not only is this righteousness one that comes through faith in Jesus
Christ, it is also one whose potential scope is universal so that it is for all.
But although God’s righteousness is intended for all (without distinction),
it is actually bestowed upon all who believe.
b. Christ Is the Mercy Seat for All Men (3:22b-26)
3:22b-23. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile inasmuch as
all have sinned. It should be noted that Paul in no way qualifies this reality
by any phrase like “a great deal” or “too much.” From Paul’s point of view,
the mere fact of sin is enough to condemn all mankind.
It follows inevitably from this simple fact that all also fall short [present
tense] of the glory of God. The sense of the phrase the glory of God must
not be separated from Paul’s thought in the immediate context. To sin is to
flagrantly miss the lofty moral standard of that glorious righteousness. But
by implication, if one is granted God’s righteousness, one is raised thereby
to a level consistent with His glory. Man’s plight is hopeless unless or until
he can receive a righteousness compatible with the glory of God.
3:24. Since “all have sinned,” men can only be justified freely by His
grace. God’s righteousness comes freely and it comes only by His grace.
Paul therefore begins his discussion of the doctrine of justification by
sharply defining its means in contrast to the ineffectual nature of “the works
of the law,” by means of which there can be no justification (v 20).
This is possible through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Here
then for the first time in Romans, Paul refers directly to the death of our
Lord. Paul employs the term redemption, a word especially connected in
Greco-Roman society with the ransoming of prisoners of war or the freeing
of slaves. The implication here is that Christ Jesus has bought us out of
some form of servitude. Paul will make this concept clearer as he proceeds.
It should also be noted that the redemption Paul speaks of is in Christ
Jesus. As Paul will now go on to show, this redemption is not simply
procured by Christ Jesus, but is actually found in Him.
3:25. It is, in fact, the very Person of Jesus Christ that God has set forth
as a Mercy Seat. Other translations read “propitiation” (NKJV, NASB,
HCSB) or “sacrifice of atonement” (NIV) rather than Mercy Seat. But the
primary use of the word in the Greek OT (LXX) is the mercy seat.
 Jesus Christ is a Mercy Seat…only through faith. His role is to be a
“meeting place” between God and man whenever man exercises faith in
God’s Son (cf. John 14:6).
The next words, by means of His blood, could be connected with the
words through faith, so that we might read the two phrases together as
through faith in His blood (so KJV, NIV, HCSB). But Paul nowhere else
speaks of faith in His blood. Rather, our Lord has become a Mercy Seat,
where God and man can meet, precisely by means of the shedding of His
blood for the world’s sins.
The sacrificial work of Christ on the cross is, first of all, a proof of God’s
righteousness in passing over, in the forbearance of God, the sins
previously committed. Paul here refers to the sins that men did before
Christ was crucified. The public death of His Son was a vindication of
God’s merciful dealings with sinners in all the preceding ages. Thus, it was
a proof of His righteousness in so conducting Himself with mankind.
3:26. God, in the death of Christ, proved and vindicated His righteousness
at the present time. If God’s “forbearance” in the past is shown to be
righteous, ipso facto He is shown to be righteous in what He presently does.
The cross of Christ is a seamless garment that demonstrates God’s
righteousness in dealing with the sins of all of human history, whether past
or future at the time of the cross (John 1:29).
The result is that God can be righteous and justify the person who has
faith in Jesus.
Paul believed that (1) God, apart from man’s works, justifies the one who
believes in Jesus; and (2) the cross is the basis for this justification and
shows it to be a fully righteous act.
Here it is important to say that for Paul these are absolute realities totally
independent of anything man does before or after faith.
The famous statement that “we are saved by faith alone, but not by a faith
that is alone” is a Reformation idea, not a Pauline one. This idea can be
found nowhere in Paul.
The synergism of faith and works in salvation is differently expressed in
Protestant and Catholic theology, but its fundamental character is essentially
the same: namely, no true justification without good works. Paul knows
nothing of this.
 Paul concludes the long Greek sentence that began in v 23 saying that the
righteousness of God comes to the person who has faith in Jesus (cf. Phil
2:9-11; Acts 4:12).
c. Faith-Righteousness Vindicates the Law (3:27-31)
3:27. So where is boasting? It is excluded. Boasting is excluded by the
very principle of faith. The sort of law that excludes human pride is
definitely not the principle of works which, in fact, invites boasting (see
Eph 2:8-9). On the contrary, the only “rule” that excludes human pride is
the law of faith, that is, the “rule” that men are justified only by “faith in
Jesus” in contrast to justification by “the works of the law” (3:20).
An error often found in contemporary discussions is that “works of
gratitude to God” are somehow “immune” to the temptation to boast. But
this is contrary to both experience and Scripture (e.g., Luke 18:9-14). Man
is perfectly capable of bragging that his works demonstrate that he is one of
God’s “elect.” Justification by faith alone blocks this all too human failing.
3:28-29. The key point, Paul states, is that we hold that a man is justified
by faith apart from the works of the law.
The words apart from the works of the law refer to any and all acts of
obedience to the law’s commands. It is not just the law as a system that Paul
excludes from Christian soteriology, but also the works of the law that are
excluded (cf. 4:4). Paul will not allow human deeds any role at all in man’s
justification.
This principle is in fact a universal one. Since the works of the law are
irrelevant when a man is justified by faith, such justification is available to
all mankind, whether they possess the law or not. God is not the God of the
Jews only, but also of the Gentiles. He is the God of all mankind.
3:30-31. Alluding to the familiar Jewish declaration (the Shema, Deut 6:4)
about the oneness of God, Paul declares that there is one God for all
humanity who will justify any human being by means of faith.
So do we annul the law by faith? The most obvious objection to Paul’s
doctrine from a Jewish viewpoint would be that God’s standards are thus
ignored and rendered invalid. Paul’s reply (Far from it!) emphatically
disclaims such a result.
On the contrary, Paul claims that we establish the law. Paul does not here,
or elsewhere in Romans, elaborate this observation. If it is true, as he has
affirmed, that “through the law comes the knowledge of sin” (3:20), then
the law’s revelatory role in regard to sin is fully respected by the corollary
truth that “by the works of the law no flesh will be justified before Him”
(3:19). Therefore, to uphold it in this way is to establish the law.
Only the abandonment of the law as a means for, or an aid to, justification
properly validates the full integrity of God’s righteous standards.
2. God’s Righteousness Is Attested in the OT (4:1-25)
4:1. Now that Paul has made clear that righteousness comes “through faith
in Jesus Christ” (cf. 3:21ff), he returns to the idea of OT authentication.
The words what…Abraham our father has obtained state the issue
broadly. What advantage or effect did the physical side of Abraham’s
relationship to God have? The phrase with reference to the flesh alludes to
circumcision, which the typical Jew would take as the necessary mark of
God’s acceptance of Abraham.
4:2. From Paul’s perspective if Abraham was justified by works, then he
has something to boast about. But as Paul has just insisted, justification
before God is by faith alone and excludes boasting (3:27-28). It follows
therefore that if it can be said that Abraham was in some sense justified by
works, it cannot be said that this experience grants him boasting toward
God.
Before God none can boast. But before men, Abraham was justified (or
vindicated) and that gave him a ground for boasting (cf. James 2:21-23,
which also deals with Abraham’s justification/vindication before men). Paul
does not wish to deny this to the great patriarch whom all his physical
kinsmen revered. But with regard to God this great man was on the same
level as all other men, as Paul will now go on to show.
4:3. The initial call of Abraham in Gen 12:1-3 contained a salvific promise
in the words, “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
Compare Gal 3:8 (“that God would justify the Gentiles by faith,” so that in
fact God had “preached the gospel to Abraham beforehand”). God told
Abraham that Messianic salvation would come through his family line.
Apparently Abraham had not believed this specific guarantee, even though
he had acted on God’s call (cf. Gen 15:2, “…the heir of my house is this
Eliezer of Damascus?”).
 This time, however, when God reaffirms His promise in terms of a
guarantee of physical seed, “Abraham believed God” (cf. Gen 15:6). In the
light of Gal 3:6-9, we can discern the fact that Messianic salvation was part
and parcel of what Abraham believed on this occasion. But that is not Paul’s
point here in Romans 4. Rather Paul is concerned with validating
justification by faith in terms of Abraham’s experience as revealed in
Scripture. Thus, as his quoted text declares, when Abraham believed on the
occasion in question, it was then that “it [Abraham’s belief in Messianic
salvation] was imputed to him as righteousness” (cf. 4:9, “faith was
imputed to Abraham as righteousness”).
Frequently we are told that “Christ’s personal righteousness in fulfilling
the law” is imputed to the believer. But that idea is not found in Paul. God
does not credit us with an obedience to “the works of the law” which we
have in fact signally failed to perform. “God’s righteousness” is “apart from
the law” (3:21). This righteousness in no sense represents a non-existent
“fulfillment” of the law’s works. To say so is to degrade it.
God accepts “faith in Jesus” as a fully adequate substitute for any and all
works of whatever kind they may be. For Paul, when “Abraham believed
God,” the transaction called justification before God occurred in the
absence of works of any kind. For this event, only faith mattered.
Thus the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ (see 3:24-26) has completely
removed the demands of God’s law from consideration, as well as removing
all other forms of working as well.
It follows that there can be no “trial” where there are no charges. Those
who have a “faith-righteousness” will not experience final judgment (cf.
John 5:24, “does not come into judgment”).
4:4-5. From Abraham’s personal experience of justification by faith, one
must conclude that the bestowal of righteousness was an act of divine grace.
If works had been involved, then this righteousness would have been a form
of compensation [ho misthos: pay, wages] and not on the basis of grace at
all. Rather it would have been on the basis of what is owed. The reference
to grace here picks up the idea already expressed in 3:23 where Paul speaks
of being “justified freely by His grace.” Clearly it was on the basis of grace
that Abraham was justified, since it was his faith, not his works, which was
imputed to him as righteousness.
 The Greek phrase ou logizetai (from logizomai) is typically rendered are
not counted (NKJV, ESV), is not reckoned (KJV, RSV), or is not credited
(NASB, NET, NIV, LEB). Logizomai is Paul’s standard word in Romans for
“imputing” righteousness (as in 4:3, 5, etc.). Its use here of both an earned
payment (compensation), in v 4, and an unearned righteousness, in v 5, is
comprehensible in the light of this word’s commercial sense. We might see
the connection in English better by translating this way: “compensation is
not put to his account on the basis of grace” (v 4), and, “his faith is put to
his account as righteousness” (v 5).
One might paraphrase Paul’s concept as follows: “In God’s books, a
works-righteousness belongs in the ‘earned pay’ column, while a faith-
righteousness belongs in the ‘unearned gift’ column.”
Thus, the person who works gets whatever he earns. This is the principle
that governs the works-relationship to God. On the other hand, the person
who does not work and instead believes, obtains a graciously bestowed
righteousness that is attributed to his faith. There is no such thing in Pauline
theology as a man who is justified because as he works he believes. Instead,
this righteousness comes to one who does not work. All work is excluded
from this faith-righteousness and is thus completely irrelevant to it.
4:6. This verse is best understood as beginning a new sentence (so KJV,
NIV, NACE, and JB). The point Paul is making is that David’s words testify
to the same truth stated by Gen 15:6 in reference to Abraham. The Biblical
testimony is twofold here in accord with the OT law of witness (see Deut
17:6; 19:15; John 8:17).
David, we are told, describes the blessedness of the [justified] man. The
term blessedness is chosen here in light of the following quotation from
Psalm 32, which commences with the word blessed, and which highlights
the state of well-being enjoyed by the justified person.
4:7-8. Psalm 32:1-2 speaks of two blessings. In v 7, Paul says that the first
is the blessing of forgiveness by which sins are put out of sight (are
covered). This is not the same as the “blessedness” of v 8. In fact, v 7 is the
only reference to forgiveness in Romans. Its occurrence here is because it is
preparatory to v 8.
As wonderful as forgiveness is, it is less than the blessing of justification.
As the Psalm indicates, forgiveness signals that sins are covered and they
no longer interfere in the forgiven person’s relationship to God. But though
covered, the sins are there. They were properly imputed to the person who
did them as wicked deeds, but then they are put out of sight. This is not
what justification means, however.
Justification is the second blessedness described in the Psalm and is quoted
in v 8. The justified person is “the man to whom the Lord does not impute
sin.” In terms of justification, God charges the justified man with nothing at
all (see 8:33). That man’s faith, as Paul has already shown, is “imputed as
righteousness.” Since this is a righteousness totally “apart from works” (v
6), no works of any kind—good or evil—can be factored into it. It stands
totally complete based on faith alone. From this perspective, the presence or
absence of forgiveness is irrelevant.
4:9. Paul now wraps together his double testimony from Scripture about
justification.
This blessedness (alluding to David’s words) is what has already been
mentioned regarding Abraham. The question now is no longer whether such
righteousness can be bestowed since that is proved by Paul’s two proof
texts. The question rather is whether such a blessing can come only upon
the circumcised or whether it can come also upon the uncircumcised.
From Paul’s perspective the answer is already obvious from what he has
been talking about. For what we are saying, states Paul, is that faith was
imputed to Abraham as righteousness. This carries with it the manifest
implication that justification is for all who believe, whether circumcised or
uncircumcised.
4:10. Paul now delivers the coup de grâce to any idea that one must be
circumcised in order to receive justification. The father of the Jewish race
was himself uncircumcised when his faith was credited to him as
righteousness. Thus, circumcision can be no factor at all in the reception of
“this blessedness.”
4:11-12. What then was the role of circumcision if it made no contribution
to the righteousness that Abraham received by faith? Paul’s answer is that
circumcision was a sign, that is, it was a seal of the righteousness by faith
which Abraham had received while he was uncircumcised.
Paul is referring to Gen 17:1-14 where God entered into a covenantal
relationship with Abraham. The distinguishing mark of this covenantal
relationship was circumcision. The fact that God chose this point in time
(after Gen 15:6) is important for Paul here. God’s willingness to execute a
covenant with this justified man was a clear indication that God fully
accepted him on the basis of his previous justification. If Abraham were
still unrighteous in God’s sight, such a covenant would have been
unthinkable. Thus the sign of the covenant was also a sign and seal of the
righteousness by faith that Abraham now had.
The reason Abraham received this righteousness by faith…while he was
uncircumcised is that thereby he became the father of all those who
believe while uncircumcised. All believing Gentiles can look back to him
as their spiritual progenitor.
Even more than that, as is indicated by the words in order that
righteousness might be imputed to them also, the case of Abraham was
actually designed to encourage Gentile belief and justification.
But in addition to becoming the spiritual father of uncircumcised believers,
Abraham’s subsequent circumcision made him the father of circumcision
both to his physical descendants (those of the circumcision) and also to
those who follow his believing footsteps. The words follow in the
footsteps of the faith of our father Abraham are most naturally taken to
refer to believing Jews who, like Abraham, receive righteousness by means
of faith. They stand so to speak in the footprints of Abraham when, like
him, they believe and are justified.
The point of v 12 is that Abraham is not simply the father of circumcision
to all Jews. He is likewise the father of circumcision to his circumcised
descendants (Jews) who also believe as he did. Thus, they would become
Abraham’s children in this second, superior sense.
4:13. Paul’s argument from Scripture here takes a step back historically
speaking, and he now refers to the promise that Abraham would be heir
of the world. This can hardly refer to anything other than the original
promise made to him at the time of his call and recorded in Gen 12:1-4 (see
esp. “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed,” Gen 12:3).
Paul understood Gen 12:3 as a prophecy about the gospel and justification
by faith (cf. Gal 3:8-9). The universality of this part of the promise to
Abraham is obvious. In addition, since the world to come will be composed
exclusively of those who receive the Abrahamic blessing of justification,
Abraham thereby becomes the heir of the world. Just as he will “inherit” the
physical land of Israel through his physical descendants, so also he will
inherit the world to come through his spiritual descendants.
 Obviously the promise Paul is referring to came over five hundred years
before the giving of the law and thus was not made to Abraham or to his
seed through the law. Instead, since the promise pertained to the blessing
of justification, it can be said to have been made to him through the
righteousness of faith. The eternal world to come will therefore be
populated and possessed by Abraham’s spiritual descendants, both Jewish
and Gentile, all of whom will be recipients of the Abrahamic blessing of the
righteousness of faith.
4:14-15. Paul affirms that it is not possible that those who are of the law
could be heirs of this Abrahamic promise of blessing (i.e., justification). In
that case, faith could not be the means by which the blessing is received but
would be made void (or, ineffectual). Equally, the promise could not be
realized and thus would be annulled. As Paul has already established, “by
the works of the law no flesh will be justified” (3:20), thus the law would
render the promise unattainable.
So far from making the Abrahamic blessing attainable, the law actually
produces the opposite of blessing, namely, wrath (see 1:18ff) But where
there is no law there is no transgression. Of course, Paul does not say that
in the absence of law there is no sin. Sin is a violation of God’s righteous
standards whether this is realized by the sinner or not. But the presence of
law confronts the sinner with the fact that his behavior is a transgression of
God’s known will and therefore subject to His retributive wrath (anger).
4:16-17a. Therefore, since the law would have made the promise
unattainable to both Jews and Gentiles, God ordained that the promise
would be bestowed by faith, so that it might be by grace. Faith, not
works, became the means through which it was received.
The result is that the Abrahamic promise of blessing is confirmed, that is,
made sure and certain, to believing Jews and Gentiles alike. Thus the
entire seed of believers, both those who are of the law and also those who
are simply of the faith of Abraham, are recipients of the promised
blessing. From this standpoint, Abraham can be seen as the father of us all,
that is, of all believers.
This kind of fatherhood fulfills the Scripture where it is written, “I have
made you a father of many nations” (Gen 17:5-6). The entire seed is made
up of many believers from many nations.
 4:17b. The God in whom Abraham believed on the occasion of his
justification is the One who brings the dead to life and speaks about
things that do not exist as though they did.
The words rendered speaks about things that do not exist as though they
did are a reference back to the preceding statement, made by God, that “I
have made you [not “I will make you”] a father of many nations” (v 17a).
This declaration represents a fait accompli. Yet it was made long before the
fulfillment that Paul has specified in terms of the many believing Gentiles
who have now become Abraham’s spiritual children (cf. “father of us all,” v
16). But the non-existence of these children at the time God spoke was no
impediment to Him. Since He would fulfill His word, He could speak of
Abraham’s future children, who did not yet exist, as though they did.
But of the two statements about God (that is, that He brings the dead to life
and that He speaks about things that do not exist as though they did), it is
the first one which will now be elaborated in the verses that follow.
4:18. Abraham, Paul states, was a man who beyond hope believed in
hope. Abraham was well past the point at which he could, humanly
speaking, have hope for a physical child. The reference is to Gen 15:6, as is
clear from the phrase “so will your seed be,” taken from Gen 15:5.
In the Genesis context, Abraham had despaired of having a physical son
(cf. 15:3-4). But God offers him an heir “who will come from [his] own
body” (Gen 15:4) and innumerable descendants like the stars (Gen 15:5).
Although there were great physical obstacles to this promise (see v 19),
Abraham’s faith rose above those obstacles so that what was out of reach as
a physical hope was achieved. He thereby became “a father of many
nations.”
4:19-21. This impressive description of Abraham’s justifying faith is
highly instructive. In order to believe the promise God made to him (Gen
15:4-5), it was necessary for Abraham to ignore his own body, which had
lost all potential for communicating life by physical means. Thus, his body,
in this sense, was dead since he was about one hundred years old. But
there was also the problem of the corresponding deadness of Sarah’s
womb, since she had always been unable to conceive life. This too
Abraham had to look beyond (refuse to take notice of).
Thus Abraham demonstrated that he was not weak in faith. Implicitly he
believed in God’s resurrection power since his faith was not hindered by
“death” either in himself or in Sarah. In fact, he did not doubt the promise
of God in unbelief. That is to say, his heart did not call God’s promise into
question because of an inability to believe it (in unbelief). On the contrary,
he became strong in faith.
In exercising this faith Abraham was giving glory to God. This does not
mean that he expressed praise on this occasion. Rather the sense is that by
taking God at His word he was, in so doing, giving God glory. In what way
precisely he rendered this glory to God is now clarified by the words that
follow, stating that he was fully convinced that what He had promised He
was able also to do. In other words, Abraham glorified God by his strong
conviction that God could perform what He had promised, however
difficult it might seem. He ascribed to God the power to fulfill His word.
4:22. Abraham’s belief in God’s promise to him resulted in his
justification. The pronoun it, the subject of the verb “was imputed,” is a
reference to faith (cf. 4:5, “his faith is counted for righteousness”).
As earlier noted, for Paul justification is by no means a matter of imputing
some form of obedience to the law to believers. Justification by faith is
exactly what its name says. The believer is justified by his faith because that
faith—totally apart from works—is what is accounted “to him for
righteousness.”
4:23-24. Genesis 15:6 concerns not only Abraham, but also those who
would believe in the One who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.
That is, the record about Abraham’s faith was intended to offer Scriptural
support to the proclamation about Jesus.
Here again the subject word it most naturally refers to faith. Just as faith
was imputed to Abraham “as righteousness,” so faith would be imputed
“as righteousness” to those who would believe in the same God in whom
Abraham believed.
As Paul has just shown in vv 19-22, the faith by which Abraham was
justified was implicitly a confidence in God’s resurrecting power. The God
in whom he believed could overcome his own “dead” body as well as the
“deadness of Sarah’s womb.” Paul of course preached the resurrection of
Christ (1 Cor 15:3-8) and he could say that “if Christ is not risen, your faith
is futile, you are still in your sins” (1 Cor 15:17). So it is in every way
probable that, since the cross, justifying faith has never occurred in any
heart that thinks Jesus is still dead. Indeed His very offer of eternal life is
inseparable from the promise of future resurrection (John 11:25-26).
However, on the other hand, all of the first disciples believed in Jesus for
eternal life without realizing that He must die and rise again. This is quite
plain from John 20:8-9 (see also John 2:22) and from the fact that the
announcement of His resurrection by the women was received in unbelief
by the disciples (Mark 16:9-13; Luke 24:11). But despite this lack of
understanding on the part of the first disciples, when they believed Jesus’
word as the word of the One who sent Him (see John 5:24), they were in
fact believing in the One who would raise Jesus our Lord from the dead. In
short, faith in the God who set Jesus forth as a Mercy Seat (3:25) is faith in
a God of resurrection, whether consciously realized or not.
4:25. The word translated was delivered refers to our Lord’s betrayal,
arrest, and crucifixion. He was delivered for our offenses. Our Lord died as
a substitute for us so that those offenses might not remain as an impediment
to God’s justifying grace to us. His death was necessitated by these offenses
if He was to become a Mercy Seat (see discussion under 3:25) where man
and God could meet in peace.
The words raised for our justification are the first direct reference to the
resurrection of Jesus since 1:4. The risen life of Christ is a major concern of
the material that follows in chaps. 5–8. Here, too, the language of Paul
suggests strongly that 4:25 is a “hinge” verse, concluding the unit begun at
3:21, but anticipating what will follow.
Just as our sins necessitated the death of Christ, so also our justification
(dikaiōsis, “righteous living,” only here and in 5:18 in the NT) required His
resurrection. This was not because there was anything incomplete or
inadequate about the atoning death of our Lord. Instead, as a demonstration
of God’s satisfaction with His Son’s atoning death, the resurrection provides
a valid proof that God is righteous in deciding to “justify the person who
has faith in Jesus” (3:26). A dead Savior would provide no such validation
of God’s act when He grants justification to sinners who believe in Jesus.
Paul is now ready to move on to the implications that this truth has for
Christian experience.
3. God’s Righteousness Makes Spiritual Victory Possible (5:1-
11)
 a. The Description of this Victory (5:1-5)
5:1. The first of the results of by-faith justification is the blessing of peace
with God. When God justifies a sinner who believes in Jesus, a
fundamental peace is established between the sinner and God.
The nature of this peace is of course judicial, since justification is the act
of God as our Judge. We should avoid understanding the idea as inner
tranquility. The peace involved here is like that which results when two
warring nations are no longer in a hostile relationship to each other.
The sinner is fully accepted as righteous in God’s eyes. Thus, this peace is
realized through our Lord Jesus Christ who in His own Person is our
“Mercy Seat.”
5:2. Another result is that justified persons also possess access…into this
grace. Paul appears to be thinking of the presence of God as a place of
grace into which we now have a right to enter at any time (cf. Heb 4:16).
Prayer is the obvious way in which we utilize the access we now have as
justified persons.
A third benefit that flows from justification by faith is the expectation of
the glory of God. So exciting is this expectation, in fact, that the justified
person can exult in it.
Paul is likely thinking especially of corporate Christian worship in which
assembled Christians come boldly before God to offer exultant praise (cf.
Heb 10:19-25).
Paul’s initial statement in this unit proclaims a “trinity” of benefits that
flow from justification: (1) peace, (2) access, and (3) joy (i.e., exultation).
In vv 3-4 he discusses another benefit that is equally remarkable.
5:3-4. The justified believer can now see his afflictions in a new light and
can regard them as a process that produces endurance. This, in turn, creates
an approvedness that results in yet further expectation.
The person who is righteous by faith can learn to view afflictions from a
new vantage point. How this can be true Paul will elaborate later (8:18-38),
but for now he simply summarizes the important truth that our afflictions
can have positive results.
Paul is saying that our afflictions can produce the ability to bear up under
difficulties (endurance), and this capacity in turn results in our becoming
people upon whom God’s divine approbation can rest (cf. 1 Pet 1:6-9).
 This represents a remarkable progression in human experience. Since
God’s wrath (see 1:18ff) expresses His disapproval of unrighteous men and
their conduct, the justified person can now achieve a state of approvedness
as a result of his personal conduct under trial. This approvedness bestows
on him a further endowment of expectation, though the exact nature of this
expectation is not spelled out here. Paul will deal with it more explicitly
later (see 8:17-25).
5:5. The expectation that is produced in us through enduring our trials and
becoming approved in God’s sight, promotes a boldness about our Christian
profession. What Paul means is that we can unashamedly (i.e., boldy)
confess such a believing expectation.
Afflictions can usher in a deeper appreciation of the love of God. It is as
though the love of God is poured forth in our hearts. That is to say that
our hearts are suffused with His love as the Holy Spirit makes that love a
joyous realization within us.
With these words, Paul has reached the climax of his “staircase” treatment
of the benefits of justification in 5:1-5.
b. The Basis for this Victory (5:6-11)
5:6. Paul stresses the fact that the basis of the experience he has just
described in vv 1-5 arose while we were still weak.
But God had a solution for this profound weakness on our part, and thus
when the proper time came, Christ died…for the ungodly. The death of
Christ, which was for the ungodly, came at precisely the point in human
history that God had foreordained for it. It thereby became the fundamental
starting point by which weak and ungodly people like ourselves could be
brought into the experience of spiritual strength.
5:7-8. Paul returns to the theme of divine love that had climaxed in vv 1-5.
A willingness to die for a righteous man is found only rarely. On the
other hand, the willingness to die for a good man can conceivably
(perhaps) be thought of as more natural. It is something someone might
even dare to do.
Clearly Paul means here that mere moral rectitude (i.e., a righteous man)
rarely inspires the laying down of life, while goodness (particularly to
others) could perhaps more readily do so. But in contrast to both examples
is the way that God demonstrates His own love for us. For although we
were neither righteous nor good (see 3:10-12), but instead were still
sinners, nevertheless Christ died for us. The starting point for all human
realization of the Creator’s love for His creatures is always the cross of
Christ.
5:9. Few verses in this epistle are more crucial to the correct understanding
of Paul’s letter than the present verse and the next.
Here the Greek participle dikaiōthentes (since we have…been justified) is
the functional equivalent of a conditional clause that is assumed to be true.
The conclusion to be drawn (we shall be delivered) is naturally expressed
in the future tense since it refers to something that is logically expected, but
not guaranteed, to follow from it.
Paul does not assume that the “deliverance” he is speaking of is
independent of our willingness to avail ourselves of God’s provision for it.
In addition, it needs to be stated that Paul’s assertion must necessarily be
understood in the light of the argument of the epistle thus far. When Paul
writes that we shall be delivered from wrath through Him, it is
illegitimate to refer the word wrath to eternal damnation. No such use of
wrath occurs in Romans.
But now that Paul has established that God imputes righteousness to (i.e.,
He justifies) the believer in Jesus, the question becomes profoundly
relevant: What is the relationship of the justified believer to this universal
display of heaven-sent wrath?
Paul’s answer is that it is reasonable and fully to be expected that the
person who has now been justified by His blood shall be delivered from
wrath through this very Jesus. This implies the necessity of a change in
mindset and lifestyle and that is precisely the subject Paul will now proceed
to discuss (5:12–8:39).
It is important to observe here (and also in v 10) that the word translated
delivered (sōzō) has a very wide range of meanings in normal Greek usage.
The word delivered is used in my translation to avoid the almost automatic
reflex most readers have that assumes the reference is to salvation from
hell. That assumption in vv 9-10 would be false to the progression of Paul’s
thought.
So important is the transitional statement of this verse that Paul at once
repeats it, in carefully altered form, in the next verse.
 5:10. In our former condition, as unrighteous people, we were God’s
enemies. But now through the death of His Son, we have been reconciled
to God. The fundamental state of enmity has been removed, and God
accepts us as righteous people based on our faith in His Son.
As a result of standing in this new friendly relationship to God, we can
expect to be delivered by His [Christ’s] life. The sense here of course is
precisely what we observed in the previous verse. Our “deliverance” is from
the wrath which formed the starting point of Paul’s argumentation at 1:18
and is explicitly referred to in v 9. It is logical in the highest degree that
those who have received this “reconciliation” should no longer be objects of
divine anger. Logical, but not guaranteed, as Paul will proceed to show.
This deliverance from wrath is by His life. The sense can be paraphrased as
follows: we shall be delivered in the experience of His life. Paul will
develop this concept in the following chapters.
5:11. In this verse Paul brings to a climax his anticipation that a justified
person will be delivered from the divine anger under which mankind in
general lives.
We should expect to be delivered from temporal wrath, but also we should
anticipate that this experience will be accompanied by exulting in God (cf.
5:3). Deliverance and joy are therefore the keynotes of the experience Paul
will describe in chaps. 6–8.
But this kind of experience can only come to us through our Lord Jesus
Christ since He is the One through whom we have now received this
reconciliation.
With this verse, Paul reaches the conclusion of an extensive section that
began in 3:21. His theme has been the righteousness of God that sinful man
can obtain through faith in Jesus.
In what follows this great Apostle teaches about the nature of, and the
means for, a truly Christian life-experience.
C. Those Who Are Righteous by Faith Can Live Victoriously
(5:12–8:39)
1. The Sin Problem and Its Solution (5:12-21)
5:12. Paul’s sentence is never actually finished. The idea left unexpressed
here is not picked up again by Paul until vv 18-19.
 In view of the truth just mentioned in vv 9-11, life has become available
through one Man (Jesus Christ), just as sin, as well as death, have entered
the world through one man (Adam).
The entrance of sin and death into mankind’s experience has become
universal: death came to all men because all have sinned. Death became
a universal experience precisely because all human beings have sinned (cf.
6:23).
Paul is not concerned here with the “mechanics” of the transmission of a
sinful nature from generation to generation. It is enough to know that what
Adam and Eve did in the garden has produced descendants who, without
exception, have committed sin. Since everyone is sinful in word and deed,
everyone also dies. This is the straightforward reality described by Paul
here.
5:13. Since Paul has just stated that “all have sinned” (v 12), the question
might be raised as to how human beings could sin in the absence of God’s
law.
Paul flatly asserts that until the law sin was in the world. Even a cursory
examination of the book of Genesis would prove it, beginning with the
murder of Abel.
The only distinction between the pre- and post-law eras is expressed by the
words but sin is not itemized when there is no law.
As he has already told us (in 2:14-16), Gentiles without the law will be
judged in terms of their conscience as this is manifested by their discussions
about right and wrong among themselves. Though badly defaced, the law is
nevertheless written on each conscience in a way that permits God to judge
individuals as individuals.
5:14. Despite the fact that there could be no itemization of sins in the pre-
law period, nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses.
With the word reigned, Paul is implying that death exercised a tyranny
over humanity by which man was somehow enslaved. This makes death
part of the spiritual bondage under which humanity lives.
It was a “reign” even over those who had not sinned in a way that
resembled the transgression of Adam. Death was able to extend its
“domain” over all mankind despite the differences between humanity’s
many transgressions and the single transgression of Adam.
 Here Paul specifically introduces the comparison of Adam with Christ by
describing Adam as a type of the Coming One.
Adam and Christ are two Headships. Adam is the “head” of the fallen race
of men since their fallenness is derived from his sin. By contrast, Christ is
the “Head” of the redeemed race since He is the source of their redemption.
5:15. The effect of Adam’s offense was that many died. The effect of
Jesus Christ is the reception of the free gift that is bestowed through His
grace.
The word offense is a contrast with the grace of God and the grace of…
Jesus Christ. God is certainly not the Source of Adam’s disastrous offense,
but He is most emphatically the Source of the gift given through the grace
of…Jesus Christ. “God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that
we might live through Him” (1 John 4:9).
Furthermore, the gift given through the grace of one Man has abounded to
many. Those who have been justified by faith can live so triumphantly that
they can even exult in God in the face of all their tribulations (cf. 5:3-4, 9-
13; 8:31-38).
5:16. The effect of the free gift is not like what happened when a quite
different effect was produced through one man who sinned. The latter
resulted in servitude to sin, while the free gift results in righteous action
(or, conduct).
In the case of the one man who sinned the result was that the judgment
came for one offense. By contrast the free gift brings release from many
offenses. Paul’s reference here to the judgment is undoubtedly a reference
to the divine decree that brought death to Adam, and to the sinful race
which has descended from him, as a result of his single sin.
Moreover, the judgment of death on Adam produced for him and his race
servitude to sin (eis katakrima). The word katakrima is used here and also
in v 18 and is then picked up again in the important statement of 8:1. Its
treatment in the commentaries has been largely inadequate.
The judgment passed on Adam led to a penalty, i.e., servitude to sin. Adam
was now spiritually dead, and physically dying, and in this condition, he fell
under bondage to sin.
By contrast with this, however, the free gift of justification from many
offenses leads to righteous action (dikaiōma). Dikaiōma is the reversal of
katakrima, slavery to sin. The person who has received the free gift
(imputed righteousness) can now be “restored” to an experience consistent
with this imputation, so that he can produce righteous action.
The contrasted terms are katakrima (servitude) and dikaiōma (righteous
action). Adam’s sin led to the former (slavery to sin), while the free gift
leads to the latter (righteous action).
5:17. Once the offense of one man, Adam, had occurred, his descendants
became “subjects” of death in the sense that their “servitude” to sin (v 16)
became inescapable.
However, in contrast to this, one Man, Jesus Christ, makes possible a
different kind of experience. This new experience is described as one in
which the participants in it shall reign in life (cf. 5:9 and the discussion
there).
On the one hand, death itself reigns. But on the other, certain people shall
reign in life. And, as Paul has already said, the life in question is nothing
less than the very life of God’s Son (5:9-10). Thus the participants in this
life are identified as those who receive the abundance of grace and the
gift of righteousness (= the abundantly gracious gift of righteousness). For
Paul, the abundance of God’s grace is magnified by its enormous potential
for transforming human experience.
5:18. Paul now recaptures the thought that he had begun, but not
completed, in v 12.
The intervening verses (13-17) have prepared us for the other half of
Paul’s comparison. As surely as God’s judgment has brought servitude to
sin, so also the righteous action of “one Man, Jesus Christ” has made
available justification sourced in life.
In sum, Paul’s statement in this verse points to two diametrically opposite
experiences traceable to two “men” whose single actions result in widely
varying outcomes. On the one hand, Adam’s single offense produced
universal servitude to sin. On the other hand, Christ’s righteous act on the
cross is efficacious for all men so that they can now possess, by faith,
righteousness sourced in life, in consequence of which they will be able to
live (1:17).
5:19. Verse 19 is the climactic back-reference to v 12. As indicated in v 12
by the words “all have sinned,” so here Paul reaffirms this fact in the
statement many have been constituted sinners.
 The initial word many (hoi polloi) indicates the totality of those who have
been constituted sinners as a result of the disobedience of one man. The
second many indicates the totality of those who shall be constituted
righteous as a result of the obedience of one Man.
Thus the repetition of v 18 in this verse presents the second Man as the
supreme model of obedience to God in a world where the disobedience of
the first man has wrought the calamitous tragedies of sin and death. Paul is
now moving toward a discussion of our own obedience to God in the
Christian life (chaps. 6–8).
5:20-21. Since “sin was in the world” even before the law (cf. v 13), why
then was the law added? The reason, says Paul, is that the offense might
become greater.
But in sharp contrast to this grim reality stands God’s magnificent
(superlatively great) grace.
This excelling of human sin by divine grace makes possible an astounding
result, which reverses the reign of sin. Although through Adam “death came
to all men” (v 12) and made the world an arena of death in which sin held
human beings in bondage, through Jesus Christ our Lord a different
experience is possible. Thus Paul tells us that just as sin has reigned in the
sphere of death, so also can grace…reign through righteousness unto
eternal life.
When the believer gains victory over sin, grace is reigning in his life
experience. The means by which this victory is attained is the subject of the
following chapters (Romans 6–8). The present passage (5:12-21) is
intended as an introduction, stating the fundamental problem and
anticipating the solution about to be expounded.
The unit Paul had commenced in 5:12 closes here with the words through
Jesus Christ our Lord (cf. 5:1 and 5:11). When eternal life is experienced,
as grace reigns in the Christian’s life, this experience comes through Jesus
Christ our Lord. As Paul will show, this is true because we have been
united with our Lord in His death, burial and in His resurrection life (see
6:1-11).
The following unit (6:1-23) expounds the truth stated in the present verse.
Both in 5:21 and 6:23 the expression our Lord is climactic (contrast 5:1 and
11), since we are now about to consider truth which relates directly to the
Lordship of Jesus Christ in the life of the believer.
 2. Our Freedom from Sin Through Union with Christ (6:1-23)
a. Our Union with Christ in His Death and Resurrection (6:1-11)
6:1-2. Paul dismisses a false conclusion. Should we continue in sin so
that grace may become greater? Far from it! Such a conclusion is
unthinkable precisely because Christians have died to sin. Significantly, the
concept of dying to sin is here introduced for the first time in Romans. It
will be elaborated in the material that immediately follows.
It is evident from Paul’s following discussion that our death to sin does not
make it impossible for us to commit sin. Paul uses the metaphor for death,
not to indicate that all sin has been eliminated from our lives, but (as we
shall see) that we are no longer in bondage to it.
On the other hand, Paul will go on to teach that if we do continue in sin, it
will not be an experience of life but rather of death (see 8:13 and the
discussion there).
The words, How shall we who have died to sin still live in it?, convey the
thought of something that is totally inappropriate for a Christian person. It
is much as we might say, “How can loyal Americans cheat on their taxes?”
It is utterly unsuitable that believers in Jesus Christ should go on living
their lives in sin.
6:3. Many interpreters see water baptism here. But we know that baptism
by the Holy Spirit was a doctrine profoundly significant to Paul. It is what
forms the Body of Christ (1 Cor 12:13). Thus our spiritual union with Jesus
Christ is affected by the Holy Spirit’s baptism, and it is precisely to our
union with Him that the following verses in Romans appeal.
Moreover, in no NT passage is water baptism unambiguously referred to
as baptism into Christ Jesus (= baptism into the Body of Christ Jesus).
Where water baptism is linked explicitly to Jesus Christ, it is always in His
name (Acts 2:38; 8:16; 10:48; 19:5; 1 Cor 1:13, 15 [by inference]).
The baptism of the Holy Spirit means that believers have been baptized
into His death. This union with Christ in His death is in fact the key to a
new life experience.
6:4. Our spiritual union involves “immersion” into Christ’s death.
Immersion into His death effectively “purifies” the inner man from sin,
rendering him dead to it (see vv 5-11; also Titus 3:4-7).
 The Christian has been united with Christ in His death so that he may also
share in His resurrected life (walk in newness of life).
As Paul will go on to point out, especially in 8:1-13, this glorious
resurrection power is precisely what will enable the believer to surmount
the impediment of his sinful body.
The issue before Paul’s mind, both here and up to 8:13, is how those who
are alive from the dead can live like it. In other words, how can such people
walk in newness of life?
6:5-6. Paul is not discussing our future resurrection from the dead. On the
contrary, he is discussing walking “in newness of life” (v 4).
Inasmuch as we are united with Christ in the likeness of His death by
means of the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit, it follows that we can also
expect a similar union with Christ in the likeness of His resurrection.
We know, Paul affirms, that our old man has been crucified with Him.
The reference to our old man can only be a reference to the inner self,
which “lived” inside our physical bodies prior to our union with Jesus
Christ. This “old self” has died.
This truth implies that a “new man” (that is, a “new inner self”) has
replaced this old man (cf. 7:22, “my inward man”). The “old man/new
man” terminology also occurs in Eph 4:20-24, where the idea is that
Christians should not “wear” their old self, but their new self.
When we speak of regeneration and of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we
are talking about spiritual events that radically alter the inward reality of our
being. When we believe in Christ for eternal life, the inward man is reborn
with that life. And when we are baptized at that same moment by the Holy
Spirit, we are united with the spiritual Body of Christ and thus are also
united with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Paul’s point here is this. Our union with Christ in His death has as its
purpose that this body of sin might be nullified, so that we might no
longer serve sin. The body of sin (and by extension, the physical body
itself) has lost its unbreakable dominion over us. Now this slavery no
longer exists.
6:7. Paul here uses the verb for justify (dikaioō) to describe our
relationship to sin (justified from sin). He has already used this verb ten
times in the forensic sense of the divine act of ascribing righteousness to
men (2:13; 3:20, 24, 26, 28, 30; 4:2, 5; 5:1, 9) and once of the vindication of
God (3:4). For Rom 6:7, BDAG offers the translation, “the one who died is
freed from sin” (italics added).
Paul’s point is that sin has no claim on the person who has been united
with Christ in His death. Death has freed us from the dominion of sin.
6:8-9. If, as Paul has affirmed, we have died with Christ, we conclude
(we believe) as well that we shall also live with Him.
For Paul, we who will live together with Him in the future (cf. 1 Thess
5:10) can live together with Him in the present by the resurrecting power of
the Holy Spirit (see 8:11).
Thus the truth Paul is beginning to expound about our victory over sin is
part of the same basic truth, namely that death with Him leads to life with
Him (cf. 1:17). Living with Him is the true portion and destiny of the
justified person, both here and hereafter.
This conviction (that we shall also live with Him) is accompanied by the
knowledge (knowing) that since Christ was raised from the dead, He no
longer dies. Therefore, the life we experience when we…live with Him is
nothing less than eternal life. Precisely this is what we obtained when we
received “the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness” so that we
might “reign in life” (5:17), for in fact eternal life is God’s gift to us “in
Christ Jesus our Lord” (6:23). It is this life that we experience through our
union with Him.
Since, then, Christ will no longer die, it follows that death no longer has
authority over Him. Thus the life we also share with Him is not under the
authority of death either. As Paul has just said (v 7), we are “justified
(freed) from sin”; that is, sin and death have no claim on us since we have
died with Him.
The tyrant, death, has lost its temporary power over Jesus. Death no longer
has authority over Him. The “rulership” conferred on death by the sin of the
first Adam, has been broken by the Second.
6:10-11. The death that He died was a once for all encounter with sin in
which sin was fully atoned for. He died to sin permanently. Now that this
sacrificial work has been accomplished and He has risen from the dead, He
lives to God. From now on, in His resurrection life, the life that He lives is
fully oriented to God.
The relationship of Christ, both to sin and to God, is precisely the way
believers should relate to sin and to God. They should, in fact, consider
themselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Here then is the bottom line of the identification truth that Paul introduced
at 6:3. Believers have been spiritually united with Christ in His death and
resurrection. The first step to walking “in newness of life” is to consider this
to be so.
The word rendered consider is the same verb that Paul has used repeatedly
in chap. 4 of God “imputing” righteousness to the believer (4:3, 5, 6, 8, 9,
10, 11, 22, 23, 24). Thus, the person whom God considers righteous by faith
should consider himself to be now alive to God. Thus, at a fundamental
level, “the one who is righteous by faith” already lives (cf. 1:17), and he
should consider that to be his fundamental status.
b. Acting on Our Union with Christ (6:12-23)
6:12-14. In view of the spiritual reality expressed in the previous verse (v
11), believers should not only consider themselves to be “alive to God,”
they should actively reorient their behavior in the light of that truth.
Whereas formerly, in their unregenerate days, they had allowed sin to reign
in their mortal body so that they obeyed it with its lusts, they are to do so
no longer.
This previous obedience to sin’s lusts had been put into effect by their
turning over their body’s members as instruments for doing
unrighteousness. The body’s members—its eyes, arms, legs, etc.—had
been used in the pursuit and enjoyment of sinful aims and activities. This
kind of behavior should now cease.
The new lifestyle is to be marked by conscious commitment to God and to
His will. Now they are to turn themselves over to God as people who are
alive from the dead. They are not to think of themselves any longer as
subjects reigned over by sin and death. Instead they should see themselves
as people who have been raised from the dead to walk in newness of life
(see 6:4).
The attitude expressed when they turn themselves over to God should be
followed by appropriate actions. They are to turn over the members of their
body to Him as instruments for righteousness. That means that they are to
employ their eyes, arms, legs, hands, and all their other members for the
will of God. They are to use them as instruments for righteousness. When
both the attitude and the actions cohere, Christian living is experienced.
 In addition, both the new attitude and the new behavior are appropriate and
possible precisely because sin has lost its capacity to have authority over
them.
Paul insists, you are not under the law but under grace. With these
words Paul introduces the dominant theme of the discussion to follow
(6:15–8:13). Although grace was referred to in 6:1, it has not been directly
mentioned since then, and the law has not been referred to in this chapter at
all. The ineffectual nature of the law figures prominently in the discussion
that follows.
Contrary to the opinion held even by many Christians in Paul’s day (see
Acts 15:5), the Mosaic law was no more an effective instrument for
Christian living than it was an instrument for justification (see 3:19-20).
Those who lived under it could not truly escape the authority of sin in their
lives. In contrast to this, freedom from sin’s authority can be experienced by
Christian people precisely because they are not under the law but under
grace.
6:15-16. The fact that we are not under the law but under grace does
not give us a license to sin (far from it).
The question “shall we sin?” was functionally equivalent to asking
whether we should be the slaves of sin. Thus, after dismissing the
suggestion categorically, he asks rhetorically, Don’t you know…you are
slaves of the one you obey? “Don’t you realize,” he says, “that sinning
entails slavery to your sinful practices?”
The fact was that to whomever they might turn themselves over as slaves
in obedience, they were slaves of the one they obeyed. They could
therefore either become slaves to sin or to its opposite, righteousness (cf. v
18).
The one who turns himself over to sin is on the path that produces death
(whether of sin producing death). But the one who turns himself over to
obedience is on the path that produces righteousness (obedience producing
righteousness). Stated this way, the only reasonable choice was the
obedience that produced righteousness, since who would wish to produce
death?
6:17-18. Paul is grateful to God for the Christian experience of the Roman
believers. In their unconverted days they had been slaves of sin, but after
their conversion they had obeyed from the heart (i.e., sincerely) the form
of teaching in which they had been instructed. That is to say, they had
responded obediently to the Christian teaching they had received.
Paul is no doubt thinking of the general format in which Christian
instruction was usually given to converts to Christianity.
The Roman Christians were not total strangers to Paul (see 16:1-20) and he
even states that their “obedience” has become widely known (16:19). Since
they had obeyed the Christian teaching in which they were instructed, their
personal experience had been one of being liberated from sin and of being
enslaved to righteousness. In other words, they had turned away from sin
to do what was right in God’s sight. Their servitude was now to Him and
not to sin.
6:19. Paul is not altogether comfortable with describing their Christian
obedience as being “enslaved to righteousness” (v 18). He does so due to
the weakness of their flesh.
A more abstract description would have failed due to their human
limitations. Paul is working with an analogy, moving from the familiar
(slavery to sin) to the unfamiliar (slavery to righteousness).
Formerly they had turned over their body’s members as slaves to
uncleanness and to wickedness. The result of this servitude to sinful
practices was simply wickedness.
The Roman Christians are now to turn over their body’s members as
slaves to righteousness. The result of this new form of active obedience
will be the production of holiness. Thus the evil result of the former
servitude can be replaced by the good result of a new servitude.
6:20-21. Paul expands his analogy between the old servitude and the new
one. As slaves of sin they had been free from righteousness.
Righteousness had been “powerless” in their lives. It had no control over
what they did. It was not their “master.”
There could be no positive outcome from such a life. It was a life that now
made them feel ashamed. The rhetorical question, So what fruit did you
have then…? assumes that there was none at all. How could there be, since
the result of those things could only be death?
In speaking of death here, Paul no doubt had physical death in mind, but
his concept of death is much broader (cf. 7:18-23; 8:6-13). For Paul, death
is also an experience that is qualitatively distinct from true life.
 As Paul puts it in Eph 4:18, the unregenerate are “alienated from the life of
God, because of the ignorance that is in them.” But as he will show clearly
in the following two chapters, such “alienation” from God’s life is
experienced also by the Christian when he submits to the desires of his
spiritually-dead physical body.
6:22-23. Despite their unproductive past, the Roman Christians are now
able to bear fruit that produces holiness. Their union with Christ has
resulted in their being freed from sin and enslaved to God (cf. 6:7).
A new lifestyle is made possible in which the believer can “walk in
newness of life” (6:4). This “newness of life” is eternal life. The believer’s
“walk” in this new life is the outcome of possessing that life in Christ. Thus
the end result of producing holiness is nothing less than an experience of
eternal life itself.
Paul can now wrap up the fundamental truths on which the entire unit (6:1-
23) is based. On the one hand, death in all its aspects is the “pay-off”
(wages) of sin. Obviously, a statement like this is deliberately broad enough
to embrace all the various aspects in which death is the “compensation” for
sin. In other words, it states a principle, and should not be narrowed to an
exclusive reference to the “second death,” or the lake of fire (Rev 20:14).
Paul will later say to these believers that “if you live in relation to the flesh,
you will die” (Rom 8:13) and that concept is one specific aspect of the
principle he states here.
With sin, therefore, one receives what one has earned (wages). But eternal
life is an unearned experience because at its core eternal life is the gift of
God that is given in Christ Jesus our Lord. By virtue of our being in
Christ (see 6:3-4), we possess this gift. When we produce holiness, we are
living out the gift that God gave us when we were justified by faith.
The word used here for gift (charisma) is picked up from 5:15-16 where its
occurrences are the first ones in the body of Paul’s argument. As is clear
from 5:12-21, for Paul righteousness and life are part of one and the same
gift (cf. 5:17-18).
The closing words of v 23, in Christ Jesus our Lord, are identical in Greek
to the words that close v 11. Thus, they form an inclusio with v 11 and mark
the present sub-unit (vv 12-23) as complete. The repeated words also serve
to emphasize the truth that the eternal life which is given to us as a gift (by
virtue of which we are “alive” [v 11]) is our possession in union with the
Savior in whom we died and in whom we have been raised to walk in God’s
paths.
3. Our Means of Victory Over Sin (7:1–8:39)
a. The Inadequacy of the Law for Spiritual Victory (7:1-25)
i. Our relationship to the law has ended (7:1-6)
7:1. Paul is now addressing those who know the law, in particular, Jewish
believers and Gentiles who may have been connected with the synagogues
before coming to faith in Christ.
The law only has authority over a person for as long as that person lives.
This does not mean that it does not express any timeless principles of
righteousness. But as a body of legislation, it was intended to regulate life
on earth (e.g., Deut 25:4, quoted in 1 Cor 9:9). One of these, which Paul
will now use as an example, is the law’s regulation of marriage.
7:2-3. The example chosen by Paul is one intended to teach by analogy the
freedom the Christian has from the Mosaic law. Under the Mosaic
legislation (leaving the issue of divorce aside), a married woman was not
allowed to contract a new marriage while her husband was alive. Only upon
his death was another marriage permissible, since otherwise such a second
marriage would have been an act of adultery.
7:4. The fundamental consideration here is that through the body of
Christ believers have been put to death to the law (see 6:3-4 and the
discussion there). In Him we have died and are free from the law. We can
therefore be properly married to Another Husband, namely to the One who
was raised from the dead.
The aim of the new marriage is that we might bear fruit for God. Paul is
thinking of the “fruit producing holiness” to which he has just referred (see
6:22).
Our new marriage to our Risen Lord—that is, our spiritual union with Him
—is the true source of holiness. When we “walk in newness of life” (6:4)
we are realizing our union with Him and “giving birth” to deeds of holiness.
7:5. In describing this pre-conversion experience, Paul switches from the
plural “you” (v 4) to the plural “we” (vv 5-6). What he will now set forth
had been his experience as well as theirs.
 The law played a role in their experience in their unregenerate days. This
role was manifested in the yearnings for sin that the law produced.
In the light of Paul’s subsequent statement about the law arousing lust (v
7), it is likely that he has in mind the way negative commands so easily
awaken yearnings for forbidden sin.
In the unregenerate experience, Paul states, these yearnings were at work
in our body’s members. Paul is thus suggesting that the yearnings to which
the law gave rise operated with effect in the physical members of their
bodies so that the result was fruit consummated by death (to bear fruit for
death).
Such, then, was their law-based experience while they were in the flesh.
But this need not be their experience any longer.
7:6. Paul has already stated this death to the law (v 4) and he now refers to
it again (by dying to that by which we were held back).
Thus, believers are now free to serve in the newness of the Spirit, and
not in the oldness of a written code.
Paul uses the word newness only here and in 6:4 in Romans. (These are its
only two NT occurrences.) The “newness of life” in which it is now
possible to walk by virtue of our union with Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection (6:4) is nothing less than a service rendered to God in the
newness of the Spirit.
This new life lived by means of the Spirit is contrasted with the oldness of
a written code.
Paul’s word for serve here is the word for slave service and picks up from
6:22 his concept of being “enslaved to God.” The service we render to God
in the newness of the Spirit is an expression of our inner man’s complete
adherence to God’s will. This truth will shortly play a major role in Paul’s
teaching in this chapter (see especially 7:22-24).
ii. Our efforts to live under the law fail (7:7-25)
7:7. Paul now asks, Is the law itself sin?—that is, Is the law an instrument
of sin and therefore fundamentally sinful? Far from it!
In fact, the law actually exposes sin so that it can be properly recognized
as sin. There could be no better example of this function of the law than the
case of lust. How could a person have perceived certain desires as sin if
God had not pronounced them sin with the command, “You shall not
lust”? But once the law had pointed out lust, human beings could recognize
it for what it was—the expression of an evil urge.
7:8. This role of the law in exposing sin does not make the law sinful. On
the contrary, sin takes advantage of the sinner through the commandment
to produce what the law actually forbids. In the specific case of lust, sin
took advantage of him to create in him every kind of lust.
The law made Paul aware of the evil dispositions his own heart was
capable of harboring. In this way, sin took advantage of him by stimulating
and drawing forth from him the sinful desires inherent in his sinful nature.
Therefore, insofar as sin lies unrecognized apart from the prohibition that
the law announces, sin can be said to be dead. In other words, sin as such is
not an issue until it takes on the character of sin. It is dead because no
moral question is at stake in the human heart or mind. But the law raises a
moral issue so that sin comes to life in an otherwise common, ordinary
human attitude.
7:9. This verse marks an important turn in Paul’s discussion of the law,
signaled by the emphatic I (Ego). Surprisingly, this is the first time in
Romans that this personal pronoun appears, and this fact helps it to stand
out. Furthermore, it occurs eight times from 7:9 through 7:25. Ego is the
pivotal word of this section.
Paul continues to trade on the death/life analogy here. He himself was
once alive without the law, but that condition ended when the law aroused
sin, and at that point he died.
There is no coherent way that an experience like this can be sensibly
assigned to the days when Paul was a self-righteous Pharisee. It is one thing
to say that the law makes men conscious of sin, but quite another to
describe them as alive without the law. “Life,” for Paul, when spiritually
considered, is sourced in Christ.
Paul is referring to a time in his Christian experience when he was living in
harmony with God, that is, he was walking by the Spirit (cf. 8:13). But then
the law confronted him with one of its commands (when the
commandment came) and aroused sin in him, resulting in the end of his
harmonious experience of life (I died).
Paul’s experience here has been replicated countless times in the
experience of Christians, particularly those young in the faith. After their
conversion they were living joyously. But suddenly they were confronted
with a command that they either did not know or had forgotten. Their joy
was suddenly replaced by a struggle with temptation, their struggle ended in
defeat and sin, and their experience of walking with God was terminated.
From being alive, they had passed over into an experience of death. They
had died exactly as Paul later warns (8:13).
7:10-11. Of course, God intended that the commands of the law should
have a positive, not a negative, effect. The words translated the very
commandment intended to produce life show that the law’s actual
purpose was to keep man from the deeds that lead to death. But through
sin’s allurement, the commandment instead produced for Paul an experience
of death. It did this by taking advantage of his sinful proclivities, deceived
him about the value of the sinful act and, once he had committed it, sin had
killed him. A vibrant experience with God (fellowship with Him) was
terminated.
7:12-13. The experience of “dying” that Paul has just described in no way
diminishes the sanctity of the law. It remains holy and righteous and
good. These adjectives are probably not intended by Paul to represent
distinct characteristics of the law, but rather are a rhetorical instrument for
underlining the law’s complete moral perfection.
But was the law a deadly instrument for Paul?
Far from it! The law served its basic purpose of making sin known (Rom
3:20). Even in the spiritual “fall” Paul has described (vv 9-11), the law still
exposed the character of sin as being just that—sin.
Indeed, sin’s successful utilization of the law enhanced the condemnation
under which the law had placed it. This happened because sin—to the end
that it might appear as sin—produced death for Paul through what was
good. In other words, a desire is proved to be sinful whenever it is
confronted by God’s commandment and refuses to die. The fact that this
impulse had led to sin and death in the very face of the commandment
forbidding it was further evidence that it was truly sin. In other words, sin
used a good thing (the law) to produce death, and it was allowed to do this
in order that more than ever it might appear as the sinful thing it was.
In this way, the sinfulness of sin was enhanced. Obviously it was sin if the
law said so, but the fact that sin acted in defiance of the divine command,
producing death, made it supremely sinful. Sin becomes sinful “in the
extreme” when it does its work in direct contravention of God’s known will.
 7:14. Furthermore, the law is not only good, it is spiritual. It is not
mundane or fleshly but partakes of the spiritual nature of the God who gave
it.
The problem is that I myself am fleshly. Paul found himself under the
dominion of sin. Sin ruled him precisely because of his basic human nature.
As a fleshly person by nature, Paul describes himself as sold under…sin.
Here Paul uses again the concept of man’s enslavement to sin (6:16-21) and
he uses the terminology of the slave market (sold) to make his point. It is
doubtful that Paul has in mind any specific occasion on which this selling
occurred. The word sold seems obviously rhetorical and portrays the
complete helplessness (apart from God’s deliverance, Romans 8) of his
servitude to sin.
7:15. The statement, I don’t know what I am accomplishing, describes
an ineffectual struggle that is consistent with his recognition of his bondage.
Specifically, what I wish is not what I do, but what I hate is what I do.
Thus, from the very start of this memorable discussion (which goes down to
v 25), the problem is focused on the issue of Paul’s will. What he wills
cannot be carried out.
The key word in Paul’s statement is the Greek verb thelō, translated here
by the word wish. In the present section (7:15-25), it occurs seven times.
Paul is beginning to show here how Christian living is far more than a
determined exercise of the will. Indeed, for true Christian living, the
Christian’s own personal wishes can never accomplish his goals. This is a
truth that will emerge clearly by the end of chap. 7.
7:16-17. The futility of Paul’s struggle with sin leads to a discerning self-
analysis. If he is in fact doing what he does not wish to do, it follows from
this that at the level of his innermost desires he is agreeing with the law
that it is good. He means that when he violates the law in some particular
way, his inward desire to do otherwise shows that he fully agrees that what
the law commands on this point is good. He is thus aware that what he does
is evil.
Given what Paul has just said about his inward—but ineffectual—desire to
do what the law prescribes, his disobedience to the law must be ultimately
assigned to the sin that dwells in him. It is not to be assigned to his inner
self (I myself).
 In making the statement that it is no longer I myself who accomplishes it,
Paul picks up the same word (katergazomai) that he had used in v 15. His
frustration that he cannot accomplish what he truly desires (i.e., obedience
to God) is now resolved into the realization that his disobedience is in fact
the accomplishment of sin. Thus, at the level of his “inward man” (see v
22), he remains “enslaved” to God’s law (v 25). In the words we are looking
at, Paul gives expression to the truth that the Christian’s inner self remains
sinless (see the discussion under v 25).
7:18-19. The sharp differentiation between sin and himself that Paul has
just made (v 17) facilitates the recognition that he fundamentally lacks the
ability to do any good thing. There is no good thing that dwells in him, that
is, in the flesh. To be sure, his inward man has the capacity to wish to do
that which is good. The capacity to desire this lies ready at hand for him.
That is not the problem. But the ability to accomplish what is good is
absent because of his flesh.
With the statements of these verses, Paul is beginning to show that “the
body [his flesh] is dead because of sin” (8:10). His complete inability to
accomplish what is good is because he dwells in a spiritually dead body.
Try as he may, he is unable to discover how to surmount the impediment of
his body in order to obey God’s law.
The expression I do not discover is of interest. The experience Paul is
describing is more than one in which he futilely tries and fails. It is also an
experience of seeking to find out (discover) how to do what God desires
him to do (cf. v 24).
Paul’s words therefore hint that the believer often does not find the secret
of victorious Christian living until he is urgently seeking to discover it.
7:20. Paul repeats the conclusion already expressed in v 17, emphasizing
this point. In his innermost self, he is in harmony with God’s will (see v 22).
Thus, Paul affirms that when I myself act contrary to my deepest desire, I
myself do not in fact really do the evil thing. Instead the sin that dwells in
me does it.
Both in v 17 and here, the English phrase I myself is emphatic. The Greek
pronoun in this passage is used consistently as a reference to Paul’s deepest,
truest self that wants to do good.
7:21. Paul’s experience has allowed him to discover the fact that when he
wishes to do what is good, evil lies ready at hand for him.
 This discovery takes the form of a law (this law). It is an unbreakable
principle that is invariably operative in his human experience. That is, this
law pertains to him and impacts his personal experience as he struggles
against sin.
Paul does not share the illusion that some modern Christians have that if
we have been regenerated, then obedience to God’s law is both simple and
natural. They are forgetting a fact of which Paul was painfully conscious—
that although the Spirit within us is life, the physical body remains dead to
God’s will (see 8:10). They are forgetting the law Paul is referring to here.
7:22-23. Paul elaborates the concept of law. We note four “laws” here: (1)
the law of God; (2) another law in my body’s members; (3) the law of
my understanding; and (4) the law of sin which is in my body’s
members.
Of course, by the term law of God Paul has in mind chiefly the Mosaic
moral code. In that law his inward man can and does delight.
But another law in his body’s members opposes the willingness of his
inward man to conform to God’s law. That law is actually waging war with
the desire of his inward man. In the light of v 25 (see discussion there), Paul
most likely means by this particular law the inclination of his sinful flesh
which always desires the opposite of what the Spirit desires (see also Gal
5:16-17).
The desire of his inward man to obey God’s law is expressed by the term
the law of my understanding. Paul means by this that his inward man
understands that the law is “holy” and “spiritual” (vv 12 and 14) and that its
command is “holy and righteous and good” (v 12). Therefore, it is highly
desirable.
But the law in his body’s members (law #2) overcomes the desire of the
law of his understanding (law #3). It does so by utilizing the law of sin
which is in his body’s members (law #4) so that by means of this law (#4),
he is taken captive.
This final law (the law of sin) can be understood as the “reign” of sin in his
physical flesh (see 6:12) resulting in the subservience of his physical body
to its dictates. Thus the impulses of his body, by means of its enslavement
to the law of sin, are invariably aligned against his desire for obedience to
God. These impulses thus become a law in his body’s members (#3) that is
driven by the law of sin (#4). The result is Paul’s captivity to “the evil
thing” that he does “not wish to do” (v 19).
7:24-25. Paul found the situation he described intolerable. The disconnect
between his inward, holy desires and the impulses/actions of his physical
body left him wretched. He cried out wondering who might be able to
deliver him from the body of this kind of death. The solution became
plain to him (v 25).
Paul means exactly what his words suggest here. The Christian person—
who has Christ in Him—lives in a spiritually dead body, as is plainly stated
in 8:10. The body is therefore like a dead albatross hanging around the
spiritual “neck” of the regenerate inward man. It continually drags him
down to defeat.
He states the answer at once. He is thankful that God can deliver through
Jesus Christ our Lord. This triumphant assertion prepares the way for
Paul’s exposition of victorious Christian living that follows in the next
chapter.
But before launching that discussion, he pauses to summarize the
conclusions to be drawn from the experience described in 7:7-24.
Out of his frustrating experience of spiritual defeat, two truths emerge
clearly. First, I myself serve the law of God with my understanding
(inward man, see v 22). Second, with the flesh I serve the law of sin.
His inner servitude to God’s law is counterbalanced by his servitude to the
law of sin. The former servitude cannot find expression because of the latter
servitude. The fruitless struggle described in the preceding verses (vv 15-
23) has made this fact plain.
Paul’s understanding is the sphere in which the law is served, while the
flesh is the instrument with which he carries out sin’s desires.
Finally, we must notice that in the first clause of this last statement, Paul
says that the “real I” does not sin.
In this kind of treatment of the problem of sin, we meet a concept not
unlike that found in 1 John 3:9 and 5:18. There the regenerate person is said
not to sin nor to be able to sin. Due to the fact that God’s “seed remains in”
the regenerate person, “he cannot sin because he has been born of God”
(1 John 3:9). It is easy to see that this “impossibility” that John describes
can be conveyed by Paul’s metaphor about being “enslaved” to the law of
God. Paul’s “inward man” does not, and cannot, “do” the sin he hates (Rom
7:20-23).
b. The Adequacy of the Spirit for Spiritual Victory (8:1-39)
i. The spiritual resurrection of our mortal body (8:1-13)
8:1. The statement of this verse succinctly expresses the core of Christian
victory. In referring to the issue of servitude to sin (katakrima), Paul has
reference to the problem discussed in the previous chapter and in 5:12-21.
As Paul’s exposition in 5:12-21 has shown, “through one offense [that is,
Adam’s sin] judgment” has come “to all men to produce servitude
[katakrima] to sin” (5:18; cf. 5:16).
Contrary to the widely held opinion that in 8:1 Paul is discussing the truth
of justification as the removal of all condemnation, Paul is referring to the
reign of sin and death that was initiated by the fall of Adam.
This servitude to sin, Paul declares, does not exist for those (1) [who] are
in Christ Jesus, and (2) [who] do not walk in relation to the flesh but in
relation to the Spirit. Regrettably the words in point 2 are omitted by most
modern translations, due to their reliance on a few older Greek manuscripts
that differ from the reading found in most manuscripts.
Being in Christ Jesus is essential to experience this freedom from sin’s
bondage (cf. 6:1-11). But, as Paul’s previous discussion has shown, by itself
it is not enough. The second step to victory therefore is walking in relation
to the Spirit. Here we pick up the word walk that Paul has used in 6:4.
The statement of this option (repeated in vv 4, 13) introduces a component
that was not present in Paul’s struggles as described in 7:15-25—the Holy
Spirit. The Spirit was not a factor at all in those struggles. His introduction
into the process of Christian living is, for Paul, the key to spiritual victory.
The role of the Spirit will be immediately expounded in the following
section (vv 2-13).
A paraphrase might be: “those who walk flesh-wise,” and “those who walk
Spirit-wise,” that is, with a fleshly or with a spiritual orientation.
8:2. The reason that servitude to sin does not exist for those described in v
1 is that the Spirit of life liberates them from the law of sin and death.
But the liberation being described is experiential and cannot be
automatically predicated of all believers (cf. 7:15-25). Paul personalizes the
statement—[He] has freed me from the law of sin and death. The fact
that he does not say “us” is not an accident. Each believer must claim this
victory in his own experience.
8:3. The incapacity of the law was due to the impediment that the flesh
posed to Paul’s fulfillment of its holy demands. The law, therefore, was
weak because of the flesh and could not aid Paul in the resolution of this
problem.
The reason Paul has been freed from “the law of sin and death” (v 2) is due
to God sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh [the
incarnation] and as a sacrifice for sin [the cross].
As Paul has been at pains to show (see 3:21-26; 4:23-25), by His death
Christ has made it possible for God to “be righteous and [to] justify the
person who has faith in Jesus” (3:26). Such a person now becomes
righteous in Christ. Thus the death of Christ is also a sentence of doom
upon sin in the flesh, destroying its present power and presaging its final
removal from the experience of the one who is “righteous by faith” (1:17).
Therefore, “the law of sin and death” (v 2) has no right any longer to rule
the experience of the justified person. He has died in Christ and sin has no
legal claim on him, “for he who has died is justified [freed] from sin” (6:7).
He or she can now live to God (6:11).
8:4. The very thing Paul found himself unable to do as he strove to obey
the law (7:15-25) has now become possible for him by means of the Spirit.
The righteous action of the law can be fulfilled by him as he walks in
relation to the Spirit.
Paul uses here the Greek word dikaiōma (righteous action) which he has
used previously in Romans only at 1:32; 2:26; 5:16, 18. In fact, 5:16
specifically contrasts katakrima and dikaiōma, the very words used in 8:1
(katakrima) and here (dikaiōma).
Many English translations misconstrue Paul’s point, translating dikaiōma
as righteous requirement (NKJV, NASB, NET, ESV), not righteous action.
No one fulfills the law (1 John 1:8). But believers can manifest righteous
action.
The righteous action which the law stipulated, but failed to produce (see
7:15-25), can be achieved under grace. Understood this way, the singular of
dikaiōma is important.
The singular occurs because Paul’s statement is a statement of principle.
What Paul is affirming is that the thing that couldn’t be done by living under
the law can in fact be achieved by walking in relation to the Spirit.
But, as already indicated in 8:1, freedom from “servitude to sin” (cf. 5:16,
18) depends not only on being “in Christ Jesus” but also, as repeated here,
on not walking in relation to the flesh but in relation to the Spirit. Paul will
now proceed to discuss this Spirit-led walk (8:5-13).
8:5. Paul clarifies the basis on which he can affirm the “righteous action of
the law” is carried out only by those who “walk…in relation to the Spirit.”
This is true because the phrases he uses to describe a person’s walk suggest
an individual’s orientation. Those who are in relation to the flesh
describes people who are oriented to the things of the flesh. But in
contrast, those who are in relation to the Spirit are people oriented to the
things of the Spirit. It is this latter orientation that is crucial to spiritual
victory.
The key word in this concept is the Greek verb phroneō, translated here as
have their minds set on. This verb occurs for the first time in Romans in
this verse. The cognate noun phronēma also occurs in 8:6, 7, 27 and
nowhere else in the NT. The concept involved in these two words is crucial
to Paul’s thought in this section (8:1-13).
The orientation of the individual Christian—that is, their focus, or mind-
set—is seen by Paul as a pivotal element in the Christian “walk.”
While striving for holiness under the law, Paul had focused on the
commands (e.g., “lust”) so that his mind-set was fleshly: “I must steer clear
of all lust.” This fleshly orientation doomed him to commit the very sin he
sought to avoid.
Simply put, if one lives with a fleshly orientation—even if it is the result
of a vigorous effort to keep the law—he is going to fail because he has the
wrong mind-set.
8:6. These two mind-sets, the mind-set of the flesh and the mind-set of
the Spirit, Paul affirms, are poles apart. One belongs to the sphere of, and
results in, death. The other belongs to a contrasting sphere with contrasting
results, life and peace.
The trap into which a Christian falls when he is principally concerned with
the law itself is that he cannot escape a preoccupation with the spiritual
deadness within and around him. The mind-set of the Spirit, however, lifts
his preoccupations to the level of supernatural life and peace. Paul’s
discussion (to the end of chap. 8) proceeds to explore this concept.
 8:7. Since the mind-set of the flesh is inescapably preoccupied with the
sphere of sin and death (v 6), it cannot be rescued from this preoccupation
and from all the evil inclinations that manifest themselves in that sphere.
Thus, Paul’s experience of spiritual defeat could not be changed if this
mind-set remained unchanged.
The flesh’s mind-set not only does not submit to the law of God, it is
incapable of doing so. For a Christian to be trapped in the wrong mind-set is
to be trapped in a life of continuous defeat, precisely as Paul has described
in 7:7-25.
8:8-9. Unregenerate persons (that is, the unjustified) are people who are in
the flesh. Since the mind-set of the flesh is the only one possible for them,
they are completely unable to please God. The Christian life can be lived
only by Christians.
It is important to keep in mind that walking in relation to the flesh (see vv
1, 4) is not, in Paul’s thought, the exclusive experience of those who are in
the flesh. The Christian still has the sinful flesh in his physical body (e.g.,
7:22-25; cf. 8:13) and can therefore walk in relation to the flesh. But he also
has another option. At the level of his innermost man (see 7:22, 25), he is
not in the flesh but in the Spirit. This means that he can also walk in
relation to the Spirit.
This is the first time in Romans that Paul has used the terminology in the
flesh and in the Spirit, but it is clear that they are the functional equivalents
for him of the “unjustified” and the “justified.” The distinguishing feature in
the contrast here is whether the person has the Spirit of Christ. If someone
does not have the Spirit of Christ, that person does not belong to Him at
all.
8:10. On the one hand, the physical bodies of believers remain morally
dead. On the other hand, the inner presence of the Spirit gives them life
within those very same dead bodies.
Paul makes clear that the Christian’s body is incapable of producing the
life of God on its own. This is precisely what Paul had discovered in the
fruitless struggles recorded in 7:15-25. Apart from intervention by the
Spirit, the resulting spiritual defeat cannot be reversed.
8:11. The Spirit can impart to these mortal bodies (v 10) an experience of
life. This statement does not refer to our future resurrection. Instead, it
refers to the life and peace produced by the mind-set of the Spirit (v 6b).
Thus the Spirit can overcome the death that characterizes the fallen state of
our present mortal bodies (v 10) and can make them vehicles for expressing
the divine life within us.
The resurrecting power of God the Father (the One who raised Christ
from the dead), exercised through His Spirit, can bring us into experiential
union with the risen life of Christ so that we actually walk in that “newness
of life” (6:4) that He Himself possesses.
In every respect the “resurrection” of the believer’s mortal body that Paul
describes here is accomplished on account of His Spirit who indwells us.
8:12-13. Paul now brings this unit of his discussion (8:1-13) to a close. We
Christians (brothers) are in no way obligated to the flesh to live in
relation to the flesh.
But Paul is far from denying the possibility of this. In fact, he bluntly
warns his Christian readers that if you live in relation to the flesh you will
die.
In fact, Paul had already tasted a “death experience” in the days when he
struggled unsuccessfully against his sinful impulses (see discussion 7:9, 11).
Thus, a kind of fellowship death had occurred, cutting him off from the
experience of God’s life.
By contrast, if by the ministry of the Spirit we put to death the deeds of
the body—that is, if we cease to obey the body’s desires—then we can
enjoy the eternal life that God has given to us as a free gift (cf. 6:22-23).
The word translated you will live (zēsesthe) recalls the word zēsetai in
1:17 (“Now the one who is righteous by faith shall live”). Precisely in the
manner outlined in Rom 8:1-13, the justified person can, by the power of
the Spirit, live righteously in his experience.
ii. Our spiritual triumph over suffering (8:14-39)
8:14. Clearly the life experienced in the Spirit’s pathway (8:1-13) is
appropriately described as being led by the Spirit of God.
In the context of Romans 8, this has nothing to do with a mystical leading
of the Lord, or inner direction (that is more mystical than Biblical). Here the
larger context suggests that being led by the Spirit of God is a life in
conformity to the revealed will of God as found in His Word.
Strikingly, this is Paul’s first use in Romans of the Greek word son (huios)
other than in reference to Jesus Christ (as in 1:3, 4, 9; 5:10; 8:3). This
statement does not simply mean that those led by the Spirit are Christians.
In Galatians, Paul clearly distinguished between a “minor child” (nēpios)
and a “son” (huios). The former is under the governance of a tutor (the law),
while the latter is the “adult son” who is no longer under this tutor (see Gal
4:1-7). If the Galatians passage is compared carefully with Rom 8:14-17,
their similarities will be obvious.
Both passages refer to sons (Gal 4:4; Rom 8:14), heirs (Gal 4:1,7; Rom
8:14, 17), and adoption (Gal 4:5; Rom (8:15).
In the light of Paul’s teaching in Gal 4:1-7, it is natural here to take the
expression the sons of God as a reference to the life-experience of the adult
sons who are not under the law. In contrast to the earlier struggle (described
in Rom 7:7-25) in which the regenerate inner man strived vainly to fulfill
God’s law, now the one led by the Spirit lives the life of an adult son who is
no longer under the law (note especially 6:14).
8:15. To be under the law is to experience a spirit of bondage, that is, to
live under coercion and not in spiritual liberty. This spirit says, “I must do
this,” rather than, “I want to do this.”
Such bondage had the effect of producing fear, since disobedience to the
law stood under the threat of retribution. Man’s inability to keep the law
resulted in him living continuously under this retributive threat (cf. Gal
3:10).
As Paul made clear in Rom 6:4-14, the believer has entered into “newness
of life” by virtue of his union with Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection. This union, in fact, was effected by the work of the Spirit (see
discussion under 6:4). The Spirit did not again place us under the law.
All of this is what is intended by the expression a spirit of adoption as an
adult son (cf. Gal 4:5). He lives, so to speak, a “grown-up” life which, for
Paul, means a life “led by the Spirit of God” (v 14). This grown up son,
moved by means of the Spirit, can cry out, “Abba, Father!”
8:16. As we pray (v 15), both the Holy Spirit and our own spirit testify
together that we are the children of God. Paul will shortly say the Spirit is
involved in our prayer life and personally makes intercession for us (vv 26,
27).
This verse is often misunderstood as a reference to some kind of inner
(mystical) witness to (as opposed to with) our human spirit that gives us a
subjective assurance that we are born again. Paul knows nothing of this
kind of “inner witness.” This false conclusion is usually based on the
English translation which sounds like it could mean that. But the meaning
of the verb “testify with” is “to provide supporting evidence by testifying,
[to] confirm, support by testimony” (BDAG, p. 957). Thus the Holy Spirit
supports the testimony of our human spirit when we claim God as our
heavenly Father as we cry, “Abba, Father.” It is as though the Spirit said to
the Father as we prayed, “This is Your child.”
The result of this “twofold witness” is that in the heavenly audience room
our status before God as His children has the firmest possible claim on His
divine attention. Our conviction that God will indeed listen to our prayers is
thereby strengthened, even when we are unsure exactly what we should
pray for (vv 26, 27).
This knowledge is foundational to what Paul is now about to say about
Christian suffering.
8:17. To begin with, we are heirs…of God. In v 17, Paul has two forms of
heirship in mind. This double heirship is clearly signaled by the
construction (on the one hand…on the other hand). Not only are God’s
children heirs of God, but they may also become co-heirs with Christ on
the condition that they “co-suffer” with Him.
According to OT inheritance law, the firstborn son in a family normally
received twice as much as the other sons (Deut 21:17). To be co-heirs with
Christ is to be co-heirs with the Firstborn (8:29).
This second heirship—co-heirship with Christ—is predicated on “co-
suffering” that leads to “co-glorification.” Paul’s Greek text emphasizes the
“co-” element by a repeated use of a Greek prefix with all three words: co-
heirs; co-sufferers; co-glorified. The word if indicates the conditional nature
of this statement.
It is this last aspect of our heirship that leads Paul directly into the theme
of suffering which will occupy him until the end of the chapter (8:39).
The mention of the suffering/glory motif in v 17 turns Paul’s discussion
toward the intrinsic relationship between these two things in the experience
of God’s children/sons. It also leads him to the natural now/then correlation
which those two themes suggest. Suffering is a present experience, while
glory is a future one.
8:18. Paul now underlines the huge disparity between the present suffering
and future glory. Although our sufferings in the present time so often
seem dreadful and nearly unbearable, they are dwarfed by the superlative
greatness of the glory to which they lead. So much is this the case that our
sufferings cannot stand any real comparison with the glory that is going to
be revealed for us (or “which is waiting for us,” JB translation).
Paul’s point is that the glory God has prepared for us far exceeds in worth
and value the temporary deprivations that sufferings entail (cf. 2 Cor 4:17).
8:19-21. The words what is eagerly desired personify the creation.
Because of the very presence of corruption and death, nature has an intense
longing to attain release from these things.
But such a release can only come when there is a revelation of the sons of
God (cf. 8:14, 15). The adult status possessed by all believers, and
experienced as they are “led by the Spirit” (see discussion under v 14), will
be on full and glorious display at the coming of Christ, and that display will
result in the liberation of creation itself from its bondage to corruption.
Verse 20 is best treated as a parenthetical comment, and v 21, with its
initial because, picks up the link with v 19. Verse 19 asserts that the creation
desires something that awaits the revelation of the sons of God, while v 20
explains exactly what the creation stands in need of.
God’s splendid creation was subjected to futility unwillingly as a result of
man’s fall in Eden (see Gen 3:17-19). This subjection to futility was
because of Him Who did this with special reference to man’s hope for the
future (in hope).
Indeed, just as God offered hope to mankind in general (Gen 3:15), so also
that hope, by implication, was extended to the creation that Satan’s triumph
had damaged. The Serpent’s head was to be crushed (Gen 3:15), with all
that this prophecy implied. The later prophets also spoke of this hope (Isa
11:6-9; 65:25; Hos 2:18) as part of Israel’s expectation when her kingdom
would be established by Messiah.
Having specifically articulated the dire condition of nature (in v 20), Paul
returns to the point stated in v 19, namely, the creation waits for God’s
sons to be manifested. It waits precisely because when the revelation of the
sons of God takes place, then the creation itself will be released from
bondage to corruption. Corruption and death will be completely removed
from the natural world. Nature will no longer be in bondage to these things.
This deliverance will allow creation to share the liberty of the glory of
the children of God. As a result of their being “heirs of God” (8:17), these
children will at that time have fully entered into the privilege of their
“adoption as sons” (8:15). They will be totally free from all the effects of
sin, corruption and death when they are resurrected (or, “transformed” at the
Rapture). The new body will be a body of glory (cf. 1 Cor 15:43), fully at
liberty from all sin-related bondage. Such is the glorious heirship of every
“child” of God whether or not he attains to co-heirship with Jesus Christ
(8:17). Into that kind of liberty, the creation also will come.
8:22-23. Paul now describes the whole creation as racked with severe
pain. The creation not only groans together but also suffers labor pains
together. In unison, the entire created natural order is groaning and
undergoing agonies that look toward a new age (v 19).
But it is not only the creation that groans. Also we who have the first
fruits of the Spirit do the same.
Paul has already spoken of a spiritual resurrection of our bodies that is
accomplished by the power of the Spirit (8:11) and which empowers us to
live in newness of life (8:12-13; see 6:4). Yet such resurrection life is never
perfectly realized in our “mortal bodies” (8:11) and awaits a total
fulfillment. That will come when we are resurrected/transformed into our
future bodies to enjoy “the liberty of the glory of the children of God”
(8:21). It awaits what Paul in this verse calls the redemption of our body.
The result of experiencing this kind of first fruits of the Spirit is to produce
an intense desire for its full realization in the future. Consequently, we who
have the first fruits of the Spirit, and therefore walk in newness of life, do
indeed groan within ourselves precisely because we long for the complete
realization of our adoption as sons (see 8:15)—namely, the redemption of
this present mortal body. In other words, we long for complete victory over
all sin. Our spiritual resurrection is therefore the first fruits of our physical
one. We eagerly wait for the full realization of our status as sons.
8:24-25. Paul now returns to a fundamental theme of Romans: we have
been delivered in hope. The deliverance Paul has in mind is precisely the
experience of walking in newness of life (6:4) that Paul has expounded in
Rom 8:1-13.
The present “spiritual resurrection” of our bodies by the power of the
indwelling Spirit is, by its very nature, a “first fruits” of our final
resurrection and of our entrance into the unhindered experience of eternal
life forever and ever.
 Thus we have been delivered in hope, since the very experience of the
Spirit’s power in our mortal bodies accentuates and deepens our longing
and expectation (hope) for the full experience (that is, “the redemption of
our body”).
However wonderful our present experience of the Spirit’s “delivering”
power may be, it does not fulfill our ultimate longing, which is for a perfect
deliverance. This “deliverance” we do not see yet, for if we did see it, it
would no longer be hope.
The groanings of both creation and ourselves express our mutual longing
and expectation. And when our hope is realized, so will also be realized the
hope of creation itself (v 19).
In the meantime, as we hope for what we do not see, we should do so
with endurance. With the mention of the word endurance, Paul will now
turn to the intensely practical issue of how we bear up under our sufferings
as we wait for the ultimate glorious reality which inspires our hope (see the
discussion of 5:1-11).
How then can we endure sufferings? Paul addresses this in 8:26-32.
8:26-27. Paul now very deftly transitions to the theme of how to bear up
under suffering. We urgently need divine help in our weaknesses.
In fact, our weaknesses are manifest precisely in our times of prayer. Into
this gap comes the intercessory work of the Spirit who dwells within us.
Consequently, during our own inarticulate groanings, the Spirit Himself
makes intercession for us. The preceding context speaks clearly of our own
groanings (v 23) and the reference is surely to that. He prays the requests
we ourselves do not know to pray.
God searches our hearts at such times and knows therefore what His
Spirit within us desires (the aspiration of the Spirit). This is precisely the
phrase that Paul also employs in 8:6. The realization of the Spirit’s “mind-
set” is after all a realization of His aspiration for us. In Christian living (8:6)
He desires us to experience “life and peace.” There is no reason to doubt
that the aims of His intercessory work for us are exactly those things. In
fact, when suffering is borne “with endurance” (8:25), it enhances our
experience of “life and peace.”
That the intercession of the Spirit is unquestionably effective on our behalf
is declared in the words because He makes intercession on behalf of the
saints in harmony with God. This statement contains the first reference to
believers as saints in Romans since 1:7.
In the Holy Spirit we have the ideal Intercessor in time of testing precisely
because He and the One who searches the hearts are united in their
aspiration for the saints.
8:28. This famous Pauline statement has been misunderstood.
The words All things (panta) do not refer to all events in our personal
lives. Instead, they refer to the entire creation (vv 19-23). The Greek word
often stood in the NT for the totality of existing things (cf. Heb 2:8-10).
From Paul’s perspective, as we suffer for Christ, our groanings are part of
the larger travail of “the whole creation” (v 22) which longs for freedom
from sin and death. That, of course, is the ultimate good.
The phrase those who love God is the direct object of work together
with. The meaning is that all of creation works harmoniously together with
those who love God to produce the good that lies ahead in the age to come.
Another way of putting this idea is that when we suffer as Christians, we
participate in God’s larger goal of preparing for the day when God’s
children are manifested (vv 19-21).
When a Christian suffers for Christ, he should no longer think of it as
merely “his personal troubles,” but rather as a part of God’s glorious
purpose for creation and for His “sons” whose “glory” is about to be
revealed (vv 18-19). True Christian suffering is therefore an intrinsic part of
a cosmic drama that is currently unfolding. To understand them that way is
to find strength to endure them.
There are many sufferings that Christians bring on themselves because of
their sinfulness, and Paul is not talking about these. He is talking rather
about suffering for Christ.
In short, those who love God share deeply in God’s cosmic plan. They do
so precisely because they may also be described as those who are called in
harmony with His purpose.
In the immediate context, God’s purpose is clearly seen to be the release of
all things (panta) from bondage to corruption at the same time as this
release is manifested in the sons of God (vv 19, 21). God’s purpose is that
both God’s children, and the created order, should experience this splendid
freedom.
 8:29-30. Laid out in these verses are five elements: [God] (1) knew in
advance, (2) predetermined, (3) called, (4) justified, and (5) glorified.
(1) Knew in advance. Individual Christians in no way catch God by
surprise when they become believers. In fact, God knew such believers far
in advance of their exercise of faith.
(2) Predetermined. God predetermined (not predestined) that those so
known should share the likeness of His Son (i.e., not eternal salvation
per se, but rather conformity to Christ) so that He might be the
Firstborn among many brothers. But as v 17 declares, co-heirship is also
a possibility since if we co-suffer with Him, we shall also be co-glorified
with Him.
(3) Called. According to v 28, those with whom “all things” are
cooperating toward eternal “good” are those who have been “called in
harmony with His purpose.”
(4) Justified. In a context where suffering is the major concern, it is crucial
that our fundamental relationship to God involves justification with its
accompanying peace and access to the divine throne. Only in the assurance
that such a relationship with God exists for us can we find the spiritual
strength to endure our sufferings. The concept involved here is more fully
explicated in vv 31-34.
(5) Glorified. Although glorification is actually future, here it is presented
in the same past tense (aorist) as are the statements that precede it in this
series. Since an aorist is quite capable of what the grammarians call a
“gnomic” sense, its use as a statement of a fixed principle or a regular
action is natural. All five of the aorists could well be rendered as
“gnomic”—i.e., “those whom He knows in advance…predetermines…
calls…justifies…glorifies.”
Here Paul picks up the theme of “glory” mentioned first in v 17 and then
developed in vv 18-21. The climactic statement of v 21 specifies the shared
“glory” of the creation and the “children of God,” which is perfect freedom
from the “bondage to corruption.” So, it is clear that “all the creation” (v
21) participates in the glory to which all the children of God are heirs. But
the mention in v 29 of the Firstborn Heir also recalls the fact that Paul has
already suggested that there is a co-heirship predicated on suffering (v 17b).
But what does this mean in the present context?
The following verses make that clear.
 8:31-32. What an encouragement the truth of vv 29-30 ought to be for the
suffering believer. If God is for us, who is really against us? Who can
truly oppose God?
But beyond this stabilizing fact, the believer also can expect, as a result of
his sufferings, a tremendous compensation. Paul has already indicated in v
17b that we will be “co-heirs with Christ if we suffer together with Him so
that we may also be glorified together with Him.” When He is glorified as
the Ruler of all creation, they will be co-glorified together with Him sharing
the same rulership.
Paul does not say that God has given His own Son to us, but on behalf of
us all. That is, Christ died in place of us and for our eternal salvation.
Paul’s logic is clear. God did not even spare the life of His own Son but
delivered Him up to lay it down on behalf of us all. If our eternal interests
required God to make so enormous a sacrifice, why would He hesitate to
give us the whole creation together with the Son He refused to spare?
The greater benefit (the death of God’s Son) makes the lesser one (all
things) reasonable, even though both benefits are staggering to the human
mind.
Here then we meet a theme that is extremely prominent in the NT (cf. Rom
8:17; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26-28; 3:21): the future King will rule all things
and so will we together with Him if we endure suffering for His sake. To
co-suffer leads to being co-glorified with Jesus Christ in His exaltation over
all creation (8:17b).
8:33-34. Paul proceeds in vv 33-34 to tie the suffering/glory theme again
to the truth of justification.
In the midst of any experience of suffering there is the temptation to think,
“I am guilty and I deserve this.”
But there is no legitimate condemning voice against the believer who co-
suffers with Christ. Who can bring a charge against God’s chosen ones?
God Himself is the Justifier of such persons.
God does not accept charges against His chosen ones who are already in
the stream of His plans for them which end in eternal Christlikeness (vv 29-
30). After all, He is the One who justifies them. Nor can this justification
be properly challenged by anyone (Who is the one who condemns?), since
it is based on the fact that Christ is the One who died and who also rose
(cf. 3:21-26; 4:22-25).
 But here Paul adds that the Lord Jesus also is at the right hand of God
and there He also intercedes on our behalf. Paul nowhere else in his
epistles refers to the intercessory work of Christ on our behalf in the
presence of God. (He has referred to the intercession of the Holy Spirit
within us: 8:27.)
8:35-37. Paul returns to the rich theme of God’s love (cf. 5:3-5). He has
also made the cross of Christ the central demonstration of that love (5:8).
Here, however, Paul explicitly refers for the first time in Romans to the
love of Christ. Our Intercessor is more than a disinterested defense attorney
—His intercession is motivated by love.
Considering all that Christ has done, and is doing, for us, who will
separate us from such love as that? Paul’s list (seven items) is intended to
refer to all eventualities, whether living beings or any possible experience.
However, the accumulation of words in v 35 is not intended to indicate
matters that are fully distinct from one another. Instead, the accumulation of
seven negative terms has a rhetorical effect equivalent to “nothing
whatever.”
The first two, tribulation and hardship, are general words and are close
to being synonymous. But the following five terms (persecution, famine,
nakedness, danger, and sword) suggest the various forms in which
tribulation and hardship often come.
Such troubles are attested by Scripture as experiences of the godly. Paul
now takes up the words of Ps 44:22 and applies them to himself and to
other suffering believers: “for Your sake we are put to death all day long.”
As the previous verses of the Psalm disclose, this was not the result of sin
(cf. Ps 44:20-21).
But tragic as the experience he describes may appear, on the contrary
(i.e., despite appearances) in all these things we are more than
conquerors.
This ultimate victory, Paul asserts, is achieved through Him who loved
us. With the phrases “love of Christ” and Him who loved us in v 35 and
“the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v 38), Paul employs a
triad of references to his Savior’s love that tie vv 35-38 together as a unit.
The suffering believer’s situation is impregnable and moves irresistibly
toward complete and unequivocal victory.
 8:38-39. In a superbly elegant hymn of praise to the permanence of God’s
love in Christ, Paul brings the entire first movement of his first section
(1:18–8:39) to a climactic conclusion. This virtual song of triumph is
composed of ten elements combined into a strophic arrangement of 2
(death, life) +3 (angels, principalities, powers) and 2 (things present, things
to come) + 3 (height, depth, any other created thing). Paul affirms his
complete conviction (I am persuaded) that none of the entities enumerated
can separate him from the ongoing reality of divine love.
The experiences or forces which cannot cut the persecuted believer off
from Christ’s love are: (1) neither death nor life (that is, nothing in our
experience of living, nor in the cessation of that experience); (2) nor angels
nor principalities nor powers (that is, no supernatural being whatever its
exalted position); (3) nor things present nor things to come (that is, no
eventuality already present or that will be present in the future); nor height
nor depth nor any other created thing (that is, nothing at the highest level
of existence or the lowest level or anything in between).
In the final threefold enumeration, Paul is probably thinking of beings like
Satan with access to heaven (height), of beings whose sphere is in the
bowels of hell (depth), and of created beings wherever they may be (cf. Eph
1:19-23; Phil 2:9-11).
The Risen and Exalted One who is at the right hand of God (v 34) is for
Paul the Possessor of absolute power over every experience and every
being. He is the ultimate bulwark that shields us from separation from
God’s love, inasmuch as that love is found in Him who is Christ Jesus our
Lord!
D. Parenthesis: God’s Faithfulness Will Bring Deliverance to
Israel (9:1–11:36)
1. Introduction: Paul’s Grief for Israel (9:1-5)
9:1-2. Paul strongly asserts that he is telling the truth about his concern
for the spiritual state of Israel. He forcefully adds, I am not lying, and my
conscience bears witness with me in the Holy Spirit.
Paul’s attitude toward Israel is based on what the Scriptures reveal about
that nation’s relationship to God. His feelings are his own but are also
mediated to him by the Spirit through the Scriptures.
 He has profound sadness over the state of Israel. His emotional reaction is
one of both grief and pain in his heart. They are said to be great and
unceasing. His feelings for Israel are neither shallow nor intermittent.
9:3. The verb in (I…could wish) can mean “I almost wish.” The word
accursed does not suggest eternal condemnation. Physical death, perhaps
by execution, is the worst that the word implies (Acts 23:14).
It is likely that this deeply Christ-like man might at times almost have
wished that he could undergo death for his brothers, his fellow-
countrymen according to the flesh, just as Jesus had done for him. But, of
course, no such possibility was available to him. Paul is speaking here out
of very deep emotions.
9:4-5. Paul’s grief for Israel is also based upon Israel’s relationship with
God. They are Israelites, which denotes special divine favor (Gen 32:28).
Paul lists six blessings that they have received: Adoption as sons (Exod
4:22-23); the glory; the covenants; the legislation; the sacred service;
and the promises. God had called them His son, revealed His glory to
them, made covenants with them (Deut 5:3; 19:1), gave them stipulations
through the Law of Moses, gave them a God-ordained system of worship,
and gave them many promises, including the promise of the coming
Messiah.
By specifically stating to whom belong the fathers Paul indicates that the
nation benefited from being the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
But above all other things—and climactically—it must be said that this is
the nation from whom came Christ according to the flesh. That the nation
of Israel produced “the Savior of the world” (see John 4:22, 42) is indeed
the very pinnacle of divine privilege. This Christ was also the One who is
God over all, blessed forever.
2. Argument: God’s Promises Are Being Fulfilled (9:6–11:36)
a. Israel’s Unbelief Is Consistent with Scripture (9:6-33)
i. God’s Grace Is Selectively Channeled (9:6-13)
9:6. No one should suppose that anything has failed which the word of
God had promised or foretold. As Paul will carefully show, Israel’s future is
firmly guaranteed by that word and nothing that has happened in the current
behavior of Israel alters this ultimate reality.
 Israel does not consist of all those who are related to it in by being a part
of the nation. For Paul, it is one thing to be an Israelite in the natural sense
of that word, and another thing to be an Israelite spiritually.
9:7-9. This can be seen in the experience of Abraham. Just because there is
a physical descent from Abraham, that descent is not necessarily spiritual in
character. Ishmael and Isaac are examples.
The quotation from Gen 21:12 shows what Paul has in mind. The words,
“Through Isaac shall the descendants be called your own,” are part of a
response by God to Abraham regarding Sarah’s request that Ishmael and his
mother, the bondwoman, should be expelled from Abraham’s home (Gen
21:12). Isaac is designated the “true” seed of Abraham, leaving Ishmael
with a physical link to him but no spiritual standing as the divinely
designated line of descent.
Simply because people are Abraham’s descendants does not mean that
they are all his children. And by this he means, as he goes on to state in v
8, that it is not the children of the flesh who are children of God. To be
truly children of Abraham, Paul implies, is to be the children of God.
By way of analogy, therefore, believing Israelites are children of God by
faith in Christ, in contrast to unbelieving Israelites who are not. Instead, as
mere physical descendants of Abraham, they are actually children of the
flesh (Gal 3:7). Only believing Israelites have a spiritual sonship. These
children of God are, like Isaac was, children of the promise. It is the
children of the promise who are accounted as descendants of Abraham.
In the case of believers, however, the promise in question is no doubt the
promise of the Abrahamic blessing (Gen 12:3), which is a gospel promise
(Gal 3:8-9).
Isaac’s selection over Ishmael establishes the divine channel for fulfilling
God’s purposes through Israel. God Himself chose this channel.
9:10. The pregnancy of Rebecca with the twins Esau and Jacob is the
starting point of the new example.
It is significant that Paul stresses here that this pregnancy was by one
man. In the example of Isaac and Ishmael two different mothers were
involved. In theory an opponent might argue that Isaac was chosen over
Ishmael because of the differing status of the two mothers, but no such
difference existed for Esau and Jacob. No Israelite descended from Esau,
though Isaac and Rebecca were his parents as well.
 9:11-12. With Esau and Jacob behavior and character played no part in
God’s selection for the Messianic line. They had not yet been born when
God’s word came to Rebecca, so naturally neither of them had…done
anything good or bad. It was due entirely to God’s purpose in
accordance with His choice.
This has nothing to do with their eternal destiny. Paul was certainly not
discussing whether Esau and Jacob will be in God’s eternal kingdom.
Indeed, there is no reason to believe that either of them will not be. Instead,
Paul is simply reemphasizing that God sovereignly chose the vehicle
through which His purpose for Israel was to be realized. Natural, physical
descent is not the basis for God’s sovereign choice.
God’s favor toward Jacob was not by works but by Him who calls. Jacob
became the progenitor of the nation not because of works but because God
called him to that role.
Paul leaves completely unaddressed the question of why God chose Jacob
over Esau. It is illogical to deduce from this silence that there was nothing
at all about Jacob that made him a suitable object of divine grace. In Jacob’s
and Esau’s case, God’s purpose in accordance with His choice dealt with
their positions relative to one another in God’s plan. Esau thus received a
status inferior and subservient to that of his younger brother, Jacob (Gen
27:36-37).
9:13. Paul’s quotation of Mal 1:2-3 demonstrates that the status that Jacob
obtained through the blessing of Isaac was borne out by subsequent events.
It speaks of the inferior heritage of Esau in relation to Jacob as it concerns
their lands.
God’s treatment of Jacob’s heritage as opposed to Esau’s heritage was like
the contrast between love and hate. God did not hate Esau as a person. Still
less is this a reference to his eternal damnation. The descendants of Jacob
had a special and superior destiny.
The Israelites of Paul’s day could be divided between those who were
simply descendants of Abraham and Isaac (like Ishmael and Esau were) and
those whom God had “called” and “justified” apart from works.
ii. Scripture Validates God’s Mercy and Wrath in Reference to
Israel (9:14-29)
 9:14-16. This discussion leads to a question: There isn’t any
unrighteousness with God, is there?
Far from it! Paul replies. God has prerogatives regarding such matters.
In Exod 33:19, God says “I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy,
and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.” When it
comes to mercy and compassion, God asserts His own prerogative to
exercise these attributes toward the person, or persons, He Himself selects.
Thus, if God acts in mercy and compassion toward Isaac or towards Jacob,
there is no unrighteousness in doing so. Neither Ishmael nor Esau was
deprived of anything he had a right to claim.
It is God who sovereignly bestows mercy on whom He will. God, not
man, determines who receives His mercy. If we ask the question, “Whom
does God choose to have mercy on today?” the Pauline answer is
transparent. God has chosen to have mercy upon believers, both Jew and
Gentile (11:28-32).
Neither here nor elsewhere in Romans does Paul suggest that anyone is
prevented from believing by means of some kind of negative predestination
in eternity past. At the same time, Paul would not have agreed that faith
occurs without divine intervention (cf. 2 Cor 4:4-6). But Paul never tries to
“harmonize” these realities.
9:17-18. The right to show mercy involves also the right not to show
mercy. But in the withholding of mercy, God is free to harden whom He
wishes.
The Pharaoh in Exodus illustrates this principle. Once again, the issue is
not that of being predestined to eternal damnation. The issue is far narrower
than that. If God so chooses, He has a right to harden anyone He wishes.
God declares the reason for the hardening from His perspective: “that My
name may be declared in all the earth.” In short, Pharaoh was hardened that
God might be glorified.
In Exodus the hardening process is attributed to Pharaoh himself (Exod
8:15, 32). Had Pharaoh repented after only a few of the ten plagues, God’s
power would not have been fully demonstrated. But Paul’s point is to
simply insist that God had every right to do it.
Both points matter for Paul’s argument. God in fact is presently having
mercy on both Jews and Gentiles who believe (see 9:23-24; 11:30-32). But
He has also hardened unbelieving Israel (11:25). Both are sovereign
prerogatives that God exercises as He wishes. But the case of Pharaoh is
instructive, since Pharaoh hardened his own heart before God hardened it.
Paul would no doubt have said the same of Israel.
But Paul’s development of this theme also shows that God will still have
mercy on any individual Israelite who believes. Paul leaves undiscussed any
particular factors that might distinguish believing and unbelieving Israelites,
either in his time or in ours. The attempts to penetrate the unrevealed
counsels of God on this point are futile.
9:19-21. Someone might say, “Why does God still blame anyone? For
who withstands His will?” If God hardens the human heart, how could
anyone do anything differently, and therefore why would God blame him
for what he does? But Paul does not consider this a worthy question.
The words, On the contrary, O man, who are you to answer back to
God?, disallow the right of the questioner to raise this issue at all. This
shows the extreme limitations on knowledge that man possesses. How can
I, a mere human, possibly know in any case of hardening, the extent to
which there is human culpability?
So, the objection Paul is dismissing is a conceptual mismatch. One could
not imagine, says Paul, that the thing molded could say to its
Molder…“Why have you made me this way?”
A potter, in fact, was well within his rights to take a lump from a batch of
clay and make a beautiful vessel out of it. But equally he could draw from
the same batch the clay needed for a vessel used in the labors of a
household servant.
God is the eternal “Molder” and “Potter.” In His infinite wisdom and skill,
He fashions and forms human “clay” as it pleases Him to do.
A vessel for honor was proudly displayed to the guests in a household. A
vessel for dishonor was used for ignominious tasks and so was kept out of
sight in the kitchen area or in a closet.
To the vessel that reflects His glory, there is honor. To the one that serves
as the dark backdrop for that glory, there is dishonor. Man has no standing
at all to challenge this! Man cannot delegitimize God’s prerogatives.
9:22. The Divine Potter has a right to demonstrate His wrath and make
known His power if that is what He wishes to do. Wrath here recalls Rom
1:18. Israel in unbelief has become a focus for God’s wrath.
 As Paul’s discussion of God’s wrath in 1:18-32 shows, the term wrath is
temporal. Unbelieving Israelites do not have to remain in unbelief.
In fact, God has been implicitly merciful to the vessels of wrath. This is
seen in the fact that He has borne them with great patience. God has not
fully judged the nation yet.
9:23-24. God’s patience towards the vessels of wrath has lengthened the
time for the demonstration of His “wrath” and “power.” But it has also
afforded an opportunity for God to display Himself as well in terms of the
wealth of His glory. This glory is nothing less than the richness of His
mercy since that mercy has now been extended to Jews and Gentiles alike
(v 24).
The recalcitrance of Israel which has called forth divine wrath has also
been the catalyst for demonstrating how rich God is in mercy. Paul means
by this that God’s mercy has overleaped the boundaries of Israel itself and
has gone out to the Gentile world.
The vessels of mercy that have been prepared in this way are identified as
us whom in fact He has called. The idea is that this glory lies ahead, and
God has been at work to get us ready for it. Those vessels consist not only
of people from among the Jews, but also of people from among the
Gentiles.
9:25-26. Paul now begins to enforce his point from OT proof texts. He has
argued that God is dealing with unbelieving Israel through a wrath that is
tempered by long patience with them, and this allowed Him to extend His
mercy beyond the boundaries of Israel to Gentiles, who were not previously
God’s people at all. Hosea says this is true to God’s character.
The two quotations from Hosea present God’s loving acceptance of those
upon whom He shows mercy, since He acknowledges them as His people
and as “sons of the living God.” This acceptance is experienced by those
among both the Jews and Gentiles (vv 23-24). In the very broadest sense,
then, the divine action referred to by Hosea applies to all who experience
new birth and who thereby become God’s sons and are members of His
eternal family. What Hosea applied to Israel refers to nothing less than the
wealth of mercy that God bestows on all who are part of His true people.
9:27-28. In his second quotation, taken from Isa 10:22-23, Paul wishes to
establish the additional point that God’s mercy to Israel takes the form of
mercy to a greatly reduced segment of the whole nation.
 In the Isaiah passage (see Isa 10:20-27) we see that in the Great
Tribulation only a remnant of Israel will “be delivered” and survive to enter
the kingdom. Jesus was speaking of these very calamities in His Olivet
Discourse when He said, “And unless those days were shortened, no flesh
would be saved; but for the elect’s sake [i.e., for Israel’s sake] those days
will be shortened” (Matt 24:22). Israel will survive though in greatly
reduced numbers, precisely because of God’s mercy and fidelity to them.
It is important to note that this future deliverance is from temporal divine
wrath. The statement that “the remnant shall be delivered” ties the Isaiah
text back to Rom 5:9-10 and 8:24, and, finally, to the theme in Rom 1:16.
The reckoning that God would make with mankind “on the earth” would
be brief. Isaiah sees the Lord “completing it and cutting it short in
righteousness.” God’s righteous work of judgment will be swiftly
completed. God’s mercy would finally bring His wrath to its swift
consummation.
9:29. Isaiah 1:9 drives home Paul’s point. The destruction of the wicked
cities of Sodom and Gomorrah is not an example of eternal damnation, but
of devastating temporal judgment. Isaiah says that, but for God’s mercy,
Israel might be as completely wiped out as were these two notorious cities.
The OT (vv 25-29) has established that the God who sovereignly bestows
mercy on whom He wishes (9:14-18) is acting now in a way consistent with
Biblical revelation. As the Divine Potter, answerable to no one, He both
postpones His ultimate judgment on the vessels of wrath while dealing
mercifully with the vessels of mercy, both Jewish and Gentile (9:19-24).
iii. Conclusion: Israel Has Stumbled over Christ (9:30-33)
Paul is now prepared to state the bottom line in his argument so far. Israel
is the object of God’s wrath, and the Gentiles of His mercy, because of
Israel’s rejection of Christ. He now summarizes the present situation.
9:30-31. Gentiles are among those who are now vessels of mercy (9:24).
This leads to the startling result that the notoriously unrighteous Gentiles
have obtained righteousness. God’s mercy is such that this is true even
though these Gentiles previously were not pursuing righteousness at all.
This righteousness is not based on their conduct, since they were not even
pursuing such a goal, but is bestowed on them based on faith.
 The righteousness that is by faith, which has been obtained by Gentiles,
is quite different in character from the kind pursued by Israel. The Jewish
people are pursuing a form of righteousness. But it is not a faith-
righteousness, but rather the law of righteousness. But this pursuit has
failed (3:19-20), with the result that Israel has not attained to the law of
righteousness. Though Israel pursued legal righteousness with zeal (see
10:2), they have not reached their goal.
9:32-33. The reason for Israel’s failure to attain righteouness is because
they were seeking it in the wrong way. It was by means of the works of the
law rather than by faith.
In my translation the phrase “Stone of collision” replaces the traditional
one of “stumbling” because it is too weak here. Obviously, Israel had
collided violently with her promised Messiah, Jesus Christ, with the result
that He died a violent death at her hands.
But this collision was foretold by Isaiah the prophet. It comes from Isa
28:16 and includes the words about the believer not being ashamed. This
concluding statement from Isa 28:16, “And everyone who believes in Him
shall not be ashamed,” is important to the following discussion found in
Romans 10 and it is cited again in 10:11. Its use there suggests that Paul
understood these words as a command (e.g., “you shall not kill”) rather than
as a statement (e.g., “you will not kill”). Its force, then, is that despite the
rejection of Christ by Israel, for whom He is a Stone of collision, the
believer in Jesus should never be ashamed of Him and of his identification
with Him.
b. Israel’s Deliverance Requires Faith and Confession (10:1-21)
i. Israel’s Need for Righteousness (10:1-4)
10:1. Though it is true that Israel is under God’s wrath, Paul strongly
affirms that his desires for Israel are positive. The desire of his heart, as
well as his prayer to God, is that their spiritual situation might be radically
altered by the experience of deliverance.
The question might well be raised whether the Pauline ministry to the
Gentiles did not, in fact, show a basic hostility toward God’s ancient people.
He will now say specifically, his gospel was precisely what Israel needed.
10:2-3. Israel does have a real zeal for God. Paul can bear witness to that
fact. But this zeal is not properly guided by knowledge. Instead it is
founded on ignorance about God’s righteousness. By God’s righteousness
Paul means the righteousness that comes “through faith in Jesus Christ,
which is for all and is upon all who believe” (3:22, emphasis added).
Israel, therefore, is both ignorant of God’s righteousness and is also
seeking to establish their own righteousness. The result is that they have
not submitted to the righteousness of God.
In short, Israel refuses God’s righteousness in an ignorant preference for
their own righteousness.
10:4. Christ Himself, whom they have rejected, provides what Israel
wrongly thinks is attainable by the law. In Christ alone is found the
realization of the otherwise impossible goal of the law, namely, perfect
righteousness (Gal 3:21).
Righteousness was indeed the true goal of the law. Though no divine law
could accomplish that, Christ could do it for everyone who believes. This
includes Gentiles but here it particularly means any individual Jew who
believes.
ii. Israel’s Need for Paul’s Gospel (10:5-15)
10:5. According to Moses, the righteousness which is by the law could
only be obtained after a person had done the things the law required. Israel
has failed in this regard (2:17-29; 3:9-20).
Paul here quotes from Lev 18:5. It is noteworthy that Paul’s citation does
not use the term righteousness and instead refers to life (shall live). For
Paul, the failure of the law was not simply a failure to make righteousness
possible, but specifically an inability to impart life. Life was available under
the law only to the person who has done these things.
As Paul will proceed to show in this section (10:5-13), Israel needed the
experience of life in order to be free from divine wrath.
10:6-7. Paul now draws a sharp contrast between “the righteousness which
is by the law,” as spoken through Moses (v 5), and the righteousness
which is by faith that speaks (as it were) in the gospel. To do this he adapts
wording drawn from Deut 9:4; 30:12-14; and Ps 107:26.
The righteousness which is by faith says clearly to anyone who hears it,
“Do not say in your heart” the question Paul then asks. It is important for
Paul to draw attention right away to what goes on in the heart since the
attitude of the heart is the key to Israel’s deliverance from wrath.
 The heart attitude, therefore, must not reflect the mind-set that Messiah
(the Christ) had yet to come and needed to be brought down from heaven
by someone.
Such an attitude is foreign to the perspective of the righteousness which is
by faith. The Christ has already come down from heaven in the person of
Jesus the Messiah.
But in addition, neither should one say in his heart that the Christ was still
in Sheol (i.e., Hades). Paul’s reference here to “the Abyss” is naturally
construed as a reference to the abode of the departed.
The two questions here represent the two extremes of Jewish unbelief
about Jesus.
10:8. Unlike the statements of unbelief, the word of faith Paul preached
presented something quite near at hand and readily available.
Paul utilizes terminology found in Deut 30:14. The reference is to the fact
that Israel already had the law. They could recite it (in your mouth) and
remember it (in your heart).
Just as the law had been near the Israelites of Moses’ day, so now Paul
could say that, the word of faith which we preach presently “is near you, in
your mouth and in your heart.” The words for you/your are all singular. The
response that the individual Israelite should make is now to be stated
explicitly.
10:9. The response of the mouth should be a confession directly
addressing Jesus with the designation “Lord.” This confession is made in
prayer (vv 12-13). This is an appeal to His Lordship for the needed
deliverance from divine wrath.
The direct appeal to Lord Jesus necessitates that the one who makes the
appeal should believe that Jesus is alive to hear it. Thus, the attitude of the
heart is crucial. When one calls on Jesus with his mouth in order to be
delivered, he therefore must have faith in his heart that God has raised
Him from the dead. When these two conditions obtain, the individual Jew
who calls on Him will be delivered from God’s temporal wrath.
10:10. What happens in the heart, though vital, is not enough for
deliverance. The heart is where it all begins. One gets righteousness (He is
believed for righteousness) by the believing response of the heart. Jesus is
the object of that faith.
 But in the same way, He is also the object of our confession: but with the
mouth He is confessed for deliverance. The Jerusalem Bible captures the
actual sense almost perfectly: “By believing from the heart you are made
righteous; by confessing with your lips you are saved.” While the Jew is
granted righteousness on the basis of faith in his heart, God will not grant
him deliverance on the basis of that faith alone. He must also confess with
his mouth.
10:11. The believer should not hesitate to confess the Lord Jesus Christ. If
the Jewish person had put faith in this “Stone of collision (9:33),” he should
also fulfill the admonition of the prophet that he should “not be ashamed.”
Obviously as a follow-up from v 10, Paul construes the necessity to “not
be ashamed” as the functional equivalent of a command to confess Jesus
Christ. Contrary to much contemporary theology, neither Paul nor the rest
of the NT requires confession as a condition for receiving everlasting life
(cf. John 12:42-43; Acts 16:31; Eph 2:8-9; 1 Tim 1:16).
What Paul exactly has in mind here is made clear in the following verses.
10:12-13. Although the text of these verses (especially v 13) has been used
innumerable times as though it referred to a cry for salvation from hell, in
context the verses are no such thing. God’s anger rests heavily upon
unbelieving Israel and their first step must be to believe in their Messiah for
righteousness (v 10a). But though necessary, this alone will not bring
deliverance from God’s temporal anger. In fact, deliverance comes by
confessing “Lord Jesus!” with the mouth (v 10b).
This truth is affirmed in Joel 2:32. The Lord Jesus is able to respond
lavishly to all who appeal to Him. Since, in fact, Jesus is Lord of all, His
ability to respond applies to all, either Jew or Greek. This terminology
becomes a Pauline way to identify all Christians (either Jew or Greek) who
assembled together and invoked “the name of the Lord” (1 Cor 1:2; 2 Tim
2:22). It does not describe a one-time event of crying out “Lord Jesus!”
Those who openly and regularly appeal to the Lordship of Jesus (i.e., in
corporate worship) receive what Paul is actually discussing—deliverance
from divine wrath.
And the Lord deals richly with them. Not only are they justified with a
perfect righteousness through what they believe in their heart, but they are
also delivered from God’s wrath by appealing, with their mouth, to the
power of the exalted Lord.
 The quotation from Joel 2:32 shows that the prophet is concerned with
temporal wrath and with the end times, not salvation from hell. Christians
of every age are living in the last days.
The Jewish believer (and Gentile as well) should not stop with faith in the
heart, vital as that was. He should join the fellowship of others who made it
a habit to appeal to the name of the Lord with the mouth.
10:14. If Israel needs to appeal to the Lord Jesus in order to be delivered,
then how could they possibly do so without first believing in Him? How
then shall they appeal to Him in whom they have not believed? But it
follows also that if they must first believe in Him before they can appeal to
Him, how can they do this without first hearing about Him? How shall they
believe in Him of whom they have not heard? The human preacher is,
therefore, a necessity for how shall they hear without a preacher?
“Believing in” and “appealing to” are obviously not synonymous terms.
Believing in Him must precede appealing to Him.
10:15. But one must be sent by God to preach. Paul refers to Isa 52:7,
which also refers to the last days. Israel’s ultimate deliverance is in view.
Those who proclaim this deliverance are extolled as persons with
“beautiful…feet,” since their feet carry them to Israel with this good news.
Paul is choosing OT proof texts that deal directly with the issue of Israel’s
deliverance from divine wrath. These texts refer in fact to the end of the age
when the nations have assembled against Jerusalem and when that city is
dramatically delivered from their attack by the direct intervention of the
Lord Jesus Christ. The good news with which Israel will be evangelized in
that day is the “good news about peace” and about the “good things” that
come with God’s deliverance.
iii. Israel’s Need for Faith (10:16-21)
Paul will now highlight the sad state of Jewish unbelief.
10:16-17. Paul quotes from Isa 53:1 where the prophet laments the general
rejection by Israel of the report about Messiah’s sufferings, death, and
resurrection (Isa 53:2-12). The question, “Lord, who has believed our
report?” suggests the meagerness of the believing response by Messiah’s
own people. Israel as a whole has not obeyed the gospel (John 1:11).
For Paul, it follows (So then) from Isaiah’s words that a report was needed
to produce faith. That is to say, faith comes from the report. But this
report is nothing less than the gospel Paul himself preached. Paul knew the
absolute necessity for Israel to hear it if they were to believe and be
delivered from God’s wrath.
The last part of v 17, and the report by means of the word of God,
makes clear the process Paul has in mind. Just as faith is derived from
believing the preached report, just so the preached report is in turn derived
from the very mouth of God. Paul’s gospel is not merely what he says;
fundamentally it is what God says.
10:18. Israel’s problem does not lie in the fact that the gospel has not been
preached to them. This proclamation was indeed universal, including Jews
in the Diaspora, in accordance with the words of Ps 19:4. While Ps 19:4
does not refer to the preaching of the gospel, but to the testimony of nature,
Paul applies it to the worldwide preaching of the gospel. Just as the
testimony of nature is for all, so is his gospel.
The expression “into all the earth” signifies the outward thrust of the
gospel that has brought it to the ends of the [Roman] world. Even so, in this
context, the rhetorical question Paul asks (it’s not that they haven’t heard,
is it?) must mainly have signified that most Jewish communities that were
situated in the Roman Empire had received the message about Jesus Christ.
10:19. Not only is it true that Israel has heard (v 18), it is also true they
have known. The gospel has indeed been preached to the Jews (they have
heard). But their inclination is to resist and reject it because so many
Gentiles have believed (cf. Acts 13:45-51). But this angry rejection has
already been revealed in Scripture and has thus been made known to them.
Moses in Deut 32:21 specifically predicted that God would arouse the
jealousy and anger of Israel through His dealings with Gentile people
(“those who are not a nation” and “a foolish nation”). God’s provocation of
Israel has the goal of bringing them to divine deliverance (11:11-14).
10:20-21. Isaiah 65:1-2 show how the Gentiles (“those who did not seek
Me”) have obtained righteousness (“I have been found”) and Israel has
missed it (“a people who disobey and contradict Me!”, cf. Rom 9:30-33). It
finalizes Paul’s explanation of Israel’s present unbelieving situation. That
situation is in fact a realization of Israel’s own God-given Scriptures. The
question that must now be addressed is whether this rebellious condition is
permanent for national Israel. That important issue is the subject of 11:1-36.
 c. Israel’s National Destiny Will Be Realized (11:1-32)
i. National Israel has been blinded (11:1-10)
11:1. Paul asks whether God is through with Israel: God hasn’t cast away
His people, has He? And Paul emphatically denies it: Far from it!
This question is relevant even today. Over the centuries of Christian
history, right up to the present day, many have claimed in one way or
another that Israel’s special relationship to God is over. This is often
softened into the concept of a new Israel which the largely Gentile Church
supposedly fulfills (Replacement Theology). But Paul knows nothing of
this.
For Paul, an Israelite was an Israelite. He is therefore living proof that
God has not rejected His ancient people.
11:2. The question of v1a is emphatically answered by the words, God has
not cast away His people whom He foreknew. Paul himself is proof of
this (1b).
Israel is a nation that God foreknew. This is not a reference to
predestination. Instead, Paul has in mind the promises made to Abraham
(Rom 4:19-22; 9:6). God promised the birth of the nation long before the
nation existed. He would never cast them away.
Elijah lived in a day of deep apostasy in Israel. First Kings 19:9-18 shows
that he was profoundly displeased and interceded against Israel. Elijah is
exasperated with Israel and his statements imply that they deserve nothing
further from divine benevolence.
11:3-4. Elijah complains to God about Israel. What does the divine
response say to him? Only a word from God puts an end to Elijah’s
intercession against Israel.
Elijah’s complaint against Israel is serious indeed. It involves nothing less
than the rejection of God’s messengers (“they have killed Your prophets”),
the rejection of the worship of Yahweh (“they have…torn down Your
altars”), and the relentless pursuit of the Lord’s one remaining messenger
(“I myself am left alone and they seek my life”).
God’s response informs Elijah that, “I have kept for myself seven thousand
men who have not bent a knee to Baal.” In Elijah’s perception the entire
nation had given way to Baal worship. But that was not the case. Paul will
now apply this OT narrative to the contemporary situation of Israel.
 11:5. As in Elijah’s day, God had graciously chosen at the present time to
preserve for Himself a remnant of Israel. Many Jews in Paul’s day were
believers.
The words according to His choice is not a reference to election before
time. The simplest and most obvious meaning of the phrase in question is
something like “the choice God has made in grace.” Just as in Elijah’s day
God had “kept for” Himself those who had “not bowed the knee to Baal,”
so also in Paul’s day God had kept for Himself those who had responded to
His grace in Christ.
Here then Paul is concerned with the fact that grace is the basis upon
which God has chosen the remnant of Israel at the present time.
11:6. God’s remnant in Israel was formed quite apart from meritorious
works of any kind (it is no longer by works). Since God’s selection of the
Jewish remnant was conditioned on grace, there could be no intermingling
of that with the works of the law or with works of any kind at all. If works
were added as a condition for God’s acceptance of a man, grace would be
unmerited favor no longer.
This applies today. The simple fact remains that if we are eternally saved
by grace, it can have nothing to do with works. Otherwise, as Paul insists,
grace is no longer grace.
God’s “choice” of a Jewish remnant involved those Israelites who received
His grace in Christ.
11:7-8. But the majority in Israel (the rest) have been hardened. This
situation exists because Israel is still seeking acceptance before God by the
works of the law.
By contrast, the chosen group has obtained it, that is, they have obtained
the righteousness of God by faith.
The emphasis of these verses, however, is upon the fact that the rest have
been hardened. And this reality is now attested from Scripture (just as it is
written), beginning with a citation from Isa 29:10. God is responsible for
the “spirit of stupor” that has blinded Israel’s eyes and stopped their ears so
that they do not believe the gospel.
11:9-10. The testimony of Isaiah is now reinforced by the testimony of
David in Ps 69:22-23. The poetic language of the Psalm refers to “their
table” (i.e., Israel’s provisions and blessings). Their very blessings have
“become a snare and a trap…for them.” What was intended for their benefit
has instead become “something to trip over” and a form of “retribution” to
them. Their very sense of privilege and blessing (an undoubted source of
Jewish pride) had lured them into a feeling of “worthiness” that motivated
them to vainly seek righteousness by means of the law (10:3; 11:7).
The words, “Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see,” reinforce
the citation from Isa 29:10a (in v 9) which states that God has given them a
spirit of stupor. Israel as a whole has fallen into a blinding spiritual stupor.
The last line of the cited text presents Israel as bearing a heavy burden
(“and make their back bend down always”). Israel is the object of the wrath
of God that has fallen upon them in their unbelief (cf. 9:22, 29, 32-33).
ii. National Israel will be restored (11:11-32)
11:11. The question: “They haven’t stumbled just to fall, have they?”
expects a negative answer. God intends that their offense in rejecting the
gospel should become the occasion for the Gentiles to receive deliverance.
Even this mercy to the Gentiles is not for the Gentiles’ sake alone, but
rather is intended to stir [Israel] to jealousy so that they too can obtain
mercy.
The deliverance here is the same as 1:16. God wants the Jews to
experience the same rescue from divine wrath which many Gentiles are
now experiencing.
11:12. Paul immediately points out that the world has benefited from the
transgression and loss of Israel. But if that is so, how much more would it
benefit the world if Israel were to be restored to a harmonious relationship
with God?
Thus, the transgression and loss that are at present so apparent in Israel
have given God occasion for the enriching of the world. The results of this
enrichment are even more apparent after nearly 2000 years of human
history.
It follows that the reversal of these effects will have an even greater impact
for good upon the Gentiles themselves. The full realization of Israel’s
destiny (their fullness) is therefore much to be desired.
11:13-14. Paul, since he was indeed an Apostle to the Gentiles, attempts
to maximize this ministry (I glorify my service) precisely for the reason
that he desires the deliverance of his fellow Jews (if somehow I might…
deliver some of them). The Gentiles should not be under the illusion that
he has focused on his Gentile service simply because he has washed his
hands of the rebellious Jewish nation. On the contrary, his very ministry to
Gentiles has the same intent as that of God Himself.
Paul’s Gentile labors are accordingly directed to the stirring of Israel’s
jealousy. The expression I glorify refers to the fact that Paul puts this
service on highly visible display. His success in Gentile evangelism,
wherever he went, was intended to arouse a holy jealousy among his fellow
Jews so that at least he might deliver some of them.
11:15-16. God has definitively not repudiated Israel, but He has cast them
to one side, which has led to the reconciling of the world. Reconciliation
refers to the same truth he has already referred to in 5:10-11. The believer
has “peace with God” (5:1). But for Paul that reconciling work was
accomplished for all mankind, thus making possible the reconciliation of
each person when he turns to Jesus Christ in faith (cf. 2 Cor 5:19-20).
But if such a superlative benefit accrues to the world through throwing
Israel aside, how could one describe the potential benefit of Israel being
received back into God’s gracious favor? The restoration of Israel would be
like life from the dead.
In the end times, when Israel is back in its favored position, the entire
world will experience a transformation for the better.
The believing remnant should be construed as a kind of first fruits which
prefigure the future transformation of the entire batch of dough, that is, of
the entire nation.
Israel’s root is holy with the result that the branches that have sprung
from it are likewise holy. By the term root it is natural to understand a
reference to Abraham who is physically the source of the entire nation. So
despite the catastrophic fall of the nation, the branches sprung from the
Abrahamic root remain holy to God.
11:17-18. The view that Israel’s present status was permanent could easily
lead to what amounted to prideful Gentile exultation that in this new
situation the Gentiles themselves were God’s favored people. Paul’s
warning is that they should by no means exult over the branches.
They were merely branches taken from a wild olive tree and grafted in
among the original branches after many of those branches were broken
off.
 It is natural to think of Paul’s reference here to the root as a reference to
Abraham from whom the entire nation had sprung. The uncultivated olive
tree is accordingly the Gentile world.
If the Gentiles had been grafted in, it was not at all the case that they
brought inherent value to the olive tree to which they were now spiritually
connected. They had simply become a sharer in the spiritual advantages
that flowed from the root into the tree. Humility was thus in order for
Gentile believers.
The Gentiles who believe have received the blessing of Abraham
(justification by faith; Gal 3:6-14). Yet the richness Paul mentions goes well
beyond this fundamental blessing. It suggests all the ensuing benefits that
come from being placed in close connection to God’s ongoing purposes
with His ancient people.
11:19-21. Paul admits that the Jews were broken off so that the Gentiles
could be grafted in. But it is not a legitimate ground for pride since the
issue is not “merit” (i.e., works), but rather an issue of unbelief and faith.
What the natural branches lost in their unbelief, the Gentiles gained by
faith. But it was not simply that they gained it by faith, but instead that they
now stand by faith. They can only retain their position on the olive tree if
they maintain their faith.
This, of course, has nothing to do with the issue of individual perseverance
in the faith, or with anyone’s individual eternal destiny. This is a collective
personification of the Gentiles that intends to describe their present
privileges as the product of their believing response to the gospel.
Accordingly, he cautions, Don’t be haughty, but be afraid. Very simply
put, should the Gentile world cease to be a responsive instrument for the
gospel, God could return His focus to Israel.
11:22-23. God’s kindness was the source of the Gentiles present privilege,
while those whom God originally favored with His kindness (i.e., the Jews)
had now tasted His severity. The loss of the former (kindness) resulting in
the latter (severity) could easily be repeated for the Gentiles. God’s kindness
should not be taken for granted.
The kindness that the Gentiles currently enjoy is conditional: if you
remain in that kindness. If the Gentiles do not continue to be responsive to
the truth of the gospel, they can be removed from the olive tree: Otherwise
you too will be cut off. This means that the Gentiles collectively will forfeit
their privileged place in the ongoing purposes of God and will cease to be
the primary instrument for the spread of the gospel.
But if the Gentiles are cut off, the restoration of Jewish privilege can also
take place, provided that they (the Jews) do not remain in unbelief.
The issue hinges on whether the Jews continue their massive rejection of
the gospel message. However, if they do not, the Jewish nation shall be
grafted in, precisely because God is fully able to put them back where they
were in the first place.
These words are a prophecy. It is only a matter of time before this
prophecy catches up with Gentile self-satisfaction and pride.
11:24. God had grafted the Gentiles into a good olive tree and that was an
act contrary to nature. It defied natural wisdom. The engrafting that the
Gentiles had experienced was even more likely to happen to the natural
branches, since that would be according to nature. The present Gentile
situation is not destined to last (v 25).
The setting aside of Israel is temporary and her final deliverance from
divine wrath is certain. Thus, the position of the Gentiles on the olive tree of
the divine purpose and program is temporary.
11:25. Paul does not want the Christian readers to be uninformed about
God’s intentions. The truth Paul has been discussing can be called a
mystery. The incorporation of converted Gentiles into the olive tree itself,
elevating them to the same privileged status as the remaining natural
branches, was a situation not explicitly revealed in the OT. But this new
situation will only last until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. At
that time the partial hardening will be lifted.
The evangelistic movement into the Gentile world in Paul’s day had a
specific goal: a complete harvest which must be brought in. After that, God
will turn once again to His purposes for Israel.
11:26-27. Paul introduces OT citations (Isa 59: 20-21; 27:9) with the
declaration, And thus all Israel shall be delivered. This is a deliverance
from God’s wrath (1:16, 18; 5:9). The words The Deliverer…shall turn
away ungodliness from Jacob also connects this with the temporal wrath of
God (1:18).
Since Paul has described unbelieving Israel as “vessels of wrath” (9:22),
Israel’s full deliverance from wrath requires that “the Deliverer” (Jesus
Christ) should “turn away ungodliness from Jacob.” That is to say, after
believing in their hearts for justification (Rom 10:10a), Israel must also
“appeal to Him”, “confessing” Him as Lord with their mouths (Rom
10:10b-13). When the nation as a whole does this, it will be delivered.
But this triumphant spiritual revival will take place only when the
Deliverer comes “from Zion” at His Second Advent (Zech 12:10).
In the quoted material the statements that (1) “the Deliverer…shall turn
away ungodliness from Jacob,” and (2) “when I take away their sins” are
parallel statements. The deliverance in view is not simply justification by
faith, though that of course is essential (10:9-10), but instead it is freedom
from sin’s dominion over Israel’s conduct.
11:28-29. The bottom line for Paul is that God is not through with His
ancient people. Even though they are currently at enmity with God (i.e.,
they are His enemies) on account of their rejection of the gospel, they
remain His chosen people. Thus, they are still beloved because of God’s
commitment to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. God’s choice of
this nation lay in His promises to these men and thus Israel remains in
special divine regard for the fathers’ [i.e., Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’s]
sake. His choice of them remains unchanged precisely because the
gracious gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.
The word eklogēn (choice) here concerns God’s definitive decision to
accomplish His purposes in the world through the descendants of the
patriarchs. This choice does not refer to eternal salvation from hell.
God’s “call” of Israel into a special relationship with Himself will not be
forfeited, any more than any of the “gifts” bestowed by that calling (9:4-5).
11:30-31. The privileges of the Gentiles mean that they have received
mercy. Paul now reminds the believing Gentiles that you too at one time
disobeyed God. Now this is true of Israel. The formerly disobedient
Gentiles now have received mercy by means of Israel’s disobedience.
The Jews who had now disobeyed, could and would benefit from God’s
mercy to the Gentiles. Their present disobedience would be ended if they
responded properly to what God was doing. That is to say, that by means
of your [the Gentiles’] mercy, they [Israel] too might receive mercy.
More than 1,950 years have elapsed since Paul wrote Rom 11:28-32. If we
are inclined to posit the “failure” of God’s effort to “stir” Israel “to
jealousy,” we are being premature. God has measureless patience. His work
among the Gentiles for some 2,000 years will yet achieve its goal in
arousing a “holy jealousy” in Israel which will eventually lead to national
repentance at the Second Advent.
11:32. God’s dealings with Jew and Gentile alike means that all have
become potential objects of mercy as a result of their disobedience. Mercy
will overtake Israel just as surely as it has overtaken the Gentiles.
The verb here rendered enclosed (or, caught) signals that God has now put
everyone on the same level, namely, a status of disobedience before Him.
What God has done is to “catch” all men in His “net” so that their only way
out is by means of the divine mercy found in Jesus Christ.
God’s purpose has mercy as its ultimate objective. Mankind has been
“caught” in its disobedience so that God might have mercy on all.
d. God’s Wisdom Is Unknowably Profound (11:33-36)
The seeming tragedy of Israel’s disobedience to the gospel is in reality a
triumph of divine wisdom. The tragedy is real, but God designs mercy as its
ultimate goal.
11:33. God, Paul declares, has measureless depths of wisdom. This
wisdom can rise so far above the tragedy and evil of human disobedience
and unbelief. It was previously a “mystery” (v 25), utterly unknowable
apart from being revealed to men.
The expression His judgments is appropriately chosen, since the present
state of Israel is the result of God’s judgment, by which “partial hardening”
has taken place (11:25). But this very judgment is unsearchable since its
surprising outcome will ultimately be the restoration of the nation God has
judged (11:26-27). The ways of God—His paths—are untraceable because
no one could have foreseen where God “was going” with His judgment.
11:34-35. Following his praise to God in v 33, Paul at once adds a final,
climactic reference to the OT (Isa 40:13; Job 41:11).
The two quotations combined summarize Paul’s thought quite well. God’s
dealings with Israel partake of the divine inscrutability. The “mystery” of
Israel’s hardening (v 25) was God’s secret (“Who indeed has known the
mind of the Lord?”) and was in no way a result of human “counsel” or
“advice” (“Or who has been His counselor?”). At the same time, God’s
plans for Israel do not flow from any merit on Israel’s part, as though they
had given Him something He needed to repay (“Or who has given first to
Him, so that it shall be paid back to him?”). All is the result of His mercy.
 11:36. This doxology continues to express Paul’s awe at the unfathomable
“depth” of God’s wisdom (v 33). But it also adds a new thought. The force
of Paul’s words is that God is the divine Source of everything (all things
are from Him) as He is also the medium through which everything is
realized (all things are…through Him) and that finally everything is done
with a view to His own interests (all things are…for Him).
God’s amazing “paths” (v 33) with Israel and the nations are according to
His matchless wisdom.
E. God’s Will Worked Out in the Lives of the Delivered (12:1–
15:13)
1. Introduction: The Call to Be a Living Sacrifice (12:1-2)
12:1. Paul has now reached the point where the practical implications of
his theology can be spelled out as they relate to personal behavior. He
appeals to the believing readers (I exhort you therefore, brothers) based
upon the mercies of God (chaps. 9–11).
This leads to a call for a conscious religious orientation to life. Indeed, one
might say the appeal evokes the image of a believer-priest through Paul’s
use of the term service. This service exhorts the readers to present their
bodies as a sacrifice that is living, holy, and pleasing to God (8:9-13). The
entire life of Christian obedience can be a sacrifice to God.
12:2. If Christian living can be described as the presentation of a “living
sacrifice,” the process involved in such living can be characterized as a
process of transformation.
Romans 12:2 may be regarded as summarizing the fundamental
methodology by means of which the sacrifice urged in v 1 can be carried
out. The first point is a negative one. If Christians brothers are to make a
living sacrifice of their bodies, they must not allow themselves to be
conformed to this age. The second point is positive. They are to be
transformed in order to experience the will of God. This is done by the
renovation of your understanding, that is, by having a mind set on the
Spirit (8:6).
2. Presenting Our Bodies to God in Holy Living (12:3–14:26)
a. In Personal Conduct (12:3–13:14)
 i. Maintaining perspective on one’s role in the church (12:3-8)
12:3. This approach is evident here in Paul’s call to modesty, or proper
perspective, regarding one’s own role in the Christian body (12:3-8). Paul’s
admonition comes via (through) his own experience of the grace that has
been given to him. Though he speaks as an Apostle (cf. 1:1), this is a role
attained only through the grace of God.
Instead of aspiring beyond their actual capacity, believers should aspire to
what is sensible. That is, they should aim for service in the church that
conformed to their actual ability and gift.
12:4-5. A physical body has many members. This analogy should be
applied, Paul says, to the Church. We should recognize the basic fact that
we who are many in number are all a part of a single whole (one body in
Christ) and therefore we are members who are part of one another.
If a believer “aspires” to some gift that God has in fact bestowed on
another believer, rather than on himself, such an attitude fails to recognize
the diversity in function which is inherent in the one body.
12:6-8. The premise on which the exhortation rests is stated clearly in the
words since we have gifts differing according to the grace that has been
given to us. Inasmuch as the functions of the members of the body are not
identical, it follows that each person should apply himself to the exercise of
his own gift.
It is noteworthy that Paul does not here include the term apostle among the
gifts mentioned. There were no apostles in the Roman church, since this
preeminent gift (1 Cor 12:28) was apparently a closed group among which
only fourteen individuals can be identified with confidence (see Acts 1:13;
21:16; 14:14).
The one who possesses the gift of prophecy should exercise this gift in
agreement with the faith, which refers to the body of teaching that is
believed.
Various kinds of service existed in the Church of Paul’s day (Acts 6:1-6; 1
Tim 5:3-16).
With the mention of the next gift, Paul alters his grammatical structure
slightly and in my translation this is signaled by a period following “in
service.” Paul also mentions the gifts of teaching and of being an exhorter,
the latter would include the giving of comfort.
 The giver should give with generosity is best understood as applicable to
all who give. While the leader would include elders within the church. The
one who shows mercy extends mercy to those whose circumstances are
difficult or distressing.
ii. Maintaining Godly character (12:9-13)
12:9. The superlative Christian virtue is love and it should be sincere, that
is, without hypocrisy. It will also be accompanied by true disgust with
what is evil.
Instead, a Christian ought to cleave to what is good.
12:10. Genuine brotherly love should not be reduced to a mere superficial
cordiality but involves a real feeling for the worth and welfare of our
brothers and sisters in Christ.
Paul urges here that in regard to honor, the believer should be in the
forefront of bestowing it on other believers. He should be a model by
showing his fellow believers the path (way) to honor.
12:11. The Christian should be a person who takes his responsibilities very
seriously (i.e., with diligence), especially in the church. And, Paul says, he
should discharge his duties with commendable energy and effort.
Our spirit, i.e., our attitude, should be one of being zealous, which
indicates a strong dedication to those responsibilities. This diligence and
zeal should translate into genuine slave-service to the Lord.
12:12. To do slave-service to the Lord was to labor in hope of future glory
and reward (Rom 8:17b; Col 3:24). However, rejoicing may often seem
impossible in the face of earthly affliction. The Christian is called to endure
(or bear up) in…affliction by persevering in prayer (in regard to prayer,
we should persevere). The habit of persisting in prayer is valuable at all
times, and especially in times of stress. The Christian should habitually
persevere in prayer as a fundamental practice of his spiritual life (cf. 1
Thess 5:17).
12:13. The final member of this series (vv 10-13) focuses on the obligation
to be charitable to fellow Christians (the saints) who have material needs.
The verb share (koinōnountes from koinōneō) is used several times in the
NT of the process of alleviating the material needs of other Christians (e.g.,
Rom 15:26, 27; 2 Cor 9:13; Phil 1:5; 4:15; Heb 13:16).
 The command to pursue hospitality is regarded as an appropriate
Christian virtue not just here, but elsewhere in Paul’s letters and the rest of
the NT (cf. 1 Tim 3:2; Titus 1:8; cf. also Heb 13:2; 1 Pet 4:9). In particular,
Christians who traveled benefited from the hospitality of their fellow-
Christians since accommodations for travelers in the Empire were poor and
often disreputable.
iii. Maintaining good relationships (12:14-21)
12:14. The command to bless those who persecute you…and do not
curse is not exclusively applicable to our non-Christian relationships.
Whenever we feel anyone is against us and seeking to harm us in some way
(not necessarily physically), it is then we are tempted to use harsh and
disparaging language either about them or to their face. We should wish
such people well or express the hope that God’s goodness will be theirs (1
Pet 4:21-25).
12:15. The command to wish people well (“bless”) instead of wishing
them ill (“curse”) that was given in v 14 is obviously reinforced by the
commands of this verse. We could, in fact, express “blessing” with our lips
and have little real concern for the person addressed (as so often happens).
But here the command is to feel the feelings of others, that is, to possess
true sympathy: rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who
weep.
12:16. To have the same aspirations for each other instructs us to desire
that others should experience what we ourselves would like to experience.
This contrasts sharply with what often actually happens in a church, where
one’s own ambition is to “get ahead” of others. This is achievable if we do
not aspire to high things. This aligns with the attitude about spiritual gifts
(v 3).
Instead of unrealistically aiming for high things (status, reputation, etc.),
we should instead associate with humble people.
Finally, Christians should not become wise in their own sight. Paul is here
especially concerned with the “social climbers” who might be in the various
Roman congregations. The effort of aiming after high things could lead
easily to a self-presentation that stressed one’s own knowledge, skill, and
insight to impress other people. This, says Paul, is not Christian behavior.
 12:17. Paul says that believers are to repay no one with evil in return for
evil. The impulse to get even is intrinsic to our sinful nature.
Instead of seeking retribution, Christians should make provision for
things that are good in the sight of all men. Paul’s word for things that
are good (kala) shows the breadth of his admonition. We should aim for our
actions to look truly good to whoever observes them, that is, in the sight of
all men.
12:18. If we are not to return evil for evil received, and if we are to be
careful how our actions are perceived by others, it follows that our real aim
is, or should be, peace with all men to the extent to which we are able to
achieve this. The Christian attitude should be: “I, for my part, have no
hostility against him/her.”
12:19. Despite his best efforts, the believer will in all probability face
injustice and undeserved mistreatment in one form or another (cf. 2 Tim
3:12). When this occurs, however, he must be careful not to take revenge.
Remarkably, when we decline to avenge ourselves, we leave room for the
expression of God’s wrath toward the offending party. Our own ill-
considered or inappropriate revenge can short-circuit what God would
otherwise do Himself.
The Scripture itself declares (it is written) that vengeance, is a divine
prerogative.
12:20-21. The Christian should meet the needs of a person who is hostile
to him when the occasion presents itself (Prov 25:21-22). From the
perspective of divine wisdom, acts of kindness to one’s enemy place that
enemy in a more precarious position than would a refusal to assist him. In
the light of v 19, and especially of the command to “leave room for wrath,”
to perform such kindness to one’s foe is to “heap coals of fire on his head”
and thus to augment divine wrath against him.
Vengeance is not our business but God’s. In fact, behaving in this way is
ultimately a victory over evil: overcome evil with good.
iv. Obeying those in authority (13:1-7)
13:1. Paul begins by making clear that he conceives of no exceptions to
what he is now saying (every person). The subjection enjoined here is
based on the simple fact that there is no authority if it is not bestowed by
God. God does not merely allow certain men to rule, He arranges it.
 This point is now explicitly applied to the present situation. No one should
attempt to divert the application to other times or circumstances. It is the
present authorities that are established by God. This is true in our day as
well.
13:2. Resistance to earthly authority is resistance to God Himself. Behind
the Emperor or the governor is the ordinance of God Himself who
“appointed” these human authorities.
By the ordinance of God Paul refers to the God-ordained authority wielded
by earthly officials.
Unless a law runs counter to a direct divine command, there is no Biblical
authorization to disobey it (Acts 5:29). On the contrary, this passage
commands obedience. Disobedience would result in judgment either from
the secular ruler or from God, who is behind the authority.
13:3. A Christian need not be afraid about “judgment” from the earthly
authority so long as his conduct is good. In fact, he can expect to receive
praise from the earthly authority for such behavior. Paul was well aware of
potential exceptions to these words, but he is giving the basic principle.
The real way not to be afraid of the authority was to be a good citizen in
every respect. A government is not normally in the habit of dealing out
“judgment” to those who are good citizens. Instead such people are
normally praised.
13:4. The civil ruler was God’s servant to them. Moreover, God’s “agent”
was intended to produce what was good for the people, not evil. No doubt
Paul has in mind the good order and societal tranquility which was a major
function of government.
But if in fact the Christians did what was evil, they should indeed be
afraid, since the government had the power of the sword. The words, he
does not bear the sword in vain, remind the Christian readers that this
power of the sword was no empty threat but a reality in the government’s
dealings with evildoers.
The one in authority is God’s servant, an avenger to bring wrath on the
person who does evil. The word wrath (orgē) occurs a dozen times in
Romans (twenty-one times in all of Paul’s letters). The pivotal nature of this
word in Romans is signaled by its extensive treatment early in the main
body of the Epistle (1:18–2:5). Here Paul’s words are a warning that
resistance to constituted authority would once again bring a believer within
the range of God’s wrath, this time as conveyed through governmental
authorities.
13:5. For Paul, because of the wrath as well as the conscience, the
conclusion was obvious. If “the authorities that exist are established by
God” (v 1) and “the person who resists” those authorities “resists the
ordinance of God” (v 2), then a good conscience toward both God and men
will naturally urge submission (cf. Acts 24:16).
13:6. The same reason for general submission applied to taxes. Tax
collectors are referred to here as God’s ministers. It was certainly contrary
to the general conception of tax collectors to regard them as ministers of
divine things. Yet the civil ruler has a divine right of collecting taxes. To
refuse to give these ministers their taxes, whether done overtly or covertly,
was to refuse to give them what belonged to God.
The final words, who are devoted to this very thing, suggest that tax-
collectors are engaged in a sacred duty.
13:7. No one should think that his duty is fulfilled if he pays just one kind
of tax. What Paul seeks is a broad, general compliance that results in the
Christian rendering to all what they are owed. Whatever the form of tax
might be, a customs duty for example, the Christian should pay it.
Nor is this submission to taxation to be accompanied by a rude and
abrasive manner, but with respect and honor. No required tax is to be
neglected; no official given less than the deference he deserves.
v. Living in the light of the Lord’s return (13:8-14)
13:8. From the responsibility not to owe unpaid taxes, Paul now proceeds
to urge the payment of all debts (owe no one anything), except the one
debt that can never be fully paid: to love one another.
Paul is obviously thinking here of love for other Christians as the words
love one another show. It is significant that Paul here explicitly affirms that
the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. Paul’s words here are
very precise. When one treats another person with love, he is doing what
the law requires. In so far as he treats a person that way, he has fulfilled the
law as regards that person. But a broad fulfillment in all areas of conduct is
impossible for a sinful human being and is not at all in view here.
13:9-10. The proof of Paul’s statement is extremely simple. The familiar
commands not to “commit adultery,” not to “murder,” not to “steal,” or not
to “covet” are all designed to prevent wrong treatment of another (“your
neighbor”). They can therefore be summed up by the second of the two
great commandments of the law, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”
(cf. Matt 22:34-40). One should note here that love (agapē) is not defined
by feelings, but by actions. Love’s basic principle is that it does not
produce what is bad for a neighbor.
13:11. Christians have a hope. Love is to be motivated by the realization
that our final destiny is not far away. This meant that his readers already
know the time.
In the phrase you know…that the hour for us to awake out of sleep is
already here, Paul draws upon a familiar eschatological image, namely,
that of the sleeper who is abruptly awakened by the unexpected arrival of
prophesied events (Matt 24:43-44; Mark 13:35-36; Luke 21:36; 1 Thess
5:4-7).
With the words now is our deliverance nearer than when we believed,
Paul refers again to the hope of a full and permanent deliverance from sin
and from sin’s impact on our Christian life. The consummation of this
deliverance will be accomplished at the coming of the Lord. And since His
coming is nearer than it was when we believed, the passage of time means
that this consummation is closer than ever.
13:12. The era of spiritual darkness (the night) is far along (has moved
on) toward its consummation in a brand-new day when righteousness shall
reign on earth. The result is that the day, the new era of God’s kingdom,
has drawn that much nearer.
Christians should therefore “get dressed” for the arrival of the day. The
image of dressing is conveyed by the Greek words for let us take off… and
let us clothe ourselves…The Christian should not be caught wearing “night
clothes,” that is, the works of the darkness. Instead he should dress
himself in “day clothes,” or in an outfit that is suited for the arrival of the
day and the light. Clearly Paul has conduct in mind.
13:13. Christians should therefore walk circumspectly, that is, in a
morally decent and decorous way. This meant that they should avoid
carousing and drunkenness.
Such things could lead to sexual misbehavior and licentiousness, which
is crass immorality. Strife and jealousy also easily spring from such
activity. Christians should avoid all this evil conduct.
 13:14. Paul urges his readers to clothe themselves in the Lord Jesus
Christ. Since for Paul “to live [was] Christ” (Phil 1:21), he obviously
thinks that if Jesus Christ is manifest in a believer’s conduct that this is the
essence of true Christian experience.
In addition, they should take no forethought for the desires of the flesh.
The Christian is not to “set his mind” on the things of the flesh and thus pre-
condition himself to fulfill its desires. He should take no forethought for
that and instead cultivate a spiritual perspective by “putting on” the Lord
Jesus Christ. His mental and moral focus should be on Jesus Christ.
b. In loving others (14:1-26)
14:1. Paul was evidently aware that disputes on certain matters existed in
the Roman congregations. His fundamental principle was mutual
acceptance (15:7) and this acceptance must include the one who is weak in
the faith. This signifies a person who does not fully grasp his personal
freedom in Christ regarding mere earthly things.
The stronger brother was to accept the weaker brother, but not to engage
in disputes about opinions. The word translated opinions refers to what we
might call doubtful things. These are matters neither commanded nor
forbidden in Scripture. Paul is not talking about basic morality. Paul here
refers to conclusions drawn from a person’s own thought processes, rather
than those drawn directly from God’s Word.
14:2-3. The problem of differing opinions about foods is the first question
that Paul brings forward here. It is possible that the weak included ascetics
from pagan backgrounds. Paul’s words are no doubt deliberately broad to
include whatever food issues might exist in the Roman congregations.
Paul’s words imply that some of the believers at Rome were vegetarians by
conviction. The people Paul has in mind ate vegetables, in contrast to those
who felt free to eat everything.
If the person who eats looks down on the person who doesn’t eat, he
has not accepted him in a truly Christian manner. But conversely, the
person who doesn’t eat should not adopt a judgmental attitude toward the
person who eats.
The one who doesn’t eat meat must not refuse to accept someone whom
God has accepted. Even if he does not hold to one’s own personal opinions
about what can or cannot be eaten, God has accepted him. To refuse
acceptance to someone whom God has accepted amounts to putting oneself
above God.
14:4. No one has the right to pass judgment on someone else’s house
servant because only his master has that right. It is arrogant overreaching if
a believer imagines he can pass judgment on a fellow Christian who, in fact,
is God’s house servant.
Thus, to judge a fellow Christian was to usurp the prerogative of the
divine Lord of the Christian household.
The statement because God has power to enable him to stand does not
sound like a mere question of approval or disapproval. Rather it sounds like
an exercise of divine strength. God will give strength to the strong believer
not to fall into sin if he is relying on God’s strength.
14:5. The issue of observing certain days as special would have involved
questions related to the feast days of the Jewish religious calendar, or even
pagan traditions. The important question for Paul was not whether such
scruples about special days were correct or not. The important thing was
that everyone should be fully assured in his own mind. The observance of
these rituals could easily breed a sense of division in a congregation. Paul
will not forbid the observance itself, but he wants believers to undertake
them only out of deep conviction.
14:6. If the conviction is deeply held, the observance of certain days, or
the non-observance of certain days, will be a matter of conscience before
the Lord. In the case of special days, Paul points out that whether the
person…esteems the day or not, it is with the Lord in view. This no doubt
means that the one who observes the day observes it with a desire to please
the Lord, while the non-observer feels his relationship to God does not
require this observance.
In the case of foods, the Christian who does not eat meat and the one who
does, both gives thanks to God for what each eats.
14:7-8. No Christian lives in isolation as if his experience concerned only
himself. On the contrary, the Christian’s experience is inextricably related to
the Lord to whom the Christian belongs. If all of this is taken seriously, it is
manifest that whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s.
Paul is not speaking here of a choice we make (living or dying), but
instead he is speaking of the inescapable reality that we are the Lord’s and
that we cannot avoid our connection with Him in whatever we do or in
whatever happens to us. This leads quite naturally to a discussion of the
Judgment Seat of Christ.
14:9. Christ both died as well as rose and lived to be Lord of all,
whether they are dead or living. At first glance, the phrase rose and lived is
unexpected. However, in the Greco-Roman world a belief in immortality
beyond the grave was unexceptional, but a belief in physical resurrection
certainly was exceptional. Here the addition of the words and lived makes
clear that a return to physical life is involved. The word rose cannot in that
case be referred to some “spiritual” emergence from the experience of
death.
14:10. Since Jesus is Lord of the dead and of the living, what business do
believers have judging a Christian brother, or alternatively, scorning a
Christian brother? The lord of a servant is the only person qualified to
judge that servant. Since Jesus is Lord by virtue of both His death and
resurrection, He alone has that prerogative regarding our Christian brothers
and sisters. This is all the more true since all believers must…appear
before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged.
14:11. Paul now gives Scriptural proof for his statement that all believers
must give an accounting to God (Isa 45:23). This inspired pronouncement
asserts that all humanity must someday bow the knee and confess to God.
It must be pointed out that the Isaiah prophecy is broad and general and
leaves room for the differing situations we encounter in the NT. The
unregenerate dead will be judged at the Great White Throne Judgment after
the Millennium (Rev 20:5, 11-15). Believers will stand at the Judgment Seat
of Christ when He returns to inaugurate His kingdom (i.e., before the
Millennium).
14:12. Individual believers should get out of the business of either judging
or scorning their fellow servants (v 10), since those we judge or scorn, as
well as ourselves, are subject to an accounting to be rendered to God (v 10).
Of course, the issue here is not eternal destiny. All believers are secure
(John 5:24; 11:26; Rom 4:4-8; 5:1; 6:23; 8:16-17). The issue is eternal
rewards (cf. 1 Cor 3:10-15; 9:24-27; 2 Cor 5:9-10; 2 Tim 2:12; 4:6-8). Any
serious consideration of this coming time of accounting of oneself to God
should cause us to focus on our own coming judgment, rather than on the
presumed failures of other Christians.
 14:13. The Roman Christians should no longer judge one another.
Instead, they should pass judgment on their own behavior.
They should ask if their own conduct is harmful to their Christian brother.
It should not create an impediment which might cause a brother to trip or
fall. Neither should our conduct produce a snare in which another is caught.
Seriousness in the light of our future accounting before God should lead to
careful consideration of how our behavior affects others.
14:14. The statement that there is nothing unclean of itself refers to what
may be called the mundane, or ordinary, things of human life. Violations of
God’s moral law are not in view.
Thus, to a person who considers something to be unclean, it is actually
unclean for that person. In other words, if such a person does not share
Paul’s knowledge and conviction (see above), his freedom in the Lord Jesus
is inhibited.
14:15. But where such inhibitions exist, the strong Christian must be fully
sensitive to them. If because of your food your brother is grieved, then
you are no longer walking in love, but are living selfishly.
The cost of such unloving conduct could be that he would ruin that
person, who is in fact an individual for whom Christ died. This refers to
temporal loss or destruction.
Ruin is the opposite of edification (cf. 14:19-20). If a believer is led to
violate his own conscience, he has sinned against God. The stronger brother
must take care not to bring this destruction about.
14:16. When Paul says so do not let your good activity be defamed, he is
addressing the stronger brother about the eating of foods that the weaker
brother considers inappropriate to eat, but the stronger brother enjoys.
If the stronger brother bulls ahead when in the presence of the weaker
brother and eats foods which he considers good, but which the weaker
brother considers bad, then he will injure his brother and that brother will
likely be moved to speak against what he has done.
14:17. Paul’s point here is that the kingdom of God is not food and
drink in the sense that our freedom to eat or drink is not what will be the
defining characteristics of the coming kingdom. Rather, that which defines
the kingdom to come is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy
Spirit. Whenever we as believers today experience righteousness, peace,
and joy, we are getting a foretaste of what our experience will be forever,
except to a much greater degree.
14:18. The believer who serves Christ, rather than his belly and his own
private desires, in these things, that is, in “righteousness, peace, and joy,” is
well pleasing to God. This will be seen at the Bema (14:10-12).
In addition, such a believer is approved by men. Paul is talking about
fellow believers from within one’s own assembly. They approve of such
service of Christ. The world does not.
14:19-20. Mature believers pursue the things that produce peace and the
things that produce edification for each other. That means a giving up of
one’s liberties if the exercise thereof would harm one’s fellow believers.
The stronger brother knows that there are no longer any unclean foods.
Thus, he might well reason that he will not give up foods that God has
given him to enjoy simply because of the sensitivities of an ignorant fellow
believer.
Yet this is not a proper way to treat the weaker brother. The stronger
brother is the one who should freely give up his rights so as not to hurt his
fellow brother.
14:21. It is good not to eat meat nor to drink wine nor to do anything
that causes one’s brother to run into an impediment or to be ensnared or
to be made weak.
Edification of our fellow believers (vv 19-20) is the goal in all we do,
including eating and drinking. Paul is concerned here with what we eat and
drink when in the presence of other believers and not what one does in
private.
14:22-23. The question for the weaker brother is to the point: Do you have
faith? The intended answer is yes and is in regard to the eating or non-
eating of meat.
Paul’s command is to have this faith by yourself [i.e., personally and
privately] before God.
The blessing here is to the one who does not condemn himself for the
thing which he treats as acceptable. It is better not to eat certain foods or
to drink certain drinks if the result of that eating or drinking is that one has
violated his own conscience.
And whatever is not by faith is sin means that the way in which we live
the Christian life is by living out what God has impressed upon us from His
Word. If our actions are not by faith, that is, if our actions contradict what
we believe the Scriptures teach, then they are sinful actions, not godly ones.
14:24-26. At this point most Greek manuscripts of Romans contain three
verses which the Critical Text reserves till the last three verses of the entire
book (i.e., Rom 16:25-27). The Critical Text reading not only is not
supported by the external evidence, but it is unlikely contextually that Paul
would add a benediction after he gave his famous closing works, “The
grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Rom 16:24). In
none of his other epistles where this saying occurs with an Amen are any
other words given after it (i.e., Gal 6:18; Phil 4:23; 1 Thess 5:28; 2 Thess
3:18; Phlm 25).
This is a fitting conclusion to chap. 14 and Paul’s admonition to show love
to the weak.
Treating other believers in a loving manner requires an ongoing focus on
God, the One who is able to establish us. Believers are not guaranteed that
they will please God. But they are guaranteed that God is able to cause
them to please Him.
Paul’s readers knew this to be true based on Paul’s gospel, the message [or
preaching] of Jesus Christ, and based on the mystery. When Paul uses the
expression the mystery, he is referring to something not previously known.
Specifically, he is talking about the church, the Body of Christ, made up of
Jews and Gentiles united in one body, which was kept silent through past
eternal times.
The church age is a fulfillment of the prophetic Scriptures. Though
without the further revelation of the NT one would not understand the OT
texts which prophecy about the church, such texts reveal that Gentiles
would one day have a prominent God-honoring role in God’s household.
The church is designed to be a God-honoring body and to do so there must
be unity and love.
The obedience which God desires to flow from faith in Christ includes,
indeed is epitomized by, stronger brothers showing loving deference to
weaker brothers. This involves areas such as eating, drinking, and the
observance of special days.
To the eternal God…who alone is wise be glory forever through Jesus
Christ. Paul here sees ahead to the new earth. Forever we will bring glory
to God through Jesus Christ. Amen.
 3. Conclusion: Seeking the Glory of God (15:1-13)
a. By Accepting Others as Christ Accepted Us (15:1-7)
15:1. Paul contrasts we [including himself] who are strong with the
weak. Strong believers are enjoined not to please themselves. While there
is nothing wrong with believers enjoying the things that God has given us to
enjoy (cf. 1 Tim 6:17), we must not stubbornly do so while knowingly
injuring other believers in our church. The Lord Jesus does not want us
using our freedom to hurt fellow believers.
The way we use our freedom properly is by freely giving up rights we
have in order not to injure weaker brothers.
15:2. Rather than pleasing oneself, each of us is to please his neighbor in
what is good. Note that Paul does not say let each of us please the Lord.
The good here probably refers to what is good for the whole body. Selfless
action results in the edification of the church body.
It is instructive that what Paul has in mind is situations where the weaker
brother is directly present. We are not enjoined to live in fear that our
private actions will hurt the weaker brother. We should simply make sure
that we do not flaunt our liberty.
15:3. The Lord Jesus Christ is Paul’s prime example of one who did not
please Himself. He lived, died, and rose again to please God the Father.
On the cross He bore “the insults” [or reproaches] of men who were, in
reality, angry with God the Father.
This quote from Ps 69:9 illustrate the fact that our aim in life is to please
God, not ourselves. If pleasing the weaker brother pleases God, then we
must please the weaker brother.
15:4. The OT Scriptures are in view in the expression whatever was
written beforehand to give us teaching. Of course, this applies to the NT
as well (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 3:14-16). The hope (or, expectation) of which
Paul speaks is the certain expectation of the Second Coming of Christ and
of the establishment of His kingdom. That hope can and should engender in
the believer, who is focused on it, endurance and encouragement derived
from the Scriptures. Of course, the Judgment Seat of Christ is not far from
Paul’s mind in what he is saying here (cf. Rom 14:10-12).
15:5-6. Paul launches into a prayer. He desires that the God of endurance
and encouragement (cf. v 4) would grant the believers in Rome a
common mindset (the same aspirations for one another), one that was in
harmony with Christ Jesus. That in turn would result in a corporate
glorification of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. This
occurs when believers are unified inwardly and outwardly.
15:7. This is the only place in the NT which specifically refers to Christ
having accepted (or received) us. This probably refers to the fact that He
has died for us and given us everlasting life.
It is important to distinguish between Christ’s acceptance and His
approval. He accepts all believers. But He only approves of those believers
who are walking in the truth (cf. Rom 16:10; 1 Cor 11:19; 2 Cor 10:18;
13:6-7; 2 Tim 2:15).
Here Paul extends the call to all believers to accept one another. This
applies to all non-essential matters. When we accept one another we glorify
God.
b. By Worshipping God (15:8-11)
15:8-9. Christ Jesus has become a minister to the circumcised in the
sense that He taught and helped the house of Israel during His earthly
ministry and His apostles continued that ministry. He and His apostles
shared the truth of God with Israel for two reasons: so that He might
confirm the OT promises made to the fathers and so that the Gentiles
might glorify God for His mercy.
The reference to the Gentiles (or nations) glorifying God for His mercy as
a result of Jesus’ ministry is Paul’s recognition that Jesus’ ministry had a
secondary purpose. It was to prepare the way for the birth and development
of the Church, comprised of Jews and Gentiles together in one body.
The OT quotation is found in two separate texts, 2 Sam 22:50 and Ps
18:49. Paul and the other apostles confessed the Messiah among the
Gentiles and sang praises to His name wherever they went.
15:10. This quotation is from Deut 32:43. The rejoicing the Gentiles
should and will do “along with His people [Israel]” will be during the
eternal reign of Jesus, starting with the Millennium (Revelation 20) and
continuing forever on the new earth (Revelation 21–22).
Paul applies this verse to the present. If Gentiles will one day rejoice with
Jews in the kingdom, believing Gentiles should also rejoice with believing
Jews today within the Church.
 15:11. Paul quotes from Psalm 117 to show that Gentiles and Jews were to
praise the Lord. While the ultimate fulfillment of Psalm 117 looks ahead
to the Millennium and the new earth, it was applicable in the Mosaic
economy and it is applicable in the Church Age.
c. By Abounding in Hope (15:12-13)
15:12. Paul cites Isa 11:10 in order to remind his readers that Jesus is “a
[or the] root from Jesse” and that He “will arise to rule the Gentiles.” The
hope of the Gentiles spoken of here is the “expectation” of the
establishment by Messiah of His righteous kingdom when He soon returns.
The Gentile believers in Rome had that expectation.
15:13. The God of hope probably refers to God the Father. He is the
object of our hope. We are to have great expectation for God’s promise that
Jesus will return soon.
Paul’s prayer is that God would fill the readers with joy and peace as they
believe this. The Holy Spirit can give us the same hope as we regularly
hear about Jesus’ soon return and the Judgment Seat of Christ from the
Word of God.
IV. Conclusion: Final Remarks to the Roman Christians (15:14–
16:20)
A. Paul’s Role in the Gentile World (15:14-21)
15:14. Paul is personally persuaded that the believers (my brothers) in
Rome are full of goodness. What he has written in 12:1–15:13 in no way
was meant to discourage the readers or to give the impression that he
doubted their intentions or even their spiritual maturity. It is spiritual
believers who are competent also to admonish others.
That they have been filled with all knowledge further suggests that Paul
knows they are well grounded in the Word and in sound doctrine.
15:15-16. Paul knows he has written very boldly, or daringly, on some
points (in part), to the brothers in Rome, to refresh their memories about
the theme of the letter (1:16-17).
Paul does so because of the grace [or favor] that has been given to him
by God, that he should be a priestly minister of Jesus Christ for the
Gentiles.
 In the OT the priests handled the sacrifices. Paul applies these things to
himself as a priestly minister who handles the gospel of God. The good
news is that those who faithfully serve God are delivered from His temporal
wrath.
The offering of the readers was their very lives (Rom 12:1-2). Paul’s
reminder is designed to ensure that their offering would be acceptable,
sanctified (or set apart) by the Holy Spirit.
15:17. Paul’s ground for exaltation was not based on something inherently
praiseworthy in him. It was based on things pertaining or related to God.
Paul saw his ministry as God working through him.
It is an error for believers to speak as though all they have done for Christ
is solely their own labor, with no help from the Lord. But it is also wrong to
act super spiritual and to claim that we had nothing to do with it. If we were
not to take any credit for our ministries, then Paul could not boast about his
ministry (vv 18-19).
15:18-19. Paul would write daringly about the work of God, but he would
not dare to speak about anything other than the things that Christ had
worked through him. This includes both word and deed. They had been
used by God to produce obedience by the Gentiles (see 1:5), but Paul
dared not claim this as something he did independently of Christ.
This obedience was facilitated by the power of signs and wonders which
Paul did by the power of the Spirit of God. They validated his preaching.
The result of the signs and wonders Christ accomplished through Paul is
that he completed the spread of the gospel of Christ. Paul means that he
spread the message far and wide. His ministry extended from Jerusalem,
the heart of Judaism, and all around as far as Illyricum.
15:20-21. Paul’s ambition was to proclaim the gospel, but he had a
specific aim in terms of the sphere of his evangelistic efforts. He wanted to
proclaim the gospel in places where Christ was not named. That
expression probably refers to areas where Jesus Christ was unknown, as the
quote from Isa 52:15 indicates.
Paul considered this important so that he might not build on another
person’s foundation. Paul often evangelized where no man had gone
before. His task, as Apostle to the Gentiles, was to move from place to
place among the nations, evangelizing and planting churches.
 While Paul did visit and minister to churches that he did not plant (Acts
13:1-2), his modus operandi was to evangelize where the locals had not yet
heard about Christ.
B. Paul’s Plan to Visit Rome (15:22-33)
15:22. Here Paul takes the time to give more details about his planned visit
to Rome.
A major reason why Paul had been hindered many times from coming
to Rome was because of his missionary efforts thus far. It is likely that he
intends the reader to understand that since there already was a strong gospel
presence in Rome, he first went to places where there was no such presence
(cf. vv 23-24).
15:23-24. Because of his work in these regions, Paul now believes that
the Lord will open the way for him to visit them when he journeys to
Spain. He has fulfilled his calling of planting churches in Greece and Asia
Minor.
Paul’s desire to minister in Rome has lasted for many years. He expresses
here a desire for their material support (and to be assisted by you on my
trip there). He expects to enjoy his time with them (i.e., to be filled up).
Paul found great joy in teaching and having fellowship with other believers.
15:25. Paul informs them that first he is going to Jerusalem to serve
saints there. Though his ministry was primarily to Gentiles, he wished to
maintain good ties with the Jerusalem church as well. For Paul all believers
are saints in their position (cf. Rom 1:7; 8:27; 12:13; 15:26, 31; 16:2, 15).
15:26. Paul is going to serve the believers in Jerusalem by bringing a
financial gift from the churches in Macedonia and Achaia.
The Gentile believers in Macedonia and Achaia had been pleased to
make a certain contribution to the poor among the Jewish believers in
Jerusalem.
15:27. The believers in the churches of Macedonia and Achaia were
mainly Gentiles. The believers in the churches of Jerusalem were mainly
Jews. Since the Christian message went forth from Jerusalem, all the
Gentile churches in a sense owed their very lives and growth (spiritual
benefits) to the Jewish believers in Jerusalem.
Physical concerns here refers to material possessions. When Gentile
believers materially aided the Jewish believers in Jerusalem, they
strengthened the unity in the Body of Christ.
15:28. After Paul goes to Jerusalem with the gift, he plans to head out for
Rome, and then to Spain. The fruit that Paul expects to have sealed to
them, that is to the believers in Macedonia and Achaia, refers to the sealing
of future eternal reward for those believers for what they will have done for
the saints in Jerusalem. There is a clear allusion to the Judgment Seat of
Christ here (cf. Phil 1:22; 4:17; see also Matt 6:19-21).
15:29. On his trip to Jerusalem, Paul would be bearing material blessings
to the believers there. When he comes to Rome, he will come in the
fullness of the blessing of the gospel of Christ.
The gospel is a rich spiritual blessing capable of providing fullness of
blessings to believers. If believers take the gospel of Christ to heart and live
each day in light of it, then they will be delivered from God’s temporal
wrath; they will be fulfilling their purpose on earth of glorifying God; and
they will be well prepared for the Lord’s soon return and the Judgment Seat
of Christ.
15:30-32. When Paul urges the readers to contend along with me in your
prayers, he is talking about mutual work. Prayer, according to Paul, is not a
passive activity. It is work.
Paul wishes prayer for four things.
First, he asks for prayer so that he might be delivered from unbelieving
Jews in Judea. Most likely in view is his health, his freedom from
imprisonment, and his life itself.
Second, he desires prayer that his ministry to Jerusalem might be
acceptable to the saints. Paul wants the believers in Rome to pray that his
ministry in Jerusalem will be maximally effective in building up the saints
in the churches of Jerusalem.
Third, he also wishes them to strive in their prayers concerning his
proposed trip to Rome. He asks them to pray that he may come to them
with joy by the will of God. He knows that his visit depends on the will of
God (cf. Jas 4:13). His life is in God’s hands. And he can only come with
joy if his ministry in Jerusalem is effective.
Fourth, he asks for prayer that he might find rest with them. In other
words, he wants them to pray that his visit to Rome results in mutual
refreshment, encouragement, and edification (cf. Rom 1:11-12).
 15:33. Paul ends with a prayer of his own, a prayer that the God of peace
might be with them all. He wants the blessing of God to be upon the
churches in Rome.
C. Paul’s Commendation of Phoebe (16:1-2)
16:1-2. Evidently Phoebe is the bearer of the letter from Paul to the
Romans. The word translated a deaconess (diakonos) can also be translated
a servant, an agent, or even a courier. At the least Paul means that Phoebe
served well in the church in Cenchrea.
Paul wants the church to welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of
the saints. That is, they were to house her, feed her, show her warm
hospitality, and send her on her way with provisions. They were to assist
her in whatever matter she may need help from the believers in Rome.
She deserves such treatment because she has proved to be a patroness [or,
helper] to many and even to Paul.
D. Paul’s Greetings to the Roman Christians (16:3-16)
16:3-5a. Paul in vv 3-16 is evidently listing every single house church or
tenement church in the church of Rome in which he knows someone. Fifteen
times he uses the verb “greet.” However, most likely there were more
churches than that. The church in Rome, counting all its house and
tenement churches, probably had fewer than 1,000 members.
The first people he mentions are Priscilla and Aquila, whom he calls my
fellow workers in Christ Jesus. Paul commends them in that they risked
their own necks for his life (Acts 19:23-40). Paul indicates that not only is
he thankful for them, but so also are all the churches of the Gentiles.
That Paul tells the readers to greet the church that is in their house
shows that there was more than one house church in Rome. The early
church had no church buildings like we do today. All church meetings took
place in homes or tenements until the third century or so.
Since Priscilla and Aquila are mentioned first, and since Paul refers to the
church that is in their house, their church probably was the largest of the
churches in Rome.
16:5b-9. Each time Paul says greet (vv 3-15), he is introducing a new
house or tenement church. Epaenetus, mentioned only here in the NT, is
identified as my beloved and as the firstfruits from Achaia for Christ.
Paul means that he was either the very first believer in the region of Achaia,
or at the least, one of the first (cf. 1 Cor 16:15).
Miriam (or Mary), whom Paul says has toiled much for us was likely
Jewish.
Andronicus and Junias receive special commendation from Paul: they
are highly regarded [or notable] among the apostles, which means they
were well-regarded by the apostles. In other words, the apostles had a very
favorable opinion of these faithful servants of Christ. Paul uses his famous
in Christ expression to indicate that they were born again before he was.
Paul refers to both Amplias and Stachys as my much-loved, a sort of
generic expression of his affection for them (cf. v 5b). He refers to Urbanus
as our fellow worker in Christ, which most likely signifies not that he
served directly with Paul, but that Paul knew of his service for Christ and
considered him an ally in ministry for Christ.
16:10-12. Paul says Apelles is an approved one in Christ. Christ’s
approval is not something every believer will have (cf. 1 Cor 9:27; 2 Tim
2:15). We learn here that one can be in a current state of approval. If
Apelles perseveres in his service for Christ, then he will remain approved
and will receive Christ’s approval at His Judgment Seat.
Paul also greets two families or households, those of Aristobulus and of
Narcissus. He does not say of either family what he said of Priscilla and
Aquila in v 5: “Likewise greet the church that is in their house.” This
suggests that these churches met not in homes, but in tenements.
Tryphena and Tryphosa are commended by Paul as those who have
toiled in the Lord. These two women were probably sisters.
Another woman, Persis, is said to have toiled a lot in the Lord. While the
addition of the words a lot might imply that Persis did more than Tryphena
and Tryphosa, it seems more likely that Paul is simply varying his style in
his brief comments about various people.
16:13-14. Paul says that Rufus is a chosen one in the Lord. Likely this is
not a reference to election to some particular ministry, since no additional
information is given. It means that Rufus is an outstanding person in Christ.
This probably is the same Rufus whom Mark mentions in Mark 15:21.
That Paul refers to the mother of Rufus as also his own mother suggests
that at some time she had displayed motherly affection and extended
hospitality to Paul.
 In v 14 Paul mentions five men and the brothers who are with them.
The latter suggests that these five men and the unnamed brothers were part
of a house church together.
16:15-16. Philologus and Julia are probably husband and wife. Nereus
and his sister might be their children. Olympas was another person in their
house church, and so were all the saints who are with them.
The call to greet one another with a holy kiss (on the cheek) is a
common one in Paul’s letters (cf. 1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:2)
and reflects an early practice in the church. Greeting someone with a kiss
was also common among Jesus’ disciples when they walked with Him
(Matt 26:29).
Paul ends his greetings to individuals in the churches of Rome with a
reminder of the love all churches have for them: The churches of Christ
greet you. All churches are bound together since they all belong to and
serve the Lord Jesus Christ.
E. Paul’s Warning about Divisive People (16:17-20)
16:17-18. Paul now turns to a significant closing concern. Unity is not to
be maintained at the cost of truth. If people in a church cause divisions and
snares that are contrary to the doctrine (or teaching) of the apostles, then
the church should avoid them.
Paul does not indicate who these divisive people are. These might be
people already present in some of the churches. Or they might be people
Paul anticipates will come later. His point is that such people are to be
avoided and not allowed to hurt the churches.
Divisive people like this may have smooth talk and flattery, but their
message is false. These people do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but
instead their own belly. That is, they are saying things that will bring them
money so they can eat well. And with their false teaching they deceive the
hearts of the unsuspecting.
Each church must protect its members by not allowing people with
contrary teaching to spread their false doctrines. Doctrine matters and must
not be overlooked.
16:19-20. The believers in Rome whom Paul is greeting are not like the
divisive people about whom he is warning them. The report of the readers’
obedience has reached to all. That is, their godly behavior and sound
doctrine is well known among all the Gentile churches. Thus, Paul rejoices
over them.
Yet he still is concerned and wants them to be wise regarding what is
good and innocent regarding what is evil. This describes what the role of
elders in a local church should be. They ensure that sound doctrine is taught
in the church.
The words, “now the God of peace shall crush Satan beneath your feet
soon” allude to the protoevangelium in Gen 3:15. Paul is here referring to
the Parousia. When Jesus returns, He will crush Satan under the feet of all
believers. That the return of Jesus is soon is in keeping with the fact of
imminency, which Jesus Himself taught (e.g., Matt 24:42-51; 25:13).
V. Postscript and Benediction (16:21-24)
16:21. Timothy is Paul’s trusted aide whom he here calls my fellow
worker. Lucius is probably not the Lucius of Acts 13:1. It is possible this
could refer to Luke, the writer of Luke-Acts.
Jason is a common Jewish name often used as a substitute for Jesus (Acts
15:5-9). This may well be the Jason from Thessalonica mentioned in Acts
17:5-9. Sosipater is likely the same person who accompanied Paul to Asia
and who is called “Sopater of Berea” in Acts 20:4.
16:22. Paul dictated this epistle to an amanuensis. Tertius here identifies
himself as the one who wrote this epistle. He too sends his greeting.
The words in the Lord probably signify the importance of this letter and
that Tertius realizes he has been used by the Lord in this endeavor.
16:23. Gaius was evidently a wealthy man as he was Paul’s host in
Corinth as Paul wrote this letter and he was the host of the whole church
(1 Cor 1:14).
Erastus, the city treasurer, also greets the church in Rome (Acts 19:22; 2
Tim 4:20). He was an important official in Corinth.
The final greeting comes from Quartus, whom Paul simply calls a
brother. He is not mentioned anywhere else in the NT.
16:24. Paul often ended his epistles with the benediction: The grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. The grace, or favor, of our Lord
Jesus Christ was not merely some sort of catchy religious phrase for Paul. It
was a key to his life and ministry.
 With these words Paul’s grand letter to the Romans ends. The Critical
Texts puts three verses here, forming a sort of double ending to the letter.
However, a double ending is not found in Paul’s other epistles and most
manuscripts have those verses as the end of chap. 14. See the discussion at
Rom 14:24-26.
Properly understood, this letter is not an evangelistic tract (e.g., the
Romans road). Instead, it is a primer on deliverance from God’s temporal
wrath by means of the gospel that Paul preached, the gospel of Christ (Rom
1:17).
 1 Corinthians
DWIGHT HUNT
INTRODUCTION
The city of Corinth was located on an isthmus that separated the
Corinthian Gulf from the Saraonic Gulf. Thus it became a center for trade
and commerce. After the destruction of this Greek city by the Romans in
146 BC, it was later refounded by Julius Caesar as a Roman colony in 46
BC. Later in 27 BC it became the seat of government for Achaia. Caesar
drew people from various parts of the Roman Empire including some
discharged soldiers to settle in Corinth. However, this Roman infiltration of
culture did not result in Corinth abandoning its Greek roots.
Because of its geographical location on the Middle Eastern trade routes,
Corinth became a crucial seaboard city. Jews also lived in this area. An
inscription discovered in this area reads, “Synagogue of the Hebrew.” This
confirms Luke’s statement in Acts 18:4 when he writes that Paul reasoned
in the Synagogue, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks. This cosmopolitan
city included many other people from different races, religions, and value
systems. These various customs, morals, and religions of the different
travelers that used the convenient route to go from the east to the west
contributed to a plethora of religious beliefs, values, and cultures. Thus
materialism and immorality were prevalent. Much of the vice centered on
the Temple of Aphrodite and its thousand temple prostitutes. Therefore the
name Corinth was associated with blatant decadence, especially in
connection with the worship of Aphrodite.
Authorship and Occasion
Most agree that Paul wrote this letter to the church that he founded in
Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), which he planted on his second missionary journey
in AD 50–51. He came to this city in weakness, fear, and trembling (1 Cor
2:1-5). He also met Aquila and Priscilla who had been expelled from Rome
in AD 49 when Claudius issued his edict ordering the expulsion of the Jews.
Aquila and Priscilla were tentmakers, as was Paul, and evidently already
had believed in Jesus Christ for eternal life.
 Corinth’s strategic position along with its moral wickedness motivated the
apostle to share the gospel and begin a local church. One can assume that
Paul recognized that because of the city’s emphasis on trade, any
philosophy or belief taught in Corinth would soon reach far beyond the
province of Achaia. What a great place for the gospel of God’s grace
through Jesus Christ.
Acts 18:9-10 records that while Paul was in Corinth hostility broke out. In
the midst of this hostility, the Lord gave him a vision, instructing him not to
fear. He would have good reason to fear since during this time he was
opposed by members of the Jewish community who were enraged over the
conversion of Crispus, ruler of the synagogue, and his family (Acts 18:7-
10). This event led to Paul being brought before the judgment seat of
Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia. However, the proconsul ruled that
no crime had been committed against Rome by Paul, and so he dismissed
the apostle’s Jewish accusers. His judgment was that Christianity was only a
matter of religious differences in the Jewish faith (vv 12-17). Paul stayed in
Corinth at least 18 months (18:11), and then he left for home at Antioch
Syria, leaving Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus.
Paul’s Visits and Correspondence to Corinth
When Paul arrived in Ephesus on his second missionary journey (Acts
19:1-20), he became aware of some problems in the Corinthian church. At
that point he probably made a second visit to Corinth. Though Acts does not
record this visit, he apparently visited Corinth a second time during his
ministry in Ephesus. His attempts at remedying the problem failed during
this second visit. This visit is implied from 2 Cor 12:14 and 13:1-2 where
the apostle writes of going to Corinth a “third time.” Shortly after he left
Corinth the second time, he sent a letter telling the Corinthians not to
associate with immoral people (1Cor 5:9-11). The whereabouts of this first
letter or “lost letter” to the Corinthian believers remains a mystery. Some
scholars believe that part of it might be contained in 2 Cor 6:14–7:1. This is
highly unlikely. Evidently Paul’s letter was misunderstood so he had to
explain more fully when writing a second time (1 Corinthians).
Therefore, Paul’s first visit to Corinth resulted in the founding of the
church there (Acts 18:1-21; 1Cor 2:1-5). The first visit was followed by a
second visit, which was followed by a follow-up letter, the so-called “lost
letter” (1 Cor 5:9). Some, however, put the second visit to Corinth after the
writing of 1 Corinthians.
Several things caused Paul to write 1 Corinthians (his second letter). He
received information through several sources that things were not well at
Corinth. For instance, there was a report of a church split by Chloe’s people.
They reported that the church had split in different factions with each
faction claiming the authority of a well-known individual–Paul, Peter,
Apollos, or even Christ Himself. Some of the Corinthians misunderstood
Paul’s letter (the “lost letter”) about the immoral association and had
permitted an immoral believer to fellowship with the church at Corinth (1
Cor 5:1-2).
Others had presented themselves as being superior in their wisdom, even
surpassing Paul’s wisdom (4:7-10).
Some of the Corinthians, possibly Stephanus, Fortunas, and Achaicus
(16:17), sent a letter asking several questions, which Paul answered in the
“now concerning” sections (7:1–16:1-4). The second letter addressing these
divisive issues and answering these practical and doctrinal questions was 1
Corinthians, written around AD 54 or 55 while Paul was ministering in
Ephesus on his third missionary journey. Paul sent Titus to Corinth with 1
Corinthians.
Paul left Ephesus ahead of schedule to look for Titus and stopped in Troas
(2 Cor 2:12). Titus was not there and Paul, after he preached the gospel
there, still desired to hear about the spiritual condition of the Corinthians
and their response to his second letter (1 Corinthians). So he went on to
Macedonia where he found Titus (2 Cor 2:13). Soon he wrote the letter of 2
Corinthians from Macedonia, possibly the city of Philippi in the year AD
56.
Purpose and Theme
Paul’s purpose was to correct the problems mentioned in these letters and
personal reports that he had received. In 1 Cor 1-6, he addressed divisions
in the church that seemed to have been caused by the arrogance of the
Corinthian believers. After dealing with this root problem of spiritual
arrogance, Paul answered the questions that the Corinthians had concerning
such matters as marital relations (chap. 7), freedom and responsibility
(chaps. 8-11), spiritual gifts and order in worship (chaps. 12-14), and
collection for the saints in Jerusalem (16:1-4).

OUTLINE
I. Opening Remarks (1:1-9)
II. The Problem of Divisions (1:10–4:21)
III. Moral Dysfunctions in the Church (5:1–6:20)
IV. Difficulties in the Church (7:1–14:40)
V. The Resurrection and Its Implications (15:1-58)
VI. The Jerusalem Offering (16:1-9)
VII. Concluding Remarks (16:10-24)

COMMENTARY
I. Opening Remarks (1:1-9)
A. Greeting (1:1-3)
1:1. First Corinthians begins in a manner similar to the way most ancient
letters at that time would begin: salutation, author, and recipient(s). Paul
was called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God. He
did not seek out this position. God chose him (Acts 9:15). The identity of
Sosthenes is unknown. But Paul affirms his relationship with Christ when
he identifies him as our brother.
1:2. Paul wrote to the local church of God which is at Corinth, to those
who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints. The words to be
are supplied and do not appear in the Greek language. Paul clearly calls
them saints, which speaks of their standing before God as set-apart people
who have believed in Jesus Christ for eternal life. Furthermore he includes
them with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our
Lord, both theirs and ours. Calling on the name of Lord is the way
believers in Christ openly identify themselves with Jesus Christ. For
example believers can call on the name of the Lord when they are
persecuted, when they worship, when they are baptized, when they confess
their faith in Him, and when they pursue personal holiness (cf. Acts 7:59;
9:14, 21; 22:16; Rom 10:9-14; 2 Tim 2:21-22).
 1:3. Paul characteristically brings together both Greek and Hebrew
salutations: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ. Grace (unmerited favor) points to the activity of God that
will meet their needs, and peace conveys the interpersonal and person-to-
God wholeness.
B. Thanksgiving (1:4-9)
1:4-5. The apostle gives thanks to God always concerning the Corinthian
believers for the grace of God which was given to them by (lit., “in”)
Christ Jesus. It was because of God’s grace that they were members of
Christ’s body and were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance
and all knowledge. The verb were enriched is passive, denoting that Christ
Himself is the source of the spiritual riches (Eph 1:3-4). God made them
rich in all utterance (logos) and all knowledge (gnōsis). Perhaps Paul
focuses on these two qualities because the Corinthians had a
misunderstanding of them (1 Corinthians 12–14). Maybe eloquence or
displaying wisdom (as their surrounding Greek culture did) was on their
mind (1 Cor 1:22). This manifested itself in the misuse of gifts such as
tongues, prophecy, and discernment of spirits.
1:6. In reality these gifts were based on the testimony of Christ–His
person and His death (Phil 3:10)–which was confirmed in the Corinthians.
In other words, the gifts the Corinthians possessed were adequate evidences
of Christ’s work in them as a body.
1:7. Though they were misusing the gifts, a matter that Paul addresses in
chapters 12–14, the apostle did not want them to lack in any spiritual gift
(“so that you come short in no gift”). These gifts were to be properly used
while the Corinthians were eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord
Jesus Christ. The believers in Corinth were eagerly waiting (expecting) the
personal presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in the Rapture and His Second
Coming.
1:8. The Lord whom the Corinthians eagerly expected will also confirm
them to the end. Paul is expressive of his desire here that through the
Lord’s power his readers would one day stand blameless in the day of our
Lord Jesus Christ. The verb confirm in this verse and v 6 means “to make
to stand” or “to make stable.” The word blameless (anenklētos) is used only
four other times in the NT, all in Paul (Col 1:22; 1 Tim 3:10; Titus 1:6-7).
 The day of the Lord Jesus Christ refers to the Judgment Seat of Christ (the
Bema). In different places Paul calls this time “the day of the Lord Jesus,”
“the day of Jesus Christ,” and “the day of Christ” (cf. 1 Cor 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14;
Phil 1:6, 10; 2:16; 2 Thess 2:2). The believer who is found blameless at the
Bema will hear the Lord’s “well done” (Luke 19:17; 2 Cor 5:10).
1:9. All of what Paul has been saying in vv 6-8 is possible only because
God is faithful. His faithfulness is able to cause the Corinthian church to
stand before Jesus without blame at the Bema. His faithfulness is also the
basis of their being called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ
our Lord.
II. The Problem of Divisions (1:10–4:21)
A.The Fact of Divisions—Voiding the Cross of Christ (1:10-17)
1:10. In light of God’s graciousness to them Paul says, now I plead with
you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Now (de)
introduces a contrast to the previous paragraph. The word plead expresses
Paul’s heart. It is an affectionate term and can be translated “encourage.” He
is encouraging them by the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who cannot be
divided, that they all speak the same thing. Speaking the same thing is an
expression taken from Greek political life that expresses the idea of
dropping party cries. He reinforces the need for agreement among the
Corinthians when he says, “and that there be no divisions (schismata,
‘cliques or dissensions’) among you.” Paul exhorts them to be perfectly
joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. The
expression perfectly joined together denotes the restoring of something to
its correct state. It is used of mending torn nets and supplying what is
lacking in faith (Matt 4:21; 1Thess 3:10). In ancient times it was used for
the surgeon’s mending a joint. Restoration in the same mind (i.e., united in
mind) and in the same judgment (i.e., outlook) was very much needed in the
Corinthian church.
1:11-12. Paul was concerned because of the information he received from
Chloe’s household. The identity of Chloe is unknown. Members of her
family communicated to Paul that there were contentions among the
Corinthians. Quarreling is evidence that the flesh is at work and not the
Spirit. Examples of this contention are given, “I am of Paul,” or “I am of
Apollos,” or “I am of Cephas,” or “I am of Christ.” Some were saying
that they followed Paul, while others followed Apollos, probably a more
eloquent speaker than Paul. Some were even part of a Cephas party. Cephas
is the Aramaic name form of Peter. However, Biblical scholars do not know
if Peter was ever in Corinth. Nevertheless there was something about Peter
that made him a person to whom to give allegiance. Even a fourth party
who followed Christ is mentioned. This fourth party may refer to the ultra–
libertarians who emphasized their absolute freedom in Christ (cf. 6:12).
1:13. Paul condemns this arrogant attitude that formed these groups when
he asks, Is Christ divided? In other words, has Christ been divided up?
The implied answer is that Christ cannot be divided since He is one, and
His body is one (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-13). The apostle then proposes another
absurd question. Was Paul crucified for you? The Greek expects a
negative answer. Paul was not crucified for them. Because of their focus on
human wisdom, the Corinthians were overlooking the fact that no one other
than Christ could die for their sins and redeem them.
Paul asks yet another question expecting a negative answer. Or were you
baptized in the name of Paul? They had forgotten the significance of their
water baptism. They had been baptized in Christ’s name, not Paul’s.
Why did these believers in Corinth divide into these four cliques?
Probably their Greek culture with its emphasis on teachers and philosophers
influenced them to the point that they forgot the centrality of the crucifixion
of Christ and began to center on human wisdom, which is a poor substitute
for true spirituality.
1:14-15. Paul emphasized that he baptized only a few, and he thanks God
that he baptized none of the Corinthians except Crispus and Gaius.
Crispus was probably the Corinthian synagogue leader (Acts 18:8). Gaius is
mentioned in Romans 16:23. He points to the fact that no one could say that
he or she had been baptized in Paul’s name.
1:16-17. As he focuses on the subject of baptism, Paul recalls that he also
baptized the household of Stephanas, who was one of those he calls his
“firstfruits of Achaia” (16:15, 17). Other than these people mentioned, Paul
could not call to mind whether he baptized any other. He clearly draws a
distinction between preaching the Gospel and baptism when he says, For
Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Baptism is
not necessary for justification. Though Scripture teaches that being baptized
is to be the first step in discipleship (Matt 28:19), it should not be confused
with the saving message.
Paul did not present the message of the gospel with wisdom of words, lest
the cross of Christ should be made of no effect.
B. False Wisdom and God’s Wisdom—the Gospel (1:18–2:5)
The reference to the cross in v 17 introduces this section on the contrast
between the power of the gospel and the frailty of humankind’s wisdom.
The need for unity in the body is approached not by suggesting some kind
of philosophy or human wisdom but by reminding the believers of the
significance of the Cross.
1:18. The believers at Corinth receive correction for their unjustifiable
exaltation of human wisdom. Paul says the message (the word, the
preaching) of the cross is foolishness (cf. 1:21, 23; 2:14; 3:19) to those
who are perishing. The expression those who are perishing could refer
exclusively to those who will spend eternity in the lake of fire separated
from God (cf. John 3:16, 18). However, in light of the way the contrasting
expression, to us who are being saved, is used in 15:2, those who are
perishing might include believers who have not held fast to Paul’s gospel.
Perishing means dying or being destroyed, with no necessary eternal
connotation (cf. 2 Pet 3:6, 9). Since holding fast to Paul’s gospel is the
condition of being saved in 1 Cor 15:2, this could well refer to those who
are spiritually well (cf. 1:7-8; 5:5), which would not be all believers (cf.
15:2 and comments there).
1:19. Here Paul quotes the Greek translation of Isa 29:14: “I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise, and bring to nothing the understanding of the
prudent.” Paul does this to illustrate the distinction between the gospel
message and earthly wisdom. This passage in Isaiah appeals to the example
of Israel who, because they followed humanly wise advice, formed an
alliance with Egypt as a defense against the Assyrians. But only the
miraculous intrusion of the Lord was able to save them. Thus Isaiah’s point
was that the wisdom of mankind is no match for the power of God.
1:20-21. A note of victory prevails in Paul’s questions, Where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this age? The wise
describes the Greek philosopher; the scribe refers to the Jewish scholar; the
disputer of this age is a general expression that includes them both. The first
question alludes to Isa 19:12 and the second question alludes to Isa 33:18.
Both passages speak about invincible world powers being overwhelmed by
the power of Yahweh. Then Paul asks, Has not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? In other words, “Has not God revealed the world’s
wisdom as folly by doing it through a foolish manner—the Cross?” The
wise are made foolish in history through the message preached to save
those who believe.
1:22-23. The Jewish request of Christ for a sign is seen in Matt 12:38;
16:1, 4; and John 6:30. The Jews often came to Jesus asking for signs
because they expected a political Messiah. The Greeks who seek after
wisdom could not accept the “foolish salvation” that the Cross teaches. Paul
and the others with him preach Christ crucified. The tense of the word
crucified conveys the ongoing results of Christ’s crucifixion. The preaching
of a crucified Jesus is not well received by some. For example this
preaching became to the Jews a stumbling block (giving offense), and it
became to the Greeks foolishness. To the Greeks the Cross did not mean
mankind reaching to God through philosophical conjectures, as they
believed; instead it meant that God had come down to mankind.
1:24. However, the preaching of Christ crucified became to those who are
called, both Jews and Greeks (the Body of Christ), Christ the power of
God and the wisdom of God. Christ guarantees eternal life to all who
believe in Him for it. Furthermore to those believers He offers both power
and wisdom that come from God. Christ is the agent of God’s power to give
the believer victory over sin. He is also the agent of godly wisdom that
defies the worldly wisdom of humankind. The term those who are called is
defined by those who believe (v 21) and us who are being saved (v 18).
Only believers are called, and only the called are believers. These believers
—these called ones—experience God’s power and wisdom because of the
Cross of Jesus Christ (cf. v 30).
1:25. The Cross represents the foolishness of God which is wiser than
the wisdom of humankind. Also the Cross represents the weakness of God,
which is stronger in all of its saving capacity than all of humanity’s most
powerful efforts. What God accomplished through the death of Christ on
the cross contradicts the human concepts of wisdom and power. In fact it
achieves what human wisdom and power failed to achieve—the salvation of
mankind.
 The Greek translation of Jer 9:23-24 lies behind the next section (vv 26-
31).
In the Jeremiah passage, the LORD commands the wise man, mighty man,
and the rich man not to boast in their wisdom, strength, or wealth, but in
their knowledge of Him.
1:26. The Corinthians need to see (reflect on) [their] calling. In other
words they need to ponder over the type of people God has sovereignly
chosen. Most of these people were not wise according to the flesh. Most
were not mighty or noble (lit., nobly born), except for men such as Crispus,
the synagogue ruler (cf. Acts 18:8), and Erastus, the city treasurer (Rom
16:23).
1:27. Though most were not gifted with wisdom, power, or nobility, Paul
says, But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame
the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to
shame the things which are mighty. In other words His sovereign plan of
bringing people to salvation uses the foolish and weak to accomplish His
purposes.
1:28. Two expressions for the slave class of people—the base things of
the world and the…despised—are used. Base means low-born, the
opposite of noble. This class of people along with the despised God has
chosen for salvation. The next expression—the things which are not—is
an even stronger expression meaning the nonentities of this life in the eyes
of the world. God has taken the so-called nonentities of this life to bring to
nothing the things that are. Bring to nothing occurs twenty-seven times in
the NT (e.g., Rom 6:6; 1 Cor 2:6; 6:13; 13:8, 10-11; 15:24, 26). In this
context it means to “render inoperative” or to “render idle.” Because of the
grace of God, He makes “nobodies” into “somebodies.”
1:29-30. God chose this method so that no flesh should glory in His
presence. God in His wisdom takes away from all of humankind every
occasion of boasting, which includes the boasting of the believers in
Corinth who were reveling in people and their spiritual gifts. Instead of
boasting, Paul reminds the believers that God is the source of their life in
Christ, who became for them wisdom from God (Col 2:2-3) as opposed to
the wisdom from men. The three terms—righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption—explain what Paul means by wisdom
from God. Christ is the source of righteousness. God declares the believer
righteous (Gal 3:6; Rom 1:17; 3:21; 4:3). Christ is also the source of
sanctification. Much of the book of 1 Corinthians speaks of the need for
holiness among the Corinthians (progressive sanctification). However, here
sanctification is probably used in a forensic sense much like the term
righteousness. The immediate context seems to substantiate this usage (cf. 1
Cor 1:2). Also Christ is the source of redemption for the believer. This
particular term (apolutrōsis) means “to be set free” or “ransomed as a
slave” (Rom 3:24). All three of these terms define what occurs at salvation.
1:31. Paul summarizes his argument by referring to the Greek translation
of Jer 9:24, “He who glories, let him glory in the Lord.” People cannot
boast in their own accomplishments. Glory belongs to the Lord, who has
provided this salvation which expresses His wisdom to mankind.
Chapter 2 stresses the Spirit’s work, and it draws a close relationship
between the Spirit, the crucifixion of Christ, and wisdom. In essence Paul
says that God’s wisdom is set forth in the crucifixion of Christ, and that this
wisdom is revealed by the ministry of the Holy Spirit (2:10, 13).
2:1-2. The apostle points out that when he came to them ministering the
gospel of Jesus Christ, he did not come with excellence of speech or of
wisdom declaring to [them] the testimony of God. Paul is describing his
normal practice, which probably seemed more striking to the Corinthians
who were steeped in Greek philosophy. His message was clear and simple
—Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The perfect participle crucified
signifies the continuing effectiveness and the consequences of the death of
Christ (cf. 1:23). Because of the Crucifixion, Christ can pledge eternal life
to anyone who believes in Him for it.
2:3. Paul recalls that he was with them in weakness, in fear, and in much
trembling. Maybe these terms refer to his initial loneliness and
discouragement after his previous ministry in Athens, or to the anxiety he
felt for the Thessalonian believers, or to the overpowering evil of Corinth,
or possibly to his sickness (cf. Gal 4:13). He had developed such a
relationship with them that he felt free to share his own sense of
vulnerability.
2:4-5. Paul’s message was not with persuasive words of human wisdom,
like that of the intellects in the Corinthian culture. Rather his message was
in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. The word demonstration
suggests the further idea of proof. Both Spirit and power are often
mentioned together in the NT (as in Acts 1:8). Hence the power of the Holy
Spirit that accompanies Paul’s preaching gives more evidence about the
truth of the gospel than any logical argument of the philosopher. The
purpose of such Spirit-empowered preaching is brought forth by Paul when
he says, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the
power of God.
C. True Wisdom and the Holy Spirit (2:6-16)
2:6-7. In contrast to human wisdom, Paul and his associates speak
wisdom among the mature. But this Spirit-empowered wisdom does not
come from this age (this world). Neither does this godly wisdom come
from the rulers of this age (the world). Some have suggested that the
expression rulers of this age refer to demonic forces. In many places Paul
does mention such forces (e.g., Rom 8:38-39; Eph 6:12). However, these
passages in chapters 1 and 2 contrast God’s wisdom and power
demonstrated in the gospel with man’s wisdom and power. It would seem
awkward to interject an unconnected subject here. Also the rulers of this
age are identified as those who crucified Christ (v 8). Paul probably had
people like Pilate, Herod, and Caiaphas in mind. These leaders are coming
to nothing. This word, which means “to make inoperative,” is used in 1:28.
Opposite the wisdom of men is God’s wisdom in a mystery. The term
mystery is not referring to something unintelligible or difficult to understand
but to a secret God is now revealing. What is God’s wisdom in a mystery? It
is God’s plan of salvation, which is the hidden wisdom which God
ordained before the ages for our glory. The message of the Cross
expresses God’s design and objective beyond what He had revealed in the
past. The gospel was not a postscript. It was something planned before the
ages for our glory.
2:8-9. If the rulers of this world understood God’s wise plan and how it
involved the centrality of Jesus Christ and His cross, they would not have
crucified the Lord of glory. If they had known God’s wisdom, which
comes by way of the Cross, they would not have put Christ to death. Paul
quotes from an OT passage, probably a free rendering of Isa 64:4, to
illustrate this. His point is that there is no way of understanding open to
mankind—“eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered in the heart
of man”—that can offer him any notion of the great things which “God has
prepared for those who love Him.” Only the believer can ultimately know
God’s plan by revelation. This is divine wisdom.
2:10-11. God has revealed these things of His great mystery to the
believers through His Spirit. All these things come from God; thus no
personal pride should exist. The Spirit, the third person of the Trinity,
searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. The word search conveys
the meaning of examine. Nothing is excluded from His searching, even the
depths of God. Paul then gives an illustration to clarify this point. He asks,
For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man
which is in him? The spirit of the man stands for the person or self-
consciousness. The spirit of the man relates to that which dwells in every
person (Prov 20:27). Just as human wisdom needs the human spirit to
comprehend it, spiritual truths about God can be known only through the
Holy Spirit who knows the things of God.
2:12. Paul and others have received, not the spirit of the world, but the
Spirit who is from God. All believers have received the Holy Spirit at the
moment of salvation (Rom 8:9). Because of this, the believer might know
the things that have been freely given to them by God. For a small
minority of believers in the first century, like some of the apostles and those
under their authority, the Spirit revealed the content of God’s Word (2 Pet
1:20-21). For all other believers, the Spirit helps them interpret God’s Word
and make meaningful application. This latter work of the Spirit is called
illumination.
2:13. The Holy Spirit leads Paul and others not in words which man’s
wisdom teaches. In other words He did not lead them into human
philosophy or reasoning but into words which He teaches. The Spirit
teaches by comparing (interpreting or combining) spiritual things with
spiritual things. Because of the ambiguity of the Greek text, these words
could be translated interpreting spiritual truths to spiritual persons or
combining spiritual truths with spiritual words. The last translation seems
to be more justifiable by context. The spiritual truths that come from God
are combined with the spiritual words of the apostles and those under their
authority to convey God’s revelation.
2:14-15. Acquisition of spiritual truth requires spiritual receptiveness. Paul
points out that the natural man (psychikos, “an unregenerate person, a
person without the Spirit”) does not receive the things of the Spirit of
God. The verb receive can be translated welcome. The unsaved person can
understand, but he does not welcome spiritual truth, the things of God’s
Word, because they are foolishness to him. He refuses and rejects these
things. Because he does not have the Spirit of God, neither can he know the
things of the Spirit of God. Why not? Because they are spiritually
discerned. The verb discern means “to examine”, “to judge”, or “to
estimate”. The unbeliever does not have the ability to evaluate spiritual
things. Opposite the natural man is he who is spiritual. The term spiritual
(pneumatikos) describes the mature believer who judges all things, yet he
himself is rightly judged by no one. The spiritual Christian cannot be
judged by the unbeliever or the carnal believer (cf. 3:1-3) in spiritual
matters.
2:16. Paul appeals to Isa 40:13 to show that the believer is not subject to
judgment when it comes to spiritual issues because the spiritual believer
possesses the mind of Christ (cf. Rom 8:6-8). Biblical spirituality is a
mindset, a way of viewing life, which comes from welcoming the things of
God by means of His Word.
D. Immaturity of the Believers (3:1-9)
3:1-3. Paul had been discussing the natural person (the unbeliever) and the
spiritual person (the mature believer). Now he addresses the readers as
falling in a third category: And I, brethren could not speak to you as to
spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ.
Carnal Christians are spiritual infants, regardless of how long they have
been in the faith. They need to be nourished with milk and not with solid
food. When Paul came to Corinth in about AD 51, he led many to faith in
Christ. For eighteen months Paul taught these new believers the basic and
essential teachings of Christian living so that they might become spiritual
people. Four to five years had elapsed between the time of Paul’s ministry
at Corinth and the time he wrote this letter, but the Corinthians had
remained immature in their faith.
Paul expresses his dismay when he says, and even now you are still not
able to receive the solid food of God’s Word. They had not yet grown into
spiritual men and women (cf. Heb 5:14). Their Christian lives were
characterized by envy, strife, and divisions. Paul asks them, are you not
carnal (lit., “characterized by the flesh”) and behaving like mere men?
The original language expects an affirmative answer. They may have
thought they were spiritual, but their lifestyle revealed a fleshly mindset (cf.
4:8-10).
3:4. Paul gives an illustration of their fleshly attitude. Some were saying “I
am of Paul,” while others were saying “I am of Apollos.” This divisive
attitude (cf. 1:12-13) showed the apostle the believers at Corinth were
looking to others for their wisdom and not to the Lord for His power and
wisdom.
3:5-8. In view of that, Paul stresses that he and Apollos are simply
ministers through whom the Corinthians believed. He planted, Apollos
watered, but God gave the increase in the ministry of these men. He
points out that one who plants and the one who waters are one. Indeed, he
and Apollos were equal. Moreover each one of them will receive his own
reward according to his own labor. Their reward at the Bema would be
based on their faithful labor for God.
3:9. Paul and Apollos are God’s fellow workers, serving God together,
while the Corinthians are referred to as God’s field. This term looks back to
verses 6-9, which present the image of a tilled field. They are also God’s
building, which looks forward to the image of building construction (v 10).
Three times in this verse the term God comes first, stressing forcefully that
the human instrumentality does not matter. The immature believer would
stress human instruments and glory in human achievements, but the mature
believer stresses the faithfulness of God as He uses human instruments.
E. The Growing and Evaluation of the Local Church (3:10-23)
3:10-11. Because of God’s grace the apostle as a wise master builder was
able to lay the (spiritual) foundation of the local church in Corinth. The
term wise (sophos) is used of skilled craftsmen who built the tabernacle
(Exod 35:10; 36:1, 4, 8). During his eighteen-month ministry in Corinth
Paul, by the grace and empowerment of God, was skillfully working to craft
the foundation of the local church planted in Corinth. Soon Paul’s time
would end, and it would be an opportunity for another [who] builds on this
foundation. But he warns to let each one take heed how he builds on it.
Each person must take personal responsibility before God as His servant
concerning how he ministers in the local church because no other
foundation can be laid except that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
 3:12-15. Paul is concerned with two types of construction on this
foundation. Lasting construction is represented by the terms gold, silver,
precious stones. Impermanent construction is represented by the terms
wood, hay, straw. The latter are not bad building materials. But they are
not permanent.
While many see the issue as good versus bad works, it is more likely that
Paul is discussing permanent versus impermanent works. Thus time spent
watching football, hunting, fishing, or golfing are not bad works, but they
are also not works with eternal value (unless possibly if that is your job or
you are evangelizing or discipling during that time). Paul is urging the
Corinthians to do what has eternal value. Of course those are the things God
has commanded believers to do.
Still using the analogy of a building and workers, Paul says each one’s
work will become clear; for the Day will declare it (cf. 2 Cor 5:10). At
the Bema (the Day), fire will test each [believer’s] work. This testing will
determine whether the work had eternal value or not.
If anyone’s work which he built on it endures [the fire], he will receive
a reward for that work. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss;
but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. While this future
salvation is commonly understood as being granted kingdom entrance, it is
possible that in this context Paul is thinking of being found spiritually
healthy at the Bema. Compare 5:5 and comments there.
Paul and Apollos, the examples under consideration (vv 5, 6, 9, 10), were
both spiritual men who, if they continued on the same path, would be found
healthy at the Bema, though both would surely have some works that failed
to pass the test of eternal value.
All believers will be evaluated at the Judgment Seat of Christ to decide
their quality of life in the eternal kingdom (cf. Luke 19:11-27; Rom 14:10-
12).
3:16-17. Paul offers a rebuke to his readers when he asks them, do you not
know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells
in you? The expression do you not know appears nine more times and
introduces an indisputable statement (cf. 5:6; 6:2-3, 9, 15-16, 19; 9:13, 24).
The word temple (naos) refers to the Most Holy Place rather than the whole
temple area (hieron). Paul addresses all the Corinthian believers here. The
you is plural. The temple of God is the church (though in a different context
Paul uses the same word to designate the body of individual believers
[6:19]).
Paul says, if anyone defiles (i.e., destroys) the temple (the church)…God
will destroy him. If a believer destroys the church, God’s temple, by
creating envy, strife, and divisions (cf. v 3), God will destroy him. That is,
temporal judgment awaits the believer who creates divisions in the church
because the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.
3:18-23. God places high value on His local church; therefore Paul
cautions his readers not to deceive themselves by thinking of themselves as
wise in this age. Each one needs to become a fool that he may become
wise. The Corinthian believers must sustain this humble attitude rather than
the puffed-up attitude that existed in the world around them. This worldly
wisdom is foolishness with God. Paul quotes from both Job 5:13 and Ps
94:11 to characterize God’s condescending attitude toward worldly wisdom.
Therefore no believer should boast in men because all things are yours.
The Corinthian believers hold great resources in Christ, and they are
Christ’s—they belong to Christ—and Christ is God’s. This speaks of
what Christ has done for mankind rather than His essential nature of being
equal to God. He took a lowly place, which resulted in the Crucifixion.
Therefore foolish boasting is not an option for the believer who wants to be
mature in Christ.
F. The Proper Attitude of the Servant of God
(4:1-21)
4:1-2. Here Paul returns to the subject of 3:5. He wants the Corinthians to
view him and his coworkers as servants or ministers (hypēretēs), a word
used by him only here (cf. Matt 26:58; Mark 14:54, 65; Luke 1:2; 4:20;
John 18:36). Stewards were managers of households. It is required in
stewards that one be found faithful is a great statement on the proper aim
of believers in their service for Christ.
4:3-4. Paul is not concerned that he might be judged—same verb used in
2:14-15 and used three times in 4:3-4—by them or by a human court (lit.,
“a human day”). He is alluding to the Day (the Bema; cf. 3:13). He does not
even judge himself because though he knew of nothing against himself, he
knew that He who judges me is the Lord. He does not mean he does not
undergo self-evaluation; instead he means that objective assessment must
come from the Lord.
4:5. Paul warns them to judge nothing before the time, until the Lord
comes. This statement is phrased in a manner that implies the Corinthians
were judging prematurely. Paul is saying, “Stop judging” because the Lord
will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the
counsels of the hearts. The reference here pertains to the Judgment Seat of
Christ where the believer’s actions and motivation will be evaluated (cf. 2
Cor 5:10). Consequently, each one’s praise will come from God.
Obviously at the Bema God would not praise someone with evil motives.
The context is referring to faithful stewards—those who serve Jesus with all
their heart. At the Bema, He offers His special praise to these types of
people.
4:6-7. Paul uses himself and Apollos as illustrations so that the Corinthians
might learn not to think beyond what is written (in Scripture) and that
none of them may be puffed up on behalf of one against the other. The
verb puffed up is used five other times by Paul as well (cf. 4:18-19; 5:2; 8:1;
13:4). The Corinthians needed to put away their feelings of pride that gave
them inflated views of themselves and led them to a partisan and divisive
spirit. Clearly they had become arrogant (4:6, 18-19; 5:2; 8:1). Humility
was difficult for them since the Greeks believed being humble showed
weakness.
Paul asks them a series of questions to prove that humility for the believer
displays the only suitable attitude that God, who operates by grace, desires.
He asks, For who makes you differ from another? This can be translated,
“who makes you superior to another?” This question is followed by another,
And what do you have that you did not receive? In other words,
everything they have comes from God. Then Paul asks a third question.
Now if you did indeed receive it, why do you boast as if you had not
received it? In other words, “If you received this gift that God supplied,
why do you boast since you are indebted to God’s grace?”
After his direct argumentation, Paul turns to irony. The Corinthians were
already sitting in judgment of the apostle and his fellow ministers. He
assails their fleshly pride.
4:8. In their arrogance some thought they were already full and rich.
Because of this attitude, some thought they were even reigning as kings
without Paul and his ministry partners. The term without has the sense of
“left us out.” He responds in a sarcastic rebuke, and indeed I could wish
you did reign, that we also might reign with you! How good it would
have been for the reigning Corinthians to permit the apostle and others to
reign with them!
4:9-10. Paul continues with his sarcasm to show how wrong the
Corinthians were. God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men
condemned to death. They were behaving as though all earthly problems
were a thing of the past because they were already in the kingdom. Their
self-absorption had caused them not to be focused on what true service for
the Lord looks like, as illustrated by Paul and his fellow Christian workers,
who had been made a spectacle. The English word “theater” comes from
the word spectacle (theatron). They were made a theater to the world, both
to angels and to men. Paul continues to offer his sarcastic contrast between
himself and his fellow missionaries and the conceited Corinthians when he
says, We are fools for Christ’s sake, but you are wise in Christ! We are
weak, but you are strong! You are distinguished, but we are dishonored!
4:11-13. Dropping the irony, Paul now records the difficulties he had
suffered as a servant of Christ. He first cites the physical deprivations—
hunger and thirst…poorly clothed, and beaten, and homeless. Next he
mentions that he and his partners labor, working with their own hands. He
brings up these items probably to remind the Corinthians that he does not
wish to burden them financially (cf. 9:12-15). Then he continues his list of
afflictions, emphasizing verbal abuse, Being reviled, we bless; being
persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat. This passage
culminates with a statement that the apostle and the Christian workers with
him have been made as the filth of the world, the offscouring of all
things until now. Paul was trying to show the immature believers that he
followed Christ even in His suffering and humility. This was meant as a
rebuke to the self-exaltation mentality that had developed among the
members of the body of Christ located in Corinth.
4:14-17. All this was not intended to shame the Corinthians. On some
occasions shame was the purpose (6:5: 15:34) but not here. Instead, the
wise Pastor Paul expresses his deep feelings and says, as my beloved
children, I warn you. The word for warn (noutheteō) is used only in Paul’s
writings (and once in Acts 20:31), and it expresses the sense of
admonishment like that of a concerned parent. The Corinthians could have
had ten thousand instructors in Christ Jesus. Instructors (paidagōgos)
took the child to school and generally protected him, but they did not
belong to his family though they may have loved the child. In contrast, Paul
was the spiritual father of the Corinthians who led them to Christ through
the gospel. Hence he can urge them to imitate—to copy or mimic—him.
They would imitate him to the extent that he imitates Christ (11:1; 1 Thess
1:6). To assure that this kind of discipleship occurs, he sent Timothy to
them. Timothy is called, my beloved and faithful son in the Lord, who
will remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach everywhere in every
church. Paul was not teaching them anything different than he had taught in
every church (cf. 7:17; 11:16). Everywhere Paul went he would teach a
certain set of truths and desire that others teach those truths too (cf. 2 Tim
2:2).
4:18-20. Some were puffed up, saying that Paul was not coming to the
Corinthians. This is probably a reference to the same teachers who were
causing the divisions. Paul promises them that he would come if the Lord
wills. Also he would come in the power because the kingdom of God is
not in word (logos), but in power (dynamis). This kingdom is
characterized by spiritual power, and it signifies the present reign of Christ
over the hearts of people.
4:21. They had a choice when he came—he could either come with a rod
(i.e., with discipline) or he could come in love and a spirit of gentleness.
The term rod is used figuratively of Christ’s authority to judge (cf. Rev
19:15). If he needed to, Paul would exercise authority to discipline those
who were trying to dissuade and divide the Corinthians.
III. Moral Dysfunctions in the Church (5:1–6:20)
A. The Failure to Discipline the Immoral Man (5:1-13)
In the previous sections Paul wrote about pride and how it manifested
itself in the Corinthian believers. The same theme lies behind this section as
well, for it discusses how arrogance displays itself in permitting sexual
promiscuity and contentions between believers.
5:1-2. Paul had heard that sexual immorality existed among the
Corinthian believers. The term sexual immorality (porneia) means any kind
of sexual vice, but this particular type was not even named among the
Gentiles. The city of Corinth was known for its debased and licentious
sexual habits, but this perversion committed by a believer was even
uncommon among the pagans in Corinth. Paul names the sexual sin—that a
man has his father’s wife. This expression means the man’s stepmother,
not his mother (cf. Lev 18:8; Deut 22:22). The puffed up Corinthians had
not recognized the seriousness of this sin. Their focus on self caused them
not to see the sin that existed among themselves. Furthermore they had not
mourned, a word often used of mourning for the dead (Mark 16:10). The
spiritual response of sorrow for this individual would have characterized the
response of a spiritually mature church because they would know the
sinning man would need to be expelled away from among their fellowship.
But the Corinthians had fallen way short of spiritual maturity (cf. 3:1-3) and
had ignored this problem.
5:3-5. Though absent in body but present in spirit, Paul has already
judged this person. The perfect tense for the verb judged indicates the
finality of the judgment. Despite the fact of Paul’s physical absence, the
church by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ should deliver such a one
to Satan. This expression, also found in 1 Tim 1:20, suggests the
excommunication of that immoral believer. Satan operates in his sphere,
which is outside the church (John 12:31; 16:11; 2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:12; Col
1:13; 1 John 5:19). To be excommunicated from the church equates to being
delivered to Satan. That person is propelled into Satan’s arena with all of its
many implications. The purpose of this expulsion is clearly stated by Paul,
for the destruction of the flesh. The words destruction of the flesh have
been interpreted in two ways.
The statement can mean that the sinful man is handed over to sickness or
even death. Flesh can be taken in a physical sense. Destruction (olethros) is
a strong word implying physical suffering (cf. 10:10). Later in 11:30, Paul
talks of God’s chastisement that leads to the believer’s death. Thus this man
should be expelled from the Corinthian church and thrown out into the
world of Satan, who could bring about his death. Paul is emphasizing how
serious this matter can become for those believers who continue in sin.
However, that view is untenable since it does not fit with the rest of the
verse. Clearly Paul’s desire in handing this man over to Satan is for his
restoration, not his death.
 The phrase could also mean that the sinful man is to be handed over for the
mortification of the flesh, the sinful nature. The NIV translation takes this
interpretation when it translates the word used for flesh as the sinful nature.
This destruction takes place so that this individual might repent with the
result that his spirit may be saved.
The expression that his spirit may be saved is difficult to interpret. Some
suggest that this man has not trusted Christ for regeneration and that the
purpose of the deliverance to Satan is for his salvation from hell. However,
as has been seen, this man is a believer and he has already been contrasted
with the Gentile (heathen) in v 1. Salvation from eternal condemnation is
not in view here since the man is a believer and is secure whether he repents
or not.
This is the only place in the Bible where the salvation of one’s spirit is in
view. The saving of one’s soul/life, by comparison, is common (cf. Luke
6:9; 9:56; Acts 27: 20-37; Heb 10:39; Jas 1:21; 5:20; 1 Pet 1:10-11; 3:20).
There are two strong clues as to what is meant. First, the verb sōzō is often
used in the NT to refer to being healed or being healthy (cf. Matt 9:21-22;
Mark 5:23, 28, 34; 6:56; 10:52; Luke 7:50; 8:36, 48, 50; 17:19; 18:42; Acts
4:9; 14:9; Jas 5:15). Second, Paul’s desire is that this man’s spirit will be
healthy in the day of the Lord Jesus. As already noted, the day of the Lord
Jesus is the Bema (cf. 3:13 and comments there). Thus Paul’s desire is that
this man would respond well to church discipline so that his spirit would be
healthy at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
Exodus 12 forms the background for this next section. The Jews prepared
for the Passover by removing leaven from their homes. The removal of the
leaven reminded them of their hurried departure from Egypt. They could
not waste valuable time that it would take for the leavened bread to rise. As
a little leaven eventually has a profound effect on the bread, so does the
leaven of sexual sin eventually have a profound effect on the whole church.
5:6-8. The Corinthians’ glorying is not good. The sin in their camp is
likened to a little leaven that leavens the whole lump. Thus they need to
purge out the old leaven (the sin and its influence in their church), that
they may be a new lump, since they truly are unleavened. Leaven
generally suggests the thought of wickedness or sin (cf. Matt 16:6). The
Corinthians must realize that they were not simply an old patched-up
structure, but they were truly…unleavened. They owe their newness to
Christ, their Passover, who was sacrificed for them. He had forgiven them
of the penalty of their sin by His death on the cross. Passover celebrated the
salvation of the Israelites from their bondage to Egypt. Yahweh spared the
Israelites from death because of the blood of the lamb or the kid goat.
Therefore the believer can keep the feast—mature in Christ—not by
operating according to fleshly malice and wickedness but operating by
sincerity and truth. Such sin as the man’s incest with his stepmother must
be purged from the church in Corinth.
5:9-10. Paul refers to the letter he had written them (the lost letter) in
which he encouraged them not to keep company with sexually immoral
people. The Corinthians misunderstood what he had meant by this
statement. The apostle corrects their misunderstanding of his previous letter.
Evidently they thought he meant not to associate with the unbelievers who
were sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or
extortioners, or idolaters. To avoid these people, the believers would need
to go out of the world. But believers are called to be in the world to shine
as lights (Matt 5:13-16).
5:11. Paul then clarifies that the church is not to keep company with
anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an
idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner. The NKJV
translation anyone named a brother accurately translates the Greek, unlike
other translations that suggest that the man is not a believer, such as
“anyone who calls himself a brother” (NIV) or “any so-called brother”
(NASB). The pagan Greek environment constantly wielded tremendous
influence over those young believers in Corinth. While it is hypothetically
possible that Paul may be referring to an unbeliever who wrongly bears the
name brother, this is highly unlikely, both since this would be an odd way
to express that and since the person in this verse is contrasted in v 10 with
the nonbelievers (“the sexually immoral people of this world”). The
Corinthians are not to fellowship with any believer who is sexually
immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an
extortioner. The Corinthians were not even to eat with such a person
because the shared meal would demonstrate fellowship and thus suggest a
condoning of sinful behavior.
5:12-13. The Christian should not judge those who are outside—
unbelievers. On the other hand Christians are to judge those who are
inside—fellow believers who are identified in v 11. However, it is not the
duty of the church to judge non-Christians. God will judge them. Finally,
Paul reemphasizes the central teaching of the passage as a whole when he
quotes from Deut 17:7, “put away from yourselves the evil person.” The
church as a whole is obligated to exercise discipline of its membership.
B. The Failure to Resolve Personal Problems
(6:1-11)
6:1. In the Corinthian church believers were taking fellow believers to
court rather than trying to reconcile their differences themselves. Paul is
probably thinking of an actual case when he asks, Dare any of you, having
a matter against another, go to law before the unrighteous, and not
before the saints? The term matter (pragma) can mean a case or a suit
against someone. Going to law is a forensic expression meaning “to judge
or sue someone” (cf. Matt 5:40). The believers in Corinth were taking their
problems with each other before the unrighteous. They were trying to settle
their differences in the presence of nonbelieving judges.
The term unrighteous does not necessarily imply that the judges were
unjust but that they were not believers (not righteous in their position before
God). The Greeks liked to take their lawsuits with each other before the
courts, and plainly this custom had not been abandoned by the church at
Corinth. The culture once again cast its sway on these carnal believers.
Christians should be settling their differences in the presence of believers—
saints—instead of before secular judges.
6:2-4. The first of the six do you not know phrases in chapter 6 appears
here (cf. 1 Cor 6:3, 9, 15-16, 19). Paul asks the Corinthians if they knew
that the saints will judge the world. The Lord taught that the twelve
apostles would judge the twelve tribes of Israel (cf. Matt 19:28; Luke
22:28-30). Though the Gospels do not record the Lord ever giving all
believers this status, Paul appeals to it here as a well-known fact. The OT
records that saints will judge the world (cf. Dan 7:18, 22, 27). Believers will
return with the Lord and together with Him will judge the world (cf. 1
Thess 4:17). Judging is one of the aspects of ruling with Christ (cf. Rom
8:17; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26-27; 3:21; 20:4).
Since the Lord delegates such authority to believers, Paul asks the church
at Corinth if they think they are unworthy to judge the smallest matters.
His argument from the greater to the lesser suggests that since they may
potentially judge the world some day in the future (if they endure), then
settling disputes among themselves should be considered insignificant.
Believers would also judge (fallen) angels (cf. 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 6). In light of
this reality Paul asks How much more, things that pertain to this life?
The word life here means the ordinary things of common life. An
argument from the greater to the lesser is used again. If the Corinthians
were to judge fallen angels in the future, then they could address the
inconsequential disputes that existed among themselves. Furthermore, if
they possess this future privilege, then they should not appoint those who
are least esteemed by the church to judge. Whatever status these judges
enjoyed in the world, they should not judge church matters. They are
unimportant when compared to the standing of the believers who will judge
the world and fallen angels.
6:5-8. Paul is troubled because the Corinthians are taking their church
problems to a secular court. He says I say this to your shame. Is it so that
there is not a wise man among you, not even one, who will be able to
judge between his brethren? In the Greek text the word shame appears
toward the beginning of v 5 for emphasis. Previously Paul intended not to
shame them (4:14), but here shame is his purpose. Consequently the
Corinthians should be embarrassed that they were going before secular
judges to solve their church problems. They were unwisely allowing
brother to go to law against brother, and that before unbelievers. They
were unwilling to accept wrong against each other. Rather than allowing
themselves to be cheated, they were doing wrong by taking fellow
believers from within their own church to secular courts. This was totally
unacceptable for ones who should have been spiritual believers by then (cf.
1 Cor 3:1).
6:9-10. Paul points the Corinthians to fact that the unrighteous will not
inherit the kingdom of God. The word unrighteous has no definite article
in the Greek, unlike v 1 where the same word appears. This serves to
emphasize character rather than position. It can describe both believer and
unbeliever who lack godly character. Unbelievers will neither inherit nor
enter the kingdom. Unrighteous believers will enter but not inherit.
Some think Paul is referring to believers who because of the practice of
unrighteous deeds lose their salvation. Others say it is referring to those
who prove they were never true believers in the first place. Both positions
equate inheriting the kingdom of God with entering God’s kingdom.
However, in the near context Paul is talking to carnal believers who would
suffer loss at the Bema (cf. 3:13-15), but not the impossible loss of eternal
salvation. They have eternal life that can never be lost.
Yet these believers will not inherit the kingdom of God because of their
practice of unrighteousness. The word inherit (klēronomeo„) is often used
in the OT to express the wider meaning of entering into full possession of a
family inheritance. In other words inheriting the kingdom of God is not
equivalent to entering God’s kingdom. To inherit simply means to possess
and it includes ruling with Christ (cf. 1 Cor 4:8; 2 Tim 2:12). Both the OT
and NT illustrate the possibility that some believers may lose their
inheritance (Gen 22:15-18; 27:38-40; 2 Tim 2:12; Heb 12:16-17). Therefore
Paul informs the Corinthians that they could renounce their inheritance
privilege by their sinful lifestyles. They could live in the future kingdom but
not possess it if they continued to live in their sins.
He told them not to be deceived about those who are fornicators (a
general term describing one who practices sexual immorality), idolaters
(idolatry is the committing of unlawful deeds related to an idol), adulterers
(sexual sins related to marriage), homosexuals (men who allow themselves
to be misused homosexually), sodomites (male homosexuals). Neither
should they be deceived concerning those who practice sins against others:
thieves, covetous, drunkards, revilers, extortioners. Believers who fail to
live for God will not possess the kingdom of God.
6:11. Paul reminds them that such were some of the Corinthians. But
(strong adversative) they were washed, sanctified, and justified. Though
they had practiced such things, and though some of them were still doing so
(cf. 3:3; 5:1), they had been washed from their sins, sanctified (positionally
set apart to God) (cf. Titus 3:5), and justified (declared righteous) in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God. These
truths are true of the position of every believer, even unrighteous ones.
Implicitly here Paul is calling for the readers to live up to their position.
C. The Failure to Practice Sexual Purity (6:12-20)
Paul wanted to assist the Corinthians in recognizing the seriousness of
their sins which characterized them. They must realize the importance of
the individual physical body as the resident temple of the Holy Spirit.
6:12. Paul begins by quoting a slogan that they had adopted to rationalize
their immorality: All things are lawful for me. The veracity of the
statement is tempered by moral boundaries—but all things are not helpful
(beneficial, expedient, good). If the individual’s freedom from the Law
leads to harming another believer, that person must restrict his liberty (8:1;
10:23). Also that person must not be brought under the power of
anything. In other words, the believer must not let that practice gain control
over him.
6:13-14. Paul records another slogan, Foods [are] for the stomach and
the stomach [is] for foods. According to the Corinthians, just as the
stomach indulges an appetite for food, so should the physical desire for sex
be gratified. Paul counters that foods and the stomach are temporal because
God will destroy both it and them. However, the body is not temporal (cf.
15:35-50) and is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the
Lord for the body. The body is not designed for immorality because God
both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.
6:15-17. Paul asks a series of perceptive questions, Do you not know that
your (physical) bodies are members of Christ? God owns the Corinthians
spiritually but He owns them physically as well. The next question is, Shall
I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a
harlot? The answer is Certainly not! May it never be! Then Paul appeals
to common knowledge, Or do you not know that he who is joined to a
harlot is one body with her? The answer in the Greek is “yes.” The
Corinthians should know this. He quotes from Gen 2:24 to validate this
statement. The word joined denotes the closest of ties, and it literally means
glued. The same word is used in 1 Cor 6:17 to signify the closest union
between the believer and the Lord.
6:18-20. Paul draws his final application, commanding everyone in the
church to flee sexual immorality because every sin that a believer does is
outside the body. The believer who commits sexual immorality sins
against his own body. Sexual immorality goes contrary to the very nature
and purpose of the human body. While other sins also affect the body,
sexual immorality does so in a unique way because its cravings originate
entirely from within. It forces the fulfillment of personal lust, the height of
self-violation of the physical body which, Paul says, is the temple of the
Holy Spirit. The believers were bought at a price, an expression that
brings to mind the act of redemption and the outcome of the change of
ownership. Therefore the Corinthian believers are commanded to glorify
God in their physical body and in their spirit, which are God’s.
IV. Difficulties in the Church (7:1–14:40)
Paul covers a variety of questions brought up by the Corinthians in their
letter to him. In this broad section (7:1–14:40) he discusses marriage,
liberty, church order and spiritual gifts.
A. Questions concerning Marriage and Celibacy (7:1-40)
7:1. The phrase Now concerning introduces Paul’s answer to questions
related to the topics of marriage and divorce covered in chapter 7, food
offered to idols discussed in chapter 8, spiritual gifts in chapters 12-14, and
the subject of giving and collection of money covered in chapter 16.
The apostle notes that it is good for a man not to touch [contra NIV
which reads “not to marry”] a woman. Physical contact can inflame
passions and lead to sexual immorality (v 2). There is probably an implicit
warning here that prior to marriage physical contact should be minimized.
Sleeping together before marriage is clearly contrary to God’s will. But
other forms of physical contact such as kissing, hugging, and some forms of
dancing, though not sinful in themselves, could be viewed as not
appropriate for a single man or woman.
7:2-4. Because of this moral climate of sexual immorality (porneias
[plural]), each Christian man should have his own wife, and each
Christian woman should have her own husband. Also the husband shows
his wife proper affection and the wife shows the same to her husband as
well. The reason for doing this is that the couple’s bodies belong to each
other. Thus neither the husband nor the wife have authority over (lit., “has
a right over”) their own bodies.
7:5-7. The couple is commanded, do not deprive one another. This
negative imperative may imply that some of the Corinthian Christians were
practicing a kind of celibacy within marriage. The Christian couple must
make an agreement about sexual abstinence for only a time. Furthermore, a
special need must exist that requires the couple to give themselves to
fasting and prayer.
 This designated time of fasting and prayer allows the married couple to
draw near to God in prayer about special matters. However, they must come
together again (in sexual intercourse) so that Satan does not tempt them
because of their lack of self-control. Satan is portrayed in Scripture as a
thief and a lion (cf. John 10:10; 1 Pet 5:8). Few married believers actually
realize that failure to have regular marriage relations is a violation of
Scripture. Many see marital relations as a choice, not a command.
Paul admits that his advice about short times of abstinence for married
couples is a concession (i.e., a permission) and not a commandment.
Having already affirmed the goodness of remaining single (v 1), he now
states that he desires that all men remain single even as he is. Nonetheless
he acknowledges that each individual believer has his own gift (charisma)
of grace from God. Later he will use the same term charisma in chapter 12
to describe those special spiritual abilities God gives to believers. Thus in
7:7 one is given the gift to marry while another is given the gift to refrain
from marriage. Both gifts (abilities) come from God.
7:8-9. In light of the present moral crisis Paul offers his advice by
suggesting to the unmarried and to the widows that it is good (advisable)
for them to remain in the unmarried state even as he. Paul was probably
never married. Some suggest that since he belonged to the Sanhedrin he had
to be married. However, this hypothesis lacks sufficient evidence.
Furthermore, it is not certain that every member of the Sanhedrin before
AD 70 had to be married. If the unmarried and the widows cannot exercise
self-control, Paul commands them to marry, and then he adds for it is
better to marry than to burn with passion. The infinitive to burn
(pyrousthai) literally means “to be enflamed” and is used as a figure of
speech for sexual desire.
7:10-11. When Christ lived on earth, He told His followers not to divorce
(Matt 5:32; 19:3-9; Luke 16:18). Paul presents a similar command, A wife
is not to depart from her husband. The commitment to marriage by the
husband and the wife becomes a lifelong commitment. Should she depart
she is to remain unmarried unless she is reconciled to her husband, who
is not to divorce her.
7:12-14. Other Corinthians would have other marital questions. To them
Paul says, But to the rest, I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife
who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not
divorce her. Paul cannot refer to a direct statement from Jesus, as he could
previously. Still his words carry full weight of authority as the Lord’s
words, since he is an apostle and is inspired by the Holy Spirit. The same
principle of not divorcing applies to a Christian woman who has a
husband who does not believe but who is willing to live with her. She
should not divorce him.
Though not discussed, Paul is likely thinking of women in the church of
Corinth who were already married when he came and led them to faith in
Christ. Unfortunately their husbands had not yet come to faith. Paul is not
addressing here the issue of believers who choose to marry unbelievers.
The reason the believing woman should not divorce her husband is that the
unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife. This is not a promise that
the unbelieving husband will come to faith in Christ if the woman stays in
the marriage. The perfect tense of the verb sanctified emphasizes that the
unbeliever has been set apart in a family in which God is active. Within
that one-flesh union, God’s grace and blessing come to the whole family. It
even extends to the children who would be unclean (akatharta, a word
used for ceremonial impurity), but now they are holy, that is, “set apart.”
In other words staying in such a marriage is good for both the unbelieving
spouse and for the children.
7:15. What happens when the unbelieving partner deserts and leaves the
believing partner? What should the deserted believer do? When separation
occurs, a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. The
person is not bound to maintain that marriage. Neither is he or she free to
remarry unless the unbelieving partner commits immorality or dies (v 39;
cf. Matt 5:32; 19:9; Rom 7:1-4).
Paul’s statement—But God has called us to peace—probably refers to
what he has previously said about the believing spouse being reconciled to
the other spouse and thus preserving the union of the marriage.
7:16. Paul then asks, how do you know, O wife, whether you will save
your husband? Or how do you know O husband, whether you will save
your wife?
While it is certainly true that only the Lord Jesus can save anyone, Paul is
not uncomfortable encouraging a wife to stay in her marriage because it is
possible that she will be the means of her husband coming to the Lord (cf.
9:22). This salvation might refer to mere regeneration, or to full inheritance
of the kingdom (see comments on 1:18; 3:15; 5:5; 15:2). Though Paul has
been speaking of believing wives with unbelieving spouses exclusively to
this point, now he relates the same argument to a believing man who might
be the means of his wife coming to the Lord.
7:17-20. The summary statement about mixed marriages—as the Lord
has called each one, so let him walk—also expresses the general principle
for the believers in Corinth to be content with the place in life God had
given them. This is illustrated and repeated throughout this section.
If a person was called while circumcised, that is, if he were a circumcised
Jew when he believed in Jesus, he should not become uncircumcised. It is
possible some Jewish Christians were attempting to eradicate the covenant
mark of circumcision. If a person was called while uncircumcised, that is,
if an uncircumcised Gentile became a believer, he should not attempt to be
circumcised or permit anyone to circumcise him (cf. Acts 15:4-5). The
Corinthians needed to know that circumcision and uncircumcision are
nothing (cf. Rom 2:25, 29; Gal 5:6). Also they needed to be reminded that
keeping the commandments of God is what matters (John 13:34-35;
14:14; Rom 13:8-9; Gal 5:14). The principle is restated, Let each one
remain in the same calling in which he was called.
7:21-22. What matters is not the temporal state of slavery with which the
Corinthians should be concerned. Common in the Greek-Roman world,
slavery included more of the lower class of people. If it were possible to rid
themselves of it, they should seek to do so. However, they must realize the
one who is called in the Lord while a slave is the Lord’s freedman. On
the other hand the one who stands free from slavery (primarily the upper
class in that culture) must realize he is Christ’s slave.
7:23-24. The statement—You were bought at a price; do not become
slaves of men—probably does not apply to physical slavery because no
such command would be necessary. Rather, it could mean that because of
what Christ accomplished for believers on the cross in His redemptive
work, believers should not yield to the pressures of the world (cf. Rom
12:1-2). So yielding makes them slaves of men. Paul then repeats what he
has stated in vv 17 and 20 when he tells each believer to remain (continue)
with God in the state in which each one was called.
7:25-28. Paul then gives his own view concerning the issue of virgins. He
desires his judgment (opinion) to be taken seriously because he is one
whom the Lord in His mercy has made trustworthy. Though this
particular teaching does not come directly from the discourses or teaching
of Jesus Himself, they possess the same authority.
In light of the present distress of an anticipated persecution that the
Corinthian families may suffer because of their faith, each believer should
remain in the present status in which he finds himself. This status could
include being married (bound to a wife) or unmarried (loosed from a
wife). If marriage takes place, those who marry have not sinned. However,
in anticipation of persecution, some will experience hardships and troubles
in the flesh (the physical life). Paul desires to spare the Corinthians from
these problems.
7:29-31. Because the time is short, Paul calls for a commitment that is not
fixed on the things of this world such as marriage—those who have wives
should be as though they have none. Also if life brings sorrow (those who
weep), believers must live beyond their sorrow. If things produce joy (those
who rejoice), believers must not let those things captivate them. Even if
believers are blessed with material things (those who buy), they are not to
cling to them. Those who use this world (who make use of the things of the
world), are not to be gripped by them. Eternal things should take
precedence because the form of this world is passing away. The word
form (schema) means the outward appearance. All is transitory. The world
is passing away, and it longs for redemption (Rom 8:18-25; 1 John 2:17).
7:32-35. Because of the fleeting nature of the world, Paul wants the
Corinthians to be without care (free from anxieties). The unmarried person
cares for the things of the Lord, that is, how he may please the Lord.
However, the married person cares about the things of the world, that is,
how he may please his or her spouse. The desire to please one’s marriage
partner may introduce a potential conflict of loyalties. Single men and
women are able to dedicate more of their time to the Lord, while married
men and women are committed to certain Biblical responsibilities that relate
to being a husband, a wife, and parents (cf. Eph 5:22–6:4).
Paul identifies the virgin as an unmarried woman, who cares about the
things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit. Holy
both in body and in spirit refers to dedication rather than spirituality. In
other words this single woman is able to concentrate on the things of God
without interruption. The apostle is not suggesting that she is more spiritual
than the wife, but that her devotion is not preoccupied by any familial
responsibility that would characterize a married Christian woman. He is
simply writing what is to the profit of the believers in Corinth—both men
and women. Thus he does not desire to restrict them by placing a leash
(lasso or halter) on them. He is more concerned that they may serve the
Lord without distraction.
7:36-38. The any man could refer to the father of a virgin daughter or to a
fiancé who is trying to uphold a celibate status but having trouble
maintaining that status. If the proper interpretation is about the father of the
daughter, then this father can do what he wishes and make marriage
arrangements for his daughter, a normal procedure in ancient times. In so
doing, he does not sin when he approves the marriage bond. On the other
hand he may not wish to allow for the marriage of his daughter. He may be
acting on the principles that Paul has outlined in this chapter. He also does
well in making that decision of not giving her in marriage.
The view that takes any man as the fiancé has better support because of the
plural translated let them marry (v 36). If Paul had meant to say, “let him
(the father) give her in marriage,” he would have used the singular verbal
expression.
This passage seems to be teaching that if the circumstances in Corinth are
going against a virgin, particularly if she is past her years for marriage, then
the man who wants to marry her should marry her. Yet if the man has
resolved in his heart, and he has power over his own will, and has so
determined in his heart that he will keep his virgin, he has also done the
right thing by remaining single. Paul favors the man who does not marry
the virgin because this man does better in light of the present
circumstances.
7:39-40. In a summary of his discussion on marriage, Paul emphasizes that
marriage is a lifelong commitment. If a woman marries, she is bound by
law as long as her husband lives; but if her husband dies, she is at
liberty to be married to whom she wishes, only in the Lord (cf. Rom
7:1-3). She is bound (perfect tense), a strong term for the unbroken union in
marriage. If her husband dies, she can exercise freedom to remarry, but her
freedom is restricted to marrying a believer (only in the Lord).
Verse 39 casts doubts on the notion that there is one perfect mate for each
person. Paul does not say, she is free to marry the specific person that God
will reveal to her through prayer. Instead she may marry whomever she
wishes so long as he is a believer. Whom one marries appears to be a
choice.
She would be happier if she made a decision to remain single. This is
according to Paul’s judgment, which is Spirit-led.
B. Questions concerning Christian Liberty
(8:1–11:1)
8:1-3. The Corinthians had questioned Paul about things offered to idols
(foods offered in sacrifice to idols). The meat offered on the pagan altars
was usually divided into three portions: one part was burned up; the second
part was offered to the priest; and the third part was given to one making the
offering. The portion the priest did not use was sold in the meat markets.
Other than questioning whether the meat was spiritually polluted, the
believer might wonder how this would affect his weaker brother who may
have concerns related to buying and eating meat that had come out of pagan
temples.
Paul addresses this issue with a statement that could possibly come from
the questioners’ own letter, We know that we all have knowledge. Paul is
not suggesting that knowledge is evil, but that knowledge puffs up—a word
used by Paul six times in this letter (4:6, 18-19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4) and only
once elsewhere (Col 2:18). It means to be blown up or inflated. The
believer in the Corinthian church could be full of knowledge about the true
nature of idols and freedom in Christ, and at the same time this knowledge
and freedom could cause a weaker believer to sin (cf. 1 Cor 8:4-13).
In contrast to knowledge, love edifies. Paul writes that love (agapē)
prevents self-focus and creates other-focus. It builds up the other. Simply
depending on knowledge is insufficient because if anyone thinks that he
knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. However, if
anyone loves God, this one is known by Him. When the believer displays
love to others, he is visibly showing that he loves God and that he is known
by Him. This means that God recognizes that believer in an intimate
manner.
8:4-6. The believers know that an idol is nothing in the world. An idol
and the god it represents are actually nothing as to power and reality,
although Paul will later suggest the demonic nature of idols (10:20). Also
the believers at Corinth are aware that there is no other God but one (cf.
Deut 6:4-9). Paul points out that if there are so-called gods, whether in
heaven or on earth (as there are many gods and many lords), yet for
[believers] there is only one God. The Greeks, Romans, and those in
mystery religions boasted of many so-called gods. But these were unreal
though they were worshipped as if they were true. Paul speaks of the
Father, of whom are all things, and we for Him. Believers live for God
the Father, the source of all things and one Lord Jesus Christ, through
whom are all things, and through whom we live. Christians are
empowered for such living through Jesus Christ. Therefore why should they
be concerned with idols or meat sacrificed to idols since there is nothing to
them?
8:7-8. Paul points out, However (strong adversative), there is not in
everyone that knowledge that thinks of an idol as nothing. Because of their
preconversion days of thinking of idols as real, some [weaker believers],
with consciousness of the idol, until now eat it as a thing offered to an
idol. They still found it difficult to rid themselves of their past paganism
and felt that the idol is still real. They discovered that their conscience,
being weak, is defiled. Nevertheless food (lit., “meat”) does not commend
one to God. The verb commend means “to bring near” or “to present” (cf.
Acts 27:24; Rom 6:13). Thus eating meat does not bring a person closer to
God. It does not make a person better. In other words it does not offer an
advantage. Neither does it make a person worse.
8:9-13. Paul warns the believers (but beware) that this knowledge of
liberty can become a stumbling block [a stone in the pathway] to those
[believers] who are weak. The weaker believer sees the stronger brother
who has all of this knowledge and freedom eating [lit., “reclining”] in an
idol’s temple. This causes his weak conscience to be emboldened to eat
those things offered to idols. The word embolden (oikodomeō) is the same
word used in v 1 and there translated edifies (cf. 10:23; 14:4, 17). Here it is
used in an ironical manner to suggest that the Corinthians by their bad
example will “build up” the weaker brother but “build him up” in the wrong
way.
Paul asks, and because of your knowledge shall the weak brother
perish, for whom Christ died? The word order in the original language
puts the verb perish at the beginning for emphasis, stressing the seriousness
of the matter. The word perish (apollymi) means “to destroy.” A stronger
believer, because of his knowledge, may inflict damage on a weaker
believer to the extent that sin can destroy him. When believers sin against
the brethren and wound their weak conscience, they sin against Christ.
Sinning against members of the body of Christ is essentially the same as
sinning against Christ Himself. Paul then makes his application by saying,
If food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I
make my brother stumble. The weaker brother’s well-being takes
precedence in such cases. Paul is suggesting sensitivity on the part of the
stronger Christian who may be thinking that his actions will not harm the
weaker Christian. In Rom 14:15 he tells them to let love be the controlling
factor in determining matters of conscience.
9:1-2. Paul is not beginning a new subject here. The believers at Corinth
should not use their liberty if it meant causing their brothers to sin. In a
similar way, Paul is not going to use his right as an apostle if he would
cause them to stumble. He asks a series of questions to demonstrate his
rights if he chose to use them, Am I not an apostle? Am I not free? Have
I not seen Jesus Christ our Lord? All these questions grammatically
expect an affirmative answer. Paul saw the risen Lord—one of the
qualifications for being an apostle (Acts 1:21-22; Gal 1:1)—on the road to
Damascus (Acts 9:3-9; cf. Acts 22:6-11). Also the church at Corinth was
Paul’s seal (a mark of authentication) of [his] apostleship.
9:3-12. Because of the immaturity of the Corinthians, some of them were
evidently questioning his motives. He had the right to eat and drink…to
take along a believing wife…to refrain from work. However he gave up
these rights. Contextually eat and drink probably refers to eating and
drinking at the church’s expense. In essence, he gave up his right to be
supported by the Corinthian church. To communicate this principle more
precisely he uses the illustrations of a soldier, a vinedresser, a shepherd, a
farmer (v 7), a person threshing (v 9), and the priests (v 13).
A soldier does not go to war at his own expense. A husbandman plants a
vineyard to eat of its fruit. Also a shepherd drinks of the milk of the flock
he has tended. In other words each one receives remuneration from his
labors. Paul, however, is not going to demand or expect anything in return
for his ministry among the Corinthians. While the law of Moses says, “You
shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain” (Deut 25:4), Paul is
not going to exact payment. While the farmer who plows should plow in
hope of compensation and he who threshes in hope of some sort of
recompense, the apostle Paul took no material return.
He then asks two questions, If we have sown spiritual things for you, is
it a great thing if we reap your material things? If others are partakers
of this right over you, are we not even more? He answers that he and
others ministering with him have not used this right, but endure all
things lest we hinder the gospel of Christ. The word for hinder (enkopē)
is used only here in the NT. Literally the Greek reads, ‘to give hindrance.” It
describes the breaking up of the road to prevent the advance of the enemy.
Literally it means “to cut into something.” Paul desires to prevent anything
that would “break up” the road of the clear communication of the gospel.
9:13-14. Paul adds an illustration of ministering priests to show that even
in the spiritual sphere ministers are compensated. The Corinthians are
reminded that those who minister the holy things eat of the things of the
temple, and those who serve at the altar partake of the offerings of the
altar. Paul is appealing to a common Jewish practice that also existed in
pagan religions. The minister of spiritual things received physical provision
from the ones to whom he ministered. Thus Christian ministers, like the
priests at the temple, are to receive payment for their duties. In fact the
Lord has commanded that those who preach the gospel should live
from the gospel. When Jesus sent out the Twelve to minister strictly to
Israel, He said, “a worker is worthy of his food” (Matt 10:10). Also when
He sent out the seventy with a similar mission, he said, “the laborer is
worthy of his wages” (Luke 10:7). While no command of the Lord is
recorded in the exact terms as Paul’s statement, he was probably thinking in
terms of what Jesus said as recorded in these two Gospels.
9:15-16. Paul used none of these rights he had talked about. Neither had
he written these things to expect future financial support. It would be
better (lit., “good”) for [him] to die than to receive remuneration from the
Corinthians. His payment would have caused his boasting to become void.
In other words he finds satisfaction in his self-support or at least in
receiving support only from other churches in order to make the gospel free
of charge to the Corinthians (cf. 2 Cor 11:7-9). Nonetheless he does not
boast in preaching the gospel because necessity is laid upon him (Acts
9:16; Rom 1:14). He is compelled to preach. But this is nothing to boast
about. He can expect future judgment—woe—at the Bema if he does not
preach the gospel.
9:17-18. These verses seem nonsensical unless seen in the light of
traveling teachers of the day. Men would come up with a novel teaching and
then travel and make a living by their teaching. The local church was faced
with both true and false traveling teachers (cf. Gal 1:6-9; 2 John 7-11; 3
John 5-8). If Paul was simply preaching the gospel of his own will
(willingly), then he, like the many shysters of his day, would already have a
reward (misthos, a “wage”).
If, however, he was preaching a message against [his] will—which he
certainly was when viewed against his aim before meeting the risen Lord—
then he has been entrusted with a stewardship (oikonomia) by the Lord.
Paul expresses two attitudes toward preaching the gospel and toward
Christian ministry as a whole. If one chooses to teach a message that is
popular, he will make money, possibly lots of money (as seen in some of the
prosperity theology preachers today). If one is restrained to teach the good
news of Scripture and nothing more, a message that is not popular, he is
constrained by his stewardship to say and do only what he was sent to say
and do.
Paul’s reward, speaking ironically here, was to preach without charge,
that [he] may not abuse [his] authority in the gospel. In other words,
though Paul should have received wages from the Corinthians, for his work
among them, he chose not to ask for what was his due, with the result that
his eternal reward at the Bema would be even greater.
9:19-21. Though he was free from all men, he made [himself] a servant
to all. He did this so that he might win the more. So he adapted himself
(but not his message) to his audience. To the Jews [he] became as a Jew
that [he] might win Jews. This is illustrated by his circumcision of
Timothy to avoid controversy with the Jews (Acts 16:3). The Jews needed
salvation. Though he himself was not bound to the Law of Moses (Rom
10:4; cf. Rom 6:14), he acted as under the law, that [he] might win those
who are under the law. Those under the law is simply a reference to the
Jews. Nevertheless in Paul’s freedom he conformed to practices that
allowed him to present an opportunity for Jews to respond to the gospel. He
also shared with Gentiles—those who are without law (cf. Rom 2:12).
However, he was not…without law toward God (i.e., he was not lawless)
and he was motivated because he was under law toward Christ, which
governs Christian behavior (Gal 5:13-14).
9:22-23. Also he desires to win those who have a weak conscience (1 Cor
8:9-12). Therefore he became as weak so that they might believe in Christ
for eternal life. In other words he avoids doing anything that might prevent
them from believing in Jesus. Furthermore he becomes all things to all
men, that [he] might by all means save some. Again (cf. 7:16 and
comments there), Paul is comfortable speaking of himself “saving” people,
though of course he realizes that Jesus is the one who does the saving and
Paul is merely the herald of the saving message. Paul maintains these
objectives so that he might be a partaker (a copartner) with others in the
blessings of the gospel.
9:24-27. He offers strong practical application for believers to engage in
discipline in light of winning others to Christ, and he uses himself and the
Corinthians’ own Isthmian athletic games as examples. He refers to
particular events of running and boxing that were part of these Isthmian
games, which were close to the city of Corinth. The athlete took ten months
to train for these games. In these games all the runners prepare to run, but
in the actual event only one receives the prize (brabeion). Paul exhorts the
church in Corinth to run in such a way that [they] may obtain the prize.
He continues that everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all
things. The verb agonizomai (competes) means “to get in shape in order to
participate in the games.” The word “agony” comes from it. Temperate
refers to the athlete’s self-control because of this strict training. The athletes
in the Isthmian games exercised discipline so that when they would come to
their event they would win it and obtain a perishable crown. The word
crown (stephanos) was a wreath woven of oak, ivy, or spruce, which was
given to the victor.
All believers are given this same opportunity to win an imperishable
crown. An imperishable crown, awarded by the King of kings, is far more
valuable than a perishable one awarded by some local official. Furthermore
Christians are not competing against one another in the “race” or in the
“event.” They are competing against themselves. In the Isthmian games
only one person wins, but in the Christian race all who abide by the rules
and run the race with diligence receive this imperishable crown (cf. 2 Tim
2:5). The athlete would receive a wreath that would eventually fade and fall
apart. But the faithful believer receives a crown that lasts forever. It does
not fade or fall apart.
Paul is not telling the unsaved that they need to run the race in order to
earn eternal life. Rather he is addressing the believers who have been given
the gift of eternal life, and he is telling them they can win a prize for the
faithful discipline in their lives. He offers himself as an example of this
when he says, Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. He stays on
course and does not run aimlessly. He also engages in the boxing match not
as one who beats the air. It would be futile for a boxer to punch the air.
Paul realizes that his greatest problem in this contest is himself. So he
disciplines his body (cf. Rom 7:24; 8:8, 10-11) so that he will not become
disqualified (adokimos, lit., disapproved; cf. 2 Tim 2:15 which has
dokimos, “approved”). The apostle did not fear the loss of eternal life. He
feared not having His Lord’s approval at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and
not having the privilege of ruling with Christ which will come to all who
have His approval (cf. Luke 19:17; 1 Cor 9:25).
10:1-5. Paul wanted the Corinthians to be finishers of the race so that they
might enjoy the benefits of present blessings and future rewards. He knows,
however, that if they persist in their lack of restraint, God could discipline
them as He did Israel.
Moreover connects this section with the line of reasoning established in
chapters 8 and 9, where the Corinthians are challenged to exercise self-
discipline. Though ancient Israel had a covenant relationship with God and
were supernaturally delivered, many of them died because of their lack of
self-restraint.
All, which denotes inclusiveness, occurs five times in these verses. The
expression our fathers is a reference to the Israelites in the days of Moses
who were under the cloud which helped to provide protection and
guidance (Exod 13:21-22; 14:19-20; Num 9:15-23). Every Israelite was
delivered by God as he or she passed through the sea. So too the
Corinthians had been spiritually delivered through their redemption in
Christ (Eph 1:7). The Israelites were baptized into Moses in the cloud and
in the sea. In other words they were identified or joined with their deliverer
Moses, God’s leader. As they passed through the cloud and the sea, they
were united with him. So too the Corinthians had been joined spiritually to
the Body of Christ through the baptism by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 12:13).
 God miraculously provided for Israel’s physical needs in the wilderness.
They all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual
drink. Israel drank of the same spiritual Rock that followed them (Exod
17:6; Num 20:7-11). The Rock, which is used many times in the OT as a
divine name (cf. Deut 32:4, 15, 18, 30, 31, 37; Ps 18:2, 31; Isa 30:29), is
identified as Christ. This is a clear statement of the preexistence of Christ
who followed the Israelites. However, even with the blessings of God’s
presence and provisions, with most of them God was not well pleased.
Only two—Joshua and Caleb—entered the Promised land. The remaining
Israelites were disciplined by God and died in the wilderness. They were
God’s covenant people, having been redeemed and delivered from slavery
placed on them by the Egyptians. They were promised the blessings and
rewards of God. Yet Yahweh was not pleased with His own people’s
behavior. In much the same way Paul is saying the believers in Corinth may
not be pleasing to God and therefore may receive His discipline if they do
not shun their evil practices (cf. Heb 12:3-17).
10:6. Paul wanted these OT events to become spiritual lessons when he
says, Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we
should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. Paul includes himself
in this exhortation, not to soften the impact of the statement but to recognize
his own propensity toward sin. The word examples (typoi) is the plural form
of example (typos) which can mean a mark of a blow (John 20:25), a
standard (Rom 5:14), or, as in this case, an example for imitation or
warning (1 Cor 10:6; Phil 3:17; 1Thess 1:7).
10:7. Paul then applies the lessons of Israel to the Corinthian believers.
And do not become idolaters as were some of them. The quotation from
Exod 32:6 is in the context of the worship of the golden calf: “The People
sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Israel had motivated
Aaron to make the golden calf, and then they sacrificed a meal to be
dedicated to the calf. They also played as they danced in ceremonial
festivities, much as the pagans danced before their gods.
10:8. The Corinthians are not to commit sexual immorality unless they
want to suffer similar consequences as Israel (1 Cor 5:1-5; 6:18-20). Israel
surrendered to idolatrous immorality and in one day twenty-three
thousand fell (cf. Num 25:9). The Greek New Testament of Num 25:9 says
that 23,000 fell while the Hebrew Old Testament and the LXX texts say that
24,000 fell. Perhaps Paul is writing about how many died in that one
specific day. He does not include others like the leaders in the rebellion who
were killed later (Num 25:4).
10:9. Believers must not tempt Christ as some of the Israelites did when
they spoke against Yahweh and Moses. This behavior caused God to release
venomous snakes among the people (Num 21:4-9). In the context of Paul’s
writing to the Corinthians, the believers were testing Christ in their divisive
and carnal spirit, in their allowing immorality to exist in the church at
Corinth, in their taking fellow believers before judges rather than settling
their own issues, and in their misuse of Christian freedom in attending
pagan feasts (1 Cor 10:14-22). The verb tempt (ekpeirazein) can mean “to
test,” as Abraham was tested (Heb 11:17). It can also mean “test with the
intent to cause failure.” The Israelites tested Christ and were destroyed by
serpents (Num 21:5-9).
10:10. Also the Israelites complained against the Lord at Kadesh–barnea
and were destroyed by the destroyer (Num 14:2). The destroyer is
identified in Exod 12:23 as the angel of death. Though not mentioned in
Numbers, Paul says the destroyer was involved as the one who would bring
the plagues on this first generation of Israelites who would eventually die in
the wilderness (Num 14:35-36). Paul could have been thinking of the
contentions that existed in the church at Corinth and how those were
considered an offense to the Lord (1Cor 1:11-12; 3:17).
10:11. Paul concludes that these examples (typoi) are designed for the
believers’ admonition. The word admonition (noutheisan) can mean
warning. Its verbal form is used in places like Col 1:28 and 1Thess 5:14 to
covey the notion of putting sense into someone. Paul wants to put some
sense into the believers upon whom the end of the ages have come. The
same God who disciplined Israel would bring the same type of judgment for
the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor 11:30). The expression the end of the ages refers
to the present age that the Lord had in mind when Moses recorded these
events of the Exodus and the wilderness wanderings. In other words these
Old Testament events were full of meaning that would go beyond the
centuries to express God’s consistent attitude toward idolatry and rebellion
in the church at Corinth or any other church in the present age.
10:12-13. The Corinthians are warned about their overconfident attitude.
Even though they may be saved, they need to take heed because God could
discipline them. However, the faithful God would not allow them to be
tempted (or “tested”) beyond what He had prepared them to experience,
but with the temptation He will also make the way of escape, that [they]
may be able to bear it. The ability to endure is given with the temptation,
not apart from it. The word escape (ekbasis) pictures an army trapped in the
mountains, which then escapes through a pass. God faithfully provides the
way of escape—the pass through the mountains.
10:14-18. The three words therefore, my beloved connect to the previous
verse, suggesting that idol feasts are the foremost temptation that Paul had
in mind. The expression my beloved, an uncommon one for Paul,
demonstrates his passion for the believers in Corinth. The imperative
command—flee from idolatry—suggests that the believers should have
nothing to do with temple idol worship. Because the Corinthians took great
pride in the wisdom they possessed, Paul appeals to them as wise men
(phronimois, intelligent people). Thus they are addressed on that basis so
that they may judge these matters for themselves. Two examples are offered
for reasons to avoid idol worship. The Lord’s Supper is the first example. It
expresses believers’ unity in worship. Both the Cup of blessing, the name
given to the third cup in the Passover feast, and the bread represent this
unity of the body of Christ, which although it is represented by many, they
are all partakers of that one bread. In diversity is also unity (12:12-31;
Eph 4:1-16). The second example is the children of Israel who were also
partakers of the altar. In other words they identified with what was
sacrificed and with each other.
10:19-22. The same is true for pagan worship in Corinth. If the believers
get involved in temple idol worship, they will be identified with the god to
whom they sacrificed. Though Paul concedes that an idol is nothing (cf.
8:4), the pagan worshippers in Corinth were sacrificing to demons and not
to God. Hence Paul did not want [the church] to have fellowship with
demons. Ultimately, the sources behind pagan religion are demonic in
nature. When the Corinthians sacrifice to idols, they must realize that the
meat has been offered to a demon. Therefore they are not participating in
some neutral activity that has no meaning. Participating in such activity
provokes the Lord to jealousy.
10:23-24. Paul repeats the basic truth that he discussed in 6:12, All things
are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful; all things are lawful for
me, but not all things edify. The exercise of this freedom must be
regulated by the principle of love—seeking the other’s well-being.
10:25-30. Paul did not condone temple worship and the idol feasts that
went with it (10:14-22). However, buying meat in the meat markets was a
different subject. He tells those who are shopping for meat in the
marketplace to eat whatever is sold there, asking no questions for
conscience’ sake. After all “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness”
(Ps 24:1). Thus the apostle counsels that the choice be made without
condition. Even if one were to invite some of the more knowledgeable
Corinthian believers over for dinner in a private home, those believers are
to eat whatever is set before them. However, if anyone points out to the
knowledgeable believer that the meat “was offered to idols,” this person
should not eat it for the sake of the one who pointed this out and for
conscience’ sake. The anyone could refer to the non-Christian host or more
likely to a fellow weaker believer whose conscience would be injured. Paul
makes it clear that it is not the conscience of the one who eats the meat, but
that of the other—the person who has a weaker conscience and who
struggles with the eating of meat sacrificed to pagan gods.
Paul asks a rhetorical question, for why is my liberty judged by another
man’s conscience? This question can be translated, “For what advantage
can there be in my liberty being condemned by another man’s conscience?”
Even though the knowledgeable believer need not change his convictions,
he needs to change his activities in the presence of the weaker brother. The
second rhetorical question is asked, but if I partake with thanks, why am
I evil spoken of for the food over which I give thanks? Paul offers
thanksgiving (lit., “grace”) that the strong are able to eat idol meat that has
been sold in the marketplace. On the other hand he desires that this action
not cause ridicule and condemnation by others who because of their weak
conscience do not see this matter in the same way he did. He is recalling the
same principle with which he began this discussion in 8:13.
10:31–11:1. The knowledgeable believer should not be concerned with his
freedoms or rights. Rather he should do all to the glory of God. This
means giving no offense, either to the Jews or to the Greeks or to the
church of God. Paul offers his own life as an example. He did not seek his
own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved. He wanted
the gospel to be unimpaired (cf. 9:19-23). He then directs the believers to
imitate [him] just as [he] also [imitates] Christ. He wants them to follow
his example in this issue of eating meat that had been sacrificed to idols. He
is willing to give up his rights and freedoms in order that others may be
saved.
C. Disorders in Public Worship (11:2-34)
This next major area of conflict relates to worship, more specifically to the
behavior of women in worship and the believers’ attitude toward the Lord’s
Supper.
11:2. Paul offers his praise because they remember [him] in all things
and keep the traditions. To imitate Paul was to remember him (v 1). The
word tradition means “something handed from one to another.” It denotes a
dual process of hearing and passing on. Paul will later refer to these
traditions when he talks about the Lord’s Supper and the Resurrection (v
23; 15:1, 3).
11:3. They are reminded of God’s order as it relates to women and men in
the worship service. Three steps of order are outlined—the head of every
man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is
God. The second word for man (anēr) means “male,” not mankind in
general. Paul is mainly focusing on the Creation order, as the word head
implies and is not suggesting the superiority of men over women. The man
is no more superior to the woman than God the Father is superior to Christ.
As members of the Trinity are coequal but possess different responsibilities,
a man and a woman are coequal but possess different responsibilities.
11:4-6. The number of women who were coming to church with their
heads improperly covered is not known. But probably a significant number
were doing this and thus showing their lack of submission to God’s order.
A man (anēr) praying or prophesying with his head covered dishonors
his [spiritual] head, Christ Himself. This stands in contrast to the custom
for Jewish men who always prayed with their heads covered. As every
Christian man should be subject to Christ’s authority, every Christian wife
should be subject to her husband’s authority. Thus the woman demonstrates
her lack of authority when she prays or prophesies with her head
uncovered. This behavior dishonors her head, her husband. The terms
prays and prophecies imply the woman’s participation in the public worship
service in Corinth. Her removal of the head covering dishonors her
husband’s headship/leadership in her life. By doing this she is rejecting the
notion of subordination in the church by removing the known cultural
symbol of submission, the headcovering. In doing this the woman is
identified as one and the same as if her head were shaved. In all
likelihood prostitutes in Corinth cut their hair and kept it very short. If
prostitutes displayed uncovered and shaven heads to show their lack of
authority, then Christian women in that culture should cover their heads or
else place themselves on the same level as these immoral women.
Therefore, since it is shameful (lit., “a disgrace”) for a woman to be shorn
or shaved, the woman worshipping in the church should participate in
worship with her head covered.
11:7-10. On the other hand, a man indeed ought not to cover his head,
since he is the image and glory of God (cf. Gen 1:26-27). Likewise, a
woman is the glory of man in that man is not from woman, but woman
from man. Paul is thinking through the order of Creation as recorded in
Gen 2:18-24, where Moses stated Adam was first created and then Eve.
Because of this Creation order, the woman ought to have a symbol of
authority on her head. In the Middle Eastern and oriental cultures, the veil
symbolized honor and self-respect for the woman. Because she covered her
head, she could go anywhere in security and know she would receive
admiration. Without the veil, on the other hand, she would be subjected to
ridicule of others. Hence her authority and dignity would vanish without the
headcovering.
This symbol of authority is not only important for the men and women
worshippers, but it is also important because of the angels. The expression
because of the angels could mean that angels are present in the worship
services and will observe the woman’s conduct. She should not appear to be
improper before them as they observe her conduct. It may also mean the
unveiled women might be a temptation to evil angels so that they are driven
to lust after her (cf. Gen 6:2). A third interpretation places its emphasis on
how the seraphim veiled themselves in their worship of God (Isa 6:2). As
those angels veiled themselves in their worship before the glory and
holiness of God, so the women need to veil themselves in their worship of
God.
11:11-12. After emphasizing the responsibility of men and women in
worship services based on the order of creation, Paul also emphasizes their
equality. The man is not independent of woman. The same is true for the
woman. She is not independent of man. Both of these partnerships are in
the Lord, that is, these relationships depend on the Lord. Paul has already
pointed out that woman came from man. He then adds that man also
comes through woman. By the birth process, man came from woman.
Once more the thought that all things are from God is observed by Paul.
The source of all things is God who created both man and woman.
11:13-16. Paul’s final point in this argument related to the distinction
between man and woman in worship is that the church at Corinth can judge
for itself whether a woman can pray to God with her head uncovered
because nature itself teaches that if a man has long hair it is a dishonor
to him. However, if a woman has long hair, it is a glory to her. Her hair
marks a distinction between her and the man. If she had this natural
covering, it should follow that she should retain this physical covering
during worship. For those people who want to be contentious (ones who
love strife) regarding this teaching about women in worship, Paul says that
he and his missionary partners have no such custom. They have no other
practice except for the one he has taught. Moreover, nor do the churches of
God have any other custom. The wearing of a symbol of authority is
practiced in other churches as well.
11:17-22. Paul addresses another issue of worship when he writes about
the abuse of the Lord’s Supper that was taking place among the Corinthians.
When he mentions communion, he could not praise them for their practice
because they were meeting not for the better but for the worse. He
stresses the significance of what he has to say when says, for first of all.
There is no “second of all” or “third of all.” He had heard that there were
divisions among them, and he believed the report, partly realizing that
there was probably some embellishment in it. The term divisions
(schismata) has already been used to describe the divisions in the
Corinthian church that were fractionalizing the church (1:10). Factions
existed among them. One good result of the divisions in the church was that
those believers who were approved (dokimoi)—tested by the factions—
would be recognized.
When they gathered to eat the Lord’s Supper, they were not eating with
the right motivation or behavior. Paul states that in eating of the Lord’s
Supper, each one takes his own supper ahead of others. Unlike what is
practiced in most churches today, this was a full-course meal in which the
participants brought food. But in this case, each person placed his meal in
front of himself and ate it in total disregard for his poor and hungry brother.
This resulted in one [being] hungry and another drunk. Paul uses a series
of rhetorical questions, Do you not have houses to eat and drink in? Or
do you despise the church of God and shame those who have nothing?
By their behavior the Corinthians were despising the church. Therefore Paul
could not find a place for praise for them.
11:23-25. Paul reminds them of the significance of the Lord’s Supper. This
is the earliest account of the communion meal in the NT. Paul received and
delivered this account directly from the Lord. The bread reminds the
believer of Christ’s “body which is broken for” them. The cup of wine
represents “the new covenant” (Heb 9:14-15). The Old Covenant is now
replaced by Christ’s new covenant, which was inaugurated through His
blood (Matt 26:28). Without His shedding of blood, there is no remission of
sins (Heb 9:22).
11:26. The expression for as often offers no instruction as to how often
communion should be practiced. But it is implied that the Corinthians
should practice it often because it will proclaim (announce) the Lord’s
death till He comes. The Lord’s Supper recalls Christ’s death, and it also
looks forward to His coming for the Church.
11:27-32. Paul addresses the manner in which the meal should be
conducted. The person who participates in this meal in an unworthy
manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. In other words
those believers who disregard the poorer believers at the meal come to the
meal in an unworthy manner. Therefore each member should examine (test
or approve) himself before eating the bread and drinking the cup. The one
who does not examine himself eats and drinks judgment to himself, not
discerning the Lord’s body. The verb discern means “to distinguish.” The
one who takes part in the Lord’s Supper without proper self-examination
does not make a distinction between the Lord’s Supper and an ordinary
meal. Because of this abuse, which reflected a selfish carnality, many are
weak and sick among you—experiencing ill health—and many sleep—
have died (1 Cor 15:18; 1 Thess 4:15-16). If believers judge themselves,
they will not be judged by God. Believers who are judged…are
chastened by the Lord. This is a temporal judgment, not something that is
eternal. If believers are judged in this way, it is so that they not be
condemned with the world. God’s discipline of His children is remedial (1
Cor 5:3-5). The individual who is not chastened is identified with the
eternally condemned unsaved world (Heb 12:5-11; Rev 20:12-15).
11:33-34. When they come together to partake of the Lord’s Supper, they
should wait for one another. In addition, if anyone is hungry, let him eat
at home. In other words, if anyone attends the meeting of the Lord Supper
only to eat and drink, then that person should eat at home and not attend the
meal. He will be subject to judgment for this behavior if he attends.
D. The Unity and Diversity of Spiritual Gifts (12:1–14:40)
Having discussed the issue of order and the Lord’s Supper in worship, Paul
now turns to the practice of spiritual gifts in worship. The Corinthians were
abusing the use of spiritual gifts, especially the practice of tongues.
12:1-3. The apostle addresses the issue of gifts with the familiar, Now
concerning spiritual gifts. The Corinthians are not to be ignorant about
such matters. When they were Gentile—pagans—they were carried away
to these dumb idols, however [they] were led. The verb carried away
portrays a prisoner or a condemned man being led away. When they were
non-Christians, they were involved in idol worship. The expression dumb
idols describes those deities (probably Greek and Roman gods as well as the
various gods of the mystery religions). They were dumb because they were
totally unable to answer the worshippers who called on them. Such behavior
was reflective of the lives of the Corinthians before they became believers.
No believer truly speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed,
whereas no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. The
person depending on the Holy Spirit—the spiritual person—gives genuine
confession to the lordship of Christ in his life (cf. 2:15). The expression
except by the Holy Spirit suggests that no person can truly acknowledge the
lordship of Jesus in his life unless the Holy Spirit has shown him this. If the
Corinthians were saying in their services that Jesus is accursed, that did not
necessarily mean they were unsaved. Neither did their failure to
acknowledge Jesus’ lordship mean they were unsaved.
12:4-6. Paul also focuses on the diversities of gifts. The term gifts means
“graces” that describe God-given equipment for God-given tasks. They are
supernatural endowments that enable believers to carry out God’s work.
Paul emphasizes that the same Spirit—a theme that will be stressed
throughout this section—is the originator of these gifts. Not only are there
diversities of gifts but there are differences in ministries but the same
Lord. Ministries speak of those places in which the gifts function. The Lord
assigns a place of ministry. Along with the work of the two members of the
Trinity—Holy Spirit and the Lord—Paul says, “and there are diversities
of activities, but the same God who works all in all.” Activities
(energematon) means “effect” or “results.” Thus the one and the same God
who provides the gifts.
12:7-11. If a spiritual gift does not edify the church, it is not fulfilling its
proper function. The gifts are given to each one for profit of all. Paul lists
nine gifts in this partial list with kinds of tongues and the interpretation
of tongues finishing this list. Not only should the Corinthians view these
gifts as for the common good, but they also should see that one and the
same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually
as He wills. A similar statement is in Rom 12:5-6. Thus the believers in the
church at Corinth are reminded that these gifts are given by the Lord for the
good of the whole church and not individual enjoyment in a self-edification
sort of way.
12:12-13. Paul points out that the body is one and has many members.
Even though it is diverse, it is unified. For all the members of that one
body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. Since all believers are
in Him, they are one body. Paul reminds the Corinthians that they were
made members of this body by the Holy Spirit. It was by one Spirit that
they were all baptized into one body. This ministry of the Holy Spirit is
experienced by all believers at the moment of salvation in spite of
nationality, whether Jews or Greeks, or their position in life, whether
slaves or free. All, not some, have been made to drink into one Spirit.
12:14-26. With their unity as a church represented by baptism by the
Spirit, Paul gives his attention to the other side of the truth of organic unity
when he says, For in fact the body is not one member but many. He uses
the illustration of a living human body with its various parts. These various
members of the body—foot, hand, eye, etc.—are needed for the body to
function correctly. Paul reminds his readers that the acquisition and exercise
of the gifts in the church are the result of God’s plan because He has set the
members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased (cf. 1Cor
12:7, 11). Each member of the body needs each other. Even those members
of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow
greater honor. Just like part of the human body deemed less honorable is
given attention by clothing or cosmetics, one who is thought to possess a
lesser gift is given greater attention by the other members of Christ’s body.
God so composed the body having given greater honor to that part
which lacks it. He also did this to abate schisms and so that the members
should have the same care for one another.
12:27-31. Paul makes the obvious application, Now you are the body of
Christ, and members individually. The divided Corinthians, whether they
like it or not, undeniably make up the body of Christ. Moreover, God has
sovereignly appointed the gifts in the church. Paul gives another list. He
ranks the gifts in order of honor. He does the same thing in Eph 4:11. Gifted
apostles, prophets, and teachers serve the whole church and by their
ministies would bring about unity. He lists varieties of tongues as the last,
although the Corinthians valued it highly. He asks, Are all apostles? Are all
prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? Do all have
gifts of healings? Do all speak with tongues? Do all interpret? All these
questions have an expected “no” answer in the Greek text. Not all are
apostles, prophets, or teachers. Neither are all workers of miracles, have
gifts of healing, speak in tongues, and interpret. Paul is stressing diversity in
the body of Christ. It has been shown in this chapter that even though the
less honorable parts of the body are essential, the Corinthians are
commanded to earnestly desire the best gifts, namely, apostles, prophets,
and teachers since these minister to the whole church. However, the verb
earnestly desire can be taken as meaning the Corinthians were
inappropriately desiring the gifts rather than a more excellent way—love.
13:1. Paul demonstrates the superiority of love when he notes that if he
were to speak with the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, he
would become a sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. The tongues here
and in chapters 12-14 are no different from the known languages (tongues)
recorded in Acts 2, 10, and 19. In Acts 2:4-5, for example, the 120
witnesses spoke in tongues or languages that they did not know, but the
people who had gathered at Pentecost from other nations were hearing them
in their own languages or dialects. Writing the book of Acts after Paul
wrote 1 Corinthians, Luke did not indicate that Pentecost tongues were any
different from the Corinthian tongues. Paul told the Corinthians to control
the tongues by having an interpreter and not allowing more than three to
speak. The fact that tongues needed interpretation shows the probability of
known languages. The expression tongues of angels is hyperbole. In
essence Paul is saying that even if he did speak in an angelic tongue—
which he did not—it would be meaningless without love. He would become
like two musical instruments used in the mystery religions of his day.
13:2-3. Paul points out that he could possess the gifts of prophecy and
faith, but without love these would be meaningless. He could even posses
the gift of giving and bestow all [his] goods to feed the poor and…give
[his] body to be burned, and yet without love, it profits [him] nothing. A
Christian may have such a sense of dedication that he would subject himself
to a painful death of burning, but without love, such sacrifice would be
futile.
13:4-7. Paul personifies love in many different ways. Love suffers long.
The word makrothymia implies patience with people rather than patience
with circumstances. Love is also kind; it responds with goodness toward
those who wish to do harm. Neither does it envy; it is not displeased at
other’s victories and successes. It does not parade itself, that is, it does not
boast of itself. It is not puffed up either. Paul uses this word in several
places in 1 Cor (cf. 4:6, 18-19; 5:2; 8:1). The Corinthians were addicted to
pride and a party spirit, but if they were characterized by love, they would
not manifest this immature attitude. It does not behave rudely. Neither
does it seek its own. Nevertheless in the Corinthians’ misuse of tongues to
edify themselves, they violated this principle (cf. 14:4). Love is not
provoked and it thinks no evil. Hence it does not rejoice in iniquity. On
the other hand it rejoices in the truth. It also bears…believes…hopes…
and endures all things.
13:8-10. Love never fails because it outlasts that which is temporal.
Prophecies, which are messages from God, will fail. The verb will fail
(katargerō) is a future passive, meaning that prophecies will be done away
with. Tongues, on the other hand, will cease. The verb (from pauō) is in the
middle voice and means “automatically cease of themselves.” On the other
hand, the gift of knowledge will vanish away. Paul uses the same Greek
verb that he used previously with prophecies. Thus prophecy and
knowledge will be done away with. Tongues will cease to exist on their
own. These gifts of knowledge and prophesy produce partial results—in
part. They possessed a limited capacity. However, when that which is
perfect has come, then that which is in part (knowledge and prophecy)
will be done away (from katargerō, “caused to stop working”). The perfect
(teleion, “mature, whole, complete”) could refer to the completion of the
NT Canon. James compares God’s Word to “the perfect law of liberty” (Jas
1:25). However, neither Paul nor the Corinthians were “canon conscience.”
Also the conditions described in 1 Cor 13:12 do not explain the conditions
of a completed canon. They favor the coming of the Lord. Based on what is
said in 12:11, some have suggested that perfect is describing the maturity of
the Church. Similarity between 13:10-11 and Eph 4:13-14 is pointed out.
However, the maturity of the Church does not come close to the condition
Paul is describing in 1 Cor 13:12. The perfect probably refers to the Lord’s
return for the Church. A major weakness of this view is that Greek word for
perfect (teleion) is never used for the Second Coming. Also the word is
neuter and Christ is a person. However, the coming of Christ is an event,
and even though the word is not used for the coming of Christ, parallel
passages such as 1 John 2:28 strongly suggest support for this view.
13:11-12. The Corinthians are compared to children in that they spoke as
a child, understood as a child and thought as a child. Children preoccupy
themselves with items of temporary worth. Similarly the Corinthians
preoccupied themselves with temporary gifts that will either be done away
with by God Himself (such as prophecy and knowledge) or will pass away
by themselves, such as tongues before God does away with prophecy and
knowledge. So when they become a man—when that which is perfect has
come—the Corinthians will put away childish things. The gifts will no
longer be needed when the Lord comes. Believers see in a mirror dimly
now, but then at the Lord’s return, they will have face to face encounter
with Him. The very best mirror, which in those days was made of metal and
gave only a blurred and imperfect picture, will be nothing compared to a
full encounter with the Lord face to face (1John 2:28). Now the believer
may know (ginoskō) in part. However, he will some day stand in God’s
presence and he shall know fully as God fully knows him. The believer,
although limited by his finiteness, can know fully to the full extent his
limited finiteness allows him to know.
 13:13. Paul has talked about a triad of gifts that are short-lived—prophecy,
knowledge, and tongues. Now he talks about the triad of fruit that abide—
faith, hope, and love, which is the greatest of these. Faith is an expression
of love because love believes all things. Hope is also an expression of love
because love hopes all things.
14:1-2. Paul commands the Corinthians to pursue (lit., “run after”) love,
the greatest quality of life. If they do this, it would help them to desire
spiritual gifts especially that [they] may prophecy. The reason for this
pursuit of prophecy is that he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to
men but to God. The assembled congregation will not understand the
tongue (glossa, a “known language”) without the interpretation and thus
will not be built up (vv 10-11). Only God understands it. But what use
would it provide if only He understood it? Hence no one understands the
person speaking in a tongue because in the spirit he speaks mysteries.
Mysteries are truths that call for supernatural disclosures. Only when tongue
speech is interpreted will it be allowed by Paul in the assembly (cf. vv 9,
13).
14:3-4. Conversely the person who prophesies speaks edification and
exhortation and comfort to the assembly. Prophecies refer to speaking
forth the Word of God. Paul offers three purposes for prophecy. It builds up
believers in the assembly—it speaks edification. It encourages them—it
speaks exhortation. It also speaks comfort to them. Yet the person speaking
in a tongue (uninterpreted) edifies [only] himself. He is not operating in
love because love does not seek its own (13:5). The Corinthians must
understand that the gifts were not given for personal enhancement or for
building up their egos (cf. 12:7; 1 Pet 4:10-11). Because prophecy builds
up, encourages, and comforts other believers, the one who prophesies
edifies the church.
14:5. Nothing was inherently wrong with the proper usage of the gift of
tongues. In fact Paul wishes that all the Corinthians spoke with tongues.
Nevertheless he has already stated that God does not give this gift of
languages to everyone (cf. 12:7, 30). The apostle wishes even more that
the Corinthians prophesied because this gift is greater than an
uninterpreted language. Only the interpreted tongue allows the church to
receive edification. Prophecy is therefore greater than the gift of languages
since it accomplishes in one step—speaking—what tongues accomplishes
in two steps—speaking and interpretation.
Paul was correcting a problem in the church at Corinth, and his teaching is
specifically aimed at their misuse of tongues and is not to be taken as a
directive for the use of tongues today. He offers three illustrations to show
the fallacy of tongues without interpretation.
14:6. The first illustration concerns the apostle Paul, thinking about a
subsequent visit. If he came only speaking with tongues the Corinthians
would not benefit. If instead he came speaking to them an intelligible
message from God, they would all be edified.
14:7-9. The second illustration centers on musical instruments. Unless
they make a distinction in the sounds (systematic differences in pitch,
tone, and time), how will it be known what is piped or played? A musical
instrument ought to produce a profitable sound. The trumpet, for example,
must make a useful sound so that the soldiers can be prepared for battle.
The same principle applies to the one speaking. That person must utter by
the tongue words easy to understand. Otherwise how will it be known
what is spoken? It will benefit no more than speaking into the air. Not the
mere sound of speaking makes it significant. It must be understood by
others. Thus if uninterpreted languages are spoken in the church, they will
profit the believers nothing since the tongues will not bring edification.
14:10-12. The third illustration continues the language metaphor. Paul
says, There are, it may be, so many kinds of languages in the world, and
none of them is without significance. Yet if a person does not know the
meaning of the language (lit., “the power of the sound”), he shall be a
foreigner to him who speaks, and he who speaks will be a foreigner to
the listener. Apart from a shared understanding of a language’s meaning,
communication would be useless. Consequently the uninterpreted gift of
tongues plays a worthless role in building up the Body of Christ. With this
in view, since the Corinthians are zealous for spiritual gifts they should be
zealous for the edification of the church. The word spiritual is from
pnuematon rather than pneumatikon, the common word for spiritual gift,
and it is more appropriately translated “manifestations of the Spirit.” As the
Corinthians have such zeal for this manifestation of the Spirit (languages),
they should direct it toward edification of each other by the use of other
gifts or an interpreted language.
 14:13. Since interpreted tongues would minister to the congregation, the
person who speaks in a tongue (a known language) must pray that he
may interpret this language. If however, no one is present in the assembly
who could offer interpretation, then the one speaking in tongues must not
speak (v 28).
14:14-17. Also in the assembly if anyone decides to pray in a tongue,
[his] spirit prays, but [his] understanding (lit., “mind”) is unfruitful.
Furthermore the worship service is not enhanced since a person must both
pray with the spirit and…pray with the understanding, and both sing
with the spirit and…sing with the understanding. In other words there
must be interpretation (understanding of what is prayed and sung).
Otherwise how will the person who occupies the place of the uninformed
(idiotes, a person who does not understand the language without the
interpretation) say “Amen” when a person gives thanks in an uninterpreted
tongue? Now the one engaged in tongues-speech indeed gives thanks well.
In other words the tongue may in itself convey thanks, but it means nothing
unless the believer without that gift understands. If that one does not
understand, he is not edified, and the gift serves no purpose.
14:18-19. Though Paul thanks God that he speaks in tongues more than
the Corinthians, he is more concerned about ministering five words with
[his own] understanding so that he could teach others than ten thousand
words in a tongue. He would rather speak five words that people
understand rather than ten thousand words in an uninterpreted language.
14:20-22a. The Corinthians were enamored with this gift, which
demonstrated for Paul that they were immature. He commands them,
Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be
babes, but in understanding be mature. The Corinthians were
characterized by juvenile behavior and needed to grow in their
understanding of what the Law said (a reference to Isa 28:11-12; cf. 1 Cor
3:1-2). Isaiah wrote that because Israel refused to heed His warning
concerning an imminent Assyrian invasion, God would instruct them by
means of a foreign-speaking invading army. The foreign language was a
sign of the judgment of God on Israel. Paul then makes his application,
Therefore, tongues are for a sign, not to those who believe, but to
unbelievers. The unbelievers contextually would presumably refer to the
unbelieving Jews since Paul is referring to a specific event in Israel’s
history. At the time of Paul’s ministry in Corinth a significant number of
Jews were residing there (cf. Acts 18:4, 7).
God had been appealing to the nation Israel to show them through signs
and miracles that His spokesmen were legitimate (cf. Heb 2:3-4), but Israel
rejected the message of the apostles. Therefore God delivered them over to
judgment when Jerusalem was destroyed by Titus, the Roman general, in
AD 70, a date that marked the beginning of the time of the Gentiles in its
fullest sense. This judgment was predicted by Jesus in Luke 21:20-24.
Therefore the sign gift of tongues was no longer needed as a sign of God’s
judgment to disbelieving Israel since Israel was no longer a covenant nation
after AD 70. Paul had written earlier that the gift of tongues would cease on
its own (1 Cor 13:8). Most likely this gift ceased about the time of
Jerusalem’s collapse. However, while Paul was writing the Corinthians, the
gift of tongues was still in existence and needed to be regulated.
14:22b-25. Prophecy was meant for those who believe. Moreover, when
the whole church meets together, and all speak with [uninterpreted]
tongues, then either uninformed (the unlearned) or unbelievers who come
in this assembly will say that the church is out of [its] mind because of the
confusing worship. However, if all the church would prophesy, then the
newcomer or non–Christian is convinced by all, he is convicted by all.
The verb convinced (elenchetai) is used in John 16:8 of the Holy Spirit’s
work of convicting the world of sin, righteous, and judgment. The word
convicted (anakrinetai) means “to judge.” The prophetic word has an
impact on unbelievers so that the secrets of [their] heart are revealed. It
causes them to worship God and report that God is truly among the
Corinthians.
14:26-33. When therefore the church assembles, with each member
worshipping with either a psalm…a teaching…a tongue…a revelation,
[or] an interpretation, it should be for the purpose of edification. If anyone
wants to speak in a tongue, there must be a certain order as to how to
proceed. Two or at the most three should speak in turn, and one must
interpret. If no one can provide interpretation, the person speaking in a
tongue must keep silent in church. That person can speak that language to
himself and to God, but not in church. However, this private use of
speaking in tongues would not contribute to the maturity of the church (cf.
vv 11, 13-17).
 Prophecy is also to be regulated. Two or three prophets were to speak
while others evaluate the message. The first person speaking a word from
the Lord was to give preference—keep silent (lit., “hold one’s tongue”)—
when someone else spoke a prophetic word. The church needs to know that
they could all prophecy one by one that all may learn and all may be
encouraged. But they also needed to know that a prophet’s spiritual gift—
the spirits of the prophet are subject to the prophets. This gift was not
characterized by overcoming the prophet with an irrational behavior like
what occurred in some of the pagan mystery religions because God, who
originated these gifts, does not produce confusion but peace.
14:34-35. Women could prophecy in the assembly (11:4-16). However,
they should keep silent in the churches about the comments a prophet had
made in the church (14:29). The reference is probably to married women
because they are to be submissive as the law also says and if they want to
learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home. Paul
therefore desired that married women whose husbands were present in the
assembly should be quiet and submissive, but Paul allowed the involvement
of other women when they displayed proper adornment (11:2-16). This
silence would express their submission because it is shameful for women
to speak in church. The same principle would apply for married women
speaking in tongues in the Corinthian church.
14:36-40. Paul concludes this section concerning spiritual gifts (1
Corinthians 12–14) by expecting some opposition. He asks, Or did the
word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it
reached? These questions reemphasize to the Corinthians that they are not
the original church, as some had apparently thought. Neither are they the
only church reached by the gospel message. Paul’s teaching was not based
on opinion but came from the commandments of the Lord. Moreover, if
anyone is ignorant—ignored the Lord’s commandment—let him be
ignorant, he would be ignored by the Lord at the Bema. Finally, Paul
exhorts the Corinthians to desire earnestly to prophesy along with
allowing for people to speak with (interpreted) tongues. That would
demonstrate that all things were done decently and in order in the church
at Corinth.
V. The Resurrection and Its Implications (15:1-58)
 Paul may have heard grumblings by some concerning the resurrection of
Jesus Christ. Perhaps some, while they held to Greek beliefs about
immortality of the soul, did not believe in a physically resurrected body (v
12). First, Paul reviews crucial historical points of Christ’s resurrection to
the believers (vv 1-11). Second, he shows the believers how Christ’s
resurrection is directly connected to their resurrection (vv 12-34). Third, he
discusses the nature of the resurrection body of the believer (vv 35-57).
Fourth, he offers a practical exhortation to the Corinthians believers not to
lose heart because they will gain future reward for their faithfulness to the
resurrected Lord (v 58).
A. The Fact of Christ’s Resurrection (15:1-11)
15:1-2. Paul declares (lit., “makes known”) to the believers the gospel
which [he] preached to them. When it was first preached to them, they
received the gospel message. In addition to bringing justification, it is the
gospel in which [believers] stand—the perfect tense suggests continuing
results. Christians therefore stand in Christ because of the gospel (cf. Eph
1:3-14). Furthermore it is the Gospel by which also [believers] are saved,
if [they] hold fast that word. This statement stresses the fact that the
gospel includes more than justification, which brings forth eternal life; it
also includes a daily sanctification (are saved) if believers hold fast (or
abide in) the word (cf. John 8:31-32; Rom 1:15; 10:9; 1 Cor 15:2; Gal 2:20;
Eph 2:10; Jas 1:21). This daily sanctification process relates to the quality
of life the Christian will spend in eternity (3:9-15; Luke 19:11-27; Rom
8:16-17; 2 Pet 1:10-11). However, if the resurrection of a physical body
could not be verified, belief in the gospel would be in vain—having no
purpose (cf. 1Cor 15:12).
15:3-8. Paul reviews the significant tenets of Christ’s resurrection in order
to remind his audience of the historical nature of the gospel. As he did with
the description of the Lord’s Supper, he delivered to [the Corinthians] first
of all that which [he] also received either from direct revelation or from
drawing on an earlier recorded document that predated the Gospel accounts
of Jesus’ resurrection. The historical facts of the death, burial, resurrection,
and post-resurrection appearances of Jesus Christ validate His offer of
eternal life to anyone who believes in Him for it. Without those supportable
facts, His offer is meaningless.
 The fact that Christ died for our sins according to Scriptures (Isa
53:10-12) was confirmed when He was buried. The fact that He rose
again the third day according to the Scriptures (Ps 16:10) was
established when He was seen by Cephas (Simon Peter), then by the
twelve (with Matthias taking the place of Judas Iscariot). Afterwards the
Lord was seen by over five hundred brethren at once. This appearance to
the five hundred plus is not recorded in the Gospels. Nevertheless it could
be confirmed because the greater part of this number remain to the
present, but some have fallen asleep. The expression fallen asleep is
figurative language for believers who have died. The majority of the
eyewitnesses who were still alive at the time of Paul’s writing would
provide irrefutable evidence for the resurrection appearances of Jesus
Christ. Also the Lord was seen by James, then by all the apostles—a
broader group other than the Twelve but who were qualified to be apostles
because they saw the resurrected Lord (cf. 1 Cor 9:1). Paul lists himself as
last of all when he encountered the resurrected Christ (cf. Acts 9:3-6).
Moreover, because he had not been with Christ during His ministry on
earth, Paul sees himself as one born out of due time (lit., a miscarriage)
(cf. Acts 1:21-22; 22:6-11; 26:12-18).
15:9-11. Paul thinks of himself as the least of the apostles who is not
worthy to be called an apostle because [he] persecuted the church of
God. He would never forget this horrible act (cf. Gal 1:13; 1 Tim 1:12-14).
However, the grace of God changed him, and this grace was not in vain
(kenē, lit., “empty, fruitless”).
Paul describes his labor as more abundantly than they all; that is, he
labored harder than anyone. Moreover, he acknowledges that this difficult
work was not sourced in his fleshly efforts, but the grace of God which
was with him. So therefore he is not concerned who acquires the credit in
ministry but only that he and others working with him preach the gospel,
with all its many aspects, so that the Corinthians believed.
B. The Fact of the Bodily Resurrection of the Believer (15:12-34)
15:12-19. Some were teaching that there is no resurrection of the dead.
Paul counters, But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is
not risen. Risen is in the perfect tense, denoting ongoing results of the
Resurrection. Denial of the physical resurrection of the dead would mean
denying Christ’s physical resurrection. Preaching would be empty (without
meaning), and the Corinthians’ faith would be vain (kenē, “empty, without
meaning”). Furthermore that would make Paul and the ones who preached
with him false witnesses of God because they preached that He raised up
Christ, whom He did not raise up. Paul reasons, if the dead do not rise,
then Christ is not risen. This poses a great problem because if it is true,
the Corinthians’ faith is futile. This would result in every human being still
being in their sins. It would mean those who have fallen asleep in Christ
have perished. Also the living believers who have placed their hope in
Christ would be considered the most pitiable.
15:20-22. After looking at the fallacy of holding to a denial of the
Resurrection, Paul accentuates the reality of Christ’s resurrection and what
that means for the believer. He first establishes that Christ’s resurrection has
become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. Firstfruits recalls
the OT accounting of the first sheaf from the field brought to the temple as
an expression of praise to Yahweh (Lev 23:10-14). It was meant to promise
the full harvest yet to come. Similarly Christ’s resurrection anticipates and
promises the believer’s resurrection which is yet to come. A whole new age
has dawned because of Christ’s physical resurrection (Col 1:18; 1 Thess
4:15-16). If Jesus is raised from the dead, then the believer will be raised
from the dead.
The first man—Adam—disobeyed God. By [this] man came death—both
spiritual and physical death because of his transgression (Gen 3:17-19; Rom
5:12-21). In contrast by Man—Jesus Christ—also came the resurrection
of the dead for all those who have believed in Him (cf. John 11:25-26).
Because mankind is in Adam, all of mankind die (both physically and
spiritually). However, in Christ all who have believed in Him for eternal
salvation shall be made alive (both physically and spiritually). Paul in this
passage is referring only to the believers in the Church and not the
unbelieving dead.
In this passage Paul writes about three entities—the resurrected Christ,
those who have fallen asleep in Christ (dead believers), and those who are
still alive at the coming of Christ (1 Cor 15:18, 20, 23).
15:23-28. God’s specific plan includes each one in his own order. The
word order, a military term, suggests the idea of rank. Christ the firstfruits
was raised first. Second, those who are Christ’s at His coming will follow.
The word coming (parousia) refers to His coming for those believers who
are still alive (John 14:2-3). At the same coming, the Christians who have
already died will be raised and actually will precede those who are still
alive (1Thess 4:13-18). Third, the coming of Christ will be followed by
another period of time designated as the end, when He delivers the
kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all
authority and power. Once He overcomes every enemy of God the Father
and mankind, He will hand this sovereign responsibility to the Father. This
does not imply His inferiority, but it does mean a different responsibility.
Until this time, the Father places everything under His Son who reigns as
Lord over the universe (Ps 110:1; Dan 7:14; Col 1:15-17).
A period of time will occur between Christ’s coming for the Church and
the time when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father. Christ will reign
till He has put all enemies under His feet. Death will be the last enemy
(15:55). God the Father “has put all things under His feet (Ps 8:6).” The
Father put all things under Christ as the last Adam, the perfect Man, with
the only exception that God the Father Himself is not in subjection to
Christ. Jesus’ work will ultimately glorify God the Father (John 17:4-5).
The new creation will begin when God the Father may be all in all.
To risk one’s life for Jesus Christ is foolishness if the dead are not raised.
Paul emphasizes this by turning to the reality of daily experiences to help
the Corinthians understand the significance of the Resurrection. He points
to their practice and his own daily lifestyle.
15:29. The apostle asks, what will they do who are baptized for the
dead, if the dead do not rise at all? Many interpretations have been
offered to explain what this statement means. Paul clearly is not suggesting
this as one of the doctrines of the Christian faith. He is simply presenting
the practice of some believers to demonstrate how this very practice would
be futile if the dead do not rise at all. Possibly some were teaching and
practicing a false view of baptism taken possibly from the mystery religions
that taught that baptism helped initiates to enter eternal bliss in the afterlife.
Or perhaps some were practicing a proxy baptism for those who died
unbaptized.
15:30-34. Paul now turns to a personal argument. Essentially many times
his life was in jeopardy; many times he would die daily; even sometimes
he fought with beasts at Ephesus—not his struggle with literal beasts in
the arena but with Jews and Gentiles in that city when his life was
threatened (cf. 2 Cor 1:8-9). He then asks, what advantage is it to me?
Then he answers his question by asserting that if the dead do not rise, it
would have been better for him to practice the philosophy of Epicureanism
that says, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!” Paul concludes by
commanding the Corinthians, Do not be deceived: “Evil company
corrupts good habits.” This is a quotation from a line in Menander’s
Thais, which was written about 320 BC. The negative imperative implies
that they were already deceived. If they kept company with those who
denied the Resurrection, this would lead to their corruption. Along with
telling them to avoid false teachers (cf. 2 Cor 6:14–7:1), he also commands
them to awake to righteousness, and do not sin because some of these
people do not have knowledge of God. This statement could be translated,
“no knowledge of God some have.” No knowledge is placed at the first of
the sentence for emphasis. The word no knowledge (agnosia) expresses the
failure to obtain knowledge, not just the lack of it.
C. The Nature of the Bodily Resurrection of the Believer (15:35-
58)
15:35-49. The imaginary interlocutor might ask, “How are the dead
raised up? And with what body do they come?” Paul answers, Foolish
one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. Like the plant that
springs from a seed was directly connected to the seed, God gives it a body
as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. Belief in the resurrected
body is compared to belief in what goes on with the seed turning into a
plant. As God can accomplish this miracle with the seed transforming into a
plant, He can do it with the resurrected body.
This is the God whose glory is expressed by the differences between the
flesh of men and the flesh of animals and fish and birds in the living
creation and the celestial bodies such as the glory of the sun, moon, and
stars in the inorganic creation. The differences in glory between these
bodies recommend a distinction between a body [that] is sown in
corruption [but] raised in incorruption…sown in weakness [but] raised
in power. Thus there is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
Adam, who illustrates the natural body, “became a living being.” He passed
on his sinful nature to mankind. The last Adam—Jesus Christ—became a
life-giving spirit. He gives eternal life to all who believe in Him and thus
they will be transformed with a heavenly resurrected body. Adam, the first
man was of the earth, made of dust. However, Jesus the second man is
the Lord from heaven. Adam stands at the head of all creation, while Jesus
stands at the head of the new creation. While mankind bears the image of
the man of dust, everyone who believes in Jesus for eternal life shall also
bear the image of the heavenly Man, Jesus. Those who belong to Jesus
will be transformed from their physical body to a resurrected body that
resembles Christ’s glorious body (Phil 3:21).
15:50-57. What about those who are living at Christ’s coming? Since it is
impossible for a flesh and blood body to inherit the kingdom of God,
Paul discloses a mystery—something that had not been revealed in the OT
but now is revealed. Believers who are there when Christ returns shall all
be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. This will take
place at the last trumpet, which will blast for the Church. Some believe
that this trumpet is the same as the seventh trumpet of judgment (Rev
11:15-19). However, the trumpets in Revelation relate to God’s judgment
during the Tribulation, and this trumpet is blown for the Church. When it
sounds, Paul says, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be
changed. His use of we indicates that he believed in the imminent return of
the Lord. A transformation will take place where this corruptible must put
on incorruption. The living Christians will receive a body that is no longer
subject to death and disease. Furthermore, the mortal body will put on an
immortal body. Paul then quotes from Isa 25:8 and Hosea 13:14, “Death is
swallowed up in victory” and “O Death, where is your sting? O Hades,
where is your victory?” Mankind’s rebellion caused the sting of death
(Rom 5:12-13, 21). The word sting is taken from a word that refers to the
stings of bees, serpents, etc. Death inflicts an evil sting that exists because
of mankind’s rebellion against God. Also Paul notes that the strength of
sin is the law. In other words the Law condemns everyone by its strict
conditions (cf. Rom 7:4-20). Because of what Christ accomplished on the
cross and the resurrection, believers can say with Paul, But thanks be to
God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Death,
sin, and law have been destroyed through the cross and the victorious
resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 15:58. Paul concludes this section on the Resurrection by commanding the
Corinthians to be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work
of the Lord. Such diligence in labor is not in vain in the Lord because it
will be rewarded at the Bema (1Cor 3:12-15; 2 Cor 5:10).
VI. The Jerusalem Offering (16:1-9)
Paul closes his letter to the Corinthians by briefly covering some issues
that still required attention.
A. The Order for the Collection (16:1-4)
16:1-4. The Jerusalem church was in desperate need because of their
poverty. Paul had given orders to the churches of Galatia to give to these
needs (Gal 2:10; cf. Acts 11:29-30). So the church at Corinth must do also.
He proposes a systematic way to give when he says, On the first day of the
week let each one of you lay something aside. The first day of the week
suggests that believers met regularly on Sundays (cf. John 20:19, 26; Acts
20:7; Rev 1:10). Each believer, not some, on the first day must give,
storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when Paul
comes. This gift should be stored up implying it should be collected week
by week at home, and it should be in direct proportion to the manner in
which the wage earner is prospering. In addition Paul wanted to avoid
personal contact with the money. So he called on the church to approve a
representative to bear the Corinthian’s gift to Jerusalem. He might choose
to go with that representative also.
B. Paul’s New Order for His Itinerary (16:5-9)
16:5-9. Paul expresses his plan to come to them when he passes through
Macedonia, where the churches of Philippi and Thessalonica were located.
He even thinks about remaining or even spending the winter with the
Corinthians. Traveling by sea was dangerous during the winter (cf. Acts
27:9-44). Paul does not want to visit them in passing, but he hopes to stay a
while with them. These fluid plans all depend on whether the Lord
permits. He did spend some time with them, though not according to his
plans that he presented here. This change of plans became a problem for
him in the mind of the some of the Corinthians (2 Cor 1:15–2:1).
He expresses his desire to tarry in Ephesus until Pentecost because a
great and effective door has opened to him, and yet he admits that such
opportunities have many adversaries also (Acts 19:30-34). Paul was
writing to them from Ephesus. He would soon write them again—the letter
of 2 Corinthians—from Macedonia, possibly Philippi.
VII. Concluding Remarks (16:10-24)
A. Timothy and Apollos—Servants of Paul
(16:10-12)
16:10-11. Paul aims to send Timothy, expecting that if Timothy comes
that the Corinthians would make sure he is without fear. Ministry to the
Corinthians was somewhat difficult, and it could be intimidating, especially
for a younger and timid man such as Timothy (cf. 1 Tim 4:12). The
Corinthians should not despise him. The verb despise means “to make
absolutely nothing of.” On the contrary they needed to send him on his
journey in peace (voluntarily) that he may come to Paul. Their receiving
and sending Timothy with “open arms” would demonstrate their acceptance
of Paul as well. Paul himself would be waiting for Timothy with the
brethren. The brethren might be identified as those believers whom the
Corinthians knew were with Paul. Or else they could be the believers who
came back to Corinth with Timothy. Apparently Timothy left Ephesus with
Erastus (Acts 19:22). However, there could have been others to follow later.
16:12. The Corinthians evidently wanted Apollos to come back to them.
Paul strongly urged him to come to [them] with the brethren. However,
he was unwilling to return to them, but he would return at a convenient
time. Apollos, who had been a fellow worker with Paul to the Corinthian
church, was esteemed by the Corinthians, perhaps because of his eloquence
(1 Cor 3:9; cf. Acts 18:24-28).
B. Final Exhortations Related to Appropriate Conduct (16:13-18)
16:13-14. Paul gives a brief exhortation to the church in Corinth. The first
four exhortations demand revolutionary action. The last one calls for love.
The first and second are defensive; the third and fourth are offensive. First,
he commands them to watch—a call to be alert which is often associated
with the Lord’s return (Mark 13:35, 37; 1 Thess 5:6). Second, he commands
them to stand fast in the faith—a call to be stable (Rom 11:20; Gal 5:1).
Third, he commands them to be brave—lit., “to act like men.” Fourth, he
commands them to be strong—a call that may imply that they be
empowered with the Holy Spirit (cf. Eph 3:16). They should accomplish all
these things with an attitude of love (1 Corinthians 13).
16:15-18. The ones in the household of Stephanas were the firstfruits of
Achaia. Achaia was the Roman province that extended over central and
southern Greece. Corinth was its capital. Paul saw his first converts in
Achaia among the household of Stephanas. These new converts devoted
themselves to the ministry of the saints. Because of their ministry to the
church, Paul recognized them as ones to whom the Corinthians should
submit as well as to everyone who works and labors with Paul and his
companions. Ministering to others characterize this household. Therefore
others were to submit to them because of this quality.
Stephanas, Fortunatus, and Achaias reached Paul in Ephesus and what
was lacking on [the Corinthians’] part they supplied (lit., “filled up”).
Perhaps Paul missed his Corinthian friends, and these men renewed his
connection with those at Corinth. He says, For they refreshed my spirit
and yours. And yours may indicate that it was not only good for the apostle
to receive news from these three men, but it was also good for the
Corinthians to send these messengers to him. Although they probably
brought some bad news from Chloe’s people (cf. 1:11), they were still able
to encourage Paul. Therefore, he says, acknowledge such men.
Acknowledge implies know them for who they are, and assign to them their
true worth.
C. Salutation and Benediction (16:19-24)
16:19-20. Paul concludes with some final greetings coming from the
churches of Asia—Ephesus and its neighboring cities. Also Aquila and
Priscilla greet the Corinthians in the Lord. This couple were tentmakers
whom Paul met in Corinth and with whom he lived. Now they were living
in Ephesus with the church that is in their house. All the brethren may
refer to those from the Corinthian church who were in Ephesus who may
have met in other house churches besides that of Aquila and Priscilla. The
believers in Corinth are to greet one another with a holy kiss—the
customary greeting in Paul’s day (Rom 16:16; 2 Cor 13:12; 1Thess 5:26).
16:21. Having dictated the letter up to that point, Paul writes the
salutation with his own hand.
 16:22. He also issues a strict warning if anyone does not love the Lord
Jesus Christ. The verb love is phileō, instead of agapaō, which means this
phrase may be translated if anyone does not have affection for the Lord
Jesus Christ. The person with this attitude would be accursed (anathema).
Paul is not referring to unbelievers here, but to those believers in the church
at Corinth who have been causing dissentions, divisions, and unrest, thus
showing that their love was self-centered rather than Christ-centered (3:1-4;
cf. Gal 1:9). They would not be eternally condemned and lose their eternal
life, which is impossible (John 10:28). However, they would be judged by
God in the sense that they may be presently chastised and may forfeit some
of their eternal rewards (1 Cor 3:15; Heb 12:3-11). Paul also prays, O Lord,
come! This expression is a transliteration of the Aramaic Maranatha. It
expresses the eager longing felt by the early Christians for the speedy return
of the Lord.
16:23-24. Paul ends this letter in the same way he began—by calling for
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to be with the church in Corinth. This
grace even extends to those who caused him great problems and opposed
him feverishly. As a great pastor, he also assures them that his love (agapē)
would be with them in Christ Jesus. Paul concludes with Amen, which is
not found in some manuscripts of 1 Corinthians. The word Amen is
transliterated directly from the Hebrew into the Greek of the NT, and it
came to mean “sure” or “truly,” an expression of absolute trust and
confidence. Hence Paul maintained absolute trust in and confidence in Jesus
Christ and how He would work in the church at Corinth.
 2 Corinthians
DWIGHT HUNT
INTRODUCTION
Second Corinthians is a wonderful letter revealing an intimate picture of
Paul’s heart as he deals with straying Christians whom he dearly loves. It is
the most autobiographical of the apostle’s letters. However, it also contains
some difficult problems for teaching and preaching, which is why 2
Corinthians is so often neglected. But for those who are willing to grapple
with its issues, the rewards far outweigh the efforts.
Authorship
Most agree that Paul wrote this letter to the church that he founded in
Corinth (Acts 18:1-17), which he planted on his second missionary journey
in AD 50-51 after he left Athens (15:36).
Date and Occasion
Scholars hold several differing views on the date and occasion of 2
Corinthians. The issues relate to how many letters Paul wrote to Corinth,
and how many times he visited there. The preferred view is that 2
Corinthians is the fourth letter written to Corinth and that he visited three
times.
After Paul planted the church at Corinth in AD 51, and ministered there for
eighteen months (Acts 18:1-17), he left for Ephesus, where he stayed for a
short while before returning to Antioch (vv 21-22). Soon after this, Paul
embarked on his third missionary journey, and came to Ephesus where he
stayed and ministered for over two years (19:8-10). During this time Paul
wrote his first letter to Corinth (1 Cor 5:9), which is now lost. News that he
was in Ephesus spurred Chloe to write a letter to him about divisions,
immorality, and believers taking believers to court (1 Cor 1:11). About the
same time, an official delegation arrived from Corinth bearing more news
about problems in the church there. Seeing that his first letter had been
grievously misunderstood (5:10), Paul wrote a second letter to the church to
correct the misunderstandings and answer the questions that had arisen.
This second letter is 1 Corinthians. He may have sent Titus to Corinth with
this new letter (2 Cor 12:18).
Paul seems to have made a second visit to Corinth at this time. It was a
“painful visit” (2 Cor 2:1) because of the tense relationship between the
apostle and the Corinthians at that time. Certain individuals in the church
had caused him much grief and sorrow (1 Cor 2:5; 7:12). There is no record
of this second visit in Acts, but it is implied from 2 Cor 12:14; 13:1-2,
where Paul refers to his plan to come to them a third time.
After returning to Ephesus, he wrote a now-lost, “sorrowful letter.” This is
the second “lost letter” to Corinth. It deeply distressed him to write this
document (2:3-4) because of its strong tone (7:8-9). Titus then carried this
letter to Corinth.
Meanwhile, anxious to hear from Titus, Paul departed from Ephesus and
remained in Troas where he planned on meeting him (2:13). Not finding
Titus at Troas, he went to Macedonia where Titus met him and brought
good news about the church but bad news about a group who opposed Paul.
From Macedonia during the fall of AD 56 or 57, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians,
the fourth letter to Corinth.
Purpose
The intention of the letter is stated in 13:10, “Therefore I write these things
being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the
authority which the Lord has given me for edification and not for
destruction.” He wanted to build the Corinthians up, but before he could do
that, he had to confirm his apostolic authority. Other purposes for this
epistle include justifying himself about the change of his plan, giving
instructions regarding the treatment of the offender, appealing to
reconciliation with him, and urging the Corinthians to bring the issue of the
collection to a quick and balanced conclusion.

OUTLINE
I. Greeting and Praise (1:1-11)
A. Paul’s Greeting (1:1-2)
B. Paul’s Praise of God Who Comforts (1:3-11)
II. Paul’s Apostolic Ministry (1:12–7:16)
 A. Paul Defends His Altered Plans (1:12–2:11)
B. Paul Characterizes His Ministry (2:12–7:16)
III. Paul’s Appeal to Be Grace Givers (8:1–9:15)
A. Illustrations of Liberality (8:1-9)
B. Details and Arrangement of the Collection (8:10–9:5)
C. Rewards of Generosity (9:6-15)
IV. Paul’s Vindication of His Ministry (10:1–13:10)
A. His Assertion of Authority (10:1–11:15)
B. His Boasting as an Apostle (11:16–12:10)
C. His Purpose (12:11–13:10)
V. Paul’s Conclusion (13:11-14)

COMMENTARY
I. Greeting and Praise (1:1-11)
A. Paul’s Greeting (1:1-2)
1:1. Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ—an important
distinctive in this letter because of the false apostles who opposed him
(11:12-15)— by the will of God, not by his own will, to the church of
God which is at Corinth. No matter how immature and sinful this church
might have been, Paul assures his readers that they belonged to God (cf. 1
Cor 1:2; 3:16; 6:11; 12:13).
This letter was also written to all the saints (set-apart ones, not super
Christians) who are in all Achaia. Achaia was a Roman province that
included all of Greece south of Macedonia. Corinth was the capital of
Achaia. This letter was probably shared with the churches in Athens and
Cenchrea (Acts 17:34; Rom 16:1).
1:2. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus
Christ is the standard Pauline opening to his letters.
B. Paul’s Praise of God Who Comforts (1:3-11)
1:3. There is no verb in this verse, indicating the liveliness of the
exclamation and expressing the majesty of God, the Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ.
 God the Father is characterized as the Father of mercies and God of all
comfort. In spite of all the discouraging problems and trials the Corinthians
face, Paul saturates his letter with encouragement.
1:4. God comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to
comfort those who are in any trouble. When life presses in on a believer,
other believers should comfort them with the comfort with which they
were comforted by God.
1:5. Paul explains that as the sufferings of Christ abound in us (sharing
in His sufferings as believers follow Him), consolation also abounds
through Christ (cf. 12:8-10).
1:6. Suffering also produces companionship with others who are suffering.
Now if we are afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation (soteria).
Since the Corinthians had already been declared righteous (1 Cor 1:2), Paul
is talking about a different type of salvation, one which is effective for
enduring the same sufferings that we also suffered. The meaning of
soteria as enduring under suffering occurs elsewhere in Paul’s writings (cf.
Phil 1:19; 2:12).
1:7. The phrase and our hope suggests the idea of waiting with
expectation and patience. This waiting for you is steadfast, that is, stable.
Paul has reason to hope in the somewhat inconsistent Corinthians because
we know that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so also you will
partake of the consolation. Partaking in suffering means that they shared in
it with Jesus. When a believer suffers with Jesus, he not only shares in His
suffering, but also in His consolation. This refers not only to present
comfort but also to future reward for the believer who endures in this
manner (cf. Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 2:12).
1:8. Paul’s suffering serves as an example of what he is writing. He
explains for we do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, of our trouble
which came to us in Asia. His commitment to the Lord did not keep him
from suffering; rather, suffering is often a part of serving.
Paul suffered when he went to Asia. Asia was the Roman province of
western Asia Minor or present-day Turkey. He may be referring to what
happened at Ephesus (Acts 19:23-41; 1 Cor 15:31-32), of his gruesome
beating by the Jews (2 Cor 11:24), or the effects of his enigmatic “thorn in
the flesh” (2 Cor 12:7). Something took place in Asia which was so
significant that (they) were burdened beyond measure, above strength to
cause them to despair even of life. Paul emphasizes this life experience to
illustrate his powerlessness apart from God and how he and the Corinthian
believers must depend on Him (cf. 3:5).
1:9. When he says, we had the sentence of death in ourselves, he
probably means they repeatedly faced death. These experiences caused
them to have a greater reliance on God who raises the dead. The
resurrection is a common theme in 2 Corinthians (2:16; 4:7-14; 5:1-10;
13:4).
1:10. Paul continues to talk about the deliverance he received from God.
But now he moves beyond the past deliverance to write about the present
and future deliverance. It seems that whatever kind of death Paul was
thinking of in v 9, he is now talking about the eternal life believers have
from God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Paul shows great confidence in God who is preeminently the God of the
resurrection who delivered us in the past. God delivered Paul in Asia from
so great a death. The statement and does deliver us implies Paul still
remains in danger, but God is faithful and continues to deliver. Based on
this past and present deliverance, Paul is confident that God will still
deliver in the future. That is, he and others can maintain confidence that the
God, who raised Jesus, will also raise them (4:14). The hope of bodily
resurrection gives great motivation and comfort to the believer.
1:11. The Corinthians must recognize that Paul’s rescue was in part due to
their helping together in prayer. Though the apostle relied on God for all
things, he says that the Corinthians helped him in his time of dire need
because they prayed. One of the reasons God delivered Paul was because of
their prayers.
Such helping prayer is offered so that thanks may be given by many
persons on our behalf for the gift granted to us through many. In other
words, if intercession takes place, many will thank God when He gives the
answer. It is implied that other believers must know when a fellow believer
faces difficulties so they will pray, and God can be glorified. Though
answers to secret prayer encourage the person who prayed to glorify God, it
is answers to public prayer that cause all who know of the request to glorify
Him.
II. Paul’s Apostolic Ministry (1:12–7:16)
 This section defends Paul’s commitment to the ministry among the
Corinthians. In chapters 10–13 he defends the genuineness of his
apostleship. Paul begins this section (1:12–2:11) by defending his personal
integrity. While it is not stated how these concerns regarding his ministry
began, it is highly probable that these rumors were introduced by false
apostles (11:4, 13) who were trying to bring Paul and his message of grace
into disrepute. Though he will openly confront his opponents in the last
section of the letter, he begins by defending his ministry among them.
A. Paul Defends His Altered Plans (1:12–2:11)
1:12. Numerous times in this letter the apostle talks about boasting (2 Cor
1:12, 14; 5:12; 7:4, 14; 8:24; 9:2-3; 10:8, 13, 15-17; 11:10, 12, 16-18, 30;
12:1, 5-6, 9). Here in 1:12 he boasts that he has a clear conscience. He
conducted himself in simplicity (uprightness), which is opposite to the
deceit his enemies had accused him of. Furthermore his sincerity, a word
meaning purity of motive, comes from God.
Paul did not conduct himself with fleshly wisdom (cf. 1 Cor 1:17; 2:4,
13), but by the grace of God. In both the world and the church (and more
abundantly toward you), Paul showed that he possesses integrity and not
duplicity.
1:13. Paul was being accused by the false apostles of lacking sincerity and
candor in his letters by writing one thing and meaning another. His critics
had latched on to his failure to carry out his stated intention of visiting
Corinth. Paul deals with their criticism in the following verses. He may also
be thinking of a more general complaint that he will address later, namely,
that he presents himself differently in his letters than he does in person (2
Cor 10:1, 10).
Paul contends that just as his conduct was marked by integrity (v 12), so
also were his letters: For we are not writing any other things to you than
what you read or understand. The Corinthian believers can trust the plain
meaning of what Paul is writing.
1:14. Although the apostle realizes that they only understood in part, he
expresses hope that they would come to fully understand at a time that we
are your boast as you also are ours.
This kind of boasting will take place in the day of the Lord Jesus, which
is a reference to the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Cor 4:2, 5; Phil 1:6; 2:16;
see also 2 Cor 5:9-11). On that day Paul wants to be proud of the Corinthian
believers and for them to be proud of their association with him. On that
day the value of the Corinthian’s lives and of Paul’s labor among them
would be tested (1 Cor 3:12-13).
1:15. In vv 14-16 Paul states his former plan to visit the Corinthians. And
in the confidence (about your and my relationship) I intended (was
wishing) to come to you before (first), that you might have (from me) a
second benefit.
1:16. He explains that his itinerary would be by way of you to
Macedonia, to come again from Macedonia to you, and be helped by
you on my way to Judea. This was an alteration of the plan that he had
proposed in 1 Cor 16:5-7, where he stated that his intention was to go to
Corinth by way of Macedonia and then spend the winter with them. This
altered plan provided the opportunity for two visits, both before and after
his endeavors in Macedonia. He also includes traveling to Judea in his plan,
possibly to take a collection to the believers there.
1:17. However, Paul’s plans had changed, thus causing his opponents to
accuse him of vacillating. Neither Paul’s first (1 Cor 16:5-7) nor this second
plan to visit them was carried out as projected. Such changes provided his
critics with easy leverage for the allegation of being fickle. Paul denies
these charges by asking, When I was planning this, did I do it lightly?
The answer to this rhetorical question is “no.” Paul did not plan according
to the flesh. His critics evidently charge that he was motivated by self-
interest without concern for the broken promises to the Corinthians.
In vv 18-23 Paul explains that the reason he said he would come to Corinth
but then did not is that God changed Paul’s plans for the good of the
Corinthian believers.
1:18. In vv 18-20 Paul reminds them of how he taught and preached
among them with great accuracy and faithfulness. As certainly as God is
faithful, our word to you was not Yes and No. Just as God does not
vacillate, Paul did not either. His own words were not utterances of
someone who was indecisive.
1:19. And it was not his words only. When he was among them, preaching
the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the words of Silvanus and Timothy
confirmed and agreed with the words of Paul. Paul did not speak out of both
sides of his mouth then, by saying both Yes and No. He spoke the
unwavering truth about Jesus Christ.
1:20. Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Yes to the believer. For all the
promises of God concerning the Messiah given to the OT patriarchs and
prophets are fulfilled (Yes and Amen) in Him. Their execution and
fulfillment prove God to be reliable. God fulfills all these promises for His
own glory.
1:21. Paul now shows how he was accurate in his plans, even though he
did not go to Corinth then. First he states that God is in control of his
schedule. God is the one who establishes (confirms) him and those with
him (the Corinthian believers) and has anointed (chrisas) us. Since in
Christ, the Anointed Servant, all of God’s promises are Yes and Amen, so
also, in the anointed apostles, God’s purposes are Yes and Amen. Since Paul
was anointed by God for service, God has control over Paul’s itinerary and
plans for the ultimate purpose of God’s greater glory.
1:22. God also has sealed and given us the Spirit (Eph 1:13-14). In NT
times a seal on a document identified it and guaranteed it would be
protected. Similarly the Holy Spirit seals the Christian at salvation and
guarantees that this salvation will be protected or secure. Believers are
given the Spirit in their hearts as a deposit. A deposit is like earnest
money. The earnest of the Spirit in the believer’s heart testifies that he
belongs to God. The sealing and deposit of the Holy Spirit assure the
believer’s eternal security (Eph 4:30).
1:23. Here Paul writes why God did not allow him to go to Corinth. Paul
summons God as witness to the truth of what he is saying. The apostle
stakes his life (psychē) on what he says with God as his Judge (cf. Rom 1:9;
Phil 1:8; 1 Thess 2:5, 10). He explains that he postponed visiting them
because he wanted to spare them the pain of correction and to give them
time to work things out on their own. Originally he planned to go to Corinth
so they might benefit (vv 15-16), but as it turns out, it was better for them
that Paul stay away. So ultimately Paul’s intentions were fulfilled.
1:24. Paul now treads lightly with his words. He wants to gently remind
them of his apostolic authority, but not seem as if he is using his authority
as a club to beat them into submission (cf. 1 Cor 4:15-16). By saying not
that we have dominion over your faith, Paul means that he could have
wielded his apostolic authority (2 Cor 10:2-8), but did not, for two reasons.
First, he and his team possessed the attitude of servant leaders (we are
fellow workers for your joy). Second, he knows that they stand by faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 2:20).
2:1. Paul changed his itinerary because he determined that he would not
come again in sorrow. What does he mean by the word again? Paul may
mean that he had made a previous painful visit to the Corinthians between
his writing 1 and 2 Corinthians and is not wishing to make another one. Or
he could be saying that his next visit, which had not yet occurred, would not
be a sorrowful one.
2:2. His desire, as stated in 1:24, was to encourage them. Some in the
fellowship may have felt that he gained joy from causing them pain. So he
clarifies, for if I make you sorrowful, which he would have done by
visiting them at present, then who is he who makes me glad, as the
Corinthians do, but the one who is made sorrowful by me? While Paul
was willing to suffer, he believed the situation would improve without a
visit. So Paul adjusted his plans so that he could avoid a sorrowful visit with
them. It would have been sorrowful for he would have found them still in
disobedience. An unrepentant heart on their part would produce the sadness
imagined here by Paul. This would cause distress for the apostle, and it
would result in reprimand for them.
2:3. Paul wrote this very thing to them, possibly a reference to 1
Corinthians or a reference here to a letter written between 1 and 2
Corinthians that has not survived. Some believe the content of this “lost
letter” is recorded in chapters 10–13 because the atmosphere of these
chapters seems to correspond to the content of this verse. Paul wrote to
them in hopes of correcting them by letter, lest, when He came, he would
have sorrow over those from whom he ought to have joy.
Paul’s hard letters (but congenial personality) are why the Corinthians
accused him of vacillation (10:10). But Paul explains that he writes hard
letters so that he can be joyful in their presence. He tells them that his joy is
the joy of you all. He means either that they are the reason for his joy, or
that when he is joyful about them, they would be joyful as well.
2:4. Writing this letter was not easy for Paul. He explains that he wrote it
out of much affliction and anguish of heart with many tears (lit.,
“through many tears”). The Greek word translated affliction (thlipsis) here
is the same word translated troubles in 1:4. God comforts us in our troubles
so we can comfort others. In writing to the Corinthians, Paul did not rejoice
in correcting them or causing them pain. He does not enjoy conflict. He did
not write so that they would be afflicted or grieved. He wrote that they
might know the love which he so abundantly has for them. By its position
in the Greek text the word for love has the strongest emphasis. He was not
trying to settle old scores. Instead he is expressing his heartfelt affection for
them.
2:5. But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me. Many
interpreters say that Paul is speaking here of the incestuous man of 1
Corinthians 5. However, more recent interpreters propose that the offender
may be a person who wronged Paul when he made the so-called “painful
visit” between the writing of 1 and 2 Corinthians. Paul is not concerned for
his grief. He is concerned about the Corinthian church and how they (all of
you) have been hurt by this person. Paul wanted to correct him and comfort
them. The phrase not to be too severe is Paul’s way
of saying he is not intending to bring up bad memories or open old wounds.
2:6. This punishment which was inflicted by the majority implies that
there was a minority that either sided with the offender or wanted a stricter
disciplinary action. Paul did not say which way the minority wanted to go.
But he does say that this discipline inflicted by the majority was sufficient
(treatment) for such a man. The apostle shows his pastoral sensitivity by
not mentioning him, and by not requiring further discipline. He also reveals
confidence in the decision-making process of the local church.
2:7. The time for further reproof is now past for this man, so that, on the
contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort (a common theme in
this letter) him. This repentant brother has already felt the effects of reproof
and may be overwhelmed by grief and pain. Therefore Paul says
forgiveness and consolation must be offered lest such a one be swallowed
up (lit., “drink down”) with too much sorrow. Forgiveness and comfort
should always follow repentance. Discipline is not to be so inflexible that it
leaves no place for repentance and reconciliation.
2:8. Paul says, therefore, I urge (the same verb that is translated comfort)
you to reaffirm your love for him. Paul desires that they make their love
for this man evident. Just as God has comforted Paul in his troubles—and
he wrote to the Corinthians so that they might be comforted in their troubles
—so now he wants the
Corinthians to comfort this man, even though he was the source of all this
trouble.
2:9. For to this end I also wrote. Paul offers another reason to write,
namely, that I might put you to the test. He writes to find out whether you
are obedient in all things. In other words he writes to see if they obey not
only his authority to discipline the offender but also his authority to forgive
the man.
2:10. As they forgive, so does Paul. For indeed I have forgiven (the
perfect tense of this verb suggests that his forgiveness had ongoing results)
that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ. Paul had already
forgiven him and is glad that the Corinthians had forgiven him as well.
2:11. Forgiveness must be offered lest Satan should take advantage of
us. Satan could use the church’s insensitivity to drive the repentant offender
to despair. If the believers did not show their love and forgive, he could be
swallowed up in excessive sorrow and hopelessness. Satan destroys some
through sin, but he can destroy others through unmeasured sorrow.
Forgiveness is not only beneficial for the sinner (“that one,” v 10), but also
for the one(s) who has been sinned against (of us, plural). Paul reminds
them that we are not ignorant of his devices (schemes). He knows well the
deceitful schemes of the arch-deceiver (cf. 1 Pet 5:8).
B. Paul Characterizes His Ministry (2:12–7:16)
Since the Corinthian believers have disciplined and forgiven the sinning
brother, Paul wants to provide instructions on how to move forward in
developing a Christlike and God-honoring ministry in and through their
church. He does this by talking about the things that have characterized his
own ministry.
1. Triumph in Christ (2:12-17)
2:12. Paul begins to recount his travels, but then almost immediately he
discusses an aside that lasts until 7:4. Troas is a city on the Aegean coast
where the apostle had originally received his call to preach the gospel in
Macedonia during his second missionary journey (Acts 16:8). On his third
missionary journey, while in Ephesus, he apparently sent Titus to Corinth
with the “sorrowful letter” (2:3-4; 7:8-9). Paul and Titus agreed to
rendezvous in Troas so that Titus could report to Paul on the condition of
the church.
When Paul went to Troas, he was eager to hear news from Corinth. While
there, he intended to preach Christ’s gospel, the Good News concerning
Christ, and he says that in fact a door was opened to me by the Lord to
preach and teach in Troas.
2:13. While Paul was involved in ministry at Troas, he says, I had no rest
in my spirit. His concern was over how his letter (the “lost letter” or maybe
1 Corinthians) had been received in Corinth. His anxiety was also
exacerbated because I did not find Titus my brother. So Paul decided to
leave Troas for Macedonia. That Paul abandoned such a wonderful
opportunity to share the gospel in Troas reveals how deeply distressed he
was over the well-being of Titus and the Corinthian church. When Paul
finally reconnects with Titus and hears about what has happened in Corinth,
he is overjoyed. In 2:14–7:4, Paul writes to the Corinthians about this joy he
experienced, and gives instruction on how to move on from their past
troubles and into a flourishing and vibrant ministry.
2:14. Paul praised God when he heard the good news from Titus. This is
the same God who always leads in triumph in Christ. The terminology
pictures a Roman triumphal procession in which the conquering general
leads his captives as a public spectacle before a multitude of onlookers.
Through Christ, God has conquered the enemies. Paul views himself as now
marching in God’s triumphant parade.
In a Roman triumphal processional incense was burned. In the similar way
spiritually through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every
place.
2:15. Besides Paul and his team being a fragrance to the world, they were
also a fragrance to God, that is, the fragrance of Christ. The word for
fragrance is a word used to mean the sweet savor to God of sacrifices (cf.
Gen 8:21; Exod 24:18; Lev 1:9; Num 15:3). This sweet aroma to God was
also among those who are being saved and among those who are
perishing (see comments on 1 Cor 1:18 and 2 Cor 4:3).
2:16. To the one Paul and his team are the aroma of death leading to
death, and to the other they are the aroma of life to life. As Christians
live and operate among those who are perishing, believers remind them of
their future. They do not want to think about it, and so they shun Christians.
 On the other hand those who are walking with Christ have life, and their
aim in life is fullness of life forever (5:9-10; cf. Luke 19:11-27). Their path
leads on to His approval (1 Cor 9:27; 2 Tim 2:15). Fellowship with such
believers is a sweet reminder of the rewards that await overcomers in the
kingdom.
Paul’s humility is evident in the question, And who is sufficient for these
things? Paul was constantly amazed at what God had done in and through
him. In contrast the false apostles thought of themselves more than adequate
(10:12; 11:5), even though they were not actually apostles.
2:17. Paul further contrasts his frame of mind with that of the false
apostles: For we are not, as so many (e.g., the false apostles) peddling
(kapēleuō, “to pawn a product for gain,” used only here in the Greek NT)
the word of God. This rare construction can be translated, “For we are not
like the majority, merely making merchandise of God’s message for profit.”
These false apostles were serving themselves and not God, thereby
corrupting His Word.
But Paul and his fellow workers were motivated by sincerity, having pure
motives (cf. 1:12). The apostle conducts his ministry as one on whom God
has placed a great responsibility. Someday he would have to give an
account of all of his deeds (5:10; cf. Jas 3:1).
2. Credentials from Christ (3:1-3)
3:1. Evidently Paul’s opponents had accused him of commending himself.
So he asks, Do we need again to commend ourselves? Because of the
charges against him, he is wary of self-promotion. Some of his opponents
might think he has to extol himself because he cannot find anyone else to
accomplish this task. Or do we need, as some others, epistles of
commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? The false
apostles had probably tried to gain acceptance by such letters. Such letters
were common in that era, and the NT has a few examples of this type of
letter (Acts 15:25; 18:27; Rom 16:1). But Paul does not want to write one in
his own interest for his focus is on the Corinthians.
3:2. The Corinthians are his epistle written in our hearts known and
read by all men. In other words the believers at Corinth are Paul’s letter of
commendation. Paul sees his ministry among them and the fruit that they
produce as all the recommendation among them that they need.
 3:3. But they are not so much a letter of commendation for the praise of
Paul but for the praise of Christ. Paul writes that they are manifestly an
epistle of Christ. They clearly represent the work that Christ has done in
their midst. Certainly Paul played a part, since he ministered among them,
and in that way they validate his ministry. But they are not Paul’s product.
Rather they are a product of the ministry of the Holy Spirit in that they are
letters written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God. A letter
written by the Spirit of God is much better than any letter written with pen
and ink by human hand.
Furthermore this writing by the Spirit is not on tablets of stone as Moses
received from Yahweh (Exod 31:18). Rather, the Spirit writes with indelible
ink on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart. Paul shows that his “letter of
recommendation” is far superior to any letter the false apostles might be
carrying. His “letter” is the Corinthians themselves. Can the Corinthian
believers trust Paul? They themselves are the answer to that question.
3. New Covenant priority in ministry (3:4-18)
3:4. Paul now moves to talking about how he has trust (confidence)
through Christ toward God in the ministry God has called him to do.
Paul’s confidence is not based on his own self-conceit, but it is given to him
through his relationship with Christ. The Holy Spirit supplies this kind of
assurance, which is totally different from the self-confidence of an unsaved
person.
3:5. God alone gives Paul and his companions confidence in ministry. Not
that we are sufficient of ourselves means that the apostle and the ones he
worked with do not think their accomplishments resulted from their skill or
wisdom. They do not think of anything as being from themselves. Rather
their sufficiency (competency) is from God. These words of rebuke are
aimed at his opponents who were known for their self-reliance and
ostentatious displays. They viewed their accomplishments in ministry as a
result of their own skills and insights. But Paul reveals that success in
ministry comes from God alone. This is one of the main points of the letter
(4:7-15; 5:18; 6:4; 12:7-10).
3:6. This God of grace is the One who also made us sufficient as
ministers of the new covenant, which was inaugurated by Christ at the
Cross (Matt 26:28). This covenant ministry of grace presents the only
means by which humankind is reconciled to God. It is not of the letter, a
reference to the Old Covenant, that is, the Ten Commandments which were
written on stone. But this New Covenant is of the Spirit.
Paul then explains the superiority of the New Covenant. For the letter
kills, that is, the Mosaic Law demands perfect obedience, which no person
can accomplish. Thus everyone is condemned by the Law to death (Rom
7:9; Gal 3:10). In contrast the Spirit gives life. He is the giver of life. Paul
says the same thing in Rom 8:2, “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ
Jesus had made me free from the law of sin and death.”
3:7. The Old Covenant ministry mediated through Moses was a ministry
of death because it was written and engraved on stones. Yet the Old
Covenant ministry was still glorious, so that the children of Israel could
not look steadily at the face of Moses because of the glory of his
countenance. Paul recalls the OT account of Moses’ reception of the Law
and what happened to show that the law is holy, righteous, and good (Rom
7:12). As Moses descended from Mount Sinai with the tablets of the Ten
Commandments, his own people were afraid to come near him because of
the radiance of his face (Exod 34:29-30). The OT actually does not mention
the fact that his radiance was diminishing. Some Jewish traditions even hold
that this glory continued until his death. However, as glorious as it was with
Moses and his people, Paul says it was passing away (being done away).
3:8. Paul argues from the lesser to the greater. If the Old Covenant came
with glory, how will the ministry of the Spirit not be more glorious?
Then he explains how the New Covenant ministered through the Spirit far
surpasses that of the Old Covenant. Paul intimates that the Law points to
something that is greater—the ministry of the Spirit who would bring
greater glory.
3:9. For if the ministry of condemnation had glory, the ministry of
righteousness exceeds much in glory. The splendor of the Old Covenant,
which condemned to death, does not even hold a candle to the ministry of
righteousness which exceeds much more in glory. The qualitative difference
between the terms, condemnation and righteousness, displays how the
glory of the New Covenant goes far beyond that of the Old.
3:10. He further explains that even what was made glorious (the Old
Covenant which was exemplified by the radiance on Moses’ face) has no
glory in this respect because of the glory that excels. At Mount Sinai a
great demonstration of glory transpired, but that glory fades quickly when
compared to New Covenant glory.
3:11. For if what is passing away was glorious, what remains (abides) is
much more glorious. Paul is saying that the Law was passing; it belonged
to the past age (Rom 10:4; Gal 3:10-25). On the other hand the gospel, the
New Covenant, is everlasting. It is God’s last word and cannot be exceeded.
3:12. Therefore, since we have such hope that the New Covenant will
prove to be gloriously permanent, we use great boldness (parrēsia,
“courage and outspokenness”). He is demonstrating confidence in the
Lord’s mission for him so his speech before his opponents is offered
without fear.
3:13. This courage that Paul exhibits is unlike Moses, who put a veil over
his face as he would speak so the children of Israel could not look
steadily at the end of what was passing away. Exodus 34:30 suggests that
Moses covered his face because of the people’s fear. However, Paul seems
to imply that Moses did not want them to see that the glory on his face was
disappearing. There are two possible ways of reconciling these statements.
First, it might be that the people obeyed Moses out of fear because of the
glory on his face, and when it began to fade, he veiled his face so they
would continue to obey. Second, the Israelites expressed fear in having God
speak to them (Exod 20:19), and so they asked Moses to be their mediator.
The veil may symbolize this separation the Israelites wanted to maintain
between themselves and the glory of God.
The word end (telos) suggests that Christ is Himself the end of the Old
Covenant as a means of maintaining fellowship with God. Under the New
Covenant, believers have the Law of Christ as mediated by the Spirit to
their hearts as a means of maintaining fellowship.
3:14. But (alla, a strong adversative) their minds (noēmata, “thoughts”)
were blinded. The veil was over Moses’ face, but it was the people who
could not see. For until this day in Paul’s time the same veil remains
unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament in their synagogues. The veil
in v 13 is physical, but here Paul is speaking metaphorically of a veil over
the Jews’ hearts. Though they read and studied the rules and the regulations
of the Old Covenant, they did not understand them, nor were they able to
apply them properly. Most of the Jewish people, and perhaps the false
apostles in Corinth itself, thought that the Law was a means to gaining
eternal life and justification before God, rather than a means of
sanctification for people who were already justified. With this thinking
blinding their minds, they kept their followers under a dark cloud of
legalism. The only way the veil is taken away is in Christ. When a person
sees that the Law does not give life, and instead believes in Christ for
everlasting life, the veil is removed, and he can see the Law of the Old
Covenant for what it was, and the new Law of the Spirit for what it is. Both
are means of sanctification.
3:15. Paul repeats what he has just said to emphasize the point. But even
to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their hearts.
3:16. Nevertheless when one turns (in other words, is converted) to the
Lord, the veil is taken away. Undoubtedly Paul is thinking of Moses in
Exod 34:34. When he went before the Lord, Moses removed his veil. Like
Moses any Israelite can have the veil removed when he believes in Christ,
and in so doing he enters into Christ.
3:17. Now the Lord, who is mentioned in v 16 and who has been
identified as Christ to whom the OT points (v 13), is the Spirit. Paul is not
confusing the Spirit with Jesus. However, the Lord and Spirit are one, much
like the relationship between Jesus and God the Father (John 10:30). The
Lord Christ, who is God Himself, can transform people into His image
because the work of the Spirit, who is God Himself, indwells them. And
where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty. The Spirit offers freedom
from the Law (Gal 5:18), from fear (Rom 8:5), and from sin (Rom 7:6).
3:18. But unlike the diminishing glory that characterized the face of
Moses we all (all believers, not just one man Moses) with unveiled face
[are] beholding (gazing steadily) as in a mirror (the Word of God; Jas
1:22-25), the
glory of the Lord. Paul says that if believers look in God’s Word and see
the beauty of God’s Son, they will be transformed. This is the same word
translated transfigured in the record of Jesus’ transfiguration (Matt 17:2;
Mark 9:2). Paul also uses this word in Rom 12:2 when discussing the
transformation that takes place as believers renew their mind with the Word
of God. When believers study and apply God’s Word, progressive change
takes place. Believers are transformed into the same image of Christ (Rom
8:29; Eph 4:24; Col 3:10).
 If the Corinthians desired to become Christlike, they would need to look
intently at God’s Word. As believers do this, they go from glory to glory,
that is, from one degree of glory to another. They experience an ever-
growing glory. This describes the process of sanctification that takes place
by the Spirit of the Lord. Spiritual transformation is not conditioned on
personal wisdom, determination, or ability, as the false apostles may have
taught. Under New-Covenant ministry, transformation results from
submission to the Holy Spirit as a believer subjects himself to the Word of
God.
4. Integrity in ministry (4:1-6)
4:1. The ministry of the New Covenant (3:6) was a privilege that
exceeded that of Moses. Paul became a minister of the New Covenant
because he received mercy. This was a great encouragement to him that he
had been selected for this tremendous opportunity. And so when ministry
became difficult, he and his team continued on (they did not lose heart).
4:2. The hidden things of shame that Paul renounced refers to something
the false apostles were doing. His words could refer to secret practices that
were dishonorable, deceitful, and sensual and that produced shame. Or he
could be thinking of the way the false apostles shamefully gained support
for themselves by claiming secret knowledge in hidden and mysterious
things. More likely, however, he was countering the accusation the false
apostles had laid against him that he withheld information and knows more
than he shares to keep people under control.
Paul did not handle the word of God deceitfully as the false apostles did.
Paul and his fellow ministers by manifestation of the truth were
commending themselves to every man’s conscience. They performed this
ministry in the sight of God rather than in the sight of men (5:10; cf. Heb
4:13).
4:3-4. To undermine Paul’s authority, his opponents may have asked why
more people did not believe his message if he spoke truthfully and not
deceitfully. Paul’s answer is that even if our gospel is veiled to many
people in the world, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The veil
covers their hearts so that they cannot believe until the veil is removed
(3:15-16; cf. Acts 14:15).
 Paul describes unbelievers as those whose minds the god of this age
(Satan, “the prince of this world,” John 12:31; 16:11; “the prince of the
power of the air,” Eph 2:2) has blinded. Satan places spiritual blinders on
those who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of
Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them (cf. Luke 8:12).
Though not his primary point, Paul may be alluding to how he himself
became a Christian. Christ appeared in His glory to Saul while he was on
the road to Damascus. This persecutor of the church beheld the gospel light,
and as he believed in Jesus the veil was removed from his blinded heart.
Satan tries to prevent the gospel of Christ from shining on unbelievers.
However, God is ready and willing to remove that veil from anyone who is
responsive to His drawing (cf. John 1:9; 12:32; 16:8-11; Acts 16:14). Thus
unbelievers once unveiled can believe in Jesus for everlasting life and thus
be born again (cf. John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5).
4:5. Paul and his coworkers did not preach themselves, but Christ Jesus
the Lord. He saw himself as a bondservant of the Master. Likely the false
apostles saw themselves as coregents with Christ (see discussion of 1 Cor
4:6-13), and as such, they thought they were entitled to be served.
4:6. For (because) it is the God who commanded light to shine out of
darkness who has shone in our hearts. The darkness that covered the
earth in Gen 1:2 is parallel to the darkness that blinds the minds of
unbelievers. And just as the omnipotent God spoke light into the darkness at
creation, He also has dispelled the darkness that was in our hearts (cf. v 4).
He removed the darkness to give the light of the knowledge of the glory
of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Paul was able to share this knowledge
with others (v 1). In the same way the believer who looks at the face of
Jesus Christ as Moses looked on the glory of God (3:7) will be capable of
giving the illumination of the knowledge of the glory of God to unbelievers.
5. Conflict in ministry (4:7-15)
4:7. This treasure refers to the just cited knowledge of God in Christ. This
includes the gift of eternal life, but is more than that. It is a mature
knowledge (cf. 2 Cor 3:18). It is grand and glorious. However, it is not
contained in a glorious container, but in weak and fragile earthen vessels
that are decaying daily (v 16). God chose to store the glorious message in
weak jars of clay so that those who are ministers of grace maintain a sense
of their own unworthiness and weakness. Ministers of the gospel of grace
must remember that the excellence of the power may be of God (genitive
of source, meaning that God grants this power) and not of us. Paul intends
this sharp contrast between the power of God and his own weakness so that
no one, especially the false apostles, may question his integrity and the true
source of his power.
4:8-9. The primary drawback to being weak earthen vessels is that they
can be cracked and broken. Though they found themselves in a pressure-
cooker situation, they were not crushed.
They were perplexed (Acts 25:2), but not in despair. A wordplay in
terms of both sound and meaning exists between the Greek words for
perplexed (aporoumenoi) and despair (exaporoumenoi). This might be
paraphrased, They were at a loss, but they were not losing.
They were also persecuted, but not forsaken. Though God allowed Paul
and his team to be persecuted by enemies, He did not abandon Paul to them.
At times the persecution was so terrible, he was struck down (Acts 14:19),
but not destroyed. The Lord spared Paul’s life.
4:10. Paul characterizes himself and his ministry team as always carrying
about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. This phrase summarizes
his experience of being hard pressed, perplexed, persecuted, and struck
down. Jesus experienced all of these, but with greater intensity.
Nonetheless, these negative experiences take place so that the life of Jesus
also may be manifested in our body. This does not mean the believers’
suffering enables them to gain the life of Christ. Rather, when they suffer as
He suffered, and for the things He suffered for, the glory that is His (v 6) is
also revealed in believers. Results of suffering with Christ are not only for
this life, they are also for the life to come (Rom 8:17-18).
4:11. Jesus’ death and resurrection are an example for Paul’s ministry.
When the apostle was suffering, he was participating in the suffering of
Jesus. For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake. In
serving Jesus, Paul regularly faces the possibility of death. To live for Jesus
means one should be ready to suffer for Him. To Paul it means being hated
for the Lord’s sake, and even being put to death. Many times the apostle’s
death seemed imminent, only to be supernaturally postponed. This fact is in
itself evidence that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our
mortal flesh. This is nearly identical to the statement Paul made in v 10 and
indicates the importance of this idea. A Christlike life and ministry is
proportionate to the amount of suffering and conflict endured for the cause
of Christ.
4:12. Paul was willing to risk death so that life could be working in the
Corinthian believers. While he was always willing to die for the cause of
the gospel, the life here is the life of Jesus (vv 10-11) that is manifested in
those who suffer for Him. Paul suffers, even to the point of death, so that
the Corinthian Christians might experience the life of Christ. This is how
great Paul’s love and concern for them was, and how much he yearned for
their well being.
4:13. Paul is confident that he and the Corinthian believers have the same
spirit of faith. Though some take this is a reference to the Holy Spirit, more
likely it refers to the attitude or disposition that is persuaded about the truth
of what is written in the Word of God. “I believed and therefore I spoke”
is a quotation from Ps 116:10. This psalm is a hymn of thanksgiving for
deliverance from death (Ps 116:8). Paul identifies with the heart of this
psalm and explains, we also believe and therefore speak. Here Paul
explained why he faces conflict and why he endures it. Like the psalmist, he
believes and therefore speaks not only the gospel but also all that the Word
of God teaches.
4:14. As the psalmist was delivered from acute danger, so Paul holds that
same confidence knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also
raise us up with Jesus. Paul concentrates on God who resurrected Jesus.
And this same powerful God who raised Jesus will present us. This phrase
points to the future resurrection of the saints at which time Paul will be with
you (cf. 1 Thess 4:16). He and the Corinthian believers will be together in
the presence of God. This resurrection hope enables Paul to endure
difficulties. Because Jesus lives, believers will live also. Physical death
cannot destroy this ultimate union that the believer will possess with Jesus.
Paul’s faith relied on the fact of Jesus’ resurrection, the firstfruits of the
resurrection of the believer (1 Cor 15:20), and not how he felt about his
circumstances.
4:15. For all things that Paul suffered for the cause of Christ are for your
(the Corinthians’) sakes, so that grace, having spread through the many
(lit., “being multiplied through the many”), may cause thanksgiving to
abound to the glory of God. Paul’s suffering for Christ is for the benefit of
the Corinthian believers, so that grace may continue to spread abroad, so
that God will receive glory and thanksgiving (cf. 1 Pet 4:14).
6. Eternal perspective in ministry (4:16–5:10)
4:16. Because of the great promise of being raised up with Jesus, Paul says
we do not lose heart, the same wording that expresses the loss of courage
in v 1. It would be easy for believers to lose heart if they focused their
attention on outward circumstances. Paul says he does not lose his courage
even though our outward man (the physical body) is perishing.
Throughout the immediate context, he uses different metaphors to describe
the outward man or physical body: “the earthen vessel” (4:7), “the body”
(4:10), “mortal flesh” (4:11), “earthen house” (5:1), and “tent” (5:1).
In contrast to the deterioration of the physical body, the inward man is
being renewed day by day. By inward man, Paul is referring to the highest
part of a person’s immaterial being where the Holy Spirit dwells and makes
His home (Eph 3:16), where God’s Word can be delighted in (Rom 7:22),
and where daily spiritual renewal takes place (Rom 12:2). As the believer
grows older physically, the external is degenerating and dying, but the
internal can be renewed on a daily basis.
4:17. Though his body is receiving its toll of pain, persecution, and
affliction, Paul centers his attention on future reward. For our light
affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more
exceeding and eternal weight (baros, “fullness”) of glory. Paul is talking
about an everlasting fullness of glory the believer can look forward to. He
balances the present trials against this future glory when he would receive
his eternal rewards for his faithfulness while he ministered in his decaying
body (cf. Jas 1:12).
4:18. Paul continues his argument by saying that we do not look at the
things which are seen (suffering, pain, and a decaying body) but at the
things which are not seen. Paul tells them to divert their eyes from their
circumstances and place them on the eternal rewards that they will receive,
for the things which are seen are temporary (transient), but the things
which are not seen are eternal. Suffering for the cause of Christ is
temporary, but rewards earned for faithfulness to Christ are imperishable (1
Cor 9:25).
 5:1. The words For we know point back to 4:14-18. He knows that death
cannot claim him because of his future bodily resurrection: If our earthly
house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not
made with hands. This parallels Jesus’ description of His own resurrected
body as a temple “not made with hands” (Mark 14:58). The resurrected
body is eternal in the heavens in the sense that it will come from God and
will endure forever. Believers do not receive this glorified body
immediately after death. They “have” it in the sense that it is something to
look forward to. The resurrection of the body awaits the Rapture (1 Thess
4:16-17).
5:2. Suffering makes believers desire to be clothed with their habitation
which is from heaven. In other words, it causes them to long to be free
from their natural, sinful, failing bodies, and receive their eternal, perfect
bodies.
5:3. Paul’s statement about having been clothed, we shall not be found
naked, probably refers to when we will receive our eternal glorified bodies.
5:4. Paul explains further what he means by stating that we who are in
this tent of this confining, physical body groan, being burdened with all
of the sorrow and suffering. However, as painful as these bodies can be, we
do not groan because we want to be unclothed. For the most part, humans
love their bodies and want to take care of them and make them last (Eph
5:29). They do not groan to be rid of their present bodies; they groan to be
further clothed, that is, to receive a better body.
Believers desire to have a resurrected body so that mortality may be
swallowed up by life. The full experience of eternal life, which is being
determined by how one invests in this life today (4:17), can only be
experienced with new, eternal bodies.
5:5. The apostle’s confidence falls back on God who gives the Spirit as a
guarantee that these things will take place. The Holy Spirit’s work in the
believer’s life is compared to a deposit or a down payment (1:22). Paul says
that the person and presence of the Holy Spirit pledges that believers will
experience their resurrected bodies.
5:6. Therefore because believers have this guarantee of the Holy Spirit,
we are always confident. This courage is important since Paul says that he
knows that while we are at home in the body, we are absent from the
Lord, from His immediate presence.
 5:7. Here Paul inserts a parenthetical thought. For believers walk by faith,
not by sight while on earth since they have not received their resurrected
bodies from the Lord from whom they are physically absent. They have not
yet received what God promised, but believing that they will receive it, they
press on.
5:8. Here Paul resumes the discussion that he began in v 6. He was not
only confident he was going to be with the Lord, but he was confident, yes,
well pleased rather to be absent from the body, which is groaning and
decaying (4:16), and to be present with the Lord. He desires the eternal
because that would mean living at home with the Lord (Phil 1:21-23).
Residence in the Lord’s presence commences as soon as the departure from
this earthly body occurs, even though believers do not receive their glorified
bodies until the Rapture.
5:9. Paul now draws some applications for ministry from his discussion in
4:16–5:8. Therefore we make it our aim whether present or absent to be
well pleasing to Him. The word for well pleasing means to be “acceptable”
(cf. Rom 12:2), and alludes to the Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10). It is there
that believers will want to hear, “Well done, good servant” (Luke 19:17).
Paul’s perspective about life and ministry was centered on what he would
hear from Christ on that Day.
5:10. For we must all refers to every believer in Jesus Christ in the church
age. All Christians must appear before the judgment seat of Christ. The
judgment
seat (Rom 14:12) comes from the Greek word bēma, which was a platform
in Greek towns where decisions were handed down by rulers (cf. Matt
27:19; Acts 12:21; 18:12). It also referred to a place where rewards were
presented in athletic games. The modern Olympic games are based on the
Greek Isthmian games, which were held every three years. In those games
the champions received laurels at the bēma.
The Judgment Seat of Christ is where believers will receive rewards from
Christ. This Judgment does not determine the believer’s eternal destiny, for
as Jesus promises in John 5:24, those who believe in Him shall not come
into judgment regarding their eternal destiny. Unbelievers will be judged at
the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15). But even there the basis
of condemnation will not only be works, but the absence of one’s name
from the Book of Life.
 At the Judgment Seat of Christ each one may receive the things done in
the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. The
risen Christ will determine a believer’s faithfulness to Him and award each
person accordingly (1 Cor 3:11-15). These rewards are defined in Scripture
as various “crowns” (1 Cor 9:25; 1 Thess 2:19; Jas 1:12; 1 Pet 5:4; Rev
2:10) and positions of serving and ruling in eternity (Matt 25:21; Luke
19:11-27; Rev 22:3, 5). Scripture does not state precisely when this
judgment will occur, but it will be sometime between the Rapture and the
beginning of the Millennium (1 John 2:28).
Putting his suffering in perspective, Paul maintained the integrity that had
always marked his service. He was living, not for human applause, but for
divine praise at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
7. Passion in Ministry (5:11-21)
In 5:11-21 Paul defines his passion in Christian ministry. He shows how
the certainty of the Judgment Seat of Christ and the love of Christ served as
motivators for preaching the message of reconciliation.
5:11. Thinking of his previous discussion about the Judgment Seat (5:10)
Paul speaks of the terror (lit., the fear) of the Lord. This fear serves to
motivate Paul to persuade men. He tries to convince them of their need to
be reconciled to God (v 20). And since Paul lives and operates under the
fear of God, he does not have any fear of offending the Corinthians. They
are not the ones he is trying to please. Therefore his life and actions are
characterized by integrity. All he has done is well-known to God and well-
known in your conscience. Despite the claims the false apostles make
against Paul, the Corinthian believers know how he taught them and served
among them.
5:12. Paul does not desire to defend himself to win the approval of the
Corinthians (cf. 3:1). However, he wants them to be able to reply to the
opponents who were singing their own praises especially about their
outward appearances (11:18). For we do not commend ourselves again to
you, but give you opportunity to glory on our behalf, that you may have
something to answer those who glory in appearance. Paul says the Lord
will evaluate what is in the heart and not what is seen in a mere superficial
manner.
 5:13. His motive centers on glorifying God and doing good to others. For
if we are beside ourselves (lit., “to be out of one’s senses”), it is for God.
This is expressed in Greek as a conditional sentence of the first class. That
is, his enemies had accused him of being mad. Paul says, “Let’s assume that
I am mad. If I am, it is only for God’s glory.” On the other hand Paul says,
if we are of sound mind, it is for you (dative of advantage, meaning “for
your benefit”). His instruction of the Corinthians was not to show his great
teaching ability, but it was for their encouragement and ultimately for God’s
glory.
5:14-15. Paul expresses another motive in ministry: For the love of Christ
constrains us. The verb constrain comes from a word meaning “to hold
together.” Christ’s love for Paul holds him together for his task, no matter
what his opponents might think or what opposition he may face. Because of
this motivation Paul draws some conclusions. He says, we judge thus: that
if One died for all, then all died. Probably here all in both cases refers to
all believers. While Jesus indeed died for all humans, including unbelievers
(John 1:29; 3:16; 1 John 2:2), He also died for all believers and thus all
believers died in Christ that those who live should live no longer for
themselves, but for Him who died for them and arose again (cf. Gal
2:20). Christ died for the world not only to make everyone savable, and not
even simply so that believers can receive eternal life, but also so that
believers may live their lives for Christ. Believers should deny themselves
and live their lives dedicated to Christ (cf. Matt 16:24; Rom 12:1-2).
5:16. This is the way Paul lives and serves, and so he stresses how the
Corinthian believers can practice these same things in their lives. The first
application is to regard no one according to the flesh. Because of the
cross, Paul looked at others differently. Worldly standards, class
distinctions, economic standing, political power, educational degrees, and
racial differences no longer meant anything to the apostle (cf. Gal 3:28). His
comment, even though we have known Christ according to the flesh,
means that before he became a Christian, he knew Jesus according to the
perspective of others, but he says that yet now after his conversion we
know Him thus no longer.
5:17. Paul’s conversion gives him a whole new way of looking at things.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is (or there is) a new creation. In
Greek there is no subject or verb in the final clause. While the NKJV
supplies he is, some other translations suggest there is (HCSB; see also
TNIV and The New Geneva Study Bible). The latter is preferable. The
believer enters into a new creation. In this new creation old things have
passed away and all things have become new. The believer belongs to a
new family (the Church), should have a new way of looking at people (v
16), and should be driven by a new motivation (v 14). In other words the
believer’s perspective should have dramatically changed. However, Paul is
not suggesting that Christians will automatically have this perspective or
will live accordingly. He is talking about positional truth here.
5:18. Now all things (the new creation) are of God, who has reconciled
us to Himself through Jesus Christ. Reconciliation means the person’s
enmity toward God is removed by Jesus’ death on the cross. The believer
would not have been part of a new creation in Christ except by means of the
reconciliation made possible by Christ’s death on the cross. The believer
has been given a ministry of reconciliation. Just as the one who is
comforted should comfort others (1:4-7), so also the one who is reconciled
should take part in bringing others to reconciliation.
5:19. Paul further explains this ministry as one that teaches that God was
in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing (counting or
reckoning) their trespasses to them. Christ has taken mankind’s sin on
Himself (v 21) so that it will not be reckoned against them. Not only has
God done this work, He has also committed to us the word of
reconciliation. Paul says the believer has a responsibility to share the
gospel with unbelievers, so that they might be reconciled to God.
5:20. Paul summarizes his ministry and message. Therefore we are
ambassadors for Christ. Ambassadors do not speak in their own name,
nor do they act on their own authority. They communicate what they have
been commanded to say. It is as though God were pleading through us.
Their message is very simple: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be
reconciled to God. The Greek text does not contain the word you, and so it
might be better in light of Paul’s discussion to provide the word people
instead. The Corinthian believers had already been reconciled to God, and
did not need to be reconciled again. Paul’s passion in ministry is seeing
unbelieving people be reconciled to God.
5:21. Paul now explains how reconciliation occurs. In his expression, for
He made Him who knew no sin, he puts forth this definite statement that
Jesus was sinless. Jesus makes this claim for Himself (John 8:46).
Furthermore, it is stated that God made Jesus to be sin for us. The
expression to be is supplied. So Paul is saying that God the Father made His
innocent Son the object of His wrath for the sake of the world by placing
the sins of the world on Him. There is no suggestion that Christ became
sinful or a sinner. Jesus knew no sin, but God put our sin on Him. God did
all of this through Jesus so that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him. God declares righteous the individual who believes in Christ
for everlasting life (Rom 4:5). It is the great exchange: the sinner’s sin for
His righteousness. There is no greater news that can be spread, which is
why Paul was so passionate in sharing this news with others.
8. Conduct in ministry (6:1-10)
6:1. The word plead appeared earlier in 5:20, and it means to make an
appeal; but the subject is different in these two verses. In 5:20 God is
making an appeal to the people for reconciliation with Him. Here Paul
appeals to the believers at Corinth not to receive the grace of God in vain.
The Corinthians could make this horrible mistake by not allowing grace to
operate in their lives. They could allow themselves to be influenced by the
legalistic message that Paul’s opponents were preaching that focused on self
rather than living a life of self-denial (5:15). To receive God’s grace “in
vain” means to live for oneself to the point that eternal rewards are forfeited
(5:10).
6:2. Here Paul quotes from Isa 49:8 as a reminder that God is wanting to
help them. For He says, “In an acceptable time I have heard you, and in
the day of salvation I have helped you.” In Paul’s letters to the Corinthians,
the word salvation refers to the condition believers will find themselves in
when they stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 1:18; 3:15;
5:5). Future rewards are in view in the context of this salvation. By stating
that behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of
salvation, Paul reveals a sense of urgency in preparing for that day now.
When believers stand before the Lord, it will be too late to make sure they
are ready. So believers at Corinth must not forfeit the benefits of this
salvation by refusing to turn to God in repentance. Paul then explains how
he himself operated in ministry as an example that they should follow.
 6:3. Knowing that his ministry has been attacked, he says, we give no
offense in anything (no “occasion of stumbling”) so that their ministry
may not be blamed. No one should find fault with Paul’s ministry at
Corinth.
In 6:4-10 Paul shares how he demonstrated his integrity as a minister of
the New Covenant. These verses enumerate the different stressful situations
in which he and his coworkers had found themselves.
6:4. To establish their credibility as ministers of the gospel, Paul and his
fellow missionaries can say that in all things we commend ourselves as
ministers of God. He then demonstrates how that integrity manifested
itself. He catalogs three groups of adversities, with three hardships each.
This listing is preceded by the key word patience. The first group of
ministry circumstances describes that of a general nature: in tribulations,
all experiences in which physical, mental, or spiritual pressure come on
someone; in needs, a reference to inescapable difficulties; and in
distresses, implying frustrating situations.
6:5. The second group of difficulties relates to particular suffering Paul
was experiencing: in stripes (cf. 11:24), in imprisonments, and in
tumults, a reference to riots like those that occurred in his ministry at
Damascus, Jerusalem, Pisidian Antioch, Iconium, Lystra, Thessalonica,
Berea, Corinth, and Ephesus.
The third group of adversities include those Paul imposed on himself: in
labors, which relate to all the various activities of his life, such as manual
labor as a tentmaker (Acts 18:3; cf. 1 Cor 4:12), in sleeplessness, a term
that refers not to insomnia but to his willingness to give up sleep for the
purpose of ministry and labor (Acts 20:31; 1 Thess 3:10; 2 Thess 3:8), and
in fastings, probably forced by poverty (Phil 4:12).
6:6. Paul now shares the spiritual qualities he possessed. Purity refers to
moral uprightness. Knowledge is an understanding of God’s reconciling
love expressed in Christ, as the immediate context suggests. Longsuffering
is patience with difficult people. Kindness is goodness in action. All of
these were accomplished not by Paul’s own strength and power, but by the
Holy Spirit, the Source of his supernatural power and who enables him to
minister effectively (cf. 1 Thess 1:5). The motive behind Paul’s incessant
labor was not for personal gain, but because of his sincere love for others.
His love was genuine, not hypocritical.
 6:7. Paul receives his instruction by the word of truth, God’s Word, as he
ministers to others. Furthermore he operates by the power of God, the
Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8; cf. Eph 3:20). This authority turns his preaching into
a life-transforming force (cf. 1 Cor 1:18-21).
He is also empowered by the armor of righteousness. The word
righteousness designates the quality of the weapons Christ’s servants must
possess. This armor is placed on the right hand and on the left, a military
expression denoting the adequacy of spiritual weapons for protection on all
sides (cf. Eph 6:12-18).
6:8. Paul now begins a series of paradoxes that describe himself and the
other faithful ministers. Honor and dishonor suggest that some had a high
opinion of him and his coworkers, whereas others had a low opinion of
them. These two opinions were expressed in the two ways people spoke
about Paul, some by evil report and (others by) good report. Some people
gossiped and maliciously spread false information about Paul (Rom 3:8; 1
Cor 4:13), while others told the truth about him. The words As deceivers,
and yet true may speak of a possible accusation by some against Paul that
said that he concealed the truth so that he could gain popularity (cf. Gal
1:10).
6:9. These paradoxes continue through v 10. His enemies treat him as
unknown. They probably felt that he was a person to be discounted (1 Cor
4:3; 2 Cor 13:3), and yet Paul and his fellow ministers were well-known to
others. Some minimized his authority, but others recognized who he was.
As dying, and behold we live is a statement about how Paul and his
coworkers appeared to be living on borrowed time in light of the numerous
trials and persecutions they suffered. Even though they bore the scars of
imminent death (1:8-10; 4:10-11), God saved them so that they could
continue to minister.
As chastened, and yet not killed depict the numerous beatings Paul
received during his ministry only to be preserved by God (Acts 14:19-20;
16:22-23). Maybe some were equating these chastenings with personal sin.
But Paul saw them as an evidence of God’s preserving power.
6:10. Paul concludes these contrasts by describing him and the others who
ministered with him as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing (cf. 1 Thess 5:16;
Phil 4:4). This inner source of joy from a redeemed heart kept him going
through the pains and sufferings of life. He went through these times as
poor, describing his economic condition of being in need financially and
materially (Phil 4:12). Yet in those times, he was making many rich
spiritually. Finally, he describes himself as having nothing, and yet
possessing all things. Though materially he possessed nothing, in terms of
spiritual blessings he was rich (1 Cor 3:21-23; Eph 1:3).
9. Holiness in ministry (6:11–7:4)
6:11. The direct address, O Corinthians, demonstrates Paul’s emotional
depth in writing the previous section. On only two other occasions does
Paul address his readers in this way (Gal 3:1; Phil 4:15). Paul says, we have
spoken openly to you (lit., “our mouth is open unto you”). He keeps back
nothing from them, but speaks honestly without reserve. His heart is wide
open. The intensive perfect tense presents in a forceful way the existing fact
that Paul feels that his heart is big enough for all of them as the objects of
his love. Truly he is demonstrating the control of Christ’s love for them
(5:14).
6:12. Paul did not lack room for them in his heart. He did not want them to
feel in any way that he had restricted them or was holding them back from
all that God had for them. However, the doubts placed in the Corinthians’
minds by Paul’s opponents had restricted their affections for him.
Affections is a noun (splanchnois) that conveys strong feelings. Its verbal
form is used to describe Jesus’ feelings about the multitude (Matt 9:36).
6:13. Paul uses warmth and compassion when he says now in return for
the same (I speak as to children). He petitions them as he would children
who have a sense of fair play. He wants them to be open as he had been
open to them.
6:14. Because the Corinthian believers were shutting Paul and his
coworkers out and developing a fondness for the false apostles and their
teaching, he tells them do not be unequally yoked together with
unbelievers. The apostle is talking about his opponents in Corinth (11:4,
13). He is describing the false apostles who had come to the Corinthians in
sheep’s clothing, but who inwardly were ravenous wolves (cf. Matt 7:15-
23).
The expression yoked comes from Deut 22:10, where the Israelites were
commanded not to yoke an ox and a donkey together. Paul is warning the
Corinthians against forming a similar yoking or binding relationship with
his opponents. However, he is not saying that believers must isolate
themselves from unbelievers (cf. 1 Cor 5:9). He is speaking generally of
permanent associations with the unbelievers, especially the false apostles.
He now uses a series of questions that point out the inappropriateness of
forming such binding relationships. For what fellowship has
righteousness with lawlessness? The answer is that righteousness and
darkness cannot be bound to a partnership. And what communion has
light and darkness? Spiritual light drives out darkness. The two cannot
coexist.
6:15. And what accord has Christ and Belial? This is the only
occurrence of the word Belial in the NT. It may be related to the OT
wording “sons of Belial,” meaning “worthless persons.” In
contemporaneous literature the spelling “Beliar” was used for Satan. Paul is
most likely using a form of that word here—Belial—to describe the
wickedness and vileness of Satan.
The next contrast lies between believer and unbeliever. Or what part has
a believer with an unbeliever? The believer shares nothing in common
spiritually with an unbeliever. Likewise the Christians at Corinth shared
nothing in common in a spiritual sense with the false apostles.
6:16. And what agreement has the temple (naos; cf. 1 Cor 3:16-17, used
of the Church; 6:19, used of the body of believers) of God with idols?
Since the believers share nothing in common spiritually with the
unbelievers, they should not enter compromising relations with them. After
all, believers are the temple of the living God, which means the Spirit of
God indwells them corporately as a church body as well as individually (1
Cor 3:16; 6:19). Because the church, the temple of God, belongs
exclusively to God, it needs to forsake all associations that would be
incompatible with His ownership. Paul illustrates this point by quoting from
a conflation of passages taken from Lev 26:11-12; Jer 32:38; and Ezek
37:27. As God has said: “I will dwell in them and walk among them. I
will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
6:17. The apostle alludes here to Isa 52:11, which in its original context
was an exhortation to the exiles to go from Babylon and to return in
holiness to the Holy Land with the temple vessels. Paul applies its principle
to a new context. Therefore “Come out from among them (the unbelievers
of 6:14a) and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean,
and I will receive you.” Thus believers are responsible to withdraw from
compromising and unholy relationships with unbelievers.
6:18. The positive result of this separation from unbelievers is expressed.
Paul illustrates this result by weaving together a series of quotations from 2
Sam 7:8; Jer 31:9; and Isa 43:6. I will be a Father to you, and you shall be
My sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. Though believers are
children of God because of their faith alone in Christ alone, they will not
experience nearness to God as their Father until they present an undivided
heart to Him (Jas 4:8-10; cf. Rom 12:1).
7:1. Paul now moves to apply what he just discussed. Therefore, having
these promises (given in 6:16b-18), beloved, let us cleanse ourselves
from all filthiness of the flesh and the spirit, that is, the total personality
both outwardly and inwardly. Paul may be implying that the Corinthians
had become defiled in their associations with the false apostles and perhaps
their idolatrous practices. The reason for the cleansing is stated as
perfecting holiness. He is describing progressive sanctification, a process
that will never be completed in this life and is done in the fear of God, an
OT concept with practical implications.
7:2. Here Paul returns to his theme begun in 6:11-13. Rather than allowing
the false apostles to influence them, he tells the Corinthians to open your
hearts to us. Paul does not want them to restrict their hearts (cf. 6:12), but
to leave space for him. At this point Paul once again defends his integrity.
We have wronged no one, we have corrupted no one, we have cheated
no one. These are things he had probably been accused of.
7:3. Paul does not say this to condemn anyone; he simply desires to
defend himself. He offers his reason for not condemning when he says, for
I have said before that you are in our hearts, to die together and to live
together.
7:4. Having received the good report from Titus on the condition of the
Corinthians, Paul is able to say, Great is my boldness of speech toward
you. No longer would they cause him anxiety because great is his boasting
on their behalf. He can say with confidence I am exceedingly joyful in all
our tribulation. The encouraging news about the spiritual condition of the
Corinthians motivated him to rejoice in trying situations.
10. Comfort in ministry (7:5-16)
 7:5. Paul finally returns to the account of his search for Titus. He had
begun this discussion in 2:12-13. However, it was interrupted by his defense
of his integrity (2:14–6:10). Stating that he and his companions had no
rest, but were troubled on every side, Paul recalls the tremendous
adversities he had been facing until he received this encouraging news from
Titus.
Outside were conflicts refers to the opposition that Paul received. Besides
those external realities, Paul also contended with fears within himself. He
experienced anxiety as he felt a deep concern over how the Corinthians
would have responded to his previous “severe letter.”
7:6. God brings comfort and encouragement through relationships. Paul
emphasizes this truth here when he speaks of God who comforts the
downcast, comforted him by the coming of Titus. The word downcast
(tapeinous) is often used by Paul (11:7; 12:21; Rom 7:16; Phil 3:21), and it
means low in condition. Paul may have had Isa 49:13 in mind, which
speaks of the Lord comforting the downcast of His people. He evidently
had been deeply concerned if not depressed when Titus did not arrive as
planned. However, on Titus’s arrival, Paul was filled with encouragement.
7:7. Paul was not only comforted by Titus’s coming, but also by the
consolation (same word used for comfort) with which Titus was
comforted in Corinthians. Titus’s journey to Corinth had been successful
because it brought a repentant attitude in the believers there, especially in
their attitude toward Paul. The “severe letter” that he took to Corinth could
have been rejected, which could have resulted in their rejecting and even
mistreating Titus himself.
This changed attitude is expressed in their earnest desire, probably to see
Paul after their change of heart. They were mourning over the sins they had
tolerated in their fellowship. They now have zeal for Paul, which indicates
their total commitment to do what he asked them to do. The very nature of
this report from Titus moved Paul to rejoice even more.
7:8. Relieved over the success of Titus’s recent visit with them, Paul now
turns to the subject matter of the “severe letter” that Titus carried to them.
Some identify this “severe letter” with 1 Corinthians itself, while others
identify it as one written by Paul after the writing of 1 Corinthians and
following a so-called “painful visit” but which is no longer extant.
Regarding this letter, Paul writes that even if I made you sorry with my
letter, I do not regret it. Though he did regret it initially because of the
tone of the letter and the uncertainty of how the Corinthians would respond,
he now had no doubt that he had done the right thing because they
responded so favorably. For he says, I perceive that the same epistle made
you sorry, though only for a while. He was delighted with the overall
effect the letter eventually produced.
7:9. Now that Titus has given the good news about the condition of the
Corinthians to him, Paul can rejoice. He expresses gladness not that the
Corinthian believers were made sorry but that their sorrow led to
repentance. The words repentance (metanoia) and repent (metanoeō)
appear 58 times in the NT. These words refer to a change of mind
concerning sins, that is, turning from one’s sins. Because this sorrow led the
believers in Corinth to turn from their sins, they were made sorry in a
godly manner. The result was that they gained rather than lost. Paul’s letter
produced good results.
7:10. The apostle writes that godly sorrow produces repentance leading
to salvation. While many take salvation as a reference to regeneration, that
does not fit the context. Paul is writing of the repentance of people already
born again. Salvation here refers to deliverance from the deadly
consequences of unrepentant sin, not only in this life, but also before the
Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. Luke 15:11-24). For this reason, this type of
sorrow should not be regretted. There are great temporal and eternal
benefits for repentant sorrow.
In contrast the sorrow of the world produces death. Mere grief does not
cause true repentance because it is not brought about by godly conviction.
Death here is not a reference to eternal death (i.e., hell), but to physical,
temporal death, or to the separation in fellowship that a believer experiences
when he walks in the darkness rather than in the light (1 John 1:6). While
this verse is often used to prove that repentance is a second condition of
regeneration, the context will not substantiate this position.
7:11. The Corinthians did not have worldly sorrow. Paul commends them
because they sorrowed in a godly manner. He then shows them the
various effects that their sorrow produced in them. They showed diligence,
referring to the eagerness with which they had dedicated themselves to
applying what he had said to them. Moreover, in clearing themselves, they
showed indignation for what had been done in their midst, fear for the
consequences that could follow if such a situation was not reversed,
vehement desire to set the situation right, and zeal to obey God’s
commands. All these things resulted in their vindication. Therefore Paul
writes that in all things they proved themselves to be clear in this matter.
They had done what Paul had instructed.
7:12. Paul wrote the “severe letter” not to correct the one who had done
the wrong. He was not vindictive, out to punish those who sin. Neither did
he write it for the sake of him who suffered wrong. The singular indicates
that there was one primary person who had been sinned against. Paul was
not concerned merely about that person’s well-being only. His primary
concern was for the entire church, that his care for you in the sight of God
might appear to you. He wanted to express his care for the whole church
(cf. 1 Cor 4:14) so that they would repent of their neglect in this matter.
They should have been the ones to correct the offender and comfort the
offended.
7:13. The good report that Titus brought leads Paul to conclude, therefore
we have been comforted in your comfort. In addition to his own
encouragement, seeing the joy experienced by Titus increases his own joy.
And we rejoiced exceedingly more for the joy of Titus because his spirit
has been refreshed by you all. This is joy on joy for Paul. He rejoiced that
the Corinthians received the letter well, that they responded as he hoped,
that Titus was safe, and that Titus had been encouraged and refreshed by the
Corinthian church.
7:14. This joy in the Corinthians caused Paul to tell Titus about the good
qualities of the Corinthians. For if in anything I have boasted to him
about you, I am not ashamed. While not trying to patronize the
Corinthians, he notes their potential and remembered their achievements.
He is speaking all things to them in truth, which included his boasting to
Titus about them.
7:15. Paul also offers some good words about Titus to the Corinthians.
And his affections are greater for you as he remembers the obedience of
you all. Titus grew to love the Corinthians even more when he saw how
they responded to Paul’s letter. Paul gives an example of their obedience
when he reminds them of how with fear and trembling they received
Titus. The church at Corinth might have realized their problems before the
arrival of Titus. So that when he brought Paul’s letter to them, he found
them with the proper attitude.
7:16. Paul concludes this section of the epistle with a renewed confidence
in the Corinthians’ desire to grow. Thus he had not given up hope in the
believers at Corinth.
III. Paul’s Appeal to Be Grace Givers (8:1–9:15)
In the next two chapters Paul offers the most extensive teaching on giving
in the NT. The famine that hit Jerusalem directly affected the church there,
prompting the sister church at Antioch to come to their aid (Acts 11:27-30;
12:25). Paul had been one of the delegates from Antioch to deliver the
contributions to the believers in Jerusalem. This concern for the physical
and financial condition of the Jerusalem church continued with him
throughout most of his ministry.
The collection from the Corinthian believers for the Jerusalem church had
already begun before Paul wrote 2 Corinthians (1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8:10).
It is possible they had not completed the task because when conflict arose,
the issue of offerings was neglected. Or it may have been that the false
apostles were causing the Corinthians to doubt Paul’s sincerity and to pull
back from the things he had asked them to do, such as giving to the
Jerusalem church.
A. Illustrations of Liberality (8:1-9)
8:1. Paul uses the generous giving of the impoverished Macedonian
Christians as a motivational example for the Corinthians. The grace of God
had stirred the churches of Macedonia to send financial aid to another
church. Paul enjoyed a significant ministry in the Macedonian province.
Macedonia represents Paul’s first foothold on the continent of Europe (cf.
Acts 16:11–17:15, Philippi and Thessalonica).
8:2. He explains that the Macedonians were grace givers even when they
were in a great trial of affliction. Paul uses the word affliction in 2
Corinthians to refer to his own physical tribulations (1:4, 8; 4:17; 6:4; 7:4).
However, here it probably means the troubles brought by the poverty the
Macedonians experienced. The rest of the verse seems to suggest this
because Paul says the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty
abounded in the riches of their liberality. Though the pressures imposed
by deep poverty were placed on them, they did not allow these stresses to
dissuade them from giving. Their commitment to help others in need
resulted in rich joy.
8:3. Paul could bear witness to the Macedonians’ action that according
to their ability, yes, and beyond their ability, they were freely willing in
their giving.
8:4. In this act they were imploring Paul and his ministry partners with
much urgency that they should be given the opportunity to minister to the
church in Jerusalem. They were pressuring Paul that he and his coworkers
would receive the gift from them. Moreover, the Macedonians wanted to
experience the fellowship of the ministering to the saints.
Paul had evidently not promoted the collection among the believers in
Macedonia before his arrival there (1 Cor 16:1), even though it had already
begun in Galatia. Most likely, since they themselves were poor, he did not
want to burden them with this request. But when they became aware of this
need, they felt they had to give since God had given so much to them
spiritually.
8:5. The reason they gave is because they first gave themselves to the
Lord. As believers, submission to the lordship of Christ prompts them to
give. The believers in the churches of Macedonia wholeheartedly dedicated
themselves to the lordship of Christ and then to us by the will of God.
That is, they accepted God’s guidance through Paul and his coworkers.
8:6. Using the Macedonian example of giving with the right attitude, Paul
directs his appeal toward the Corinthians and says, so we urged Titus, that
as he had begun the collection process when he was in Corinth, so he
would also complete this grace in the Corinthians as well. The expression
this grace refers to the collection as an evidence of God’s gracious working
in their hearts.
8:7. Paul desires the Corinthians to excel in this matter of giving just as
they had in other areas about which he had written to them. He encourages
them with what they already possessed. After commending them for their
faith, speech, knowledge, diligence, and love, he urges them to abound in
this grace of giving also. Hence he exhorts them to acknowledge that their
spiritual blessings are a result of God’s graciousness, and in response to this
grace they should give.
 8:8. Paul is not giving this as a commandment. Instead he is contrasting
their attitude with that of the Macedonians who had sacrificially given
because they were motivated by grace. He is testing the sincerity of their
love by the diligence of others. In other words by the enthusiastic example
of the Macedonians, Paul can assess the generosity of the Corinthians.
Generosity flows from a heart filled with grace. He knows the love of the
Macedonians as evidenced by their giving and he wants to see if the
Corinthians will follow suit.
8:9. But it is not just the Macedonians he wants to challenge them to
emulate. The greatest illustration of giving is seen in the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ. Paul reminds them that Jesus was rich in His preexistent
glory with the Father, yet for your sakes He became poor. Even though
Christ was fully God, while not giving up His deity, He relinquished its
privileges and assumed total humanity. Though He continued as God while
on earth, He took on the role of a servant as well (Phil 2:5-11). He did this
so that you through His poverty might become rich. By faith alone in
Christ alone, the believer receives redemption, justification, glorification,
and many other wonderful riches (cf. Ephesians 1–3).
B. Details and Arrangement of the Collection (8:10–9:5)
8:10. Paul transitions from making an appeal to offering an opinion (cf. 1
Cor 7:12). He will not command them to give, but he will show them why it
is beneficial that they do so. He writes that it is to their advantage to
complete the task they began and were desiring to do a year ago. Before
the Macedonians had even considered taking part in the offering, the
Corinthians had demonstrated their eagerness in this matter. Therefore they
should not discontinue this work of giving, especially since their
willingness had been a motivation for the Macedonians (cf. 9:2).
8:11. Having begun to collect resources, Paul encouraged them to
complete the doing of it. Just as there was a readiness to desire it, so
there also may be a completion of what you have. The weekly collection
for Jerusalem as directed in 1 Cor 16:2 had come to a halt. Now a year later
they needed to complete the work of collection.
8:12. Paul now explains how they should go about giving. First, they need
to have a spirit of giving described as a willing mind (cf. 9:2). If the
Corinthians did not hold this attitude, their giving would be worthless.
Someone who is unwilling to give should not be coerced into it. Those who
are willing must then decide on the amount. Paul states that the amount
should be according to what one has. In other words the giving depends
on the financial resources of the donor. God desires the believer to give out
of what he has and not according to what he does not have. The
parameters are determined by what one has been blessed with. God is not
necessarily looking at the amount or percentage but at the attitude of a
willing spirit.
The NT does not record any specific percentage for giving, but it
emphasizes the heart attitude. (That Paul fails to mention a percentage in
these chapters is telling.) For example Paul writes in the remainder of these
chapters that the believer should give “as he purposes in his heart” (9:7),
and that these gifts should be “generous” (9:5) and given with a spirit of
“liberality” (9:11).
8:13. Paul is not asking the Corinthians to become poor by exchanging
places with the Jerusalem church. For I do not mean that others (like the
Jerusalem church) should be eased and you burdened (i.e., externally
distressed) financially. It would be absurd for the Corinthians to give to the
needs of others and then sink into financial distress for giving too much.
8:14. God does not desire that there be financial distress because of giving
but that giving brings equality (i.e., fairness). Paul is simply recognizing
that some believers would possess more resources than others.
Consequently they would have more to offer.
The Corinthians’ offering would supply the desperate needs of the
Jerusalem church, which came about through no fault of their own. This
would help them so that their abundance also may supply your (the
Corinthian church) lack—that there may be equality. The word
abundance has the opposite meaning of the word for lack. Paul could be
referring only to finances. Those who are rich today often become the ones
who lack tomorrow. At the time when Paul was writing, the Jerusalem
church found itself in hardship. However, the position might be reversed in
the future, and the Corinthians would find themselves suffering under
similar circumstances.
Providing for the financial needs of the Jerusalem church could also result
in their supplying the spiritual needs of the Corinthian church. When other
believers are supported in their need, anything that is produced through
their ministry is also credited to those who provided the financial support.
8:15. Paul then gives an OT illustration from Exod 16:18. As it is written,
“He who gathered much had nothing left over, and he who gathered little
had no lack.” Those who collected the manna in the wilderness could only
use what they needed, while the remainder of the bread rotted (Exod 16:19-
21). Moreover, those that did not gather as much discovered that their needs
were sufficiently met. It was as though the Lord used the excess that some
possessed to make up for the shortage of those who seemed to lack.
By drawing on this account from Exodus, Paul wishes the Corinthians to
recognize their selfish tendency to hoard. God made it evident in His supply
of the manna that He desires everyone’s need to be supplied. Whatever the
means—miraculous manna for the Israelites or the abundance of riches in
the lives of the Corinthians—the Lord expects the needs of His children to
be met.
8:16. In light of these instructions, Paul is sending Titus to Corinth a
second time to complete the collection (8:6). Titus’s previous visit to
Corinth has put in him the same earnest care for you (Corinthians) which
Paul had for them.
8:17. The evidence of God’s working in Titus is expressed by the fact that
his eagerness to go and do this difficult task did not require Paul’s urging.
For he not only accepted the exhortation, but being more diligent than
ordinary, he went to you of his own accord, possibly at his own expense.
The verb went suggests a present event which will have already occurred by
the time the Corinthians read about it. Probably when Titus went, he also
delivered 2 Corinthians to them. God placed a yearning in the heart of this
man that intrinsically motivated him to go to the Corinthians no matter what
the cost. He showed himself to be an example of God’s grace.
8:18. And we have sent with him (Titus) the brother. This second
member of the traveling delegation is now described, and a third member
will be mentioned in v 22. Though that third brother was well known to the
Corinthians, he cannot be adequately identified today. The apostle
characterizes this individual as one whose praise is in the gospel
throughout all the churches. In other words his untarnished reputation
established him as a great choice for this mission.
 8:19. This brother is not only regarded highly by the churches, but as one
who was also chosen by the churches to travel with us with this gift
(charis). The word charis is used more in these two chapters than in any
two chapters in the NT. It carries multiple meanings in these chapters (as
well as in the entire NT): grace, in the sense of favor or divine favor (8:1;
9:8, 14); gift (8:4, 6, 7, 9, 19; though the NKJV translates it as grace in 8:6,
7, 9, it is referring to giving in those places); and thanks (8:16; 9:15). It is
not a technical term for divine favor or unmerited favor.
Because the church had chosen this brother, along with Paul and the
others, the false apostles could not accuse Paul of looking out for only
himself and his own interests. They were all members of a team sent out by
a church. This unnamed brother desires to make certain that the collection
promotes the glory of the Lord Himself. No one of these members was
seeking glory for himself.
8:20. Paul recognized that any generous amount of offering would open up
the delegation taking the offering to suspicion if proper boundaries were not
established. So by using trustworthy men who had been chosen by the
churches themselves, he makes sure that he avoids the accusation that
anyone should blame us in this lavish gift which is administered by us.
8:21. Whatever Paul does, he wants his actions to be honorable not only
in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men. Paul desires to do
the Lord’s will, and at the same time he wishes for others to understand his
motivation, so that no one could find fault in him.
8:22. Along with Titus and the second unnamed brother, Paul sent a third
brother. This third member of the delegation had also been tested. He
proved diligent in many things. In fact he was now much more diligent
about the purpose of the trip to Corinth because of the great confidence
which we have in you. All that this person hears about the Corinthians
prompts him even more to go to them for the collection.
8:23. Paul expects the Corinthians to ask questions about the delegates.
Therefore he offers a brief statement regarding their integrity. If anyone
inquires about Titus, he is my partner (i.e., companion or sharer) and
fellow worker concerning you. Paul then describes the two unnamed
brothers as messengers (lit., “apostles”) of the churches, and he adds that
their character reflects the glory of Christ.
 8:24. Paul then directs his application to the Corinthians, for he wants
them not only to give, but also to receive these delegates with full
acceptance. Therefore show to them, and before the surrounding
churches, the proof of your love and of our boasting on your behalf. A
great host of people will observe the Corinthians’ response to Titus and the
two unnamed believers. If they responded positively and gave graciously, it
would validate Paul’s boasting about the character of the Corinthian
believers.
9:1. Paul continues writing about the ministering to the saints regarding
the financial gifts the Corinthians intended to supply. He says it is
superfluous for me to write to you. They do not need more information on
the topic of giving.
9:2. They did not need more information because Paul already knew of
their willingness. Proof of his knowledge of their willingness was seen in
Paul’s boast of them to the Macedonians. The content of this boast
involves the fact that Achaia was ready a year ago. Achaia’s chief and
capital city was Corinth. But Corinth was not Achaia. Possibly some other
churches had been established in this province as well (cf. Acts 18:1-13; 1
Thess 1:6-7), and many of them had already given. If Paul is referring to the
Corinthian church, he means that they were ready to give a year ago, but
had not yet done so.
The zeal of the Achaians (including the Corinthians) had stirred up the
majority of the Macedonians. The verb stirred up suggests that the
Macedonians were excitedly encouraged to follow the example of those in
Achaia. Paul is almost pitting one church against another to see who can
outgive the other. The Corinthians are motivated to give because of the
example of the poor Macedonians (8:1-5), and the Macedonians are
motivated to give because the Achaians (including the Corinthians) are
giving so excitedly.
9:3. Paul makes certain that the Achaians (including the Corinthians) are
prepared to give as he has boasted. This is why he sent the brethren. He
sends Titus and the other two brothers (8:16-24) to help the Corinthians to
complete the offering lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this
respect, that as I said, you may be ready. Paul’s word is on the line, and
now the Corinthians need to back it up with their offering. Though some in
Corinth might accuse Paul of doublespeak, in this situation, if Paul is
proved false, it is because the Corinthians did not follow through on what
they promised.
9:4. Paul does not want himself or the Corinthians to suffer such
embarrassment. He emphasizes this attitude by writing that if some
Macedonians come with me and find you unprepared, we (not to
mention you!) should be ashamed of this confident boasting.
9:5. While he wants the Corinthians to give from the heart, he thought it
necessary to exhort the brethren (the delegation of three) to go to you
ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand. Then when
Paul arrived, he would not have to make an appeal for financial gifts. Paul
walks a delicate line between asking them to do what they had previously
promised, but wants to make sure they do it out of generosity and not as a
grudging obligation. He does not want to exploit them, but wants to make
sure they give. Toward this end he gives them reasons in vv 6-15 why they
should joyfully give.
C. Rewards of Generosity (9:6-15)
In this section Paul shows that they would be blessed if they give with the
right attitude.
9:6. Paul applies the Biblical law of the harvest that can be found in
several places in Scripture (cf. Prov 11:24-25; 19:17; Luke 6:38; Gal 6:7).
But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he
who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. The amount of harvest is
based on the amount of the seed sown. A cause-and-effect relationship
undergirds the law of the harvest. This does not mean that someone who
gives generously will become rich financially in this life. Most often, the
rewards of giving are spiritual rewards now and spiritual and material
rewards in eternity (cf. Matt 6:19-21).
9:7. With the law of the harvest in view, Paul encourages each one of the
Corinthian believers to give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly
or of necessity. In other words each believer should give what he wished to
give, for God loves a cheerful giver. Thus the believer should give
unreservedly and cheerfully. It is often taught from this passage that people
must give until it hurts, and then give some more. That idea is not found
here
(or elsewhere). One should not give unless they give cheerfully.
 9:8. The Corinthians should remember that God is able to make all grace
abound to them. The expression all grace is not limited to material
blessings exclusively. It includes spiritual blessings as well. The result is
that always having sufficiency in all things, believers may have
abundance for every good work. This is not prosperity theology in which
believers are encouraged to be rich. This is sufficiency theology, which
makes the giving believer able to keep on giving in the future.
9:9. Paul offers an OT support for this principle taken from Ps 112:9. As it
was written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His
righteousness endures forever.” In this Psalm the righteous man is the one
who fears the Lord, and he demonstrates this fear of God by virtuous acts.
Using the figure of sowing, as Paul does in 2 Cor 9:6, this Psalm describes
the eternal consequences of this righteous man’s generosity to the needy.
Likewise the Corinthians would be eternally blessed because of their giving
to the needs of the church in Jerusalem. Eternal reward awaits believers
who meet the needs of others.
9:10. Paul continues with the analogy of sowing in his prayer, and he uses
the wording from Isa 55:10 and Hos 10:12 to encourage his readers that
God supplies the generous giver with the resources to give. God supplies
seed to the sower. The resultant crop, which is made into bread for food
comes from God as well. Similarly God will supply and multiply the
resources for the Corinthians who are sowing by gracious giving, and take
what they sow to produce even more fruit for righteousness (cf. Matt
13:23).
9:11. God will enrich the Corinthians in everything for all liberality. He
uses the word liberality (apolēta) which means “simplicity, single-
mindedness, generosity.” It is a type of giving that is free from ulterior
motives (cf. 8:2). Paul and his coworkers would be God’s means to
complete these goals. This would result in thanksgiving to God. Since this
same idea of being thankful to God is found in 9:12, where Paul discusses
the administration of the gifts, the thanksgiving here refers to gratitude of
the Corinthians to God when they complete their collection for the saints.
9:12. The administration (or distribution) of this service will supply the
needs of the saints. The word service (leitourgias) speaks of a public
service either in the worship of God (Luke 1:23) or the support given to
others (2 Cor 9:12; Phil 2:30). The English word liturgy comes from this
word.
But such gracious giving will not only meet the needs of the saints it will
also be abounding through many thanksgivings to God. If the
thanksgiving in v 12 refers to that of the Corinthian believers, this
thanksgiving comes from the saints who receive the gift. Both the one who
gives and the one who receives praise God.
9:13. This ministry of giving to the Jerusalem church will glorify God,
and it demonstrates the obedience of the Corinthians’ confession to the
gospel of Christ. The Corinthians’ generous act of giving is proof of their
desire to live out their faith. This does not mean that giving proves that a
person is a Christian, but that giving shows that one who has believed in
Christ is seeking to live as Christ desires. The Jerusalem church will glorify
God for the Corinthians’ liberal sharing with them and all men. The all
men hints that Paul does not desire their giving to end with the Jerusalem
church, but for them to look around for ways to meet the needs of others.
9:14. The gift from the Corinthians establishes the basis for the church in
Jerusalem to respond, not by giving money, which they could not do, but by
their prayer for the Corinthians. This sincere prayer comes from those
who long for you because of the exceeding grace of God (God’s generous
gift) in you. Their gift will result in their own eternal reward and in
thanksgiving and glory to God, and it will also result in the Jerusalem
church praying for the Corinthians. Gracious giving has many benefits.
9:15. The ultimate expression of this grace is found in Jesus Christ, who
provides the basis for all the other graces. Paul therefore ends this section
by saying Thanks (charis) be to God for His indescribable gift!
IV. Paul’s Vindication of His Ministry (10:1–13:10)
A. His Assertion of Authority (10:1–11:15)
Some believe that the final four chapters are from a different letter that was
possibly written earlier. However, Paul is taking up the difficult subject of
defending his own ministry, and so he reserved it for last. He has been
indirectly approaching this subject since chapter 2 with many allusions
(2:17; 3:1, 7-8; 4:2-4; 5:12, 16; 6:14), and will now challenge the claims of
the false apostles directly. He urges the Corinthians to be fully devoted to
Christ and himself as the Lord’s apostle.
 10:1. Paul turns to the charges made against him by pleading with the
Corinthians by the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Meekness
(prautētos) characterizes that inward virtue that Christ had that was
demonstrated in His submission to the wrongs done to Him. Gentleness
(epieikeias) describes the clemency exhibited by Jesus rather than adhering
to the strict letter of the Law. Jesus, for example, demonstrated this
characteristic with the woman caught in adultery (John 8:1-11).
Paul’s critics probably charged that he was weak in person but bold in his
letters. Paul explained earlier (cf. 2:1-4) that this was intentional. The
reason he wrote difficult letters was so that he could be gentle and loving in
person.
10:2. Paul wrote bold letters so that the Corinthian believers would handle
the critics on their own before he came. He does not want to be bold (i.e.,
confrontational) when he is among them in the same way that he has
confidence to be bold against some in his letters. Paul does not want to be
forced into a situation where he has to use a great deal of boldness as an
apostle. However, he knows that some individuals will demand an apostolic
rebuke. While the church at Corinth in general may have changed its
attitude toward the apostle, some critics continue to teach that Paul walked
according to the flesh. He was accused of being self-serving and not
walking by the Spirit.
10:3. Paul, however, admits that he does walk in the flesh, that is, he is
human. Like everyone else, he lives in a human body with all of its physical
frailties. In Gal 2:20 he speaks of the life which he lived in the flesh (cf.
Phil 1:22). This expression reminds his readers that he could succumb to
human sickness, sufferings, and mistreatment just like anyone else.
Paul and his coworkers live in a “fleshly” body, but they do not war
according to the flesh. In other words they are not focusing on themselves
and their carnal natures. Rather they are walking by the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:16-
18).
10:4. He explains that the weapons of our warfare are not carnal. The
believer’s weapons do not consist of human eloquence, manmade devices,
magnetic personalities, and showmanship. Nor is it proper to use slander,
gossip, and hearsay as the means to tear someone else down. Instead of
fleshly weapons such as these, Paul and his missionary partners operate by
an arsenal mighty in God for pulling down strongholds. The term
strongholds (oxyrōmation) can mean fortresses. He might have in mind the
fortress that stood on a hill 1,857 feet above Corinth. Proverbs 21:22
pictures a wise man as one who goes up against strong cities and tears down
the stronghold in which the ungodly trust. Paul is involved in spiritual
warfare, tearing down the influence and the teaching of the false apostles.
But he does not use the weapons they use to tear him down. He uses godly
weapons to tear down ungodly strongholds.
10:5. The warfare against these false teachers consists of casting down
[their] arguments. Casting down (kathairountes) is a military term,
picturing the tearing down of walls and buildings. The word for arguments
(noēma) means “reasonings or imaginations,” a reference to human
reasoning and philosophies that oppose God (cf. Col 2:8).
Believers are to do what Paul did, tear down the viewpoints that set men’s
own thoughts above God’s revelation. Believers do this by bringing every
thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Paul is not referring
here to his own thoughts (see 1 Cor 2:16), but he is conveying the idea of
overcoming and capturing this ungodly human reason set forth by the
enemies of the gospel in the world system, which is under the control of
Satan himself (cf. 1 John 5:19) and was taught in Corinth by the false
apostles.
This can only be done by spiritual believers whose minds have been
renewed (cf. Rom 12:1-2; Eph 5:26; 6:17b).
10:6. The apostle is also ready to punish all opponents in and outside the
church who remain in disobedience. How he plans to punish the
disobedience is not stated. The fact that he is ready to punish indicates he
does not intend to take this step except as a final action of his apostolic
authority. The expression when your obedience is fulfilled could probably
be best understood as implying Paul’s expectation that the Corinthians as a
whole would begin to deal with this problem before he arrived. They had
already made a good start (2 Cor 7:9, 11, 13).
10:7. Paul challenges the Corinthians to take a closer look at his authority
as an apostle. He does not want them to look at things according to the
outward appearance. They must look at the genuine evidence, not just the
way things appear. His detractors might have considered that they were
superior to him and belonged to Christ in a special way. Many of them were
convinced that they were Christ’s. It is difficult to know what Paul is
referring to, whether he is talking about how believers are “in Christ” or if
being Christ’s is some special designation for apostolic authority that the
false apostles were using. In context it is probably the latter. Either way
Paul challenges him who thinks he has some special relationship with
Christ to consider that just as he is Christ’s in a special way, even so we
are Christ’s. Paul is not beneath these false apostles. Later Paul will show
that he is
actually above them, for they are not even apostles (cf. 11:13-15).
10:8. Paul had been personally commissioned by the Lord as an apostle,
and as such he can boast somewhat more about our authority. Though
his full defense does not come until 11:13-15, he already shows that he has
more authority than do the false apostles. But this authority is not to tear
others down and tell lies about them as the false apostles were doing to him.
Rather, Paul’s authority from the Lord was for edification and not for
destruction. If Paul were to boast this way (as he will), he would not be
ashamed, for he knows that nothing will be disclosed that would suggest
that he was abusing his authority.
10:9. Paul did not abuse his authority in his letters either. Though his
letters were written in boldness, to correct the behavior of some in the
church, he was using his authority to edify. He never desired to terrify them
by his letters.
10:10. His critics were saying that a sharp contrast existed between Paul
and his letters. While his “letters were weighty and powerful,” when he
was present, he appeared weak. If that were not enough, they also said “his
speech was contemptible,” literally of no account. Paul has previously
explained that much of this was intentional (2:1-4; 10:1). He wanted to be
bold and confrontational in his letters so that he could be amiable when he
visited them.
10:11. Paul writes that if they want him to be the same in person as he is in
his letters, he will be. What he writes in his letters when he is absent from
them will be also carried out in deed when he is present. This is not what
Paul wanted, but if it is what they want, Paul will do it so that he avoids
being accused of vacillating.
10:12. Paul wants to point out, however, that the only reason he is being
accused of vacillation is because the false apostles, who are always present
in Corinth, are comparing themselves to Paul. Paul retorts that he does not
compare himself to them, for their primary goal is to commend
themselves (cf. 3:1). With a touch of irony, he implies that he cannot be
compared to the false apostles in Corinth because their primary activity is to
promote themselves. But their self-promotion only demonstrates their false
standards.
These teachers were promoting themselves and their teaching as superior
to him. They had created their own standards, and thus they were
measuring themselves by themselves. Hence he did not wish to be
affiliated with such teachers, for he says that persons who evaluate
themselves by their own self-made benchmark are not wise (lit., “are
without understanding”).
10:13. In contrast to these false teachers, Paul will not boast beyond
measure. He restricts himself to the truth, unlike his critics whose pride
knew no restrictions (v 12). He limits himself within the sphere which
God appointed. The term sphere conveys the idea of a geographical area
measured out and designated by God for Paul and his ministry team. Paul
abides by certain principles that control his missionary activity. One of them
is that he is the apostle to the Gentiles (cf. Acts 9:15; Rom 1:5). Therefore
God has given him a sphere which especially includes the Corinthians.
Despite what misleading accusations and comparisons the false apostles
might make, Paul does have authority within the church of Corinth.
10:14. He is not overextending his authority, for as an apostle to the
Gentiles by the will of God, Paul founded the church at Corinth. It is he
who came to them with the gospel of Christ. His opponents were
impostors trespassing on his labors and disparaging his influence and
authority among his spiritual children at Corinth. Whatever claims they
might make, they could not counter what Paul had in fact done.
10:15. Unlike the false apostles, Paul is not boasting of things beyond
measure, that is, in other men’s labors. Without realizing it, the false
apostles were basing their authority on the work that Paul had done. If it
were not for Paul, the church would not be there, and yet now they are
saying Paul is of no significance. In contrast to this kind of boasting that
seemed to characterize some leaders in Corinth, Paul was having hope, that
as your faith is increased, we shall be greatly enlarged by you in our
sphere. While the false apostles boast in themselves, Paul hopes that the
people in Corinth who know the true story will boast in Paul, and what he
has done among them and for them. This will allow him to come once more
to Corinth to work among them again, and enlarge the sphere of his
ministry even further.
10:16. He desires to preach the gospel in the regions beyond you, like
Rome and Spain (Rom 15:23-24), and not to boast in another man’s
sphere of accomplishment. As the Corinthians continued to grow in their
faith, the apostle could go to other Gentile regions beyond Corinth where he
could share the gospel without encroaching on another missionary’s
territory. Paul did not want to build on the work of another, but to begin
work where no one had yet gone.
10:17. Quoting from Jer 9:23-24, he suggests that the only legitimate
boasting for the believer is sourced in the Lord. But “he who glories, let
him glory in the Lord.” The apostle uses this OT passage to caution against
the human tendency to glory in human wisdom and strength rather than in
the Lord. The true servant of God should not boast in works he has done nor
in works he has not done. Boasting should be limited to the Lord
exclusively. Only He gives the increase (cf. 1 Cor 3:6).
This Jeremiah quotation comes from the Greek Septuagint (LXX) version
of the OT. Paul alters it by substituting “in the Lord” in place of the original
“in this.” This addition is clarified in the following verse.
10:18. For Paul, the issue is always what Jesus Christ thinks of him. The
one who commends himself is approved only by himself. Real approval
for Paul’s ministry is not based on his self-praise, but whom the Lord
commends. Unlike the false apostles who commended themselves, Paul’s
goal is to give God the glory and let any praise he receives come from Jesus
Christ (cf. 1 Cor 4:1-5).
11:1. Following his comments about self-promotion and not comparing
himself with others, Paul is about to compare himself with others. This is
not a contradiction in his thinking. He is simply stooping to play the false
apostles’ game, and in so doing he shows that he has more authority and
credibility. According to Paul what he is about to do is folly. Although he
engages in this folly, he is confident the Corinthians will bear with him as
they have in times past.
11:2. The reason he engages in a little foolishness is that he is jealous for
the Corinthians with a godly jealousy. Paul feels this way about the
Corinthians because he views himself as their spiritual father (1 Cor 4:15).
 As their father, it is as if he has betrothed them to one husband, and he
wants to be able to present them as a chaste virgin to Christ. So the
jealousy is not for Paul’s own reputation or glory, but so that they will be
pure at the coming of Christ (cf. Eph 5:27; 1 John 2:28–3:3).
11:3. Paul’s fear for them is that somehow the teaching of the false
apostles had affected them. He likens what the false apostles are doing in
the church to the way the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness. In
particular he worries that their minds may be corrupted from the
simplicity that is in Christ. Paul implies that in spite of all their problems
the Corinthians maintained a sincere faith in Christ.
11:4. Paul fears that if someone preaches another Jesus, offers a
different spirit, or preaches a different gospel, they may well put up with
it! If the believers in Corinth followed such false teachings, their
sanctification would be derailed, and their judgment at the Bema would not
result in approval.
A different gospel denotes a perverted gospel (cf. Gal 1:6-7). It is one that
adds works to faith and says that faith alone in Christ alone is not sufficient.
But whatever they were teaching, Paul does not here elaborate.
11:5. Continuing his defense, Paul states that he does not consider himself
to be at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. He is referring
sarcastically to the false apostles who are bringing accusations against him
(v 13).
11:6. One of the things these false apostles were teaching was that Paul’s
oratorical skills were deficient. He does not deny it. He admits that he is
untrained in speech. The expression untrained in speech denotes a lay
speaker in contrast to the stylized professional orator. But what he lacked in
style he made up for in knowledge, which came directly from God Himself
(cf. Gal 1:11-12).
He and his ministry partners had been thoroughly manifested among the
Corinthians in all things. His qualifications as an apostle had been apparent
to the church at Corinth.
11:7. In vv 7-11 Paul answers another criticism related to his refusal to
accept pay from the Corinthian church for his teaching and services.
Although he could exercise this right as a true apostle, he chose not to in
order to establish his integrity with the Corinthians (cf. 1 Cor 9:4-15). Yet
these false apostles were saying that if Paul were a real apostle, he would
have accepted payment for his ministry.
Paul says he did not commit sin in humbling himself and neglecting the
apostolic privilege of receiving support from the Corinthians by choosing to
make tents instead. He humbled himself by doing manual labor (cf. Acts
18:3) so that the Corinthians might be exalted in their status with God by
being raised from the death of sin to the life of righteousness. His sole
purpose is to bring the gospel of God to them free of charge.
11:8. Because of his commitment not to receive payment from the
Corinthians, Paul even robbed other churches. Some churches were still
supporting him even though they were not currently receiving the benefits
of his personal presence. He was taking wages from them to minister to
the Corinthian church. Paul is not accusing the Corinthians of treating him
badly. He is simply responding to the accusation that his refusal to take
money demonstrates his lack of apostolic authority.
11:9. Paul gives an example of one of the churches he “robbed.” While in
Corinth he was in need but was a burden to no one. Yet though he was in
need, they did not meet that need, for what he lacked the brethren who
came from Macedonia supplied. Members of the very church that he had
previously described as in poverty (8:2), probably the church at Philippi
(Phil 4:14-18), met some of his financial needs.
11:10. By saying, as the truth of Christ is in me, Paul is affirming to the
Corinthians what he had previously explained was true. No one can stop
him from this boasting that he preached without charge in the regions of
Achaia. Christ supplied his every need, and Paul will not allow this
intended misunderstanding of his ministry to prevent him from continuing
his service.
11:11. Paul did not accept financial support from the Corinthians because
of lack of love for them. On the contrary, his decision demonstrated just the
opposite. Paul knew that God knows the motives of his heart.
11:12. And even though Paul has now shared with them his heart, he will
also continue to not accept their financial support. He knows that if he
does, his opponents in Corinth will have an opportunity to be regarded
just as we are in the things of which they boast. The false apostles
received payment for their preaching. If they could cause him to receive
pay, he would be on the same level as they are on.
 11:13. Paul gives reasons why his opponents in Corinth are not on the
same level as him. They are false apostles because their message is laced
with errors. They are deceitful workers because they lure the Corinthians
into false teaching. They are transforming themselves into apostles of
Christ in order to have the power and prominence in Corinth they do not
deserve. They claim to be true apostles, but their heart and teachings betray
their integrity.
11:14. And no wonder! His readers should not be surprised! For Satan
himself, who speaks lies (cf. John 8:44), transforms [“disguises”] himself
into an angel of light. These false teachers are simply following their
master, the prince of darkness, when they masquerade as apostles.
11:15. And if their master lives a lie, it is no great thing if his ministers
also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. This type of
righteousness is a masquerade and advances self-righteousness based on
works and opposes grace. However, these false apostles face the reality of
certain judgment. Their end will be according to their works. In other
words, God will ultimately deal with them according to the true nature of
their deeds (cf. Rev 20:11-13).
B. His Boasting as an Apostle (11:16–12:10)
11:16. Paul would now say again what he began to say in v 1. But he
wishes that no one think him a fool for doing so. If they think him a fool
for boasting anyway, then they could at least receive him as a fool. He is
willing to take advantage of any opportunity to defend his apostleship
against the claims of the false apostles. So he desires them to tolerate him
so that he may also boast a little.
11:17. Paul admits that speaking this way is not according to the Lord.
This does not mean Paul’s words here are sinful or uninspired (cf.
comments on 1 Cor 7:10, 12). He is saying that in speaking this way, he is
not following the example of humility the Lord displayed while on earth
(cf. Phil 2:5-11). But he is attempting to “answer a fool according to his
folly” (Prov 26:5), and is forced to employ a legitimate defense.
11:18. By playing the part of those who boast according to the flesh, Paul
is responding to the challenge of the false apostles. Since many were
occupied with self-promotion and the promotion of their ministries, Paul
also will boast.
 11:19. Using irony, Paul chides the Corinthians for allowing these false
apostles to creep in. For you put up with fools gladly, since you
yourselves are wise! Since the Corinthians had been so tolerant of the false
apostles in their boasting, they should listen to him as he boasts.
11:20. Paul gives five if (ei) clauses that express how the Corinthians put
up with mistreatment from the false apostles. While these could be five
separate abuses, most likely Paul is piling up five different ways to express
general abuse. The Corinthians put up with being brought into bondage,
which likely refers to both the money the false apostles demanded and the
legalism they promoted. They tolerated the false teachers lording over them
(if one exalts himself). Probably the most humiliating act is found in this
fifth expression: if one strikes you on the face. Paul is speaking
figuratively of the humiliation inflicted on the Corinthians by the false
apostles.
11:21. The false apostles accused Paul of being too weak in person, and he
says that if their actions reveal what is necessary to be an apostle, then they
are right—he is too weak for that!
Nevertheless the apostle presents his own boasting. He hesitates to do it,
but wants to shows that in whatever ways they are bold, though he speaks
foolishly to compare himself to them, he is bold also.
This statement more or less introduces what follows in 11:22–12:13, which
some have called “the fool’s speech.” In this section Paul boasts in two
areas: his personal heritage and sufferings (11:21-33) and his exclusive
relationship with the Lord that he had received as an apostle (12:1-10).
11:22. Paul goes through a checklist of the things these false apostles
boasted about and shows that he has these qualities too, and in some ways
he even surpasses them. The first item is that they were Hebrews. Paul
reminds them that he is no less a Hebrew than they were. The second claim
is that they were Israelites. This is different from Hebrews in that it stresses
the nation as God’s chosen nation. The false apostles were claiming to be
God’s chosen people. Paul responds, So am I.
Third, they were of the seed of Abraham. This expression emphasizes the
promise and covenant that God had given to Abraham (Gen 12:1-3, 7;
13:15-17; 15:18; 22:15-18; 26:23-25; 35:8-15). In all of these descriptions
Paul shows that he is not inferior to the false apostles at any point.
 11:23. The fourth claim of the false apostles is that they were ministers of
Christ. Paul has already called them servants of Satan (vv 14-15).
He next offers several proofs for his superior service. In labors he was
more abundant. He worked harder and longer than they, and saw more
results and fruit from his labor. He also experienced stripes above
measure. This refers to the frequent beatings he received during his
missionary trips, only some of which are listed in vv 24-25. Next he was in
prisons more frequently. Paul was frequently arrested and put into prison
for his stand on the gospel. Furthermore he was in deaths often. The Book
of Acts records several instances in which he had experienced the risk of
death (9:23; 13:50; 14:5-6, 19; 16:19-40; 17:5-9, 13).
11:24. Paul also records that five times he received forty stripes minus
one. The Mosaic Law gives instruction for a maximum of forty blows to be
given an individual. The synagogues traditionally limited this punishment to
thirty-nine blows so that it would not exceed the legal limit.
11:25. Three times he was beaten with rods. He was stoned, which is
probably a reference to the stoning in Lystra (Acts 14:19). He was also
shipwrecked three times, and spent a night and a day in the deep (i.e.,
floating on the sea). Acts records only one shipwreck (Acts 27:39-44), so
there were at least two others not recorded in Scripture.
11:26. His many journeys were not pleasant trips, but treacherous events.
He mentions eight perils: of waters [i.e., rivers], of robbers, of my own
countrymen (cf. Acts 9:23, 29; 13:50; 14:5, 19; 17:5, 13; 18:12), of the
Gentiles (Acts 14:5; 16:18-24; 19:23-41), in the city (e.g., Damascus, Acts
9:23-25, Jerusalem, Acts 9:29-30), in the wilderness, in the sea (e.g., Acts
27:9-44), and among false brethren (e.g, Gal 2:4).
11:27. Paul was in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger
and thirst, in [forced] fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Perhaps
these describe the type of deprivations he experienced because of his
imprisonments and occasional lack of financial support.
11:28. Besides the other things mentioned, which were burdensome
enough, Paul bore what comes upon me daily. He has deep concern for
all the churches to which he ministered. As a faithful shepherd the apostle
expressed a present concern for the people of the churches.
11:29. This total identification of the shepherd with the sheep is now
illustrated. When they are weak, Paul also feels weak. When one under his
care is made to stumble, Paul gets upset at the one who led them astray.
His sense of responsibility for the churches made him sympathetic with
each one. While the false apostles were promoting themselves, Paul had
only a constant, tender care and concern for the church’s well-being above
and beyond his own.
11:30. If it is necessary that he boast, then he will boast in the things
which concern his infirmity (i.e., weakness). This is why Paul did not list
a bunch of accomplishments and achievements to impress people. Even
when Paul tried to boast, he could only boast in his weakness.
11:31. Paul writes this with awareness that the omniscient God is a witness
to his statements.
11:32. Aretas the king was Aretas IV, who reigned for thirty-one years,
beginning in AD 9. He had appointed a governor over Damascenes.
Members of this region may have been the instigators of the plot against the
apostle, which led to the governor desiring to arrest Paul (Acts 9:23-25).
11:33. Though the city gates were being watched (Acts 9:34), Paul’s
friends helped him. He says, but I was let down in a basket through a
window in the wall, and escaped from his [the governor’s] hands. He
views his escape as God’s sovereign provision. The apostle was boasting in
something that others—especially the false apostles—might view as a
weakness.
Paul records this event in Damascus because it was a turning point in his
life. He went to Damascus to arrest Christians there, but he left in humility
and weakness, with dependence on Jesus Christ, to expand and spread the
Church. This is true apostolic ministry.
12:1. Paul continues to boast even though he doubts that such boasting is
profitable. This time the content of the boasting includes visions and
revelations of the Lord. Paul based his apostolic commission on his
actually having seen the risen Lord (1 Cor 9:1; 15:8; cf. Acts 9:1-9). The
visions and revelations of the Lord Paul is
about to relate occurred long after his vision on the Damascus Road.
12:2. Though he speaks of a man in Christ, most believe Paul is speaking
of himself. There are two primary reasons for this. First, Paul has been
consistently hesitant to boast of any great experience of his. By speaking of
it as if it happened to another man, Paul can speak of it. The primary reason
however, is Paul’s statement in v 7 that God gave him a thorn in the flesh to
ward off the pride that might result from such a vision. If Paul did not
receive the vision he speaks about, there may have been no need of the
thorn.
Paul relates what happened to him fourteen years ago. This would date
this event in AD 41 or 42 during his years in the region of Syria and Cilicia
(Acts 9:30; Gal 1:21). The incident he is about to depict took place a
significant amount of time before his arrival in Corinth (AD 50-52), but
after his conversion experience on the road to Damascus (around AD 34).
Paul was temporarily caught up (harpazō, “to grasp someone forcibly and
suddenly”). In Acts 8:39-40 it is used to explain the Holy Spirit physically
seizing Philip and transporting him to another geographical location. In 1
Thess 4:17, Paul employs the term for the future Rapture of the church.
Similarly, Paul was transported into the third heaven, a term used to
describe where God dwells. In the Bible the first heaven equals the
atmosphere. The second heaven refers to the celestial bodies such as the
sun, moon, and stars.
12:3-4. The apostle is saying that the third heaven (12:2) and Paradise are
currently the same place. Paradise (paradeison) is a Persian loan word used
for a circular enclosure or a park area. It was used in the LXX for the
Garden of Eden. It appears two other times in the NT. Jesus promised the
thief who believed in Him that he would be with Him in Paradise that very
day (Luke 23:43). In the eternal kingdom Paradise will be where the tree of
life is located (Rev 2:7). Comparing Rev 2:7 with Rev 22:2, it is clear that
Paradise will be the New Jerusalem which descends out of heaven (cf.
21:10).
Evidently this experience encouraged Paul to persevere in ministry on
earth. The false apostles, if they had had such a vision, would have certainly
relayed what they had seen to bolster their position and authority. But Paul
does not do this, further showing that he does not rely on such things.
12:5. Because God is fully responsible for what happened to him, Paul can
say that of such a one I will boast. In other words he could boast about this
man in Christ (v 2) who experienced this heavenly vision. However, he
takes care to exult only in what God did to him when he adds yet of myself
I will not boast, except in my infirmities (physical weaknesses). In his
weaknesses he could experience the power and the grace of God. Ironically
his frailties constituted the very things his detractors were using to discount
his apostolic authority.
12:6. For though Paul might desire to boast, he will not be a fool. This
seems to contradict what he says in 11:1, 16 where he equates himself with
a fool. However, the context seems to show that he is speaking about his
“heavenly” experience that actually occurred and not about a fabricated
experience. For he says I will speak the truth about this experience.
However, instead of sharing the whole of what took place, he says, I
refrain from doing so, lest anyone should think of me above what he
sees me to be or hears from me.
The Apostle Paul desires that no one elevate him to a high position
because of the uniqueness of his revelation. His adequacy rests in the
sufficiency of the indwelling Christ and not his own abilities or unusual
experiences. God must be glorified, not himself.
12:7. Nor does Paul want to be exalted above measure by the
abundance of revelations. Paul is recognizing his potential for arrogance.
While this danger of an inflated ego does exist in his life, he acknowledges
that he was given a thorn in the flesh. This probably refers to a physical
ailment such as epilepsy, eye trouble, or some other type of infirmity (cf.
Gal 4:15). This seems to be confirmed by the immediate context where he
has been writing about his physical infirmities (2 Cor 12:5).
He viewed these frailties as a messenger from Satan. As Satan was
permitted by God to afflict Job, he was now being used again to afflict Paul.
This was done to buffet him. God used this experience to humble the
apostle (cf. Jas 4:6).
12:8-9. Concerning this thing (the physical ailment), he pleaded with
the Lord three times that it might depart. The Lord did not grant Paul’s
request. Instead, He said to Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My
strength is made perfect in weakness.”
12:10. Because of this perspective Paul is able to take pleasure in
infirmities, reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses. He
knows that all these things are for Christ’s sake. Paul could take pleasure
in all these things because he had learned that when he was weak, then he is
strong. His personal weakness is overshadowed by Christ’s strength.
C. His Purpose (12:11–13:10)
 As Paul concludes his letter, he desires the best for the Corinthians. Thus
he does not want his next visit to generate pain. He hopes they would
respond in two ways. First, he hopes they would repent of their wrongdoing
and sinful attitudes. Second, he looks for them to be loyal to him and his
missionary partners.
12:11. Paul acknowledges that he has become a fool in boasting about his
past experiences. He does this because the Corinthians have compelled
him. Paul wishes that rather than having to boast about himself, the
Corinthian Christians would have commended Paul. But instead of rallying
to his defense when the opponents exerted their influence, the Corinthians
caused him to be grossly misrepresented. Paul is saying that he should not
have had to defend himself.
Paul possessed every right to be commended, for he was not behind the
most eminent apostles. This is a sarcastic reference to the false apostles
who made arrogant claims for themselves and attempted to damage his
reputation. The statement though I am nothing displays his disclaimer of
personal glory for his ministry.
12:12. Truly when Paul established the church in Corinth, the signs of an
apostle were accomplished among the Corinthians in signs and wonders
and mighty deeds. Though the book of Acts does not record these events
having taken place at Corinth, Paul indicates that they did. As such, they
demonstrated that Paul’s ministry was validated by God rather than
approved by humankind.
12:13. Another slanderous accusation against Paul seems to be that the
church in Corinth was inferior to other churches because of some
deficiency in Paul’s leadership and teaching there. Paul asks how he treated
them differently. The only way he knows of is that he was not burdensome
to them. With a touch of irony Paul suggests that perhaps the church in
Corinth had been slighted as beneficiaries of his ministry when he refused
to ask for pay from them. With an additional touch of sarcasm he says,
Forgive me this wrong!
12:14. But if that is how they feel, Paul states that they will soon have an
opportunity to make up this deficiency, because he is about to come to them
for the third time.
Paul promises that even this time, he will not be burdensome to them
financially. On the contrary, his goal is their well-being, not his.
Accordingly they must allow him the parent’s privilege of taking care of the
children’s finances. Even in the physical world, the children typically do
not prepare financially for the future of the parents, but the parents for
the children. He desires their spiritual growth more than anything else.
Though the meeting of the financial needs of the one who is ministering can
be a spiritual act (Gal 6:6), the spiritually immature, which many of them
were, would believe that Paul possessed wrong intentions.
12:15. As their father, Paul will very gladly spend and be spent for their
souls. He expended his time, energy, and whatever else was necessary to
help them in their well-being. Throughout this letter the apostle has been
trying to regain their love for him. He urges them as children to open their
hearts to him as he had opened his heart to them (6:11, 13; 7:2). Even when
they refused to reciprocate, he stressed his loving heart toward them
(11:11). Yet Paul feels that the more abundantly he shows love to them,
the less he is loved. This stinging indictment is the feeling of many parents
about their children, and with Paul being their spiritual father (1 Cor 4:15),
this is how his love toward them is reciprocated. The more he sacrifices for
them, the more he receives judgment from them. They had become
ungrateful and self-centered children, and out of love
he rebukes them for this attitude (cf. Prov 27:5).
12:16. But be that as it may (lit., “but let it be”), whether the church at
Corinth loved him in return for his great love for them, Paul intends not to
burden them.
Nevertheless when all other efforts to attack the financial integrity of Paul
had failed, his opponents resorted to gossip and false accusations. The
apostle takes up the expression utilized by the opponents who said that he
was being crafty and that he caught the Corinthians by cunning!
Evidently they had gossiped that Paul lacked integrity because he had
exploited their generosity and possibly gained through his companions in a
covert manner what he had declined to take personally. They may have
been saying that the collection Paul wanted for Jerusalem was actually
going to Paul himself.
12:17-18. He responds by stating that he did not take advantage of any of
them through those whom he sent. Neither did anyone he send take
advantage of them. Paul urged Titus, and another unidentified brother to
go to Corinth, and they did not take advantage either. The Corinthians
knew and acknowledged that Titus did not take advantage of them. There
were no accusations against him.
Since the conduct of Titus and the unnamed brother was impeccable, Paul
proposes that he and his companions held the same integrity as these two
men. They all walked in the same spirit and in the same steps. Like Titus
and the unnamed brother, Paul and his coworkers substantiate their
integrity.
12:19. Paul does not want them to think he is just making an excuse for
himself. The word excuse (apologoumetha) means “to speak in one’s own
defense” (cf. Acts 26:24). Paul is not building his own defense before the
church. Rather, he and his missionary partners speak before God. The false
apostles seemed to be more concerned about what people thought of them.
They designed their message to appeal to their audience (11:40). However,
Paul cares only about God’s approval as he speaks in Christ and does all
things for the edification (“building up”) of the Corinthians.
12:20. Paul fears when he comes to them he will not find them as he
wishes. Conversely he fears that he will be what they do not wish. He is
keenly aware that the Corinthians will not like him when he comes if they
continue in their sin. Previously he had been more timid when dealing with
them (cf. 10:1). Now he would act more direct if necessary. He hopes for
the best, but he fears the worst.
He then lists several acts of the flesh that he fears may characterize the
Corinthians when he comes to them: contentions, jealousies, outbursts of
wrath, selfish ambitions, backbitings, whisperings, conceits (to be puffed
up with a sense of one’s own importance), and tumults (things that have to
do with public disturbances).
12:21. Furthermore Paul is troubled that when he comes God will humble
him once again among them. If he ascertains that they have not dealt with
their problems, God would humble him in their presence again since much
of his labor and ministry among them had accomplished nothing. If so, he
would also mourn because of those who sinned, but who despite his
urgings, did not repent.
Uncleanness is a general term for uncleanness of any type. Fornication
means sexual sins, which include sins like adultery, prostitution, and
homosexuality. To this list is added lewdness, denoting gratuitous defiance
of public decency.
 13:1. In all probability Paul had been in Corinth twice thus far (see
Introduction and comments on 12:14). Therefore he can say This will be
the third time I am coming to you. In this third visit he will defend the
charges against him by his opponents on the basis of the principle presented
in Deut 19:15, “By the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word shall
be established.”
The two or three witnesses to whom Paul is appealing may be himself and
God (and Jesus Christ). Already throughout the letter he has made an appeal
to himself (1:12) and to God as witnesses (1:23). Paul may have in mind
what Jesus did when His authority was challenged by the Pharisees. The
Lord defended Himself by quoting Deut 19:15 and by claiming that the two
witnesses of the Father and the Son meet the requirement of the two
witnesses (John 8:12-20).
13:2. Paul had told them before during the second “painful visit” that he
would not spare the sinful ones among them. He will now foretell as if I
were present the second time. This expression is best taken in the
temporal sense and is thus rendered foretell as when I were present the
second time. By writing to those who have sinned before (as described in
12:21) and to all the rest, he is referring to the others, who may have been
wrongly influenced by the opponents and who needed to be corrected. Paul
wants them to know that if I come again I will not spare the unrepentant
believers.
13:3. Because they had been predisposed to doubt his authority and thus to
oppose Christ’s teaching, they are described as ones who seek a proof of
Christ speaking in Paul. When he comes again and demonstrates the
power and authority of Christ in him, they would see him as not weak
toward them, but mighty in them.
13:4. Paul reminds them that Christ was crucified in weakness, yet He
lives by the power of God. By making this statement it is almost as he
were assuming that they were asking, “How can Christ who is strong speak
through the apostle who is obviously weak?” However, though the Lord
was strong, He chose weakness and submitted to His enemies without
retaliation. He also endured the suffering of the cross. Afterward He was
resurrected in strength by the power of God. In like manner Paul explains,
For we also are weak in Him, but we shall live with Him by the power
of God toward you. When he and his coworkers come to the Corinthians, it
will be by the power of the resurrected Christ who indwells them. Therefore
the Corinthians would experience the apostle’s strength and authority
because he was relying on the sufficiency and power of Christ rather than
his own resources (cf. 1 Cor 4:21; 2 Cor 2:5-6).
13:5. After he makes it evident that he lives and ministers by the
resurrection power of Jesus Christ, Paul commands the church at Corinth,
Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. He is addressing
believers and not unbelievers. This is demonstrated by the overall contexts
of both 1 and 2 Corinthians, which are addressed to believers (1 Cor 2:5;
3:5; 15:2, 11, 14, 17; 16:13; 2 Cor 1:24; 10:5). Also the following bears this
fact out.
They were to examine themselves, not to determine if they are truly
justified, but to see whether they are in the faith (en te pistei). Paul uses
this expression four times in his epistles (here, and 1 Cor 16:13; Col 2:7;
Titus 1:13). He commands the believers to “stand fast in the faith” (1 Cor
16:13), to be “established in the faith” (Col 2:7), and to “be sound in the
faith” (Titus 1:13). The expression in the faith represents that body of truth
given to believers by God.
They would have to test (prove) themselves. They must prove themselves
much like they had challenged the apostle to prove that Christ was speaking
through him (v 3). The next statement tells what they should prove. Do you
not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you
are disqualified. He is challenging them as believers
in Jesus Christ to examine themselves to see if Christ’s abiding presence
was manifested in them (John 15:3-4). If not, they would be disqualified
(adokimos), a term that appears three times in the immediate context (vv 5-
7). Paul desires for the church in Corinth and all believers to live pleasing
and obedient lives to the Lord and therefore to receive His approval at the
Judgment Seat of Christ (5:10; cf. 1 Cor 3: 9-15; 9: 24-27; 2 Tim 2:15).
13:6. Not only did Paul desire that Christ approve the Corinthians, but he
also trusted that they would know that he and his ministry partners are not
disqualified at the Judgment Seat of Christ as well.
13:7. Then he prays, Now I pray to God that you do no evil. He does not
desire to discipline them when he comes to Corinth. Neither does he wish
for self-vindication—not that we should appear approved. On the
contrary he wishes that they should do what is honorable. In other words
they are to persist in their spiritual growth even though he and his
coworkers seem disqualified. This last statement may refer to his giving up
his opportunity to speak sternly, which would display another evidence of
his apostleship (cf. v 3).
13:8. Paul explains his motivation even if his labor among the Corinthians
should appear to be suspect. For (explanatory gar) we can do nothing
against the truth. What ever is required to accomplish his goal and mentor
others, he would do because he stood
for the truth. Truth here is the gospel or truths that the gospel represents.
13:9. Paul restates his mission to them. For we are glad when we are
weak and you are strong. How can the Corinthians be strong? The
Corinthians show themselves strong when they are obeying Christ, thus
allowing Him to abide in them (13:5; cf. John 15:3-4). If their strength in
the Lord can be achieved only through Paul’s weakness, then that does not
matter to the apostle, who also prays that the Corinthians may be made
complete. The word katartisin (complete) occurs only here in the NT and
means “to make suitable or fitting for a particular task.” Its cognates convey
the notion of restoring, mending, and equipping. Paul, rather than
displaying apostolic power, desires to produce reconciliation among the
Corinthians between themselves and God.
13:10. The reason is given for the apostle writing what he wrote.
Therefore (because of this) I write these things being absent. He is
signaling to the Corinthians that he was about to conclude the letter. He is
also sharing this occasion to present the purpose of 2 Corinthians. What is
his purpose? He says, lest being present I should use sharpness,
according to the authority which the Lord has given me for edification
and not for destruction. Paul has a mainly pastoral purpose. He does not
demonstrate his authority for the sake of demonstrating it. Rather his aim is
for edification and not for destruction.
V. Paul’s Conclusion (13:11-14)
13:11. Some treat vv 11-14 as the concluding remarks to the first nine
chapters of 2 Corinthians. However, this section follows naturally with
more positive concluding remarks after the severity of the warning in
chapters 10-13.
 Finally, brethren, farewell. The word farewell can be translated “rejoice”
(cf. Phil 4:4; 1 Thess 5:16). Paul is encouraging them to find real joy in the
Lord and stop their negative and critical attitudes. He also commands them
to Become complete. The verb become complete is related to the noun
katartisin in v 9. They needed restoration. They could possess it by being of
good comfort and by not losing heart over their situation. They should also
be of one mind (literally, “be minding the same thing”). This is a plea for
unity (cf. Eph 4:3). The statement live in peace is added. Peace is one of the
manifestations of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23). The result of this
obedient lifestyle is that the God of love and peace will be with you.
13:12. In vv 12-13 Paul offers his greetings. The command Greet one
another with a holy kiss occurs five times in the NT epistles (Rom 16:16;
1 Cor 16:20; 2 Cor 13:12; 1 Thess 5:26; 1 Pet 5:14). In the ancient world
this kind of greeting was common between members of the same sex. The
early church adopted it as a symbol of love, forgiveness, and unity in the
body of Christ.
13:13. When Paul says All the saints greet you, he is referring to the
Macedonians who were with him when he wrote 2 Corinthians.
13:14. Paul closes the letter in a manner that is the fullest of any of his
closings in his other letters. He calls on the blessing of the triune God. The
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the
communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen. They desperately
needed the grace and empowerment of God to sustain them and to help
them be reconciled.
 Galatians
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
Galatians is the most important NT book on Christian liberty. It deals with
both how one is justified and how one is to live the Christian life. It also
shows how believers should respond to false teachers and the gospels they
proclaim.
This epistle offers an important view into Paul’s ministry and into the life
of the early church.
Authorship
Paul identifies himself by name twice in this epistle (1:1; 5:2) and shares
much about his life and ministry. Of all Paul’s letters in the NT, this one is
the most vibrant and emotional in tone.
Audience, Date, and Destination
Acts 13–14 report that Paul and Barnabas went to South Galatia on their
first missionary journey (AD 48–49). If the destination of this epistle was
South Galatia, then its date would be around AD 49, making it Paul’s first
epistle, and one of the earliest books of the NT.
If, however, Paul penned the letter to the churches in North Galatia, which
he visited on his third missionary journey, then its date would be around AD
58.
A stronger argument can be made for the earlier date because (1) Paul does
not mention the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15, which occurred in AD 50) in
the epistle, (2) Gal 2:1 refers to a second visit to Jerusalem fourteen years
after Paul came to faith in Christ (= AD 46-48) and that fits the Acts 11
famine relief visit (cf. Gal 2:10), and (3) Galatia was the Roman designation
for South Galatia and Paul routinely used Roman designations.
Paul probably wrote the epistle to the Galatians from Antioch, his home
base when he was not on his missionary journeys (cf. Acts 13:1). This is
where Paul was after his first missionary journey, immediately before the
Jerusalem Council of AD 49 or 50 (cf. Acts 14:26–15:2).
 Paul’s Opponents: The Judaizers
Paul does not identify his opponents by name. More than one person was
involved, for he normally speaks of them in the plural (e.g., 5:12, “those
who trouble you,” cf. 6:12). These opponents have come to be called
Judaizers since they were seeking to make observance of the Mosaic Law a
condition for justification and sanctification within Christianity.
Paul’s remarks in the letter indicate that his detractors were suggesting that
faith in Jesus Christ was necessary for eternal salvation, but not enough.
Eternal life that began by faith in Christ could be maintained only by
careful observance of the Law of Moses. See Paul’s remarks in 1:6-9; 2:11-
16; 3:6-14.
Evidently they were also suggesting that careful observance of the Law of
Moses was required to live a life that was pleasing to God (see Paul’s
comments in 2:17-21; 4:9-11; 5:11-12; 6:12-15).
Probably these Judaizers were unregenerate. But it is a mistake to think
that no believer could err in the way of the Judaizers. A believer’s fidelity to
the gospel message is not guaranteed. Indeed, in Gal 1:8-9 Paul implied that
even an apostle might be guilty of proclaiming a false gospel. Paul’s
anathema was reserved for those who proclaim a false gospel.
Rhetoric and Galatians
For years leading commentators have thought that Paul wrote Galatians as
a speech. This obviously affects how one outlines and understands the book.
But if Paul did not use this approach, then the exegesis of the letter is
thrown off. The interpreter would end up imposing a structure, style, and
meaning on the book that Paul did not intend.
This commentary proceeds from the view that Paul’s letter to the
Galatians, while carefully crafted, was not designed to follow the patterns
of rhetoric of his day.
Literary Character
Galatians is clearly an emotionally charged letter written to a number of
churches in the region of Galatia. Paul’s strong love for the readers is
matched by his abhorrence for the Judaizers who are troubling them.
The epistle may be outlined in a variety of ways, but there are three major
sections in this letter: a biographical section used to defend Paul’s gospel
(1:11–2:21), a section using the OT to defend Paul’s gospel (3:1–4:30), and
an applicational section (4:31–6:10).
Purpose
Approximately six months after they had come to faith in Christ under the
preaching of Paul and Barnabas, the new believers in Galatia were under
spiritual attack (1:6-10). Some were telling them that the gospel that Paul
preached would give the Galatians neither victory in this life nor entrance
into the kingdom.
Paul’s purpose in this epistle is to get his readers to hold fast to the gospel
he proclaimed to them, both as a means of continued assurance of salvation,
and as the foundation for successful Christian living. As a corollary to this
purpose, he also wants them to reject the false gospel of the Judaizers, and
any gospel that differs from the message that he proclaimed to them.
His ultimate aim is to ensure that his readers persevere in the Christian
faith so that they might rule forever with the Lord Jesus (5:19-23; 6:7-9). In
turn this would bring joy to Paul now and later at the Judgment Seat of
Christ. Should his readers succumb to the false teachers, then his ministry
among them would have been in vain in the sense that neither he nor they
would receive the rewards the Lord intended them to have.

OUTLINE
The overarching point of Galatians is this: Paul’s gospel is foundational to
successful service now and forever.
I. Salutation and Greeting (1:1-5)
II. Theme: Don’t Let Anyone Move You from Paul’s Gospel (1:6-10)
III. Paul’s Life and Ministry Prove That His Gospel Is the True Gospel
(1:11–2:21)
IV. The Old Testament Scriptures Prove That Paul’s Gospel Is the True
Gospel (3:1–4:31)
V. Only Paul’s Gospel Allows Believers to Serve Christ Successfully Now
So That They Might Rule with Him Forever (5:1–6:10)
VI. Epilogue: Paul’s Gospel Leads One to Boast in Christ, Not in the Flesh
(6:11-16)
VII. Farewell (6:17-18)
 COMMENTARY
I. Salutation and Greeting (1:1-5)
1:1-2. Paul’s apostleship was divine in origin (not from men nor through
man). To reject Paul’s gospel message (1:6-9) was to reject God.
Paul’s ministry and his gospel were an outgrowth of the resurrection of the
Lord Jesus (cf. v 12), whom God the Father raised from the dead.
Paul was writing here not to a single church, but to the churches of
Galatia. If this refers to the South Galatian region (see Introduction), then
Paul was writing to churches in the cities of Antioch of Pisidia, Lystra,
Iconium, and Derby.
1:3. Paul extends grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
1:4-5. That the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself for our sins is especially
pivotal in this letter since the teaching of the Judaizers effectively undercut
the need for the cross (cf. 2:21).
One of the purposes of Christ’s death on the cross was that He might
deliver us from this present evil age. The subjunctive mood suggests that
this deliverance is not guaranteed (especially when Judaizers confused the
new believers in Galatia).
This is the only time in Paul’s letters where a doxology—to whom be
glory forever and ever—appears at the end of the salutation. The new
believers in Galatia were in danger of robbing God of the glory due to Him.
The false gospel of the Judaizers was already causing the Galatians to
bicker and fight (5:13-15, 26). That certainly did not bring glory to God. In
addition, unlike Paul, the Judaizers were seeking to receive glory
themselves (cf. 6:12-14).
II. Theme: Don’t Let Anyone Move You from Paul’s Gospel (1:6-
10)
1:6. Only six months after Paul’s first missionary journey (so soon) he
received word of this problem. He was upset (I marvel). Doctrinal
defection on the gospel is not some minor point. It is turning away…from
Him who called you in the grace of Christ. What a person believes
matters very much to God.
 The word gospel means good news. As he makes clear in 2:14-21, Paul’s
gospel was both the good news about justification and sanctification. The
“gospel” of the Judaizers contradicted Paul’s good news on both fronts.
1:7. This “different gospel” is not another of the same kind. It is a
heterodox message.
Those who were troubling the Galatians were the Judaizers who wanted to
pervert the gospel of Christ. This is the only time in Galatians where Paul
modifies the word gospel in this way (cf. 1:11; 2:2, 5, 14). In his other
epistles Paul’s most common reference to gospel is in its simple unmodified
form.
1:8-9. Paul tells the new believers that no matter who is proclaiming some
other message—even Paul himself or another apostle or even an angel
from heaven, they should treat him as under God’s curse.
The expression let him be accursed translates two Greek words: esthō
anathema. Some English translations have actually translated this as “let
him be eternally condemned” (NIV), or “let him go to hell” (Phillips).
These are very unfortunate and inaccurate translations. The word anathema
refers to a curse. Thus the expression means “let him be under the curse of
God.” Most naturally this refers to judgment here and now (including the
withdrawal of all financial and moral support by the churches of Galatia
who were to treat the Judaizers as accursed men).
Three facts show that this is not referring to eternal condemnation. First,
most or all of the other uses of anathema by Paul do not refer to eternal
condemnation (see Rom 9:3; 1 Cor 12:3; 16:22). Second, the believers in
Galatia were in danger of being duped and becoming false teachers
themselves. If they did, the curse would apply to them! Believers cannot be
eternally condemned (John 3:18). Third, Paul includes apostles and unfallen
angels in the list of those who potentially could be accursed. Neither the
apostles nor unfallen angels could be eternally condemned.
That the recipients were believers is further confirmed by Paul’s reminder
in Gal 1:9 that the readers had received the gospel Paul preached. Since
what they heard was the one and only gospel message, they must take care
to hold fast to it.
1:10. Paul here concludes vv 6-9 and also introduces his defense based on
his life and ministry (1:11–2:21). The NKJV translation is a bit awkward
here. The word translated do I persuade (peithō) can be better translated
“do I seek the approval (or favor) of?” Paul of course did seek to persuade
men, but he did not seek men’s approval.
III. Paul’s Life and Ministry Prove That His Gospel Is the True
Gospel (1:11–2:21)
A. Paul Received His Gospel Directly from Jesus (1:11-14)
1:11. The gospel which was preached by Paul was (past tense) and still is
(present tense) outside of his control. Paul uses the passive voice to express
his role in the content of the message. Not according to man is parallel to
“not from men, nor through man” in v 1. The message he preached was not
of human origin.
1:12. Paul continues the passive voice here. It is as though the gospel
overpowered him. Paul received it, but not from man. Nor was he taught
it [by man]. He received it from God. That is, it came through the
revelation of Jesus Christ (cf. v 1). This refers to Paul’s Damascus Road
experience when the Lord Jesus appeared to him and spoke to him.
The genitive here of Jesus Christ is subjective. Jesus Christ revealed
Himself and His gospel to Paul.
1:13-14. Paul here introduces two proofs of the divine origin of his gospel.
First, his initial response to the church and its gospel was anything but
warm. Second, the reason for his hostile reaction was due to his zealous
upbringing as a Pharisee (v 14).
Paul persecuted the church of God beyond measure. He had been one of
the leading opponents of the church. He actually tried to destroy it!
Paul had been one of the rising stars of Judaism and of his own nation. He
was exceedingly zealous for the traditions of [his] fathers, more so than
any of his contemporaries. Implied here and evident in the entire epistle is
that his zeal for the gospel exceeds the zeal of his Judaizing opponents.
That he now preaches the message he once tried to destroy is compelling
proof of the divine origin of his gospel.
B. Paul Shared the Gospel before He Went to Jerusalem (1:15-17)
When Paul was saved, he did not seek instruction of any kind. From the
very moment he met Christ on the road to Damascus, he had a message to
preach.
 1:15. Paul came to faith in Christ when it pleased God…to reveal His
Son in [him] that [he] might preach Him among the Gentiles. Jesus led
Paul to faith in Himself, and as a result Paul became the apostle to the
Gentiles.
God separated Paul from his mother’s womb for this task, to be the
spokesman of this good news message to the Gentiles. This is parallel to OT
texts that refer to prophets who were set apart from the womb for their
future tasks (e.g., Isa 49:1-6; Jer 1:5).
Paul was called through His grace to be the apostle to the Gentiles (cf.
Rom 1:1).
1:16. One might expect Paul to speak of how it pleased God…to reveal
His Son to him. Yet Paul said in me. Perhaps Paul is stressing that God
implanted His gospel message within Paul’s psyche. Thus when Paul
preached, his words came from his soul.
Alternately, in me could refer to the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. 2:20; 4:6).
However, still another option is suggested in 1:24 where Paul said, “And
they glorified God in me.” Clearly in me there means through me or
because of me. That same sense fits here. God was pleased to reveal His
Son through Paul, that he might preach Him among the Gentiles. If this
is Paul’s intended meaning, the verse may be translated, “It pleased God…
to reveal His Son through me, that is, that I might preach Him among the
Gentiles.”
When Paul was converted, he did not immediately confer with flesh and
blood. Clearly he spoke to others during this time, but not about the gospel
(cf. v 12).
1:17. Nor did Paul go up to Jerusalem and meet with some of the
apostles about the gospel.
He went instead to Arabia. But why? In the dependent clause of this same
sentence, Paul said that God revealed His Son in him “that I might preach
Him among the Gentiles” (v 16a). Thus the logical reason for the trip to
Arabia was to preach Christ to the Gentiles there. If so, the missionary
journey by Paul to Galatia that led to this letter was not his first missionary
journey.
In fact, in light of vv 21-23 Paul’s first missionary journey with Barnabas
was not his second missionary effort, either. After his ministry in Arabia, he
spent some time ministering in Syria and Cilicia (v 21).
 When he returned from his trip to Arabia, Paul returned again to
Damascus.
C. Paul Did Not Receive His Gospel from the Jerusalem Church
(1:18-20)
Paul did go to Jerusalem on two occasions before his ministry in Galatia.
He now writes about the first of those trips.
1:18. Three years after Paul came to faith in Christ, he finally went to
Jerusalem, saw Peter, and remained with him fifteen days. He stayed
away much longer (three years) than he visited there (fifteen days). The
reason for his visit to Jerusalem is not stated.
1:19. In Jerusalem he also saw James, the Lord’s (half) brother.
Whatever Paul and James discussed, it did not involve any significant
interaction about the gospel. If that had occurred, Paul surely would have
said so (cf. 2:1-10).
There is no evidence here that Paul was seeking guidance from the
Jerusalem church. He is clearly an independent witness of the gospel of
Jesus Christ.
1:20. Here Paul makes a solemn statement (or oath) affirming the
truthfulness of his writing. The things which I write to you refers to the
preceding verses. Paul has just given several proofs that his gospel was
from God, not men. His background in Judaism was decidedly contrary to
his gospel. He was not taught his gospel by any man. He had no contact
with the Jerusalem church for three years. The Lord Jesus gave him his
message directly.
D. Paul Evangelized without Guidance from Jerusalem (1:21–24)
1:21. Afterward refers to the time after his first visit to Jerusalem. It is not
clear if the next eleven years (between the two visits to Jerusalem recorded
in 1:18-19 and 2:1-10) were spent in ministry in Syria and Cilicia, or were
starting places for ministry during that time. One cannot be certain, for Paul
does not answer this question.
1:22. If Paul had spent any length of time in Judea, he would have been
well known to the churches there. But since he was not, this shows that he
left not only Jerusalem, but all of Judea, after his fifteen-day visit. After all,
he was ministering well away from Israel, and hence the believers there did
not see him. And this fact also lends corroboration to his claim that he was
not working for the Jerusalem church.
1:23. Believers in the Palestine churches were talking about this enemy-
turned-evangelist. He who formerly persecuted us now preaches the
faith. As he did in v 13, Paul again mentions his efforts to destroy the
church. Whereas v 13 concerned destroying the church itself, here it speaks
of destroying the faith—the one true gospel on which the church is founded
(cf. vv 6-7).
1:24. What specifically does Paul mean by the words they glorified God
in me? Implied is the fact that his testimony spurred the churches in Judea
to proclaim the gospel boldly as well. They glorified God by telling people
the good news.
Paul conducted this ministry trip without the supervision or support of
Jerusalem. Indeed, his efforts encouraged and strengthened the very
churches he once persecuted so mightily in his efforts to destroy the faith.
E. The Jerusalem Church Leaders Endorsed His Gospel (2:1-10)
2:1. Paul’s second visit to Jerusalem (again) occurred fourteen years after
his new birth, or about AD 47, three years before his Jerusalem Council
visit. Paul went up to Jerusalem with Barnabas, his fellow church-planting
missionary in Galatia, and with Titus.
2:2. Paul communicated to them that gospel which [he] preach[ed]
among the Gentiles. The phrase to those who were of reputation refers to
the other apostles. Paul feared that if the apostles in Jerusalem were
opposed to his gospel, they might hinder his future ministry: lest by any
means I might run…in vain. Indeed, they might even disturb what he had
already accomplished, that is, the hoped-for ministries of his disciples:
lest…I had run in vain.
2:3-5. These verses are a minor digression from the discussion of his
meeting with the apostles (which he resumes in v 6). False brethren,
unbelievers who initially pretended to agree with Paul’s gospel, were trying
to compel Titus to be circumcised—evidently arguing that he must do so in
order to acquire or retain eternal life (cf. Acts 15:1) and in order to please
God in sanctification.
Prior to their trip to Jerusalem, Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch (Acts
11:19-30). They encountered a group of men, apparently from (though not
representing) the Jerusalem church (cf. Acts 15:24). Evidently these men
followed Paul, Barnabas, and Titus to Jerusalem, where they stepped up the
pressure on Paul to circumcise Titus.
These men were secretly brought in by stealth to spy out [their]
liberty…in Christ Jesus. They did not appear at the church and announce
that they had come to take over. For the first time in the letter Paul mentions
the contrast between liberty and bondage. The Judaizers were seeking to
destroy the liberty of the church and to enslave it with their legalism.
Paul and his companions did not yield submission even for an hour,
realizing that the truth of the gospel was at stake in this matter of Titus’s
circumcision (cf. v 14).
2:6. The spiritual heavyweights in the Jerusalem church did not intimidate
Paul: whatever they were, it makes no difference to me. He knew that
God shows personal favoritism to no man. Thus Paul would proclaim the
message God gave him regardless (see vv 11-21). He received his gospel
directly from the Lord Jesus. The Jerusalem apostles added nothing to
him.
2:7-9. In Greek this is one long sentence. There are two temporal
dependent clauses, each introduced by when. When they saw and
perceived that their message was correct, James, Cephas, and John…
gave [Paul] and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship.
The gospel Paul preached was the same as that of Peter and the other
apostles. Paul acknowledged here, as the apostles did in Jerusalem, that
God worked effectively both in Peter and in me. Paul’s ministry toward
the Gentiles was no less effective than Peter’s was to the circumcised.
James, Cephas (Peter), and John…seemed to be pillars, and in one sense,
they were pillars of the early Church. However, Paul knew that the Lord
Jesus Christ is the real Pillar of the Church (cf. 1 Cor 3:5-17).
2:10. The only request “the pillars” had was that Paul and Barnabas
remember the poor in Palestine. This, of course, was the very thing that
Paul also was eager to do since he was there to bring a gift from the church
in Antioch in response to the prophecy of Agabus.
The apostles did not instruct Paul about the gospel or try to change his
message.
Paul ends the biographical section by recalling an amazing incident
involving Peter and Barnabas.
 F. He Successfully Defended the Gospel against Peter and
Barnabas (2:11-21)
Though not much is recorded about this incident in Antioch, it concerned
eating with Gentiles.
2:11. Paul moves from a peaceful interaction with Peter in Jerusalem (vv
1-10) to a tempestuous one in Antioch. Paul indicates that Peter was to be
blamed. Paul withstood him to his face since he realized that “the truth of
the gospel” (v 4) was at stake.
2:12. Peter’s blame stemmed from an incident with Judaizers. The certain
men who came from James merely came from the Jerusalem church.
James did not personally send them.
When God sent Peter to Cornelius, He taught him that table fellowship
with Gentiles was no longer forbidden (Acts 10:9-29). Hence it is not
surprising that when Peter was in Antioch he would eat with the Gentiles.
While this could refer to any meal, it most likely refers to the Lord’s
Supper, because a number of NT passages suggest that the Lord’s Supper
involved a full meal (e.g., Matt 26:26-30; Acts 2:42, 46; 1 Cor 11:17-34).
Peter, Barnabas, and all the Jews except Paul withdraw to a separate part
of the room, thereby causing the Lord’s Supper to become segregated. Paul
said Peter’s reason for doing this was that Peter feared those who were of
the circumcision (cf. 1:10).
2:13. This is the only use in the NT of the expression played the
hypocrite with (sunupekrithesan). Peter, Barnabas, and the rest of the
Jews from the church in Antioch were bowing to peer pressure.
Evidently only one Jewish believer remained with the Gentiles: Paul. He
now reports specifically on his public confrontation with Peter.
2:14. When Paul saw that they were not straightforward about the
truth of the gospel he said to Peter before them all. This further supports
the idea that this occurred during the Lord’s Supper.
Peter had lived “in the manner of Gentiles” when he first arrived in
Antioch. He had eaten with the Gentiles and eaten their nonkosher foods.
Only when legalists came did he withdraw.
Peter was essentially supporting the terrible doctrine of the Judaizers by
compelling “Gentiles to live as Jews.” It is not clear whether Paul’s
remarks to Peter before the church ended in v 14 (RSV) or v 21 (NKJV,
NASB, NIV). However, clearly the entire section is Paul’s response to what
Peter and the others did.
2:15-16. The word who was supplied by the NKJV translators, but it is
unnecessary. It would be better to translate vv 15 and 16 as two independent
sentences: “We are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the Gentiles. Since
we know that….”
Jews often referred to Gentiles as sinners. Thus according to the Judaizers
a Gentile would have to be circumcised and keep the Law of Moses in order
to escape sinner status.
Though the wording varies slightly, three times in this verse Paul says
“that a man is not justified by the works of the law” and three times he
says a man is justified “by faith in Jesus Christ.” Justification is being
declared righteous once and for all by God the Father.
Forensic justification is the imputation (2 Cor 5:21) of Christ’s
righteousness, but not the impartation of His righteousness (cf. 1 John 1:8,
10; 3:2).
In Galatians Paul normally uses the term law (nomos) to refer to the Law
of Moses. The specific expression works of the law occurs six times in
Galatians and is always used negatively (2:16 three times; 3:2, 5, 10). There
is also one obviously negative reference to “the works of the flesh” in 5:19.
Only one of the eight uses of the word works is positive or neutral (see 6:4).
“Faith in Christ” (pisteōs Iēsou Christou) is seen by some to refer to the
faithfulness of Christ. However, the contrast here is between justification by
faith in Christ or by fulfilling the law.
2:17. “While we seek to be justified by Christ” is perplexing. Paul and
Peter and other Jewish believers were already justified. Why then does Paul
speak of seeking to be justified?
Present participles (in this case zētountes) are quite flexible in Greek and
can refer to present or past time. The context indicates past time is meant.
Thus if after Paul and Peter sought and gained justification, they were
“found to be sinners, is Christ therefore a minister of sin?”
The word sinners is used here exactly as in v 16. If after being justified by
Christ Paul and Peter ate with Gentiles and thus were found to be “sinners”
in the eyes of the legalists, does that mean that Jesus promotes sin?
“Certainly not!” Christ is not a minister of sin in leading Paul to eat with
Gentiles. Why? Because believers are no longer under the Law, and hence
Paul was permitted to eat with Gentiles without sinning.
2:18. Paul now shifts from the first person plural to the singular to give
personal emphasis. Besides, Paul cannot say that all Jewish believers once
destroyed the Church. Paul was singularly guilty of that sin.
The clause “I make myself a transgressor” refers to Paul’s eating with
Gentiles and building up the Church of Jesus Christ which he once
destroyed. Under the Law of Moses eating with Gentiles was sin. But Paul
is not under that Law any longer.
2:19. The Law itself (“through the law”) looked ahead to the death of
Christ, the Lamb of God. Animal sacrifices foreshadowed the coming of the
ultimate sacrifice. Only the final sacrifice of God’s Messiah would provide
atonement (Heb 10:1-18).
Paul here introduces the idea that because of the death of Christ believers
have “died to the law.” The believer shares in Christ’s death. Dying to the
Law is a good thing since it permits one to “live to God.”
Believers are no longer subject to the Law of Moses, including the dietary
restrictions (cf. Rom 6:2, 18). Paul was living to God when he ate with
Gentiles in Antioch.
2:20. This climactic verse states Paul’s view of progressive sanctification
in a nutshell. When he came to faith in Christ, Paul was joined to the one
who died for Him (“I have been crucified with Christ”). From that
moment onward “it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.”
Yet there is a sense in which the believer still does live: and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. Believers are to
live by faith in the Son of God. The point is, not only is justification by faith
in Christ, apart from the works of the Law (v 16), but so is progressive
sanctification.
Paul’s life was a faith walk. He was amazed and motivated by God’s love
(the Son of God “who loved me and gave Himself for me”; cf. 2 Cor
5:14). Unlike the Judaizers and legalists who were afraid of eternal
condemnation, Paul was certain that he was secure forever.
Paul ate with Gentiles, in contradiction to his upbringing, because He was
living by faith in Christ and he was no longer living by and for the Law.
There is no hint here that all believers live by faith in the Son of God. Paul
is speaking of his own experience. Peter and Barnabas here are prime
examples of temporary failure to live by faith in Christ. When they
withdrew from the Gentiles, they bowed to pressure and disobeyed Christ to
please the legalists.
2:21. Paul “did not set aside the grace of God.” By implication, the
Judaizers did.
The true gospel is founded on God’s grace, His undeserved favor. The
Judaizers set aside the grace of God, effectively making the death of Christ
to be unnecessary. Paul used the expression “in vain” once earlier (v 2). He
will use it again twice (3:4; 4:11). “If righteousness comes through the
law,” then there would have been no need for Christ to die.
Paul ended the biographical support of his gospel with this final look at
justification (righteousness). This sets the stage for the next section (3:1–
4:31).
IV. The Old Testament Scriptures Prove That Paul’s Gospel Is the
True Gospel (3:1–4:31)
A. The Galatians’ Own Experience Validates Paul’s Gospel (3:1-
5)
These five verses introduce two chapters dealing with OT proofs that
Paul’s gospel is indeed from God. Paul only devotes five verses to their
experience as compared to fifty-five verses about the OT. Of course, even
when he speaks of their experience he discusses not their behavior, but the
divinely given message they had heard and believed and that resulted in
their being born again and receiving the Spirit.
3:1. Paul begins with a strong rebuke: O foolish Galatians! Who has
bewitched you that you should not obey the truth? He writes as though
someone has cast a spell over them. What else could explain turning away
from the grace of God for legalistic rituals?
Paul preached the cross of Christ when he was with them (Jesus Christ
was clearly portrayed among you as crucified). The Galatians knew of
His death and its significance, including the fact that believers have died to
the Law (cf. 2:19-20). Thus turning to the Law to stay saved makes
absolutely no sense.
3:2. Paul’s rhetorical question (Did you receive the Spirit by the works
of the law, or by the hearing of faith?) affirms that the Galatians were
regenerate. They had received the Spirit by the hearing of faith, not by the
works of the Law. Paul had preached Christ to them and they believed his
message (cf. 1:9).
3:3. The foolish Galatians had begun the Christian life by the Spirit. But
now they were seeking to be made perfect by the flesh. Here is the
antithesis so often proclaimed in this epistle: Spirit versus flesh.
Justification and sanctification by faith came by the “Spirit,” whereas
seeking justification and sanctification by legalistic observances is “flesh.”
The flesh—works of the Law—can make no one perfect (cf. 2:16; 3:10).
Perfection is obtained at the moment one believes in Christ for eternal life
(cf. 2:16; 3:6-14).
3:4. The believers in Galatia had suffered many things for their faith (cf.
Acts 14:19, 22). Their suffering would have been in vain if the Judaizers
were right. Why suffer for the faith message if it is a lie?
Paul adds if indeed it was in vain. Their suffering was not actually in vain
for God rewards all who suffer for Him (cf. Matt 5:10-12; 6:19-21; Rom
8:17; 1 Pet 4:13). Now if the Galatians fell from grace (Gal 5:4), then the
value of their sufferings would be greatly reduced. Still, there would be
some eternal reward for it (see Matt 10:42). However, to have the full
benefit, they needed to remain steadfast in the faith (cf. Col 1:21-23; 2 Tim
2:12).
3:5. Paul now wraps up these hinge verses by adding a reference to He
who…works miracles among you. This is most naturally a reference to the
miracles accomplished at Paul’s hand when he was with them (Acts 14:8-
18). As he pointed out in v 2, God did this not by the works of the law, but
by the hearing of faith.
God supplied the Spirit to the Galatians six months before when Paul was
there and led them to faith in Christ. Thus the present participles may be
translated, “He who supplied the Spirit to you and worked miracles among
you.”
B. God’s Dealings with Abraham Validate Paul’s Gospel (3:6-9)
3:6. The NKJV starts this verse with a lower case just as (kathōs).
However, since kathōs is being used to introduce a quotation, it could better
be translated, “For [it is written] Abraham ‘believed God and it was
accounted to him for righteousness.’”
 Genesis 15:6 is one of Paul’s favorite OT passages on justification. He
cites it not only here, but also in Rom 4:3, 9, 22.
This is the second reference to righteousness (dikaiosunē) in Galatians (cf.
2:21). It occurs two other times, in 3:21 and 5:5. The verb to justify
(dikaioō) occurs eight times (2:16 [three times], 17; 3:8, 11, 24; 5:4).
Unfortunately, the English makes it appear that these are not from the same
root. This is why some prefer to translate the verb as “to declare righteous.”
Righteousness is a dominant theme in Galatians as Paul defends
justification by faith alone.
3:7. Paul wants the Galatians to know that only those who are of faith
[ek pisteōs] are…sons of Abraham. The NKJV translates the verb know
(ginōskete) as an imperative. This is probably best since it seems that the
believers in Galatia no longer believed this to be true (cf. 1:6-7 and 5:4).
They needed the command of an apostle to get them back on track.
3:8. The Scripture refers to the OT (cf. Gen 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4;
28:14). Paul sees in these promises more than mere temporal material
blessings mediated by Abraham’s descendants, the nation of Israel. He sees
a primary reference to the fact that God would justify the Gentiles by
faith, that is, through faith in Abraham’s greatest Son, Jesus Christ.
The term gospel means good news. In the NT it sometimes refers to
justification by faith. But other times it refers to sanctification by
perseverance in faith and good works (e.g., Gal 2:19-20). Thus one should
not think that Abraham was born again by believing the Gen 12:3
pronouncement. The content of his faith was the promise of eternal life
through faith in the miracle Seed that was to come (Gen 15:6).
3:9. The words believing Abraham (or, “Abraham the believer”)
emphasizes justification by faith, not works.
The theme of blessing and cursing occurs throughout the epistle. Here Paul
links God’s blessings with faith in Christ. God’s curses are reserved for
those who seek to be justified or sanctified by the works of the Law. It is to
this point that Paul now speaks.
C. The Only Way to Escape the Law’s Curse Is by Faith in the
Messiah (3:10-14)
3:10. The word curse occurs twice in this verse and three times in v 13.
The Law brings curse, but faith brings blessing (see vv 8-9, 14). In Paul’s
defense of the gospel, he is offering his readers a choice: blessings or curses
(cf. Leviticus 26; Deuteronomy 28).
As many as are under the works of the law are under the curse. The
Greek word hosoi (as many as) is used elsewhere in Galatians to refer
inclusively to all people (cf. 6:12, 16). For a person under the Law to avoid
the curse, he had to “continue in all things written in the book of the law.”
3:11. Paul picks up his proposition directly from 2:16. People can be
justified in the sight of men by their works, but not in the sight of God (cf.
Rom 4:2; Jas 2:21, 25).
Paul then quotes Hab 2:4, “the just shall live by faith.” Actually the
Greek (ho dikaios ek pisteōs zēsetai) has a different word order which
yields a different sense: “the just by faith shall live” (cf. Rom 1:17; Heb
10:38). Zēsetai is placed last for emphasis. Paul is not saying that the
righteous person should live his life by faith. Rather, he is saying that the
one who is just (declared righteous by God) by faith shall live. This shows
the close connection between justification (the just by faith) and
regeneration (shall live). Justification and regeneration are by faith in
Christ, not by works of the Law.
3:12. Yet the law is not of faith. Under the Law of Moses a person’s life
was contingent on obedience: “the man who does them shall live by them”
(Lev 18:5). Faith in the Law did not extend one’s physical life. Obedience
did.
If the Law was to be the means of justification, it would have to be by
faith. But since the law is not of faith, it clearly is not a means of
justification before God. This argument not only excludes the Law of
Moses; it also excludes anything that is not of faith, that is, anything that is
of works.
3:13. Three times in this one verse Paul speaks of curses. Christ has
redeemed us from the curse of the law. He did so by becoming a curse
for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.”) This
is the first of two references to redemption (exagorazō) in Galatians (see
also 4:5) and four uses in the entire NT (the others are Eph 5:16 and Col
4:5). The term was used in secular literature to refer to purchasing goods.
The Law brought a curse. By His substitutionary (for us) accursed death
on the cross, Christ brings the promise of blessing to all who believe in Him
(v 14). Christ is our substitute, hence this doctrine is called substitutionary
atonement. For a born-again Gentile to turn to the Jewish Law in a
misguided effort to try to retain eternal life is ridiculous.
3:14. The Spirit offers the blessing of Abraham, not only to believing
Jews, but also to believing Gentiles as well. Because Jesus became a curse
for mankind, all who place their faith in Him receive the blessing of
Abraham—the promise of the Spirit.
Promise is another great theme in Galatians. The reception of the Spirit is
based on promise, not law.
Why does Paul switch from a third-person reference (the Gentiles) to a
first-person reference (that we might receive…)? As in the first half of v
13, Paul includes himself and all Jewish believers. There is stress here on
eis ta ethnē (to the Gentiles), both because it comes first in the Greek
sentence (immediately after hina, “that”), and because Paul then switches to
a first-person plural. The blessing of Abraham extends to all who believe in
Christ.
In vv 6-14 Paul uses various words for faith or believing (pistis, pisteuō,
pistos) eight different times.
D. The Promise to Abraham of Justification by Faith Is
Changeless (3:15-18)
In vv 15-18 Paul makes two points. First, God’s promise to Abraham was
irrevocable. Second, the promise was specifically addressed to one person,
Abraham’s Seed. The first of these points is discussed in v 15.
3:15. Brethren is a term Paul reserves in his epistles for fellow believers
(unless he qualifies it and speaks of “my brethren according to the flesh”).
He typically uses this expression in Galatians
to signal shifts in thought (i.e., the start or end of a point).
I speak in the manner of men looks ahead to what he is about to say, not
back to what he has just said.
Once a man’s covenant…is confirmed, no one annuls or adds to it. The
point, which Paul is about to develop, is clear: nothing, certainly no law
added after God made a covenant with Abraham, could annul or alter the
promise of the covenant. The Judaizers were, in essence, destroying the
Abrahamic Covenant!
3:16. One way to understand Seed is as a specific singular. In that sense
only Christ is being referred to. However, v 29 makes this untenable, at
least in the exclusive sense. Another option is to see it as a generic singular.
In that sense it refers to Christ and to all who are “sons of God through faith
in Christ Jesus” (v 26). This latter option fits the context here and in the OT.
Jews understood that the promises made to Abraham were through Isaac.
Paul’s point is that the text actually meant that the Seed was indeed through
Isaac, but that the specific person God had in mind was Christ, the ultimate
Son (descendant) of Abraham.
3:17. The sentence, The law…cannot annul the covenant that was
confirmed before by God in Christ, looks back to v 15.
The Law was given to Moses long after God confirmed the Abrahamic
Covenant. Four hundred and thirty years agrees with Exod 12:40 for the
time Israel was in Egypt (or Canaan and Egypt, according to the Samaritan
Pentateuch and the Septuagint). However, Gen 15:13 refers to four hundred
years that Israel would be “in a land that is not theirs.” This likely refers to
the time Israel spent solely in Egypt. In that case the entire time goes back
not to the entrance of Israel to Egypt, but to God’s giving of the covenant to
Abraham.
Those who seek to change the gospel by conditioning justification on
works make the promise of no effect.
3:18. Here Paul introduces the word inheritance for the first time in the
epistle. This term is sometimes used in the NT to refer to things that all
believers have: eternal life, the guarantee of entrance to the kingdom of
God, justification, sonship, and so forth. This might be called passive
inheritance. In other places it refers to things only faithful believers will
have: rulership with Christ and the privileges that go with it. This might be
called active inheritance. Paul clearly has passive inheritance in mind here
in 3:18. Only once in Galatians does he refer to active inheritance by using
this expression (5:19-21; though see also 6:7-9 for the concept).
Obviously if the Law came long after God’s promise to Abraham, then the
inheritance could not be of the Law. God made an unconditional promise of
blessings to Abraham and his Seed.
E. The Law’s Purpose Was to Lead People to Be Justified by Faith
(3:19-25)
3:19. With the question, what purpose then does the law serve? Paul
shifts his discussion from justification to sanctification. If a believer departs
from a proper belief in justification, it negatively impacts his progressive
sanctification. While justification cannot be lost, sanctification can be
derailed.
This question surely suggests that the Judaizers were claiming that one of
the main purposes of the Law, if not the purpose, was to provide the means
of justification before God.
While nothing can be added to an irrevocable covenant once it is
confirmed, something can be added to the people to whom the covenant
was given. The Law was added because of transgressions. People were
doing things that transgressed God’s desires. So God codified a law that
would make His will clear. The Law was added till the Seed should come
to whom the promise was made. With the coming of the Seed, there was a
change, a new dispensation.
Paul mentions that the Law was appointed through angels by the hand
of a mediator [Moses]. The OT does not state that angels were involved in
the giving of the Law. This was something well known in Jewish oral
tradition (accurate, since Paul affirms it).
3:20. While there are three Persons in the Godhead, God is one. The unity
of the Godhead means that there never has been nor ever will be a need for
a mediator for God. However, there was need of a mediator between God
and men, since men are not united with Him or with each other. That
mediator was Moses. Of course, the ultimate
Mediator is Jesus Christ (Deut 18:15; 1 Tim 2:5).
3:21. The Law is not against the promises of God. It worked with the
promises of God, as will be seen later.
This is a remarkable verse, showing clearly that eternal life cannot be
gained by means of the Law. If there had been a law given which could
have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. The life
here is not physical life, but eternal life.
Yet the problem was not with the Law of Moses but with people who
could not perfectly obey God’s commands, which would result in
righteousness (cf. 3:10). The solution is justification by faith alone in Christ
alone. Abraham and Sarah knew that solution, and in fact so did Adam and
Eve.
3:22. The Scripture, a reference to the OT, has confined all under sin.
This verse is much like Rom 3:23. All are confined…under sin.
 Again the emphasis here is on the promise. The content of justifying faith
is specifically Jesus Christ. Faith in Jesus is linked to the promise. He
promises eternal life to all who simply believe in Him (see the previous
verse).
3:23. Here faith represents (in a metonomy of the thing for the person) the
Lord Jesus Christ, that is, before faith came means “before Jesus Christ
came.” We here refers to Israel as a nation. The Jews were kept under
guard by the law.
The Mosaic Law had more than one purpose. It showed people they were
sinners and pointed them to Christ for the remedy (see vv 22, 24). But it
also kept the nation Israel separated from the surrounding nations so that the
Messiah would be the Son of David. The phrase Kept for the faith carries
the meaning of “kept distinct as a nation in regards to the faith.”
3:24. The Law was an instructor or tutor (pedagōgos) for Israel to bring
us [Israel] to Christ. The Law was not designed to be the focus. The Law
should have directed the attention of Jews (and Gentiles) to the coming
Messiah who guaranteed eternal life to all who simply believed in Him (cf.
Heb 10:1-18).
Paul says that the Law should have led people to be justified by faith. The
Law did not lead to justification by works. It showed people that was
impossible and showed them their need of the Messiah.
Justification is by faith. Paul explicitly denies that works play any role in a
person being justified before God (2:16; 3:10-14).
3:25. Jesus, the object of faith, has already come. Since Jews today live in
the time after He came, they are no longer under a tutor. One of the main
purposes of the tutor was to “bring us to Christ, that we might be justified
by faith.”
Does this apply only to believers? Or does he also mean that after Christ
has come, no one is under the Law? There can be no question but that
believers are no longer under the Law. Paul at least means that. We here is
probably reserved for the believers in Galatia and Paul, who identifies with
them. In the next four verses Paul changes to the second-person plural.
Within twenty years of this letter, God would shut down the temple and a
significant part of the Law of Moses. Even in AD 49, Paul would have said
that Jews were free to celebrate the Law, but were under no obligation to do
so.
 F. The Old Testament Liberates Believers to Serve Christ
Successfully (3:26–4:31)
1. All who believe Paul’s gospel are adult sons of God and heirs
according to promise (3:26-29)
3:26. To be sons of God requires faith in Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:12).
Sonship does not come by observing the Law.
3:27. This is one of the proof texts often used to teach baptismal
regeneration. Yet it actually refutes it! According to the preceding verse, the
sole condition of sonship is faith in Christ. Verse 27 further explains v 26
(note the explanatory gar at the beginning of the sentence).
The word translated baptized is a flexible one. It refers to being immersed,
placed into, or identified with someone or something. All who have been
placed into the Body of Christ by the baptism of the Holy Spirit are clothed
with Christ and His righteousness!
This cannot be a reference to Christian water baptism for three reasons.
First, there is no mention of water or anything related to water baptism in
the context. Second, this verse is an explanation of the previous one. Third,
if water baptism were a condition, then justification would not be simply by
faith in Christ.
3:28. Those who have put on Christ are all one in Christ Jesus. There are
not separate churches for different groups. All are one in the Body of Christ.
Paul is not denying distinctions between these groups. For example, he
gives exhortations on husband-wife and master-slave relationships (e.g.,
Eph 6:5-9).
3:29. Paul now turns a corner in his argument. Christ is the singular Seed
that was promised. Thus if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s
seed. This is wonderful truth. And since Abraham was the heir, all his seed
(spiritual descendants) are heirs according to the promise.
All believers, faithful or not, have this passive inheritance of which Paul
has been speaking thus far (cf. 3:18). Having returned to the theme of
heirship, Paul now considers that more carefully.
2. The Law enslaved people until the Liberator came (4:1-7)
4:1. The heir, as long as he is a child, is not free. In the area of freedom
both slave and free child are on equal footing. The child is not free to leave
and neither is the slave. Both are in bondage.
4:2. In the society of that day the father determined the time when his
child would be free to leave home. Guardians and stewards trained the
child to become an adult.
4:3. Since the Galatians were Gentiles and not Jews, Paul cannot say,
when we were children, [we] were in bondage to the law. However, even
Gentiles were held captive by the elements of the world. Most likely this is
a generic reference to any type of legalistic way by which some tried to gain
acceptance with God. Until Jews or Gentiles come to faith in Christ, neither
is free.
4:4. When the Son of God came, history was uniquely full (the fullness of
time). Roman roads provided wonderful transportation for the spread of the
good news. Greek was the Lingua Franca in the entire Roman Empire and
was a wonderful vehicle for the gospel. The Pax Romana was a unique
window of time during which the world was without major wars. The
Jewish people had a high level of messianic expectancy.
God the Father sent forth His Son. The virgin birth may be implicit in the
statement born of a woman (though see Luke 7:28). In any case it stresses
Jesus’ humanity.
Jesus was born under the law to Jewish parents. He was circumcised on
the eighth day. His parents brought an offering for Him as prescribed by the
Law on the fortieth day. He lived under the Law and perfectly fulfilled it.
4:5. His purpose in the Incarnation was to redeem those who were under
the law. Redemption is a financial term. All who were under the Law were
slaves of the Law and its condemning power.
The end result is that we might receive the adoption as sons. The
believer is no longer a child enslaved under a tutor. He is now an adult son,
free to serve God from the heart, as the next verse makes clear.
4:6. The believers in Galatia (here Paul shifts to the second person) were
sons of God (you are sons) and thus God has sent forth the Spirit of His
Son into your hearts.
God sent forth both His Son (v 5) and the Spirit of His Son (v 6). The
Trinity is clearly seen in these verses. The Spirit cries, “Abba, Father!”
This is the confirming witness of the Spirit to God the Father, along with
human spirit, and it occurs as believers pray (Rom 8:15-16).
 4:7. Here, Paul sums up the point he has made in vv 1-6. Each believer in
Galatia was an adult son in his standing before God, and was no longer a
slave, but an heir of God through Christ. Implicit here is the need to live
like those who are in Christ.
3. Excursus: Paul fears that the Galatians will return to slavery
(4:8-20)
4:8. Paul shifts the argument back to the time when they did not know
God, and served those which by nature are not gods. The Galatians were
Gentiles who more than likely had been idolaters.
4:9. But now after you have known God or rather are known by God
looks ahead to the present. They have come to know God and God has
made Himself known to them. Though God takes the initiative in the
process (Rom 3:11), the Galatians did respond (Acts 10:1-2, 35; 17:27).
Once a person has tasted freedom, bondage should be a thing of the past.
Why would any believer return to the weak and beggarly elements of the
Law and desire again to be in bondage? Paul is making the comparison
between their former idolatry and their present flirtation with serving the
Law. Both are slavery and both are by nature not deserving of service.
4:10. The Judaizers were seeking to impose the Law of Moses on the
Gentile believers. Thus days and months and seasons and years refer to
the observance of the Jewish calendar. There is nothing inherently wrong in
a Gentile observing Passover, or worshiping on Saturday, unless the person
is doing this to obtain eternal salvation (cf. 3:3) or because he believes he
needs to keep the Law to please God.
4:11. Paul is afraid not for their eternal destiny, for they were born again,
but for their present and eternal rewards. If they were to fall away, then Paul
would have labored for them in vain. The emptiness (in vain) here is the
expected fruit in their lives that would not materialize, affecting them and
Paul at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
4:12. Since Paul became like the believers in Galatia, he can now urge
them to become like him. When Paul was in Galatia, he ate with them and
ate their foods. Now he is urging them to live like Gentiles once again! If
anyone had a right to keep the Law of Moses, it was Paul. Yet he chose not
to in order to advance his ministry among Gentiles.
 The Galatians had not injured [Paul] at all by their failure to keep the
Law of Moses. In fact, by attempting to do so now, they were injuring him!
4:13. The record in Acts 13-14 of Paul’s ministry in Galatia does not
report on this physical infirmity. Evidently Paul would have taken a
different route if he had been healthy. Instead, because of physical
infirmity he preached the gospel to the Galatians at the first.
4:14. God allowed some illness to come on Paul to test him. It had a
secondary purpose at well. It made the Galatians more sympathetic to Paul.
He recalls fondly, but you received me an angel of God, even as Christ
Jesus.
In Greek the word here translated angel also means messenger. This verse
should probably be translated, “you received me as a messenger of God,” in
light of the words that follow, even as Christ Jesus.
This is one of the few neutral uses of the word flesh in Galatians. Almost
all other references refer to what Paul calls elsewhere “the old man,” or the
person with self-willed sinful inclinations.
4:15. Blessing is another of the major themes in Galatians. It is always
linked with the Spirit and with faith. The Galatians responded to Paul’s
infirmity with faith and Spirit-empowered love. Thus they enjoyed the
blessing that comes on all who walk in the Spirit.
Paul’s physical infirmity was probably an eye disorder (you would have
plucked out your own eyes and given them to me). This fits too with
Paul’s statement that he himself wrote with “large letters” (6:11). But now
the Galatians needed their eyes healed. Paul had opened their eyes before,
in keeping with God’s commission to him (Acts 26:18). Now he wishes to
open them again.
They responded well to his ministry at the first. He wants them to
remember that time, and to remember the blessings they enjoyed then. If
they want blessed times again, they must listen to their mentor and not the
Judaizers who threaten their spiritual health.
4:16. Paul’s concern is great at this point. Evidently the Judaizers were
making Paul out as the enemy of the believers in Galatia. Paul’s question is
a rebuke. While a person might become your enemy by lying to you, he
should never become your enemy because he tells you the truth. The
obvious implication is that the Judaizers are not telling the truth. They are
deceivers, false teachers.
 4:17. Paul is referring to his opponents in the most impersonal way
possible (cf. 1:7; 6:12). He speaks as though the Galatians were being
pursued by a lover. The opening clause, They zealously court you, but for
no good could better be translated, “They zealously court you, but not
commendably.”
The unnamed Judaizers wanted to exclude (or to shut out) the Galatians
from Paul’s teachings and fellowship, with the result that the Galatians may
be zealous for them.
The entire verse might be translated this way: “Now they zealously seek
you but not commendably; but rather they want to shut you out that you
might zealously seek them.”
4:18. But it is good to be zealous in a good thing always shows that Paul
is not criticizing the zeal of the Galatians (or even of the Judaizers for that
matter). The problem is not the zeal. The problem is the focus and purpose
of the zeal. The Galatians should not be zealous for the legalistic, false-
teaching, gospel-destroying Judaizers. They should be zealous to please
God, to understand and apply His Word and to grow in their Christian faith.
When Paul had been present with them, the Galatians had been zealous in
a good thing. That is, they were zealous for the right things when Paul was
there. Now that he has left, they have played the fool.
4:19. The address My little children (or my children) signals that the end
of the section is at hand. The expression for whom I labor in birth again
is a beautiful picture of the need regenerate people have to grow and
mature. Though they were born again, the believers in Galatia needed
another type of birth. This birth is Christ being formed in them.
This birth clearly shows that the new birth and conformity to the image in
Christ are not to be confused. The Galatians were born again (cf. 1:6-9; 3:1-
5). Yet they needed to be conformed to Christ. Their behavior was such that
they were moving in the wrong direction. Fleshly observance would never
achieve this formation.
4:20. Paul has been gone from them about six months. The Judaizers are
present there and are creating problems. Paul is a realist. He knows that in
his absence the believers have begun to move toward legalism. Paul would
like to be present with them now and to change his tone. If he were there,
possibly he could change his tone. However, he cannot be, so he must
express this strident tone.
 Paul’s doubts about the Galatians do not pertain to their position in
Christ. He has affirmed that they are believers (cf. 1:6-9; 3:1-5). He calls
them “My little children,” and “Brethren.” His doubts concern whether they
will overcome this threat to their faith posed by the Judaizers. He fears they
will fall headlong into legalism, falling away from the faith, and missing the
privilege of ruling with Christ (cf. 5:19-21; 6:7-9).
To drive home his point about his doubts, Paul turns in vv 21-31 to an OT
incident involving Abraham’s sons. This illustration is especially relevant
since the Judaizers evidently looked to Abraham as their father and guide.
4. Believers are children of promise, like Isaac, not children of
bondage, like Hagar’s son (4:21-31)
4:21. The believers now were at least toying with a desire to be under the
law. This desire, of course, was a result of the work of the Judaizers.
When Paul asks rhetorically, do you not hear the law? he is using the
Torah or Law, the books in the OT written by Moses, to disprove the
Judaizers’ position. The word translated hear (akouō) should probably be
translated listen to. Thus the question may be worded, “Do you not listen to
(or pay attention to) the Law?”
Paul sees in the story of Ishmael and Isaac a type of the Christian life. This
is not something Paul is making up. This is what God intended the OT
reader to get out of this account as well. David and Abraham surely got the
point. So did many OT saints. So too should the Church-Age saints in
Galatia.
4:22. The first word, For (gar), is explanatory. Paul is explaining what the
Galatians should have already heard from the Law.
It is written characteristically introduces an OT quotation. Abraham had
two sons. Paul is focused on the great drama that unfolded in the births of
Abraham’s first two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Neither is mentioned by name
here (though see v 29). They are called the one by a bondwoman and the
other [son] by a freewoman.
4:23. Customs in Abraham’s day allowed him to do precisely as he did to
raise up an heir. When he accepted Sarah’s request to have a son by her
maidservant, Abraham was not doing anything illegal. Yet he was doing
something that demonstrated he did not understand or believe that the
promised Seed would come through his union with Sarah.
 Sarah and Abraham’s scheme led to a son, but one born according to the
flesh. This was not the promised child. He of the freewoman was born
through promise. Whether Abraham understood it or not, God had
promised that a son would be born through their union.
4:24. The word translated symbolic is allegoroumena. The word allegory
comes from it.
There were two types of allegory, one Biblical and one unbiblical.
Palestinian allegory was a method of interpretation in which OT narratives
were seen as being actual historical accounts with significance on the
historical level and as having a God-intended typological or symbolic
meaning as well. What distinguishes this type of allegory is that the events
are viewed as historical.
Alexandrian allegory would also look for deeper meanings, but it would
do so at the expense of the historicity of the account. Thus the church father
Origen came up with all types of fanciful interpretations of OT narratives
without feeling any need to comment on the historical significance of the
account. For him the entire story was like a parable.
When Paul used allegoroumena, what did he mean? This is the only use of
the word in the NT. Thus it is impossible to be certain. What is clear is that
Paul did believe that the entire Genesis account about which he was writing
actually occurred. If this is allegory, it is Palestinian allegory. The NKJV
skirts the issue by translating it as symbolic.
Paul sees here the outworking of two covenants: the Mosaic and
Abrahamic. The former, the one from Mount Sinai, has undesirable
consequences: it gives birth to bondage. Here Paul is building the
antithesis between bondage and freedom. The Law brings bondage; faith
brings freedom.
Paul uses a present tense here to show that the Law still brings about
bondage.
What does the expression which is Hagar modify? Paul identifies Hagar
with Mount Sinai (“for this Hagar is Mount Sinai”). A simple change in the
word order brings out this point: “For these are two covenants: the one
which gives birth to bondage from Mount Sinai, which is Hagar.”
4:25. How ironic this is. Surely the Jews of Paul’s day were outraged by
this comparison. Hagar was the mother of Ishmael and the Arab nations, not
of the Jews! Yet Paul says that Hagar the bondwoman foreshadowed Mount
Sinai in Arabia, and that she corresponds to Jerusalem which now is.
Mount Sinai in Arabia is where the Law was given to Moses.
The misuse of the Mosaic Law led the Jerusalem of Paul’s day to be in
bondage with her children (i.e., the unbelieving inhabitants of Jerusalem,
which was the great majority). Hagar was in bondage to Abraham and
Sarah. So too Jerusalem and all Israel was in bondage to the Law and
legalism.
Anyone who chooses legalism as a way to live chooses bondage, not
freedom.
4:26. Paul contrasts the “Jerusalem which now is” with the Jerusalem
above. Since this is a contrast, one would expect him to keep the contrast
parallel. Thus one would expect him to speak of “the Jerusalem which is to
come.” But by his wording Paul affirms both facts at once. The Jerusalem
of the future, the Jerusalem of the Messianic kingdom, is from above. It will
only come to earth when the One who is above returns to earth to set up His
kingdom.
The heavenly Jerusalem is free. The bondage of the present Jerusalem is
temporary. It will be replaced by freedom.
That city is the mother of us all. The sense here is that neither Hagar nor
Sarah is the mother of the believer of promise. It is the Jerusalem above.
Evidently Paul chose the word mother in light of his discussion of the
mothers of Abraham’s two sons. Yet a greater mother is in view. This brings
in the theme of rulership, which he will soon allude to. As Abraham looked
for a city (Heb 11:10), so should all believers. They should aim to rule with
Him who will sit on the throne of David in Jerusalem and reign over the
whole earth.
4:27. This reference is from Isa 54:1. The immediately preceding verses
concern the death, resurrection, and reign of the Suffering Servant who is
the Messiah (Isa 53:1-12). Isaiah 54 deals with the future and enlargement
of Israel during the reign of the Messiah.
Writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul correctly interprets
this verse. Israel, via Sarah, is the one referred to as “barren, you who do
not bear,” and “you who are not in labor.” She ended up having “many
more children than” Hagar.
It seems a bit odd, however, to refer to Hagar as “she who has a
husband.” Probably this is to be understood in light of the entire verse. The
barren one had a husband as well. The problem was that she was unable to
bear a child. Thus “she who has a husband” refers to a woman who was
able to conceive and bear a son for
her “husband.” That fits Hagar perfectly.
4:28. Now Paul makes clear the point that was implicit until now. The
believers in Galatia and Paul (we, brethren) are not children of the
bondwoman, but of the free. That is, we…are children of promise. Isaac
was the promised child. He was not the fleshly way around the problem. He
was God’s promised answer to Abraham and Sarah’s barrenness.
4:29. Moses wrote in Genesis that Ishmael (he who was born according
to the flesh) persecuted Isaac (him who was born according to the
Spirit). In the same way the legalistic Judaizers were persecuting Paul
(even so it is now). If the Galatians followed Paul’s exhortation, they too
would be persecuted by the fleshly legalists.
One should not conclude from this that Ishmael or the Judaizers were
necessarily unregenerate. It is highly probable that Abraham led Hagar and
Ishmael to faith in the coming Messiah. It is certainly possible that at least
some of the Judaizers had once believed in Christ for eternal life. Paul
nowhere in the epistles identifies them as false brethren.
4:30. In Genesis Abraham was commanded to “Cast out the bondwoman
and her son.” He did so reluctantly, for he loved Ishmael. Yet God was
portraying a deeper truth via typology. Ishmael represents the way of
legalism and fleshly efforts to do God’s will. That is to be “cast out.”
Here Paul mentions for the first time the idea of active inheritance.
Ishmael, “the son of the bondwoman,” would “not be heir with the son of
the freewoman.” This does not mean Ishmael’s line would not be in the
kingdom. Believers in many of the nations that descended from Ishmael
will be in the kingdom (e.g., Egypt). This verse means that Ishmael will not
be a co-heir with Isaac. He will not receive a portion of the Promised Land.
Thus by typology he pictures the believer who seeks to please God by the
flesh. That believer will not be an heir with the believer who actually
inherits the kingdom of God. While all believers are heirs of God, only
some believers will be co-heirs with Christ in the messianic kingdom (cf.
Rom 8:17; Gal 5:19-21; 6:7-9).
4:31. As the next verse makes plain, Paul is speaking here of the position
of the believers in Galatia (and of himself). The reference to brethren
signals the end of a discussion. It is a mini-inclusio with v 28 where the
same term is used. There Paul said, “we, brethren, as Isaac was, are children
of promise.” Here he says, So then, brethren, we are…children of the…
free [woman]. The promise (v 28) and the Spirit (v 29) are linked with
freedom (here and in vv 22, 23, 26, 30). The Law and the flesh (vv 21, 23,
24, 29) are associated with bondage (here and in vv 22, 23, 24, 25, 30).
The word order here is significant. The last word is eleutheras (free). It is
placed last for emphasis. It is also the first word in the next sentence. This
back-to-back arrangement is a powerful way of emphasizing words,
especially in a letter that was to be read publicly.
Paul is now ready to shift to the applicational section of the epistle.
V. Only Paul’s Gospel Allows Believers to Serve Christ
Successfully Now So That They Might Rule with Him Forever
(5:1–6:10)
A. Clinging to Paul’s Gospel Is Essential in Order to Maintain
Christian Liberty (5:1-6)
5:1. Christ has set us free from the Law of Moses. However, the principle
has application to all God’s commands. Though there are laws in force for
the believer today, (cf. Gal 6:2; Rom 8:2; Jas 1:25; 2:8), they are not to be
the focus of the believer’s attention. That focus must be on Christ (Gal 2:20;
Rom 7:13-25). Only by walking by faith in Him can the believer live as a
free person and thereby please God.
5:2. Evidently the Judaizers were saying that the men should be
circumcised as a commitment to keep the Law. Thus Paul says, If you
become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. The future tense
could refer to the time immediately following the circumcision, to the
Judgment Seat of Christ, or most likely to both.
Circumcision for legalistic reasons is harmful to one’s spiritual life. The
moment a person adopts legalism, he ceases to benefit spiritually. Only by
walking by faith can a Christian find profit in his Christian life.
5:3. In the remainder of this paragraph (vv 3-6), Paul develops the idea
that Christ will profit the legalist nothing. Only one who is able to keep the
whole law (cf. 3:10) can be justified by law-keeping. Thus the every man
who becomes circumcised in an effort to be justified—which is precisely
the reason why the Judaizers were urging circumcision (cf. v 4)—becomes
a debtor to keep the whole law. And that is precisely what he cannot do (cf.
Acts 15:10).
5:4. Here Paul shifts to the second person: You have become estranged
from Christ. This estrangement does not picture loss of justification, which
is impossible. This estrangement is like the break in fellowship that a
husband and wife might experience after a major argument.
For a believer to attempt to be justified by law results in broken
fellowship with Christ. This is true no matter how well intentioned a person
may be. Legalism poisons one’s motives and hence one’s works.
The believer who adopts legalism has fallen from grace. His fall is from
the experience (not position) of grace. Justification by Law is taught by
many well-meaning pastors, seminary professors, Sunday school teachers,
youth workers, and authors. As a result, the possibility of falling from grace
is great today.
5:5. Some, or possibly many, of the believers in Galatia were seeking to be
justified by the Law. Paul and his coworkers were, by contrast, “through
the Spirit by faith eagerly awaiting the hope of righteousness” (author’s
translation). In Greek the words by faith precede both the verb (awaiting)
and the object (hope of righteousness). Paul and his coworkers were not
eagerly awaiting justification by faith, as the NKJV translation implies.
They were by faith eagerly awaiting the hope of righteousness, the time
when righteousness will flow on earth during Jesus’ righteous reign (cf. 1
John 3:2).
5:6. This verse forms an inclusio with v 2. Circumcision has no value in
the Christian life. And since circumcision is a metaphor for legalism of any
type, the point is that no amount of legalism can benefit the Christian.
Paul may seem to be softening his position on circumcision here. For he
says that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything. The
only thing that is spiritually profitable is faith working through love (cf.
Jas 2:14-26; 1 John 3:16-18).
Love motivates or compels many believers to meet the needs of those
around them (cf. 2 Cor 5:14; Jas 2:14-17; 1 John 3:16-18). Through love
speaks of the motivation behind the faith.
In light of 2 Cor 5:14 and 1 John 4:19, the object of this love is God’s love
for believers, which in turn results in their love for Him, and that in turn
moves them to love others. Faith working through love is a key
sanctification truth. This was the aim of Paul’s life and ministry.
B. Only by Maintaining One’s Grip on Paul’s Gospel Can
Believers Love One Another and Thus Successfully Complete the
Christian Race (5:7-15)
5:7. Using the imagery of a race (cf. 2:2), Paul remembers that they were
running well just six months before (You ran well). Surely behind this
picture is that of the prize of ruling with Christ (cf. 1 Cor 9:24-27). They
had been on track to rule with Christ, but not now. This is similar to 3:1,
“Who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth?” Paul is
lamenting that anyone could knock the Galatians off course (Who hindered
you from obeying the truth?). He is hoping they will get back on course
immediately.
5:8-9. The persuasion of the Judaizers does not come from Him who
calls you. God, who invites them to rule in the life to come, is not
persuading the Galatians to be legalists. That persuasion comes from the
adversary, Satan.
Small things (a little leaven) can have very big results (leavens the whole
lump). In this case the false teaching of the Judaizers (like the leaven of the
Pharisees the Lord Jesus warned about) has a destructive influence on the
churches of Galatia.
5:10. Paul vacillates in his thoughts about the Galatians. One minute he
expresses his doubts about them (4:11, 20; 5:4, 15), and the next minute he
expresses his confidence in them (5:10; 6:1-2, 9).
While Paul has genuine concerns, he is optimistic (I have confidence in
you) that his readers will respond well to his exhortations as a result of the
work of the Lord in their lives. He thinks it quite likely that they will have
no other mind, that is, that they will have a proper view of justification and
sanctification.
He who troubles (“the troublemaker”) is another oblique reference to the
Judaizers, though here it is singular. Paul says that this troublemaker shall
bear his judgment. This could refer to judgment in this life or after (at the
Great White Throne Judgment if the troublemaker is an unbeliever, or at the
Judgment Seat of Christ if he is an errant believer). Most likely both are in
view. However, in light of the following context, the emphasis is probably
on judgment after this life.
Of course, if the false teachers are to be judged, so too will those who are
duped. Paul is warning the Galatians too. See 5:19-21 and 6:4-5, 7-10. If
they fail to pull out of this nose dive, the Galatians will crash and will miss
out on ruling with Christ.
5:11. Paul was once a legalist par excellence, but not any longer. Hence he
can ask, if I still preach circumcision, why do I still suffer persecution?
Paul was being persecuted by Jews because he did not preach the need for
circumcision and for keeping the Law to gain entrance to the kingdom and
to live a life that is pleasing to God.
The offense of the cross is the “offensive” doctrine of justification and
sanctification by faith in Christ apart from the Law. Most Jews were
deceived into thinking that justification and sanctification are inseparably
linked and that they are conditioned on a high level of performance of the
Law. (They did not demand absolute perfection. That is why Paul’s point in
3:10 is so powerful.) Thus they were offended by the message of
justification by faith alone. This is often seen in Christendom today.
Charges of antinomianism and cheap grace are often hurled at those who
proclaim the Biblical gospel.
5:12. Paul’s thought now goes back to the point begun in v 10 concerning
the one “who troubles you.” Paul now expands this concern from the
singular (“he”) to the plural: I wish that those who trouble you would
even cut themselves off (or “would emasculate themselves”)!
Paul’s point is probably something like this: I wish these people would
become unable to reproduce themselves spiritually. Paul wants their
heretical teaching to go no further. However, rather than expressing the
point directly and simply, he presents it dramatically in such a way that the
listeners would be shocked into the seriousness of the “leaven” of the
Judaizers.
5:13. A shift has clearly taken place. The Judaizers are not referred to
again until in the epilogue (6:12-13, 17). This shift is signaled by the
reference to brethren.
In a positional sense Paul could rightly say of the Galatians, “Christ has
made us free” (5:1). Yet in an experiential sense he could also say, you have
been called to liberty. Paul gives two concrete applications of liberty here,
one negative and one positive. Negatively Paul says, do not use liberty as
an opportunity for the flesh. The Judaizers were trying to pervert the
freedom of the believers in Galatia into bondage. A believer’s freedom from
the Law should never be used as an opportunity for the flesh.
Positively Paul exhorts, but through love serve one another. Living by
faith produces loving service to others.
5:14. Paul now expands on this concept. The person who wants to fulfill
the Law should realize that all the law is fulfilled in one word: love. To
“love your neighbor as yourself” is that act of love.
Anyone wishing to please God needs to be busy loving his neighbor as
himself. And this is precisely the opposite of what legalism produces, as the
next verse intimates.
5:15. Legalism results in criticizing, carping, and condemning others (But
if you bite and devour one another). Anyone who has ever been in a
legalistic group or church has seen this in action.
The result of biting and devouring one another is being consumed by one
another. The whole group will tear itself apart. This is the spiritual form of
cannibalism! Legalists claim to produce love, but what they actually
produce is just the opposite.
This ends the subsection dealing with Paul’s hopes and fears regarding the
response of the Galatians to his letter. Now he moves into specific appeals.
C. Holding Fast to Paul’s Gospel Is Essential to Walking in the
Spirit So That Believers Might Rule with Christ Forever (5:16-
26)
5:16. The words I say then introduces an application to what Paul has
been saying. Much modern teaching on what it means to walk in the Spirit
is inconsistent with Paul’s meaning here in context.
To walk in the Spirit means to “live by faith in the Son of God, who loved
me and delivered Himself for me” (2:20). It is the opposite of living “under
the law” (e.g., v 18 below).
This is not a matter of some special level of commitment to God. Legalists
often are very committed to Him in their own minds (though they go about
the Christian life in their own way, not God’s way). Nor is it simply a
matter of confession of sin in keeping with 1 John 1:9, as legalists
sometimes are diligent in this regard. While walking in the Spirit includes
both commitment to Christ and confession of sins, the point is simply that
we are walking in the Spirit, that is by faith, not in the flesh, that is, by the
law.
The key to victory over the lust [or desire] of the flesh is by walking in a
spiritual manner, by faith. Walking in a legalistic manner indulges the flesh.
5:17. The word translated lusts here is the verbal form of the word
translated lust in the previous verse. Probably it would be better to translate
it, the flesh [sets its desires] against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the
flesh.
Here is Romans 7 in a nutshell. There is a tension within each believer.
The Holy Spirit moves him to loving service. The flesh moves him to biting
conflict. These are contrary to one another. They cannot be reconciled.
Victory is not found in legalistically satisfying the flesh. Only by living by
faith will the Holy Spirit fulfill His desires in a believer and produce loving
service.
The believer operating on his own resolve and commitment to fulfill God’s
commands can not do the things that he wishes. Only by walking in the
Spirit, which is living by faith in Christ, can one do what God, and one’s
inner man, wishes to do.
The focus of the Christian life is on the Commander, not the commands.
5:18. This verse has led to much confusion. Many think Paul is speaking
of personal extrabiblical guidance by the Spirit regarding questions such as
whom to marry, what job to take, which house to buy, and even small things
such as which coat to purchase.
Yet the context here has nothing to do with personal guidance. Led by the
Spirit is synonymous here with walking in the Spirit in v 16 or with
following the desires of the Spirit in v 17. This is simply another way of
speaking of the walk of faith mentioned in 2:20.
You are not under the law seems to be out of place. Why make reference
in this context to not being under the Law? To be under the Law is the same
as being under the flesh’s impulses stated in the previous verse. The Law
produces fleshly biting, hatred, jealousy, and the like. The one who is led by
the Spirit, who walks in the Spirit, is not under the Law. Only by God’s
method can a believer please God.
Paul now moves to list the types of works that result from seeking to be
justified or sanctified by the Law.
 5:19-21. The works the Judaizers proclaim only seem to be good. In reality
legalism produces bad works, the works of the flesh. Paul has similar vice
lists, with similar warnings, in 1 Cor 6:9-11 and Eph 5:5-7.
What do these sins have in common? There are sexual sins (adultery,
fornication, uncleanness, lewdness), verbal sins (outbursts of wrath),
attitudinal sins (hatred, jealousies, selfish ambitions, envy), substance-
abuse sins (drunkenness), occult sins (idolatry, sorcery), and sins not
easily categorized (murders, revelries, contentions, dissensions).
These vices are all interpersonal offenses: either between two people, or
between a person and God. They are the types of sins that caused Israel’s
oldest three sons to forfeit their inheritance, the birthright and the blessing.
Reuben, Simeon, and Levi received scathing words from their dying father,
which explained their failure to receive the double-portion inheritance (Gen
49:3-7).
Those who practice [lit., those who do] such things could hypothetically
refer to anyone who committed any of these sins. But since even spiritual
believers sin every day if not every hour (cf. 1 John 1:8, 10), that is surely
not what is meant here.
The context shows that Paul is talking about a lifestyle. He is saying that
the prodigal believer who lives in the spiritual foreign country forfeits his
inheritance (Luke 15:11-32). Obviously, Paul is picturing the lifestyle
typical of unbelievers (cf. 1 Cor 6:1-11). If believers live like unbelievers,
they will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Inheriting the kingdom refers to ruling with Christ in His kingdom, not to
getting into the kingdom (cf. Matt 19:29; Rev 2:26). All believers will enter
the millennium (1 Thess 5:10), but only believers who live for God will rule
with Christ.
5:22-23. The word fruit suggests something that is natural. Thus the fruit
of the Spirit is something that can and should characterize the life of every
believer. Fruit is produced as the believer abides in Christ by faith.
The fruit of the Spirit is all praiseworthy interpersonal activity, starting
with love, the goal of the Christian life (5:7).
Joy does not mean simply inner happiness. It refers to joy in relation to
others who are also walking in the Spirit. That is clearly not what legalism
produces between people.
 The person walking in the Spirit experiences peace with others as much as
is possible (Rom 12:18). Legalism does not.
Spiritual believers are longsuffering. They are patient toward others.
Legalists, of course, are anything but longsuffering. They are quick to
pounce on the failings of others.
Kindness is the product of the Spirit’s ministry in the faith believer. The
person who lives by focusing on Christ’s love (2:20) is able to extend
kindness to others.
Goodness is a godly quality since God is good. The Spirit produces
goodness in the life of the believer who lives by faith.
The believer who walks in the Spirit is faithful because the Spirit produces
faithfulness in him as he walks by faith in Christ.
The Spirit produces gentleness. This is natural for the spiritual believer,
but quite foreign to the legalist.
The Spirit produces self-control in believers who walk by faith. This
probably does not mean that a spiritual person exercises a high degree of
self-control in all areas. For example some mature believers who struggle
with weight problems exercise self-control in interpersonal relationships,
which is the emphasis of this section.
Against such there is no law. Paul does not say merely that these things
are not violations of the Law of Moses. There is no law whatsoever against
such behavior.
Paul normally uses the term law (nomos) negatively in Galatians.
However, here it is neutral. And here Paul opens the door to the positive use
of “law” when a few verses later he speaks of “the law of Christ” (6:2).
The legalist needs to understand that if the goal is to obey God’s
commands, then the means to do so is by walking by faith in Christ.
Obsessing over the law, even those NT commands that are in effect today, is
not healthy. Believers are to focus on Christ, the law Giver. The more they
fall in love with Him, the more they manifest the fruit of the Spirit.
5:24. In 2:20 Paul used the passive voice to say, “I have been crucified
with Christ.” Here he uses the active voice: those who are Christ’s have
crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Why the change?
The former spoke of having been crucified with Christ, but did not
mention the flesh and its passions and desires. The former is true of all
believers. This latter may or may not be, depending on how one understands
the words those who are Christ’s. Does this refer to all believers? Or only to
believers who are living by faith?
In light of the use of the same expression in 3:29 (the only difference being
the absence of the definite article before Christou), it is probable that all
believers are in view. Even legalistic believers have crucified the flesh
with its passions and desires. That, of course, looks at believers in terms
of their position, not their experience.
When a person comes to faith in Christ, God crucifies his flesh with
Christ. Yet in a sense the person can be said to have crucified the flesh
since the act of believing in Christ is something he did and it is that act that
results in co-crucifixion with Christ.
Paul knows nothing of a believer who is unable to escape the passions and
desires of the flesh. That is the birthright of every believer. Yet what is true
of all believers in their position is not necessarily true of all in their
experience. Believers should live in light of their position. Yet as the next
two verses make clear, they often do not.
5:25. Because believers live in the Spirit, Paul’s exhortation logically
follows: let us also walk in the Spirit. This is an inclusion with v 15
(though a different Greek word for walking is used). Paul’s point is that
walking in the Spirit is the most reasonable way to live.
5:26. Again this verse recalls v 15. Verse 26 also prepares the way for the
section to follow. Spiritual believers are to restore those overtaken in sin,
not to provoke and envy other believers. Paul mentions this because
legalism causes believers to become conceited with the result that they are
provoking one another and envying one another.
D. Paul’s Gospel Moves Believers to Bear One Another’s Burdens
Now So That They Will Have a Good Outcome at the Bema (6:1-
5).
6:1. How should the Galatians deal with a believer who is overtaken in
any trespass? A man certainly refers here to a believer. Only a believer can
be overtaken in a trespass. An unbeliever is still in his trespasses and sins.
You who are spiritual could refer to elders in the churches, or, as in 1 Cor
2:15, to all spiritual believers (in contrast to “babes in Christ,” 1 Cor 3:1-3).
The latter is probably intended since there is no clue in this context that
restricts the designation to church leaders and since Paul’s other uses of the
expression are not so restricted.
Spiritual believers should seek to restore such a one in a spirit of
gentleness. Gentleness is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (5:23) and thus
the one who walks in the Spirit is able to be gentle in this ministry of
restoration.
However, the spiritual one is not immune to the wiles of the devil. Thus
when he engages in this restoration effort, he must consider [himself] lest
[he] also be tempted. A former alcoholic, for example, might not feel he
has been sober long enough to try to restore a believer who himself has
fallen off the wagon. If so, he should elicit the aid of another brother or
sister.
6:2. Why risk one’s own walk with Christ to bear one another’s
burdens? It is because this is a valid application of the law of Christ.
Christ commanded His disciples to “love one another as I have loved you”
(John 15:12). His love was self-sacrificing. He laid down His life, and so
believers ought to lay down their lives as well.
Here Paul uses the word law (nomos) in a positive way. The law of Christ
alludes specifically in this case to Christ’s command to love one another.
More broadly, it includes all which He commanded. Even the NT
commands of the apostles He sent are probably part of the law of Christ.
6:3. There is a shift here. How this verse explains the previous (For) is not
obvious. Evidently the link is to be seen in that the self-deceived person,
one who thinks himself to be something when he is nothing, is the one
overtaken in a trespass in v 1 (which is the one with a burden to be borne in
v 2). Often when a person falls, he rationalizes his trespass (he deceives
himself). One of the great needs believers have is honesty in the face of the
convicting work of the Holy Spirit. When the Holy Spirit points out a sin,
confession is required if a believer is to have his fellowship with God
restored (1 John 1:9).
The following verse broadens the application of this principle.
6:4. There is a natural tendency to compare one’s own efforts against
others. Such comparisons are deceiving, however. The Lord Jesus will not
judge believers on how they compare with others. Jesus will base it on what
they did with the gifts and opportunities He gave them.
 Thus Paul says let each one examine his own work. Self-examination of
one’s works is Biblical if done for the right reason. It is not to be done for
assurance of salvation. That is based solely on the objective promises of
God (e.g., John 11:25-27). However, believers are to examine their own
work in order to have some idea where they stand in relation to the coming
Judgment Seat of Christ.
The result is that a person will have [a ground for] rejoicing in himself
alone, and not in another. Believers can rejoice as they see God working
in and through them.
Paul does not mean that Christians should not rejoice in the ministry of
others. Instead he means that they should not be like the legalists who look
down on others (5:26).
It is true that in 1 Cor 4:3, 5 Paul prohibits any attempt to come up with
some sort of precise sense of how one will do at the Judgment Seat. Here,
however, he is emphasizing taking one’s focus off of others and putting it
on self, for the purpose of having a general sense of their current spiritual
condition.
6:5. A different Greek word for load is used here than was used in v 2
(there translated “burdens”). Paul could have used the same word. The
reason he chose a different word was to show that this looks to a
significantly different time than in v 2, that is, to the future at the Judgment
Seat of Christ. Believers should accurately examine their own work (v 4)
because each one shall bear his own load at the Bema. But until then, they
can and should bear one another’s loads (v 2).
There is a minor break here. The discussion now moves to giving in
relation to the Judgment Seat.
E. Paul’s Gospel Motivates Believers to Persevere in Sharing and
Doing Good So That They May Rule with Christ Forever (6:6-
10)
6:6. The believer who is taught the word is to share in all good things
with him who teaches. That includes financial support, and, for traveling
teachers who clearly teach God’s truth, it includes food and shelter as well
(cf. 3 John 5-8).
This leads into one of the most beautiful and challenging verses in the
entire Bible. Here Paul moves from financial giving to the stewardship of
one’s life.
6:7. Deception concerning accountability is a real possibility. Many
Christians do not believe that whatever a man [cf. v 1] sows, that he will
also reap.
The Judaizers probably taught that those who followed them were pleasing
God and would not reap any negative consequences. Yet Paul wants the
believers in Galatia to know that if they follow the Judaizers, they will reap
destruction.
Sowing and reaping are agricultural terms. When a farmer plants wheat, he
reaps wheat. So too when a believer sows what is displeasing to God, he
reaps God’s displeasure and the consequences of that displeasure.
6:8. A believer may sow to his flesh (cf. 5:19-21) or to the Spirit (cf.
5:22-23). The fleshly sower will of the flesh reap corruption. The future
tense could refer to reaping later in this life. However, v 9 shows that Paul
is speaking of the next life. In this epistle sowing to the flesh is living
legalistically. Sowing to the Spirit is living by faith in Christ.
The word translated corruption (phthoran) also means destruction or ruin.
Since it is here antithetically parallel to everlasting life, most commentators
suggest that it refers to eternal condemnation. However compelling reasons
oppose this view. First, those being addressed are believers, and they cannot
experience eternal condemnation (cf. 3:29; John 3:18; 5:24). Second, the
parallel in 5:21 concerns missing out on ruling with Christ, not eternal
condemnation. Third, comparing 6:9 with 2 Tim 2:12, the issue here is
ruling with Christ or failing to do so. Fourth, to reap everlasting life is
clearly not the same as to receive the free gift of eternal life by faith. Surely
“whatever a man sows, that he will also reap” is in no way the same
message as “a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in
Jesus Christ” (Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9). The former concerns eternal rewards.
The latter concerns eternal destiny.
It is wrong to think of everlasting life as though it is a static, all-or-nothing
reality. A person who has God’s life may experience it in varying degrees of
fullness (John 10:10).
6:9. Believers need to be reminded not to grow weary while doing good.
In the case of the Galatians, false teachers had come into their church and
were wearying them with their legalism.
 The way to keep from growing weary is to look to the Lord Jesus and His
soon return: for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Paul
is commanding believers to set their hearts on eternal reward. The Lord
Jesus did so as well (Matt 6:19-21; 16:24-28; 24:42-43; 25:13; Luke 19:11-
27).
The due season or due time looks ahead to the imminent return of Christ.
At the Judgment Seat of Christ each believer’s deeds will be evaluated and
recompensed (Rom 14:10; 2 Cor 5:9-11).
God rewards perseverance. Those who do not lose heart, that is, those who
endure (2 Tim 2:12) will rule with Christ forever.
6:10. Therefore signals the close of the section and the body of the epistle.
In light of all that Paul has said, and especially in light of vv 7-9, as we
have opportunity, let us do good to all especially to those who are of the
household of faith.
Believers are to do good to all, which clearly in this context is more than
merely aiding other believers. However, the latter should be a priority.
The household of faith is a beautiful way to refer to the church. Since
believers are brothers and sisters in Christ, they are indeed a household of
family members who have faith in Christ.
What a fitting way this is to end the body of the epistle. Those who charge
that the Free Grace message promotes licentiousness have it wrong.
Actually legalism, not grace, promotes (albeit inadvertently) licentiousness.
The grace of God promotes the doing of good to all. While Paul was
antinomian in the sense that he taught that keeping the Law was not a
condition for justification or sanctification, he was not promoting a license
to sin. He called believers to live by faith in Jesus Christ and thereby to do
those things that please Him.
VI. Epilogue: Paul’s Gospel Leads One to Boast in Christ, Not in
the Flesh (6:11-16)
6:11. Paul used a scribe, or amanuensis, to write his letters as he dictated.
However, at the end of the letters he sometimes took up the pen himself and
finished the letter with his own hand. The expression what large letters
indicates that Paul’s handwriting was much larger than the scribe’s. This
may be evidence that Paul had an eye disorder, that he was over forty, or
simply that he had exceptionally large handwriting.
 6:12. Legalism is showy. It has a desire to make a good showing in the
flesh before others. Those who walk in the Spirit desire to please God and
not people. The Judaizers are in view here. Again no names are mentioned.
They would compel you to be circumcised. Circumcision was the
doorway to a commitment to keep the Law. It was the way in which the
Judaizer could show that he had made a convert, much like many
denominations today that do not consider a person saved until that one
submits to baptism.
Paul identifies a major motive of the Judaizers (in addition to making a
good showing in the flesh): the desire that they may not suffer
persecution for the cross of Christ. It is almost certain that the Judaizers
did not deny the death of Christ. If they had, they would have received no
entrance to the churches of Galatia.
When Paul speaks here of persecution for the cross of Christ, he is talking
about the persecution that he and others received for proclaiming the gospel
of Jesus Christ (cf. 1:6-9). The cross here stands for the entire good news
message that the Lord Jesus gave Paul, and all believers, to proclaim (1:11).
Those who proclaim the Biblical gospel suffer persecution, whereas those
who proclaim the gospel of legalism do not.
Paul accepted this persecution gladly, for he knew that it was one of the
key ways in which a believer lays up eternal rewards (Rom 8:17b; cf. 1 Pet
4:13).
6:13. Paul continues his discussion of the motivation of the Judaizers. The
fact that not even those who are circumcised (or those who are of the
circumcision) keep the law (cf. 3:10; Acts 15:10) shows that even the
Judaizers themselves are unable to attain justification by Law-keeping.
Thus their real reason in seeking to get the Galatians circumcised is not that
they might be justified.
The Judaizers might claim to be keeping the Law well enough to merit
entrance into God’s kingdom. Possibly they even claimed to keep the Law
perfectly, but of course they could not (cf. Rom 3:23; 1 John 1:8, 10).
The Judaizers were trying to get the believers in Galatia to be circumcised
so that they may boast in their flesh.
6:14. Paul now contrasts the carnal ground of boasting of the Judaizers (v
13) with his own spiritual boasting: God forbid that I should boast except
in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. In other words Paul exalts Christ
but the legalists exalt themselves.
Once again Paul harkens to the theme of co-crucifixion. One of the
benefits of Christ’s death for the believer is that the world has been
crucified to me, and I to the world.
6:15. Thus what matters in Christ Jesus is neither circumcision nor
uncircumcision. The word translated avails is also used in 5:6 in exactly
the same expression. Paul’s point is that there is no religious significance or
meaning to either circumcision or the lack thereof.
The final words of this verse leap out at the reader. The NKJV translation
accurately captures the jarring sense of the Greek. The only thing that really
matters, Paul says, is a new creation. Believers are part of a new creation
(in 2 Cor 5:17 the same expression occurs). Thus believers should live in
light of that truth. They should live like children of God, which they are.
They should prepare for ruling with Christ, for this is God’s desire for all
His children.
Implicit here is that those who place special significance on circumcision
are not living in keeping with the new creation.
6:16. Paul wishes peace and mercy for those who walk consistent with
the idea that what matters is the new creation, not circumcision or
uncircumcision.
What Paul means by the Israel of God is disputed. There are two major
views. First, the Reformed view is that it refers to the church. Second, the
dispensational view is that it refers to Jewish believers in the current Church
Age.
The latter view is correct for two reasons. First, Paul has made clear
elsewhere that the true Israel today are those who are both the physical and
spiritual seed of Abraham (cf. Rom 9:6-8). Second, both the OT and NT
make it clear that there is a future for the nation Israel, God’s chosen
people. Jesus will forever rule and reign from Jerusalem over the nation of
Israel and the world.
VII. Farewell (6:17-18)
6:17. Trouble is a theme we have also seen a number of times previously
in the letter. However, this is the only use of this particular word (kopos).
Previously Paul spoke of “some who trouble [tarassō] you” (1:7) and
“those who trouble [anastataō] you” (5:12). Why did Paul use three
different words for trouble? Possibly the choice is merely stylistic.
However, there may be a play on words. Kopos is very similar to kopiaō, a
verb used once before in 4:11. There Paul expresses fear that “I [might]
have labored for you in vain.” Those who have been troubling Paul have
been jeopardizing the effectiveness of Paul’s labor among the believers of
Galatia.
Is this a prayer (“Lord, let no one trouble me any more”)? Or is it an
exhortation to the Galatians (“Galatians, let no one trouble me any more,”
i.e., “stop yielding to the Judaizers”)? The latter is probably in view. If the
Galatians heeded the exhortations in this epistle, the Judaizers would cease
troubling Paul, for their work would be found ineffective.
Paul states why this trouble should cease: I bear in my body the marks
of the Lord Jesus. The word translated marks is stigmata. Normally
stigmata suggests the scars on Jesus’ hands, feet, and side. However, Paul
too had stigmata. He suffered for Christ and had scars on his back from the
many beatings he endured. He likely had scars all over his body from the
stoning he suffered while in Galatia (see Acts 14:19). Who knows how
many other types of scars he had from his shipwrecks and imprisonments (2
Cor 12:23-33).
Implied here is that those who share in Christ’s sufferings will likewise
have an added share in His glory (cf. Rom 8:17; 1 Pet 4:13).
6:18. The NKJV translation slightly obscures the touching way in which
Paul ends this letter. In the Greek the word brethren ends rather than starts
the closing sentence. Thus it could be translated, The grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brethren. Amen.
Paul ends the letter by affirming their spiritual position in Christ as his
brethren. In spite of the foolish attention they had been paying to the
deceptive Judaizers, Paul loves them and recognizes them as his spiritual
kin.
And it is fitting that Paul ends this particular letter asking that the grace of
our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Grace is precisely what the
believers in Galatia needed.
Thus ends Paul’s charter of Christian liberty. This beautiful letter is as
powerful and as needed today as it was two millennia ago.
 Ephesians
J. B. BOND
INTRODUCTION
Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus is one of the most powerful letters
ever written both doctrinally and practically. In this epistle Paul lays out
God’s plan and purpose for His church.
Author
Paul the Apostle identifies himself as the author at the beginning of the
letter (1:1). Although there are some who dispute his authorship, both the
external and internal evidence overwhelmingly proves Pauline authorship.
Paul, a man set apart by God, wrote thirteen letters in the NT, traveled on
three missionary journeys, and was declared to be the Apostle to the
Gentiles. He was from Tarsus (in modern-day Turkey), but at an early age
he lived in Jerusalem as a student of one of the greatest Jewish teachers of
the day, Gamaliel, where he studied to be a Pharisee.
Later in his life as he was going to Damascus to persecute the followers of
Christ he met Jesus Christ on the road outside the city. Paul believed in
Christ for eternal life and began his ministry to take the message of Jesus
particularly to the Gentiles where he helped lead them from darkness to
light (Acts 26:15-18).
Recipients
Traditionally it is understood that this letter was sent to the body of
believers in Ephesus (1:1). Because some manuscripts do not have the
words in Ephesus, some scholars believe this was a circular letter. These
truths written to the believers in Ephesus in the first century can be applied
to all the church for all time.
Paul came to Ephesus near the end of his second missionary journey. After
serving in Corinth for about a year and a half, Paul left with Aquila and
Pricilla and came to Ephesus where he was well received. He was asked to
stay longer, but he left vowing to return. Later on his third missionary
journey he returned to Ephesus where he taught for about two years (Acts
19:1-10). He began by teaching in the synagogue for three months. After
being rejected he left, taking fellow believers with him and he taught in the
school of Tyrannus. The Word of God spread throughout the entire region.
Demetrius, a silversmith, stirred up the people against Paul. Because so
many had trusted in Christ, they were no longer buying idols the
silversmiths were making. A riot developed and Paul left, going to
Macedonia. On his return to Jerusalem he stopped in Miletus meeting with
the elders of the church of Ephesus (Acts 20:17-38).
The great city of Ephesus was famous for a number of things. In the huge
stadium there were chariot races and games with a theater holding over
24,000 people. The city was world famous for the Temple of Diana, a
goddess who supposedly had fallen from heaven and was honored there.
Date
Paul writes the Ephesian letter from Rome around AD 60 during his first
imprisonment. At this time he wrote four letters often called his prison
epistles (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon). Some think
that Paul’s ministry was limited because of his imprisonment, but he led
many of the guards to Christ and other believers were more bold to
proclaim the truth.
Theme
Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus gives detailed information about the
Church, the Body of Christ. This letter reveals God’s plan and purpose for
those who have trusted Christ for eternal life.
The book includes three chapters dealing with doctrine (chaps. 1-3), and
three with application of that doctrine (chaps. 4-6).
The first three chapters teach who believers are in Christ. Paul declares the
believers’ blessings (1:3-14); their background and God’s working past,
present, and future (2:1-7); their salvation by grace through faith in Christ
(2:8-10); and information about the Church as a mystery consisting of both
Jews and Gentiles brought together in one body by faith in Christ (2:10–
3:21).
Paul’s heart is revealed in his two prayers in 1:15-23 and 3:14-21, as he
lifts up requests for those he loves in Ephesus. All believers can pray these
prayers for each other.
 In the last three chapters, Paul challenges the believers to walk worthy of
their calling as they live out who they are in Christ (4:1). He discusses the
unity in the body (4:4-6), gives a charge to use spiritual gifts (4:11-16), and
to put off the old and put on the new (4:22-24). As imitators of God (5:1)
believers are to live in love, light, and wisdom, being filled by the Holy
Spirit (5:2-16).
Paul gives clear practical application as he discusses the roles of husbands,
wives, parents, children, slaves and masters (5:22–6:9). In the last chapter
Paul gives the famous section on the armor of God, instructing believers
how to stand firm in the spiritual battle in this fallen world (6:10-18). The
letter ends as Paul asks for prayer and blesses the believers (6:20-24).

OUTLINE
I. Paul Teaches Believers Who They Are in Christ (1:1–3:21)
A. Greeting (1:1-2)
B. Praise for God’s Spiritual Blessings (1:3-14)
C. Paul’s Prayer for Believers’ Wisdom and Understanding (1:15-23)
D. God’s Salvation Plan: Past, Present, and Future (2:1-7)
E. Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:8-10)
F. God Reconciles Jews and Gentiles to Each Other and to Himself (2:11-
22)
G. Paul Explains the Mystery of the Church (3:1-7)
H. Paul’s Ministry (3:8-13)
I. Paul Prays for Believers (3:14-21)
II. Paul Charges Believers to Walk Worthy of Who They Are in Christ (4:1–
6:20)
A. Believers Are to Walk Worthy in Unity (4:1-6)
B. God Gives Gracious Gifts for Service (4:7-16)
C. Believers Are to Put Off the Old Life and Put On the New Life (4:17-24)
D. Paul Gives Believers Instructions in Relation to Each Other (4:25-32)
E. Believers Are to Walk in Love, Light, and Wisdom, Being Filled with the
Holy Spirit (5:1-21)
F. Paul’s Specific Instructions for Believers’ Roles (5:22–6:9)
G. Believers Are to Stand Strong in God’s Power Using God’s Armor
(6:10-20)
III. Conclusion and Benediction (6:21-24)

COMMENTARY
I. Paul Teaches Believers Who They Are in Christ (1:1–3:21)
The first three chapters of Paul’s letter to the church at Ephesus show
believers who they are in Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life
believers are placed in union with Christ, making up His body, which is the
Church. Believers have both blessings and responsibilities.
A. Greeting (1:1-2)
Paul begins his introduction with the typical first-century form, in which
the writer is mentioned first and then the recipients, followed by a blessing.
1:1. Paul calls himself an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God. It
was God who chose Paul and sent him out to fulfill the mission God had for
him.
Paul writes to the saints who are in Ephesus, and faithful in Christ
Jesus. The word saints means set apart ones. When someone trusts Jesus
Christ for eternal life, he is set apart, holy in Jesus Christ. Faithful means
being trustworthy. While every believer is a saint, not every believer
unfortunately is faithful in serving Jesus Christ.
1:2. Paul greets his readers by offering grace and peace to them from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
B. Praise for God’s Spiritual Blessings (1:3-14)
Paul praises God for the spiritual blessings He has given to believers in
Jesus Christ. Many believers do not realize the spiritual blessings they have.
Paul gives two big ideas. First, he states that all blessings are given to
believers from God. He calls them heavenly blessings. Second, all blessings
are based on the believer’s union in Jesus Christ.
In the Greek text vv 3-14 are actually one long sentence. As Paul reminds
believers of their blessings, this praise can be divided into three sections
relating to the Trinity with each part ending in praise for God’s glory. Verses
4- 6 deal with the Father, vv 7- 12 deal with the Son, and vv 13-14 deal with
the Holy Spirit. Paul’s praise to God based on the blessings to all believers
in Christ results in glory and praise to God.
Believers can recall the blessings that have come to them not because of
what they have done or promise to do but because of their relationship with
God by faith in Jesus Christ, which results in eternal life.
1:3. Paul declares that God is to be blessed. Believers are to praise and
bless God because of His blessings to them in Christ.
God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Often when people
think of blessings, they think of material things such as money and
possessions. This passage does not deal with earthly temporal blessings, but
with heavenly eternal blessings believers now have in Christ. Paul lists six
things that believers have because of their union in Christ. These blessings
are in the heavenly places because they are from our heavenly Father and
because of one’s position in Christ. By faith in Jesus Christ believers are
placed in union with Christ and in Christ are raised up and seated at the
right hand of the Father (Eph 1:20). Repeatedly this passage affirms that
God gives His blessings to believers because of their union in Christ.
1:4. The first blessing is that God the Father chose us in Christ before the
foundation of the world. In Ephesians the first person plural typically
refers to the Church, Jews and Gentiles together in one body. Thus some
suggest that corporate election is in view here.
There is so much misunderstanding and controversy concerning God’s
choosing of believers. There are two aspects of salvation. There is the “God
side” as He chooses those to be in Christ, and at the same time there is the
“human side” as each person must believe in Christ for eternal life. Both are
true. Because people like sheep have all gone astray (Isa 53:6) God brings
people to Himself. In this section of Ephesians Paul is stressing the
Godward side of salvation, that He chose people in Christ.
Regardless of what type of choosing (individual or corporate) is in view
here, this does not remove the responsibility of every person to believe in
Christ for eternal life. From the man side, each person must believe in
Christ for eternal life in order to have it.
God chose people before the foundation of the world. This seems to be a
figure of speech called anthropomorphism. Since God has always been
omniscient, there never was a literal time when He chose anyone.
 God chose people so they would be holy and without blame before Him.
This could refer to their standing in Christ, or it could refer to their
experience, in which case Paul is thinking of the Judgment Seat of Christ
(cf. Col 1:21-23).
1:5. The second blessing in this passage is that God the Father in love
adopted us as sons. God has determined beforehand (predestined) that all
who believe in Jesus Christ will be adopted into his family. People who
were dead are now alive (Eph 2:1-10). They become children of God by
Jesus Christ as He brings them to Himself. It was His good pleasure that
they should be brought to Him and become His children.
1:6. The end result is that God the Father will be praised for His glorious
grace. The grace of God is indeed glorious, and believers should always
give Him praise.
By His grace He made us accepted in the Beloved. The Beloved One is
Jesus Christ, and believers are in Him by faith, based on the grace of God.
Three more blessings are given to believers through the Son; believers
have redemption in Christ, God makes known His plan to believers, and
they have an inheritance.
1:7. In Him we have redemption through His blood. Redemption means
to purchase by paying a price. Jesus tells believers He did not come to be
served but to serve and give His life (Mark 10:45). Jesus Christ died on the
cross to pay the penalty for sin so that He could redeem those who believe
and set them free through His blood. By means of His shed blood believers
are purchased and set free (Rev 5:9). They have been redeemed by the
blood of the Lamb (1 Pet 1:18-19). There can be no payment for sin without
the shedding of blood (Heb 9:22). Only the blood of a perfect person can
pay for mankind’s sins. Jesus Christ is the perfect Son of God who died to
pay for sins, thereby satisfying God (1 John 2:2).
By faith in Jesus Christ people have forgiveness of sins. “To forgive”
means to take away or to remove. In Jesus Christ there is forgiveness and
God has removed sins as far as the east is from the west (Ps 103:12).
Forgiveness comes by faith (Acts 10:43; 13:38). People sin as they miss the
mark and fall short (Rom 3:23), are in open rebellion to God, and act
contrary to His Word (Eph 2:1). Believers are blessed in Christ, having been
redeemed and receiving the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of
His grace.
 1:8. There are more blessings to believers from God the Father in His Son
Christ as God’s grace abounds to us in all wisdom and prudence. God’s
fourth blessing is that He has made known His plan in Christ. In His
wisdom and prudence God has a perfect plan and has revealed it to
believers. In v 9 Paul mentions the mystery and in v 10 he makes known the
mystery.
1:9. Paul states that God has made known to us the mystery of His will.
A mystery was something not revealed in the past but which is now made
known. The Church, Jews and Gentiles together in one body, was a mystery
during the OT times. God is working His perfect plan in His perfect way
and has made known His plan and purposes for the Church in Christ. This is
based on His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.
1:10. Paul reveals that the mystery is that in the dispensation of the
fullness of the times God would gather everything together in Jesus Christ.
The word dispensation means a “stewardship.” God’s plan for the fullness
of times and the purpose of this age is that He would gather together in
one all things in Christ. As the King of kings and the Lord of lords, Jesus
Christ will rule this world. Every knee will bow to Him, and all things will
be put under His feet. This includes all things both which are in heaven
and are on earth. This mysterious plan is that all things will come together
in Him.
1:11. Paul writes that in Christ we have obtained an inheritance. The
past tense of the verb shows that the inheritance is guaranteed. All believers
are “heirs of God” (Rom 8:17a). Sometimes believers confuse an
inheritance with rewards. The inheritance in Eph 1:11 refers to what God
freely gives to all believers because of their relationship in Christ. But being
“joint heirs with Christ” (Rom 8:17b) is different. This refers to the fact that
believers can earn the right to rule with Christ (2 Tim 2:12).
This inheritance had been predestined [planned beforehand] according to
the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of
His will. God had decided beforehand that all believers will have an
inheritance.
1:12. The result is that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the
praise of His glory. Many believe that those who first trusted in Christ
refers to the Jews to whom the gospel was first presented. Whether Paul
was referring to only Jewish believers or to all early believers, both Jews
and Gentiles, the end result is the same. God’s blessings of redemption,
making known His will, and giving an inheritance should result in believers
giving praise to His glory.
1:13. Now Paul gives us the final blessing from the Father through the Son
based on the third member of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit. Paul again
reminds the Gentile believers in Ephesus that in Him [Christ] you also
trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation.
The gospel is the message that brings salvation. After hearing the message
the Ephesians believed and then instantaneously were sealed by the Holy
Spirit. Sealing suggests security (cf. Eph 4:30). The moment one believes
in Jesus Christ he is sealed by the Holy Spirit and is thus secure and safe
forever. Believers can know that the moment they trust in Christ as their
Savior they are sealed by the Holy Spirit and are safe forever. Believers
have the assurance of salvation based on Christ’s promises (cf. John 5:24;
6:35; 11:26). Sealing also suggests ownership. The Holy Spirit’s seal
reminds believers that they belong to God (Rom 8:16-17).
1:14. The Holy Spirit is the guarantee of our inheritance. The word
guarantee means a pledge or down payment. The Holy Spirit given to
believers guarantees their future inheritance. The redemption of the
purchased possession will take place when Jesus Christ returns and
establishes His righteous kingdom. All believers are His purchased
possession since He has bought them. The redemption mentioned in this
verse differs from that referred to in v 7. Justification is the focus in v 7, and
glorification is in view in v 14. God will complete His plan of redemption
when He gives believers glorified bodies and removes all taint of sin from
the earth and the universe. As before, the work of God through the Holy
Spirit in His sealing of believers is to the praise of His glory.
May God be praised for all the blessings He has given because of the
believers’ union in Christ which comes by faith.
C. Paul’s Prayer for Believers’ Wisdom and Understanding (1:15-
23)
After reminding believers of all the blessings they have in Christ Jesus,
Paul now prays that these believers would have spiritual growth and
understanding. Paul wants these believers to have a deepening relationship
with their God and Savior. Like vv 3-14, this section (vv 15-23) is one
sentence in the Greek text. This section includes the first of two great
prayers of Paul for the Ephesians in this letter (vv 15-23 and 3:14-19).
Paul begins his prayer by thanking God for these believers (vv 15 -16) and
then makes known his desire for their spiritual growth and understanding
(vv 17-19).
1:15-16. Therefore after Paul had heard of their faith in the Lord Jesus
and their love for all the saints, he did not cease to give thanks for them
in his prayers.
1:17-19. Paul now makes his request known. He prays for their spiritual
insight, that God would give them spiritual wisdom and insight in the
knowledge of Him. If the eyes of their understanding (lit., heart, the seat
of the intellect) was enlightened, then they would know the hope of His
calling. The Greek word for hope means “eager anticipation.” Believers are
to look forward eagerly to His return for them and the establishment of His
righteous kingdom. As believers think of their future hope they realize that
they are to walk worthy of their calling as children of God (4:1). If they do,
then they will rule with Him. This rulership is a great part of the riches of
the glory of His inheritance in the saints. Here the focus is on believers
being His inheritance, those whom the Lord Jesus inherits with the right to
rule over them forever. But in 5:5-7 the focus is on the believers’ possible
share in His inheritance.
Paul also wants these believers to understand the exceeding greatness of
His power toward us. He saves, He keeps, and He uses believers, all of
which is based on His power toward those who believe. This power,
available to believers, is according to the working of His mighty power.
1:20. The power of God available for believers is the same power that God
worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at
His right hand in the heavenly places. Christ’s authority is shown by His
placement at the right hand of the Father in the heavenly places. After His
death and resurrection Jesus ascended to the place of highest authority
(Matt 28:18; Heb 10:11-12). He is seated because His work on earth is
finished until His enemies are made His footstool.
1:21. He is far above all principality and power and might and
dominion. These terms for angelic beings show that Jesus Christ is not only
above all people, but far above the angels as well (cf. 1 Pet 3:22). Also
every name that is named is under His authority. This is true not only in
this age but also in that which is to come. Both in the present and in the
future, Christ’s authority is shown by His position above all things.
1:22. All things are in subjection to Jesus Christ (under His feet). The
picture here is of a general as he puts his foot on the neck of an enemy,
showing that he has victory, authority, and power. God’s wonderful power is
His working in believers as He raised Jesus Christ from the dead and put
Christ as authority over all things. The third aspect of this incredible power
is seen in that God has made Christ to be head over all things to the
church.
1:23. The Church, which is His body, is made up of both Jews and
Gentiles who trust in Jesus Christ for eternal life. The word Church literally
means called-out ones. By faith in Jesus Christ believers are called out of
the fallen world into a relationship with Jesus Christ. He is the Head of the
body, the Church. Paul ends this section by declaring that Jesus is the
fullness of Him who fills all in all. Christ completely fills not only the
Church, but all things.
Paul prayed that they would understand their calling, their riches, and their
inheritance, all based on God’s great power who raised up Christ, seated
Him in the heavenly places, gave Him authority over all things and put Him
as the Head over the Church.
Paul now presents God’s blessings for those in the Church, mentioning the
believers’ reception of the gift of eternal life (2:1-10). He also explains how
God has reconciled to Himself both Jews and Gentiles in the one body, the
Church (2:11-22).
D. God’s Salvation Plan: Past, Present, and Future (2:1-7)
This section focuses on God’s grace and mercy to those who were dead in
trespasses and sins. Believers deserve nothing but His wrath and yet He
makes them alive, raises them up to be seated in Christ, and promises them
blessings now and in the future.
Verses 1-7 form one sentence and the main subject, God, is not mentioned
until v 4 and the main verb, made us alive together with Christ, is not found
until v 5. (The NKJV supplies He made alive in v 1, but it is not in the
Greek.)
Paul begins dealing with believers’ past, showing how they were before
they believed in Jesus Christ as Savior.
 2:1. Believers were dead in trespasses and sins. Before a person puts his
trust in Christ as Savior he is spiritually dead. Paul does not say that the
Ephesian Gentiles were dead because of trespasses and sins. At the cross
the Lord Jesus dealt with the sin issue for all of mankind (John 1:29; 1 John
2:2). Rather, they were dead in the sphere of trespasses and sins. That is,
they were slaves of sin (cf. Rom 6:17, “though you were slaves of sin”).
2:2. Paul reminds the Ephesians that they once walked according to the
course of this world. To walk according to the world is to live and follow a
lifestyle and values of this fallen world, a world in opposition to God and
His perfect truth.
As unbelievers the Ephesians also walked according to the prince of the
power of the air, that is, the devil. He is the ruler of the fallen world
system (1 John 5:19). The devil affects the unbelieving world as the spirit
who now works in the sons of disobedience. The devil is working in the
lives of unbelievers, seeking to deceive them.
2:3. In v 3 Paul now switches from the second person plural to the first
person plural. Here Paul includes himself and Jewish believers. Among the
sons of disobedience we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our
flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by
nature children of wrath, just as the others. The natural condition of
fallen people is that they are subjects of God’s wrath (John 3:18; 3:36).
No one can save himself from this horrible condition. But God intervened.
2:4. But God, not man, is the one who delivers people out of their fallen
condition. God is rich in mercy because of His great love with which He
loved us. God showed mercy to us who were dead in sin and living under
His wrath. Mercy is not getting what one deserves. Paul then states in the
following verses three things that God did for believers based on His mercy
because of His love.
2:5. Paul now restates what he began in v 1, this time using the first person
plural: when we were dead in trespasses, God made us alive together
with Christ (by grace you have been saved). As in John 3:16-17, eternal
life is here called being “saved.” In v 8 Paul then expands on this brief
parenthetical statement. First, He made us alive with Christ.
2:6. Second, He raised us up together with Christ. Just as Jesus died and
rose again to a new life, so believers are spiritually united with Christ,
having died and rose again with Him. Based on their union with Christ
believers are also united in His resurrection. This co-resurrection with
Christ is a positional truth. But it has practical application as the last three
chapters of Ephesians will explore.
Third, He has made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ
Jesus. Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father (1:20) and
positionally believers are there also. This is a position of privilege and
power. Paul’s wants the believers in Ephesus to see themselves as seated
with Christ in a position of heavenly power and authority.
2:7. The intended result of the believers’ co-crucifixion, co-resurrection,
and co-seating with Christ is that in the ages to come (the millennial and
eternal kingdom) He might show (demonstrate, point out) the exceeding
riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. The
Church will forever be a trophy of God’s marvelous grace.
This points out an amazing contrast between the past (being dead in sin,
living by the world, and being children of wrath) and the present (alive,
raised, and seated with Christ) and the future (in which believers will
forever demonstrate the exceeding riches of God’s grace in Christ).
E. Salvation by Grace through Faith (2:8-10)
2:8-9. The word For looks back to vv 1-7 and summarizes what Paul has
been saying. By grace you have been saved is a word-for-word repetition
of v 5. But then Paul adds much more. While it is by means of God’s grace
that the Ephesian Gentiles were made alive with Christ, it was also through
faith. This salvation is in the perfect tense, showing action that happened in
the past with continuing results. When the Ephesians exercised faith they
were saved and the results continue on.
The object of faith, the Lord Jesus Christ, is not stated here. Paul is
reminding believers about their salvation and hence he does not state
everything. They knew that it was through faith in Jesus Christ that they
had been and were forever saved. Of course Jesus’ promise of life is
emphasized in this passage (cf. v 5).
John 3:16 clearly declares that all who believe in Christ will not perish,
that is, will not be eternally condemned (vv 17-18), but will have eternal
life in an eternal relationship with Christ.
Faith always has an object. It is not the amount of faith a person has or
even the sincerity of his faith that saves a person. It is the object of one’s
faith. Jesus Christ is a person’s Savior because he trusts in Him for eternal
life.
Paul’s further elaboration of what he said in v 5 has often been confused.
And that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest
anyone should boast. The key to understanding Paul here is the
demonstrative pronoun that. Some teach that that refers to faith since it is
the nearest antecedent, with the idea that faith is a gift from God. However,
the Greek word that is neuter and the Greek word faith is feminine.
Demonstrative pronouns normally match their antecedents in number and
gender. It is better to see the pronoun that referring to the entire clause,
stating that by grace a person is saved through faith. Salvation (eternal life)
is not of oneself; it is the gift of God (cf. John 4:10), lest anyone should
boast.
Many have thought that by their works or religious activities they are
somehow earning a relationship with God. Paul makes it clear that salvation
is not of one’s own doings; it is a gift of God.
2:10. The statement for we are His workmanship highlights the fact that
the Church (we) is God’s masterpiece. God created the Church in Christ
Jesus for good works. The Church is not just a group of saved people who
have an eternal relationship with Christ. Believers are to serve Him by
doing good works. They are called to live out their lives doing good as
representatives of Christ (2 Cor 5:20).
God has prepared good works beforehand that we should walk in
them. The Church is to be a body that manifests good works. Jesus stated
that believers should let their light shine so others can see their good works
and glorify God (Matt 5:16).
In this section Paul points to God’s grace in bringing together both the
Jews and Gentiles in one body, the Body of Christ, the Church.
F. God Reconciles Jews and Gentiles to Each Other and to
Himself (2:11-22)
2:11-12. Before they came to faith in Christ, the believers in Ephesus were
Gentiles in the flesh. The term flesh refers to how they were physically;
they were separated from Jews and were called Uncircumcision by Jews.
At that time they were without Christ. There was no connection with the
Messiah. They were aliens from the commonwealth of Israel. The word
aliens has the idea of being excluded. They were strangers from the
covenants of promise. God made a number of covenants with the nation of
Israel. Beginning with Abraham (Gen 12:1-3) God made agreements with
them in which He promised a land, a seed, and blessing to His people. But
the believers in Ephesus before they were born again had no hope. They
were without God in the world. From the Greek word atheoi, translated
without God, comes the English “atheist.” They were godless. They may
have worshipped many gods, but they were without the one and only true
God.
2:13. Paul then contrasts the past and the present of the Gentile believers
in Ephesus, stating but now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off
(from the Jewish people) have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
One of the benefits of the blood of Christ is the union of Gentiles and Jews
together in one body, the Church.
2:14. For He Himself [Jesus Christ] is our peace. While our peace could
refer to peace with God (cf. Rom 5:1), it most likely in this context refers to
peace between Jews and Gentiles in the Church. God has taken the two
groups and has made both one. How did he do this? He has broken down
the middle wall of separation, which the next verse shows is the Law.
2:15-16. Jesus abolished in His flesh (by dying on the cross) the enmity,
that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances. He did this so
as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace.
God did this in Christ to make one body out of the two very distant groups.
When a Jew or Gentile trusts in Christ for eternal life, he is placed in union
with other believers in the Body of Christ. Jesus Christ by His death
removed the barrier that separated Jews and Gentiles. By faith they become
one new man, the Body of Christ, the Church. Christ is the end of the Law
to all who believe (Rom 10:4).
God reconciled both Jews and Gentiles to Himself in one body through
the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity (between Gentiles and
Jews who believe in Christ). The Law that divided is removed, and Jews
and Gentiles are in one body together.
2:17. Jesus Christ came and preached peace to you who were afar off
(Gentiles, v 13) and to those who were near (Jews). Jesus preached peace
to Gentiles and Jews through Paul and the other apostles. He did not do this
directly in His earthly ministry or even in His post resurrection appearances.
Jesus was sent to Israel, not to the Gentiles. But He sent His apostles to
preach peace with God in His name to the remotest parts of the earth (Acts
1:8).
2:18. For through Him we both (Gentiles and Jews) have (present tense)
access by one Spirit to the Father. This access is ongoing. Paul is referring
to fellowship and communication with the Father.
2:19. Gentile believers are no longer strangers and foreigners, but
fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. By
faith in Jesus Christ they now have their citizenship in heaven (Phil 3:20).
Saints here either refers to OT believers who are now with the Lord in
heaven, or to all members of God’s household, including all church age
believers and all OT believers. The latter is the more likely view.
Paul concludes this section by describing the Church as a building. The
Church is also described in the Bible as the bride of Christ, branches, and
the Body of Christ. This metaphor, used here and in 1 Cor 3:9-17 (though
there the building is made up of sound doctrine and good works), is a
powerful one. This spiritual building is described in three ways: (1) The
foundation is the apostles and prophets; (2) the cornerstone is Jesus Christ;
and (3) the building blocks are the believers of the Church Age.
2:20. The Church has been built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets. The foundation is the support of the building. The chief
cornerstone, the most important part of the foundation, is Jesus Christ
Himself (1 Pet 2:6-7).
The apostles were men chosen by Christ to be sent forth with His
authority. All of them had seen Him after He rose from the dead. There
were the eleven, plus Matthias who took the place of Judas, the betrayer.
Paul and Barnabas also were apostles. As far as is known, there were no
others.
There clearly can be no apostles today since the apostles are part of the
foundation of the building. They are not part of the superstructure.
The early church grew because of the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42).
The second part of the foundation was the NT prophets. These were men
and women who received direct revelation from God. That they too were
part of the foundation shows that there are no prophets today.
2:21-22. In Jesus Christ the whole building, being fitted together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord. The Jews had their temple. It was still
standing when Paul wrote this letter. (It was destroyed in AD 70 by the
Romans and has yet to be rebuilt.) But the Church does not have a temple; it
is a temple, a living dwelling place of God in the Spirit. It is not simply
Jews who are part of this holy building. The words you also refer to Gentile
believers. Gentiles are being built together as part of the superstructure of
this building which stands on the foundation of Jesus Christ and His
apostles and prophets.
G. Paul Explains the Mystery of the Church (3:1-7)
In the previous chapter Paul explained the union of Jew and Gentile
believers together into one new person, the Body of Christ. Paul now deals
with the mystery of the Church. A Biblical mystery is a truth or information
that was not made known in the past but has now been revealed.
Paul starts to pray but digresses to teach the truths about the church and the
mystery. He explains the mystery and gives his responsibility as one set
apart by God. After this he resumes his prayer (3:14).
3:1. For this reason refers to the truths that Paul has just given to these
believers about Jews and Gentiles together in one body. Paul wants to pray
for them, but he stops to teach about the mystery and his responsibility. He
resumes his prayer in 3:14, where we again find the same words for this
reason.
Paul describes himself as the prisoner of Christ Jesus. He does not see
himself as a prisoner of the Roman government. He is in prison in Rome,
but he sees himself as the prisoner of (on behalf of) Christ Jesus. It is not a
mistake that he is in prison; it is the plan of the sovereign God, who works
all events according to His plans. Paul understands that God is in control,
and he can rest in God’s plan for his life.
Paul knows that he is in prison for you Gentiles. He has been entrusted by
God to take the message to the Gentiles and as he fulfills his responsibility
the result at this time is prison. That is why he is a prisoner of Christ.
3:2. The Ephesians had heard about the dispensation of the grace of
God given to Paul. The word dispensation literally means stewardship or
responsibility.
Paul’s commission was to take the good news to the Gentiles. Acts 26:16-
18 reports God commissioning Paul to go to the Gentiles and to turn them
from darkness to light so they could trust in the Messiah and Savior and
receive forgiveness of sin. This is Paul’s stewardship. Paul’s message to the
Gentiles is the grace of God. He is referring to the message of grace. The
good-news message of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ is indeed a message
of grace (2:8-9). Paul states that this message of grace was given to me for
you. He was sent to the Gentiles with the grace message of justification and
sanctification. Paul now begins to deal with the mystery.
3:3-4. God made known to Paul the mystery, and He gave this
information to Paul by revelation. Paul reminds the readers that this is not
new. He had briefly written already. Where had he written? Earlier in the
letter in 2:14-18 he had declared that God had brought Jews and Gentiles
together, making one new man, the Body of Christ. Paul wanted these
believers to have an understanding of the mystery of the Church.
3:5. The mystery in other ages was not made known to the sons of men.
The truth of the Church being one body made up of Jews and Gentiles was
not revealed in the OT. The apostles and prophets had the responsibility of
making known these truths. While on the earth Jesus mentioned to His
disciples that He in the future would build His Church (Matt 16:18; 18:17).
This was the first time they had heard of the Church. The time period of the
Church Age was not made known in the OT.
3:6. Paul makes known the mystery that the Gentiles should be fellow
heirs, of the same body and partakers of His promise in Christ through
the gospel.
The mystery is that the Jews and Gentiles share together as heirs in the
same body and having the same promises. It was, of course, never a
mystery that Gentiles could have eternal life. Beginning with Adam and
Eve, God promised that the seed of woman would crush Satan (Gen 3:15).
He would be the Savior of the world. The mystery is that Gentiles not only
could have eternal life, but that they could be equal members with Jews in
the Church.
Through the gospel God gives many promises to those who believe in
Jesus: eternal life that can never be lost, Jesus’ soon return for His own,
Jesus’ establishing His righteous kingdom, the provision of glorified bodies
for all church age believers, the reception of the Spirit, the forgiveness of
sins, and many others. The good news that Christ died and rose again makes
all these promises certain for the believer. But which specific promise does
Paul have in mind here? Most likely he is referring to what he calls in 2 Tim
1:1, “the promise of life.” This singular promise, of course, is intimately
connected with the other promises just mentioned (cf. Eph 2:5, 8).
3:7. Paul had the privilege of giving out this message to the Gentiles. This
privilege and responsibility was according to the gift of the grace of God
given to Paul by the effective working of His power. He was able to
proclaim the promise of life by the power of God.
H. Paul’s Ministry (3:8-13)
3:8-9. Paul calls himself less than the least of all the saints. This may
seem surprising because Paul was an apostle and teacher with authority
from Christ. Paul never forgot his background (cf. 1 Tim 1:15-16; Gal
1:13). But by God’s grace he was saved and allowed to be the Apostle to
the Gentiles (Gal 2:9).
Paul had a twofold purpose: to preach among the Gentiles the
unsearchable riches of Christ and to make all see what is the fellowship
of the mystery.
Unsearchable means something which cannot be fully explored. The riches
here are not merely of the promise of life, but of Christ Himself. He is God,
Savior, Redeemer, Sustainer, Creator, Provider, Protector, the Lamb of God,
the Lion of Judah, the Prince of Peace, the Son of Man, the Son of God, the
Alpha and the Omega, the Firstborn of all creation, and others.
Paul’s goal was to make all (believers) see what is the fellowship of the
mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God.
God created all things through Jesus Christ (cf. Col 1:16-17).
3:10. The manifold wisdom of God was made known by the Church to
the principalities and powers in the heavenly places. Amazingly God has
used believers to teach angels! God did not tell the angels everything about
His plan to save mankind. He wanted to show them His wise plan by using
the Church.
3:11. This plan was according to the eternal purpose which He
accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus is indeed the one who
saves. God accomplished His plan through Jesus Christ. Jesus is the only
way to God (John 14:6). God saves, not based on works but based on His
own purpose (2 Tim 1:9).
Paul now encourages these believers as he reminds them of their access to
God through Christ.
 3:12. In whom [Jesus Christ] we have boldness and access. Believers
can boldly approach God through Jesus Christ (Heb 4:16), for they have
access to God (Heb 7:25). They can approach God with confidence
through faith in Christ.
3:13. Therefore (since we have bold access to God) I ask, Paul writes,
that you do not lose heart. He does not want the believers in Ephesus to be
discouraged at his tribulations for them. Paul was in prison for fulfilling
the ministry Christ gave him. His tribulation is their glory. When believers
suffer for Christ, it is for the glory of all who belong to Christ.
I. Paul Prays for Believers (3:14-21)
3:14. The words for this reason recall v 1. Paul had been about to pray,
but then he stopped to discuss his ministry and the mystery of the Church.
He now resumes his prayer.
I bow my knees. There are many postures in which to pray. The important
thing, however, is not the position but the attitude. Paul prays to the Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ. The Critical Text (CT) omits the words of our
Lord Jesus Christ. However, the majority of manuscripts include them.
3:15. In the CT the words from whom refer to God the Father as Creator
of all things. However, in the MT Paul might be referring here to the Lord
Jesus, the nearest antecedent, or to the Father. In light of what Paul goes on
to say, this probably refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. The whole family in
heaven and earth is named after the Lord Jesus, not the Father (cf. 1:21).
Earlier Paul already said that the Father created all things through Jesus
Christ (3:9).
3:16. After the parenthetical thought in v 15 about the Lord Jesus, Paul
picks up his prayer to God the Father. In his first request he asks the Father
to grant the readers according to the riches of His glory to be
strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man. Paul’s
desire is for these believers to have inner strength. Three things stand out in
this part of the prayer: God’s power, which comes through the Holy Spirit,
who can energize the inner man.
The Holy Spirit’s work of empowering believers occurs over and over as
they walk in the light (John 14:16-18; 16:7; 1 John 1:7). Believers are to be
strong in the power of the Holy Spirit in the inner man. Inwardly they are
strengthened by God’s power so that they can live for and serve the Lord.
God empowers from the inside out. The outer man (physical body) is
decaying, but the inner man (spiritual nature) is being renewed (2 Cor 4:16).
3:17-19. The second request is that Christ may dwell in your hearts
through faith. The word for dwell means “to be at home” or “to settle
down.” While Christ permanently lives in all believers in the Person of the
Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:19; Eph 2:22; Col 1:27), Paul is speaking here of
fellowship with Christ. If believers live by faith in Christ (Gal 2:20), He is
at home in their lives.
The phrase being rooted and grounded in love begins the third request.
The verbs rooted and grounded are in the perfect tense, signifying a past
action with an abiding result. The Ephesian believers, having already
experienced God’s love, are rooted, planted, and made secure in it. Because
they have been rooted and grounded in love, Paul prays that God would
allow them to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and
length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes
knowledge. The four dimensions point to the limitless extent of the love of
Christ toward them.
Paul’s hope is that the Ephesians would be able to comprehend how much
the Lord Jesus loves them. Knowing God’s love requires knowing what He
has done for them. Jesus’ love for believers was demonstrated chiefly in His
death on the cross (1 John 3:16; 4:9-10).
Believers can never completely know the love of God in Christ (which
passes all knowledge) because they are finite and God is infinite. But they
can understand something of God’s love as they look at the Scripture seeing
all that God has done for them in Christ.
Paul’s final request grows from the third. He prays that the Ephesian
believers would be filled with all the fullness of God. Filled (plēroō) and
fullness (plērōma) are related words as the NKJV translation suggests. This
might be paraphrased that you might fully manifest God’s greatness. God
desires for each believer to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ (Rom
8:29), in whom the fullness of God dwells (Col 1:19; 2:9, has the same
word, plērōma, “fullness”).
3:20. Paul brings this breathtaking prayer to a close by reminding the
readers that he is praying to Him who is able to do exceedingly
abundantly above all that we ask or think. God is able and willing to do
much more than what believers ask or even think. They can do all
according to the power that works in us. God in His power can do
anything. In times of distress it comforts believers to know that whatever
they might request or imagine, God is able to accomplish it if it is in line
with His will for them.
3:21. Paul concludes his prayer that to Him, God, would be given glory in
the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. The
world will see the glory of God through the Savior, Jesus Christ, as revealed
by His chosen instrument, the Church. As His body, all believers
everywhere are to serve Him, not through their own strength, but rather
through God’s strength and power as He works within each of them as they
walk by the power of the Spirit. Believers bring honor and glory to God
through Jesus as they live their lives in His mighty power.
This first half of Paul’s powerful letter to the church at Ephesus ends with
the word Amen. From this doctrinal treatise in chaps. 1-3, Paul turns to how
to apply it in chaps. 4-6.
II. Paul Charges Believers to Walk Worthy of Who They Are in
Christ (4:1–6:20)
A. Believers Are to Walk Worthy in Unity (4:1-6)
4:1. Based on all that Paul said in the first three chapters (therefore), Paul
begins to exhort these believers to live out who they are. Paul again
describes himself as the prisoner of the Lord (cf. 3:1). He beseeches them
to walk worthy of the calling with which they were called. The word
walk carries the idea of lifestyle.
Ultimately all of chaps. 4-6 answer the question of what a worthy walk
looks like.
4:2-4. One aspect of a worthy walk is loving and supporting other
believers. Paul’s command is that the believers in Ephesus endeavor to
keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. Paul lists four things
that believers should do to fulfill this command.
Believers maintain unity by living with all lowliness and gentleness.
Pride is the opposite of these character qualities. Believers should look out
not only for their own interests, but also for the interests of others (Phil 2:3).
They are to be gentle with others.
 Believers are to bear with one another in love, and the way to do that is
with longsuffering (1 Pet 4:8).
Endeavoring means “to be guarding” or “to be diligent.” Believers are to
make an effort to keep unity and peace. This suggests it takes effort to
maintain this unity so that believers can walk in a manner worthy of their
calling. In Christ’s high priestly prayer He prayed for unity among the
believers (John 17:23).
Paul now discusses the basis for unity. That basis is that God Himself is
one.
There is one body, the Body of Christ, the Church. All believers are
placed in the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation by the Holy Spirit,
who thus brings unity (1 Cor 12:13). There are many members, but one
body. There is one Spirit.
Believers are called in one hope of your calling (cf. Eph 1:18). The one
hope probably refers to the realization of the fullness of eternal life when
believers will receive glorified bodies and live in Jesus’ glorious kingdom.
Christians have eternal life now as a present possession by faith in Jesus
Christ. But they carry it in dead bodies and in a fallen world.
Possibly v 4 deals with God the Holy Spirit, v 5 with God the Son, and v 6
with God the Father.
The one body is, of course, indwelt by the Spirit. The hope of the
believers’ calling ties in with the Spirit in that, as Paul said earlier in the
book, He is the guarantee of our inheritance (1:14).
4:5. There is one Lord, whom we know is Jesus Christ. He is the
Sovereign ruler of all things. He is the only way of salvation (John 14: 6)
and the only name under heaven by which people can be saved (Acts 4:12).
There is one faith. This one faith is the Word of God that points people to
Jesus Christ, the One who can be trusted for eternal life.
There is one baptism. Paul is not dealing with a mode of baptism here.
Possibly he is talking about the baptism of the Holy Spirit which places a
believer in union with Christ at the moment of salvation (Rom 6:1-14; 1
Cor 12:13). Another option is that Paul is talking about water baptism and is
saying that the only Christian baptism is in the name of Jesus Christ. This
view is more likely if v 5 is all about Christ.
4:6. There is one God and Father of all, clearly God the Father. He is
above all, and through all, and in you (or us) all. The MT reads us, not
you, here. He indwells those who have trusted Christ as Savior. This likely
refers to the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Believers are to make every
effort to maintain unity because God Himself is a unit.
B. God Gives Gracious Gifts for Service (4:7-16)
Paul now turns to the subject of spiritual gifts.
4:7. The grace referred to here is the spiritual gifts given to believers so
they can serve others. Every believer has at least one spiritual gift (1 Cor
12:7, 11). Spiritual gifts are divine abilities given by God to believers so
they can serve within the body of Christ. These spiritual gifts are given for
the common good of the Body of Christ and are to be used for service and
to the glory of God.
4:8. Jesus gave these spiritual gifts after His ascension. “When He
ascended on high” refers to Christ going back to be with the Father after
His death and resurrection. “He led captivity captive” refers to Jesus taking
the souls of believers from Paradise (Luke 23:43) to be with Him in the
heavenly places. Paul is alluding to Ps 68:18 here.
Jesus “gave gifts to men.” This is not a citation of Psalm 68:19 since there
the Messiah received gifts from men. Paul’s point is to show that Jesus after
His death and resurrection gave spiritual gifts to people.
4:9. Paul now explains what Ps 68:19 meant. “He ascended”—what does
it mean but that he also first descended into the lower parts of the
earth. Paul reminds these believers in Ephesus that when Christ died and
was buried He went to the heart of the earth to a place called Paradise (Luke
23:43), the part of Sheol where the saved were.
The key point is that Jesus did not stay dead.
4:10. He who descended, that is, went to the heart of the earth, is also the
One who ascended far above all the heavens. Jesus went back to be with
the Father and is seated at His right hand in the heavenly places (Col 3:1).
He is the risen Savior who is now seated with the Father, so that He might
fill all things.
4:11. And He Himself gave some to be apostles. The word apostle means
“one sent forth with authority.” The apostles included the twelve men
chosen by Christ to be His followers, as well as Paul (Eph 1:1) and
Barnabas (Acts 14:14). There are no apostles today since the foundation of
the church is complete (Eph 2:20). He also gave some to be prophets, who
were spokesmen for God. He gave them direct revelation, which they
passed on to the Church.
There are also no prophets today since the canon of Scripture is complete
and they were part of the foundation of the Church.
Paul states that Christ also gave some to be evangelists. The gift of
evangelism is the ability to share clearly and easily the good news message
of Christ. All believers are to do the work of an evangelist (2 Tim 4:5), but
not all believers have the gift of evangelism. See Acts 8:5-40 for Luke’s
account of the preaching of Philip the evangelist (Acts 21:8), the only NT
account of what an evangelist did.
He also gave some to be pastors and teachers. This is actually one gift,
pastor–teacher. The person with this gift may be the shepherd and teacher in
a local body. The idea of pastor emphasizes the role of feeding and
protecting the flock.
Of these four gifts two were foundational gifts (apostles and prophets) and
two are permanent gifts (evangelists and pastor-teachers).
Paul continues by showing the purpose of these spiritual gifts.
4:12. These gifts are given for the equipping of the saints for the work
of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. Believers are not ready
to serve at the moment of the new birth. Babes in Christ need training. As
believers are equipped, they are then able to do the work of the ministry.
As believers are equipped to do the ministry, the result is the edifying of
the body of Christ. Believers are built up as other believers use their
spiritual gifts.
4:13. Paul now points to the goal of using spiritual gifts. He states that
believers are to use their gifts till we all come to the unity of the faith.
Spiritual gifts should produce unity in what Christians believe. Spiritual
gifts should also lead to the knowledge of the Son of God (2 Pet 3:18). All
believers should continue to grow in fellowship with Christ. Spiritual gifts
should result in a perfect man, that is a mature Church.
Spiritual gifts lead the Church to the measure of the stature of the
fullness of Christ. We grow more and more like Christ. Paul ends with the
results of this process.
4:14. Believers should no longer be children. Immature believers are
those who are tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of
doctrine. When a Christian is not maturing, he is going back and forth
concerning his beliefs. We are not to be fooled by the trickery of men,
false teachers who desire to lead believers away from the truths of the Word
of God by cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting. The proper functioning
of spiritual gifts in the Church should keep such deception from occurring.
4:15. In contrast to not knowing what they believe, Christians are to be
speaking the truth in love (proper use of spiritual gifts) so that they may
grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ (cf. v 13).
4:16. Through Christ the whole body is joined and knit together by
what every joint supplies. Paul uses the picture of the human body
working together to show how believers in the Body of Christ are to use
their gifts for mutual benefit (according to the effective working by which
every part does it share). The result is the growth of the body for the
edifying of itself in love. The body grows up and each believer is built up
in love.
C. Believers Are to Put Off the Old Life and Put On the New Life
(4:17-24)
Paul charges believers to no longer live as unbelievers but as ones who
know the truth of Christ.
4:17. This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord. Paul declares that
this is from the Lord Himself and is a very important truth to be applied.
Believers should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk.
Believers are not to live as unbelievers, who walk in the futility of their
mind. A futile mind is empty thinking. The unbeliever has no ultimate
direction and understanding. The thinking of this fallen world is empty.
This world sees life as temporal rather than eternal, seeks the material rather
than the spiritual, and lives for self rather than for God and others.
4:18. The unbelieving world has their understanding darkened since
they are alienated from the life of God. They lack eternal life and all its
potential.
This darkness and alienation is because of the ignorance that is in them,
because of the blindness of their heart (cf. 2 Cor 4:4). They are ignorant
and blind. The natural man does not understand (welcome) the things of
God (1 Cor 2:14).
4:19. The result of this fallen condition is that the Gentile unbelievers in
Ephesus and the surrounding area were past feeling. This means they were
no longer bothered by their sin. They have given themselves over to
lewdness. The word lewdness carries the idea of sensuality and lust. The
result is that they work all uncleanness with greediness. They live a life
possessed by their own sinful desires.
The believers in Ephesus were once like that (2:1-5). They were now to
stop living that way.
4:20. But in contrast to the former lifestyle you have not so learned
Christ. This is not how the believers in Ephesus were taught to live.
4:21. The if here is part of a first-class construction in Greek, which
implies that the proposition is true. Since the believers in Ephesus had
heard Him and had been taught by Him (by apostolic teaching), they
have no excuse for living like unbelievers. They knew that the truth is in
Jesus. The truths of salvation, the Christian life, the future kingdom, and
rewards had all been taught to them.
4:22. First Paul tells us to put off, concerning your former conduct, the
old man. The old man is a term used to describe the flesh, the natural bent
to sin found in every person. The old man never gets better but grows
corrupt according to the deceitful lusts.
4:23. Naturally Paul would turn next to putting on the new clothes of
righteous living. But before he gets there, he speaks of an essential step
between the putting off of the old and the putting on of the new. The readers
must be renewed in the spirit of their mind. This is done by putting the
Word of God in one’s mind (Rom 12:2). Believers are to put the truths of
the Scriptures in their hearts and minds so they can know and apply the
Word.
4:24. Mind renewal makes it possible to put on the new man. The Church
is a new man. The Ephesian believers were to live as the new people they
were in Christ. This new man was created according to God, in true
righteousness and holiness. Believers are placed into the Church to live a
righteous and holy lifestyle as new persons.
Paul then gives specific instructions on how Christians are to live in their
relationships with others.
D. Paul Gives Believers Instructions in Relation to Each Other
(4:25-32)
Paul begins with a negative, followed by a positive, and then the reason.
 4:25. Believers are to put away lying, and instead “each one” is to “speak
truth with his neighbor.” While it is always right to be truthful, it is
especially so for we are members of one another. We are together in the
Body of Christ; we are fellow members of Christ. We are to be building
each other up, not lying to one another.
4:26-27. Anger in itself is not sin. It is possible to “be angry and, do not
sin.” But one must deal with anger promptly: do not to let the sun go
down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Resentment and
bitterness will form if anger is allowed to continue unchecked. Unresolved
anger will allow the devil to divide believers.
4:28. Next Paul turns to the subjects of stealing and giving. The believer
who has thievery in his past is to steal no longer. Rather let him labor. He
is to work hard. In this way he can provide for his own family and will also
thereby have something to give him who has need.
Believers are to work not just to gain money and material things for
themselves, but so they will have things to give to those who are in need.
As Jesus said, it is more blessed to give than to receive (Acts 20:35).
4:29. The believer is to let no corrupt (rotten) word proceed out of his
mouth. The idea is not just the avoidance of bad words, but the seeking of
good words, what is good for necessary edification. One’s words should
be words that build up, not tear down. Such words impart grace [favor,
benefit, profit] to the hearers.
4:30. Paul charges believers that they do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God. The Holy Spirit, the third member of the Godhead, indwells every
believer (1 Cor 6:19-20). To grieve literally means to bring sorrow or pain.
God the Holy Spirit experiences sorrow when Christians allow sin to
dominate their lives.
Believers are sealed for the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit. Sealed
carries the idea of security and safety. Believers are made safe and kept by
the Holy Spirit. A seal suggests both possession (Christians belong to God)
and security (they are kept by God).
The day of redemption (apolytrōsis) is yet future. Believers’ bodies are yet
unredeemed. When Christ returns, then He will redeem their mortal bodies,
giving them glorified ones. Paul uses the same word in Rom 8:23 to speak
of “the redemption of the body.”
 4:31. Paul begins with a short list of negative attitudes believers must deal
with. He declares that all bitterness, wrath, anger clamor, and evil
speaking be put away from you, with all malice. These things are to be
put away. They are not to be a part of the way Christians interact with each
other. Christians are to walk worthy of their calling.
4:32. Instead they are to be kind to one another. Kindness is the opposite
of bitterness and resentment. Instead of anger we are to be tenderhearted,
which means to have compassion for others. Paul brings this powerful
section to a close with one of the keys in relationships with others.
Believers are to forgive one another even as God in Christ forgave you.
Forgiveness means “to release the debt, to let it go.”
If Christians do not forgive, they will become angry and bitter. Their
ability to forgive others is based on the great truth that God has forgiven
them in Christ. By faith in Christ they have forgiveness of sin (Acts 10:43).
This is expressed in the Lord’s Prayer as well (Matt 6:12, 14).
E. Believers Are to Walk In Love, Light, and Wisdom, Being Filled
with the Holy Spirit
(5:1-21)
5:1. In light of what he wrote in chap. 4, Paul wants the Ephesians to be
imitators of God. Believers are to be the same as God in their behavior.
One can know how God acts by following the example of the Lord Jesus
Christ (John 1:18). To imitate God is to imitate the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor
11:1). They are to forgive as He forgives (Eph 4:32); they are to love as He
loves (1 John 4:19); they are to be holy because He is holy (1 Pet 1:15-16).
5:2. As imitators of God believers are to walk in love, as Christ also has
loved us and given Himself for us. Christ showed the greatest act of love
when He died in the place of sinners, paying for sin and conquering death.
Jesus’ sacrifice was a sweet-smelling aroma to God.
5:3-4. Fornication, which is sex outside of a committed loving marriage
relationship, is ungodly and unloving. Sex outside of marriage may be seen
either as impure (uncleanness) or as greedy (covetousness; cf. 4:19). Such
sexual impurity and greed should not even be named among the Ephesian
believers, for such behavior is not fitting for saints. Paul also prohibits
filthiness, foolish talking, and coarse jesting, sins of speech. He rightly
points out that believers should instead use their voices for giving of thanks
to God. Words are so powerful that believers must be careful how they
relate to others, showing their love for God and for them.
5:5. This verse has caused a great deal of confusion. Some interpretations
even cause believers to doubt their salvation. We know that once a person
has trusted Christ as Savior he has eternal life (John 3:16; 10:28) and cannot
lose his eternal relationship with Christ. There are two ways to approach
this verse, depending on how the expression inheriting the kingdom is
understood.
Paul may be telling believers to live in their experience consistent with
their position as set-apart ones. In this view, inheriting the kingdom means
gaining eternal life. Unbelievers in their position and experience are sinners
and they lack any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. To
inherit the kingdom is to enter it (Rom 8:17a). Unbelievers will not enter
the kingdom, believers will. So why would a believer who is no longer a
slave of sin, live like an unbeliever, who is a slave of sin? Paul is not saying
that any believer who is involved in fornication or idolatry will be barred
from heaven. He is stressing that believers are not to live the same lifestyle
as unbelievers who do not have a part in the kingdom.
Or Paul may be warning believers that if they live like unbelievers they
will not rule in the kingdom of God. This view of inheritance refers not to
entrance into the kingdom, but to ruling with Christ. Anyone who lives the
lifestyle described will not inherit the kingdom of God in this sense (cf. 2
Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26). Therefore believers are not to live this way.
5:6. Some people, even some Christians, say that it does not matter how a
person lives. Paul counters, let no one deceive you with empty words.
Empty words are those that have no value. It does matter how a person
lives. Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of
disobedience. God deals with those engaged in sin, whether they are
unbelievers (2:3) or believers (Heb 12:6). How a person lives effects him,
resulting now in blessing or discipline, and resulting in the future in rewards
or lack of rewards. The sons of disobedience are those in rebellion against
God and His Word.
 5:7. Therefore, Paul charges, do not be partakers with them. Paul does
not say, “You will not be partakers with them since you are believers.”
Instead, he warns them not to live that way. Believers are to be different.
They used to be dead in sin in darkness but now they are alive and are no
longer slaves of sin.
5:8. In their lost state, the Ephesian believers were once darkness. Now
as believers they are light in the Lord and so they should walk as children
of light. To walk as children of light is to walk in the light (1 John 1:7), to
live holy lives, being godly and living righteously in a fallen world (Phil
2:15).
Paul continues his thoughts in Eph 5:10 but first he inserts a parenthesis in
v 9 dealing with the characteristics of a person walking in the light.
5:9. Paul describes one walking as a child of light as experiencing the
fruit of the Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22-23; some manuscripts read the fruit of the
light here), which is all goodness, righteousness, and truth.
Paul continues with his thought from Eph 5:8 as he commands believers to
walk as children of light.
5:10. To live a life that is acceptable to the Lord is to live in a way that
pleases Him—walking in the light as children of light.
5:11. Those who are light in the Lord (v 8) should thus have no fellowship
with the unfruitful works of darkness. They are not to partnership with
people who do these evil deeds. Believers still have their sinful nature,
which pulls them to do wrong (Gal 5:16; Rom 7:14-32). The works of
darkness are unfruitful, unproductive. Believers then are to expose them,
which can be done by walking in the light of the Word of God.
5:12. The reason believers expose dark works rather than participate in
them is that it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done
by them in secret. Believers are capable of doing much evil, but they
should realize there is nothing anyone does in secret. The Lord sees all and
will one day judge “the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of
the heart” (1 Cor 4:5).
5:13. But all things that are exposed are made manifest by the light.
The Scripture is the light that makes manifest that these deeds are evil.
 Paul challenges believers to wake up and to live as who they are, children
of light.
5:14. Paul now draws upon language from the prophet Isaiah (cf. Isa 9:2;
26:19; 52:1; 60:1): “Awake you who sleep, arise from the dead, and
Christ will give you light.” Paul is calling his readers to live in Christ’s
resurrection power as He lights their path by His Word.
5:15. Paul had given the charge to walk in love (v 2) and to walk as
children of light (v 8). Now he charges the readers to walk circumspectly,
that is, with wisdom. The idea is to live carefully, not as fools but as wise.
True wisdom is knowing and applying the truths and principles from the
Word of God. The Lord gives this wisdom (Prov 2:6-7).
5:16. When we walk in wisdom we will be redeeming the time. There are
only so many days in which to live. Believers should therefore seek to make
the most of every day because the days are evil. Time is passing quickly,
and evil days give believers many bad options to choose. Good deeds done
in the light of Christ will naturally stand out.
5:17. Paul sums up his argument here by commanding that the readers not
be unwise with their behavior. They should understand what the will of
the Lord is. God’s will here means His decrees. The commands in God’s
Word amount to living wisely and making the most of one’s time. God’s
Word tells His will, but believers must pursue this wisdom diligently.
5:18. Paul continues to show what wise living looks like. It is not being
drunk with wine, in which is dissipation. But it is being filled with the
Spirit, in which are many blessings (vv 19-21).
There are two major opinions on what Paul means by the filling of the
Spirit here, both of which are found in Acts. One meaning is special
enablement for special tasks (cf. Acts 4:31). The other is being spiritual,
that is, spiritually mature. When the believers chose the first deacons, the
apostles said to pick men “of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and
wisdom” (6:3). To be full of wisdom means to be wise, and so to be full of
the Holy Spirit means to be spiritual.
Paul might be saying that believers should allow themselves to be
controlled by the Spirit by yielding to the influence of the Word of God on
their minds. As wine influences the mind, so too does God’s Spirit when
one is abiding in Christ (John 15:1-5). If this is what Paul means, he is
calling believers actively to seek to be under the Holy Spirit’s influence via
the Word (cf. Col 3:16, which parallels Eph 5:19-20). Or he might simply
be calling them to be spiritual, again by allowing God’s Word to have its
influence (cf. 1 Cor 2:14-16).
5:19. The result of being filled with the Spirit, unlike drunkenness, is
positive things. These positives are corporate and occur in local church
meetings. These include speaking to one another in psalms and hymns
and spiritual songs. As believers worship God together, they sing to God
with each other. Music sung to the Lord must be Biblically accurate and
must be given with a heart of gratitude (Col 3:16).
5:20. Another result of being filled with the Spirit is giving thanks always
for (or “concerning”) all things to God the Father. No matter what the
circumstances are in one’s life, believers know that God is in control and
that they can rest in Him and be thankful even in the difficult times.
Believers can be thankful because they know He works all things together
for good to those who love Him (Rom 8:28). And thanks are to be given in
the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
5:21. The Holy Spirit directs us to submit to one another in the fear of
God. There is a divine plan of subjection that God has for believers, and
Paul explains in the following verses just how they can come under God’s
order of submission.
F. Paul’s Specific Instructions for Believers’ Roles (5:22–6:9)
Though both sexes are equal before God (cf. Gal 3:28), husbands and
wives have different roles and responsibilities in marriage.
1. Wives (5:22-24)
5:22. Wives are commanded to submit to their husbands. Together a wife
and a husband stand as one flesh before God (Eph 5:31) and if the man
mistreats his wife he is mistreating himself. The husband is to be a leader,
not a tyrant, and is to lovingly carry the role of headship as planned by
Christ. Each wife is to submit to the leadership given to her husband by
God. She is to submit as to the Lord. She understands that this is the role
given to her by God.
5:23. Paul gives the reason for submission as he explains that the husband
is head of the wife in the same way that Christ is head of the church. The
term for head (kephalē) means authority and is demonstrated perfectly by
Christ’s behavior as He willingly served and gave His life as a ransom for
many (Mark 10:45). The husband, likewise, is to lead his wife lovingly in
the context of marriage and serve as Christ does the Church. The husband is
to be the loving leader. Paul reminds the believers that Christ is the Savior
of the body. He gave His life for His bride. As Christ is the head of the
church so the husband is the head of his wife.
5:24. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives
be to their own husbands in everything. Following the submission pattern
of the church to Christ, wives are to submit to their husbands. God’s Word
has given each member of the family specific roles to play, and these roles
often run contrary to today’s selfish culture.
2. Husbands (5:25-33)
5:25. Husbands are commanded to love their wives just as Christ also
loved the church and gave Himself for her (cf. Titus 2:14; 1 Pet 3:18).
The husband is to love his wife by giving himself for her.
The husband is to live in an understanding manner toward his wife (1 Pet
3:7), wanting her well-being and living with her in honor and support. It is a
sacrifice for the man to live his life for his wife, and yet this is what Christ
commands him to do.
5:26. Paul now gives reasons as to the purpose of Christ’s love for the
Church. His goal is that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the
washing of water by the word. The Bible is pictured as cleansing
believers, just as water washes away dirt and grime. As believers continue
to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18), they
become more and more like Christ and become clean through the Word.
5:27. Christ’s goal is that He might present her to Himself a glorious
church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing. This pictures the
Church being presented as the perfect bride of Christ. His aim is that she
should be holy and without blemish.
Of course, not all believers will individually be presented as holy and
without blemish before Christ at His Judgment Seat (cf. Col 1:21-23, where
the same language is used). Thus Paul may be speaking of a corporate
presentation here. Or he may be alluding to individual presentations at the
Judgment Seat of Christ.
 The husband as the spiritual leader in the home is to lead his wife and
family in their spiritual growth, helping them to become more and more like
Christ so that when they appear at the Judgment Seat of Christ, they will be
found holy and without blemish.
5:28. Here Paul expands on what he said in v 25, saying, husbands ought
to love their own wives as their own bodies. Since through their union
they are one flesh (Gen 2:24), he who loves his wife loves himself. If a
man’s wife is content and joyful, he and his children benefit greatly.
Everyone wins in a family where the husband sacrificially loves his wife.
5:29. Paul now gives a proverbial statement: For no one ever hated his
own flesh. Other than people with mental illness, people naturally try to
take care of their bodies. Thus only a crazy person would fail to nourish
(ektrephō, cf. 6:4) and cherish (thalpō; cf. 1 Thess 2:7 for the only other NT
use of this verb) his wife. Of course this is precisely what the Lord does in
regard to the church.
5:30. He nourishes and cherishes believers because they are members of
His body, of His flesh and of His bones.
5:31. Here Paul quotes God’s original description of the marriage between
a husband and his wife in Gen 2:24. When a man leaves “his father and
mother and” is “joined to his wife,” then “the two shall become one
flesh.”
5:32. Paul says this is a great mystery. The relationship between a
husband and wife compares to the mystery between Christ and the
church. Christ leads; the man leads. Christ loves; the man loves. The
Church submits; the wife submits.
5:33. Paul summarizes the section here with two commands, one for the
husband and one for the wife. To husbands he says, let each one of you in
particular so love his own wife as himself. Paul individualizes this
command with the words each one of you in particular. Then he gives a
charge to the wife: Let the wife see that she respects her husband. Paul
shifted from submits (vv 22, 24) to respects (phobeomai, which means
“reverence,” “fear offending”), implying that submission is the showing of
respect. When a husband and wife fulfill their Biblical roles, their marriage
will function the way God intended. Such a marriage is an important part of
walking worthily as children of God.
 Paul continues dealing with areas of submission, now turning his attention
to the parent-child relationship.
3. Children (6:1-3)
6:1. Children are to obey their parents in the Lord, for this is right.
This obedience to parents is limited by the prepositional phrase in the Lord.
The same expression is used in 1 Cor 7:39 in reference to believers. Since
Paul is writing to believers about their own children, that may be what Paul
means (obey your believing parents). If so, he would not be condoning
disobedience of children of unbelievers. Another option is that this
expression refers not to the parents but to the sphere of obedience. Children
are to obey their parents as though they were obeying the Lord Jesus
Himself because they know this is His will.
This is right refers to the way God created the family. There must be order.
6:2-3. Proof of the rightness of this obedience is found in the first
commandment with promise: “Honor your father and mother” (Exod
20:12). To honor carries the sense of showing respect, though a different
Greek word is used here than in Eph 5:33 regarding the wife’s responsibility
to her husband.
Though this is the first commandment in the second half of the Decalogue,
it is the only command with a promise. Thus he is probably using prōtē in
the sense of “chief, of prime importance.” In terms of the family, this is the
prime directive. And it carries a promise of long life. (The original promise
may well have referred to living long in the land of Israel, since the word gē
means both “land” and “earth.”) This is, of course, proverbially true. The
person who honors his parents is one who is likely to obey God in all areas
of life. And while God for His own reasons makes exceptions and
sometimes takes spiritual believers home, that is not the norm.
Obedience brings blessing and life. When children live under the authority
of their parents, they will experience a blessed and well-lived life.
4. Fathers (6:4)
6:4. As in his letter to the Colossians (cf. Col 3:21), Paul quickly turns his
attention from the children to their fathers, instructing the men not to
provoke their children to wrath. Exasperation will bring both
disillusionment and anger and is counterproductive to leading a child into
adulthood. It is very easy for a father to demand too much, to expect too
much, to frustrate and cause children to lose heart (cf. Col 3:21).
Interestingly Paul addresses the fathers, rather than the mothers, on this
particular issue. The father is singled out since he is the head of the home.
The man is responsible for the spiritual direction and training in the home.
Each father’s goal should be to bring his children up in the training and
admonishment of the Lord.
When a father is leading spiritually, then the entire family is blessed. To
bring up means “to nurture.” The father is to provide instruction and
encouragement. Much as a coach trains athletes, the father is to train his
children in the truths and principles of God’s Word. This responsibility for
the early training of children is given not to the local church but to fathers.
5. Slaves (6:5-8)
6:5. Paul turns to the final group, slaves and masters. These verses apply
today to employees and employers, though the situation is not identical with
first-century slave-master relationships.
Paul first addresses the bondservants. This Greek word (doulos) means a
slave, one who belongs to another. At the time Paul wrote Ephesians it is
estimated that close to 60 percent of the people in the Roman Empire were
slaves.
Bondservants are to be obedient to those who are your masters
according to the flesh. All believers have the Lord Jesus as their Master
according to the spirit, that is, He is their spiritual master. But in the case of
human masters this obedience should be with fear and trembling (cf. Phil
2:12), in sincerity of heart, as to Christ. The slave is to do his service in
sincerity of heart as he does his work the best he can by putting his heart
into the tasks. The slave is to serve his master with enthusiasm, seeking to
do the best he can as to Christ. The believing slave serves, knowing that
ultimately he is serving Christ his Savior. Slaves must serve from the heart,
doing their best, knowing that they are serving their Savior and not just the
master. They are to show respect and honor to their master so that God will
be glorified.
6:6. The slave must work hard and not just when someone is looking (not
with eyeservice, as men-pleasers). Instead he is to work hard all the time
since he is a bondservant of Christ. The focus of the believing slave is that
he is actually a slave of Christ, serving his Savior as he serves an earthly
master. This is doing the will of God from the heart. Today employees
should work hard at their jobs, not just when others are looking, but all the
time, as servants of Christ. What a powerful testimony that can be.
6:7. God wants slaves to be faithful servants to their earthly masters with
goodwill doing service, as to the Lord and not to men. The believing
slave is serving his Lord, not a mere human being. All that they do is for the
glory of their Savior (Col 3:17). As employees believers are serving God,
not men.
6:8. Paul reminds these slaves of a great truth. Believers will be rewarded
for their faithful service for God (whatever good anyone does he will
receive the same from the Lord). Believers, both slave or free, will stand
before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be rewarded for service (Rom 14:10-
12; 1 Cor 3:9-15; 2 Cor 5:10).
6. Masters (6:9)
6:9. Masters themselves are instructed to do the same things to their
slaves, that is, to show the same regard for God’s will and have the same
attitude as that of the Lord Jesus, whom they serve and to whom they will
one day stand in judgment. Masters are to give up threatening. In the
Roman Empire masters had the power of life and death over their slaves.
Paul reminds the masters within the congregation that they are slaves
themselves, having a Master also…in heaven. God will judge both the
slave and the master and there is no partiality with Him.
G. Believers Are to Stand Strong in God’s Power Using God’s
Armor (6:10-20)
6:10. As Paul brings his letter to a close, he charges the readers to be
strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Believers cannot rely
on their own power because, when it comes to spiritual conflict, they have
none. Their only choice is to rely on the power of God, which comes to
them through their union with Jesus Christ.
6:11. Like any battle, spiritual battle requires the right protection. Hence
believers must put on the whole armor of God. Only in this way will they
be able to stand against the wiles (tricks, ploys, schemes) of the devil (1
Pet 5:8).
6:12. God’s armor is needed because we do not wrestle against flesh and
blood (i.e., against humans). The battle is against spiritual opponents, fallen
angels and even the rulers of the darkness of this age. The devil is the god
of this age (2 Cor 4:4) and controls the fallen world system.
6:13. Here Paul restates what he said in v 11. Because of their powerful
spiritual foes, believers should take up the whole armor of God that they
may be able to withstand in the evil day the attacks of the enemy, and
having done all, to stand. The word withstand (anthistēmi) has the same
root as stand (histēmi), used in v 11 and again in v 14, except that in v 13 it
has the preposition anti prefixed to it, thus meaning “to stand against” or “to
resist.” Believers can never lose eternal life; but if they do not stand, they
will not be effective as they seek to live for the Savior.
6:14. For the fourth time (v 11, v 13 [twice]) Paul charges believers to
stand. He now begins by mentioning the various pieces of what he has
called “the whole armor of God” (vv 11, 13). First, the waist is to be
girded…with truth, which is the Word of God. A belt was very important
to a soldier. It kept everything in place and the soldier was able to tuck his
long clothes into the belt so he could run and be ready to fight. The
Christian’s spiritual success depends on utilizing the truth of God.
The believer must also put on the breastplate of righteousness. The
breastplate (thōraka) protected the vital organs in the chest. There are two
aspects of righteousness, positional (Rom 4:5; Phil 3:9), which is by faith
alone, and experiential (Luke 1:6), which comes as one lives in God’s
power. Most likely Paul is not asking the readers to remember that they are
positionally righteous, but instead he is asking them to live righteously.
Righteous living protects their inner selves.
6:15. The third piece of the believer’s armor is having one’s feet covered
with the preparation of the gospel of peace. Paul might mean that
believers should go forth proclaiming the gospel of Christ that brings peace.
Or he might mean that believers can stand firm in battle (Roman soldiers
wore hobnailed sandals that allowed them firm footing in combat) only if
they focus on the peace they have as a result of the gospel. This peace
includes peace with God (cf. Rom 5:1; Eph 2:17) and peace with other
believers in the Body of Christ (cf. Eph 2:14-15). Such knowledge provides
the power to stand in spiritual conflict.
6:16. Roman soldiers used two kinds of shields—a round one used in
marching, and a larger rectangular one used in battle. The term Paul uses
here refers to the larger battle shield. Believers are to take the shield of
faith, that is, to look to God and realize the battle is His. Here Paul is
probably not thinking specifically of faith in God’s Word, since that is
mentioned in the next verse as a different part of the armor. Looking to God
in faith protects believers from the lies of the devil. With the shield of faith
in place, believers will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked
one. The picture here is of fiery projectiles which are stopped and put out
by reliance on God. The battle is the Lord’s.
6:17. The head of each Roman soldier was protected by a helmet. Paul
calls the believer’s helmet, the helmet of salvation. When believers focus
on what they have in Christ as a result of their salvation, this protects them
from thinking that can cause them to fall. Certainty of the eternality of one’s
salvation is crucial to victory in the Christian life. The three aspects of this
salvation are past, present, and future. Believers have been saved from the
penalty of sin and have eternal life. If believers walk in the light, they are
being saved daily from the power of sin in their lives. And when Christ
returns, believers will be saved even from the presence of sin.
Paul then calls on the Ephesian believers to take up the sword of the
Spirit, which is the word of God. While a sword could be an offensive
weapon, it was also used in defense. Since Paul’s repeated refrain was to
stand (vv 11, 13, 14), this should be seen as another defensive weapon.
There are a number of Greek words for sword, but this word (machaira)
referred to a short two-edged sword used by Roman soldiers. The author of
Hebrews used this metaphor when he said the Word of God is sharper than
any two-edged sword (Heb 4:12). If believers are to stand, they must know
and apply God’s Word. They are in a battle; so they must put on the full
armor that God has provided for them.
6:18. Prayer was not a part of the armor of a Roman soldier. Paul is not
using any metaphor here, like the chain mail of prayer. In any case, this
final element is certainly crucial to believers standing firm against spiritual
foes. Paul charges believers to be praying always. In the power of the
Spirit, believers are to pray, being watchful to this end with all
perseverance and supplication for all the saints. Believers are to persist
in praying for each other.
6:19. Paul wants believers also to remember him in prayer. He asks not
that they pray that he be released from prison, but that utterance may be
given to him, that he may open his mouth boldly to make known the
mystery of the gospel. The mystery here, as in the entire letter, is Jews and
Gentiles together in one body, the Church (cf. 3:3-4). The promise of
eternal life by faith in Christ was not, of course, a mystery in the OT (cf.
Gen 15:6; Rom 4:3; Gal 3:6). Paul prayed that he would be bold to proclaim
the good news of the Church.
6:20. Paul realizes that in his situation he was an ambassador in chains
(cf. 2 Cor 5:20). But he knew that serving as an ambassador was not
automatic. Prayer was needed for him to speak boldly as he ought to
speak.
III. Conclusion and Benediction (6:21-24)
Here Paul brings to a close his message to these believers, giving
information about his plans and sending his final greetings.
6:21. Paul wants these believers to know his affairs and how he is doing.
He cared about these believers and thanks God for their lives and ministry.
He plans to send Tychicus, a beloved brother, to bring the report about
him. Tychicus was loved not only by Paul, but also by the believers in
Ephesus. He was recognized by Paul (and God) as a faithful minister in
the Lord. When believers stand before Christ at His Judgment Seat, they
will want to hear Him say, “Well done, good and faithful servant” (Matt
25:23; Luke 19:17). “It is required in stewards that one be found faithful” (1
Cor 4:2).
6:22. Paul states his twofold purpose for sending this faithful man: that
you may know our affairs, and that he may comfort your hearts. These
believers would be encouraged by this letter. Paul wants the believers in
Ephesus to know and be encouraged that even though he is in prison, God is
still working. Believers must realize that God is working in all events in
their lives even when times are hard. God knows what we are going through
and He will work all things together for our good (Rom 8:28) and His glory.
 6:23. Four words stand out in Paul’s two closing verses: peace, love, faith,
and grace. Paul sends his final greeting by wishing peace to the brethren.
He also desires for them love with faith from God the father and the
Lord Jesus Christ. Only through fellowship with God the Father and
Christ can believers experience the love of God.
6:24. Paul pronounces grace to be with all those who love our Lord
Jesus Christ in sincerity. Similarly, he ended 1 Corinthians with a curse on
“anyone who does not love the Lord Jesus Christ.” Blessings or cursings
come to believers depending on whether they love the Lord Jesus.
Paul wrote to these believers in Ephesus to remind them of who they are in
Christ and then to live out daily who they are in Christ. Chapters 1-3 give
great truths about the believer’s identification in Christ, and chaps. 4-6
charge believers to walk worthy of who they are by living by God’s Word
and by standing firm, clothed in God’s armor.
May all believers walk worthy of their calling as children of God, saints
set apart for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ.
 Philippians
GREGORY P. SAPAUGH
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
In 1:1 Paul identifies himself as the author of the epistle, and the salutation
in v 3 is typically Pauline (cf. Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor 1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph
1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:2). The language of Phil 1:3-4
is reminiscent of Phlm 4. Because of these factors, as well as the internal
theology of the epistle, Pauline authorship has not been seriously
challenged.
Date
Philippians is one of the Prison Epistles, four letters (the others being
Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon) written by Paul while he was either
in jail or under house arrest for preaching the gospel. Three locations for
Paul’s confinement have been suggested: Ephesus, Caesarea, and Rome. Of
these, Rome is the likely place of writing. Imprisonment in Ephesus is only
speculative and the circumstances in Caesarea (AD 58–59; Acts 23:23–
26:32) do not fit Paul’s expectation of release (Phil 1:19, 26; 2:24). The
incarceration in Rome, on the other hand, is documented in Acts 28:16-31,
and since he was free to teach during his house arrest (vv 30-31), Paul
certainly would have been free to write the letters to the churches and to
Philemon. The date of Paul’s Roman imprisonment is AD 60-62, so the
writing of Philippians may have been dated in that time period.
The spread of the gospel to Philippi is recorded in Acts 16. Leaving Asia
Minor, Paul, with Timothy, Silas, and Luke, crossed over into Macedonia
(Acts 16:9-12). After arriving at Philippi, Paul went down to the river to a
Sabbath prayer meeting of the women. There Paul led Lydia to Christ and
the Philippian church was born.
Paul and Silas spent some time in prison in Philippi for disturbing the
peace following the casting out of a demon from a fortune-teller. Soon
thereafter, the missionaries left Philippi for Thessalonica.
 Destination
Philippi was a Roman colony, populated mainly by veterans of the Roman
military. The residents had full rights as Roman citizens. Located in
Macedonia, Philippi is the location of the first recorded penetration of the
gospel into Europe.
Purpose
The Epistle to the Philippians is a thank-you note to the church for its help
while Paul is in prison. The author uses the occasion of the selflessness of
the Philippians to address selflessness as a desirable quality of the Christian
life. The theme of the epistle is “Selflessness through Christ.”

OUTLINE
I. Prologue (1:1-11)
A. Greeting (1:1-2)
B. Prayer (1:3-11)
II. Selflessness through Christ (1:12–4:9)
A. The Right Person: The Priority of Christ (1:12–2:30)
B. The Right Position: The Righteousness of Christ (3:1-11)
C. The Right Purpose: The Life of Christ (3:12–4:9)
III. Epilogue (4:10-23)
A. Thanksgiving for Fellowship (4:10-20)
B. Farewell (4:21-23)

COMMENTARY
I. Prologue (1:1-11)
A. Greeting (1:1-2)
1:1-2. Paul and Timothy greet all the saints (people set apart in their
position) in Philippi. They greet especially the leaders of the church, the
bishops (elders) and the deacons. In the NT, elders were generally charged
with spiritual oversight of the church. Deacons looked after material
concerns (cf. Acts 6:1-7). The separation of these leaders in the greeting
indicates that formal leadership was operative in the church at an early
stage.
Paul greets the church not as an authoritative apostle but as a humble
bondservant (doulos). This reflects both his present experience of
imprisonment and the gracious nature of the letter.
Paul desires that his recipients experience the grace and peace that come
from God the Father and God the Son. God is the source of unmerited favor
and inner contentment. The equality of the Father and the Son are
emphasized here.
B. Prayer (1:3-11)
1. Thanksgiving for fellowship (1:3-8)
1:3-4. Paul begins the body of the letter by reminding the Philippians that
he thanks God for them every time he thinks of them. Paul included
thanksgiving for the recipients in most of his letters (cf. Rom 1:8; 1 Cor 1:4;
Eph 1:16; Col 1:3; 1 Thess 1:2; 2 Thess 1:3; Phlm 4). The occasion of
Paul’s thankfulness is his prayer for the Philippians. His prayers for them
are unceasing, intercessory, and joyous. Though he is incarcerated, Paul’s
attitude is one of thanksgiving, especially toward others. His intercession on
behalf of the Philippians is a privilege, not a burden.
1:5. The content of Paul’s prayer is his thankfulness for the fellowship
(koinōnia) by the Philippians in the gospel. The beginning of their
partnership is from the first day until now. Paul is grateful for their
friendship and association with him from the very beginning of the gospel
ministry, not only in joining with him in ministry while he was among
them, but also in enabling him to minister to others through their financial
gifts (cf. 4:15-16). According to 4:15, their support of Paul began when he
left Macedonia (Acts 17:14). At the time of writing, this partnership had
lasted about ten years (Paul’s Macedonian ministry was in AD 50–51).
1:6. Paul’s settled conviction is that this good work of the Philippians will
be carried on until the day of Jesus Christ. Christ Himself is the agent of
this good work. He began the good work by placing within the church (you
is plural) the desire to help the one (Paul) who had led them to Christ. Then
Christ continues this work through Paul so that the ongoing effects of their
good work will end only at the day of Jesus Christ, that is, at the Judgment
Seat of Christ. Their partnership with Paul will continue long after they
(and Paul) have died and gone to heaven. The ultimate effects will only be
seen at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
A common view of this verse is that sanctification of believers is a
guaranteed work of God. However, a preferable view is that this is a
promise that the Lord will honor and bless the missionary efforts of the
Church in ways far beyond what it can see or understand.
1:7-8. The reason Paul is confident that God will complete the good work
of the church at Philippi is because of his heart-felt love for them. Whether
in prison or in an active gospel ministry, where Paul both defends the
gospel of Christ against attack and vigorously promotes it, both the apostle
and the Philippians are beneficiaries of the grace of God. The deep
affection Christ has for people is the same feeling that Paul has for the
Philippians. Even though they are physically apart, the Philippian church
and Paul are in a real sense partners together with Christ in the gospel
ministry.
2. Prayer for sanctification (1:9-11)
1:9. After his prayer of thanksgiving, Paul explains that his request for the
Philippians is for their sanctification. First, he specifically prays that their
love would grow greatly in the areas of knowledge and discernment. True
Christian love is not shallow and sentimental but is grounded in an
intelligent and insightful commitment of the will to God as contained in the
Word of God.
1:10-11. The second aspect of Paul’s request is that the Philippians be able
to approve what really matters. Approve does not mean “agree” but
“examine, discern, or discover.” It is not enough for a church to be in
agreement. They must be in agreement on the truth as discerned from
Scripture. Paul’s hope for the church is that they will be able to evaluate
doctrine and situations in life correctly.
The purpose of growth in love and perception is sanctification until the
day of Christ, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Paul desires that on that day
the church at Philippi will be found blameless and without offense. This
righteousness will manifest itself in the fruits of righteousness which
comes from Christ. The ultimate goal of sanctified living is the glory and
praise of God.
 This prayer concerning sanctification forms the basis for the body of the
epistle, as many of the themes found here are elaborated later. Paul now
turns his attention to some principles of sanctification that will impact the
immediate situation of the Philippian church.
II. Selflessness through Christ (1:12–4:9)
A. The Right Person: The Priority of Christ
(1:12–2:30)
1. The exaltation of Christ (1:12-30)
a. Through circumstances (1:12-18)
1:12-13. All the difficulties Paul endured, including prison, helped
advance the gospel message. Everyone around him, including the palace
guard and residents where he is under house arrest, heard the gospel. Since
the soldiers assigned to guard Paul are likely chained to him, Paul has a
captive audience for the Good News of Christ. Since he is a Roman citizen,
they cannot silence his witness (cf. Acts 16:37-38).
1:14. Another result of Paul’s imprisonment is that many of the Roman
believers, encouraged by his perseverance through incarceration, are boldly
proclaiming the gospel. Paul’s example of endurance through difficult
circumstances inspires others to imitate him courageously, even though it
could result in imprisonment for them. Paul does not focus on his troubles.
His priority is not his own comfort but Christ and His message of
reconciliation. This selfless attitude influenced other believers to preach the
gospel.
1:15-17. From one point of view, though, the new impetus for preaching
was not all positive. Although some are preaching Christ with pure motives,
others are not. These insincere preachers in the church are perhaps envious
of Paul’s apostolic position and missionary success and are taking
advantage of his situation in prison to advance themselves at his expense.
Their selfish ambition drives their ministry, not their desire to advance
Christ. They apparently hope to gain a following for themselves while Paul
is on the sidelines. These hypocritical ministers are not preaching a false
gospel; they are preaching Christ. But they are misguided believers who,
though their motives are wrong, are nevertheless preaching a correct
message.
 On the other hand Paul writes that many believers are proclaiming the
Good News of Christ out of the motivation of love for Christ and Paul.
They know that his calling from God is to defend the gospel and they are
following his example.
1:18. Paul concludes that the reasons a person may have for preaching
Christ are between him and God. Although it is unfortunate that Christ is
proclaimed hypocritically, Paul can still rejoice in the fact that Christ is
preached at all. Good can even come from false motives. That Christ is
preached, even through tough circumstances, is Paul’s prevailing concern.
b. Through life or death (1:19-26)
1:19. Paul’s thoughts now turn to his deliverance. Though he is in chains
and experiencing opposition, he can still express confidence that things will
work out for him. Evidently, as will be seen, Paul’s idea of deliverance is
broad. It is the same word used in 1:28 and 2:12 for “salvation.” The term
does not refer simply to physical release from prison, although the idea
includes that. In his mind, death would also be a deliverance from the trials
of this life. Either way, Paul would experience liberty.
He knows that if he is found guilty and condemned to death, he will be
vindicated at the Judgment Seat of Christ because he has served Him
faithfully. If, however, Paul is set free, he plans to continue serving Christ
faithfully, so that he will receive a rich welcome when he stands before
Christ.
1:20. Paul has a confident and expectant hope that Christ will be exalted
by whatever happens to him, whether life or death. Paul does not want to
do anything that would bring shame to him or his Lord. Rather, he wants his
life to be characterized by boldness for Christ. His selfless wish is that
Christ would be exalted, no matter what happens. In light of the context (cf.
1:6, 10; 2:12) Paul’s desire to not be ashamed refers not only to reproach in
this life, but shame before Christ at the Judgment Seat.
1:21-22. Paul considers his life to be the very person of Christ (cf. Gal
2:20). But if he is executed, he knows he will instantly be with the Lord.
For Paul, this is the better prospect. But he knows that if God chooses to
spare him, his life and ministry will be fruitful. For that reason it is difficult
for him to state a preference.
 1:23-24. Paul is torn in his feelings. In one respect it would be better for
him personally to be in heaven with the Lord. On the other hand the
Philippians and others would benefit from his continued ministry. If Paul
were to die, he would depart and be with Christ. A fundamental truth for
the believer is that the moment he dies, his soul or spirit will be with Christ
(2 Cor 5:8). There is no such thing as “soul sleep.”
1:25-26. Paul now seems to arrive at a settled conviction that he will
survive prison and be released. This will benefit the spiritual growth of the
Philippian church and bring them great joy. The benefit will be even greater
when Paul is actually able to visit them again.
Paul’s conclusion that his ministry will continue among the Philippians
accentuates the fact that his focus is on Christ. Paul is not overly concerned
with his circumstances. He wants to do whatever magnifies his Lord. While
sitting in a Roman prison, Paul concludes that Christ’s best for him is to
continue his ministry.
c. Through persecution (1:27-30)
1:27. Although Paul seems assured that his ministry to the Philippians will
continue, he has no way of knowing when that will occur. So he exhorts
them to live in such a way as to honor Christ and His message, regardless
of his presence or absence. Nothing is more damaging to the gospel than a
lifestyle that is antithetical to Christ. One of Paul’s primary themes in his
epistles is that the life of the believer should reflect his positional standing
in Christ. As he writes to the Ephesians, “I, therefore, the prisoner of the
Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were
called” (Eph 4:1).
Paul further wants to hear that they are united in heart and mind for the
gospel. Perseverance for the cause of Christ should be a hallmark of every
committed believer. This same perseverance should pervade the local
church as well. The church will honor Christ and be more effectively used
by Him when it functions as a cohesive team.
1:28. As the Philippian believers persevere in their faith, they are to be
bold in the presence of their enemies. This courage in the face of adversity
will encourage them in their deliverance from trouble by God and will
signal their opponents that the message the Philippians teach is true and
their defeat is certain.
 1:29-30. God never promised that the way of discipleship would be easy.
As believers in Christ the Philippians could expect to suffer for Him as did
Paul. Suffering for Christ matures a believer (Jas 1:2-4), and Christ will
reward those who persevere through suffering (Matt 5:10-12; Rom 8:17b).
Even through persecution and trial the believer is to exalt Christ through
his lifestyle and message. When times are tough, it is easy to back out of the
battle. But as Paul encourages, the church is to keep Christ first. This kind
of selfless attitude should characterize the believer, especially through
difficult circumstances such as persecution or even death.
Some use Phil 1:29 to teach that God sovereignly bestows faith on the
elect. Faith then becomes a gift of God wrought in the person whom God
desires to save. However, if God sovereignly grants faith to people whom
He wants to save, then the verse must also be teaching that God grants
suffering to all who believe. This would then make suffering a requirement
for assurance. And v 30 would require that one suffer as much as Paul.
Since not all suffer to this extent, a sovereign, irresistible gift of faith cannot
be in view.
Rather, God has granted, or decided to deal graciously with people, by
allowing those who believe in Christ to receive eternal life, and allowing
believers who suffer to receive eternal reward. Suffering as a follower of
Christ can be seen as grounds for rejoicing.
2. The example of Christ (2:1-30)
a. Expressed in His person (2:1-11)
2:1-2. Having spoken of the exaltation of Christ, Paul now turns to the
example of Christ. Consideration of His personal glory and goodness will
help move the believer toward selflessness.
Paul begins this section with an exhortation for harmony in the body of
Christ. Although some may oppose unity by their hypocrisy and persecution
(see chap 1), inward strife in the church can also be a problem. The
consideration of the comfort that Christ provides, the encouragement that
love offers, and the mutual fellowship prompted by the Holy Spirit should
motivate the Philippians to a like-minded, loving unity. This accord with
each other would bring Paul joy.
Like-minded and one mind translate the Greek verb phroneō. This word is
used eleven times in Philippians (1:7; 2:2 [twice], 5; 3:15 [twice], 16, 19;
4:2, 10 [twice]) and is key to interpreting the book. The theme of
selflessness through Christ is naturally tied to likemindedness between
believers. Part of being of one mind with someone is to set aside one’s own
agenda.
2:3-4. It follows that the oneness of outlook and purpose that Paul calls for
should result in putting others first. Therefore the Philippians would not be
like the self-important and vain preachers who took advantage of Paul’s
imprisonment for their own aggrandizement (1:15-16). Selfish ambition
and conceit should have no place in the Christian experience. Of course a
person is not to ignore his own needs. But at the same time one should, with
a genuine sense of humility, make the interests of others a priority.
2:5-6. Jesus Christ is the example par excellence of the humility Paul is
talking about. The oneness of mind (let this mind be in you translates
phroneō) that Paul desires for the Philippian church is reflected in the
person of Christ.
The pre-incarnate Christ is described as being in the form (morphē) of
God. This pertains to His essence as God. Since Christ is God in His nature,
His equality with God was not something to be grasped for. The NKJV
translates harpagmos as robbery. Its basic meaning is to seize, desire, or
hold on to. In other words, since Jesus was already fully God, He had no
need to seek additional divine honor and status.
So the first example of the humility of Christ is in heaven before the
incarnation. He could simply rest in who He was and had no need to strive
for additional prestige or position. In the same way, the Philippians were to
in meekness put aside conceit and put others first.
2:7. The second example of Christ’s humility concerns His self-emptying.
He made Himself of no reputation (kenoō, from which comes the
theological term “kenosis”) in the sense that He divested Himself of all of
the stature that was inherently His as the second Person of the triune
Godhead. Christ did this by becoming man (doulos, lit., “a slave”). Just as
He is in “the form of God” (v 6), in the Incarnation He willingly took on
the form of a bondservant. But He is not like other men for He came in
the likeness of men. While He looked like other men, He was more than a
man. He was also God.
 In no sense did Jesus “empty” Himself of any divine attributes. The self-
emptying concerned leaving His glorious position in heaven and becoming
a humble man on the earth. Even in the Incarnation Christ was fully God.
2:8. Jesus became man in “form” and “likeness” (v 7), but He also became
man in appearance. The former terms relate to His inner nature as a
complete man. Appearance concerns the external. His appearance and
actions were completely human.
Because He is undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one
person, Paul now provides the third example of the humility of Christ: His
death for sin. Since He became man, it thus became possible for Christ to
die as a man. He was humbly obedient unto the death of the cross. This is
the ultimate in His divestiture of prestige for God Himself, who had no sin,
died for sin! And Jesus died no ordinary death. His execution by crucifixion
was the cruelest form of death for the lowest form of criminal.
2:9-11. The depth of the humiliation of the Son of God is unimaginable.
Since Christ acted in such profound humility for the benefit of mankind,
God the Father rewarded His Son with a position that is above all others.
The purpose of the exaltation of Christ is so that all creation may bow to
Him and acknowledge Him as Lord. This adoration of Jesus will also result
in glory for the Father.
This process of obedience and reward on a divine level parallels the
experience of believers. Just as Christ was obedient to death (v 8) and was
rewarded with an exalted position above all others, the believer who
remains obedient to Him in his earthly life will be exalted to a position of
rulership with Christ in His kingdom.
b. Expressed in His people (2:12-30)
2:12-13. In light of the example of Christ, Paul now uses the example of
three people to illustrate the Christlike pattern he is addressing.
Using himself as the first example, Paul exhorts the Philippian believers to
obedience. They manifested obedience when he was with them before; now
they are to behave in the same way in his absence. Paul’s specific
admonition is to work out your own salvation. The salvation (sōtēria; cf.
1:19, 28) he refers to is equivalent to sanctification, for eternal salvation
(justification) is by faith, not works. That the working out of salvation is
equivalent to obedience is clear from the parallelism in 2:12. The
Philippians obeyed during Paul’s presence with them in the past. They are
now to work out their salvation during his absence. Whereas Paul’s
presence in the past resulted in their obedience, so Paul’s absence in the
present is to result in their working out their salvation.
The Philippians were to keep on working for Christ and thereby keep on
growing toward maturity. As the believer humbly serves God with a healthy
respect for Him, he can be assured that God is working with him and
through him. The type of relationship in which there is mutual cooperation
between the believer and God brings Him pleasure.
2:14-15. One positive step the Philippians can take in the process of
sanctification is to live a life without complaint or disagreement. The
purpose of such a life of contentment is a positive testimony to a dark and
sinful world. To shine as lights and be an effective testimony to their city,
nation, and world, the believers need to put aside conflict, so as to be
blameless, untainted by sin.
2:16. As the Philippians cling to Christ and His message, the word of life,
Paul will see that his work on their behalf was effective and will be a
ground of rejoicing by him in the day of Christ, that is, the Judgment Seat
of Christ.
2:17-18. Paul can even rejoice with and for the Philippians even though he
faces a possible death sentence in a Roman prison. His terminology of
being poured out as a drink offering may refer to his potential martyrdom
or to his imprisonment, which is a manifestation of his sacrifice for the
Philippians.
Although Paul is looking forward to being at the Judgment Seat of Christ
with them, he is glad about their present situation and encourages this
church to rejoice over his own circumstances.
2:19-21. The second human example of the humility of Christ is Timothy.
The Philippians were acquainted with him for he was with Paul when they
first came to Philippi during the second missionary journey (Acts 16:1-12).
Paul desires to know how the Philippian church is doing. Since the apostle
cannot go to Philippi himself, he plans to send his trusted friend Timothy to
check on their progress and give Paul a report. Timothy is Paul’s chosen
messenger because he is like-minded and sincere. Apparently Paul cannot
trust the other disciples around him to provide an honest appraisal of the
state of the church at Philippi. This is perhaps a reference to the self-seeking
preachers of Phil 1:15-16.
But Timothy really cares about the Philippian believers. In contrast to
those who serve themselves, Timothy seeks the things which are of Christ
Jesus. Even Paul’s plans to send Timothy on this fact-finding mission
reflect his trust in the Lord Jesus. This missionary coworker selflessly
puts Christ and the things of Christ first.
2:22-24. In contrast to the selfish believers, Timothy has proven himself
on the mission field with Paul. Their closeness is like that of a father and
son. That Paul mentions only Timothy’s mother and grandmother in his
second epistle to him (2 Tim 1:5) may be an indication that Paul was like a
father to Timothy in several ways.
Paul hopes to come to Philippi himself when his legal problems are ironed
out. But in the meantime he will send Timothy to them right away. But
whatever happens, Paul trusts the Lord and hopes it is His will that he can
visit them soon.
2:25-27. Epaphroditus is the third person who exemplifies Christlike
humility. Like Timothy, he is a colaborer with Paul and is the one the
Philippians sent to minister to Paul’s need in prison (cf. 4:18). Epaphroditus
is described in glowing terms: brother, fellow worker, fellow soldier. The
picture is of a man who is a faithful servant of Christ.
Epaphroditus had suffered a near fatal illness and this had distressed the
church. Paul is sending him back to the church because he misses them and
wants to reassure them that Epaphroditus is now well. Paul is concerned for
the church and not himself. The selflessness of Christ is evident in the life
of Epaphroditus.
God was merciful in sparing his life, and His compassion in this extends
even to Paul who was spared from abundant sorrow. God is the Creator of
life, and as such He can give it and take it as He wills. Paul is very thankful
that in this case God spared the life of this humble servant.
2:28-30. For these reasons Paul did not hesitate to send Epaphroditus back
to Philippi. His return to them is positive for both the Philippians and Paul.
The church would rejoice when their messenger returned safe and sound.
Paul would be less sorrowful because the Philippians gratefully have their
beloved emissary back in their midst.
 Paul closes this section with an admonition that the church should receive
Epaphroditus with all gladness and esteem. This man almost lost his life in
service of Christ and was able to fulfill what was lacking in the service of
the church: a physical presence with Paul in prison. Epaphroditus’s
commitment to the Lord and to his mission to minister to Paul on behalf of
the Philippians is highly commendable.
B. The Right Position: The Righteousness of Christ (3:1-11)
1. Righteousness of the flesh (3:1-6)
3:1. Thus far Paul has grounded his exhortation to selflessness in the need
to make Christ the priority in one’s life. A second aspect of selflessness
concerns the position of the believer in Christ.
This verse functions as a kind of transition verse to the next major section.
Paul’s exhortation to rejoice in the Lord is appropriate in light of all that
he has spoken of thus far. Paul has rejoiced that Christ is being proclaimed,
even from prison (1:18). He rejoices even if his death is impending (2:17-
18). The Philippians will rejoice when Epaphroditus returns (v 28). It is
therefore not burdensome for Paul to teach them the same things he has
taught them before. The spiritual safety of the church at Philippi is the
prime concern of the apostle. Paul has previously taught the truths he is
about to expound on. To be consistently reminded of doctrinal fundamentals
is never wrong for a church.
3:2-3. First, Paul warns the Philippians about the Jews and their system of
righteousness. He uses strong terminology to condemn the Jews and their
legalism: dogs, evil workers, mutilation. The Jews considered dogs
unclean animals (cf. Deut 23:18), and “dogs” was a term reserved for
Gentiles (cf. Matt 15:27). But Paul turns the metaphor toward the Jews and
their legalistic system.
The confidence of the Jews lies in their legalistic trust in their ethnic
identity. This is symbolized by circumcision. But since this trust is
misplaced, circumcision is little more than surgical mutilation of the flesh.
Originally intended as a spiritual act (Deut 30:6), circumcision now means
nothing spiritually.
In contrast, the hope of true believers is their spiritual relationship with the
person of Christ. Circumcision is a matter of the heart, not the flesh. Three
aspects of this spiritual circumcision—worship of God by means of the
Holy Spirit, joy in Christ, and no confidence in the flesh—point to the
basic conflict in this section: righteousness of the flesh versus righteousness
by faith. If true righteousness comes through human accomplishment, then
man worships himself, rejoices in his work, and places his assurance in his
own efforts.
3:4-6. Paul was once one of those who placed his confidence in his ethnic
identification with Abraham. He was a pure Jew of the highly regarded tribe
of Benjamin. He observed the letter of the Law and rose to prominence as a
highly educated Pharisee. He zealously persecuted the church and
considered himself completely righteous before God through his strict
observance of the Mosaic Law. If anyone could be righteous before God
through his works, it was Paul.
2. Righteousness by faith (3:7-11)
3:7-9. But all of that was before his encounter with Christ on the
Damascus Road. Now Paul considers all of his past prestige and
zealousness for the Law useless and unimportant in light of his new
knowledge of Christ. To belong to Christ is worth the loss of all of his
previous position and prestige. That former life was rubbish compared with
the excellence of Christ. What he once thought of as gain was really loss
compared to the gain of Christ. As he previously wrote, “To live is Christ”
(1:21).
Obedience to the Law does not result in godly righteousness. The
righteousness that is from God comes by faith in Christ. When a person
believes in Christ, he is justified and receives the righteousness of God
Himself. As Paul wrote to the Corinthians, “For He [God the Father] made
Him [God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become
the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor 5:21).
So the positional righteousness of a person is based not on human works
but on faith in Christ. All the worldly honor Paul attained before he met
Jesus on the Damascus Road did not accomplish anything regarding his
standing before God. To be rightly related to God is to believe in His Son.
This simple act of faith in the One who died for sin results in the right
position: the righteousness of Christ.
3:10. Since his positional righteousness comes from Christ, Paul’s present
goal is to be like Christ. He wants his positional righteousness to translate
into practical righteousness. He wants to know Christ relationally and to
experience His resurrection power in his life. Similarly Paul expressed this
to the Romans: “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God
through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall
be saved by his life” (Rom 5:10, emphasis added). The risen Christ who
indwells every believer (Gal 2:20) provides the ongoing spiritual resources
necessary for them to live in accord with the Word of God and to be
delivered from the power of sin in his life.
As Paul suffers for Christ in prison, he feels a kindred fellowship with the
One who suffered for him. He can accomplish this lifestyle by totally
committing himself to Christ who also totally committed Himself to die for
the sin of mankind. The Lord’s example of complete obedience to the will
of His Heavenly Father is Paul’s model for his own life. Paul wants his life
to reflect the attitude and actions of his Lord, who was “obedient to…the
death of the cross” (Phil 2:8).
3:11. With the model of Christ in mind, Paul states his desire to attain to
the resurrection from the dead. The Greek word for resurrection here is
exanastasis, the only time the word is used in the NT (the resurrection of
Jesus in 3:10 is anastasis). Paul is either looking forward to his own out-
resurrection at the Rapture of the church and thus his subsequent
triumphant stand before his Lord at the Judgment Seat of Christ, or, with
Christ as his pattern, he wants to experience His resurrection power in this
life now.
C. The Right Purpose: The Life of Christ (3:12–4:9)
1. Eternal perspective of reward by Christ (3:12–4:1)
3:12. Paul now moves into his final section about selflessness. This quality
may be realized through making Christ the priority in one’s life (1:12–2:30).
This right priority is founded on the right position of righteousness in Christ
through faith (3:1-11). This last section in the body of the epistle (3:12–4:9)
is focused on having the right purpose, namely, living for Christ with the
right perspective and practice that leads to selflessness.
A realist, Paul understands that he has not grown in his relationship with
Christ to the point that he can claim to be completely mature in Him. So he
presses on in this life so that he can reach the level of maturity in his walk
with Christ that his Lord wants for him. Since Christ laid hold of Paul “for
good works” (cf. Eph 2:10), for which he will be rewarded (cf. 2 Cor 5:9-
10), Paul continually works for Christ.
3:13-14. Paul has a three-part plan to be the complete person God wants
him to be. First, he understands that he has not arrived at the point of total
maturity. When he wrote this letter, Paul had been ministering for Christ for
almost thirty years. And yet he understands that he still is not what he could
be. The realization by the believer of his inadequacy is foundational for the
kind of selfless living Paul is advocating.
Second, Paul puts his past behind him. The believer cannot undue past
attitudes and actions. In Paul’s case his past included legalism and severe
persecution of the church. These two things might tend to weigh a person
down later in life. Surely, Paul regretted many things he did. But instead of
selfishly dwelling on his negative past, Paul set it aside and selflessly
changed perspective to a positive future of reward by Christ.
Paul’s third step is to manifest this eternal perspective and press toward
reward. Paul is not reaching forward for his eternal salvation, the upward
call of God, but is persevering for the prize (brabeion; used only here and
in 1 Cor 9:24) of the upward call. Paul seems ever cognizant of the reward
God will have for him at the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2
Tim 4:7-8). He lives his life with an eternal perspective that looks forward
to the day when he can reign with Christ (2 Tim 2:12). Paul refused to get
excessively bogged down in his circumstances, difficult though they were.
He, instead, lived with the purposeful perspective of enduring faithfulness
in light of everlasting reward.
3:15-16. This mindset of continually striving for Christ’s reward is
appropriate, even for mature believers. Some might be tempted to think
they have “arrived” in their walk with Christ. Paul assures them that God
will reveal to them in His Word and through their experience that they
indeed have not “arrived,” but instead still have a long way to go.
Armed with this attitude, Paul admonishes the Philippian church to live in
unity, to be of the same mind (phroneō). Wherever each believer is, he
should begin to walk as one with fellow members of the Body of Christ.
3:17-19. One way a believer can live expectantly and purposefully is to
emulate other mature Christians. Paul urges the Philippians to follow his
example and the example of other mature believers. It is desirable for
believers to model the pattern of those who are walking in unity.
 Unfortunately some believers are not good examples to follow. It
distresses Paul greatly that there are believers who live their lives in
opposition to the cross of Christ. These believers pursue their own self-
interest and pleasure and disregard His call to bear the cross of discipleship.
With their mind set on the things of the world, their pursuit of what is
shameful will eventually result in their deaths. Here selfishness and
selflessness are clearly contrasted. These libertines selfishly live for their
own self-gratification. Paul selflessly lives for Christ. The libertines set
their mind (phroneō) on earthly things. Paul, on the other hand, has the
eternal perspective of Christ’s reward.
3:20-21. Paul reminds the Philippians that believers are citizens of heaven
(cf. Col 1:13). In contrast to those whose mindset is secular and earthly
(3:19), believers are to have an eternal perspective. Paul and those like him
look forward to Christ’s return from heaven for them. When Jesus comes
for the church, this earthly body with all of its frailties will be changed into
its resurrection state (cf. 1 Cor 15:51-52). All believers of the church age at
that point will be like the Lord (cf. 1 John 3:2). Just as He was glorified at
His resurrection, so will believers be glorified at their resurrection. This is
accomplished by the same supernatural power that Christ uses to subject the
creation to His authority (cf. Col 1:17).
4:1. Paul closes this section by reaffirming his affection for the Philippians
and reminding them that, since they are citizens of heaven now and will be
glorified there with Jesus some day, they should be firm in their
commitment to Christ.
2. Temporal practice of obedience to Christ (4:2-9)
4:2-3. Paul begins to conclude his epistle with some closing exhortations.
These are practical ways believers can express their affection for the cross
of Christ and their citizenship in heaven. The believer is to have an eternal
perspective of the reward of Christ (3:12–4:1). This viewpoint should
manifest itself in obedience now. The exhortations of this section (4:1-9) are
both the natural results of selfless living for Christ and the ongoing
maintenance of that kind of sacrificial lifestyle.
Paul’s first encouragement is to be of the same mind (like-minded;
phroneō; cf. 2:2; 3:16) in Christ. In particular, two women in the church,
Euodia and Syntyche, must have had some disagreement, the news of
which has reached Paul in Rome. These two ladies, in order to express their
unity in the Lord, must put aside their differences and come to a unity of
mind. They are believers, since their names are written in the Book of
Life, but they are also committed disciples, since they labored with Paul,
Clement, and many others. Even committed disciples can have conflict,
and the church is to help them resolve it.
4:4. Paul’s second encouragement is to rejoice in the Lord. As the
committed disciple considers Christ and His sacrifice for him, he should
always be joyful for both the possession of eternal life and the opportunity
to serve Him. Circumstances should not determine the level of joy in the
life of the believer, for circumstances are often difficult and disagreeable.
Relationship with Christ is the governing dynamic of joy. As the believer
selflessly makes Christ his priority, selflessly rests in His positional
righteousness, and purposefully lives for Him with an eternal perspective,
joy will flow more naturally from a grateful heart and mind.
4:5. The third encouragement pertains to gentleness, a quality to be
expressed toward all people. The context of this kind behavior is the
imminent return of Christ: The Lord is at hand. This implies that the eager
expectation in 3:20 will not be for long. The return of the Lord for the
Church is always imminent. This is likely one reason Paul was not
discouraged by his circumstances. He could always look forward to being
with Jesus soon. This focus on the Lord’s return will steer a person away
from a lack of gentleness toward people. When a believer is thinking about
being with Jesus, it will help him be kind, even with those who are difficult.
4:6-7. The fourth encouragement concerns worry. The believer is
admonished to be anxious for nothing. The way to do this is through
thankful prayer to God. As a believer makes his requests to God, he should
never forget to be thankful as well. When a believer is burdened by some
care, his load will be lightened when he remembers to be thankful to God
for all that He has done and continues to do.
As a result, God promises that His supernatural and incomprehensible
peace will envelop the heart and mind of the one praying. When this
happens, worry will dissipate.
This kind of prayer is a perfect expression of a selfless attitude. The
believer should cast his cares on the Lord (cf. 1 Pet 5:7) instead of trying to
take care of problems in his own way.
 4:8-9. Paul’s fifth encouragement concerns input into the life of the
believer. The same heart and mind that can experience the peace of God
through prayer needs to have input that is morally virtuous. The spiritual
life of the believer is significantly impacted by the things that enter it
through the eye and ear. The four previous exhortations in vv 2-7 should not
be done in a moral vacuum. They should be done in a climate of high moral
ethics. Paul’s admonishment is to meditate on things that are righteous in
the sight of God. But things of moral purity, such as Paul modeled for them,
are not only to be internalized; they are also to be carried out in one’s life
(cf. Jas 1:22). When this happens, the same God who provided peace to an
anxious heart will also be with the believer.
III. Epilogue (4:10-23)
A. Thanksgiving for Fellowship (4:10-20)
4:10. Paul began the epistle with thanksgiving for the Philippians’
fellowship over the years (1:3-8). He now returns to that theme in his
farewell. It brought Paul great joy that the Philippians were able to take
advantage of an opportunity to help him in his trials. Though separated by a
great distance, the imprisoned apostle knew of their genuine care for him.
They simply lacked opportunity. Their actions toward him demonstrate the
selfless attitude Paul has been expounding.
4:11-13. Although he is grateful for their tangible help, Paul has learned to
be content regardless of his circumstances. Having experienced both
scarcity and abundance in his life, Paul is able to look on either state with
contentment because of the strength Christ provides. Again, Paul’s focus is
Christ. And because of this focus, Paul is able to be selfless, even when
confronted with hunger, pain, and suffering. Christ’s strength can sustain
him through anything.
4:14-16. Even though he is content, Paul nevertheless praises the church
for its sharing with him. They did a good work by helping to alleviate his
distress. In fact, this spirit of giving has characterized the Philippians from
the beginning of their church. From the time of the first sharing of the
gospel in Philippi (cf. Acts 16:9-15) to his departure (v 40) for
Thessalonica (17:1-9), the church at Philippi was the only church to share
with Paul in tangible ways. It is commendable that such a young church
would be so quick to understand the blessings of financial giving.
 4:17. Though Paul appreciates their gift, it is not his primary focus. His
desire is for their fruitfulness. The real value of their support is spiritual, for
by their giving, the Philippians have enabled Paul to continue ministering
for Christ. So their partnership with the apostle will result in future reward.
They are adding “treasures in heaven” (cf. Matt 6:19-21) to the account of
eternal rewards that will be theirs at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
4:18-20. Paul acknowledges the personal benefit he received from the gift
brought by Epaphroditus. The gift ministered to Paul in a tangible way, and
it also pleased God, who will abundantly provide for their needs as they
continue to share with others in need. God’s bountiful provision is sourced
in His glory. Paul closes the body of the letter by giving God glory.
B. Farewell (4:21-23)
4:21-23. Paul says farewell by encouraging the readers of the letter to pass
on a greeting to others in the church. He further sends greetings from those
with him in Rome, including believers in the employment of Rome
(those…of Caesar’s household). He wishes God’s grace on their lives.
 Colossians
SHAWN LEACH
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
Internal evidence in this letter such as structure and theology point clearly
to the apostle Paul as being its original author, the most notable being a
handwritten salutation at its conclusion (4:18). External evidence, such as
its hand delivery by two well-known members of the Colossian church who
themselves had just personally visited the imprisoned apostle, points to the
same sure verdict.
Date
Though labeled (along with his letters to the Ephesians, the Philippians,
and Philemon) as a “prison epistle,” Paul’s predicament found him under
house arrest rather than in the cold, damp dungeon as in his second letter to
Timothy. Paul still suffered (Col 1:24) and considered himself a prisoner
(4:10), but the place of his difficulty would most likely be the city of Rome
where Paul was under house arrest. Paul waited there for two years (Acts
28:30) in his effort to appeal to Caesar, which gives an estimated date of
writing of Colossians as between AD 60-62.
Purpose
Disturbed by both the growing theological confusion of his congregants as
well as the divisive teachings of the adherents of a local Jewish cult,
Epaphras appealed to Paul for help. What he received was a powerful letter
inspired by the Holy Spirit Himself, an epistle that would stand the tests of
time and remain part of God’s living Word forever.
In this epistle Paul uses the familiar division of theology (chaps. 1 and 2)
followed by application (chaps. 3 and 4).

OUTLINE
I. Introduction (1:1-12)
II. Paul’s Reminders (1:13-29)
III. Paul’s Warnings (2:1-23)
IV. Paul’s Commands (3:1–4:6)
V. Concluding Comments and Benediction (4:7-18)

COMMENTARY
I. Introduction (1:1-12)
A. Greetings (1:1-2)
1:1. Paul, though called as an apostle of Jesus Christ, was not chosen for
this task because of any superior intellect or religious merit, but by the will
of God. With him is faithful Timothy, who, though not an apostle, was a
fellow believer or brother in the faith.
1:2. The original audience for this letter is the believers or saints gathered
in the city of Colosse. Barren today, Colosse (or Colossae) was located
about 10 miles east of what is now the Turkish town of Denizli. In the first
century the city of Colosse was located east of Laodicea and south of
Heirapolis, all three of which had churches planted by a man named
Epaphras, whom Paul commends in this letter.
The church of Colosse was unique. Known by others to be faithful in their
behavior (vv 4-6), in only one other of Paul’s epistolary introductions (in
Ephesians) did he refer to the recipients as being faithful. Not every
believer is considered faithful (1 Tim 3:11; 2 Tim 2:2, 13; Rev 2:10), and
the Colossian church must have clearly stood out among others with its
righteous behavior. Paul soon explains how.
His wish for them is to enjoy the grace and peace which can only come
from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Obviously it is possible
for a believer who has experienced the saving grace of God not to enjoy it
in his daily experience. The Colossians are in danger of this, and with this
letter Paul explains in detail how they can live lives characterized by God’s
grace and peace.
B. Thankfulness (1:3-8)
1:3-4. Paul and his companions would give thanks to God for what
they’ve heard regarding the faithfulness of the Colossians. He was eager to
pray always for you (“at all times,” pantote), especially knowing that not
only had the Colossians believed the gospel to be true but also had
demonstrated a love for all the saints. It is one thing to find salvation by
trusting in Christ’s offer of eternal life by faith; it is another to act out that
faith in one’s daily life by loving others. Both are what God desires for
every believer, and Paul commends the Colossians for allowing their faith
to live (Jas 2:14-26) in the lives of others.
1:5-6. The living faith demonstrated by the Colossians grew successfully
from their understanding of the hope laid up…in heaven. Since the term
gospel simply means “good news,” the Colossians no doubt had earlier
been taught more than just how Christ gives eternal life: they had also heard
of the “good news” concerning the future. Eschatology, the study of end
times, is vital not just to increase one’s Biblical knowledge but also to give
a believer impetus to live fruitfully the Christian life. Once they learned the
good news of how they would live forever with Christ (Heb 7:25) in a new
home built by Him (John 14:2) and would serve him forever (1 Pet 4:11),
they began to live this truth out in their day-to-day existence. The result was
that this truth bore fruit and increased, even in mere humans such as the
Colossians. God’s Word always accomplishes its intended results: it either
causes believers to live righteously (2 Tim 3:16-17), or it convicts them for
living foolishly (Jas 4:17).
1:7-8. Just as a person must either read or hear the gospel from someone
else before he can believe (Rom 10:14), the Colossians received it from one
of their own, Epaphras. Serving as a faithful minister of Christ on behalf
of the Colossian church, Paul reminds his audience of his approval of their
pastor, a fellow servant who himself was known to be faithful in his
behavior. Paul is reminding the Colossians of two things: first, he wants
them to know how Epaphras reported to him their righteous behavior and
love toward others in the Spirit. and second, Epaphras should be given the
authority due him. Paul was about to both instruct and admonish the
Colossians concerning evil in their midst, and he has no problem using his
authority of apostleship (1:1) combined with his hearty agreement with
Epaphras, to get the Colossians’ attention. While Epaphras was not an
apostle of Jesus Christ, he had on his side one who clearly was.
C. Prayerfulness (1:9-12)
1:9. Despite the noted faithfulness of the Colossians, several things were
missing. Paul addresses the beginning of his concern for them here. His
urgency for their growth rings clear as he and his companions do not cease
to pray for this church, specifically that they may be filled with the
knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.
Despite their faithful behavior in loving the brethren, the Colossians had
been infiltrated by heresy that advertised a salvific “special knowledge”
known only by a select few. Similar in many respects to some contemporary
religions, this branch of Jewish Gnosticism (from gnōsis, “knowledge”)
also held to physical asceticism and the worship of angels (2:18), and
threatened both the peace of the church and the spiritual growth of its
members and thus caused Epaphras to journey many miles to Rome to seek
guidance from Paul. The apostle’s remedy was simple: they needed only the
knowledge that comes from God through His Word (Ps 119:66). As
churches today face the growing denial of inerrancy and the preoccupation
with heretical writings (e.g., The Gospel of Thomas, The Gospel of Judas,
the Jesus Seminar), believers would do well to apply the instructions in this
letter to their lives.
1:10. As believers increase in their knowledge of God’s Word, they grow
in their ability to walk worthy of the Lord, to live the kind of life God
demands from them. This does not happen automatically as Paul stresses
the need to know what God’s will is. How can a person apply what he does
not know? Hence the study of the Scriptures is vital for living the Christian
life. Knowledge must be coupled with obedience, since by itself knowledge
can only puff up the believer (1 Cor 8:1). The Colossians demonstrated a
desire to obey by their continuous love for other Christians, so what they
needed now was the direction and guidance given by the Word of God and
not by the Gnostic teachers.
How could the Colossians be fully pleasing to God? By bearing fruit in
every good work. Just as believers stand out by being faithful in their
behavior, so also faithful believers stand out even more by bearing fruit.
Fruit does not come automatically but rather is cultivated as believers like
branches remain dependant on Christ, our Vine (John 15:1-7). While He
gives eternal life simply by believing the gospel, He is fully pleased only
when believers take that new life and bear much fruit with it (v 8). This
fruit-bearing behavior shows the world they not only believe the gospel but
also are followers of Jesus as His modern-day disciples (13:35).
 The Colossians were to please God by their increasing in the knowledge
of God rather than the knowledge found with heretical teachers. Paul’s
repetitive use of gnōsis in vv 9-10 was sure to catch the Colossians’
attention as they began to understand how God viewed these proponents of
false doctrine with their false focus on knowledge.
1:11-12. The chain of events would continue as the Colossians, by
understanding the truths of Scripture and then walking in a worthy manner,
would find themselves not only to be bearing fruit but also to be
strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power. By
walking in obedience believers grow in spiritual maturity which in turn
makes them even stronger in the faith. This reciprocal process demonstrates
the simple axiom, “The more we obey, the better we get at it.” The Word of
God never returns void, and by incorporating God’s knowledge into their
own lives the Colossians would surely have all patience and longsuffering
with joy. Maturity does not come overnight, so patience (toward adverse
circumstances) and longsuffering (toward unpleasant people) will always be
needed.
Growth in the Christian life manifests itself in a thankful heart, giving
thanks to the Father. It is God who has qualified (hikanōsanti,
empowered or authorized) us to be partakers of the inheritance for which
believers strive. The phrase of the saints in the light occurs in the NT only
here and raises an interesting question: Is Paul referring to the general sense
of inheritance in which all believers share (Rom 8:17a), or is he pointing to
obedient, mature disciples who will inherit a position of corulership with
Christ (Luke 19:11-27; Rom 8:17b; Gal 5:21; 2 Tim 2:12)? Paul’s desire in
Col 1: 21-23 for the Colossians to appear mature before Christ hints at the
latter, with his desire for them to inherit far more than just kingdom
entrance.
II. Paul’s Reminders (1:13-29)
A. What Christ Has Done (1:13-14)
1:13-14. Yet another reason to be thankful lies in the truth that believers
have been saved in the past. They have been delivered…from the power
of darkness to one day reside in their new home, the kingdom of the Son.
This truth resides only because of the work of Christ, in whom we have
redemption through His blood. While the world benefits through His
payment of sins, only believers have the forgiveness of sins which comes
through faith in Christ. This transaction grants redemption.
B. Who Christ Is (1:15-20)
1:15-17. Finishing his explanation as to why he prays, Paul now describes
in greater detail for the Colossians the preeminence of Christ. If anyone
lacks Christological balance in his theology, the following section is a sure
remedy. Jesus must be understood as the image of the invisible God (cf.
John 1:18). While Jesus as God the Son has always existed, He was born as
a man at a certain place and in a certain time, the firstborn (protokos) over
all creation. While Adam was the first man in time, Jesus is the first man in
line. He holds rank over every living creature. And why is this? Because by
Him all things were created. Because He made everything, He is in charge
of everything. Whether they exist in heaven or on earth, whether they are
visible or invisible, whether they are thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers, the point is clear: Every single created thing was
made through Him and for Him. The heretical teachers, with their fixation
on angels, needed to recognize that not even angels are equal to God the
Son. Paul then recaps his thought with verse 17: not only is Jesus before all
things, but in Him all things consist (are held together), again stressing
His authority and power over creation. The Colossians were suffering under
a fog of Christological ignorance, and Paul’s goal was to remind them of
Christ’s preeminence.
1:18. Jesus Christ is the head of…the church, His spiritual body (1 Cor
12:13; Eph 1:22-23), which includes every person who has placed his faith
in Him for eternal life. While some throughout Scripture have died and then
were revived only to die again, only Jesus can claim the title of firstborn
from the dead. His was not a resuscitation; it was a resurrection, and
through Him all will be resurrected as well, either to life with God or to
death in Hell (Acts 24:15; 1 Cor 15:12, 21; Rev 20:14-15). Paul is stressing
the fact that Christ in all things has the preeminence.
1:19-20. Paul explains that Christ is preeminent over all because it was
pleasing to God the Father. While the Father is supplied by the NKJV to fill
out the sentence, doing so is clearly warranted. The Father is pleased with
the Son (Matt 17:15). The Father designed the plan, the Son carried out the
plan, and the Holy Spirit testifies of the plan to believers through God’s
Word. The fullness (plērōma) of God’s plan is carried by Christ as the one
who is in charge of it all, since the plan was to have God the Son reconcile
all things to Himself. This plan of reconciliation (2 Cor 5:18) was done by
Him and was total in its effect. Colossians 1:20 does not teach
universalism, the doctrine that every person will go to heaven. Instead the
verse points to the blood of His cross which will eventually cause the end
of enmity between creation and the Father (Rev 22:3). While individuals
must still place their faith in Christ to be saved forever (John 5:24), the
reconciliation that takes place is not by any work on man’s part but solely
the work of God by the Son (Rom 5:10) through the blood of His cross.
C. Who the Colossians Are (1:21-23)
1:21-22. Effective discipleship cannot take place without a proper
understanding not only of who Christ is but also of who believers are in
relation to Him. Motivation to live the Christian life comes from the
realization that although believers, like the Colossians, once were alienated
and enemies of God by both their thoughts and their actions, they have now
been reconciled in the body of His flesh through death. This
reconciliation could come only through the body of Christ and not through
anything else. Perhaps the false teachers, like some Greek philosophers,
were telling the Colossians that all flesh is evil. If so, Paul takes great care
to show that God Himself sent His Son to be born in the body of His flesh
so He could die physically. The purpose of this reconciliation is not simply
to grant people access into heaven. It is much more than that.
Paul’s goal for the Colossians is the same as Christ’s goal for all believers:
to present them holy, and blameless, and irreproachable. While all
believers are considered holy (hagios) in their positional standing the
moment they believe in Christ (Heb 3:1; Rev 20:6), only through
faithfulness in their day-to-day lives are believers holy in their conditional
standing or experience (Rom 12:1; Eph 5:27; 1 Pet 1:15-16; 2 Pet 3:11).
The fact that believers have to be told to be holy and blameless and
irreproachable testifies that it is not automatic, but must be sought after.
The phrase in His sight refers to one’s standing before the Judgment Seat
of Christ, the place all believers will stand to be recompensed for how they
lived the Christian life (Rom 14:12; 2 Cor 5:10). This will not decide
whether believers get into the kingdom, since that is decided the moment a
person places his faith in Jesus Christ for eternal life (John 3:16-18; 5:24).
Only believers will be present at this event, and the purpose is for each
believer to be rewarded for their level of faithfulness to God. Some will be
rewarded richly (Luke 6:35; 1 Cor 3:14; Col 3:24; Heb 10:35) while others
may suffer loss and regret (Matt 25:24-30; Luke 19:20-26). A believer’s
goal should be to live and finish well so that he might hear those beloved
words of Matt 25:23, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
1:23. Being accepted and rewarded at the Bēma is conditional. It depends
on whether the believer continues in the faith, grounded and steadfast.
This points to the need not only to keep believing the right things, but also
to act on them as well. Finishing the race with excellence was never
guaranteed, even for the apostle Paul (1 Cor 9:27; cf. 2 Pet 3:17). Those
who insist that all true believers finish well both with their doctrine and
with their behavior fail to take into account the numerous scriptural
warnings that such perseverance is never automatic (Luke 8:11-15; Gal 1:6;
2:4, 14; 4:9; 5:1, 4; Eph 4:14; 6:10-11; Col 2:4, 8; 1 Thess 3:2, 5, 8; 1 Tim
1:19; 4:1; 6:10; 2 Tim 2:12, 17, 25; 4:4; Titus 1:9, 13, 15). Not all saints
persevere, and so Paul reminds the Colossians of this fact so that they
would not be moved away from the hope of the gospel. The good news of
Jesus Christ was preached to every creature under heaven, that is,
without discrimination.
D. Who Paul Is (1:24-29)
1:24-27. While the Colossians had heard of Paul, they probably had not
met him personally (2:1). So he describes his mission and all that he does
for believers everywhere, including the ones here in Colosse. First, he
suffers for them (v 24), staying focused on the end result (v. 28). The fact
that Paul brings up the subject of suffering immediately after his charge to
continue in the faith sheds light on what perhaps is to be expected for those
who wish to endure (Jas 1:2; Eph 3:13; 1 Pet 1:6-7). Persevering in one’s
faith is not easy, for if it were, every believer would do it. Such sufferings
are because of our identification with Christ, and are said to be viewed as
afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church.
However, this does not mean that the sufferings of Christ remain
insufficient without the sufferings of believers (Rom 3:25; Heb 2:17; 1 John
2:2; 4:10).
 Second, Paul calls to mind his stewardship from God. He was sent to the
unbelieving Gentile world in order to fulfill God’s desire that the whole
world be reconciled (2 Cor 5:18-20). The fact that God desired all the world
to be saved was no mystery hidden from ages and from generations,
since God’s covenants always allowed for universal blessings and not just
Israel. In fact, the promise of a universal Savior, the seed of woman, was
given to Adam even before there was a nation of Israel (Gen 3:14-21). So
the mystery that had not yet been revealed was that Gentiles would be
allowed equal footing with God’s chosen people, the Jews, through their
association with Christ (Eph 3:5-6). This mystery, that Christ is in you,
focuses on the fact that Christ not only saves believers but He also indwells
them. Also this fact highlights the difference between Christianity and the
false religion exposed to the Colossians. They had been told that only those
with secret knowledge (gnōsis) could comprehend the mysteries of God,
and Paul was showing that such teaching was wrong. The good news of
Jesus Christ, he contended, is not a secret meant for only a select few.
1:28-29. Paul’s chief aim in life is revealed here: that he may present
every man perfect in Christ Jesus. This refers again to the Bēma (vv 22-
23) where all believers will appear. To be presented perfect (teleios
“complete”) does not mean sinless perfection, since such a state is
impossible (Rom 7:14-17; 1 John 1:8). Rather, the Greek word teleios refers
to maturity or advanced growth. The believers’ goal should be not only to
grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Pet 3:18), thereby
increasing their level of spiritual maturity, but also to help others achieve
this same goal
(2 Tim 2:2). Paul was living his life for the benefit of other people, hoping
that through his efforts in teaching them they would grow to become mature
disciples in Christ. For this, Paul labored and strived, ultimately giving his
life for his fellow believers (2 Tim 4:6-7). Truly, God’s working was
witnessed in the apostle’s life mightily.
III. Paul’s Warnings (2:1-23)
A. Persevere in the Faith (2:1-7)
2:1-3. Paul is not shy about the great conflict he feels for the Colossians
and for the believers in Laodicea. Since Laodicea was west of Colosse by
only a few miles, the Laodiceans were probably experiencing the same
problems with false doctrine. Though these churches as well as others had
never met Paul personally, he nonetheless felt deeply for their well-being.
How often do believers worry about others whom they have never met? His
desire was for them to remain encouraged, something that is needed in
order to remain faithful to the Lord (Heb 3:13; 10:25). Paul himself often
sought encouragement (Rom 1:12; Phil 2:19), even to the point of once
leaving one city for another (2 Cor 2:13).
Paul also desires that they as a church would experience unity with their
hearts knit together in love. Obviously not all of the Colossians had been
fooled by the false teachers, and this was causing division. This problem
could be remedied by a full assurance of understanding, which comes
through the Word of God. Attaining this knowledge (gnōsis) would allow
them to understand what has been seen as a mystery of God. While the
Gnostic teachers falsely taught that their revelation came from God
apparently apart from Christ, Paul explains that both God the Father and
Christ equally shared in the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Without
Christ, godly knowledge remains hidden and inaccessible.
2:4-5. While the Colossians were remaining faithful for the time being
(1:2), Paul knew the false teachers attacking them could be persuasive. No
Christian should fool himself into thinking he is immune from straying
from the truth (see comments on 1:23). Therefore Paul encourages them by
explaining how joyful he finds their order (taxis “good discipline”) in light
of what they are going through. For the time being the Colossians are
remaining steadfast in their faith, and Paul is thankful for this.
2:6-7. The Colossians were believers who had received Christ Jesus the
Lord. Nonetheless they still needed encouragement to continue their walk
in Him. Obedience is the issue here, not just in their behavior but also in
their doctrine. They had earlier received sound doctrine concerning
salvation, had believed it to be true, and therefore were rooted and built up
in Him. Many who hear the good news and believe are soon turned away
by false doctrine, cults, rebellious lifestyles, immaturity, and so forth (Luke
8:11-13; Gal 1:6; 2 Pet 3:17), never having been established in the faith
with a firm foundation. The Colossians, however, had been blessed with
good teachers from the very beginning. Not only had they been taught, but
they were abounding in good doctrine with thanksgiving. Obviously
Epaphras was one of the teachers responsible for their firm foundation
(1:7), and he continued his care over the church by traveling far and wide to
reach Paul in hopes of helping his community of believers.
B. Remember That Jesus Is God (2:8-15)
2:8. The Colossians themselves bore responsibility in keeping themselves
strong in their doctrine and their practice. Paul urged them to beware (blepō
“keep looking out for”) those who desire to cheat (sylagōgōn “take
captive”) innocent believers with false or strange doctrines. These teachings
are not based on the Word of God but rather on the tradition of men,
according to the basic principles of the world. If any philosophy, religion,
or science contradicts the clear teachings of Scripture, then it is wrong. The
false teachers in Colosse were contradicting God’s Word with their
teachings on spirituality, angels, self-abasement, and Christ. They were
leading believers astray because their perverse teachings were not
according to Christ. Many false teachings abound today on how to become
“spiritual,” and the best remedy has always been to rely on God’s Word
alone to learn what is pleasing to God.
2:9-10. Here Paul summarizes his main points from his explanation of
Christ’s supremacy in chap. 1. Following the warning of v 8, vv 9-10 are
the foundation for standing strong in Christ against false doctrines, cults,
and general confusion concerning God’s promises. Jesus Christ is
preeminent, being God Himself, and in Him dwells all the fullness of the
Godhead bodily. He was not a spirit-form but an actual man, fully human
yet fully God. Because of this, all believers are complete in Him, having
received God’s righteousness at the moment of faith in Christ. He is the
head of all principality and power, (cf. 1:16,18), taking orders from no
one except God the Father. Whatever false doctrines the Colossians had
been hearing concerning angels, this statement corrects any
misunderstanding. Angels are not in charge because Jesus Christ is.
2:11. Many things happen to a person when he places his faith in Christ.
Paul mentions several here in the next few verses, probably because the
Colossians either had forgotten or had become confused. Through faith in
Christ they had received a spiritual circumcision, one made without hands,
making a physical one inconsequential. By putting off the body of the sins
of the flesh they had been forgiven once and for all through the
circumcision of Christ. This should not be seen as some kind of promise to
turn from sins for the promise of eternal life, since such a demand is not
made by God and would be impossible for a person still dead in their
trespasses. By trusting in Christ alone for the free gift of eternal life one
receives forgiveness (Rom 6:23; Col 2:13). Putting off the…sins of the flesh
refers not to dealing with sins in one’s daily life but rather to what Christ
has already done; He has rescued believers from the penalty of sin (2 Cor
5:21; Heb 9:26).
2:12. By trusting in Jesus for eternal life, each believer is identified as
having undergone the same burial and resurrection as that of Christ. This is
the picture conveyed by water baptism, the reality that the believer has
already trusted Christ and has been buried and then raised to life with Him.
Therefore believers will live forever in Christ because Christ Himself lives
forever. All this is not through man’s effort or good works but only through
the working of God. The baptism Paul refers to here is not water baptism,
since no good work (even the ones commanded by God) adds, brings, or
proves salvation. Rather, Paul is referring to the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
the sealing of God’s Spirit on each believer the moment he places his faith
in Christ (Rom 6:3-4; 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:27; Eph 1:13).
2:13. This truth is again examined in greater detail. Every person, though
being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, is
instantly made alive together with Him the moment he is justified through
faith. Believers will never be judged for their trespasses since God Himself
has forgiven you all trespasses (cf. 1:13-14). Of course a believer’s
fellowship with Christ can be broken by sin and so one’s sins need to be
confessed in order to restore fellowship with Christ (1 John 1:8-9). A
believer’s sins hinder only his abiding in Christ in fellowship with Him here
on earth (John 15:5; 1 John 1:6; 3:6). They do not keep him from entering
heaven, no matter how severe they may be (Rom 5:1).
2:14. The Mosaic Law declared mankind guilty (Rom 3:19), yet this guilt
was erased by Christ’s own payment for sins. The payment has already been
made: it was nailed to the cross by the very one who paid it. The empty
cross seen in so many churches today reminds congregants that the payment
has been made and also that the One who paid it is no longer there. He is
Risen!
C. Avoid Asceticism (2:15-23)
 2:15. The principalities and powers (cf. v 10) Paul refers to here are both
the hosts of demons and the entire world system. By Christ’s work on the
cross they have been made a public spectacle and He has triumphed over
them chiefly because they deny the very power of Christ. His triumph lies
in the fact that sin no longer remains a barrier between mankind and God.
The only obstacle is a person’s refusal to accept Christ’s offer of Free
Grace.
2:16-17. Now that Paul has reminded the Colossians of much of what
Christ has done for them already, he now turns directly to the errors
conveyed by the false teachers who have crept into this local church. These
teachers were attempting to judge the Colossians on material things such as
what to eat or drink. Their insistence in agreeing with Greek philosophy’s
stance that all material is evil not only gave them a false sense of humility
(v. 18) but also denied the physical existence of Christ (1:22; 2:9; 2 John
1:7). They were also misusing the celebration of certain holidays (new
moon and Sabbaths) and festivals. If they were insisting on keeping the
restrictions toward foods and festivals found in the Levitical code given to
Moses, then they were attempting to put the people back under the very
same Law Christ had fulfilled (Matt 5:17; Rom 6:14; 7:6). These
restrictions pointed to the necessity of the one who was to come, and the
Law was fulfilled in the substance, which is Christ.
2:18. Those who attempt to put people back under the Law logically rob
believers of their hope of receiving reward. Instead their hope becomes a
misguided attempt to earn their eternal life, or keep it, or prove that they
have it. Naturally the Biblical teachings of rewards at the Bēma become
convoluted. In the case of the false teachers at Colosse, these observances
of dietary and celebratory laws brought about a false sense of humility.
Their demonic worship of angels rather than worshipping Christ hindered
growth in the Christian life.
By speculating on those things which he has not seen, a person becomes
intoxicated with learning only fleshly things and not things found in
Scripture. This truth can be seen today in the many teachers of cults and
false religions who often preach their message under the guise of a “new”
form of Christianity. Taking small bits of truth from Scriptures and
extrapolating false doctrines from them, these false teachers are no different
than the ones Paul warned about in this letter.
 2:19. Many assume that all false teachers are unsaved. However, Scripture
teaches that anyone, including the most devout believer, can be led astray
even to the point of teaching things that are not true (Jas 3:1-2; 2 Pet 3:17-
18). Such teachers are no longer holding fast to the Head, an indication
that Paul is referring here to false teachers who at one time were believers.
If they had focused on Christ, they would have received the nourishment
needed to remain strong and on the right path (growing with increase
which is from God).
2:20-21. The Colossians had actually been led astray by false teachers
concerning dietary regulations. As believers (1:2-5) they had already died
with Christ (2:12) and as such were no longer captive to erroneous
thoughts propagated by the world system (v. 8). Yet while they still lived in
the world they were placing themselves back under such notions, which
Paul lists in verse 21 (commands that there are certain things they should
not touch…taste or handle).
2:22-23. Paul explains some of the reasons such laws do not accomplish
what is intended, namely, to make oneself more “spiritual.” First, all foods
simply perish, turn to waste. Why should one food matter over another
when they both are soon eliminated? Second, these laws are not given by
God but rather are selected by the minds of ordinary men. While God has
limited the diets of various people throughout Scripture, the limitations
were never given to help one mature spiritually. Either they served as a
protection from various diseases prevalent at the time, or they helped set
apart a person from the rest of the world. The regulations the Colossians
were under did neither of these. Second, although these regulations had an
appearance of wisdom (which helps explains how the Colossian believers
could have been fooled in the first place), they were not wise in God’s eyes.
Many Christians are taken in by strange or false teachings simply because
they “sound right” or “make sense.” The only defense against this is a life
characterized by being trained and equipped with the Word of God (Eph
4:11-14), which in itself is the purpose of the Church. Third, they bring
about a false sense of humility. While denial of self is an admirable quality,
it is only godly if God is the one who advises it. These restrictions the
Colossians were embracing were not from God and could not help in their
Christian growth. Instead, they only hinder it. Fourth, these restrictions
serve no protection against the flesh. Christ, not some worldly system of
self-denial, is the believer’s source for victory against the temptations faced
by fleshly desires. The fleshly nature, not the eating of certain foods, is the
believer’s problem.
IV. Paul’s Commands (3:1–4:6)
A. Command to Seek Christ (3:1-4)
3:1. Paul’s letter to the Colossians may be divided into two parts: chaps. 1
and 2 which deal with doctrine, and 3 and 4, which deal with application.
The first of the commands given in the application section is, seek those
things which are above. To do this, one must turn away from the things
which are below or here on earth (see v 2). Paul has in mind the worldly
principals of men he has just highlighted in chap. 2. The things…above are
naturally found in Christ, who is now sitting at the right hand of God.
Reminding the Colossians of where Christ is right now, Paul is again
showing the falsehood of the view that angels are somehow closer to God
the Father than the Son is.
3:2. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. The
Christian life is centered in one’s mindset. The disciple does not become
mature without first determining in his mind to become so (Rom 12:1-2).
3:3-4. Believers should focus on the things above because they have died
with Christ and their life is hidden with Christ in God. This hidden life is
not a reference to sins having been nailed to the cross (2:14), but, as 3:4
shows, to the eternal future in the kingdom of God, which is not yet visible
(cf. 2 Cor 4:17-18; 5:7). When Christ…appears, we will appear with
Him in glory. The revelation of who we will be forever awaits the
Judgment Seat of Christ. How much we will share in His glorious reign will
depend on our mindset in this life (cf. 1:21-23; 3:24; Matt 6:19-21; 1 Pet
4:13).
B. Command to Put Off Immorality (3:5-11)
3:5. Therefore, Paul explains, put to death your members which are on
the earth. Members refer to one’s physical body as he seeks to be gratified
by his fleshly nature. Every believer is called to make a living sacrifice of
his own desires, and these desires often revolve around physical pleasure.
Paul lists several here: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and
covetousness, which Paul explains is idolatry.
 Fornication (porneia) is sex outside the marriage covenant. Today many
men and women live together before getting married, a practice that serves
only the flesh in its desire and goes against God’s command to keep the
marriage bed holy (Heb 13:4). Uncleanness (akatharsia) or impurity
conveys the idea of moral corruption and is the opposite of sanctification
(1 Thess 4:7). Passion (pathos) simply means a strong desire, but here in
this context it refers to the longing for sexual immorality. While the world
desires for love and affection, it also behaves in sexual ways contrary to
what is pure. These evil desires (epithymia) are evil not because they are
sexual but because they ignore the sanctity of the marriage bed, applauding
covetousness (pleonexia) or desire for a partner other than one’s spouse.
3:6-7. Sexual rebellion brings God’s wrath no matter how hard the culture
tries to convince people otherwise. Heartache, distrust, disease, and death
can be expected by those who lead a life of sexual rebellion from God’s
laws, whether they are believers or unbelievers. The phrase sons of
disobedience occurs only here and in Ephesians (2:2; 5:6) and probably
refers to unbelievers. Paul mentions them here because the Colossians were
in danger of behaving like them. With such disobedience a believer can
expect God’s discipline, but the wrath discussed here points to a future
event during the end times when unbelievers will experience the Tribulation
(1 Thess 5:9; Rev 6:17). Before their salvation the Colossians saw such
behavior as acceptable. As believers, they are reminded to turn away from
their former ways of living, even if they are still accepted by the culture.
The fact that they have to be reminded of these things speaks volumes about
their moral compass, for the false teachers combined with the sin nature
seemed to have lured the Colossian believers back into immorality.
3:8. Likewise they are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice,
blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. The problems facing the
Colossians were not simply doctrinal in nature nor sexual in behavior. They
were also speaking and acting in ways that, while acceptable to their
culture, were nonetheless those of an unbeliever rather than a believer.
Anger (orgē) and wrath (thymos) are to be controlled. Otherwise they
result in malice (kakia) or the intent to due harm to another person. Anger,
while itself is not a sin (Eph 4:26), must be restrained with the self-control
characterized by one filled with the Spirit (Gal 5:22). Blasphemy
(blasphēmia) or obscene speech maligns its object and is often used in filthy
language (aischrologia). Such speech can never be used to glorify God or
one’s neighbor.
3:9. Another problem often acceptable to unbelievers, but which runs
contrary to Christian behavior, is that of lying. Literally Paul tells them to
“Stop lying to one another,” signifying that they were actively engaged in
doing it, even as believers. Though as faithful saints they shared a love for
the brethren (1:4), they nonetheless held on to various behaviors that ran
contrary to God’s calling. They need to be reminded of the fact they had
put off the old man with his deeds. This pointed to their former standing
apart from Christ and that they were now no longer seen that way before
God.
3:10. Instead, they had put on the new man or had received a new nature,
that of Jesus Christ. Though believers have received a new identity, a new
nature (2 Cor 5:17), yet they still war with their old nature, the old man or
flesh (Gal 5:13, 17; 2 Pet 2:10). The term “flesh,” in the context of our old
nature, does not refer to our skin but to the desire and willingness to sin
(Rom 7:18).
This new man or new nature looks to be sanctified or renewed in
knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.
Sanctification or growing in Christ-likeness requires the knowledge found
in the Word of God, the knowledge given by Jesus Christ Himself. If a
believer wants to look like Him, he must know what He looks like!
3:11. Religious and social prejudice have always existed, and the cultures
of Paul’s day teemed with hatred toward foreigners. Here he notes that in
Jesus Christ everyone is seen as acceptable regardless of his religious,
cultural, or social background. This would be especially noteworthy to the
Colossians, who were Gentiles and not Jews. This verse, coupled with Gal
3:28, is often used to support the notion that God no longer makes a
distinction between the nation of Israel and the Church. However, such a
view misunderstands the context of each passage, both of which are focused
on the Church, the Body of Christ. Both passages in question highlight the
fact that once a person is in the Body of Christ, his standing in Christ is not
based on his nationality. The verse does not teach that God has done away
with Israel or that the Church is now the “spiritual Israel.”
C. Command to Put On Righteousness (3:12-17)
 3:12-13. Because of these truths Paul encourages the elect of God, saints,
to put on the characteristics of one holy and beloved. Believers are always
holy in their position, but earlier (in 1:22) Paul had urged them to be holy in
their conduct. But in 3:12, when he calls them holy, he is referring to their
position.
The traits of Christians should stand in contrast to those of unbelievers.
While believers do not automatically display such characteristics, their
growth as disciples will be marked by such features as the ones listed here.
They are all facets of Christ’s own behavior. The more a believer becomes
like Him through growth and obedience to the Word, the more he will
behave like Him.
Tender mercies (splankna oiktirmos, “compassion”) is what Christ felt for
others. He wept both for believers (John 11:35) and unbelievers (Luke
19:41). Likewise, Christians should be marked by feeling compassion for
others. Kindness (chrestotēs) is acting out of the compassion felt for others.
While pity is the concern one has for others, kindness is acting on that
concern. Humility (tapeinophrosynē, “lowliness of mind”) sets the needs of
others above oneself. Christ displayed humility toward others His entire
earthly ministry (Mark 10:45). Meekness (prautēs, “gentleness”) can be
viewed as strength subdued. It takes a strong individual to keep from
showing his strength. Longsuffering (makrothymia, “patience”) is the
ability to endure wrongs committed against oneself.
Perhaps most needed among believers today is the ability to be bearing
with one another, that is, being willing to tolerate others. In a culture that
stresses finding comfort for oneself, it is difficult to seek first the comfort of
others. But such a characteristic is needed for both ministry and fellowship.
Imitating Christ, believers are to be forgiving (charizomenoi) one another
when they are wronged. While the world honors revenge, Christ honors
forgiveness. Paul reminds his readers that Christ forgave you, and so He
should be a model for each believer’s behavior.
3:14. The most important of all such traits, Paul says, is love (agapē)
which in 1 Cor 13:13 is at the “top” of the list. Even unbelievers often admit
that Christ loved His enemies. This love stands in contrast to the love
offered by the fallen world system. While today’s culture stresses loving
others only until they do us wrong, Christ teaches to love others because He
loves them. This unconditional love is clearly seen in the person and work
of Jesus Christ (John 3:16). This indeed is the bond of perfection or
ultimate manifestation of Christian conduct.
3:15. The peace of God is distinct from peace with God (Rom 5:1).
Believers are eternally secure. However, a believer may still choose to rebel
against His commands the same way a child stubbornly refuses to obey the
parent who unconditionally loves him. In rebellion, the child receives
loving discipline administered by the parent, but in obedience the child
enjoys the fellowship extended by the parent. It is this fellowship that Paul
reminds the Colossians they can enjoy if they live in obedience to God’s
commands. This in turn can cause them to be thankful, as Paul noted
earlier in the letter (1:12).
3:16. The importance of God’s Word cannot be overstated. Believers
cannot grow into spiritual maturity unless they consistently feed on the
word of Christ, the Bible. To dwell (enoikeō) means “to permeate” or “to
live in,” and God desires that believers allow His Word to live in their
hearts and lives. Plans and decisions will be made in wisdom if Christians
look first to Scripture for guidance.
Yet the Word of God should also impact the lives of others. Believers are
to engage in teaching and admonishing others with the Word, making sure
that they learn the Scriptures and avoid doctrinal error. The psalms and
hymns and spiritual songs Paul mentions refers to singing in one’s
worship to the Lord.
Parallels between this verse and Eph 5:18-21 suggest that to let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly is what Paul means by being filled with the Spirit.
3:17. Paul summarizes his thoughts here in one complete sentence. He
advises the Colossian Christians that everything they do in word (the things
they say) or deed (the things they do) should be done in the name of the
Lord Jesus, that is, in His authority as representatives of Him. They are to
act as Jesus Christ acts, both in how they talk to each other and how they
act toward others. When a country’s ambassador visits a foreign land, his
speech and behavior are expected to reflect that of his home country.
Christians are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ (2 Cor 5:20). This
speech and behavior should be done with an attitude of thankfulness (giving
thanks to God the Father through Him), a key theme in Christian growth
(Rom 1:21; 1 Cor 10:30; Eph 1:16; 1 Thess 5:18; 2 Thess 1:3; 2:13; Heb
13:15; Rev 11:17).
 D. Commands Regarding Relationships (3:18–4:1)
3:18. Paul now gives practical instructions on how to “put on love” within
daily relationships. He first addresses the most foundational of all:
marriage. Wives are to submit (hypotassesthe) to their own husbands. The
verb is passive, meaning “to obey” and reflects God’s desire based on the
creation order (cf. 1 Cor 11:8). As each man has Christ as his head (11:3),
each wife has her husband as her head (11:4). Submission to her husband,
not slavery, is God’s desire for the wife and is reflected perfectly in the
relationship between God the Son and God the Father (11:3). Both are
equal, yet each has differing responsibilities with one being the head.
In what ways should the wife submit to the husband? In whatever ways are
fitting in the Lord.
3:19. Just as the wife with her husband imitates Christ’s submission to the
Father, so also should the husbands imitate the Father’s love for Christ
with their instructions to love your wives. In Eph 5:25-32 Paul elaborates
on how the husband should treat his wife as his own body in the same way
that Christ does His body, the Church. As the husband loves his wife, he
must make every effort not to be bitter toward them, perhaps because of
the wife’s desire to rule over her husband (Gen 3:16).
3:20. After the marriage relationship comes its natural outcome: children.
Their submission is directed to both parents whose range encompasses all
things. To do this is to be well pleasing to the Lord and reflects one of the
most basic commandments (Exod 20:12).
3:21. Fathers, who as the head of the wife are thus the head of the home,
must be careful not to provoke your children as they subject them to
training and discipline. While the ultimate authority, God the Father, is
perfect, the human father is not. Great care should be given to this
responsibility of applying godly discipline to the children lest they become
discouraged and give up their desire to obey.
3:22-25. Just as Paul included instructions for the common relationship of
slaves to their masters in his letter to the Ephesians (6:5-9), so he does here
as well. Rather than comment on this social institution, Paul uses it as an
example of submission. Servants, who are told to obey in all things their
masters, are seen as having masters only according to the flesh. This
statement points out that while earthly relationships may differ, in Christ
believers are all on equal footing (Gal 3:28). Their inner motivation should
not stem from trying to please only their masters as men-pleasers, but
serving heartily, as to the Lord, since it is He who gives the reward of
the inheritance. The fact remains that no matter what relationship a person
is in—whether marriage, family, or work—he is to serve the Lord Christ.
Believers will be rewarded for their service to Christ, but if they do wrong
they will be repaid for it. There is no partiality with God (Acts 10:34;
Rom 2:11; Gal 2:6; Eph 6:9).
4:1. Paul concludes his instructions about personal relationships with an
admonishment to the masters who own slaves. They are to pay their
servants what is just and fair, thus highlighting the importance of
imitating God with regard to recompense. And why should each of the
believing masters treat their servants fairly? Because each master is a
bondservant himself, having a Master in heaven.
E. Commands Pertaining to the Christian Life (4:2-6)
4:2. Paul encourages the believers to continue earnestly in prayer. He
knew them to be faithful in the past (1:2), hoped for them to be in the future
(1:23) and was now relying intensively on their dedication to prayer. Why
else would he include so many personal requests at the end of this letter?
And they are to pray vigilantly in an attitude of thanksgiving.
4:3-4. Paul asked for prayer for himself and his companions with regard to
the gospel message: first, he requested opportunity for a door to be opened.
How often do believers pray for witnessing opportunities for themselves,
much less for their fellow believers? Second, he desired to preach a clear
message, hoping to instruct others as to the mystery of Christ, namely, that
Jews and Gentiles were both instructed to believe the good news. He
currently suffered for this truth in chains, probably in Rome around AD 60
during his first imprisonment there.
4:5. His readers had Paul’s instructions about their fellow believers. But
what about nonbelievers (those who are outside)? The command is to walk
in wisdom, living out what the believers knew to be true. This was a
common hope of Paul’s for this audience (1:9, 28; 2:3, 23; 3:16). One’s
time (kairos) is a valuable commodity, the one thing one can never get
back.
 4:6. How else can one bear fruit (1:10) except through what he says?
Those at Colosse were to speak to unbelievers with grace, with their
witness seasoned with salt (i.e., pure). What kind of questions were they
being asked by unbelievers? Probably the same as those asked by
unbelievers today. Effective evangelism was a concern for Paul when he
considered these brethren (1:28), especially since they were bewildered by
worldly teachings (2:8, 20, 23; 3:2, 16) and needed to be able to answer
each one who questioned their faith and knowledge.
V. Concluding Comments and Benediction
(4:7-18)
A. My Friends Are Coming (4:7-9)
4:7-9. Paul begins to conclude his letter by first pointing to its two carriers.
Tychicus, a partner with Paul and able to take Titus’s place as an elder in
Crete (Titus 3:12), was both beloved and faithful and able to communicate
the news of Paul to his hearers (Eph 6:21). He would report back to Paul
after learning of their present circumstances. He was known as one able to
bring comfort to those who needed it (Eph 6:22).
Yet Tychicus was not alone; he would be bringing Onesimus with him,
known to be faithful and beloved as well. A fellow Colossian, Onesimus
met Paul while hiding in Rome in the hopes of escaping his master
Philemon. The runaway slave now returns to Colosse and to his master
under the instruction of Paul. Serving as a living example of God’s
directions for slaves (3:22-25), Onesimus carries with him another letter:
Paul’s personal letter to Onesimus’s master, Philemon.
B. Your Friends Miss You (4:10-14)
4:10-11. Next, Paul mentions three of his fellow Jewish brethren. Besides
Aristarchus and Justus, John Mark is mentioned as one of Paul’s fellow
workers for the kingdom of God who had proven to be a comfort to him.
Clearly Paul counted him worthy of partnership (2 Tim 4:11) despite earlier
conflict (Acts 15:37-38).
4:12-14. Paul now mentions three of his Gentile partners as well. One is
the prayer warrior Epaphras, whose great zeal for others apparently went
unmatched in Paul’s other letters. Another is Luke, who accompanied Paul
on many of his journeys, even remaining faithful despite the failings of
others (2 Tim 4:11). Was he now needed to help Paul with some kind of
physical ailment (Gal 4:14-15)? Demas remained with Paul as well, though
not for long (2 Tim 4:10). The weaknesses of men revealed in Scripture
testify to its accurate portrayal of human frailty.
C. Personal Instructions (4:15-17)
4:15-17. Other believers are of Paul’s concern besides those in Colosse.
The brethren who are in Laodicea are to be greeted as are those who meet
in Nymphas’s house. The fact that churches of the first-century were able
to fit into one man’s dwelling revealed their often small size. The church in
Laodicea were likewise to receive a letter from Paul, though probably not
inspired. Paul wrote many letters to various friends and churches, and we
have every one of those letters that was inspired by God and written under
the direction of the Holy Spirit. Archippus, a member of the household of
Philemon (Phlm 2), needed special admonishment by name. He had been
allowed to serve the local body with a specific ministry, but for reasons
unknown today he was not participating in full. Paul wanted to help him on
that.
D. Farewell (4:18)
4:18. Though many of Paul’s letters were dictated to a secretary, here he
gives a special salutation by his own hand. When he writes Remember
my chains, he is asking that the Colossian believers remember that he is
suffering as a minister of the gospel. Then as he closes this powerful epistle
to the church in Colossae, he gives his common blessing, Grace be with
you. Amen. Did he ever hear again from Epaphras or the church Epaphras
founded in Colosse? How long did Paul pray for this group of believers
before finding out how they received the letter? No one knows. Paul would
remain in Rome for another year before being freed to minister as a
missionary for another five years. Then, in AD 67, Paul was again arrested
and brought to Rome. Within a year, he was executed. Yet his inspired
words live on and instruct believers with the same urgency and beckoning
as with his original audience almost two thousand years ago.
 1 Thessalonians
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
The Apostle Paul identifies himself as the author (1:1). His authorship of
this letter was widely accepted by the early church fathers and most Bible
scholars throughout church history. In addition the letter itself has all the
hallmarks of Paul’s style, theology, and vocabulary. There can be no doubt
that the Apostle Paul is the author of this letter.
Audience, Date, and Provenance
The brief ministry of Paul and Silas in Thessalonica during Paul’s second
missionary journey is chronicled in Acts 17:1-10. One might easily
conclude from Acts 17:2 that they were in town for only three weeks before
Christians there sent them on to Berea for fear of their lives (Acts 17:10).
However, First Thessalonians reveals that the readers were well grounded in
Christian doctrine. It is unlikely that they had become so well grounded in
just a few sessions with Paul and Silas.
Therefore Acts 17:2 may simply mean that their ministry in the synagogue
was limited to three Sabbaths. Most likely Paul and Silas continued on in
Thessalonica for several more months before they left for Berea. Of course,
even so, it is remarkable that Paul and Silas were able to convey so much
doctrine so quickly to new believers. Maybe Christian leaders should expect
more of new believers today as well.
Paul and Silas came to this commercially and politically important city
immediately after being beaten and wrongly imprisoned in Philippi. Since
Paul and his coworkers were well acquainted with suffering for their faith,
they were able to speak from experience as they challenged the believers in
Thessalonica to hang in there in spite of persecution.
This letter was written from Corinth during Paul’s eighteen months of
ministry there (Acts 18:1-18; 1 Thess 2:17; 3:6). Acts 18 mentions that
Gallio was proconsul of Achaia while Paul was in Corinth. Gallio arrived as
proconsul in AD 50. Thus the writing of First Thessalonians was in AD 50
or 51.
Purpose
When Paul was in Athens, he received word that the believers in
Thessalonica were experiencing persecution for their faith (Acts 17:15;
1 Thess 2:14; 3:4-5). His aim in this letter clearly pivots around the need to
endure persecution until Jesus returns.
In all five of the chapters of this letter Paul mentions the soon return of
Christ. Realizing Jesus is coming at any moment should be a powerful aid
in perseverance. The reason Paul longed for their perseverance was so that
Christ would find them blameless when He returns (3:13; 5:23). While all
believers will be raptured, only those who endure in hope will be found
blameless.

OUTLINE
I. Salutation (1:1)
II. The Personal Basis for the Appeal to Persevere (1:2–3:13)
III. The Doctrinal Basis for the Appeal to Persevere (4:1–5:24)
IV. Conclusion (5:23-28)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (1:1)
1:1. Paul includes Silas (Silvanus) and Timothy in his greeting to the
church of the Thessalonians. As is common in his salutations, Paul
extends God’s grace and peace to the readers from God our Father and
the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. The Personal Basis for the Appeal to Persevere (1:2–3:13)
A. Appeal to Continue in Steadfastness (1:2-10)
In these opening verses Paul gives thanks for the Thessalonians and
praises their example. They had held fast in the face of persecution. Implicit
in these verses is Paul’s fervent desire that they continue in their
steadfastness.
 1:2-4. Paul expresses a number of reasons why he gives thanks to God
always for the readers. The famous triad of faith, hope, and love (cf. 1 Cor
13:13) forms the basis of his thankfulness.
Work of faith refers to work which resulted from the faith of the believers
in Thessalonica (subjective genitive). All five chapters refer to Christ’s
return and to the rewards He will give. Clearly the believers in Thessalonica
believed that Jesus would return and reward them (1:9-10; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13;
5:11; 5:23). That belief motivated them to do work that pleased Him. While
the faith referred to certainly includes their ongoing faith in Christ for
eternal life, Paul is not thinking merely of that belief. He is thinking of their
belief system. Beliefs matter for ongoing service to God.
Labor of love looks at the labors that occurred because of the love the
Thessalonians have for God. That love, of course, sprang from their
knowledge of His love for them (cf. 1 John 4:19). Love for Christ motivated
the believers in Thessalonica to labor and strive to please Him (cf. 2 Cor
5:14; 1 John 3:16-18). Love is a powerful motivator for labor (John 14:15).
Patience of hope concerns the endurance that resulted from their
confidence in the soon return of Christ. Biblical hope is not wishing that
something will occur. It is being certain of something that is yet future. The
soon return of Christ kept the attention of the Thessalonian believers and
compelled them to persevere in spite of persecution (cf. 1 Cor 9:24-27;
2 Tim 2:12).
Paul’s prayers were informed by his knowledge of the readers’ election by
God. Paul does not indicate here what he knew they were elected to do or to
be. Most take this as a reference to election to eternal life. However, that
idea is not found anywhere explicitly in the Bible. Paul might simply mean
that he knows that they were chosen by God to uplift the name of Jesus in
the city of Thessalonica.
If, however, the context is considered, it seems that Paul is speaking more
specifically of their being chosen to suffer for Christ. See vv 5-10 and the
discussion there.
1:5. Paul next mentions concrete examples of their “work of faith, labor of
love, and patience of hope.” Paul and his coworkers did not simply come to
[the Thessalonians] in word only. They came also in power, and in the
Holy Spirit and in much assurance. In the apostolic era signs and
wonders sometimes attended the preaching of the apostles. That is not,
however, what is meant by in power and in the Holy Spirit. In the first
place, the noun here is singular. If miraculous signs were meant, the plural
would have been used. In the second place, at the end of v 5 Paul refers to
the kind of men we were among you for your sake. That shows that Paul
had in mind the power and conviction that comes from one who is walking
in the Spirit.
The word assurance in the NT never refers to assurance of salvation. In
this context it means that the Holy Spirit convicted or convinced the
listeners that Paul’s message was true. While this did result in the listeners
being sure they had eternal life, the phrase much assurance refers not
merely to the message of what one must do to have eternal life, but to the
entire gospel that Paul preached. The good news Paul preached included the
Rapture and Christ’s soon return, as is evident in every chapter in this letter.
The Holy Spirit convinced the listeners that Paul’s gospel is indeed true.
1:6. The believers in Thessalonica became followers of [Paul and his
coworkers] and of the Lord, having received the word in much
affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit. Once again, having received the
word refers more broadly to receiving Paul’s gospel. The apostles and the
Lord Jesus were afflicted for the good news. Thus when the readers
tolerated much affliction, they were following the example that had been
shown to them. Of course, the Lord gave them joy of the Holy Spirit so that
they were able to bear under the affliction. Believers do not go through
persecution alone. The Lord meets them in it.
1:7. The followers then in turn became examples to all in Macedonia
and Achaia who believe. When believers do what is right, others notice
and are moved to follow their example.
1:8. The believers in Thessalonica were open about their faith, and so the
word went out in every place. While this might well refer merely to
believers Paul met in each new city, more likely he means that the news
about the believers in Thessalonica is spreading so that both believers and
unbelievers in the region are aware of what has occurred there. Those
reports clearly aid Paul in his missionary endeavors in other cities.
1:9. The believers in Thessalonica turned to God from idols. This is not a
report about what they did to gain eternal life. Verses 7-8 reveal that the
Thessalonians met the same condition for eternal life everyone must meet:
faith in Christ. Here Paul is speaking of the wonderful fact that they turned
away from their idolatry to serve the living and true God. By abandoning
idol worship in an idolatrous culture, their new faith led them to risk
ridicule, censure, and financial loss. But they knew this was necessary in
order to serve God.
1:10. They decided to wait for His Son from heaven to deliver them
from the wrath to come (i.e., the Tribulation). This is the theme of the
book. All Christians should turn from whatever idols capture their attention
(money, horoscopes, power, fame, acclaim) to serve God while they wait
for Jesus to deliver them from the Tribulation via the Rapture.
Conscious, ongoing waiting for Christ’s return is both a powerful
motivation to live for God and a powerful testimony to the world.
B. Paul’s Remembrance of His Ministry in Thessalonica (2:1-16)
In chap. 2, Paul reminds the Thessalonians about the time he spent there
evangelizing, discipling, and planting a church. Based on the Acts account,
he was probably there about three months. (See the Introduction.) Despite
the way he had to flee town to protect his life, Paul tells them that his
ministry was not in vain. By doing so, he provides principles whereby
others might avoid the purposelessness that pervades society.
2:1. When Paul speaks of our coming (eisodon hēmōn) to you, he was
using a concept he first introduced in 1:9, “what manner of entry we had to
you” (eisodon echōmen pros humas). Paul’s efforts in Thessalonica, though
brief, were not in vain (ou kenē gegonen). That is, they were not wasted,
unproductive, or unfruitful.
This is a common theme in Paul’s epistles. He often spoke of his ministry
as either not being in vain (using kenē or the verb form, kenaō), or else
hoping it would not be in vain (cf. 1 Cor 1:17; 9:15; 15:10, 14, 58; 2 Cor
6:1; 9:3; Gal 2:2; Phil 2:16; 1 Thess 3:5). A vain or unfruitful ministry
would be one in which the listeners did not hold fast to the faith and live in
a way that pleased God.
2:2. But even when the listeners did not hold fast to what they had been
taught, or failed to live in a way pleasing to God, there was another sense in
which Paul’s ministry was not in vain. No matter how the listeners
responded, Paul boldly proclaimed the truth. Before Paul even got to
Thessalonica, he had suffered and had been spitefully treated at Philippi
(see Acts 16:19-24). He was beaten and imprisoned in Philippi, leading to
the Philippian jailer coming to faith. At his next stop, Thessalonica, he
boldly proclaimed the gospel of God in much conflict. This is one of the
few places where Paul speaks of the “gospel of God” (Rom 15:16; 2 Cor
11:7; 1 Thess 2:8-9). More normal is the “gospel of Christ” (Rom 1:9; 1 Cor
9:12, 18; 2 Cor 2:12; 9:13; 10:14; Gal 1:7; Phil 1:27; 1 Thess 3:2) or “my
gospel,” “our gospel,” or simply, “the gospel.” Is Paul making a statement
about the deity of Christ, or does he mean that the gospel he preached was
ultimately from God the Father who sent His Son with this message?
Almost certainly the latter is meant (cf. 1 Thess 2:8-9 with v 10).
That Paul experienced much conflict as he preached in Thessalonica is
evident by the report in Acts 17. A mob gathered and attacked the house of
Jason and sought to bring out Paul and Silas (Acts 17:5-9). As a result Paul
and Silas were sent away by night to Berea (v 10). The conflicts that
occurred before the mob scene are not known, but quite likely there had
been other opposition before that.
2:3. Despite the way things seemed when Paul left Thessalonica, Paul’s
ministry there was effective because it did not come from deceit or
uncleanness, nor was it in guile. Evidently there were some unbelieving
Jews and/or Gentiles in Thessalonica who were slandering Paul’s work
there, charging that he was seeking glory or personal gain. They were
probably accusing him of teaching falsehoods in an effort to impress people
and gain their favor.
Paul is defending his ministry among them, not out of insecurity, but
because he is secure. He knows his motives are right. He knows that he has
the best interests of the believers in Thessalonica at heart.
By defending his ministry there Paul provides a beautiful portrayal of what
believers should do who do not wish to live their lives in vain.
2:4. Another reason Paul’s ministry was not in vain is that the message he
preached was from God and not men. Paul realizes that he and his
coworkers had been approved (dokimazō) by God to be entrusted
(pisteuō) with the gospel. Here is one of the uses of pisteuo„ where the
meaning is not believe but entrust (cf. John 2:24). Thus when he spoke, he
did so not as pleasing men, but God who tests (dokimazō again) our
hearts. Effective ministry has God as its audience (cf. Gal 1:10). Believers
are not to be men-pleasers, but God-pleasers.
 2:5. As the readers well knew (as you know) Paul did not use flattering
words…nor a cloak for covetousness. This is a clever word picture. In
recent years several television evangelists have been found guilty of raising
money for their own profit. Covetousness is the intense desire to have more
money and more possessions. If one’s aim ceases to please God, and instead
becomes pleasing men, possibly so he can get more money, then he is
hiding behind deceit (v 3) as a cloak of covetousness.
2:6. The glory here includes financial remuneration to which Paul was
certainly entitled. Paul could have made reasonable demands as an apostle
that would not have been covetous. Paul was so focused on seeking glory
from God in the life to come, that he gave up his right to compensation as
an example to the church in Thessalonica (cf. 1 Corinthians 9).
In the next five verses Paul speaks of the glorious results he had among
them as a consequence of his lovingly laboring night and day.
2:7-8. Paul uses two beautiful pictures to portray his love for the readers.
The first is that of a nursing mother: But we were gentle among you, just
as a nursing mother cherishes her own children. Such love and
tenderness conveys that Paul and his coworkers were not merely doing a
job. If they had been financially demanding with these new believers, Paul’s
effectiveness would have suffered. So he was very gentle, since he had the
big picture in mind.
They were imparting not only the gospel of God, but also [their] very
lives. Of course, this should be the way in which every believer serves God
in the lives of others.
2:9. Paul worked an extra job so that they did not have to support him
financially. When he speaks of laboring night and day, he is not using a
figure of speech. Today that means something like, “I worked long and
hard.” But Paul worked both night and day in teaching and tentmaking so
that we might not be a burden to any of you. They preached the gospel
of God free of charge to a people who needed to learn the value of working
(cf. 2 Thess 3:10).
2:10-11. Paul’s second picture is that of an imploring father. He labored
among them devoutly and justly and blamelessly. He charged them as a
father does his own children. If Paul were in Thessalonica three months
(see the Introduction), that is a long time for a middle-aged man who was
under much persecution to be working a regular job and also carrying on an
extensive ministry of evangelizing, discipling, and church planting.
To Paul, the believers in Thessalonica are his spiritual children. This is not
a job for him; it is his life.
2:12. Paul’s aim in ministering among them as a spiritual mother and
father was that [they] would walk worthy of God. Believers are called to
live in a way that is worthy of God. Those who serve a president or a king
must put forth a supreme effort. Thus those serving God Himself should
serve more diligently than if they served the most important person on earth
today.
Those who walk worthy of God will receive rewards in the life to come.
Paul alludes to this when he says that God calls you into His own kingdom
and glory. All believers are guaranteed to be in the Lord’s kingdom. Thus
being called into His kingdom is something more than entrance and
citizenship. Believers are called to rule with Christ and to share in His
glory. How much they share in His glory in the life to come depends on
how they walk now (cf. Matt 16:24-28; 2 Tim 2:12; 1 Pet 4:13; 2 Pet 1:10-
11).
2:13. In vv 13-16 Paul contrasts two ways in which people respond to the
Word of God. He calls on all believers to welcome it as ultimate truth, even
though doing so may result in persecution in this life.
When the Thessalonians sat under Paul’s teaching, they welcomed it not
as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God. That is an
exemplary response to God’s Word that all believers should have. It starts
with those who preach and teach. Even in evangelical churches, many
pastors think the Bible contains truth, but that some of it is not really God’s
Word. Many Evangelicals no longer believe in inerrancy. Such beliefs
directly impact their preaching. Since they do not welcome the Bible as
God’s Word, most of their listeners do not either.
2:14. The brethren in Thessalonica became imitators of the Judean
churches which were very experienced in suffering persecution. The
Thessalonian believers suffered the same things from [their] own
countrymen. Just as Jews persecuted Jews in Judea, so Gentiles persecuted
Gentiles in Thessalonica. Persecution includes more than being imprisoned,
killed, or beaten. It can also include slander, opposition, or being shunned.
 2:15-16. Paul lists some of the ways in which Jews in Judea persecuted
God’s messengers and His church. They killed both the Lord Jesus and
their own prophets. While the Romans put Jesus to death on the Cross,
Paul says the Jews in Judea are ultimately responsible. This is not anti-
Semitism on Paul’s part. He is not indicting all Jews, or even all Jews in
Judea. He is simply saying that as a group the Jews in Judea demanded
Jesus’ death on the cross.
Paul himself experienced persecution from the Jews in Judea: and [they]
have persecuted us. In fact, Paul experienced persecution from Jews and
Gentiles nearly everywhere he went. While they surely thought, as Paul did
before He came to faith in Jesus, that they would please God by
persecuting Christians, that was not the case. They were contrary to all
men. The spread of the gospel is in everyone’s best interest.
The unbelieving Jews in Judea were hindering the spread of God’s Word,
forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles that they may be saved. The
salvation here is not salvation from eternal condemnation, though Gentiles
who believe in Christ surely gain that as well. It is deliverance from the
wrath to come (cf. 1:10). This is the only use of the verb sōzō in
1 Thessalonians. However, the noun occurs twice in chapter 5, and refers to
deliverance from the coming wrath in the Tribulation (5:8-9). The verb also
is used in 2 Thessalonians, and contextually it too refers to deliverance from
the Tribulation wrath (2:10).
Sometimes people are so hostile to the grace of God that they not only
reject it, but they also actively oppose it.
Those who reject God’s Word are storing up God’s wrath. They fill up the
measure of their sins. That is a powerful word picture. Imagine a cup being
filled one drop at a time. When the cup is full enough, judgment falls. God
often delays national judgment until the sin of the nation is great enough.
Nineveh is a great example of this under the preaching of the reluctant
prophet, Jonah.
At the time Paul wrote, wrath was rising near the brim of the cup against
Israel. Paul is writing around AD 51 and is viewing the nation in light of
what was about to happen. Fifteen years later conflict would begin between
the Jews and Rome, called the Jewish Wars. In the years 66–70 the nation
of Israel, including its temple, would be destroyed because of their rejection
of God’s Word. (Of course, many Jews would survive, thereby making it
possible for the future restoration of the nation.)
That would not be the final outpouring of God’s wrath. The whole world
was and continues to fill up another cup one drop at a time. When it is full,
the Rapture will occur and wrath will be loosed on mankind (5:1-11).
Believers sometimes reject God’s Word too. And if they fail to welcome His
Word, then they too will experience God’s wrath here and now (though not
the Tribulation; see 5:10).
C. Paul’s Concern for Their Spiritual Health (2:17–3:13)
2:17-20. Paul and Silas were taken away from the Thessalonian believers
for a short time. Acts 17:10 reports this forced departure. But Paul reminds
them that while they left in presence, their leaving was not in heart. They
retained a strong desire to see them again.
How Satan hindered their plans to return is not stated. The implication is
that the same sort of conditions that led to their departure still existed in
Thessalonica. In any case, Paul sees Satan as the power behind all who
persecute the church.
Those who welcome God’s Word are storing up glory and joy. Paul is
interested in returning to them because they are his hope, joy, and crown of
rejoicing. Paul envisions the soon coming [parousia] of our Lord Jesus
Christ as the time when his hope, joy, and crown of rejoicing will be
realized. This is the first of seven occurrences of parousia in 1 and 2
Thessalonians. Each chapter in 1 Thessalonians closes with a reference to
the soon return of Jesus and an implicit appeal to live in light of that event.
3:1-5. Paul loved the believers in Thessalonica and longed to return there.
He begins and ends these five verses with the phrase, when we could no
longer endure it. Paul sent Timothy to establish and encourage [the
Thessalonians] concerning [their] faith. The Thessalonians had been “in
much affliction” (1:6), and now they were experiencing more afflictions.
(These afflictions in 3:3 most likely refer to their own afflictions, though it
could refer to those of Paul and his coworkers.) Indeed, while Paul was with
them he had warned them that all believers who follow Christ are
appointed to affliction.
Paul had told them that he and his team would suffer tribulation and that
is precisely what came to pass. Suffering for Christ might cause them to be
shaken and tempted to abandon the faith. The expression I sent to know
your faith means that Paul sought a report on whether they were continuing
to walk by faith in Christ.
If they fell away from the faith, then Paul’s labor among them would be in
vain. That is a common concern in Paul’s letters (cf. Gal 2:2; 4:11). This is
a concern not for their justification, but for the fruit of his ministry among
them. While he would receive some reward for leading them to faith in
Christ, and because he was faithful to his calling even if they were not (cf.
2:1-4), his ministry would essentially be in vain if they fell away from the
faith. That would not be good for them or for Paul and his fellow workers.
3:6-10. Faith is mentioned twice in vv 6 and 7 (and again in v 10).
Timothy brought good news of [their] faith and love. This is the only use
of the verb form euangelizō in the two Thessalonian epistles; however, Paul
did use the noun form euangelion throughout 1 and 2 Thessalonians to refer
to Paul’s gospel, the good news message he preached to both believers and
unbelievers (cf. 1 Thess 1:5; 2:2, 4, 8-9; 3:2; 2 Thess 1:8; 2:14).
In addition, Timothy reported that the Thessalonian believers had a good
remembrance of Paul and Silas. They were continuing to participate in
church and to manifest love toward one another. This greatly comforted
Paul and Silas in their affliction and distress.
For now we live, if you stand fast in the Lord, does not refer to Paul’s
continued survival nor obviously to his eternal security. Rather, his point is
that his life is truly abundant as long as the Thessalonian believers continue
to stand fast in the Lord. The use of life compares nicely with the Lord’s
teaching on the need of His followers to lay down their lives in order to
gain them (Matt 16:24-28). In this case Paul gave of himself to the
Thessalonians and he was reaping a fuller life as a result of their
continuance in what he taught them.
Paul bursts into thoughts of all the joy with which we rejoice for your
sake before our God. This was an oft-repeated experience for Paul (night
and day praying exceedingly). Fervent prayer gave Paul exceedingly
personal joy.
Paul wished to perfect what is lacking in [their] faith. Here Paul is not
thinking of degrees of faith in terms of believing any specific doctrine.
Either someone believes something or he does not. There are not degrees in
that sense. However, since God has given untold thousands of things to
understand and believe, people can believe some things and not others.
Everyone to some degree has some things they do not believe that they
should. There is something lacking in everyone’s faith. More teaching
understood and believed results in increased faith.
Paul seeks to see their face. This means that he wants to visit them so that
he might help them persevere through their afflictions. Both his rewards and
theirs are at stake. The Lord Jesus is coming again soon, and visitation can
help them and Paul be more highly rewarded. Paul did not merely minister
to them and then forget them. In following up his contacts with them, he
worked and prayed for their spiritual growth and endurance.
3:11-13. Once again Paul expresses a personal reference regarding his
desire to visit them again. This thought moves him spontaneously to express
his desire (prayer) that they would increase and abound in love to one
another [fellow believers in the church] and to all [unbelievers] (cf. Gal
6:10).
The result of abounding in love is that He may establish your hearts
blameless in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. The chapter once again ends with a
reference to Christ’s coming, or parousia, and to the possibility of eternal
rewards for the readers.
When Paul speaks of having hearts blameless (amemptos) in holiness, he is
not speaking of their position in Christ. A recurring theme in Scripture
refers to seeking to be blameless in one’s experience at Christ’s coming. (cf.
Phil 2:15 [amemptos] and 1 Thess 2:10 and 5:23 [amemptōs]. See also
1 Cor 1:8 and 2 Pet 3:14 which have synonymous words. Elders are also
called to be blameless, using a synonym [1 Tim 3:2, 10; 5:7; Titus 1:6-7].)
If the Thessalonian believers remain blameless, they will be rewarded at
Christ’s return (1 Pet 5:1-4; cf. Heb 13:17). Those who persevere in
confessing Christ will rule with Christ (2 Tim 2:12).
Chapter 4 begins the final section of the epistle (4:1–5:24), and contains
the clearest passages on the Rapture found anywhere in Scripture (4:13–
5:11).
III. The Doctrinal Basis for the Appeal to Persevere (4:1–5:24)
A. God Has Commanded Believers to Live Godly Lives (4:1-12)
 4:1-3a. Christians in this life never reach the point where further spiritual
growth is unnecessary. All believers should abound more and more in
love (cf. 3:12 and 4:9-10). The believer’s aim in life should be to please
God. The way in which one does that is laid out in Scripture (as you
received from us how you ought to walk).
You know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.
There are some who say that believers are free from all laws and
commands. That is plainly not the case. The fact that believers are no longer
under the Law of Moses does not mean they are left without commands.
The Christian life is not intuitive. It is propositional.
Paul does not explain here which commandments he means. Surely the
Lord’s command to love one another is a major part of what Paul means.
“You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Gal 5:14). Compare Gal 6:2,
“Bear one another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
While one’s focus is not to be on the commandments, but on Christ (Rom
7:13-25; Gal 2:20), one cannot ignore the commandments. Christians must
become aware of them to know what pleases God. But the way to carry out
those commands is by looking to Christ, falling more in love with Him, and
praying to Him to change one’s life so it conforms to His will.
However, in v 3a Paul makes it clear that his scope here is broader than
specific commands. For this is the will of God, your sanctification. God
desires that all believers are sanctified, or set apart, in their experience.
4:3b-7. A crucial area in which believers are to be set apart is in one’s sex
life. Believers should abstain from sexual immorality. The word here is
porneia, which covers more than adultery. Believers are to abstain from all
kinds of sex outside of marriage: premarital, extramarital, homosexual,
incest, and bestiality. Sexual immorality is rampant today, and believers are
called to be set apart.
To possess (one’s) own vessel in sanctification and honor probably means
to possess one’s own body in a set apart (sanctification means “set apart”)
manner. Compare other places where the word vessel (skeuos) refers to
people (2 Cor 4:7; 2 Tim 2:20-21; and Rom 9:21-23). Alternately it could
refer to possessing one’s own spouse, but the parallel uses of skeuos argue
that one’s own body is meant. Believers are to keep their bodies in check.
That also fits the context and Paul’s theology (cf. 1 Cor 9:27, “I discipline
my body and bring it into subjection”).
 Immorality dishonors self, the other person, God, and mankind. Possessing
one’s body brings honor to God. People are not beasts. They can rise above
their lusts. It is honorable to have sexual relations only with one’s spouse.
Premarital sex is dishonorable. Adultery is dishonorable. Homosexuality is
dishonorable. All sex outside of marriage is dishonorable to the people
involved and to God Himself.
Unbelievers (Gentiles who do not know God) live in passion of lust.
That is not surprising since they lack the indwelling Spirit of God and the
life of God. However, believers have God’s life and His Spirit living within
them. Believers have no excuse for living as unbelievers do.
Whenever a Christian has an affair with another Christian, that Christian
has defraud[ed] his brother in this matter. Of course, this applies outside
the church as well. But Paul’s point is that sex is not merely something
between two consenting adults. It impacts many others, especially their
spouses. Believers are called to love others, not to injure them!
The Lord [Jesus] is the avenger of all such believers who are sexually
immoral and who injure their fellow Christians. He avenges in many ways,
including diseases, marital problems, financial problems, loss of ministry
positions in the church, church discipline, and even premature death.
God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. Eternal life is not an
invitation to sin. It is an invitation to holiness. God wants all believers to
have life more abundantly (John 10:10b).
4:8. Anyone who teaches otherwise does not reject man (e.g., Paul and
the apostles), but he rejects God. Many cults are built on immorality, with
the cult leaders having children by many women (e.g., David Koresh and
the Branch Davidians, Moses David and the Children of God, Joseph Smith,
the founder of Mormonism [LDS], Warren Jeffs, the former head of the
FLDS, Jim Jones and The People’s Temple). These religious leaders
claimed to have an enlightened view, yet they rejected God’s Word and thus
ultimately God Himself.
God has also given us His Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit guides us into
sanctification and honor, not into sin and dishonor. Believers are not to
grieve Him (Eph 4:30).
4:9-12. Believers are called to be givers, not takers. The Thessalonian
believers were taught by God to love one another. Adultery (vv 7-8) is an
extreme example of not loving one another. It actually causes hurt.
 Again Paul mentions the need to increase more and more in brotherly
love (cf. 3:12; 4:1). This love is not a feeling. It is demonstrated by actions
toward others (cf. Jas 2:15-16; 1 John 3:16-18). It is not enough to say nice
things. It is not enough to tell someone he is being prayed for. It is not
enough to smile and pat people on the back. Believers should actually give
needed money, lift a hand, and provide needed help.
Evidently believers in Thessalonica treated other believers who came there
generously. While unstated, this probably refers to people opening their
homes and providing meals for traveling believers. It may mean as well that
the church in Thessalonica sent money to some needy churches.
Each believer is to aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind [his] own business,
and to work with [his] own hands so that each one may walk properly
toward those who are outside [i.e., outside the church; unbelievers] and so
that he may lack nothing for meeting the needs of his own family.
Some believers in Thessalonica were so caught up with the hope of the
Rapture (4:13-5:11) that they were working less, depending on handouts
from others, and were acting like busybodies. Second Thessalonians 3:6-15
shows that many in the church did not heed this warning and as a result
things grew worse.
A word-for-word translation of the expression to work with your own
hands is “to do your own things.” This idiomatic expression refers to
productive labor. Working is certainly not beneath Christians. Even the
Apostle Paul worked with his hands (as a tentmaker) to support himself.
He is not saying that wives should not work outside the home. Paul did not
forbid that. He is charging the husbands here. In Paul’s culture men worked
outside the home and most free women did not (though see Proverbs 31
which shows a woman who appears to be running a business out of her
home and may be overseeing her husband’s business as well). Paul does not
say that one’s needs will be met if he simply prays. He says that if a person
wants to have his needs met, he needs to work.
The believers at Thessalonica who were not working and were living off
the generosity of others probably rationalized that while they were taking a
lot, they were also giving as much or more because they were sharing their
ideas, their company, and their friendship with others. They had good
feelings, after all, for the hosts. True love is more than feelings. It is giving.
It is more than giving advice. It includes giving money and food and
clothing and shelter.
B. God Has Promised That the Dead in Christ Will Rise First
(4:13-18)
4:13. Paul is addressing a question in this paragraph that clearly concerned
the believers in Thessalonica: the fear that those believers who died before
the Rapture occurred would miss out on the Millennium. While believers
grieve over lost loved ones (cf. John 11:35), they are not to sorrow as
others [i.e., unbelievers] who have no hope.
Before the Fall of Adam and Eve, people were incapable of dying. God
made humans to live forever in natural bodies. That all changed with the
Fall. Death entered the world when Adam and Eve sinned. The human body
was set to a path of birth, growth, decline, and then death.
In all of recorded history, only two people since the Fall have escaped
death: Enoch and Elijah. They alone were taken alive to heaven. Even the
Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died. Of course, He rose bodily from the
dead on the third day. The theme of 1 Thessalonians is that believers should
serve God as they expectantly wait for the return of Jesus so that they might
rule with Him (cf. 1:9-10).
In this section of the book Paul gives specific applications for how
believers should be living and dying, in light of Christ’s soon return. Paul is
not trying to teach a new doctrine to the Thessalonians. He is reminding
them of a doctrine they have already been taught and already believe. Thus
one should not look in this passage for a comprehensive treatment of the
Rapture. Indeed, one will not find that anywhere, for the Rapture was well
taught orally. Thus the epistles mention it, but they do not discuss it
extensively.
This section immediately follows the section on brotherly love. The
connection may be that love for departed loved ones should not cause one
undue grief, as though he feared they would miss out on something to
come.
The Greek word for sleep used here (koimaomai in 4:13-15) is most often
used in the NT to refer to the death of believers (cf. Matt 27:52; 28:13 [of
Jesus Himself], John 11:11-12; Acts 7:60; 13:36; 1 Cor 11:30; 15:6, 18, 51;
however, 1 Cor 7:39 and 2 Pet 3:4 are unclear on the spiritual condition of
the husbands and the fathers mentioned).
Christian grief should be lessened by the knowledge that one will meet his
believing loved ones again very soon, possibly even today, and then they
will all be together forever with the Lord (vv 14-17).
4:14.The resurrection of believers who have died before the Rapture is just
as certain as the fact that Jesus died and rose again. God [the Father] will
bring with Him those who sleep in Jesus. Jesus’ death and resurrection
are not merely signs that all who believe in Him have eternal life (John
2:18-22; 20:30-31). They are also signs that He will raise all believers from
the dead (cf. 11:25).
4:15-17. We who are alive and remain until the coming [parousia] of
the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. Here is their
fear, that those believers who die before the Rapture will not be resurrected
until much later, that is, until after the Millennium. Paul directly contradicts
that fear. The Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with
the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. These are
prophesied eschatological signs that attend the return of Messiah. This
could refer to the Rapture or the Second Coming or both.
Most naturally it refers to both, for the fact that we will meet the Lord in
the air, not in heaven, suggests that Jesus’ Second Coming takes seven
years to complete. The Rapture and Second Coming are two phases of His
return. The dead in Christ will rise first, that is, immediately before we
who are alive. The word caught up (harpazō) in the Latin Vulgate is
translated with a word from which comes the word Rapture. There will be
no more separations. No more death. From that point on, believers will be
forever with the Lord.
4:18. Eschatology and particularly the Rapture should enable believers to
comfort one another with these words (the words of vv 13-17).
Eschatology is given to meet very practical needs. One of those is
comforting believers in bereavement.
Believers who are now with the Lord will not miss out on anything in
God’s plan. In fact, they are better off than those still alive (Phil 1:23).
However, many believers seem determined to cling to this life at all costs.
Thus one wonders if they think this life is better than the transition time
between death and the Rapture.
 Paul leaves no room for exceptions here. The reason his words are
comforting is because all believers who have died will rise first. None of
them will miss out on even one moment of the Millennium. Even believers
who died when they were out of fellowship with God will rise first. Though
some teach a partial Rapture, they do so in contradiction to Scripture (see
also 5:10).
What about the death of unbelieving loved ones? Paul does not directly
deal with that question here or elsewhere. However, the Lord Jesus will
remove all grief (Rev 21:4). And He will give believers the grace they need
now as well. Besides, even if it is a very remote possibility, believers should
realize that they are not omniscient and it is always possible (except in
cases of remote people groups where one could be certain a relative had
never heard about Christ) that the departed loved one believed in Jesus for
eternal life at some point in his life.
Paul’s discussion of the Rapture, begun in 4:13, concludes in 5:1-11. Paul
then gives a series of exhortations in light of Christ’s imminent return (5:12-
22), before concluding his letter (5:23-28).
C. God Has Promised Eternity with the Lord
(5:1-11)
5:1-2. The times and the seasons refer to when the day of the Lord will
come. The believers in Thessalonica knew already (you have no need that
I should write to you) that it would come as a thief in the night.
The day of the Lord, an expression used often in the Old and New
Testaments, always refers to a coming time of temporal judgment.
Sometimes in the OT it referred to a soon coming day in which God would
judge other nations. Sometimes in the OT and NT it refers to one of two
future judgments: the Tribulation or the putting down of the final rebellion
at the end of the Millennium, which is immediately followed by the burning
up of the present heavens and earth.
The thief in the night imagery comes from the teaching of the Lord (cf.
Matt 24:42-44). The Rapture will not be preceded by signs which tip the
observant person off to when He is coming.
5:3. This sudden destruction will come when they say, “Peace and
safety!” The third plural pronoun, they, is emphatic here. The change to you
in vv 4-5 reveals that Paul is clearly contrasting the unbelieving world
(they) with the believers in Thessalonica (you).
Verse 3 shows that the Rapture will occur when the unbelieving world
does not expect it. It will be during a time of relative peace and safety. In
addition, hypothetically the time of peace and safety could fall immediately
after the Rapture but before the Tribulation begins. Many theologians
suggest that there is a time of 30 to 90 days after the Rapture before the
event that signals the start of the Tribulation: the signing of a treaty between
Israel and the man of sin.
They will not escape the Tribulation. The issue in this section is the wrath
of God to be poured out during the day of the Lord, the Tribulation. The
lake of fire and eternal condemnation are not in view in this context. (Of
course, it is true that if an unbeliever dies during the Tribulation, his eternal
destiny will be the lake of fire. But that is not the point here.)
Paul compares the coming of the Tribulation to labor pains which come
upon a pregnant woman. The world has been pregnant for two thousand
years now, and when the labor begins, it will not last for twelve or twenty-
four hours, but seven years. After those seven years the glorious kingdom of
God will be born on earth.
5:4. Believers (But you, brethren) are not in darkness. That is, the
believers in Thessalonica had been instructed on this point. (Being in
darkness in v 4 is probably different from being of darkness in v 5.) Thus
this Day should not overtake you as a thief. While believers cannot know
when it will occur, they can and should be living each day in light of that
day.
Implicit in Paul’s statement in v 4 is that the Rapture might overtake
believers as a thief in the night. This does not mean that such believers
would miss the Rapture. It means they would be unpleasantly surprised. If a
believer is not living in fellowship with Christ when the Rapture occurs, it
will be a time of shame, not boldness (1 John 2:28).
5:5. Believers are all sons of light and sons of the day. Another way of
saying that is that believers are not of the night nor of darkness. That
means that in our position we are set apart, godly. This is similar to Paul’s
statement in Eph 5:8, “You were once darkness, but now you are light in the
Lord.” Paul then continues with this command, “Walk as children of light.”
That is exactly what Paul next does here as well (vv 6-8).
 5:6. The Greek word used for sleep here is katheudō. This differs from the
word used for sleep in 4:13-14 to refer to the death of believers
(koimaomai). This word refers to moral lethargy (vv 5:6-7, 10). Let us not
sleep is an exhortation to be morally alert in light of Christ’s soon return.
The opposite of sleeping is given here: let us watch and be sober.
Watchfulness is an exhortation commonly found in eschatological
passages dealing with the Lord’s coming as a thief in the night (cf. Matt
24:42-43; 25:13; Mark 13:34-35; Luke 12:37, 39; 1 Pet 5:8; Rev 3:2;
16:15).
5:7. Those who sleep, sleep at night compares literal sleep to moral
lethargy. Those who are morally asleep do their evil deeds at night, as the
following reference to getting drunk shows. Similarly, the statement those
who get drunk are drunk at night compares the actions and behaviors that
are often associated with night to the shameful sins that people like to hide
from others.
Rather than live lives of moral lethargy, believers must be those who are
of the day. Rather than commit shameful sin, they must be sober. Paul uses
sobriety to refer to moral purity in all areas, which is accomplished through
living with the famous triad: faith, hope, and love.
5:8. Putting on the breastplate of faith and love is similar to Jas 2:14-26
or 1 John 3:16-18. Believers are to do something about their faith in Christ’s
soon return. That faith should produce loving actions toward fellow
believers, as well as to unbelievers (Gal 6:10).
Believers are also to put on as a helmet the hope of salvation. We must
remember that salvation in First Thessalonians is not deliverance from
eternal condemnation. It is deliverance from the Tribulation wrath. The
believers’ hope—that is their certain expectation of a yet-future deliverance
—should act as a protective helmet against all of Satan’s blows. Knowing
that they are soon to be freed from this life is a great help to believers in
their daily living.
Paul does not explain in these verses what watchful believers will get or
what sleeping believers will fail to receive. However, we know from other
texts in Paul and elsewhere that what is at stake is ruling with Christ, having
His approval, and other privileges reserved for overcoming Christians
(Luke 19:17, 19; 1 Cor 9:24-27; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:17, 26; 22:14). Surely
the believers in Thessalonica knew this as well. Compare 5:23 and being
“preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
5:9. The wrath spoken of here is the Tribulation. Believers will not go
through the Tribulation, because God did not appoint us to wrath. The
salvation is then deliverance from the Tribulation by the Rapture. One of
the benefits of the work of Christ on the cross is that believers who are alive
when Christ returns will be raptured before the wrath falls on mankind.
5:10. Verse 10 is one of the clearest statements found in Scripture that all
believers will be raptured. Our Lord Jesus Christ died for us, that whether
we wake [lit., are watchful] or sleep, we should live together with Him.
Whether watchful or asleep when the Rapture occurs (cf. vv 4-8), believers
will live forever with Him. His death guarantees that as well for all
believers. Though some today teach that unfaithful believers will miss the
Millennium, their teaching is directly contradicted by this text (as well as
others).
5:11. We should comfort each other and edify one another in light of the
truth of the Rapture. Just as no departed believer will miss out on the
Rapture or the coming Millennium (4:13-18), so no believer who is alive
when Christ returns will miss out either.
D. Closing Exhortations in Light of Christ’s Soon Return (5:12-
22)
5:12-13. The believers in Thessalonica were charged to recognize their
Church leaders, those who labor among you, and are over you in the
Lord and admonish you. The plural indicates that there were multiple
elders in the church of Thessalonica. Evidently this was the case in all NT
churches (cf. Acts 14:23; 20:17; 1 Tim 5:17; Titus 1:5; 3 John 9).
Elders are in a position of spiritual authority (are over you in the Lord) and
one of their tasks is to admonish those in the church to follow the Lord and
live in light of His soon return.
The command to recognize (oida) the elders is vague, and commonly
means “to know” in the NT. Church people should seek to get to know their
elders. Yet Paul means more than just “know who they are” for he writes
the additional command to esteem them very highly in love for their
work’s sake. Knowing elders is most likely a general command to pay
attention to the elders, while esteeming them is more specific, meaning that
elders should be shown honor and respect.
The reason for this esteem is for their work’s sake. The work of the elders
is to prepare the flock for the Judgment Seat of Christ. They rule over and
warn the congregation. If the assembly responds properly to their guidance,
it should be well prepared for the Bema.
Having a high regard for the elders is necessary if believers are to be at
peace among [them]selves. Peace in a church starts with people respecting
the leaders. Everyone cannot rule a church. Some need to make decisions
and the rest need to follow.
5:14. Paul is addressing the entire church, not simply the elders. The
brethren are being exhorted to warn those who are unruly. This is the only
NT occurrence of the word Paul uses here for the unruly. While the word
can mean disorderly or unruly, it can also mean idle or lazy, which is
preferred here. In this context it almost certainly refers to men in the church
in Thessalonica who had stopped working (apparently in anticipation of the
Rapture) and were relying on help from others to live.
These people needed to be “warned” (cf. v 12). Grace does not give
license to live as one pleases. Just as the leaders are to admonish or warn
believers to live for Christ till He comes, so all believers should warn or
admonish those who are idle and unproductive. They should be warned of
present church discipline and future shame at the Judgment Seat of Christ if
they continue as they are (1 John 2:28).
In contrast to warning the lazy, Paul instructs the church to comfort the
fainthearted. Believers are to treat people differently, depending on where
they are spiritually. The first group needs warning. This second group needs
comforting.
This is the only NT occurrence of the Greek word oligopsychos
(fainthearted) in the NT. It is similar, however, to a somewhat more
common word (oligopistos, translated “little faith”) in Matt 6:30; 8:26;
14:31; 16:8; and Luke 12:28). The idea is one whose soul or spirit is
wounded.
Paul also calls believers to uphold the weak in their midst. This group is
different from the fainthearted. Paul talks about the weak in 1 Cor 9:22
where he says, “to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak.”
In Rom 14:1-2 he uses the verb form of this word in speaking of believers
who are weak in faith, holding to principles that go beyond the Bible
because of immaturity. The weak, then, are new or immature believers who
are in fellowship in the local church and who are trying to grow in the faith.
The way to uphold those who are weak is to strengthen their resolve to do
what is right and to keep growing in the Christian faith, by discipling them
so that they grow in their understanding and application of Scripture, and by
avoiding unnecessarily offending them. Lives are transformed as minds are
renewed (Rom 12:1-2).
No matter who are being dealt with in the church, it is vital to be patient
with all. This is a very important principle of interaction in the church.
5:15. Some, rather than being patient with others, return evil for evil. But
Paul writes that this is what should not happen. Retaliation is not a Christian
characteristic. Living without seeking revenge on those who harm a person
takes great resolve and reliance upon the Holy Spirit. The second half of v
15 gives the positive application of this.
Rather than seeking evil for others, Paul instructed the Thessalonian
believers to pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. The
pursuit of good for others is very emphatic in the Greek: “But always the
good pursue even to one another and to all.”
5:16. Paul now shifts his focus Godward. In order to pursue what is good,
Christians must have a strong inner life. Toward this end, Paul strings
together three short but powerful commands. These may be three of the
most difficult commands in all of Scripture because they require a special
mind-set that is difficult to maintain.
The first command is: rejoice always. This means to be joyful or be glad
(John 8:56; 20:20) at all times. This is only possible when a believer sets his
mind on good things like the soon return of the Lord Jesus, the kingdom of
God, and things they have for which they can be thankful. The joy of
unbelievers depends on their circumstances, but the joy of believers should
not.
5:17. Second, believers are commanded to pray without ceasing. The
word translated without ceasing means “regularly,” or “all throughout your
day.” Believers must not limit their communication with God to particular
times, but must pray to God every day of the week, and all through each
day.
 This obviously does not mean that they are to do nothing but pray. It
means that a spirit of prayer should go with them all day long, as they
constantly recognize their dependence on Him. And throughout the day
they actually do offer up prayers.
5:18. Finally, Paul commands, in everything give thanks. It is important
to note that this verse does not just command that believers be thankful. It
commands the actual giving of thanks. That means in whatever
circumstance one finds himself, good or bad, he thanks God for things. An
unthankful person is dead in his soul. No matter how bad things are, one
must remain thankful to keep his inner self vibrant.
These three things are the will of God in Christ Jesus for every believer.
If one finds he is having difficulty rejoicing, praying, and giving thanks, he
can pray and be absolutely sure that God will honor that request. For John
tells us that, “If we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if
we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the
petitions that we have asked of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).
5:19. Verses 16-18 contain instructions directed to one’s own spiritual life.
In vv 19-22 the instructions shift to corporate responsibility concerning the
work of the Spirit in the Church. Paul calls on the believers in Thessalonica
to hold tightly to the truth in order to be prepared for the Bēma.
The first instruction regarding the church body collectively is this: Do not
quench the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is figuratively seen as a fire that can be
quenched. Paul is not speaking of the Holy Spirit Himself being quenched,
for that is impossible. Rather, he is speaking of quenching the work He
would like to do in a church. Just as no one would throw water on fire that
is warming the house, so one should not throw water on the work of the
Holy Spirit carried out by the teachers He has raised up to edify the church.
While this command can be applied in many ways, Paul has a specific
application in mind (vv 20-22).
5:20. One way to keep from quenching the Spirit is this: Do not despise
prophecies. In the early church some men and women had the gift of
prophecy which they would exercise in local-church meetings. These
prophecies were not limited to foretelling the future. They also included
words of instruction on how to live the Christian life.
But this created a problem. How did the members of the church decide
which was truly a word from God and which was a false teaching? Paul
explains how in v 21.
5:21. To discern true prophecy from false, believers were to test all
things. The listeners were to examine all prophetic messages they heard in
the church. Paul does not say specifically here how this was done, but other
Scriptures base the validity of the prophecy on whether the message was
consistent with the truths God had already revealed in His Word. If the
prophetic message contradicts God’s Word, then it is clearly not from God.
Today the gift of prophecy no longer exists (Eph 2:20). Yet this truth still
applies today. Just as they were to not despise prophecies, believers today
must not despise the teaching of the Word. Instruction in the church should
be based exclusively on the Word of God. When listening to those
instructing the church, one is to examine the message to see how it fits with
the rest of the Word of God, and, of course, with the context in which it
appears. Today more than ever believers need to be wary of what they hear.
As believers hear the Scriptures taught, they should embrace and apply all
that God is saying, growing spiritually as they hold fast what is good. This
means not only to hear and understand what is taught, but also to remember
it, teach it to others, and obey it. Worshiping God in spirit and truth involves
learning more and more about how to live the Christian life and how to
please Him.
5:22. Holding fast to what is good will enable one to abstain from every
form of evil. In this context evil refers to doctrines that lead to evil
behavior. Unfortunately, today many errors are being promoted in God’s
name. When in doubt about a certain teaching, it is appropriate to seek
counsel from the elders of the church. However, in the final analysis,
understanding the Scriptures is one’s own responsibility.
IV. Conclusion (5:23-28)
5:23. Paul ends the final exhortations with a look at the parousia and a
closing challenge to be found blameless at that time. His main challenge is
that believers will allow the God of peace [to] sanctify you completely.
This is a work God must do in the believer. This is emphasized by the fact
that Himself is the first word in the Greek sentence. Paul is requesting that
God Himself would sanctify them.
To sanctify, which means “to set apart,” it is related to the word holy. God
wants believers to be totally set apart from the evil world in which they live.
This complete sanctification is not sinlessness (1 John 1:8, 10). Rather, it is
a consecration of all aspects of one’s life to God: marriage, work, parenting,
neighborliness, hobbies, driving, eating, sexuality, and so forth. No amount
of effort can accomplish this sanctification apart from God’s enablement.
Another way of saying this is that one’s whole spirit, soul, and body be
preserved blameless [amemptōs] at the coming of our Lord Jesus
Christ. Paul is thinking of the total person. One cannot be blameless in his
spirit if his body is not blameless. Each person is a unit and whatever one’s
body does, his spirit and soul participate in. The passive voice shows that
God must do this for the believer. He cannot do this by mere force of will.
Blameless does not mean sinless. Each believer’s aim should be to be
blameless at the Judgment Seat of Christ. The same word is used in Luke
1:6 to refer to the parents of John the Baptist: “And they were both
righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of
the Lord blameless.” That is, they were godly people. They pleased God.
While still sinners, they were nonetheless obedient to God. A blameless
Christian is one who is above reproach. This is like the elder who is to be
blameless (1 Tim 1:6-7) in the church and community. The same word is
also used in 3:13 in a context referring to the Bēma (see the discussion
there).
5:24. God will give believers all they need to be blameless at His coming.
That is what Paul means when he says, He who calls you is faithful, who
also will do it. Paul is not promising success here. He is promising that God
will give all that is needed so that believers might achieve what He has just
commanded.
5:25. The Thessalonian believers were to pray for Paul, Silas, and
Timothy (see 1:1). Here is a reminder to the afflicted believers that their
spiritual leaders were suffering affliction and needed prayer as well. Not
only should leaders pray for the flock, but also the flock ought to pray for
its leaders.
5:26-27. Believers are to greet fellow believers affectionately. Paul wants
this epistle [to] be read to all the holy brethren, which reveals that
epistles were intended to be read aloud in churches.
5:28. The final benediction in v 28 is a common one in Paul’s letters.
Grace is favor or blessing. Paul is expressing his wish that God will bless
the church at Thessalonica.
 2 Thessalonians
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
The apostle Paul again identifies himself as the author (1:1). As with 1
Thessalonians, his authorship of this letter was widely accepted by the early
church fathers, and the letter itself has all the hallmarks of Paul’s style,
theology, and vocabulary. Without doubt the apostle Paul is the author of
this letter.
Audience, Date, and Provenance
While some have entertained the idea that 2 Thessalonians might have
been written before 1 Thessalonians, it is clear that it was written later (in 2
Thess 2:2, 15 and 3:17 he refers to the previous letter).
Like 1 Thessalonians, this letter was written from Corinth during Paul’s
eighteen months of ministry there (Acts 18:1-18, esp. vv 9-11). Most likely
2 Thessalonians was written shortly after 1 Thessalonians, possibly a few
months later. Thus the writing of 2 Thessalonians was also in AD 50 or 51.
Purpose
While he again took the opportunity to commend the believers in
Thessalonica, his main purpose was to correct a doctrinal error that was
producing practical problems. Some in the church were convinced that the
day of the Lord was already here (2 Thess 2:1-5). They had stopped
working and earning a living. Instead they were living off the generosity of
other believers in the church who continued to work. And they became
pests who were constantly getting entangled in the business of others (3:6-
15).
The overarching point of 2 Thessalonians is that in light of the fact that
Jesus may return soon and the day of the Lord will begin, believers must
keep their jobs and earn a living. Being prepared in light of the fact that His
coming might be today does not mean that believers are free to live in a
financially irresponsible manner.
 OUTLINE
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
II. Be Encouraged in Persecution (1:3-12)
III. Understand the Day of the Lord (2:1-17)
IV. Do Not Coddle Those Who Choose Not to Work (3:1-15)
V. Conclusion (3:16-18)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
1:1. While Paul alone was the author of this letter, he includes Silvanus
(Silas) and Timothy in the salutation because they were his coworkers.
Luke tells us that Silas had been with Paul during his time of ministry in
planting the church in Thessalonica (Acts 17:10). Timothy is mentioned as
having been with Paul and Silas in Berea, where they went after
Thessalonica (Acts 17:14). It is not certain whether Timothy helped plant
the church there. In light of his inclusion in this salutation, most likely he
was.
1:2. As was his practice in his other epistles, Paul wishes for his readers
grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
II. Be Encouraged in Persecution (1:3-12)
A. Paul’s Thankfulness for Their Growth (1:3-4)
1:3. In this epistle Paul does not mention hope as one of the elements of
his famous triad seen in several of his other epistles: faith, hope, and love.
The reason is probably because the believers in Thessalonica were being
shaken by people who taught that the Tribulation had already begun (see
2:1). Thus they lacked hope in Christ’s return to deliver them before that
terrible time began.
Faith and love are to be combined with hope. While Paul is thanking God
for their growth and steadfastness, he is also challenging them by what he
does not say.
1:4. Their faith was manifested in all the persecutions and tribulations
that they endure. A person who did not believe in the Christian message
would likely stop going to church and professing Christ when persecution
came. Even born-again people might shrink back in the face of persecution.
But the believers in Thessalonica did not.
B. Paul’s Encouragement in Light of Christ’s Return (1:5-10)
1:5. When God allows an innocent believer to suffer for Christ, He has
righteously judged (cf. the righteous judgment of God) that believer
worthy of suffering! Suffering for Christ is a privilege, not a curse.
Remember what the apostles said in Acts 5:41. See also Rom 8:17 and 1 Pet
4:13.
God will repay the believer who suffers for Christ greatly at the Bema
(that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God refers to
rulership, not entrance). There will be praise and eternal rewards for
believers who endure persecution for Christ. Of course, God will repay the
persecutors (in a negative way, of course), both now and at the Great White
Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-15). Paul addresses that point in the next three
verses.
1:6-8. It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation
[affliction] those who trouble [afflict] believers. The words tribulation and
trouble are the noun and verb form of the same root (thlipsis and thlibō).
God also views it as righteous when He gives rest to those who are
troubled.
Because of v 9, many commentators see this tribulation/affliction as
referring to eternal condemnation. However, in light of the emphasis on the
Rapture and the Tribulation in 1 and 2 Thessalonians, and the reference to
the time when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty
angels in v 7, this most naturally refers to the Tribulation.
In light of v 12 the rest (anesis; also 2 Cor 2:13; 7:5; and 8:13 have the
only other occurrences of this word in Paul’s epistles) means more than
escaping the Tribulation and a cessation of present sufferings. It means
ruling with Christ and being glorified together with Him. Present suffering
for Christ will result in heightened service for Him in the life to come (cf.
Matt 16:24-28; Rom 8:17; 1 Pet 4:13).
Many take the phrase those who do not know God to be equivalent to
those who do not obey the gospel. However, it seems likely that the first
phrase refers to unbelievers who have never heard the good news, while the
latter refers to those who have heard but have rejected it.
 The gospel is here personified as someone to be obeyed. Since the gospel
is designed to lead people to believe in Jesus Christ for eternal life (cf. Gal
1:6-9; 2:14-17; see also John 20:30-31; Acts 17:3-4), to disobey the gospel
is to fail to believe in Him for that life.
Unbelievers will experience flaming fire, a reference to the Tribulation
wrath, which is God’s vengeance on a world that rejects His beloved Son.
1:9. Unbelievers shall be punished with everlasting destruction from
the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. In all but a
few occurrences, the word translated everlasting (aiōnion) means unending
or eternal. Thus Paul seems to have shifted his gaze from the Tribulation to
the eternal fate of unbelievers.
The preposition translated from can refer to the source of the destruction
(coming from the Lord and from His glory), or to the location of the
destruction (away from the Lord and His glory). The latter is preferred
contextually.
1:10. By contrast, Christ’s return (when He comes) will be a time when
His glory will be on display in His saints. Believers will have glorified
bodies (Rom 8:23) and will be sinless in character (Rom 8:30; 1 John 3:2).
The Body of Christ will be a great manifestation of the glory of the Lord
Jesus.
The additional expression and to be admired among all those who
believe could mean that believers will admire Him. In that case the
preposition en, translated among in the NKJV, probably would be better
translated “by.” It is parallel to in His saints in the first part of the verse. It
is possible that the ones doing the admiring are unfallen angels (1 Pet 1:12).
However, the parallelism in the verse makes it more likely that believers
will both be the reason why He is glorified and the ones who admire Him.
The Thessalonians will be among that group because Paul, Silas, and
Timothy’s testimony among them was believed. This makes the
Thessalonians eligible for royal status in the life to come, the point to which
Paul leads.
C. Paul’s Prayer for Them in Their Affliction
(1:11-12)
1:11-12. Paul and his cohorts prayed always that God would count the
Thessalonian believers worthy of this calling (axioō; cf. 1 Tim 5:17-18;
Rev 3:4). That calling (klēsis; cf. Phil 3:14; Heb 3:1; 2 Pet 1:10) is to rule in
the life to come. Clearly there is work required to be found worthy.
Believers must suffer in order to have this glorification (Matt 16:22-28;
Rom 8:17; 2 Pet 3:14).
Paul knew that not only will Jesus be especially glorified by faithful
believers (we also pray…that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be
glorified in you), but in addition those faithful believers will also be
especially glorified in Him (and we pray that you may be glorified in Him).
Many believe that this is something promised to all believers. While it is
true that all believers will gain glorified bodies and will have some share in
His future glory (Rom 8:30), not all believers will have an equal share in
Jesus’ kingdom. The greatest kingdom glory is reserved for rulers. There
will be degrees of sharing His glory among those who will rule (cf. Luke
19:17, 19; 1 Pet 4:13).
In Greek there is only one definite article in the phrase the grace of our
God and the [not in the Greek] Lord Jesus Christ, which means that
Paul’s reference to God here is specifically a reference to Jesus. He is the
believers’ Judge who determines their worthiness (Jas 5:9). Paul is praying
in light of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.
That any believer might share in His glory is because of His divine favor
(the word grace means “favor”). In this case it is favor that is merited (cf.
“worthy” in vv 5 and 11). The gift of eternal life is an extension of
unmerited favor (Eph 2:8-9). The reward of ruling with Christ and sharing
His glory is an extension of merited favor. Of course, any worthiness
believers achieve will be possible only because of the work of God’s Spirit
empowering and enabling them. Yet it is not automatic. Believers must keep
this hope alive in order to be worthy.
III. Understand the Day of the Lord (2:1-17)
A. Paul’s Correction about the Day of the Lord (2:1-5)
2:1-2. Paul now moves to a personal appeal (we ask [exhort] you)
concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering
together to Him.
The Thessalonian church had a major eschatological misconception. They
were being shaken in mind or troubled. False teachers had been saying
that the day of Christ had come. The reading, “the day of the Lord,” in the
Critical Text refers to the Tribulation. However, the Majority Text reading,
“the day of Christ,” which is preferred, always refers to the Judgment Seat
of Christ (Bēma) (cf. Phil 2:16). Similar expressions in Paul are “the day of
Jesus Christ” (Phil 1:6, 10) and “the day of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor
1:8).
If the day of Christ had already occurred, the believers in Thessalonica had
missed the Rapture and the Bēma. Thus they would think that they were in
the Tribulation and that terrible days were just around the corner.
It is reasonable for unbelievers to fear the Tribulation. But it is not
reasonable for believers, especially those who have been taught by the
Apostle Paul.
2:3-5. Paul reminds them of things he told them before (v 5). He told them
that two things would occur before the Day of Christ: the falling away, and
the Man of Sin is revealed…who exalts himself…as God in the temple.
If Paul is indeed speaking about the Judgment Seat of Christ here, then he
is saying that it will not occur until after the midpoint of the Tribulation, for
that is when the abomination of desolation alluded to in v 4 will occur.
The expression the falling away or the apostasy (hē apostasia) need not
mean that once apostasy occurs in the Church Age, the day of Christ is here.
Admittedly the falling away is a vague expression. Since it is the apostasy,
it might refer specifically to the abomination of desolation. If so, then the
many false teachings of this age merely foreshadow the ultimate apostasy to
come.
When Paul wrote, the temple still stood. However, in AD 70, the temple
was destroyed and has not yet been rebuilt. The temple must be rebuilt
either before the Tribulation starts, or during the first days of the
Tribulation. The Man of Sin will not exalt himself as God in the temple until
it is restored in Jerusalem.
The Man of Sin, like Judas, is called the son of perdition. He will be the
political ruler, whom John calls “the beast,” whose work is supported by a
religious leader known as “the false prophet” (who is the Antichrist).
B. Paul’s Instruction about the Restrainer (2:6-7)
2:6-7. The identity of what is restraining, or, He who now restrains, is
debated among commentators. Some of the options include the Holy Spirit,
the Church, human government, and unfallen angels. Ultimately, the answer
is God. It may be that the removal of the Church is by itself a removal of
God’s restraining power. In any case, the way in which God currently
restrains lawlessness will be taken away and evil will increase dramatically.
During the Tribulation the restraint on evil will be much less than it is
today. As bad as things are in today’s evil world, things will be much worse
when the Man of Sin is in control and the restrainer is gone.
C. Paul’s Prophecy about the Man of Sin (2:8-12)
2:8. Paul compresses the seven-year reign of the enemy of God in just one
verse: the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume
with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His
coming. The Beast (the Man of Sin) will rule the world during the second
half of the Tribulation. He will have limited rule during the first half as
well. But his seven-year reign will end abruptly when the Lord returns to
defeat him and his forces in the Battle of Armageddon.
The expression the brightness of His coming is reminiscent of the Mount
of Transfiguration. There “His face shone like the sun, and His clothes
became as white as the light” (Matt 17:2). And this was a direct fulfillment
of the Lord’s promise one week earlier that “there are some standing here
who shall not taste death till they see the Son of Man coming in His
kingdom” (Matt 16:28). Peter, James, and John saw that His coming would
be bright. It is fitting that the power of darkness will be destroyed with the
brightness of His coming.
2:9-10. Turning from the subject of the coming of Christ, Paul now speaks
of the coming of the lawless one (the Man of Sin). Christ will come in
brightness; the lawless one will come in satanic darkness. The lawless one
will be empowered according to the working of Satan, with all power,
signs, and lying wonders. He will have superhuman power from Satan
with which he and his cohort will deceive with all unrighteous deception
among those who perish. They will be deceived because they will not
receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. The salvation here
is deliverance from the Tribulation by means of the Rapture, as seen
elsewhere in 1 and 2 Thessalonians.
The expression did not receive the love of the truth is an unusual one not
found elsewhere in this exact form. Receiving the love of the truth is the
same as believing in Jesus for eternal life. John 6:47 will be true then as
well as now. Verse 12 makes this point explicitly, namely, that receiving the
love of the truth equals believing the truth.
2:11-12. Verse 12 does not mean that everyone alive at the time of the
Rapture who are unbelievers will be duped. Evidently when the Rapture
occurs the Man of Sin will emerge and will give some explanation for the
disappearance of the believers. With this lie will surely come his claim to be
God and to offer deliverance for all who follow him. Many will be deluded
by his message.
It is not known what the strong delusion will be. But it is known that only
unbelievers who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in
unrighteousness will be deceived. This does not mean that all of the
unsaved when the Rapture occurs will be eternally condemned. Revelation
7:4-17 states that there will be 144,000 Jewish evangelists and that they will
lead Jews and Gentiles all over the earth to faith in Christ during the
Tribulation.
Those who had pleasure in unrighteousness are people who heard and yet
rejected the gospel in this age. Those in tribes and people groups who have
not heard the gospel will not be subject to this delusion. Likely even some
in countries like the United States, where the gospel is accessible to all, will
not have heard the clear gospel, or have not heard it enough, and so some of
them will come to faith in Christ in the Tribulation.
Surely, however, a large percentage of people in Christian lands will be
deluded when the Rapture occurs and will be hardened in unbelief. Most of
the converts of the 144,000 will no doubt be in third-world countries and
unreached areas of the world (Matt 24:14).
Unbelievers should not be complacent in their unbelief. They should cry
out to God to show them the truth. Their fear of the Tribulation should
motivate them to ask God to reveal the truth of the gospel to them.
D. Paul’s Thankfulness for Them (2:13-17)
The Thessalonians were experiencing persecution for their faith. They
knew Christ was coming again and some false teachers were trying to
confuse them into thinking that the Rapture had already occurred and they
had missed it (vv 1-12). Paul comforted them by reminding them that they
cannot possibly be in the Tribulation. No believer from this age will go
through it. Now Paul focuses attention on the need to persevere not only
concerning the Rapture, but also concerning all that Paul had taught them.
2:13-14. In contrast to his indignation against those who oppose God and
persecute his saints, Paul is bound to give thanks to God always for the
Thessalonians. The believers in Thessalonica were brethren beloved by
the Lord.
The reason for Paul’s thanksgiving is because God from the beginning
chose you for salvation. The word chose (haireomai) is not the normal
Greek word for election. The only two other occurrences of this word in the
NT clearly do not refer to election to eternal life (Phil 1:22, “what I shall
choose I cannot tell”; Heb 11:25, “choosing rather to suffer affliction”).
This is the only use of salvation (sōtēria) in this epistle. However, in 1
Thess 5:8-9 sōtēria clearly refers to salvation from the Tribulation. That fits
the context as well. While it is true that Paul has just spoken of the eternal
condemnation of the unbelievers who are persecuting the Thessalonians (v
12), the preceding context deals primarily with the fact that the unbelievers
will go through the Tribulation.
This salvation requires two things. First, the Holy Spirit will set believers
apart (sanctification by the Spirit). This likely refers to positional
sanctification. That is the divine side of salvation from the Tribulation. The
human side is belief in the truth. This is in contrast to v 12 with its
reference to those “who did not believe the truth.” All who believe the truth
will escape the Tribulation.
Believers were called to this sanctification by the apostle’s (our) gospel.
The result was not only that believers escape the Tribulation, but positively
for the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. All believers will
obtain some share in His glory. The degree to which believers will share in
this glory depends on how they live their lives (cf. Matt 16:24-28; 1 Pet
4:13).
2:15. In light of the Thessalonians’ confusion about the Rapture, Paul’s
admonition to stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught
follows the logical flow of thought. They were not standing fast or holding
to those things (traditions) Paul had taught them (see 1 Thess 4:13–5:11). If
they continued in this confusion, their walk would be hindered if not
destroyed.
 The words whether by word or our epistle indicates that they were to
hold fast both to what Paul said when he was with them and to what he
wrote in his epistles.
2:16-17. Paul ends this section by expressing a desire that God would
comfort the Thessalonians’ hearts and establish them in every good word
and work. Paul is praying that God will see to it that they do hold fast.
Their hearts will be comforted only by doing so. They will only speak and
act in a God-pleasing manner if they abide in the doctrines of the apostles.
The Thessalonians needed to have their hearts comforted. They were
afraid they were in the Tribulation, and thus they were losing their grip on a
basic truth of Scripture.
IV. Do Not Coddle Those Who Choose Not to Work (3:1-15)
In Thessalonica some believers had decided to stop working and simply
wait for the Rapture to occur. Most likely they thought they were being very
spiritual. Yet since they did not work, they were living off the generosity of
other believers in the church. In the last chapter of this second letter, Paul
tells the believers who are still working how they should handle the matter
of financial support for nonworking church members.
A. Paul’s Request for Prayer (3:1-2)
3:1. As he often did, Paul asks for prayer—pray for us—for his ministry
of the word of the Lord. Paul wants the word of the Lord to run swiftly
and be glorified. He speaks of it as though it were a living, breathing thing,
which in a sense, it is. This is the Word of the living risen Lord. God’s Word
changes the lives of those who are open to its ministry. God is glorified
when the Word is obeyed.
The Word had been effective in the Thessalonians (as it is with you). It
had run and been glorified there. The effectiveness of this work is
dependent not only on the preparation of the speaker but also on the
blessing of God.
3:2. For God’s Word to go forth effectively, preachers and teachers must
be able to speak it. In Paul’s case he needed to be delivered from
unreasonable and wicked men. On several occasions Paul was imprisoned
by such men. At those times he was not free to preach outside the prisons.
B. Paul’s Confidence They Will Progress (3:3-5)
 3:3. The Lord is faithful. He always does what He promises. Paul is
confident that God will establish that church as a mature group of believers
who are solid in their Christian maturity. Paul also expresses confidence
that God will guard the Thessalonians from the evil one. Satan is a threat
against all churches. That threat is overcome by prayer and the Word.
3:4. Here Paul expresses confidence about the future of the believers in
Thessalonica. He believes they will do the things we command you. The
expression we command occurs in vv 4, 6, 10, and 12. This is a theme that
holds this passage together. They were obeying in the present, and Paul is
confident they will obey in the future too. He is confident that they will do
what he has said so far in the letter, and what he is about to command them
to do concerning the disorderly in the church.
Paul has gently worked his way into his final closing subject, dealing with
disorderly Christians.
C. Paul’s Instruction to Withdraw from Disorderly Brothers (3:6-
15)
3:6. Paul’s command is that you withdraw from every brother who
walks disorderly and not according to the tradition which he received
from us. The words brothers or brother are found four times in this
passage: (vv 6, 13, 15). Paul is stressing that the behavior of this type of
brother is not fitting for believers in Jesus Christ.
To withdraw means “do not keep company with him” (v 14). Paul may
have in mind excommunication until the offenders repent. At the least he
means they should not feed, support, or fellowship with such people.
The tradition Paul has in mind was his command to work with one’s own
hands so that one may have enough for his own family and so that he might
be able to share with others (cf. vv 7-12).
The word disorderly is found in vv 6, 7, and 11. In context it refers to
those who “will not work” (v 10), and who “are busybodies” (v 11). This is
not someone incapable of working. This refers to someone who is able to
work but who chooses not to work.
3:7-9. Paul and his fellow ministers served as examples. They worked
with labor and toil night and day, that they might not be a burden to
any of the Thessalonians. Paul worked by day in tentmaking, and by night
he taught the Word. Though he and his companions had the right
(authority) to make their living by preaching the Word, they did not take
advantage of that right so that they might be an example of how you
should follow us (cf. 1 Corinthians 9).
3:10. Paul’s principle was this: If anyone will not work, neither shall he
eat. In other words, free food should not be given to those who can work
but choose not to.
3:11-12. See the discussion of v 6. Paul commanded and exhorted the
busybodies that they work in quietness and eat their own bread. They
had been eating the food of others for some time. That needed to stop.
Living in light of the Bēma must never result in laziness, lack of
productivity, or living off the largesse of others. Bēma-minded believers
should work hard and provide for their own.
3:13. Believers should not grow weary in doing good, especially the
good of working to provide for one’s family. They should not stop doing
such good, even if the Rapture is near. Evidently these believers thought the
Rapture was so near they need not work. Yet as Paul made clear in Gal 6:9,
believers need to keep doing good right up to the Rapture.
3:14. Believers who will not work should be ashamed. This will happen if
believers stop fellowship with them and providing for their needs. However,
if believers accept their laziness and do not withdraw from them, then we
eliminate the sting that God wants their actions to bring.
3:15. The balanced approach in dealing with such brethren is that believers
are not to count such a one as an enemy, but rather to admonish him as a
brother. These lazy ones are regenerate (each one is a brother) even though
Paul is rejecting their behavior. Regeneration does not depend on whether a
person is lazy; salvation is not based on a person “living a good life.”
V. Conclusion (3:16-18)
3:16. Paul wants the Lord of peace to grant the readers peace always in
every way. Of course, those who fear they have missed the Rapture and
those who are living off others are not experiencing that peace. Paul prays
that the Lord would be with them all.
3:17. Paul took up the pen here and wrote the salutation with his own
hand. Until this point he had dictated the letter to a scribe as was his
practice. Quite possibly the reason he used a scribe (and wrote with “large
letters,” Gal 6:11) was because of a problem with his eyes that reduced his
vision (cf. Gal 4:15).
3:18. He concludes the letter by commending the grace of our Lord
Jesus Christ to them.
 1 Timothy
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
First Timothy is one of three “Pastoral Epistles,” 1 and 2 Timothy and
Titus. Since Timothy and Titus were not pastors, the term pastoral is a bit
misleading. They were apostolic delegates. They appointed and supervised
elders.
Timothy was guiding the church at Ephesus under Paul’s direction.
Authorship
Paul identifies himself by name (1:1). While the authorship of the two
letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus is disputed by some scholars, the
external and internal evidence convincingly show that Paul was indeed the
author.
Audience, Date, and Destination
First Timothy gives no hint that Paul was facing imminent death as he was
in 2 Timothy (see 2 Tim 4:6). It is fairly certain that Paul wrote this letter
after his release from his first Roman imprisonment (c. AD 62). First
Timothy was probably written in AD 63, a year or so before Paul’s second
Roman imprisonment and execution.
Timothy, whom Paul calls a “a true son in the faith” (1:2), a “man of God”
(6:11), and a “youth” (neotētos), was probably around 35 when he received
this letter in Ephesus.
Purpose
About five years earlier Paul had warned the Ephesian elders that savage
wolves would come in and attack the flock (Acts 20:28). In light of Paul’s
remarks about false teachers in chap. 1 of the epistle, it is clear that during
his first Roman imprisonment his concern was realized. Paul was writing to
aid Timothy in fighting off this attack.
Another reason for Paul’s writing was to instruct Timothy in how the
church should function at its meetings and in its leadership (3:14-16).
 Paul’s ultimate purpose for writing Timothy was that he, as well as the
believers in Ephesus, might lay hold of life eternal in the sense that their
lives now and forever would be abundant. The Judgment Seat of Christ,
though not mentioned explicitly, is clearly prevalent throughout this epistle.

OUTLINE
I. Salutation and Greeting (1:1-2)
II. Doctrine Matters: Fight the False Teachers (1:3-20)
III. Instructions Regarding the Local Church (2:1–3:16)
IV. Various Instructions on How to Oversee the Church (4:1–6:2)
V. Concluding Exhortations in Light of the Bēma (6:3-21)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation and Greeting (1:1-2)
1:1-2 Paul’s apostleship was not something he purchased or appointed for
himself. It was by the commandment of God our Savior and the Lord Jesus
Christ, our hope.
This is one of Paul’s four letters to individuals. Paul wrote to Timothy
(twice), Titus, and Philemon. Timothy was a true son in the faith. Paul did
not lead Timothy to faith in Christ. He discipled Timothy and was his
spiritual mentor.
Paul extends grace, mercy, and peace from God our Father and Jesus
Christ our Lord to Timothy.
After the salutation Paul addresses the question of false teachers who were
misusing the Law of Moses. He warns of false doctrine which was being
introduced into the church of Ephesus under the guise of properly applying
the Law.
II. Doctrine Matters: Fight the False Teachers (1:3-20)
A. Charge Some to Teach No Other Doctrine (1:3-7)
1:3-4. Timothy was to guard what was being taught in the church.
The two words other doctrine translate one word in Greek
(heterodidaskalein). It means “different doctrine,” teaching that was
different from what Paul taught. Timothy was to stifle not only this specific
type of doctrine, but all unorthodox teaching.
 The issue was not what the believers in Ephesus must do to be justified by
God. Rather, the issue concerns their use of the Law in their spiritual lives.
1:5. The purpose of the commandment [parangelias or “charge”; see
also 4:11; 5:7; 6:13, 17] is love… Paul is probably not limiting himself to
the charge he gave Timothy in v 3, though that is included. He is speaking
of the goal of all Christian instruction.
Paul wants the whole church, including the false teachers, if they respond
properly, to produce true love.
This desired love springs from a pure heart, from a good conscience,
and from sincere faith. The connection between these three is possibly that
faith produces a pure heart (cf. Acts 15:9) which in turn produces a good
conscience. Of course, Paul is not referring here specifically to saving faith
in Jesus for eternal life, but to sanctifying faith in all the promises and
commands and teachings of God.
1:6-7. The charge to ensure sound teaching is particularly relevant since
some, having strayed, have turned aside to idle talk, desiring to be
teachers of the law, understanding neither what they say nor the things
which they affirm.
The false teachers of which Paul is speaking were formerly sound in their
doctrine. They taught correctly for a time, but had strayed and turned aside.
They were elevating the Law of Moses (desiring to be teachers of the law)
to a place God did not intend.
The Christian life is about Christ, not about the Law of Moses, and not
even primarily about the commands of Christ.
Desiring suggests that while the false teachers thought of themselves as
teachers of the law, in reality they were not. Paul truly taught about the
Law. These men did not. They did not know what they were talking about!
A desire to teach is not enough. One must also have understanding of the
Word in order to teach it properly.
B. The True Purpose of the Law (1:8-11)
1:8-11. These teachers wrongly taught that the Mosaic Law was designed
for Christians and that Christians should focus on it in order to grow
spiritually. Yet the law is good if one uses it lawfully (i.e., properly). Paul’s
point is that law is only good if used in the proper way.
 The definite article is not used here. It seems that Paul purposely intends a
shift. The law in v 7 refers specifically to the Law of Moses, and in vv 8-11
law refers instead to the commands of God still relevant today, that is, to the
law of Christ (Gal 6:2).
The law is not made for a righteous person. In speaking of a righteous
person Paul likely is referring to a person who is experientially righteous.
Law is for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for
sinners. The question here is whether Paul is referring to all sinners,
believers and unbelievers, or to only unbelieving sinners. Unbelievers are
convicted as they break the law of Christ. And so too are believers.
But for the believer who is walking in fellowship with God, focusing on
the commandments is detrimental, as Paul shows in Rom 7:7-25. The focus
of the righteous person is to be on Christ, the One who delivers from penal
servitude to sin (Rom 7:24­–8:1).
Last in this particular vice list is a catch-all phrase, and if there is any
other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. Sin is contrary to sound
doctrine. The opposite is also true. Sound doctrine promotes righteousness,
not sin (cf. Rom 12:2).
Paul concludes this discussion by indicating that sound doctrine is
according to [consistent with] the glorious gospel of the blessed God
which was committed to my trust. This has led some to understand that
the righteous in v 8 are those who are declared righteous by faith in Jesus.
However, the term gospel is not used exclusively or even primarily by Paul
or the NT writers in reference to the evangelistic message.
C. Parenthesis: Paul’s Thankfulness (1:12-17)
Paul has just charged Timothy to hold false teachers in check. Before he
concludes this charge in vv 18-20 by naming names, Paul reflects on his
call to the gospel ministry. He is moved to express his deep thankfulness for
being called by God to promote and defend the faith.
1:12-13. Paul’s thankfulness here is not specifically for the gospel or for
eternal life. It is for God putting [him] into the ministry. Why did Jesus
put a person who was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an
insolent man (v 13) into His ministry? The answer is in what Paul had
already said and in what he is about to say.
 Paul had just said: I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me
because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry. Thus one
reason Jesus put Paul in the ministry was that He counted Paul faithful.
Elsewhere Paul said, “It is required in stewards that one be found faithful”
(1 Cor 4:2). Is Paul saying that when he was unregenerate Jesus counted
him as faithful? That is unlikely. Certainly Saul was not faithful when he
was persecuting the church.
But if that is not what Paul means, when did Jesus find him faithful? Most
likely, Paul is thinking of his early experience in Damascus. Once his sight
was restored, he set about to proclaim the faith he had so vigorously
opposed (Acts 9:17-25; see also vv 26-30).
Jesus, of course, knew this in advance. He told the reluctant Ananias, “He
is a chosen vessel of Mine, to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the
children of Israel” (v 15).
Faithfulness is the key to effective ministry. Paul was faithful to do what
Jesus sent him to do.
A second reason Jesus put into the ministry one who had been a
“blasphemer, persecutor, and insolent man” was that Paul’s persecution of
the church was done ignorantly in unbelief. While unbelief is not an
excuse for the behavior, it was something Jesus took into account in
selecting Paul.
This may suggest that God saw in Saul a man who was seeking Him. All
his zealous persecution of the church likely had at its root the heart of one
who desperately wished to please God and who was open to the truth.
Paul’s self-portrait of himself before he was born again is not pretty. But
ministry, like the gift of eternal life, is by grace through faith.
1:14-16. The last part of v 13 (“I obtained mercy because I did it in
unbelief”) most likely refers both to Paul’s gaining of eternal life and of his
call to ministry. Paul’s life and ministry are both due directly to God’s
grace.
The grace of our Lord was exceedingly abundant. While any child of
God could say this, Paul’s unique history as Christianity’s archenemy made
this especially true in his case.
What does Paul mean when he adds with faith and love which are in
Christ Jesus? Does he mean that God’s grace produced faith and love in
him? Many commentators take this expression that way. However, that
understanding does not fit other Scriptures or this context.
It is more natural to understand the faith and love as the concomitant
vehicles of his new birth. But for the love of the Father in sending His Son
(John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10) and the love of the Son in laying down His life
(1 John 3:16), no one would have eternal life. God’s grace was born of His
love. Grace and love are divine conditions of eternal life. And faith is the
human condition of eternal life. The fact that God in His grace allowed
someone like Saul of Tarsus to come to faith is truly remarkable. Would
God not have been perfectly just to simply take Saul’s life as he was on the
road to Damascus? Instead, Jesus personally appeared to him and led him to
faith and eternal life.
God is gracious in allowing anyone to come to faith in Jesus. Everyone
deserves eternal condemnation. Instead, God lavishes His grace and love on
people.
The words this is a faithful saying evidently concern a saying that was
common among Christians in that day (cf. 1 Tim 3:1; 4:9; 2 Tim 2:11; and
Titus 3:8 for other “sayings” of that day).
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. This is essentially what Jesus
Himself said in John 3:17. He came into the world not to condemn it but to
save it.
The point here is not that He came to change sinners into “nonsinners.”
Rather, he came to give everlasting life to sinners. Save here means
everlasting life as is clear in v 16. The same is true of the word save in John
3:17, as v 16 makes clear. Of course, ultimately those to whom Jesus gives
eternal life will become free of sin once they die or are raptured. But that is
not the point here.
Paul does not say that he was the chief of sinners. He uses a present tense:
I am chief. Even after years of amazing service and suffering for Christ, he
still sees himself as the lead sinner on earth.
Probably every believer could and should view themselves in this light.
When believers witness to non-Christians do they convey this attitude? Or
do they give people the impression that they are sinners but that believers
are not?
In v 16 Paul reflects on how his life is a paradigm of how everyone who
received everlasting life does so.
 Paul was a pattern to those who are going to believe on Him for
everlasting life. This is a very clear statement of what we believe Jesus for.
To be born again we must believe on Him for everlasting life.
If a person has never known with certainty that he is eternally secure (has
everlasting life, has an eternal relationship with God, is guaranteed heaven,
etc.), then he has not yet believed on Him for that.
1:17. Before Paul goes on, he inserts a doxology, words of worship. Now
to the king eternal, immortal, invisible, to God who alone is wise. This
might seem to refer to Jesus, since He is King of kings and He will rule
over believers eternally. However, Jesus is not invisible. God the Father is
the One who is invisible (John 1:18). This sets God the Father apart from
the creation. Though we do not see Him, He is there and is in charge.
Honor and glory are due to Him forever and ever. One way in which
believers honor and glorify Him is when they recall their salvation because
of God’s exceedingly abundant grace.
D. The Charge Repeated (1:18-20)
1:18. After a digression about the glorious gospel, Paul returns to his
concern about those who suffer spiritual shipwreck. Believers need to take
precautions or they will find themselves drowning spiritually.
Today many people say that doctrine should not divide believers. But this
contrasts with what Paul says in v 18 and in vv 3-7. The word charge
occurs in both v 5 and v 18.
Paul is commanding Timothy to wage [lit., ‘make war’] the good warfare
against false teachers and false doctrine.
Doctrine is vitally important. It is called the Christian faith for a reason.
God has given a body of doctrines that Christians are to believe.
Abandoning sound doctrine hurts the church.
1:19. If one wishes to have a good conscience, then he must believe the
right things. A good conscience starts with believing what God says. To
believe things contrary to the doctrine God has given is unbelief, not faith.
A good conscience does not mean feeling good about oneself. A person
who is a false teacher might feel fine. A truly good conscience is possessed
by one that believes (and applies) true doctrine.
If a person rejects sound doctrine, then he suffers spiritual shipwreck. Bad
beliefs put one’s spiritual life on the rocks. Beliefs matter very much.
 To cease believing in the gospel, for example, results in loss of assurance
of salvation. Spiritual lethargy or legalistic striving may easily result.
Believing sound doctrine is vital. Reject sound doctrine and one’s spiritual
life is going to end up in shipwreck on the rocks of bad doctrine.
1:20. People today do not like it when preachers name names. Yet Paul
had no such aversion. He names two men who had suffered shipwreck,
Hymenaeus and Alexander. Quite likely this is the same Hymenaeus Paul
mentions in 2 Tim 2:17.
Paul says that these two men he delivered to Satan that they may learn
not to blaspheme (cf. 1 Cor 5:5). Paul never delivered unbelievers to
Satan. Note that the purpose here is constructive: that they may learn
(paideuō, a word that was used of child training) not to blaspheme. God
often gives false teachers the opportunity to repent rather than simply taking
their lives immediately.
III. Instructions Regarding the Local Church (2:1–3:16)
After Paul expressed his concern about those who suffer spiritual
shipwreck, he began the body of the letter. This includes two major
sections: (1) various guidelines about public worship (2:1-15),
qualifications of elders and deacons (3:1-13), and the character of the
church (3:14-16); and (2) instructions on how to lead the local church to
carry out these guidelines (4:1–6:2).
A. Prayer in the Meeting of the Church (2:1-10)
The first seven verses of chap. 2 seem to be a general call to pray. Yet the
context shows that this is a specific call to pray in the church as part of the
regular weekly assembling together.
The main emphasis in vv 1-7 is on the scope of God’s concern, for all men
everywhere (vv 1, 2, 4, 6). The word all is used three times in these verses
to refer to all people (vv 1, 4, 6) , once to refer to all rulers (v 2), once to
refer to all godliness (v 2), and once to refer to his primary point (v 1, first
of all). That is a total of six uses in seven verses. This is the all section of
Paul’s epistles.
If people look at life only through their own eyes and experience, they tend
to have concern for a small number of people: their immediate family and
friends. But God has a worldwide concern. By gaining God’s perspective
then believers will care about everyone everywhere.
2:1-2. Paul instructs Timothy to ensure that supplications, prayers,
intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and
for all who are in authority. Paul is probably not thinking of four different
types of prayers. Instead the first three are synonyms. He is emphasizing the
importance of corporate prayer in the church.
While Paul exhorts prayers for all men, it is clear by what follows that he
is thinking especially of rulers, those who have the power to make things
difficult for Christians.
Paul states why such prayers are vital: that we may lead a quiet and
peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
2:3-4. The expression For this is good and acceptable in the sight of
God our Savior looks back to vv 1-2 and corporate prayer for those in
authority. The expression God our Savior could refer to Jesus or to God the
Father. In light of v 5 (where Jesus is called Mediator and Man in contrast
to the Father who is called God), it seems that the Father is specifically in
view here.
What does Paul mean when he says that God desires all men to be saved?
Typically this is understood as a statement of God’s desire that all men have
eternal life. Those who believe in limited atonement suggest that all men
here refers to all types of men. However, such a view is foreign to the
context.
The verb to say (sōzein) refers to gaining eternal life in 1:15. That may be
the sense here. However, see the discussion on 2:15 and 4:16 for two other
ways in which that verb is used. The coordinating clause, and to come to
the knowledge of the truth, may help explain the meaning. That is then
followed by a discussion of the mediatorial work of Christ. This may
suggest that the salvation in 2:4 is spiritual well-being. It certainly includes
having eternal life for no one can have spiritual well-being without having
God’s life, but in addition it probably means that God’s desire for all is to be
in fellowship with Him and to know the truth.
2:5-7. These verses begin with an explanatory gar (For). The fact that God
wants all to be spiritually healthy is seen in the fact that there is one God
and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who
gave Himself a ransom for all. This clearly refers to unlimited atonement.
By His death Jesus removed the sin barrier for all (cf. John 1:29; 2 Pet 2:1;
1 John 2:2). He made it possible for all human beings to be spiritually
healthy by believing in Jesus to gain everlasting life and then by abiding in
Him to remain spiritually healthy.
The word ransom (antilutron), used only here in the NT, has led some to
view the Atonement as a ransom paid to Satan. Substitutionary atonement
fits the Scriptures and the immediate context better. First, the preposition
for (huper) means on behalf of or instead of and clearly refers to
substitution. Second, antilutron carries a substitutionary sense as well.
Paul emphasizes the humanity of Jesus when he speaks of the Man Christ
Jesus. He could have simply said Christ Jesus who gave Himself. It is
possible that Paul is here alluding to a hymn or confession of his day.
Paul then comments on his role as one of Jesus’ foremost testifiers: for
which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle…a teacher of the
Gentiles in faith and truth. As the apostle to the Gentiles Paul was one of
the greatest witnesses to the crucified Mediator. Implicit here is the fact that
Timothy and indeed all believers are also called to testify concerning Jesus.
In this context Paul is giving the basis for prayers to be offered for all men.
It is because God wants all to be spiritually healthy, as evidenced by the
universal atonement provided by Jesus on the cross.
2:8. Paul now returns explicitly to the subject of prayer. Verse 8 continues
the prayer theme of v 1.
While it is fine to have prayer meetings in which men and women both
pray, this passage speaks of a time when only men pray, that is, in local
church meetings.
At times in Scripture men is used generically for all people. In those cases
the Greek word anthropos is used. Here, however, Paul uses the Greek word
for males (andras). The following verses make it clear that Paul is here
discussing the roles of males and females in church meetings.
The reference to lifting up holy hands suggests that Paul often extended
his hands toward heaven as he prayed. But the hands uplifted must be holy,
that is, set apart. Of course, the hands here are a metonymy for the whole
person.
Holy men pray without wrath and doubting. Anger hinders prayer (1 Pet
3:7). Anger must be dealt with speedily for the holy man (Eph 4:26). Doubt
also hinders prayer. One must come to God in prayer, knowing that He is
listening and that He delights in hearing and answering the prayers of His
people.
2:9-10. These verses serve as a transition from the place of prayer in the
meeting of the church to the role of women in the church. Paul is probably
not talking about dress in general here. The context is the meeting of the
church.
The prohibition against braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing
evidently refers to a practice in that day in which women braided their hair
by weaving in gold and pearls. The result was sparkling hair that could
distract men during prayer and teaching at church.
Modest apparel is contrasted with the prohibition of wearing costly
clothing. Again the point is that women are not to wear clothing that is so
flashy that it draws undo attention to them. The Lord is to be the focus of
attention at church.
The good works in v 10 certainly extend beyond the church meeting.
However, in light of the context they include remaining silent and dressing
properly in church.
B. The Role of Women in the Church (2:11-15)
2:11-14. A woman is to learn in silence with all submission at church.
Why does Paul switch from men and women (plural) in the preceding
verses to a woman (singular) here? The best explanation is that Paul is
leading up to v 15 and the liberating role of a woman as mentor of her
children. All of vv s11-15 concerns a woman, not women.
A woman is not to teach a man at this meeting. This does not mean that a
woman is forbidden to teach in a public or private school, that a woman
cannot instruct a man at work, even religious work. It is only in local-
church meetings that a woman should not teach a man (cf. 1 Cor 14:34-35).
A woman is also not…to have authority over a man, but to be in
silence. This may refer merely to teaching, since that is a form of exercising
authority (and since silence is mentioned). Or this may be a prohibition
against women being elders in the local church (cf. 3:1-7).
Paul gives two reasons why a woman is not to teach or exercise authority
or even speak at the meeting of the church: the order of creation and the
Fall.
 God made the woman, Eve, to help her husband, Adam. God did not make
Adam as a helpmate for Eve. Thus from creation itself Paul discerns that
women were not designed to teach men in church. Adam was formed first,
then Eve.
Also Paul reminds us from Genesis 3 that the woman being deceived, fell
into transgression. Paul seems to be suggesting that this shows that women
are more prone to being deceived and to leading others into sin.
God wants men (males) to lead and teach in the church.
2:15. Few verses are more disputed than this one. Some believe Paul is
alluding to the virgin birth. Others say Paul is teaching that salvation from
hell is conditioned on perseverance in faith and good works.
The salvation here is clearly not salvation from eternal condemnation. The
context is a woman’s silence and lack of a teaching role in the church. How
is a woman saved or delivered from that?
Paul’s answer is brilliant. She [singular] will be saved in childbearing if
they [plural] continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self control.
Who is meant by the third person plural pronoun they? Some translations
suggest that Paul did not know what he was writing and so they change she
to a plural, women (e.g., NASB, NIV). But this destroys Paul’s point.
In a verse dealing with childbearing the third-person plural pronoun
unmistakably refers to the children of a woman. If her children continue in
faith, love, and holiness, with self-control, then she will be saved, that is,
fulfilled.
Women have the most important teaching role. They teach the next
generation of pastors, elders, deacons, missionaries, workers, doctors,
homemakers, mayors, and others (cf. 5:14; 2 Tim 1:5).
This does not mean that single women or married women unable to have
children cannot be delivered from their inability to teach or exercise
authority over men in church. They can teach other people’s children. If
married, they can find fulfillment in being helpmates for their husbands. If
single, they can find fulfillment in serving Christ in the church, in work, and
in life.
C. The Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons (3:1-13)
How do churches govern? Paul says that it is good thing to be a church
leader and he gives the requirements for being an overseer (which is
synonymous with the term elder, as a comparison with Titus 1:5-10 shows)
in the church.
3:1. Paul precedes his explanation of the requirements of an elder with a
statement about the value of this position in the church. A young man
would be wise to study, labor, and sacrifice so that someday he might be an
elder. Spiritual ambition is good. Men should desire to become elders.
The Greek word here, episkopēs, means overseer. It can also be translated
bishop. It is clearly synonymous with the term for elder (presbyteros) used
in Titus 1 with a similar list of requirements. This is proved by the fact that
in Titus 1:5, 7 Paul uses the terms elder and bishop/overseer
interchangeably.
The idea that there are priests, bishops, cardinals, and popes in some kind
of hierarchy is not Biblical. There is no office of priest in the NT church.
All believers, men and women are priests in the sense that they serve God.
Bishops are elders. There is no church office higher than bishop/elder.
However, when Paul wrote 1 Timothy there were some people of higher
authority than overseers. These were apostles, and there were also apostolic
representatives like Timothy and Titus.
Overseers from one church can not go to another church and tell that
church what to do. Each overseer/elder is to serve only in his own local
church.
3:2-7. The first requirement Paul states is the most overarching: A bishop
then must be blameless. The word blameless also means above reproach.
An overseer must be blameless before those in the church (and outsiders
too, v 7).
Blamelessness is not sinlessness. If that were the case then no one could be
an elder (cf. 1 John 1:8, 10). It means that no one can bring a legitimate
moral charge against the man, especially concerning the character and
behavior qualities listed in vv 2-7. Job was blameless in his day (Job 1:1, 8).
Luke uses the same Greek word when he says that Zacharias and Elizabeth
were blameless (Luke 1:6).
An overseer is to be the husband of one wife. It is clear that only a man
can fulfill that requirement. The requirements for an elder are not merely
related to maturity. Some of the requirements, like this one, show that God
wants the leaders in a local church to be of a certain age and gender and
marital status.
 Some say this verse refers to a man being faithful to his current wife. Thus
Paul was forbidding men currently (or recently) involved in adultery from
being overseers.
Others say Paul was forbidding divorced men from being overseers.
Yet a comparison with 1 Tim 5:9, where the related expression one-man
woman, is used suggests otherwise. Paul was excluding any man who had
been married more than once, including widowers who remarry. The issue
here is not morality. God simply wants as an overseer a one-woman man,
which is what the Greek literally says.
Temperate refers to mental sobriety. An overseer should be a reasonable
sort of person who is not guilty of rash behavior or judgments. This man is
emotionally and mentally stable and well balanced.
Sober-minded means that he is prudent. This is similar to the previous
word. This type of man exercises good judgment and makes good decisions.
He exercises objectivity in the face of problems and decisions to be made.
He is to be of good behavior. He is one who does good deeds toward
others in the church and in the community.
He must be a hospitable people-person (cf Rom 12:13; 1 Pet 4:9; Heb
13:2). He must be one who is in contact with people, not one who merely
makes good decisions and lives well in isolation from others. Having people
in his home is the idea of hospitality, though it could also include helping
travelers by giving them food and clothing and financial assistance.
Overseers of the Christian flock must be able to teach the Word to the
flock. This does not mean all overseers have the gift of teaching or that they
are the best at it. It means they know the Word and can teach others.
This man must be doctrinally well grounded. Being able to teach well on
subjects like mathematics or Spanish is not the same as being able to teach
the Word.
At this point Paul switches to a number of prohibitions, things an overseer
must not be. This first prohibition, not given to wine, probably does not
mean that overseers are men who never drink any wine. It likely means
overseers are not so influenced by alcohol that their behavior, judgment, or
speech is negatively impacted (cf. Lev 10:8-9; Prov 31:4-5).
It should be noted, however, that in v 8 Paul says that deacons are men
who are “not given to much wine.” The addition of the word much might
suggest that while deacons are permitted to drink some wine, elders are not
to drink any wine. However, wine was the common beverage of the day. It
was used to purify water. If Paul had meant that overseers do not drink wine
at all, he could have easily said that.
That Paul was not prohibiting the drinking of wine is further suggested by
the fact that later in this very letter he told Timothy to drink wine for his
stomach problems (5:23). Though Timothy was not an overseer, surely Paul
would not command him to do something that elders should not do.
The prohibition against being given to wine would apply to all intoxicating
beverages or drugs. Anyone whose speech, actions, or judgment is impaired
by one or more drugs should not be an overseer.
An elder is not violent, not one who tends to fight. This includes both
verbal and physical fighting. One who often yells at people is combative
even if he never hits anyone.
The Critical Text omits the phrase not greedy for money. However, the
majority of manuscripts include it. Elders in the first century were paid
(5:17-18). They were not to serve out of greed for riches. While receiving
the money might be nice, an elder should not be trying to get rich by taking
advantage of the congregation. This is the antithesis of prosperity theology
(cf. Heb 13:5; 1 Pet 5:2). The love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1
Tim 6:10).
Being gentle is essentially the opposite of being violent or quarrelsome
(the next qualification). An elder is to be kind, forbearing.
Not quarrelsome is close to being not violent. When put in situations
where even a normal person would quarrel, this man would remain in
control and would not engage in the argument.
Not covetous means that the overseer is not to covet what belongs to
others. The same word occurs in Heb 13:5.
One who rules his own house well, having his children in submission
with all reverence probably means an overseer must have children, must
have a functional home, and that his children must not be prodigals (cf.
Titus 1:6).
Not a novice refers to not being a new convert. Honor and authority attend
this position. Thus it is not for those who are not ready for it. When does
one cease being a new convert?
The Corinthians had been believers about four to five years when Paul
chastised them for still being babes in Christ, for not being spiritual yet (1
Cor 3:1-3). See also Heb 5:11-14.
Thus a person likely could cease to be a novice after several years of
Christian instruction. No new believer should be made an overseer,
regardless of how highly regarded he might be.
One of the reasons a novice should not be an elder is lest being puffed up
with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. Of course
pride was the reason the devil fell. The same condemnation does not refer to
hell. It refers to temporal judgment and falling from one’s former estate.
Just as the devil lost his position as an archangel, so a prideful elder will
lose his office as overseer.
He must have a good testimony among those who are outside. The
phrase those who are outside refers to unbelievers. If a person with a bad
reputation is made an overseer, he will fall into reproach and the snare of
the devil. Reproach is a tool Satan uses to discourage and hurt the new
overseer. This is like the first qualification, blameless. The difference is that
here this concerns those outside the church.
3:8. Deacons must be reverent, which means they must fear the Lord. A
deacon loves and is in awe of the Lord Jesus.
Not being double-tongued means a person avoids saying two
contradictory things to different people. The word of a deacon must be
trustworthy.
See the discussion under 3:3 above for the last two qualifications in v 8.
(Clearly not given to much wine means that a deacon may drink wine in
moderation.)
3:9. That deacons must hold the mystery of the faith with a pure
conscience refers to the fact that these men are well grounded in the faith.
That Paul speaks of the mystery of the faith is surprising. Of course, the
church was a mystery in the OT. In what sense is the faith a mystery? One
option is that Paul is referring here to the fact that the gospel is hidden to
those who do not believe until God opens their hearts (cf. Acts 16:14; 2 Cor
4:4). The second option, which is preferable in light of Paul’s use of the
term mystery elsewhere, is that Paul is thinking of the church and doctrines
related to it not found in the OT.
A pure conscience suggests that the deacon is not to be unsure of himself
and especially his theology.
 3:10. But let these also first be tested is a requirement not stated for
elders, though it reasonably applies to them as well. Paul does not indicate
what type of examination he has in mind. Evidently he means that this is to
be a careful decision.
Of course in this case Timothy was the one who ultimately decided who
was qualified to be a deacon (or elder). He was a representative of Paul.
Today the ones selecting deacons could be the elders, or the deacons if the
church has established them in the past.
The aim in testing is that a man be found blameless. See the discussion
above under 3:2.
3:11. In the words Likewise their wives the Greek uses a word that means
either wives or women. There is no word their in the Greek text; hence it is
in italics in the NKJV. To maintain the ambiguity of the original it probably
should be translated, “Likewise women” or possibly “Likewise
women/wives.” Clearly adult females are in view and these are women who
will have ministry.
Whether deaconesses or wives of deacons, they are to have a high
character that permits them to minister well (whether as independent
ministers or co-ministers with their husbands).
In light of Rom 16:1 and the fact that this reference to women appears
before the family relationships are discussed, this probably refers to women
who serve as deaconesses.
3:12. Deacons are also to be the husbands of one wife, ruling their
children and their own houses well. The reference to ruling is a bit
puzzling. Is Paul alluding to the fact that deacons will rule in the life to
come if they persevere in faith and good works? That is likely his point. See
the discussions above under 3:2 and 3:4-5.
3:13. Paul concludes by saying that those who have served well as
deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in
the faith which is in Christ Jesus. Is this promised reward for deacons,
deacons and elders, or all who serve?
The Greek here (kalōs diakonēsantes) can be translated “those who serve
well” or “those who serve well as deacons” (see also 3:10, which has the
same verb, but without the adverb). There is no reason to think that only
deacons have obtained (or will obtain) these things. Verse 13 concludes the
discussion of both elders and deacons.
 One who serves well has taken a step up in the Christian community. He
has a good standing, that is, an advanced standing, here and now. Yet Paul
is probably also thinking of future advanced standing in the life to come.
Those who serve well also obtain for themselves great boldness in the
faith. The boldness is also likely both now and in the life to come (cf. 4:8).
Boldness before Christ is an important truth with regard to the Judgment
Seat of Christ (1 John 2:28).
Since those who have served well presupposes one has done this for some
time, the emphasis is on future reward. However, this need not be restricted
to the life to come.
How do the stated requirements for a deacon differ from those of an
overseer?
Three of the elder requirements are not specifically repeated as deacon
requirements. Being “able to teach” is not stated as a requirement of a
deacon. Nor does Paul say that a deacon must not be a novice believer. Nor
does Paul indicate that deacons are required to be older men.
There are two special requirements for deacons that are not specifically
stated as requirements for elders. Deacons are specifically required to be
not double-tongued and, if the reference to women here refers to the wives
of deacons, then there are stated requirements for the wives of deacons.
One should not assume that if a requirement is given for one office but not
the other that Paul is denying the need for that requirement in the other
office. For example, surely Paul did not mean that elders could be double-
tongued, but not deacons. Likewise, it is extremely unlikely that Paul would
condone new believers being deacons.
How are the stated requirements the same? Deacons as well as elders are
to be blameless, not greedy for money, not given to much wine (versus not
given to wine), husbands of one wife, and ones who rule their children and
houses well.
How does the function of deacons differ from that of elders? Paul does not
say anything about what deacons are to do. Acts 6:1-3 explains what the
first deacons did. If they were a pattern for all deacons, then deacons are to
minister to physical needs in the church such as ministering to the poor and
the sick. Elders concentrate more on spiritual matters such as teaching in
the church, church discipline, prayers for the church, and so forth.
 D. Paul’s Desire for Timothy and the Church in Ephesus (3:14-16)
3:14-16. Though Paul was writing these things, his hope was to visit
Timothy shortly. Paul’s love for Timothy is evident.
Paul wanted Timothy to know how he ought to conduct himself in the
house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and
ground of the truth. Paul speaks of the house of God, the local church,
with solemnity. How believers conduct themselves at church is no small
matter.
The church is the pillar and ground of the truth. Much as a pillar supports
a roof, the local church is to hold up the truth. Without the church, there
would be nothing on earth to hold up God’s truth.
The ground is that on which things are built. Thus the church is the
foundation on which the truth is built. Without the church, the truth would
not have a foundation on which to stand. The church protects the truth in
the face of all who attack it.
Biblically sound churches bless those in their location by being there. Such
churches shine the truth into a dark and dying world.
Paul closes this section with a hymn on the mystery of godliness. This
expression mystery of godliness refers to the mystery that belonged to
godliness, or the hidden truth which is the basis of all practical godliness.
The hymn concerns Jesus Christ. This is the truth the church is to uphold.
The truth is all about Jesus. It moves us from His incarnation (the first
line) to His ascension (sixth line).
Part one of the hymn deals with the life of the incarnate Christ. As seen on
earth God was manifested in the flesh. Jesus became a man.
He was justified in the Spirit. Justified here means vindicated as in the
clause “wisdom is justified by her children.” Jesus was vindicated in or by
the Holy Spirit. When God raised Him from the dead, His claims were
vindicated and thus He Himself was vindicated.
Being watched from heaven Jesus was seen by angels.
Part two of the hymn concerns the life of the ascended Lord. On earth He
was preached among the Gentiles (or nations) and believed on in the
world. In heaven He was received up in glory.
This beautiful hymn summarizing Christian truth is a fitting summary to
the section on church order. Next Paul moves into the problem of coming
apostasy (4:1-6:2).
IV. Various Instructions on How to Oversee the Church (4:1–6:2)
After having dealt in chap. 2 with meetings in the church and in chap. 3
with the leaders of the church (elders and deacons), Paul now turns back to
the problem he first raised in chap. 1, false teachers who hurt those in the
church.
A. Warning about False Teaching (4:1-5)
4:1. The words the Spirit expressly says could refer to prophecies made
by the OT prophets or by the Lord Jesus. Or it might well refer to what God
had revealed to Paul. In any case this was a prophetic word from God and
thus was certain to occur.
The expression in latter times is not identical to the expression “in the last
days.” Paul is thinking of a time future to his writing, not necessarily the
end of the age. However, since Paul considered that the Rapture might well
occur in his lifetime (1 Thess 4:17), this may well have a similar focus.
The warning that some will depart from the faith concerns major
doctrinal defection of the types illustrated here. Paul indicates that the
ultimate source of false teaching is demonic, not human. Such defection
occurs when people give heed to deceiving spirits and [to] doctrines of
demons. Paul seems to be suggesting that Satan and his minions have
doctrines of their own which they wish to impose on the church.
4:2. Those who will depart from the faith will be speaking lies in
hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron. The false
teachers will be speaking lies and they will know it, for they will do so in
hypocrisy. Paul was likely thinking here of those who promote religion to
make money. They will not follow their own teachings and yet they will
feel no pangs of conscience.
4:3-5. Paul cites two examples of this false teaching: unbiblical restrictions
regarding marriage and food.
The Bible regulates and restricts marriage in many ways. But it is not
guilty of forbidding [people] to marry. Paul himself elsewhere encourages
people not to marry (1 Cor 7:25-27), but he does not forbid it.
The OT Law had many restrictions as to what foods would be eaten. The
NT only restricts the eating of food in its blood and of drinking blood.
Besides that, all plants and animals may be eaten (Gen 9:3). The false
teachers commanded people to abstain from foods.
Both of these faulty prohibitions are forms of asceticism, which involves
following man-made rules in an effort to become godly. Paul refutes only
the second, most likely because the first form of asceticism was not much of
a problem in his day, but the second already was.
Foods are to be received with thanksgiving. Formal giving of thanks that
is not representative of a truly thankful heart is a dead ritual.
Why does Paul mention the word of God and prayer as two elements
involved in sanctifying foods? (In Christianity not only should the Christian
be set apart, but also his food should be.) This could refer to the reading or
quoting of the Word of God before or during prayers of thanksgiving for
food. This may have been a practice in Paul’s day. Or it may simply be that
God said in His Word that all things are good for food under the New
Covenant. Thus the Word of God sets all foods aside as good.
People who practice asceticism often report feeling much closer to God,
and those who observe them are often impressed with their piety. However,
what is not based on God’s Word is counterfeit and does not produce actual
godliness.
B. How to Minister Effectively as a Young Man (4:6-16)
4:6. Paul commanded Timothy to instruct the brethren in these things.
By doing so Timothy would be nourished not by avoiding certain foods but
in the words of faith and of the good doctrine. The teacher must himself
find his spiritual nourishment in the Word of God so that he can instruct
other believers about the danger of being duped by false teachers.
4:7a. Timothy was also to reject profane and old wives’ fables. Profane
is the opposite of godliness (v 8). Old wives’ fables are the opposite of
wisdom and the Word of God.
Likely the wives’ tales were things like forbidding marriage, avoiding the
eating of meats, and other ascetic practices. In light of similar words in 1:4
it is evident that this was a present concern.
4:7b-8. Paul commands Timothy exercise yourself toward godliness. Old
wives’ tales are contrasted with the vigorous young man in his athletic
games.
 Bodily exercise profits a little. But it is limited. Some use this verse to
prove the value of physical exercise. As one who has worked out daily for
more than a decade, this writer sees the value of bodily exercise. However,
this passage is not a command to or an endorsement of exercise. Paul says
nothing about how long to exercise, how often, or even what to do. Clearly
his purpose here has nothing to do with encouraging bodily exercise. Paul is
encouraging the exercise of godliness. He is saying that in contrast to bodily
exercise, godliness is of infinitely greater value.
The value of godliness is both temporal and eternal. Godliness has
promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. What a wise
thing it is for a person to exercise himself toward godliness. God blesses the
godly in this life. And at the Judgment Seat of Christ, the godly will receive
eternal rewards. This godliness is not achieved by ascetic practices. It is
gained by nourishment from God’s Word.
4:9-11. Paul was motivated to godliness knowing that it is profitable now
and forever. The expression we trust in the living God does not refer to
trusting Him for the promise of eternal life, but for the promise of blessings
now and forever, as v 8 makes clear (see comments under 2 Tim 1:12).
The expression the living God here is likely a reference to Jesus, since
most often in Scripture He is called the Savior. Here He is called the Savior
of all men, especially of those who believe. Here is another statement in
support of unlimited atonement (cf. 1 Tim 2:4; 1 John 2:2). While all will
not be saved, Jesus made everyone savable by His death on the cross. He is
the Savior even of those who will spend eternity in the lake of fire.
4:12. Paul refers to Timothy’s youth here: let no one despise your youth.
Most likely Timothy was in his mid-thirties at this point. He clearly was not
an old man, an elder. (Paul uses the Greek word presbyteros to refer to the
church office of elders and to men who are old.) However, neither was
Timothy a child.
How would Timothy see to it that no one despised his youth? He would
have to be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in
spirit, in faith, in purity (cf. 1 Cor 11:1).
While each of these elements Paul mentions is important, Paul’s main
point was that Timothy was to be an example to the believers in all areas of
life. That includes what he said (word) and did (conduct). Those are the
external things that can be observed by others.
 The last four elements relate to and influence the first two. Those elements
are internal and can be seen only in what a person says and does. The
Christian leader must have an exemplary inner life as well.
4:13. It is necessary for Timothy to give attention to reading because the
NT epistles and books were written in capital letters with the words running
together, and with little or no punctuation. GODISNOWHERE, for
example, could read “God is now here” or “God is nowhere.” Timothy had
to read in advance so he avoided blunders when he read to the assembly.
Speakers would do well today to practice Scripture readings in advance so
that they pronounce words and names correctly and so that they read
precisely what the text says.
The one who preaches and teaches in the local church is also to give
attention to exhortation. One is not merely to teach all the pleasant
passages in the Bible and avoid those that warn, reprove, rebuke, or exhort.
Nothing in this context limits this exhortation to meetings of the local
church. Timothy surely was to exhort all believers as he saw opportunity
and need.
The third thing to which Paul told Timothy to give attention was doctrine.
Doctrine is a major need in churches today. Many pastors and elders prefer
to speak about so-called practical matters, not doctrine. Yet doctrine is
exceedingly practical. Lives are transformed by doctrine (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor
3:18). As will be seen in just three verses, doctrine is needed to save the
church from unhealthy beliefs and practices.
4:14. Paul speaks of the gift [singular] which was given to Timothy.
While many today believe each believer has multiple gifts, that does not
seem to be the case. If that were so, Paul would surely speak of the gifts,
plural, that were given to Timothy. In addition, the body analogy Paul used
regarding spiritual gifts affirms this. A person might be a hand, and if so,
then he is not a foot (1 Cor 12:15). No one is both a hand and a foot.
What was Timothy’s gift? In light of the previous verse and the following
ones, it is the gift of teaching. Timothy received this gift by prophecy with
the laying on of hands of the eldership. We know from the Book of Acts
that in the early Church the Spirit was often received by the laying on of
hands. Possibly Timothy received the Holy Spirit and his gift subsequent to
the new birth, as did many others. Or possibly he received the Spirit at the
new birth, but subsequently received this gift.
 Paul said, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you” To neglect the gift would
be to fail to use it. Christian leaders with the gift of teaching are to teach.
Whatever the gift, a Christian leader is to use it.
4:15. Timothy was to meditate on these things and give himself entirely
to them, that his progress may be evident to all. These things refers to
what Paul has just said. Being an example to the flock and teaching the
flock are crucial tasks for the Christian leader. He must not be lax in these
responsibilities. By so doing, the flock will recognize his progress in both
teaching and in personal godliness.
4:16. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. To be a good example
and a good teacher, Timothy must take heed to himself and to the doctrine,
that is, the body of truth entrusted to him by the Apostle Paul.
Timothy was to continue in them. Why did Paul use the plural pronoun
them when the word doctrine is singular? Surely Paul means for them to
stand collectively for all the doctrines, plural. The church leader is not to
advance beyond apostolic doctrine. He must continue in them. Otherwise,
the flock and the leader himself will be hurt.
For in doing this [in continuing in sound doctrine] Timothy would save
both himself and those who hear him. This verse is confusing for those
who think that sōzō, the verb translated save, always, or even typically,
refers to deliverance from eternal condemnation. Timothy and the believers
he taught were already born again and did not need to do anything to stay
born again.
The issue here is spiritual health. The basic sense of sōzō is well-being,
wholeness, and health, either physical or spiritual.
The church in Ephesus was confronted by men who promoted false
doctrines and false practices (cf. 1:6-11). To remain spiritually well
Timothy and his flock needed to be “saved” (delivered) from these false
teachings and practices.
C. How to Work Effectively with Various Groups (5:1–6:2)
Having concluded the discussion about preparing the church to avoid false
teachings, Paul now discusses how Timothy should work with various
groups of people in the church. After a brief discussion of older and
younger men and women in 5:1-2, he then concentrates on how widows in
the church should be treated (vv 3-16). After that follows a discussion of
elders (vv 17-25) and also believers who are slaves and who have believing
masters (6:1-2).
5:1-2. The word used here for an older man is the same one used for
church leadership position of elder (presbuteros). But it is clearly not being
used in the specific sense of church leaders. Quite likely the singular is used
here, in contrast to the plurals that follow, because the word elders could
more easily be confused as referring to the class of church leaders than the
singular.
Timothy was not to rebuke an older man. Rather, he was to exhort him as
a father. Even old men sometimes need correction. The verb exhort is
implicitly carried over to the groups that follow. The issue in each case is
correction.
Timothy was to exhort or correct younger men as brothers. Many people
tend to exalt themselves over others, especially one’s peers. (Timothy was a
younger man himself.) While Timothy had an exalted position, he was to
confront gently and lovingly, without boasting.
Older women were to be corrected as mothers. Again, respect is
envisioned. Younger women were to be corrected as sisters with all
purity. Paul adds with all purity to make clear that no immorality is to be
involved. The expression probably applies to all groups, but it is placed in
closest proximity to the young women to show that it is especially
applicable there. Many pastors and elders have been brought down because
of failure to treat younger women as sisters with all purity.
That the church is to be viewed as a family is evident in the way Paul tells
Timothy to confront as fathers, brothers, mothers, and sisters. The church is
not to be a cold business. It is a warm loving family.
Paul has been brief in these remarks. Evidently he felt that he did not need
to say any more about these age-groups, with one exception. Older women
are addressed in fourteen verses.
5:3-4. Widows who are without children are to be honored by church
leaders. In the verses that follow Paul elaborates on what honor means.
If any widow has children or grandchildren, then they—the children or
grandchildren—are to learn to show piety at home and to repay their
parents. Today many have pulled away from this. At the least this means
that children and grandchildren are to provide financially for their widowed
mother or grandmother. They shouldn’t even consider letting the church do
it unless they themselves are disabled.
Does this mean that people should not accept government assistance such
as Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid? No; citizens pay into the first
two of these during their lifetimes. There is certainly nothing wrong with a
retirement plan, even a government sponsored one. The idea that
government should provide free medical care (Medicaid) for Christian
widows is contradicted by this passage.
5:5-6. Verses 5-6 begins defining (the discussion picks up in vv 9-15) the
one to be supported. In the first place, she is truly alone. She has no children
or grandchildren able to support her. She also has no second husband to
help her. She is involved in serving God (v 5), not in self indulgence (v 6).
Even a relatively poor woman might be living the high life (either by
borrowing and going into debt or living off help from others). That self
indulgence means she is not living for God and in a sense, though she is still
alive, essentially she is dead to the service of God while she lives. Such a
woman should not be on the list. This is not simply because she doesn’t
have financial need, but also because she is disqualified by her hedonistic
lifestyle.
5:7-8. Here Paul elaborates on the need to provide for our own parents.
They provided for us while we were growing up; we should provide for
them when they are old. Timothy was to command this support that they
may be blameless. We neglect the matter of parental support to our own
shame and loss. Surely the Bēma is in the background here, though
temporal blamelessness is probably in the foreground.
The expression worse than an unbeliever suggests that unbelievers in that
day routinely provided for their widowed mothers and grandmothers, even
though they lacked the revelation from God.
5:9-10. Timothy was not to let a widow under sixty years old be taken
into the number, and not unless she has been the wife of one man. Why
over 60? Probably because those under 60 can work, can receive help from
their children, or can remarry.
Paul is not denying that those in genuine need under age 60 should be
supported. Widowers, single men, and old maids, and widows of all ages
should be helped if in genuine need. But normally those under 60 will not
be in genuine need.
 Wife of one man is literally “one man woman.” Most naturally this means
she was only married once. It wouldn’t make much sense if he meant that
when her last husband died she was faithful to him. Probably few widows
would be disqualified for that reason. The issue here is that she had only
one man in her lifetime. If a widow married a second time, then she was
disqualified from this list. She could find help from either family, or she
could marry a third time, or go to work.
Widows to be put on the list were ones well reported for good works.
The point here is that the church wasn’t going to take funds to support every
widow in need. Only widows who had served faithfully in the church would
qualify.
Surely this is a call for women of all ages to be active in service in the
family and church. Note that Paul starts his explanation of the good works
of widows with the words if she has brought up children.
Other qualifications include lodging strangers (hospitality); washing the
saints’ feet (this is meant literally, for this was done in that culture, though
typically by servants; thus showing her humble service, see John 13:2-17);
relieving the afflicted (giving may be in view, but also mourning with those
who mourn, spending time with the suffering, praying for them, etc.);
diligently following every good work (wholehearted commitment to the
Lord).
5:11-15. Verse 11 indicates that other widows, presumably those younger
than 60, were not to be put on the list. Why? Because evidently to be on this
list the women had to use their energies in serving in the church. In other
words, these unmarried women would do what they could to help in the
church.
However, putting younger women on the list might cause them to cast off
their first faith when they desire to marry. Most likely Paul is thinking of
a woman who would so desire to marry that she’d marry an unbeliever, one
outside the faith. After all, there were few believing men to choose from.
Paul was not concerned that a younger woman on the list might marry a
Christian (cf. v 14). But by marrying an unbeliever, she would become part
of the faith of her husband, a different faith. That would be an affront to the
church which had been supporting her.
Another danger is that younger women supported by the church might
learn to be idle…and not only idle but also gossips and busybodies.
They could easily develop bad and destructive habits.
Thus Paul desires that the younger widows marry, bear children, and
manage the house. Implied, of course, is that they only marry “in the Lord”
(cf. v 12; 1 Cor 7:39). When a woman is involved in raising a family and
managing a house, she give[s] no opportunity to the adversary to speak
reproachfully. The adversary here is Satan as Paul makes clear in v 15,
though it could include humans who like Satan oppose the church.
Evidently some young widows had already turned aside after Satan,
which in this context refers to marrying unbelievers and departing from the
Christian faith.
Whereas today most women are led to believe that true fulfillment comes
from having careers outside the home, the Scriptures teach that true
fulfillment for women comes from raising godly children and managing
their homes.
5:16. Verse 16 concludes, repeating what was said in vv 4 and 8. We
should aid our aging mothers and grandmothers and not leave it to the
church to do so. The church only aids those widows who are truly destitute.
The majority of manuscripts read any believing man or woman not “any
believing woman” (as in the NIV, NASB). All adult children are to care for
their aging mothers.
Paul is not excluding help for needy widowers. Women live longer than
men and hence are much more likely to need support in their later years.
5:17-18. After discussing how we should treat widows in the church (5:3-
16), Paul turns his attention to the treatment of elders.
In the first two verses of chap. 5, Paul spoke of the need to treat all age
groups and all people in the church honorably. Now Paul speaks specifically
of how to honor those with the position of church leadership known as
elders.
The word elder (presbuteros) was used in 5:1, where it is rightly translated
“older man.” Clearly overseers were not in view there. But they are here.
In the early church elders were paid for the work they did (cf. Gal 6:6).
Today only elders who preach and teach are paid, and even then this is not
always done. In many churches only if an elder is a full-time “pastor” is he
paid.
It is important to notice that elders who rule well are to be counted
worthy of double honor. While all elders rule, not all rule well. This
suggests that elders who are working especially hard are to receive more
compensation than those who merely do the minimum required of them.
Special efforts deserve extra compensation.
The double-honor remuneration is especially appropriate for elders who
labor in the word and doctrine. While all elders must be apt to teach, not
all serve as regular teachers in the church services. Those that do are worthy
of more compensation.
Paul cites one verse from the OT (Deut 25:4) and one from the NT (Luke
10:7) to support the idea that elders should be paid. By doing so Paul shows
the NT is Scripture every bit as much as the OT. In addition, he shows that
it is legitimate when applying Scripture to attempt to find the overarching
principle being taught. The prohibition against muzzling the oxen treading
grain logically applies to treating well all who work.
5:19-21. Paul has two concerns here. First, innocent elders must be
protected from false accusations. Thus Paul requires that there must be two
or three witnesses (cf. Matt 18:16 and 2 Cor 13:1).
Second, guilty elders must be held accountable and judged so that the
other elders learn to fear the terrible consequences of sin.
Elders who are found guilty Timothy was to rebuke in the presence of all
[the elders], that the rest [of the elders] also may fear. This most naturally
refers to the elders, not the entire assembly. (Of course, when a man was
removed as elder, all the congregation would be taught to fear. This has led
some commentators to conclude that the rebuke was in the presence of the
elders with the result that the rest of the assembly also may fear.)
Verse 21 is a charge from Paul to carry out these instructions carefully and
without partiality. There is a human tendency to go too easy on certain
people and to be too harsh toward others. Yet Timothy and all Christian
leaders are to be impartial in church discipline and in remuneration.
This passage isn’t about an elder personally sinning against a member of
the congregation. Matthew 18:15-20 applies in that case. This is the case of
an elder who falls below the standards by which he was made an elder in
the first place. This would include the teaching of false doctrine, since an
elder teaching false doctrine is no longer apt to teach (1 Tim 3:2).
5:22. In that day they laid hands on men appointed to the office of elder.
Whoever laid hands on an unworthy man bore responsibility for the future
ministry, good or bad, of that man!
 Christianity is like multi-level marketing, except not only for good. If
people we disciple do well, this benefits us now and in the life to come. If
they do badly, this hurts us now and at the Bēma.
Here more than discipleship is in view. This is appointment to ministry.
This would be like elders who add a member to their group, or churches
that hire pastors.
Paul concludes v 22 with an abrupt and seemingly out of place
exhortation: keep yourself pure. The connection seems to be that Timothy
is to take great care to appoint the right kind of men to the role of elders. In
other words, he is to appoint only pure men. And it is vitally important that
he himself remain pure in this ministry, as in all aspects of ministry. Only
pure men can make the wise decisions necessary to appoint pure men.
5:23. Possibly the reason Paul brings up Timothy’s health in this context is
because it is vital when making such an important decision as elder
selection that you are feeling well. If possible we should put off important
decisions until we are in good health.
Evidently Timothy was not a man of robust health. Though a young man,
probably in his mid-thirties, he had problems with indigestion. The water of
that day was not always good. Adding wine to it purified the water.
Note that Paul didn’t just heal Timothy or urge him to seek a healing.
Rather, he prescribes what we might call a medicine. This is evidence that
the sign gifts were ceasing toward the end of the age of the apostles.
We gain sympathy for Timothy and a more personal regard for him and
Paul and the letter due to this personal touch. Paul cared not only about
Timothy’s spiritual life, but his physical well being as well.
5:24-25. Paul now resumes the thought of elders and laying hands on
them. The problem with assessing whether people are qualified to be elders
is twofold. In the first place, unqualified people may appear qualified. Some
people’s sins are slow to surface. The sins of some men follow later.
In the second place, qualified people may appear lacking in the qualities
needed. Some men’s good deeds are slow to appear as well. But those good
deeds cannot be hidden in the sense that careful observation of a man’s life
will reveal his godly actions and character. Timothy need not fear that
careful, prayerful observation would fail him. What he should fear was
appointing a man as elder without doing due diligence.
 Paul is thinking of God’s judgment in vv 24-25 as well. Not only are we to
be careful in appointing elders, but these verses remind us that Jesus is our
Judge and that He will evaluate all our deeds, good and bad (2 Cor 5:10).
Surely the Bēma is in the background here.
6:1-2. Slavery was widespread in the pre-Christian era. By the time of
Christ, treatment of slaves had greatly improved.
Romans freed slaves in great numbers in the first century, not only for
humanitarian reasons, but also because the freeborn citizenship was
declining and thus there were fewer to serve in the military. Only a freed
slave could serve in the military.
The church of Ephesus over which Timothy was ministering had slaves
and masters as members. Paul wouldn’t give these instructions otherwise.
The expression under the yoke may suggest that slavery in that day was a
difficult situation in which many owners viewed their slaves as little more
than cattle.
Paul doesn’t instruct bondservants (slaves) to seek to escape. Rather, he
tells them to count their own masters worthy of all honor. They were to
do this whether the master was worthy of such honor or not.
The reason was so that the name of God and His doctrine may not be
blasphemed. God’s name and His doctrine are put in a bad light when
slaves fail to serve wholeheartedly. Wholehearted service, however, exalts
God’s name and His doctrine.
It’s easy to see how Christian slaves who have believing masters might
despise their masters because they are brethren. They might expect
preferential treatment, or even outright release (see Philemon).
Yet slaves were not to have such a narrow world view. This life is all about
pleasing God (cf. Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:22–4:1; and 1 Pet 2:18-21).
V. Concluding Exhortations in Light of the Bēma (6:3-21)
After ending his discussion of various groups in the church, Paul now
instructs Timothy about the dangers of loving money and desiring to be
rich. This is an exceedingly practical message today.
6:3-5. The anonymous teacher of v 3, if anyone teaches otherwise, is one
of the false teachers we have seen earlier in the book (e.g., 1:7). Here Paul
gives two marks of the false teacher, one based on what he rejects and one
on what he accepts.
 The false teacher does not consent to wholesome words, even the words
of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with
godliness. Ultimately the words that Paul and the other apostles taught were
not their words, but the words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He spoke through
His apostles.
Apostolic doctrine (literally, teaching) accords with godliness in that it
produces true godliness. But these false teachers do not consent to this
doctrine.
Verse 4 tells how to recognize the false teacher. He is proud, knowing
nothing, but is obsessed…over words.
He knows nothing! A false teacher claims great insight, but in reality he is
sorely lacking in that. True knowledge of God and godliness comes from
God’s Word, not men’s imaginations.
There are 5 practical problems that result from their false teachings: envy,
strife, reviling, evil suspicions (as to the honesty of those who disagree
with them), and useless wranglings. Those are the types of things that
legalism, the stock in trade of the false teacher Paul has in mind (cf. 1:7),
produces (see Gal 5:13-26 and discussion there).
Traveling teachers in the first century were paid by the people they taught.
A clever person might make a nice living out of his teachings. The type of
teacher Paul has in mind suppose[d] that godliness was a means of [great
financial] gain. While Paul made it clear earlier that true teachers were to
be paid for their efforts (5:17-18; cf. 1 Cor 9:1-23), he was not speaking of a
person making a killing at gospel ministry. Charlatans have such ambitions.
Paul then told Timothy: from such withdraw yourself. Paul didn’t
instruct Timothy to keep trying to correct such a person. Instead, he was
simply to withdraw. When a person is unteachable, leave them be.
Godliness is mentioned three times in the first four verses of this passage
(3-6). That it occurs in both sections shows the point of overlap is
godliness. False teachers can’t produce true godliness. True teachers like
Timothy can. False teachers are looking for the wrong type of gain from
their misguided labors. True teachers realize that godliness, true godliness,
is indeed profitable, though not necessarily in worldly terms.
6:6-8. The error of the false teacher regarding financial gain and godliness
leads Paul to discuss the relationship between godliness and wealth.
 Paul begins by saying that godliness with contentment is great gain. This
may suggest that true godliness produces contentment with what we have.
It is not that the godly person is unaware of wants and things lacking in his
life. Paul many times mentioned in his letters his imprisonments, beatings,
shipwrecks, times without food, and the like. Yet he was always content in
his circumstances. The godly person lives above his circumstances. That is
not the type of gain the false teachers had in mind.
In vv 7-8 Paul now gets more personal. Notice the three uses of the first
person plural pronoun (we).
Life is transitory and all we have is perishable. It won’t last. You can’t take
it with you. We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can
carry nothing out.
The pyramids were actually big funeral plots. The Pharaohs had
themselves buried with chariots, gold and silver, and even servants. They
thought they could take it with them.
Christians live that way if they don’t have a proper mindset. They can get
caught up in striving for things that won’t last.
We need to remember what Job said (Job 1:21). That is what is being
reiterated here. We came into the world with nothing. We leave with
nothing. We can only lay up treasure in heaven and other eternal rewards.
We can send it on ahead, but we can’t take it with us.
True godliness means being content with just the meeting of basic needs of
food and clothing. And having food and clothing, with these we shall be
content. We think we need two or more cars, one or more houses, lots of
nice clothes, and much more. Yet really those things are wants, not needs. If
finances change and we are reduced to food and clothing and simple shelter,
so be it.
6:9-10. The phrase those who desire to be rich is probably a specific
reference to the false teachers. People whose aim in life is becoming
wealthy fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and
harmful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition.
These people are not primarily aimed at godliness and eternal reward.
Their striving for wealth leads them into temptation and becomes a snare
that captures them. They are caught by many foolish and harmful lusts or
desires.
They are foolish, because their strivings don’t really yield satisfaction.
 They are harmful, because they destroy what is best in them and others,
the desire to please God and be godly.
The lusts which come from the false teachers drown men in destruction
and perdition. Actually both words mean destruction and thus we might
translate it as “utter destruction” (NIV and NASB have “ruin and
destruction”). The latter doesn’t mean “eternal condemnation,” which is
what perdition implies, as though all who pursue wealth are unbelievers.
Paul is emphasizing the destruction caused by a desire to be rich.
The reason for the danger is due to the fact that the love of money is a
root of all kinds of evil. The first word in the Greek text is root. The root of
all kinds of evil is the love of money.
The words kinds of are italicized in the NKJV, suggesting they are implied
but not in the text. However, the word pantōn is legitimately translated as
all kinds of. There are evils that do not seem to grow from the love of
money, though it is a worldly mindset that can lead to untold spiritual
defection.
Some have strayed from the faith because of their greediness and
pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
After instructing Timothy about the dangers of loving money and desiring
to be rich in 6:3-10, Paul now exhorts him to live in a godly manner in light
of Jesus’ soon return.
6:11a. In contrast to those who desire to become wealthy (v 9), Timothy
(But you) was to flee these things (lit. these things flee). Man of God is
the OT expression for a prophet. It is only used here and in 2 Tim 3:17 in
the NT. In the latter it refers to a mature Christian.
Timothy was to flee the love of money spoken of in the preceding context.
He must not even “desire to be rich” (v 9).
Paul is not here condemning saving for retirement or estate planning. What
he is rejecting is a this-world mindset, laying up treasure on earth (cf. Matt
6:19-21). Mature believers should not desire to have more money or goods
than they or their children will ever need.
Paul doesn’t tell Timothy how to flee these things. Most likely he means
that Timothy should not allow his mind to dwell on riches, nor should he
allow a desire to accumulate possessions and money keep him from giving
generously.
 6:11b. The opposite of fleeing is pursuing. Paul now gives 6 things, in
three pairs, which Timothy and all godly believers should pursue.
Pursue righteousness, godliness. Righteousness here is not our righteous
position before God. That is imputed to us (2 Cor 5:21). This is experiential
righteousness (cf. Luke 1:6). Timothy was to pursue righteous character.
This righteousness comes by the renewing of our minds with Scripture
(Rom 12:1-2; 2 Cor 3:18).
Godliness (eusebeia) occurs 8 times in First Timothy out of its 15 total NT
uses. In light of 4:7-8, godliness is godly living, behaving, and speaking. It
is a synonym for righteousness, but one that reminds us that we are to be
like God, or like the Lord Jesus, Christ-like.
The next pair is faith, love. One pursues faith by having a desire to believe
more of what God says. To do that, of course, he must understand what He
says. Thus the more one grows in his understanding of and acceptance of
what God says, the more faith he will have.
Love is what living by faith produces. The goal of Paul’s instruction was
“faith working through love” (Gal 5:6).
One pursues love by looking for ways to be loving. This can be in giving
of money and food and things to those in need. This can be in terms of
being gentle with and praying for others.
The final pair, patience (or endurance), gentleness. This pair does not
seem to go together as well as the other two. Patience here is not general
patience. This is endurance in the midst of persecution and suffering for
Christ. Timothy was to pursue perseverance. Of course that is crucial in the
Christian life as 2 Tim 2:12 makes clear. Endurance is required to rule with
Christ in the life to come. This patience refers to toughness to handle what
the world, the flesh, and the devil can throw at us.
Gentleness refers to the other side of a godly disposition. A mature
believer must also seek to be gentle or meek in the way he deals with
others. He is not to ride roughshod over others. He is not to insist on his
own way all the time.
6:12-13. Having spoken of perseverance, which introduces the idea of
toughness, Paul now picks up on the theme of fighting.
The Christian life isn’t just “let go and let God.” Fighting is an active
image. This is not fighting as in war, but as in a boxing match. The Greek
word agonizomai speaks of concerted effort. We get the word agonize from
it.
At the end of his life Paul could say that he had fought the good fight (2
Tim 4:8). This is a bit different from commanding Timothy to fight the
good fight of faith. The modifier of faith makes it crystal clear that this
fight is a spiritual one.
In a sense, the Christian life is like a boxing competition (cf. 1 Cor 9:26).
This is not a physical fight, but a spiritual battle. To win in this conflict one
must live by faith in the Son of God (Gal 2:20).
Lay hold on eternal life. Of course, all believers already have eternal life
as a present possession (cf. John 5:24; 6:47; 11:26). Paul is saying that
believers may in the life to come have a fuller experience, a more abundant
experience, of eternal life. To do that, one must lay hold on that future
fullness of life now. In other words, one must seek that abundant life now to
get it later.
Timothy had begun well. He had already confessed the good confession
in the presence of many witnesses. That may refer to his baptism. Or,
more likely, in light of the use of the same expression in the next verse of
Jesus before Pilate, this refers to times in Timothy’s life when he stood fast
in his confession of Christ in the midst of persecution.
The Lord Jesus is our model in how to fight the good fight and lay hold on
eternal life. When persecuted and put on trial for His life, the Lord Jesus
witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate.
6:14. The result of laying hold on eternal life and persevering in a good
confession would be that Timothy would keep this commandment without
spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing.
This command bridges both of Jesus’ comings. In His first coming He
made the good confession (v 13). He is soon to appear again to evaluate our
confession.
This commandment is singular. Yet it doesn’t look at any one
commandment. Rather, it refers to all that God has commanded together. In
a sense all six of the things Paul has just commanded Timothy to pursue are
included in the charge that he keep this commandment.
This idea of being found spotless and blameless when Christ comes is a
common one in Scripture (cf. Col 1:21-23 and 2 Pet 3:14-18). The Bēma is
clearly in view here.
 6:15-16. Jesus Christ is called the King of kings and Lord of lords in
Rev 17:14; 19:16. Thus v 15 sounds like it refers to Jesus. Yet v 16 makes it
clear that Paul is speaking of the Father. While many have seen the Lord
Jesus, no man has seen or can see the Father (cf. John 1:18).
In what sense is it true that the Father alone has immortality? The Spirit
and the Son do as well. The same word is used in 1 Cor 15:54, “when… this
mortal has put on immortality.” Even humans will one day put on
immortality.
Paul doesn’t say God the Father is immortality, but that He has
immortality (lit. the only One having immortality). In light of 1 Cor 15:53-
54 Paul may mean that the Father is the member of the Trinity who will one
day give immortality to believers.
The Father dwells in unapproachable light. This doesn’t mean God the
Father is remote and distant from His creation. It means we cannot perceive
Him by our senses. We see the Father in the Person and work of Jesus.
6:17-19. In that day there were three main classes of people: slaves, who
were clearly poor, middle class, who were somewhat poor but often had
their own dwellings and some possessions, and those who are rich.
Today nearly all Americans would fall under the category Paul calls rich.
Not to be haughty. Haughtiness is pride or arrogance. It is said in
Proverbs to be one of the six things God hates most (Prov 6:17). God
opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Jas 4:4).
Riches can easily produce arrogance, haughtiness. It’s easy to forget that
all we have is because of what God has given us.
Nor to trust in uncertain riches. Riches are uncertain because there are
so many ways to lose money and possessions that are either beyond our
control or only slightly within our control. The Lord Jesus warned of moths,
rust, and thieves (Matt 6:19-21). He also warned that death can rob us of
our earthly treasures and leave us poor in relation to God (Luke 12:16-21).
Note the contrast. Eternal life is certain. Storing up…a good foundation
for the time to come is certain. But the present enjoyment of our money
and possessions is uncertain (cf. Phil 4:17; 3 John 5-8).
Those who spend more than they make, trusting that future income will
cover their present overspending, are trusting in uncertain riches. Our
society has done this for years. This leads to business failures, divorces,
bankruptcy, and lots of stress.
 Oppositely, one can trust in riches by accumulating more than he will ever
reasonably need or use.
Instead, Timothy was to trust in the living God, who gives us richly all
things to enjoy. We aren’t to live on the streets and wear terrible clothes
and eat horribly. God gives us food, clothing, and shelter to enjoy. But these
things are not to be our reason for living. They are not where we are placing
our heart. Our treasure should not be here, but in the life to come (Matt
6:19-21).
The rich are to do good (cf. Gal 6:6, 9, 10). Certainly that includes what
we do with our finances, but is broader than that.
Be rich in good works. True riches are not dollars and gold and silver.
True riches are good works credited to our account.
Compare Acts 9:36-39. Tabitha, also called Dorcas, was known for her
abundant good works. Will people cry when we die because they miss all
the good we have done?
When he says, ready to give, willing to share, Paul doesn’t mean that it is
enough to be ready and willing, yet not do. He is saying that doing starts
with the attitude. If we are ready and willing, we will find lots of
opportunities to help others.
The rich person’s treasure should be in the life to come. That is where he
should be laying it up. They are already rich in this present age (v 17). But
will they be rich in the time to come?
As Paul commanded Timothy himself in v 12, now he commands rich
believers (through Timothy) to lay hold on eternal life. Verse 19 helps
interpret v 12. The way one lays hold on eternal life is by storing up for
oneself a good foundation for the time to come by being rich in good works
and by giving and sharing.
In this way, rich believers may in the life to come have a full experience,
an abundant experience, of eternal life.
6:20-21. Paul ends as he began in chap. 1 with a warning about false
teachers. False knowledge is destructive. Doctrine matters.
Timothy was to avoid the profane and idle babblings and
contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge. As a result of such
false teaching some believers of that day had strayed concerning the faith.
On essential points of doctrine we must not waffle.
Paul ends the letter with his customary Grace be with you. Amen.
 2 Timothy
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
Second Timothy is the third and last of the three Pastoral Epistles, written
from prison in Rome just a few weeks or months before Paul was executed
for his faith.
Authorship
Paul identifies himself as the author (1:1). Though disputed, the external
and internal evidence shows Paul was indeed the author.
Audience, Date, and Destination
Paul indicates in Second Timothy that his death is imminent: “The time of
my departure is at hand” (4:6). Paul wrote this letter from prison in Rome,
probably in AD 64.
As in the first epistle, Paul calls Timothy “a beloved son” (1:2) and “my
son” (2:1). Timothy was still guiding the church at Ephesus.
Purpose
Paul had two main reasons for writing this final letter. His primary purpose
was to ensure that Timothy was ready to fight the good fight after Paul’s
death. The doctrine of eternal rewards, found in 1 Timothy, is even more
prominent in this epistle.
A secondary purpose was to update Timothy on Paul’s current status and
to urge him “to come before winter” (4:21).

OUTLINE
I. Introduction (1:1-7)
II. The Call to Remain Steadfast in Ministry (1:8–2:26)
III. The Means to Remain Steadfast: Continue in the Things You’ve
Learned (3:1-17)
IV. The Call to Remain Steadfast Repeated and Personalized (4:1-8)
V. Come to Me Quickly (4:9-21a)
IV. Greetings and Benediction (4:21b-22)

COMMENTARY
I. Introduction (1:1-7)
1:1. Paul identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of
God (cf. 2 Cor 1:1; Eph 1:1; Col 1:1), according to the promise of life
which is in Christ Jesus. The statement concerning the promise of life
which is in Christ Jesus is only here in Paul, though similar statements
abound in the NT (John 1:12; 3:16; 4:13-14; 5:24; 6:35, 47; 11:25-27;
20:31; 1 Tim 1:16). Jesus promises life, everlasting life, to all who simply
believe in Him. The apostle Paul preached not only justification by faith
alone, but also life by faith alone.
1:2. Timothy was a beloved son, though not in a physical sense. Paul
never refers to children or to being widowed (cf. 1 Cor 9:5). Paul discipled
Timothy in the Christian faith and in how to minister in the church.
Paul loved Timothy and wished God’s best for him.
1:3-5. Paul was a man of prayer. He could honestly say: “I remember you
in my prayers night and day [i.e., continuously].”
Paul said he was “greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your
tears, that I may be filled with joy.” Timothy’s tears evidently allude to
persecution he had received as a result of the gospel (cf. 1:8). Paul believes
that if he can see Timothy then he, and Timothy, would be filled with joy.
Paul found motivation to pray for Timothy as he called to remembrance
the genuine [better, “un-hypocritical”] faith that is in you, which first
dwelt in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice.
This refers not to saving faith, but to the beliefs of Timothy and his mother
and grandmother. They were not hypocritical in what they believed. They
were well grounded in all aspects of the Christian faith.
Timothy’s grandmother and mother were early converts to the Christian
faith. They came to faith before Timothy did. Evidently they passed their
faith on to him. Timothy had a godly heritage.
1:6-7. Paul follows his thanksgiving with a call to perseverance. Stir up
the gift of God which is in you means even in the face of persecution,
continue to use your spiritual gift. Timothy received his spiritual gift
through the laying on of my hands. See the discussion at 1 Tim 4:14.
There Paul said that “the gift that is in you…was given to you by prophecy
with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.” Here is it through the
laying on of my hands. The simplest harmonization is that Paul and various
elders laid hands on Timothy when he received his spiritual gift.
Many people wrongly understand the words God has not given us a spirit
of fear, but of power and of love and of sound mind as a general call to
avoid timidity. Paul has something very specific in mind. In his gospel
ministry, Timothy was not to have a spirit of fear, but of power and of love
and of sound mind (cf. v 8).
Timothy was well suited to handle suffering. All born-again people have
the God-given ability. God has made us that way as part of the new birth.
II. The Call to Remain Steadfast in Ministry (1:8–2:26)
A. Do Not Be Ashamed of the Gospel (1:8-12)
1:8. Paul boldly served Christ, even in the midst of tremendous opposition.
This leads to his exhortation to Timothy: “Therefore do not be ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner.” It would be
natural for Timothy to shrink back from identification with Paul, who was
once again in prison for his ministry, and from his identification with the
Lord Jesus, who was beaten and killed. But to do so would be to be
ashamed of the testimony of the Lord and also of the apostle Paul,
Timothy’s mentor.
Instead, Timothy was to boldly identify with Jesus by continuing to
proclaim Him in spite of the persecution that will come: “But share with
me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God.” It is
not our power that allows us to handle this suffering well. It is God’s power.
When Timothy would suffer for the gospel, he would be sharing Paul’s
own experience. Clearly Paul wants Timothy to remember that he is not
alone in suffering, but is having fellowship with Paul himself in that. We
too should remember that whenever we suffer for the gospel, we are sharing
with the suffering of the apostles and all faithful witnesses who have
preceded us, and who will follow us.
1:9. Timothy would have courage and avoid shrinking back from suffering
if he remembered that God…has saved us (that is, given us eternal life, see
1:10 “life and immortality…through the gospel,” and 1 Tim 1:15-16, where
save in v 15 is parallel with everlasting life in v 16) and called us with a
holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own
purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time
began (compare Eph 2:8-9 and Titus 3:5). Remembering we have life by
faith alone in Christ alone makes it much easier for us to faithfully continue
to proclaim that great message.
In what sense was our salvation and calling to holy living given to us in
Christ Jesus before time began? This is typically understood as a reference
to the eternal plan of God which precedes the creation of time. While the
eternal plan of God is likely in view, Paul doesn’t mean that time had a
beginning. He is referring to the time before creation, when we did not exist
and thus for us time did not exist. While God is in some sense outside of
time and experiences time differently than we do, we do know that He
indeed experiences time (see 2 Pet 3:8).
Both our salvation and our subsequent call to holy living are not according
to our works. We often think of justification by faith apart from works but
all aspects of sanctification are by faith plus works. But here Paul makes
clear that the invitation to holy living is also a grace gift apart from our
works. God doesn’t wait until we have matured in the faith to call us with a
holy calling.
1:10-11. This verse contrasts what happened before time began for us, and
what has happened since. God’s grace has now been revealed by the
appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and
brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Jesus abolished
death not in the sense that people no longer die in this age, but in the sense
that death is soon to be no more. Paul can speak of it as though it were an
already accomplished fact. Jesus’ resurrection guarantees the ultimate
victory over death itself.
Paul was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the
Gentiles. Of course, the message he preached and taught was the good
news of eternal life by faith in Christ apart from works and the wonderful
invitation to holy living.
1:12. Here is a much loved and cited verse which is unfortunately also
much misunderstood. The words translated I am persuaded that He is able
to keep what I have committed to Him are normally understood to refer
to eternal life. Yet the issue here is not eternal security.
 Paul nowhere else speaks of committing his eternal destiny to Christ. The
key to unlocking this verse are the last words, until that Day. That Day
refers to the Bēma, the Judgment Seat of Christ, elsewhere in Second
Timothy (1:18; 4:8). It also refers to the Bēma often in Paul’s other letters
(see 1 Cor 1:18; 4:3-5; 5:5; 2 Cor 1:14; Phil 1:6, 10; 2:16).
We must not miss that Paul here asserts what Reformed theologians say is
impossible: I know whom I have believed. Paul has no doubt that he
believes in Christ. Rather than looking to his works for assurance, Paul
looks to his assurance to motivate him to do good works.
Paul believed in Jesus for everlasting life and he also believed (was
persuaded) that his labors for Christ and his sufferings for Him would all be
remembered and rewarded by Christ at the Bēma.
This specific word translated committed (parathekē) only occurs two other
times in the NT (in the MT), all in 1-2 Timothy (1 Tim 6:20; 2 Tim 1:14). In
those other uses it refers to us guarding (phulassō is found with paratheke in
all three passages, though only in this verse is it Jesus who is the One who
guards the trust) the gospel which was entrusted to us. This expression in
1:12 could more accurately be translated “I am persuaded that He is able to
guard my trust until [or for] that Day.” Thus we should probably see here a
play on words. Jesus entrusts His gospel to us and we should then entrust
our gospel ministry to Him in anticipation of the Bēma.
Sadly many today don’t understand the promise of everlasting life. Many
don’t know that it is simply by faith in Jesus that we are eternally secure.
Many read this verse as though Paul is saying that he suffers because he
knows he will be judged one day to see if he is worthy of getting into the
kingdom.
B. Hold Fast to the Faith (1:13-18)
Paul concludes the first chapter with a call to Timothy to hold fast to the
solid teaching he received.
1:13. Paul moves from his own Bēma motivation to how this should
impact Timothy: Hold fast the pattern of sound words. Successful Bēma-
related ministry emerges from sound doctrine. We must hold fast to sound
doctrine or our ministry will suffer.
1:14. Paul now refers to that good thing which was committed to
Timothy which he was to keep [or guard] by the Holy Spirit who dwells
in us. The connection with v 12 is unmistakable, though now it is Timothy,
not the Lord Jesus, who is one who will do the guarding of the trust. Of
course, if Timothy does that, then the Lord Jesus will guard the rewards
which flow from that.
We must guard the good news message which has been entrusted to us. We
dare not change it to make it more appealing to people. Sadly today the
gospel most people within Christendom proclaim is not the gospel which
was entrusted to us by the Lord Jesus.
1:15. Paul gives two specific examples of unfaithfulness: Phygellus and
Hermogenes. These were believers who turned away from Paul and in
effect who showed they were ashamed of Paul’s chains and ashamed of the
gospel. Timothy was not to imitate such examples.
1:16-18. Paul then gives one specific example of faithfulness for Timothy
to follow: Onesiphorus. Unlike Phygellus and Hermogenes, he often
refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain. He took great pains to
find Paul, in spite of the personal risk that he was taking in associating with
him.
Paul anticipates that in that Day, that is, at the Bēma, Onesiphorus would
find mercy from the Lord. When we are merciful to other believers in
need, then we store up mercy at the Bēma (compare James 2:13 which uses
the same word eleos).
C. Be Strong in His Grace (2:1-13)
2:1. Paul’s spiritual child (the Greek has “my child,” not my son, here)
needed to be strong. This strength, Paul reminds him, was found in the
grace [or favor] that is in Christ Jesus.
Paul doesn’t give much help here about how Timothy was to be strong in
Jesus Christ. The idea is passive. Paul is telling him to allow God to make
him strong.
Spiritual strength comes from partaking of God’s Word (see Rom 12:1-2
and 2 Cor 3:18).
Possibly the second verse is linked to the first in the sense that it is one
way in which Timothy can both strengthen others and be strengthened
himself.
2:2. Timothy needed to help strengthen his disciples, and indeed pass on
all that Paul had taught him.
 There is no room here for secret wisdom passed down from Paul to
Timothy that only select people know. Paul taught Timothy in the presence
of many witnesses.
Why all this teaching of others? It is because the Christian life is not
instinctive. It is taught. Disciples are made, not born.
The faithful men who will be able to teach others also most likely refers
to elders and the others also probably refers to men the elders will teach
who themselves will become elders in the future (cf. 1 Tim 3:2, “able to
teach”).
Paul is soon leaving (see 4:6). Timothy too won’t be there for long. Pastors
and church leaders are called to prepare now for their own successors.
2:3-4. Paul knew that Timothy was going to face the same types of
persecution that Paul had faced and was facing. This leads him to call for
Timothy to endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
No good soldier entangles himself with the affairs of this life. A good
soldier focuses on his duties that he may please him who enlisted him as
a soldier. The one who enlisted us in the Christian army is ultimately the
Lord Jesus Himself. He is the one whom we are to seek to please (cf. 2 Cor
5:9-10).
2:5. Paul next turns his attention to athletes. An athlete is not crowned,
that is, he is not rewarded with the prize of victors, unless he competes
according to the rules. The idea here is that Christians too have rules to
follow. Our rules are the commands of the Word of God. While we live by
faith in Christ and not by following rules, if our faith in Christ does not lead
us to follow the rules, then we are not truly walking in the light by faith.
Compare 1 Cor 9:24-27 for Paul’s extended use of athletic imagery in
relation to the doctrine of eternal rewards.
2:6. Farmers are notoriously hard workers. The hardworking farmer is
the first to partake of the crops. While to be rewarded believers must do
God’s work God’s way (e.g., 1 Chron 15:13), clearly the idea that we are to
just let go and let God mystically do work through us is unbiblical.
Hardworking farmers are hardly an example of those who passively sit back
and watch someone else do the work for them. See also Luke 19:21-23.
2:7. Paul here appeals to the readers: consider what I said. This is a call
for believers to meditate. Paul’s prayer is that the Lord will give
understanding in all things to those who consider what he is writing.
 This is a key principle of hermeneutics. We look to God to open our eyes.
He uses our meditation on the text. But He gives us understanding.
Note that in all three illustrations the person laboring and enduring
hardship not only receives rewards himself, but also helps others. The
soldier is not only earning a wage, but he is helping his country. The athlete
is not the only one who benefits when he receives the crown. The entire
audience is encouraged, entertained, and challenged. The farmer is
producing crops not just for himself. The crops will also feed his whole
family and many other families as well.
All of these illustrations thus imply that when we serve God faithfully, not
only do we benefit, but so does the whole Body of Christ, and even
unbelievers (cf. Gal 6:10). Others are blessed when we endure by being
strong in God’s grace.
There is an overflow effect of good. If you serve God, your wife, children,
neighbors, people at work and others who come into contact with you are
all blessed.
Verses 8-13 lead into motivations necessary to endure hardship.
2:8. The first motivation for enduring hardship is remembering Jesus’
endurance: Remember that Jesus Christ…was raised from the dead
according to my gospel.
Why would remembering Jesus’ resurrection aid us when we suffer for the
faith? Jesus’ resurrection is a validation of His life and ministry. Paul
mentions Jesus’ resurrection as a sort of short hand for His trials, scourging,
suffering on the cross, and his death on the cross. Jesus endured all that (cf.
Heb 12:2).
It should be noted that Paul’s gospel here, as in 1 Cor 15:3-11, is primarily
the message that Jesus died and rose again.
The term gospel (euangellion; see also euangellizein = to preach good
news) is not a technical expression in Paul or in the NT. That is, it doesn’t
always mean the same good news. Gospel refers variously to the good news
of Jesus’ death and resurrection (as here), to the good news of the kingdom
of God being at hand (e.g., Matt 4:23; 24:14; Mark 1:14), the good news of
justification by faith alone apart from works (Gal 1:6, 7, 11; 2:2, 5, 7, 14-
17), the good news of sanctification by faith in Christ (Gal 1:6, 7; 2:18-20),
the good news of the birth of a Son (Luke 1:19; 2:10), good news Timothy
gave about the Thessalonians (1 Thess 3:6), and the good news of the
ultimate judgment and defeat of the wicked (Rev 14:6-11). Sometimes it
even appears to be a general reference to the Christian faith (e.g., Phil 1:5,
7, 12, 17, 27; 2:22; 4:3, 15).
2:9-10. The second motivation to endure hardship is remembering Paul’s
endurance: for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even to the point of
chains; but the word of God is not chained.
Paul was once again in prison as he writes his last canonical letter. He was
sharing in the sufferings of Christ even as he wrote. This is no ivory tower
epistle. Paul knows he is about to be martyred (see 4:6, “the time of my
departure is at hand”).
The apostle briefly heads on a tangent as he thinks of chains. You can
chain the evangelist, but you can’t chain his message.
Paul directly addresses the subject of endurance in v 10: Therefore I
endure all things for the sake of the elect. Who are the elect here? Paul is
referring to Israel, God’s chosen people.
When he says, that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ
Jesus with eternal glory, he is talking about the national deliverance of
Israel from Gentile domination (cf. Rom 11:26) and ultimately to Israel
being the ruling nation of the entire world. Verse 12 shows that Church Age
people can rule with Christ just as the chosen people can and will.
2:11-13. Verses 11-13 are thought by most commentators to have been a
song or poem that was well known in the first century and in Ephesus where
Timothy ministered. While possible, we should not rule out the possibility
that Paul himself created this faithful saying. Or possibly he adapted it
from something in his day.
Verses 11 and 13 are key eternal security verses.
Paul often taught that all believers have been crucified with Christ (Gal
2:20; 5:24). Thus when he says if we have died with Christ, he is referring
to something that is a past reality for all believers. All who’ve died with
Christ shall also live with Him. Note the future tense here. While all
believers already have eternal life (Eph 2:5), we are not currently living
with Jesus in His kingdom. That is yet future. But, as Paul indicates here, it
is guaranteed (cf. 1 Thess 5:10).
The words translated if we are faithless (ei apistoumen) probably should
be translated “if we are unbelieving” since all other NT uses of this verb
refer to unbelief, not to unfaithfulness. Even if we stop believing, we remain
eternally secure, for He cannot deny Himself. Jesus promised that all who
believe in Him will never hunger, will never thirst, will never die, will not
perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16; 6:35; 11:26). He cannot deny
what He Himself has promised. His promise is independent of our
continued faith or of anything we may do or fail to do.
Verse 12 is a key eternal rewards verse. In v 10 Paul spoke of his own
endurance. Now, using the same Greek verb, he says: If we endure, we
shall also reign with Him. Note that unlike vv 11 and 13, the promise of
ruling with Christ is conditioned upon something we must do.
The second half of v 12 is antithetically parallel to the first half. If we
deny Him, that is, if we fail to endure in our confession of Christ, then He
will also deny us the privilege of reigning with Him. Paul is interpreting
Matt 10:32-33 for us here.
Paul was at the end of his life. Timothy and those to whom he ministered
were not. If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. The issue is rulership,
not kingdom entrance.
D. Approved and Disapproved Workers (2:14-26)
2:14. Remind them. Who is in view here, the faithful men who will be
able to teach others also of v 2 or the entire congregation in Ephesus? As
there is nothing to restrict it to the former, it is probable that Paul is urging
Timothy to teach all believers this, and especially the elders of the church.
The defense against error is sound doctrine. False teachers strive about
words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. That false teachers are in
view here is clear from verses which follow (esp. vv 16-18).
2:15. Paul urges Timothy to serve as an example for all believers: Be
diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not
need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. In order for
Timothy or any believer to present himself at the Judgment Seat of Christ
approved to God, an unashamed worker, he must be diligent to teach the
word of truth accurately. Doctrine matters. While all believers are accepted,
only Biblically faithful ones will be approved by Christ at the Bēma.
AWANA children’s ministry gets it name from this verse: Approved
Workmen Are Not Ashamed.
2:16. Going hand in hand with teaching sound doctrine is shunning false
doctrine: shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more
ungodliness. Sadly many Christian leaders have been lead astray by false
teachings. Surely these teachings are not presented as being profane and
idle babblings that result in more ungodliness. False teachers present their
teachings as being from God and highly edifying. The mature believer is
able to see past the false claims, recognize the error, and shun it. Timothy
was to do this personally and to enable his flock to do so as well (cf. 1 Tim
4:15 and discussion there).
There are many counterfeit means to being spiritual today including
spiritual formation, centering prayer, Eastern meditation, yoga, the stations
of the cross, silent retreats, prayer labyrinths, abstaining from marriage,
special diets, liturgical calendars, etc. Ultimately all of these things are
profane since they are not prescribed by God.
2:17-18. Paul now gives an example of two false teachers who are
evidently well known to Timothy and his church: Their message will
spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have
strayed concerning the truth…and they overthrow the faith of some.
Most likely this is the same Hymenaeus mentioned in 1 Tim 1:20 as a false
teacher. These men have strayed concerning the truth. While some
commentators consider these men unregenerate, the fact that they strayed
concerning the truth suggests otherwise. Note too that these men overthrow
the faith of some. They do not overthrow the unbelief of some. The belief
they overthrow (and the one that they themselves strayed from) is that
resurrection of the dead is yet future: saying that the resurrection is
already past.
2:19. Paul is not saying that all “true believers” are guaranteed to “depart
from iniquity.” Rather, it is a call for Timothy to urge his flock to depart
from iniquity. The iniquity referred to here is the ungodliness which comes
from believing false doctrine.
“The Lord knows those who are His” does not mean that those who fail
to depart from iniquity are not His. Rather, it means that since God knows
His children, we would be wise to depart from false teaching lest we reap
His hand of discipline (cf. 1 Tim 1:20).
2:20-21. Paul here uses household items to represent the role of believers
in the coming kingdom. The great house refers to Jesus’ coming kingdom.
Vessels of gold and silver refers to approved workers who will rule with
Christ (v 12a). Vessels of wood and clay refers to disapproved workers
who won’t rule (vv 12b-13, 17-18; cf. 1 Cor 9:27, adokimos). Honor and
dishonor here refer to future sharing of Christ’s glory in His kingdom.
We should all want to be vessels destined for honor. To be that in the life
to come, one must cleanse himself from dishonorable things, in this
context, a reference to shunning false teachings. Abiding in sound doctrine
is what makes one sanctified [set apart] and useful for the Master,
prepared for every good work. What a beautiful thought that is: useful for
the Master. While the Lord Jesus does not need us, it is great to realize that
we can be useful servants of His.
2:22. The exhortation, flee also youthful lusts, sounds out of place here.
But it fits because Paul is saying that false teaching doesn’t deliver a person
from youthful lusts. False teaching doesn’t result in righteousness. But true
teaching gives us the ability to flee youthful lusts and be righteous. Timothy
was probably in his mid thirties at this point, hence the reference to youthful
lusts was especially appropriate, though sadly men far older have failed to
heed this warning. (It need not be seen as referring to sexual temptation
only, since there are other desires of the young including pride, riches, and
worldly honor.)
Paul is not saying that believing sound doctrine guarantees holiness. See
Jas 2:14-17. Paul is saying that true doctrine makes it possible for us to
heed his exhortation and to flee youthful lust. Of course, we must be doers
and not hearers only.
In addition to fleeing youthful lusts, Timothy was to pursue
righteousness, faith, love, peace. Paul does not elaborate on these
elements. Evidently these are some of the the things which abiding in true
doctrine produces. After mentioning these things he adds: with those who
call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Those who are sanctified and useful
for the Master are those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Effective
prayer undergirds the saint destined for honor and effective prayer flows
from a pure inner self.
2:23. Paul now gives an exhortation related to the one he gave in v 16
about shunning profane and idle babblings: But avoid foolish and ignorant
disputes, knowing that they generate strife. Here the sense is not that he
is to avoid listening to these false teachers, but that he is to avoid arguing
with them or with their dupes. Such disputes are foolish and ignorant
because they are Biblically ridiculous. Likely the apostle is thinking of
disputes like the false teachers of the law who made up elaborate teachings
based on genealogies and Jewish traditions (1 Tim 1:4; 4:7). The result of
such disputes is strife. Churches become filled with strife when the
leadership allows foolish and ignorant disputes to take place. The way to
avoid such disputes is to forbid anyone from speculative teaching which is
clearly contrary to the authorial intent.
It should be noted that Paul is not forbidding all disputes, for in the verses
which follow Paul exhorts correcting those in error.
2:24-26. The discussion of v 23 now leads Paul to discuss the broader
issue of Christian leadership: A servant of the Lord must not quarrel, but
be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, in humility correcting those who
are in opposition. A Christian leader is a servant of the Lord and as such he
must not quarrel. This requirement and the ones which follow are
requirements for a church elder (cf. 1 Tim 3:1-7). Since Paul does not
mention the term elder, it is possible that here he is thinking more broadly
of anyone in the church who actively serves the Lord, male or female, elder
or not.
Timothy and all servants of the Lord must patiently and accurately teach
God’s Word. This should include in humility correcting those who are in
opposition. Of course, discernment is needed here. If the area of opposition
is “foolish and ignorant” (v 23), then no correction is to take place. Such
people are to be forbidden, not corrected.
The word translated correcting sometimes refers to providing child
training (paideuonta). While correcting is surely the right translation, Paul
may be implying that in addition to corrective instruction, we should also
begin the steps of church discipline if the person is not responsive.
The aim of this training is the hope that God perhaps will grant them
repentance, so that they may know the truth, and that they may come
to their senses and escape the snare of the devil.
Repentance here is a turning from false teaching with the result the error is
forsaken and the truth is embraced. The expression coming to our senses
comes from this passage. The believer who is caught up in false teaching is
in the snare of the devil and is not in his right mind. To become a servant
of the Lord once again, he needs to correct his thinking. Once again,
doctrine is clearly seen to be very important in Christianity.
III. The Means to Remain Steadfast: Continue in the Things
You’ve Learned (3:1-17)
A. Paul Warns of Perilous Times Coming Soon (3:1-9)
3:1. Having just discussed people taken captive by the devil, Paul now
turns to warn that things will be worse in the last days. Perilous times will
come.
What time did Paul mean? Most likely Paul meant the entire church age.
They were in the last days then and we are now as well.
3:2-5. Paul states 19 characteristics that are to be avoided. Paul is not here
describing unbelievers. He is describing what people will be like in the last
days. This surely could include born-again people if they fail to take heed to
what they hear. These 19 characteristics fall into several groupings.
The first two naturally go together. Both deal with inappropriate objects of
our love: lovers of themselves (narcissists) and lovers of money (see 1 Tim
6:10).
We are to have our own self interest, yes. But we are not to love self in the
sense Paul means here. This is a selfish, greedy, looking out for me alone,
type of approach (contra Phil 2:4). This is the thinking that it is better to
receive than to give (contra Acts 20:35).
This person’s center of gravity is self and not God. They aim to please
themselves, not God.
The next 3 probably go together: boasters, proud, blasphemers. Boasters
are tied to self love and a lack of focus on pleasing God. They brag about
themselves. The proud have disdain for others as inferior to them. This
leads to speech that is blasphemous, speech which is abusive and injures
others. This is an insult against people, and ultimately against God.
The next 6 seem to go together. Those who are disobedient to parents
reject parental authority and later all other forms of authority.
Those who are unthankful don’t appreciate what their parents did for
them. This then extends to what others have done for them and what God
Himself has done. The result of being unthankful is being unholy. Lack of
gratitude and respect produces a disregard for duty to God.
When we don’t have a good attitude toward our parents and authority
figures and we are unthankful and unholy, it leads to being unloving and
unforgiving. Everyone is viewed as an enemy, an inferior, an irritation.
 Those who are slanderers are like the devil himself, constantly accusing
others of wrong doing and spreading evil reports and accusations.
The next three characteristics may well be linked together and represent
increasing depravity. Those without self control lack restraint that marks
the spiritually mature. Those who are brutal lack self control in the
restraint of their temper. They are like wild animals that lash out at
whatever is around them.
Such people are or become despisers of good. They are slaves of their
lusts and of all sorts of suppressed anger and so they hate whatever is good,
including people who are godly.
The next three likely go together as well. Traitors certainly are not loyal.
This may mean that they turn Christians over to persecutors. Those who are
headstrong are rash and impulsive. Haughty people are puffed up. No one
can talk them out of things.
Paul thus ends the list as he began, speaking of misplaced love.
Some last-days people are lovers of pleasure, rather than lovers of God.
Here is the only one of the 19 characteristics that contains both the negative
and the related positive. Clearly Christians should be lovers of God. But
these people are not. Instead, they are lovers of pleasure.
Christians should desire joy. But pleasure is something we must be willing
to forego to please God.
Finally, these people are guilty of having a form of godliness but
denying its power. What is the power of godliness that Paul has in mind?
Surely it is the Holy Spirit applying the Word of God to our lives to
transform us (Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18). There are many forms of godliness
that are not legitimate. Paul faced, as we do today, legalists and ascetics and
mystics. The form of godliness might include things like church services,
baptisms, communion services, centering prayer, Lectio Divina, choral
singing, burning candles and incense, last rites, liturgical calendars, and the
like.
We now come to the only command in the first 9 verses of chapter 3:
“From such people turn away!” (v 5). That is the key to this paragraph.
Paul would only call Timothy to turn away from such people if such people
were present in his lifetime. And since this letter is ultimately for all
believers, such people clearly exist in our day too.
 Those whom we are with have an influence on us. We are to turn away
from people like this who are bad influences.
3:6-9. We are to turn away from these kinds of people, for of this sort are
those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women
loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts. We are back to
thinking of the false teaching that undergirds such bad behavior. These false
teachers work secretly (they creep into households) and their specialty is
winning women over to their false doctrines and false ways. They can often
gain a household if they can get the woman of the house.
These women are laden with sins in the sense that they have guilty
consciences and they are easy prey for false teachers who have seemingly
effective methods of dealing with their guilt and sin.
They are led astray by various lusts, meaning that these women are
pulled by many different types of wrong desires. Their lusts would also
seem to include a desire to be seen by others as well informed; hence the
next part tells us that they are always learning, but never able to come to
the knowledge of the truth. The truth here is probably not the truth of how
one is born again, but rather the truth of Christian growth as in John 8:30-
32, where knowing the truth set believers free from bondage to sin. By
following false teachers, they are not able to be set free by knowing the
truth.
Verse 8 tells of the character of the apostates. He compares them with two
of the Egyptian court magicians who opposed Moses. Jannes and Jambres
opposed the truth. So did the false teachers, hence the comparison.
This is not to say that since Jannes and Jambres were surely unregenerate,
then these false teachers must be as well. After all, Jesus called Peter Satan
(Matt 16:23). That is worse than saying that someone is like Jannes and
Jambres.
Some commentators suggest that Paul is implying that these false teachers
will be involved in the occult, as Jannes and Jambres surely were. That is
possible, but far from certain.
Like Jannes and Jambres, these future false teachers will be of corrupt
minds. They will not think with a true Biblical view of things.
And they will be disapproved concerning the faith. This is quite telling.
Compare this with Rom 16:10 (“Apelles, approved in Christ”) and 1 Cor
9:27 where Paul feared his own disapproval.
 This may imply that these men are regenerate, for in the NT approval and
disapproval are terms uniquely related to believers.
They will progress no further. Compare 3:13. This may refer both to
their own behavior (they will keep getting worse) and to their influence on
others (God will limit their impact on others).
B. Timothy and the Word of God (3:10-17)
3:10-13. Timothy had carefully followed Paul’s doctrine, manner of life,
purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, persecutions,
afflictions. Timothy saw Paul being stoned and left for dead at Lystra. He
saw Paul get up and keep on going time and time again. He knew Paul
wasn’t a quitter. He was one who persevered in his ministry for Christ, even
to the day he wrote this as he was in prison awaiting sure execution.
At the end of his life he could honestly marvel at the persecutions that he
endured. Yet Paul knew that he was able to endure because out of them all
the Lord delivered me.
This leads Paul to a sweeping statement: All who desire to live godly in
Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. That is our lot if we continue to
follow Christ. We should accept it and not shrink back from it. Blessed are
we when men persecute us and revile us on account of Christ (Matt 5:11-
12).
Verse 13 gives the reason why v 12 is true. Evil men and imposters will
grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived. But we should and
can remain strong.
3:14-15. We now come upon only the second command of this chapter:
Continue in the things you have learned and been assured of. Timothy
was no new believer. He was not new to the Scriptures, the OT Scriptures,
nor to oral apostolic doctrine. He knew these things from childhood when
his mother and grandmother taught him the Holy Scriptures, a reference to
the OT. And in years of ministry with Paul and Silas, Timothy had become
a strong teacher of the Word himself.
The word salvation in v 15 is better translated deliverance. In context it
concerns being successfully delivered through persecution. Timothy would
be victorious in this life and its persecutions if he continued to live by faith
in Christ.
 Note that the Holy Scriptures are able to make Timothy wise for
salvation. Paul doesn’t say he already is wise for salvation, but that he
might become wise for salvation. This is an ongoing issue. Timothy needed
the Word of God daily to handle persecution from the wicked. (Compare
4:18 where the verb form is used to refer to God delivering Paul from his
persecutions. The only other use of the noun form is in 2:10, and there it
refers to the deliverance of Israel from her enemies and ultimately to her
glorification.)
3:16-17. These are famous verses which are great on their own, but which
are even better if understood in context.
Paul asserts that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God [literally “is
God breathed”]. Note the change from v 15. There Paul spoke of “the Holy
Scriptures,” the OT. Thus all Scripture is more than “the Holy Scriptures.”
Paul is thinking of the OT and the NT. By this time nearly the entire NT had
already been written (assuming all were done before AD 70, which is
likely). The entire Bible is God breathed. Every word of it.
There are no errors in the Bible. Not on theology. Not on science. Not on
history. Not on any detail. The Bible is inerrant since it is God’s Word and
God does not err.
The entire Bible is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction,
for instruction in righteousness. While some Scriptures are no longer
directly applicable (e.g., sacrificial system), all Scripture is applicable to us
today. We may have to go up the ladder of abstraction to figure out how to
apply a text. For example, while we are no longer under the Law of Moses
and hence don’t need to destroy a house with mildew, we are to be holy, set
apart people not only in our conduct, but in our dress, in our homes, and in
all aspects of our lives. We must not decorate our homes, for example, with
images that dishonor God, as, for example, Satanists do.
The intended result of all Scripture in our lives is that the man of God
may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. In 2:24
Paul spoke of “a servant of the Lord.” Here he uses a seemingly
synonymous expression of the man of God. This expression is a generic one
referring not merely to elders in the local church, or men like Timothy
(apostolic delegates), but to all believers. Note that apart from the impact of
the Word of God in one’s life, a believer is not complete. We speak of
completed Jews, believing Jews. Maybe we should speak of completed
Christians, believers who have matured in the faith through regular
application of God’s Word. Completed Christians are thoroughly equipped
for every good work. One is equipped for good works not by commitment,
desire, or determination. He is equipped, indeed thoroughly equipped, not
just for some, but for every good work, by means of the profitable uptake of
God’s Word.
IV. The Call to Remain Steadfast Repeated and Personalized (4:1-
8)
A. Preach the Word and Fulfill Your Ministry
(4:1-5)
4:1. Before Paul talks of his imminent martyrdom, he urges Timothy to
fulfill his ministry. His ministry is before God and the Lord Jesus Christ,
who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His
kingdom. The Lord Jesus is not only our Savior and Lord, but also our
Judge. Whether we live until the Rapture or die first, the Lord Jesus will
judge every Christian at the Bēma.
4:2. Timothy was Paul’s representative at the church of Ephesus. There he
preached the Word of God. Paul urges him to continue: Preach the word!
This is the motto of my alma mater. He was to do so in season and out of
season, meaning all the time, whether he felt like it or not. In his preaching
he was to convince, rebuke, and exhort, with all longsuffering and
teaching.
4:3-4. The reason why it was vital that Timothy continued preaching the
Word was because the time will come when they will not endure sound
doctrine. Here is an ironic use of the word endure. Endurance in the
Christian life requires enduring sound doctrine. If instead people heap up
for themselves teachers and …turn their ears away from the truth, and
turn aside to fables, the result will be unprofitable (see 3:16-17). False
teachers may sound good, but they are bad for people. Thus the need for
sound teachers is great.
4:5. Timothy was to be watchful in all things. He was to endure
afflictions and do the work of an evangelist and fulfill his ministry.
Watchful is not the best translation here since another Greek word has that
meaning. This word means sober, or figuratively as here, alert, calm,
circumspect. He must not give in to the temptation to be novel or creative.
He was just to teach what God said.
There were afflictions to be endured in order to fulfill his ministry.
Timothy was to do the work of an evangelist, whether he had the gift of
evangelism or not. Of course, every believer is to do the work of every gift
(other than the sign gifts which are not operative today). Thus all are to
give, evangelize, have faith, show mercy, help others, give, etc. I recall in
seminary another student saying something like, “I don’t plan to evangelize
since I don’t have that gift. I will teach God’s Word since that’s my gift. The
evangelists in my church will do the evangelizing.” I wonder if he felt the
same way about the gifts of giving, faith, and helps?
Above all, we are to fulfill the ministry God has given us in our homes, our
churches, our families, our neighborhoods, etc.
Paul is leaving (v 6), and Timothy, a man in his mid 30s at this point, will
need to carry on without him.
B. Urgency of the Call: Paul’s Impending Death (4:6-8)
4:6. Paul essentially wrote his own epitaph here. That is what you’d like
someone to put on your tombstone or in the newspaper obituary. It’s what
you’d like someone to say about you in your eulogy.
His impending martyrdom is figuratively pictured as an OT sacrifice: For
I am already being poured out as a drink offering. The connection with
the preceding is that Timothy’s need to heed Paul’s exhortations is great due
to Paul’s imprisonment and soon death.
The time of my departure is at hand. How beautiful this is. Here is a
man who doesn’t see death as the end. He talks about death like we might
speak about boarding an airplane. He’ll be back to this place soon enough.
He will rule with Christ here for 1,000 years. And later He will rule with
Christ on the new earth. But for now, he was departing.
4:7. As with 1 Cor 9:24-27, here Paul uses the imagery of boxing and
running. What Paul hoped for then, he now indicates that he has
accomplished: I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. In
other words, Paul has fulfilled his ministry. He is holding out himself as a
model for Timothy and all of us to follow.
Then he concludes the three statements with no figure of speech: I have
kept the faith. This is where the expression keep the faith comes from. Paul
didn’t use it as a statement about remaining true to anything, as we use it
today. It is a statement about remaining true to the Christian faith, to
enduring in our confession of Christ. While this could be a general
reference to the entire body of truth we call the Christian faith, more likely
this refers to the gospel of Jesus Christ, the faith alone in Christ alone
message (cf. Gal 1:6-9). Paul kept the faith in the midst of all the Judaizers
and mystics and intellectuals and their false gospels.
4:8. The Apostle now states what his reward will be for fulfilling his
ministry: ruling with Christ. The crown of righteousness may be literal or
it may be symbolic. But either way it shows Paul will be a royal person in
the life to come. He will rule with Christ (cf. 2:12).
Paul speaks of Jesus not only as the Lord, but also as the righteous
Judge. Sadly many Christians do not think of Jesus as their Judge. Their
only idea of accountability is kingdom entrance or exclusion. Yet that is not
related to our works. The only condition of eternal life is faith in Christ.
There is no final judgment for believers (cf. John 5:24, “shall not come into
judgment”). While all believers will be judged by the righteous Judge to
determine our future reward, we will not be judged to determine our eternal
destiny. That was set the moment we believed and our names were
inscribed in the Book of Life (Rev 20:15).
That Day refers to the Bēma, the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:9-
11). The reward of ruling with Christ is not to me only but also to all who
have loved His appearing. Compare 1 John 2:28 which is remarkably
parallel. Clearly Paul is holding out to Timothy and all believers the
prospect of ruling with Christ.
Will we love His appearing? Paul wants Timothy and all of us to love
Christ’s appearing and thus to receive the same crown, the same rulership
with Christ, that he will receive.
We aren’t competing against one another. We are seeking to endure in the
faith and fulfill the ministries God has given us. The more we help each
other to do that, the better off we all will be at the Bēma.
V. Come to Me Quickly (4:9-21a)
4:9-10. Here in the midst of Paul’s touching appeal for Timothy, come to
me quickly, that is, before he dies, he tells of a little-known man who had
for a time been one of Paul’s trusted coworkers. That man was Demas.
 It was all the more urgent that Timothy come quickly for Demas has
forsaken me, having loved this present world, and has departed for
Thessalonica. While we don’t know if Demas came to his senses and
repented, this is a terrible thing to say of a believer, that he loved this
present world. We are to love the world to come (cf. Matt 6:19-21). We
don’t know exactly what prompted Demas to leave. In any case, his motives
were not spiritual ones.
Paul’s previous mentions of Demas in his epistles had been positive (cf.
Col 4:14; Phlm 24). Demas is a cautionary tale concerning the danger of
losing focus and loving the wrong things. And he is certainly a strong
contrast with the apostle Paul who loved the world to come and the Lord’s
appearing.
Imagine being with the Apostle Paul as he is in prison facing execution
and then abandoning him in spite of his pleas for you to stay. It is hard to
fathom someone doing something like that.
Other people left Paul as well: Crescens departed for Galatia, Titus for
Dalmatia. There is no suggestion here that either Crescens or Titus loved
this present world. Evidently they left either at Paul’s bidding, or at the very
least, with his blessing.
4:11-12. Paul mentions three other of his trusted coworkers. Only Luke is
with me. The author of Luke-Acts was with Paul to the end. While that
comforts and helps Paul, clearly he wishes for more support at this time.
During the first missionary journey John Mark abandoned Paul and
Barnabas, ultimately causing these two great men to split up when Barnabas
insisted on giving Mark another chance and Paul was unwilling (Acts
13:13; 15:36-41).
It is thus striking that Paul now says of this same man: Get Mark and
bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry. Paul now
considers Mark, the author of the second Gospel, useful to me for ministry.
Paul was not holding any grudge.
And Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus. The aorist tense should rather be
taken as an epistolary aorist and be translated, “And Tychicus I am sending
to Ephesus.” Most likely Tychicus is the one who brought the letter to
Timothy. Though Paul needed help and Tychicus was a trusted aid (cf. Acts
20:4), his concern for the church in Ephesus led him to send Tychicus there.
That will free Timothy to be able to go to Rome with Mark to visit Paul.
 4:13. We see a very personal and practical side of Paul here: Bring the
cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas when you come—and the books,
especially the parchments. It was cold in prison and winter was
approaching. The books Paul wishes were of two types, those on fragile
papyri, and those durable ones written on the skins of animals, called
parchments. What these books were is not stated. Probably they included
portions of the OT and it is even possible they included parts of the NT as
well (cf. 2 Pet 3:16).
4:14-15. Paul had experienced much harm because of Alexander the
coppersmith. He warns Timothy: You also must beware of him, for he
has greatly resisted our words. Evidently as Paul was on trial this man
spoke out vigorously against him. Whether Paul expresses a wish, May the
Lord repay him (so NKJV), or a statement of fact, The Lord will repay him
(NASB, NIV), depends on whether the verb is in the indicative or the
optative. The majority of manuscripts have the optative and the context is
certainly supportive of this being a wish. Paul’s desire is that God will bring
temporal judgment upon this man according to his evil works.
4:16. At my first defense suggests that Paul earlier defended himself
before the imperial court and that his case was put on hold until a future
date. Who is included in no one stood with me, but all forsook me? Does
he mean that even his beloved friend Luke was unwilling to speak up for
Paul? That is extremely unlikely (see v 11). This likely refers to the people
present at his first defense. While this could refer to Christians who did not
speak up, it more likely refers to unbelievers who were present and who did
not speak up. In any case, Paul says, May it not be charged against them.
This sounds very similar to what the Lord Jesus and the witness Stephen
said at their deaths (Acts 7:60, “Lord, do not charge them with this sin”; see
also Luke 23:34).
4:17-18. Though at his first defense “no one stood with” Paul, the Lord
stood with him and strengthened him. God gives us the strength we need
to fight the good fight and finish the race and keep the faith. While it helps
to have others supporting us, in those rare times when we are alone, we still
have all the support we need.
The reason the Lord stood with Paul was so that the message might be
preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Paul’s
gospel went all the way to the imperial court.
 Was Paul speaking literally or figuratively when he said, I was delivered
out of the mouth of the lion? Either is possible. Christians were killed by
being thrown to the lions.
This leads Paul to affirm that he knows that the Lord will deliver me
from every evil work and will preserve me for His heavenly kingdom.
The latter refers not to preservation to enter the kingdom, which is
something that is true of all believers by virtue of the new birth, but to the
Lord preserving him to rule in His kingdom. Paul couldn’t say what he said
in 2 Tim 4:6-8 unless God had revealed to him (by special revelation) that
he would persevere to the end. Paul doesn’t mean he will escape
imprisonment (see 4:6). Rather, he means that he knows he will
successfully glorify Jesus through his final trial and execution.
This leads to a doxology: To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen! It is
Jesus’ eternal glory which enduring saints will share (cf. 1 Pet 4:13). The
deity of Jesus is surely in view here.
4:19. Paul here sends his greetings to several people in the church at
Ephesus. Prisca and Aquila are certainly the Aquila and Priscilla who
earlier had discipled Apollos (Acts 18:24-28) and who were friends of long
standing with Paul. In Rom 16:3 Paul sends his greetings to them and calls
them “my fellow workers in Christ Jesus.”
In addition, Paul greets the household of Onesiphorus, mentioned also at
the start of the letter (see comments on 1:16-18).
4:20. After greeting several people, Paul gives an update on the condition
of two men whom Timothy would have expected to be with the apostle:
Erastus stayed in Corinth, but Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick.
We aren’t told why Erastus stayed in Corinth. However, there is no hint that
he did anything wrong. He probably stayed there because Paul wanted him
to minister at the church in Corinth.
That the Apostle could say Trophimus I have left in Miletus sick most
likely shows that the sign gifts were already falling out of use by the mid-
sixties. We read in Acts of Paul healing many people. This verse is used by
many as a proof text of the fact that the sign gifts were less evident by this
point.
4:21a. Paul repeats his plea for Timothy to come to him soon (see vv 9,
13): Do your utmost to come before winter. This is a very touching
personal note. We do not know if Timothy and Mark were able to visit Paul
before he died.
VI. Greetings and Benediction (4:21b-22)
4:21b. He also sends greetings from Pudens, Linus, Claudia, and all the
brethren. These are evidently believers in the church of Rome. They are
not Paul’s coworkers and they are not close to Paul or he wouldn’t have just
said, “Only Luke is with me” (4:11).
4:22. The letter ends with a two-part benediction. The first part is Paul’s
desire that the Lord Jesus Christ be with your [singular] spirit. Paul
wants the Lord Jesus to sustain Timothy. The second part is the Apostle’s
wish for the entire church in Ephesus: Grace be with you [plural]. The use
of the plural pronoun here certainly shows that Paul expected Timothy to
share this letter with the church.
 Titus
ROBERT N. WILKIN
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
Paul identifies himself by name (1:1). While some dispute Pauline
authorship, the external and internal evidence convincingly show that Paul
was indeed the author.
Audience, Date, and Destination
The letter to Titus gives no hint that Paul was facing imminent death as he
was in 2 Timothy (see 2 Tim 4:6). Paul wrote this letter after his release
from his first Roman imprisonment (c. AD 62), probably in AD 63, a year
or so before his second Roman imprisonment and execution.
Purpose
Titus was Paul’s representative to the church on the island of Crete. He
was not what we call a pastor today. Nor was he an elder. Instead, he was
given the task of appointing and supervising the elders.
Paul’s purpose through this epistle is that Titus, by selecting and
supervising elders, would spur the believers in Crete to a life of godliness
and good works.

OUTLINE
I. Salutation (1:1-4)
II. Appoint Qualified Elders (1:5-16)
III. Qualities of a Healthy Church (2:1-10)
IV. Grace Calls Believers to Good Works in Light of Jesus’ Soon Return
(2:11–3:11)
V. Personal Comments and Paul’s Farewell (3:12-15)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (1:1-4)
 1:1. Paul calls himself a bondservant (lit., slave) of God and an apostle
of Jesus Christ. Though Paul had an exalted position as an apostle, he had
a servant’s heart. His apostleship was according to the faith of God’s elect
and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness.
The expression God’s elect is found only in Paul and only here and in Rom
8:33 and Col 3:12. Many assume this expression must refer to a
pretemporal selection to eternal life. Yet the expression well accords with
the OT idea of Israel as God’s chosen people. In the Church Age the people
of the Church are God’s chosen people (yet without taking the place of
Israel in God’s future plans).
Paul’s apostleship was designed to produce (according to) faith, that is,
sanctifying faith, in today’s chosen people. And it was to produce
knowledge of the truth which in turn results in godliness, Paul’s main
concern in this letter.
1:2. The NT word hope refers to something that is certain but yet future.
Hope of eternal life (cf. 3:7), which God, who cannot lie, promised
before time began, links godliness (1:1) with anticipation of the Second
Coming. While all believers have eternal life now as a present possession
(John 6:47), the full experience of that life in glorified bodies and in Jesus’
kingdom, the idea here, awaits His future return.
1:3. Paul has the Lord Jesus in mind when he says that God has in due
time manifested His word through preaching. The word is the good news
about Jesus Christ, including justification by faith alone (cf. 3:4-6), but also
the message of sanctification by faith in Christ, who will soon return to
reward believers (cf. 3:7-8; the hope of eternal life is mentioned in both 1:2
and 3:7).
Paul’s ministry and preaching was according to the commandment of
Jesus (cf. 1 Tim 1:1).
1:4. As with Timothy (1 Tim 1:2; cf. 2 Tim 1:2), Paul calls Titus, a true
son, adding in our common faith. Paul’s faith was not somehow superior
to that of Titus or any other believer.
Paul extends grace, mercy, and peace to Titus. In ten of his epistles Paul’s
greetings include grace and peace, but in his three pastoral epistles he has
grace, mercy and peace (cf. 1 Tim 1:1, 2 Tim 1:1).
II. Appoint Qualified Elders (1:5-16)
 A. Qualifications for Elders (1:5-9)
1:5. Before discussing the qualifications for elders, Paul reminds Titus that
he left him in Crete (for short-term ministry; see 3:12) that he would do
two things. First, he was to set in order the things that are lacking. The
expression set in order refers to something that is out of place (such as
broken bones). The churches on Crete were in need of repair because false
teachers were there. Neither this epistle nor Acts reveals who founded these
churches. If Paul had founded the Cretan churches, no doubt he would have
indicated that.
Titus’s second task, one that would enable him to complete the first, was to
appoint elders in every city. He was to be developing healthy churches in
many cities on Crete. To do so he had to focus on men who could lead and
teach the flocks.
1:6. The NKJV has a man whereas the Greek merely says anyone (tis).
But there is good reason to translate tis as a man since this blameless
person (see discussion on 1 Tim 3:2) was to be the husband of one wife (or
a one-woman man). Most likely Paul means that an elder was to be a
married man and one who had been married only once (see comments at
1 Tim 3:2). Here Paul adds something not found in his instructions to
Timothy. An elder was to have faithful (or believing) children not accused
of dissipation or insubordination. Paul seems to envision only men with
well-behaved children as elders. A model man with a model family is one
qualified to lead the church.
1:7. A bishop (or overseer) is clearly another name for an elder (contrary
to the idea in many churches that a bishop is some official over groups of
churches) since Paul is here explaining how Titus is to carry out his
command to appoint elders in every city (v 5). Paul repeats the need to be
blameless and adds as a steward of God. A steward was a person put in
charge of a household. Blameless men are to be stewards over the
household of faith. As God’s stewards they are accountable to Him for how
they supervise the growth of the church (cf. Heb 13:17).
Paul listed five things that are not to characterize overseers: not sell-
willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, and not
greedy for money. He was not to be self-willed, but was to look out for the
interests of others (Phil 2:4). Control of one’s temper (not quick-tempered)
is closely related to not being violent. An overseer must not be given to
wine, that is, he should not be one who gets drunk, though Paul does not
rule out the drinking of wine. And he must not be an elder for the purpose
of gaining money (not greedy for money; cf. 1 Pet 5:2). While today most
elders are not paid, in that day it was common for elders to receive
compensation (cf. 1 Tim 5:17).
1:8. An elder was to be hospitable (or a lover of strangers, the opposite of
a xenophobe), suggesting that his wife must certainly be such a person as
well since hospitality is shown primarily in the home. He was to be a lover
of what is good, a beautiful way of showing that this person has the right
perspective on life and things (possessions). To be sober-minded is to think
rationally.
An elder must be just (dikaios), that is righteous in his experience. (All
believers are righteous in their position.) The word holy is not the normal
word (hagios), but is a term (hosios) that also means without fault or pious
in relation to God. The word for self-controlled (egkrates) is used only here
in the NT and refers to someone who is in control of himself and his
emotions.
1:9. In terms of doctrine an overseer must be holding fast the faithful
word as he has been taught. This well-taught man is then able, by sound
doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict. Churches are
to dispense sound doctrine as the means by which believers lives are
transformed (cf. Rom 12:2; 2 Cor 3:18). Paul then discusses the false
teachers, who contradict the Scriptures and oppose believers’ lives.
B. Problems Elders Face (1:10-16)
1:10-11. The reason (For) the churches in Crete needed elders who could
correct error was that there were many deceivers, especially those of the
circumcision (Jews), who came to the churches, taught their false doctrines,
duping some, and bilked the church of money as well. They were motivated
by dishonest gain, not, like Paul, by a desire to please God.
Paul gives little information on what these men taught, either here (the
circumcision) or in vv 14-15 or 3:9 (see discussion there). The word
especially shows that there were different types of false teachers present.
Some were Jewish legalists who taught something about circumcision.
While some of these men could have been like the Judaizers Paul mentions
in Galatians (cf. Gal 1:6-9; 2:3-5, 11-14), the lack of any mention of
soteriological concerns in this epistle makes that uncertain.
Paul also fails to explain the nature of their insubordination. Certainly he
at least means that they were not yielded to the Lord Himself. Also possibly
they were not obedient to the government (3:1).
1:12-14. Paul here favorably quotes a pagan prophet, Epimenides (c. 600
BC): “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This is not a
flattering portrayal. Certainly Paul does not mean that all believers on the
island fit that description (though many of them may have before they came
to faith in Christ and began to grow). But all the false teachers do.
Titus was to rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith.
Was he to rebuke the false teachers or the believers who might be duped by
them? In light of v 14, the latter are in view. Some of the believers may
already have been subverted (v 11). Others were wavering. A sharp rebuke
could stop the wavering and even lead to the return of those duped.
This and 2:1 are the only NT occurrences of the expression sound in the
faith. It pictures one who is spiritually healthy as a result of sound teaching
by qualified elders. See “sound doctrine” in 1:9; 2:1; 1 Tim 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim
1:13; 4:3.
1:15-16. Paul concludes his warning about the false teachers by
condemning their character and conduct. For these men nothing is pure.
They are defiled and unbelieving (apistos). The latter could better be
translated unfaithful. The word faithful (pistos) is used three times in this
epistle (1:6, 9; 3:8). Whether these men are believers or unbelievers, the
issue here is their unfaithfulness, not their standing as regenerate or
unregenerate.
This defilement has damaged both their mind and conscience. They do
not think Biblically. They lack the mind of Christ (1 Cor 2:16). Their
conscience is such that sinful actions do not cause them discomfort.
They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him. This statement
and the words that follow it lead many to conclude that these men were
unregenerate. However, their profession here is that they knew God in their
experience. Yet their works show they did not know him in their experience.
These men are abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every
good work. Abominable (bdelktos, used only here in the NT) could also be
translated detestable, repugnant, or abhorrent. They are not obedient
(apeitheis) to God, and thus in regard to every good work (Greek word
order) they are disqualified (adokimos, last in the Greek sentence for
emphasis). Adokimos and its antonym dokimos are used elsewhere in the
NT of believers who are disapproved or approved by God or men (Rom
1:28; 14:18; 16:10; 1 Cor 9:27; 11:19; 2 Cor 10:18; 13:5-7; 2 Tim 2:15; 3:8;
Heb 6:8; Jas 1:12). However, while disobedient believers are disapproved,
so of course are all unbelievers. Thus it is not clear whether these disgusting
false teachers were all unbelievers or not. However, they were repugnant
and were to be opposed.
III. Qualities of a Healthy Church (2:1-10)
A. Instructions for Older Men and Women (2:1-3)
2:1. Sound doctrine is vital to the health of a local church and it comes
from sound teaching. Titus was to teach sound doctrine, though, of course,
much of that teaching was to be directed to the elders so that they in turn
would teach sound doctrine as well (cf. 1:9; 2 Tim 2:2).
2:2. Paul indicates that different people need to be exhorted and taught
with somewhat different emphases. He considers four different groups,
starting with older men.
Titus was to teach older men to be sober (literally and figuratively in the
sense of being level-headed, self-controlled; cf. 1 Tim 3:2), reverent (or
worthy of respect, cf. 1 Tim 3:8, 11), temperate (sōphrōn, thoughtful, self-
controlled, translated sober-minded by the NKJV in Titus 1:8), sound (or
healthy) in faith (or in the faith, cf. 1:13), healthy in love (i.e., healthy in
the love they show to others), and healthy in patience (hypomonē,
endurance, perseverance). Endurance here takes the place of hope in Paul’s
famous faith, hope, and love triad (e.g., 1 Cor 13:13; 1 Thess 1:3; 5:8), as it
does in 1 Tim 6:11 and 2 Tim 3:10. Of course, endurance is to be in hope
(1 Thess 1:3), that is, in light of Christ’s soon return (Titus 2:13). Endurance
is especially necessary for older men who face many hardships.
Most of these characteristics are also qualifications for overseers. The
older men in churches, even ones who are not overseers, should be godly
examples to the entire church.
2:3. The instructions regarding older women are similar and yet different.
They are to be reverent (ieroprepēs, venerable, a Greek word different
from the one used in v 2) in behavior. Their behavior is to be exemplary.
They are not to be slanderers (diabolos in the singular meaning the devil or
the adversary, but here in the plural, diabolous, it has the sense of using
one’s tongue in a devilish manner; cf. 1 Tim 3:11; 2 Tim 3:3).
Older women should be not given to much wine (cf. 1 Tim 3:8 re.
deacons) and teachers of good things (explained in Titus 2:4-5).
B. Instructions for Younger Women and Men
(2:4-8)
2:4. Titus is not told that he or the elders should instruct the young
women directly. Of course, that would occur in the meeting of the church.
But what Paul has in mind here is woman-to-woman mentoring. Here
grandmothers are to teach their own married daughters as well as other
younger women to love their husbands and to love their children. Young
Christian women need to learn how to be loving wives and mothers.
2:5. Also the older women should instruct the young women to be
discreet (sōphrōn; see comments on 2:2), chaste (hagnas, pure),
homemakers (or workers at home), good (agathos, possibly kind here; cf.
Matt 20:15), and obedient (or submitting) to their own husbands.
Evidently loving one’s husband (v 4) is not the identical to submitting to
him. Both are necessary for the family to run as God intends.
The purpose of older and younger women being godly examples in the
home is that the word of God may not be blasphemed. The unbelieving
world looks carefully at Christian families, and especially wives. Fidelity in
family responsibilities is vitally important.
2:6. Titus was to exhort the young men to be sober-minded (sōphrōn
again; cf. comments at 2:2) in all things. Young men were men younger
than the older men (v 2). Since the latter group generally included men aged
forty and above, younger men would be those from about twenty to thirty-
nine. Why Paul gives only one command for young men, whereas he gives
seven commands for young women, is not stated.
2:7. Titus, himself a young man, was to be a pattern (or an example) of
good works. In his doctrine, or better, his teaching (didaskalia), Titus was
to manifest integrity (adiaphthorian, also meaning sincerity; the CT reads
aphthorian, soundness or incorruption), reverence (semnotēta, also
meaning dignity or seriousness), and incorruptibility. The latter word
(aphtharsian) is found in the MT, but not the CT.
 2:8. He was to exercise sound (lit. healthy) speech that cannot be
condemned. These healthy words would result in shame for the false
teachers who would be unable to successfully speak evil of Paul and other
genuine Christian workers. The MT and the CT read of us, not of you, here.
C. Instructions for Slaves (2:9-10)
2:9-10. Titus was to exhort bondservants to be obedient to their own
masters. While it is often said that the term slaves in the NT applies to
employees today, the truth is that the application must sometimes be filtered
significantly. Slaves were not employees. They were property, often for a
set number of years, but sometimes for life.
Rather than seeking to escape or harboring bitter attitudes, slaves were to
submit to their masters and seek to be well pleasing in all things. They
were not to talk back to or to steal from their masters. If slaves showed all
good fidelity (good fidelity implies they should be faithful in all good
matters), the result would be that they would adorn the doctrine of God
our Savior in all things. Doctrine is more attractive, especially to
unbelieving masters, if it is lived out. Believing slaves would be more likely
to lead their masters to faith in Christ if they were outstanding servants.
IV. Grace Calls Believers to Good Works in Light of Jesus’ Soon
Return (2:11–3:11)
A. General Call of Grace to Good Works (2:11-15)
2:11. The salvation here is the cleansing associated with regeneration and
not regeneration as such (cf. 3:5). The expression the grace of God is
tricky. While it surely includes Jesus and His incarnation, death, burial, and
resurrection, it probably includes much more. With the coming of Christ,
God has favored all men in many ways, including the sending of the Spirit,
the birth of the Church, the forgiveness of sins, and so forth. Paul does not
mean that all men have heard the message about God’s grace. But it and the
truths that grow from it are available to all people.
2:12-13. God’s grace teaches believers to deny ungodliness and worldly
lusts, which was being encouraged by the false teachers. Instead believers
should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Paul wants
believers to live in light of a different age, the age to come (Demas, on the
other hand, “loved this present world,” 2 Tim 4:10).
 Believers should look daily for the blessed hope and glorious appearing
of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ (cf. Matt 24:42-44; 25:13).
2:14. The doctrine of substitutionary atonement (He gave Himself for
[hyper, on behalf of, in place of] us) is the means to several intended
results. One of course is eternal life to all who believe in Jesus. Another, the
one stressed here, is progressive sanctification to all who follow Him. Jesus
died to redeem us from every lawless deed and to purify for Himself His
own special people, zealous for good works. To escape the wiles of the
false teachers, believers need to look back to Jesus’ death for them (here) as
well as to look ahead to the blessed hope of His soon return (v 13).
2:15. Speak these things refers to all Paul has said in vv 1-14 (cf. “speak
the things” in v 1). Titus was to exhort and rebuke with all authority, that
is, with the authority of the apostle Paul, whose authority came directly
from Jesus. He was to let no one despise or disregard, him that is, to evade
his authority and his teaching.
B. Specific Applications in light of Jesus’ Return (3:1-11)
3:1-2. Paul now moves to instructions to be given regarding how believers
interact with outsiders. (Everything in chap. 2 concerned fellow believers,
with the possible exception of the slaves’ submission to their masters, but
even there the masters might be fellow believers.)
Believers are required to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to
be ready for every good work. Christians are to be model citizens. Every
good work here probably refers to the good works that governments do.
Christians are obviously vitally important to governments doing good work.
In v 2 Paul is likely broadening the scope. Believers are to speak evil of
(blasphēmein, to slander or blaspheme) no one. While the Lord and His
apostles said negative things about people (e.g., Matt 23:13-36; 1 Tim 1:18-
20; 2 Tim 2:17-18), they did not slander anyone or seek to hurt people with
their words. Rather, believers are to be peaceable (or uncontentious),
gentle (considerate, forebearing), showing humility (or meekness) to all
men, not simply to fellow believers.
3:3. In vv 3-8 Paul discusses what should motivate believers to this sort of
godly life. In the first place, as believers remember what they were like
before they were born again (v 3), that memory should make them more
understanding and loving in their dealings with others. Both their former
inner selves, attitudes, and thoughts (foolish, disobedient, deceived,
serving various lusts and pleasures), and the outward expressions that
arose (living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another) should
move them to be gracious to those who are like that now. The danger, of
course, is that once a person is changed, he has no sympathy for those in
bondage. The opposite should be the case.
Paul is not saying, of course, that all believers are spiritual believers (cf.
1 Cor 2:14–3:3). Some are still babes in Christ years after their new birth
and are still plagued with things like envy and strife (1 Cor 3:3). But for the
spiritual believer his changed life is a great motivation to be humble and
gentle with others.
3:4-7. The other motivations concern the believers’ “salvation” and the
hope that should flow from it (vv 4-8). The coming of Christ is here
described as the appearance (cf. 2:11) of the kindness and the love of God
our Savior toward man. John 3:16 speaks of the love of God the Father
toward the world. Here Paul focuses on the love of God the Son toward the
world.
When the embodiment of kindness and love appeared, He saved us (cf.
Eph 2:1, 5). Everything before He saved us is descriptive of the salvation.
Salvation is not by works of righteousness which we have done. This
should not be read to mean that Paul is denying that unbelievers do any
such works (cf. Acts 10:2, 4). It is simply that salvation is not by means of
any righteous deeds a person may have done. As Isaiah said, they are but
filthy rags before God who is perfect (Isa 64:6).
Instead salvation is according to His mercy (eleos, also compassion).
Mercy, kindness (v 4), and grace and are closely related attributes of God. If
a distinction is meant here, it probably is that eleos shows that salvation
flows from God’s compassion.
In Eph 2:5 salvation is regeneration, but here salvation is through the
washing of regeneration. The cleansing that took place in regeneration
resulted in this salvation (“He saved us”). Thus probably salvation in Titus
3:5 should be understood as referring to being set free from bondage to sin.
This fits the letter and the context perfectly since Paul wants Titus to call
the believers in Crete to godliness in their experience. That is possible
because of the salvation they received that freed them from slavery to sin.
 This salvation is also through the renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He
poured out on us abundantly that we should become heirs according to
the hope of eternal life. The aim of this renewing work of the Spirit is
heirship, ruling with Christ in the life to come. Such is possible because of
the hope, the certain yet still future truth, of eternal life, that is, eternal life
in glorified bodies in a righteous kingdom. While believers have eternal life
as a present possession, in another sense it is yet future. By means of this
abundant supply of the Spirit, believers have all they need to become co-
heirs with Christ in the life to come (cf. Rom 8:17; 2 Pet 1:3).
Having been justified by His grace is not the same as the salvation or the
washing of regeneration or the renewing of the Spirit. Justification, the act
whereby God the Father declares the believer righteous in his position, is
the ground of these other ministries. Without justification there would be no
cleansing, renewing, salvation, or possible heirship.
3:8. Being careful to maintain good works is the point of this passage
and epistle. Anyone who has believed in God (i.e., the Lord Jesus) should
be so enjoined by Titus. It is good and profitable (ōpheilimos, this is the
last word alphabetically in the NT in Greek; it is used only here and in
1 Tim 4:8 and 2 Tim 3:16) to men to maintain good works. Titus knows of
the Judgment Seat of Christ and does not need Paul to elaborate it.
3:9. Of course this teaching by Titus is especially important because of
false teachers. Thus Paul warns Titus to avoid foolish disputes,
genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the law. These things are
the “stock in trade” of Judaizers and other false teachers (cf. 1 Tim 1:4; 6:4-
5; 2 Tim 2:23; Titus 1:10-11, 14). Unlike teaching that promotes the
maintenance of good works, which is “good and profitable” (v 8), this sort
of teaching is unprofitable and useless.
3:10-11. Whereas Titus was to avoid foolish disputes and the like (v 9),
Paul commands him to reject a divisive (hairetikos, used only here in the
NT) man after the first and second admonition (cf. Rom 16:17; 2 Tim
3:5). Clearly this refers not to false teachers, but to men within the local
churches. Titus should reject a man if he did not respond to two
admonitions because such a person is warped and sinning, being self-
condemned.
This rejection might be excommunication, but if so, it certainly is not as
clear as 1 Cor 5:9-13 and 1 Tim 1:19-20. Or it might be a form of censure
that requires the man to cease being divisive on threat of excommunication.
In any case Titus was to be patient, giving a divisive man two opportunities
to change his ways.
V. Personal Comments and Paul’s Farewell (3:12-15)
3:12. Since Paul is urging Titus to be diligent to come to him at
Nicopolis, Artemas…or Tychicus (cf. Eph 6:21-22) probably would stand
in Titus’s place while he was gone from Crete, or even to replace him as
Paul’s representative there if Titus did not return. Paul had not yet sent
anyone, and until he did and that man arrived, Titus was to keep working
with the local churches of Crete.
Paul writes as a free man here, deciding where he will spend the winter.
This shows that Titus was written after his release from his first Roman
imprisonment.
3:13. Evidently Zenas…and Apollos were carrying this letter to Titus.
The apostle Paul is aiding those men in their ministries by instructing Titus
to send them on their journey with haste, that they may lack nothing.
Paul often stressed the need to support representatives of the truth (cf. Rom
15:24; 1 Cor 16:6, 11; 2 Cor 1:16; see also 3 John 5-8).
Apollos was a powerful preacher who is mentioned twice in Acts (Acts
18:24; 19:1) and seven times in 1 Corinthians (1 Cor 1:12; 3:4-6, 22; 4:6;
16:12). Zenas, on the other hand, is mentioned only here in the NT. He was
either a Jewish lawyer (i.e., an expert in the Law of Moses), or else a
Gentile lawyer (an expert in Roman law). Since his name is a Gentile name,
the latter is probably the case.
3:14. Paul repeats his desire that Titus call believers to maintain good
works (cf. Titus 3:8). While this is a general injunction, Paul may be
thinking especially of the help Zenas and Apollos needed (v 13). Possibly
Titus was to go to the churches of Crete to help them on their way. The
words to meet urgent needs are in apposition. Thus helping the travelers is
a specific example of the good works that Paul has in mind. The urgent
needs, of course, include the needs of any believers within the various
churches in Crete. The result of maintaining good works and meeting urgent
needs is that the believers in Crete may not be unfruitful.
3:15. Paul ends the letter with a greeting from him and those with him and
also a unique call to greet those who love us in the faith. The believers in
Crete loved Paul and his team. Though Paul does not say why, the reason is
surely because they realize that the people are true representatives of God.
Surely the false teachers in Crete did not love Paul and his team.
Paul ends by extending God’s grace to Titus and all the believers in Crete.
Most likely this letter was read in all the churches on Crete.
 Philemon
GREGORY P. SAPAUGH
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
Three times Paul identifies himself as the author of this epistle (vv 1, 9,
19). The salutation in v 3 is typically Pauline: “Grace to you and peace from
God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ” (cf. Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:3; 2 Cor
1:2; Gal 1:3; Eph 1:2; Phil 1:2; Col 1:2; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:2). The
language of v 4, “I thank my God, making mention of you always in my
prayers,” is reminiscent of Phil 1:3-4. Pauline authorship has not been
seriously challenged, except by those who dispute the authorship of
Colossians, which is related in some ways to Philemon.
Date
Since Tychicus took the letter from Paul to the Colossians and Onesimus
accompanied him (Col 4:7-9), possibly he also carried the letter to
Philemon. Thus Colossians and Philemon may have been written at about
the same time.
The date of Paul’s Roman imprisonment is AD 60–62, so the writing of
Philemon may be dated in that time period. Since Paul seems to hold out the
possibility of his imminent release (v 22), Philemon may have been written
near the end of that time.
Destination
The Epistle to Philemon is a personal exhortation to one man in a difficult
and delicate situation with another. Others mentioned in the greeting in v 2
are Apphia, possibly the wife of Philemon, and Archippus, perhaps his son
and/or the pastor of the church in Philemon’s house (v 2). It is evident that
Paul and Philemon know each other well. The language of v 19, “you owe
me even your own self besides,” indicates that perhaps Paul led Philemon to
Christ at some point.
Probably Philemon lived in Colosse. Colossians 4:17 mentions Archippus
as part of the church there. Also, as previously mentioned, Onesimus, the
subject of the epistle, accompanied Tychicus to Colosse to deliver Paul’s
letter to the church (Col 4:7-9). Tychicus may have carried the letter to
Philemon, and this may have been the occasion of the return of Onesimus to
his owner.
Several names are common to the epistles of Philemon and Colossians:
Archippus (Phlm 2; Col 4:17), Onesimus (Phlm 10; Col 4:9), Epaphras
(Phlm 23; Col 1:7; 4:12), Mark (Phlm 24; Col 4:10), Aristarchus (Phlm 24;
Col 4:10), Demas (Phlm 24; Col 4:14), and Luke (Phlm 24; Col 4:14). The
church that met in Philemon’s home was likely the same group to which
Paul wrote Colossians.
Purpose
Onesimus, a slave owned by Philemon, ran away and evidently stole from
him in the process (v 18). Somehow, the fugitive made his way to Rome.
There he came in contact with the imprisoned apostle Paul, who led him to
Christ (v 10). Onesimus must have stayed with Paul for a time, for he
ministered to and with him (vv 10, 13).
Although Onesimus is useful to him and his ministry, Paul wants to send
Onesimus back to Philemon. The letter is an impassioned exhortation for
Philemon to have a forgiving heart toward a new brother in Christ.
Scripture is silent as to the fate of Onesimus after this. Ignatius, in To the
Ephesians (AD 110–115), mentioned an Onesimus as the bishop of
Ephesus.

OUTLINE
I. Paul Greets Philemon (vv 1-3)
II. Paul Urges Philemon to Forgive Onesimus (vv 4-22)
A. Paul Commends Philemon for His Love and Faith (vv 4-7)
B. Paul Encourages Philemon to Forgive Onesimus (vv 8-22)
III. Paul Bids Farewell to Philemon (vv 23-25)COMMENTARY
I. Paul Greets Philemon (vv 1-3)
V 1. Paul, accompanied by Timothy, writes to Philemon. Since he is
under house arrest in Rome, Paul appropriately describes himself as a
prisoner of Christ Jesus. He refers to himself as a prisoner only in epistles
he wrote while literally confined (Eph 3:1; 4:1; 2 Tim 1:8; Phlm 1, 9). His
imprisonments are due to his ministry for the sake of Christ.
The primary recipient of the letter is Philemon. Paul loves him and
considers him a co-laborer for Christ. In Phlm 23-24 Paul uses the same
term to describe Epaphras, Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. It is
apparent that Paul and Philemon know each other well. Philemon may have
also become acquainted with Timothy, perhaps during Paul’s stay at
Ephesus (cf. Acts 19:22).
V 2. Included in the greeting are Apphia and Archippus. Apphia is not
mentioned elsewhere in the NT. Possibly she was the wife of Philemon.
Archippus was part of the Colossian church (Col 4:17). He might have been
the son of Philemon as well as the pastor of that church. He is described as
a fellow soldier, a term Paul also used of Epaphroditus (Phil 2:25).
Archippus is committed to service for Christ.
The letter, although written primarily to Philemon, is also penned to the
church in [his] house. The city of Colosse may have had more than one
house church, but it may be that the letter to the Colossians was intended
for this same group.
Even though the epistle is addressed to others beside Philemon, the
intensely personal nature of the letter makes it unlikely that it would be read
to the church as a whole. The addition of other names in the greeting was
perhaps simply a courteous gesture by Paul.
V 3. Paul desires that his recipients experience the grace and peace that
come from God the Father and God the Son. God is the source of unmerited
favor and inner contentment.
II. Paul Urges Philemon to Forgive Onesimus (vv 4-22)
A. Paul Commends Philemon for His Love and Faith (vv 4-7)
Vv 4-5. In his prayers Paul expresses gratitude to God for Philemon. The
motivation for this attitude of thanksgiving is the faith that Philemon has in
the Lord Jesus and his love for his fellow believers. Since this is
information that Paul had heard from others, the faith Philemon has in
Christ manifests itself visibly in his life. Believers were able to observe his
faith in action just as they observed his selfless, committed love (agapē)
toward them.
 V 6. Paul does have a prayer request for Philemon. It concerns the sharing
of [his] faith. The word translated sharing is better understood as
“fellowship” (koinōnia). Your faith (pistis) may then be thought of as the
faith in Christ that all believers share. So the subject of Paul’s prayer for
Philemon is his fellowship with other believers. This understanding accords
well with the later exhortation for Philemon to reconcile with Onesimus.
Paul’s specific wish is that the fellowship of Philemon with his fellow
believers might become effective. Since his “love toward all the saints” (v
5) is already evident, the likely meaning here is “more effective.” Paul’s
prayer is that the fellowship between Philemon and his Colossian brothers
and sisters would be even more active and dynamic than it already is.
The sphere in which these vital and growing relationships can occur is in
the acknowledgement of every good thing which is in you in Christ
Jesus. Acknowledgement (epignōsis) is better understood as “knowledge.”
Every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus refers to the spiritual
blessings believers possess in Christ (cf. Eph 1:3). As Philemon grows in
the knowledge of who and what he is in Christ, then he will become more
equipped to minister to his fellow believers in the church.
V 7. The reason for Paul’s prayer request is that he and those with him
have received both joy and consolation, or “encouragement” (paraklēsis),
because of Philemon’s love. Since Philemon has been such a significant
source of edification, it is only natural that Paul would pray for his
continued growth and effectiveness in this area.
The joy and encouragement that Paul has from Philemon is due to his
positive relationship to other Christians. His “love…toward all the saints”
(v 5) has been observable and he has caused the hearts of the saints to be
refreshed. Because of Philemon’s edifying lifestyle, the believers have
experienced a rest from their cares. Later, in v 20, Paul hopes that
Philemon’s positive response to the letter will refresh his heart. Thus Paul
sets the stage for his appeal concerning Onesimus. The situation with the
runaway slave will be an opportunity for Philemon to manifest the same
godly character he has shown in the past.
B. Paul Encourages Philemon to Forgive Onesimus (vv 8-22)
1. Paul appeals to Philemon’s compassion (vv 8-14)
 Vv 8-9. Paul begins his intercession for Onesimus with an appeal based
on love rather than command. Paul’s boldness in Christ, perhaps reflecting
his apostolic authority, takes a backseat to Christian love and fellowship.
Paul’s reminder of his age and difficult circumstances serves to deepen the
heartfelt nature of the intervention on behalf of Onesimus.
Vv 10-11. The initial aspect of Paul’s mediation for Onesimus is his new
life in Christ. Paul’s description of him as his child and having been
begotten means that Paul led him to faith in Christ while in prison. Paul,
Onesimus’ spiritual father, used the same terminology of Timothy (1 Cor
4:17; 1 Tim 1:2, 18; 2 Tim 1:2; 2:1), Titus (Titus 1:4), and the Corinthian
church (1 Cor 4:15).
Since he is now a believer in Christ, Onesimus is useful in ministry for
both Paul and Philemon. He is no longer unprofitable, a fugitive runaway,
but is now profitable, ready to be a productive member of the body of
Christ. Onesimus’s name means “profitable” or “useful.” When he ran
away, his actions did not match his name. Now, as a new believer in Christ,
Onesimus can live a life that reflects his very name.
Vv 12-13. On the one hand, Paul would like to keep Onesimus. He would
be of service to Paul while he is imprisoned for the sake of the gospel. In
this way Onesimus would be a kind of substitute minister for Philemon
since a thousand miles separate him and Paul. But on the other hand Paul’s
earnest desire is for Philemon to take Onesimus back. Paul realizes that
reconciliation between these two estranged brothers is the higher priority.
Philemon’s obedience to the command to receive Onesimus will fulfill the
longing in Paul’s heart.
V 14. Paul reiterates the idea that Philemon’s good deed in taking
Onesimus back should be because he wants to, not because he has to.
Forgiveness and reconciliation done under compulsion do not really reflect
the grace and mercy of God. But a voluntary humbling of oneself to do
what is right reflects true forgiveness in one’s heart.
2. Paul appeals to Philemon’s commitment (vv 15-19)
Vv 15-16. Having introduced Onesimus as a new believer in Christ (v 10),
Paul now drives the point home. He holds forth the possibility that the
purpose of this episode was for Onesimus to believe in Christ and to return
to Philemon as a fellow member of the body of Christ. Paul evidently sees
the hand of God in Onesimus’s escape. He departed translates echōristhē,
an aorist passive verb. So in a sense Onesimus was “taken away” from
Philemon so that God could use his fleeing to bring him to a place where he
could believe in Christ.
Philemon would now be receiving someone who is different from before.
Onesimus is more than a slave; he is a beloved brother. In v 1 Philemon
is called “beloved” and in v 7 he is termed a “brother.” So just as Philemon
is a “beloved brother,” so now is Onesimus. The unity and equality of
believers in the body of Christ, the church, is evident. And this positional
partnership can never be broken, for Philemon will be receiving his servant
back forever.
Although Onesimus means a lot to Paul, he now means much more to
Philemon, both in the flesh as a partner in ministry and as a new believer in
the Lord.
V 17. Again, Paul exhorts Philemon to receive Onesimus as
enthusiastically as he would welcome the apostle himself! There is great
equality in the body of Christ (cf. Gal 3:28).
The basis of his reception of the redeemed slave is Philemon’s association
with Paul. If Philemon considers himself Paul’s partner in ministry, then
Philemon will reconcile with Onesimus as an expression of that fellowship.
Paul is again conveying the reality and importance of the unity of the
Church.
Vv 18-19. Likely Onesimus stole from Philemon when he ran away.
Emphasizing his commitment by writing these words himself (rather than
using a secretary; cf. Rom 16:22), Paul instructs Philemon to put anything
that Onesimus owes him on Paul’s account. He states unequivocally, I will
repay. Paul wants nothing to stand in the way of the reconciliation of the
two men.
Just as Onesimus has a financial debt to Philemon, Philemon has a greater
spiritual debt to Paul: You owe me even your own self. Evidently Paul had
led Philemon to Christ (just as he more recently led Onesimus to the Lord).
Paul wants Philemon to consider this as he thinks about Paul’s desire for
him to reconcile with Onesimus. Before Christ, master and slave are on a
level plane.
3. Paul appeals to Philemon’s consistency (vv 20-22)
 V 20. A positive response to his plea will bring Paul joy and refreshment
in the Lord. As Philemon’s life in the past has been a source of edification
for the church (cf. v 7), so now will his forgiveness of Onesimus be
uplifting for the imprisoned apostle.
Vv 21-22. Paul concludes the body of the epistle by encouraging
Philemon. He has confidence that Philemon will obey his exhortation
above and beyond what he has written.
Paul hopes to follow up the letter with a visit. His hope is that he will be
released from prison through Philemon’s prayers. If this happens, it will be
a gracious gift from God. I shall be granted (charisthēsomai) to you could
be paraphrased, “I shall be graciously given to you.”
III. Paul Bids Farewell to Philemon (vv 23-25)
Vv 23-25. Paul closes with greetings from Epaphras, also a prisoner for
Christ, as well as Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke. These men, like
Philemon, are co-laborers with Paul for the Lord (cf. v 1).
His final word of encouragement is that the grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ would be with Philemon’s spirit. As Philemon pondered this letter,
his spirit would need to be saturated with God’s grace for he had been
wronged by his fugitive slave. Onesimus is now a believer by grace, and it
is only by the grace of Christ that Philemon could forgive him.
 Hebrews
J. PAUL TANNER
INTRODUCTION
The Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the most theologically profound
books of the entire Bible. It exalts the person of Christ, His work on the
Cross, His ministry as a High Priest, and it anticipates His return to reign
over His kingdom. Yet in the early church this epistle was slow to be
accepted as part of the NT canon, and at times it was even listed among the
disputed books. This was largely due to the debate concerning the
authorship of the epistle. Today, however, Hebrews is clearly recognized as
a legitimate part of the NT. It is also significant for the contribution it makes
to discussions about perseverance, eternal security, the matter of rewards,
and what it means to reign with Christ.
Authorship
The authorship of Hebrews has always been a controversial issue. The
apostle Paul is one of the prime candidates, but since there is no salutation
for the epistle naming the author (as is customary for Paul’s writings), we
cannot be certain of the author.
The many arguments for and against Pauline authorship are more than can
be listed here. Obviously the author’s profound insights into the OT and his
acquaintance with Timothy would argue in favor of Paul. In the Eastern
Church, Pauline authorship was typically assumed from early on, certainly
as early as Clement of Alexandria (c. AD 155–215). Origen (c. AD 185–
254) frankly admitted that only God knows the true author. The Western
Church tended to reject Pauline authorship for quite some time, at least until
the time of Jerome and Augustine in the fourth century AD. Today,
however, scholars tend to reject the notion of Paul as the author. The Greek
of the epistle is more literary and polished than is typical of Paul, and there
are significant vocabulary differences between Paul’s other writings and
Hebrews.
Numerous other suggestions have been put forward, including Barnabas,
Apollos, and Luke. Despite the immense amount of scholarly effort that has
been expended on solving this issue, it still remains a mystery. Though the
author cannot be identified with any certainty, this does not detract from the
book’s inspiration. There can be no doubt that this is revelation from God,
and is a vital part of the NT Scriptures.
Date of Composition
Since Clement of Rome (c. AD 95–96) makes a clear reference to the
epistle, it is certainly to be dated prior to this time. Internal references in the
epistle moreover suggest that it was written before the destruction of
Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in AD 70. Since the author shows the
superiority of Jesus’ sacrifice to the Levitical sacrifices of the Old
Covenant, he would certainly have pointed out the temple’s destruction to
support his case. Furthermore, other verses in the book (e.g., Heb 8:4 and
13:10) imply that the temple was still standing and the sacrificial system
was operational.
Another possible clue to the book’s date is the reference in Heb 13:23 to
Timothy’s imprisonment. Most likely this is the same Timothy who
ministered with the apostle Paul. Yet the NT does not refer elsewhere to an
imprisonment of Timothy, although Phil 2:19-20 might allow for it. In any
case, it is doubtful that Timothy was imprisoned before Paul’s own
imprisonment. Paul’s first Roman imprisonment probably occurred around
AD 60–62, implying that Hebrews would not be earlier than this. The
likelihood, then, is that Hebrews was written between AD 60 and 70. If
Timothy’s imprisonment is after Paul’s last epistle (since there is no clear
reference to it in Paul’s writings), then Hebrews may have been written
after Paul’s own martyrdom, perhaps about AD 68–69.
Background and Setting
The epistle contains about forty quotations from the OT, in addition to
many OT allusions. The author is burdened to show the superiority of the
New Covenant in regard to the Old Covenant at Mount Sinai. Along with
this, he strives to prove the superiority of Christ’s sacrifice, and the
superiority of the Melchizedekian priesthood to the Levitical. And in Heb
13:13 he calls for the readers to go “outside the camp,” bearing the reproach
of Jesus (see commentary on this verse). This seems to be a call for the
readers to make a decisive break with Judaism and its legalistic system in
order to identify with Jesus and God’s new program through the New
Covenant. Taken together, all this points to a predominantly Jewish
audience.
Furthermore, and most importantly for the interpretation of the book, the
readers are identified as genuine believers. In Heb 3:1 they are called “holy
brethren.” An analogy is drawn between the present readers and the
wilderness generation (vv 16-19), most of whom were undoubtedly
regenerate (cf. Exod 14:31). The readers who are seriously warned in Heb
6:4-6 are the same as those who ought by now to be teachers (5:12),
suggesting that their problem is their lack of maturity, not imputed
righteousness. Earlier the readers had demonstrated faithfulness, even at the
expense of suffering for their faith (cf. 6:10; 10:32-34). Also, the stress of
the book is on endurance, holding fast one’s confession, and maintaining
faith (10:36), all of which would be possible only for believers.
The author seems to be writing to a particular community, not just to
Jewish Christians in general. The readers have a definite history (6:10;
10:32-34), the author intended to visit them (13:23), and it seems that some
of their spiritual leaders had already died (v 7), with the result that the
readers were drifting from their teachings (v 9). Some had even begun to
forsake meeting with fellow believers for worship (10:25).
Evidence also indicates that the readers had been undergoing significant
trials and persecutions (10:32-34), though apparently not yet to the point of
martyrdom (12:4). Yet they were growing weary in their Christian
pilgrimage and were tempted to give up. The author was concerned that
their spiritual wavering and immaturity might result in hardened hearts and
outright rebellion against God (3:12; 5:11). He was also concerned that if
this were not reversed, their rebellion might incite God’s judgment against
them (4:11; 10:26-31). Their endurance in faith, on the other hand, would
result in obtaining God’s promises, rewards, and blessings in the coming
kingdom of Christ when He returns (6:11-12; 10:35-36).
Purpose of the Epistle
The Epistle of Hebrews is written to a particular community of Jewish
Christians who were suffering for their faith and thus were growing weary
and were being tempted to give up their confession. The author was
warning them of the dangers of their present immaturity and the
consequences of rebelling against Jesus, and therefore was seeking to
motivate them to an enduring faith that will be greatly rewarded at the
return of the Lord Jesus Christ. To accomplish this, the author uses
numerous arguments for the superiority of the New Covenant combined
with warnings against covenant disobedience and rebellion that might bring
God’s judgment.

OUTLINE
I. The Prologue (1:1-4)
II. The Superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant (1:5–7:28)
III. The Superior Sacrifice of Jesus (8:1–10:39)
IV. The Means and Responsibilities of New Covenant Life (11:1–13:17)
V. The Epilogue to the Epistle (13:18-25)

COMMENTARY
I. The Prologue (1:1-4)
With Christ’s death the New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant. The
prologue introduces important related themes. Some (e.g., the Son’s
superiority to angels) will be developed in 1:5-14. Others are further
developed elsewhere—such as God’s speaking through the Son (cf. 2:1;
12:25), His position at the Father’s right hand (cf. 8:1; 10:12; 12:2), and the
Son’s priestly work of purification of sin (cf. 2:17; 5:6; chaps. 7–10). The
prologue conveys that God has given His ultimate revelation through the
Son, who as High Priest has atoned for our sins and as King awaits His final
inheritance. This prepares the readers for the challenge to be faithful to the
Son and to obey the New Covenant.
A. Basic Assertion: God’s Climactic Revelation
(1:1-2a)
1:1-2a. God has spoken in these last days in a way He has not spoken
before. He has spoken to us by His Son. This means He has made His
climactic revelation to mankind through Jesus Christ. These last days are
not the “end times,” but rather the days of the New Covenant (cf. “days are
coming” in Jer 31:31).
 B. Supporting Assertion: The Son’s Greatness (1:2b-3)
1:2b. The Son’s greatness underscores the importance of God’s revelation
through Him. First, the author mentions the Son’s appointment as heir of all
things, alluding to Psalm 2 (note Heb 1:5), which unites the thought of
God’s Son being King (Ps 2:6) with His inheritance of the nations (v 8).
The OT anticipated that the kingdom would be given to the Son-Messiah (2
Sam 7:11b-16; Isa 2:1-4; Dan 7:13-14). This will be fulfilled at His Second
Coming (cf. Heb 1:6; 2:5; 9:28; 12:28). The profound implication is that
those who faithfully endure with Christ will share in His inheritance
(rewards).
Second, the Son made the worlds (cf. John 1:3, 10; Col 1:16). In contrast
to His future kingly role is His greatness “in the beginning.” As Creator, He
is entitled to be King, and as King, He demands our allegiance.
1:3. Third, the author points out the Son’s nature as God, being the
brightness of His glory and the express image of His person. The words
express image (charaktēr) mean “a faithful representation.” The words of
His person (hupostaseōs) stress one’s real essence. Together, these boldly
state the Son’s deity–He bears the glory of God and faithfully depicts His
essence.
Fourth, the Son is presently upholding this creation, sustaining it by His
all powerful word. Believers should obey His word (which is so powerful),
for He can also sustain them in trials (cf. 2:18).
Fifth, the Son purged our sins, becoming the very sacrifice that made
purification from sins possible. (He is both King and Priest; cf. 5:5-6). The
Son has sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high in fulfillment
of Psalm 110 (cf. Heb 8:1; 10:12; 12:2), signifying that His priestly work is
finished. Consequently He was given this place of supreme authority and
highest honor at the time of His resurrection and ascension (cf. 1 Kgs 2:19).
C. Conclusion to the Prologue (1:4)
1:4. The mention of angels links v 4 with vv 5-14. By tradition angels
were mediators in the giving of the Old Covenant (note 2:2). The
superiority of the Son over angels confirms that the revelation of the New
Covenant is superior to and replaces that of the Old Covenant.
II. The Superiority of Jesus and the New Covenant (1:5–7:28)
 In the first half of the epistle, the author compares Jesus (who established
the New Covenant) to (1) the angels (who mediated the Old Covenant
revelation); (2) two key leaders, first Moses (to whom the Law was given)
and then Joshua (who led God’s people to their “rest” in the land); and (3)
the Levitical priests (responsible for the priestly ministry under the old
order). In each case Jesus is superior, and thus the New Covenant
established by Him must be superior.
A. The Son Is Superior to the Angels (1:5–2:18)
The comparison with angels is the central concern of this section, though
the author will pause in 2:1-4 to exhort the readers.
1. The Son’s superiority to the angels proven (1:5-14)
The author gives a rapid-fire quotation of seven passages from the OT to
substantiate the Son’s superiority over the angels.
a. The Son is begotten of the Father (1:5)
1:5. The author begins by linking Ps 2:7 with 2 Sam 7:14. The latter
promised one of David’s descendants an eternal throne-kingdom (the
Davidic Covenant). In Ps 2:7 David envisions the fulfillment of these
promises to Messiah. Although earthly rulers have purposed to rebel against
God’s “Anointed One,” nevertheless God will install Him as King on the
heavenly Mount Zion, far above all (cf. Ps 2:6 with Heb 12:22). Thus the
promise that the Davidic king would be “My Son” (a title never given to
any angel) finds its ultimate
fulfillment in Jesus, the Son par excellence.
But when was the Messiah “begotten?” In Ancient Near Eastern thought,
when a god elevated a person to kingship, the king assumed the status of
being his “firstborn.” This analogy is applied to the Messiah in Ps 89:3-4,
26-27. Hence this has nothing to do with physical birth, but the king’s
coronation. (“Today” is that unique occasion when the Messiah is elevated
to the status of Davidic King.) Acts 13:33 connects Ps 2:7 with His
resurrection (cf. Rom 1:3-4). Yet He must await the Second Coming for the
formal inauguration of His kingdom. Psalm 2:8 also speaks of Messiah’s
inheritance, “Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your
inheritance.” Hence He has been “appointed heir of all things” (Heb 1:2), an
honor no angel ever attained.
 b. The angels worship the Son (1:6)
1:6. The source for this quotation is debated, but most likely it is drawn
from the Septuagint text of Ps 97:7 (one of several enthronement psalms
looking forward to the Lord’s rule over the nations [note 96:13]). The words
when He again brings suggest the Second Coming of Christ. He quotes
Psalm 97 because it contrasts the Son’s reception at the Second Coming
with the role the angels will have. The Son will be welcomed as the
universal King, whereas angels will assist Him and worship Him (cf. Matt
24:30-31; Rev 19:6, 14). From the outset the author is thinking of our
Lord’s return, an event having important implications for believers (i.e.,
rewards are in store for the faithful).
c. The Son’s throne is eternal (1:7-9)
1:7. In light of the Hebrew parallelism of Ps 104:4, the first quotation is
better translated, “Who makes His angels winds” (so NIV and NASB).
Like the wind or a “flame of fire,” the angels are transitory. They have not
existed forever, but were created by God. Thus, in contrast to the Son’s
eternal throne (Heb 1:8), the angels have merely temporal roles to play as
God’s messengers (the Heb word translated “angel” basically means
“messenger”).
1:8-9. Psalm 45 indicates that the eternal throne is for God, yet the author
ascribes it to the Son. This sharpens the contrast to angels by pointing out
that the Son rules as God. The author apparently extends the quotation to
include Ps 45:7, because it mentions the king’s “companions” (metochous),
a term he later applies to believers who participate in the heavenly calling to
the New Jerusalem of the New Covenant (cf. 3:1).
d. The Son was involved in creation (1:10-12)
1:10-12. Not even the creation is eternal, but the Son is, and He was
involved in creation. As Creator, He existed before the creation and will
outlast it (v 10). In contrast to the eternal Son (whose “years will not fail”),
the present creation is likened to an old outer “garment“ to be “changed.”
Yet His kingdom will not be shaken (cf. 12:27). He is the Creator of all,
whereas the angels were created.
e. The Son rules at God’s right hand (1:13-14)
 1:13. The seventh and final quotation is from Ps 110:1, a prominent verse
in the epistle (cf. 1:3; 8:1; 10:12; 12:2). No angel was ever invited to sit at
the Father’s “right hand,” but the Son now sits in this exalted position.
1:14. In contrast to the Son ruling at God’s right hand, the angels are
ministering spirits. Unlike the Son whose destiny is King over an eternal
throne-kingdom, the role of the angels is to minister, not reign. In fact, they
minister to those who will inherit salvation. By salvation, our author is
thinking not of our Lord’s saving work on the Cross, but a future salvation
associated with His Second Coming (emphasized in chap. 1). This is quite
clear in light of his use of “salvation” in 9:28, as well as his explicit
mention in 2:5 of “the world to come.” Although there is a salvation for
believers to inherit, this can be jeopardized by their neglect (2:3). Thus
before continuing the author will pause in 2:1-4 to warn his readers.
2. The first warning – not neglecting our future salvation (2:1-4)
The word therefore connects this paragraph with chap. 1. Before
continuing the discussion about angels, the author pauses to warn his
readers.
a. Failing to heed (2:1)
2:1. Believers must give the more earnest heed to what has now been
spoken through the Son, knowing they have the potential to drift away
(pararreō). The LXX of Prov 3:21 uses this verb in reference to someone
gradually losing sight of God’s wisdom, suggesting that the fundamental
nuance is a gradual departure rather than an abrupt one. Knowing that some
of his audience had already become “dull of hearing” (Heb 5:11), he warns
these believers that a subtle drift can lead to disaster in the Christian life.
b. Discipline under the Old Covenant (2:2-3a)
2:2. The word spoken through angels refers to the Law given at Mount
Sinai, which angels were involved in mediating (cf. Acts 7:38; Gal 3:19).
Under the Old Covenant, “curses” (divine discipline) were given for
disobedience (cf. Lev. 26:1-46; Deut 28:15-68). These were primarily
temporal in nature, and could be experienced by true believers. The word
translated reward is misthapodosia, meaning “recompense” when used in
an unfavorable context. Under the Law, every violation had its own
recompense (negative consequence).
 2:3a. The author deduces that if even the Old Covenant had consequences
for disobedience, certainly the superior New Covenant would have even
more severe consequences for those who disobey it. Those who do so
should consider that they cannot escape the serious consequences of such a
choice. Though he does not state here what these might be, he will say more
about this later. To neglect (ameleō) means to be careless or cease to be
concerned about something (see Jer 38:32 in LXX). The object of neglect is
the so great a salvation. The word salvation (sōtēria) is not limited to the
moment of personal faith in Christ; sometimes it focuses on the climactic
aspect that takes place at the Second Coming (cf. 9:28; Rom 13:11; 1 Pet
1:5). The reference in Heb 1:14 to “inheriting salvation” and in 2:5 to “the
world to come” confirms that this eschatological sense is in view.
Our Lord began His ministry by proclaiming “the kingdom of God” at
hand (Matt 4:17), though He later revealed it would not be fully inaugurated
until His return (cf. Matt 25:31, 34; Luke 21:31). Thus to neglect “so great a
salvation” does not mean a rejection of the gospel, but rather a failure to
properly care about the future aspect of our salvation associated with
Christ’s Second Coming and kingdom. Believers can do this by failing to
endure in their Christian walk, by abandoning their confession of the Lord
Jesus, and by not living by faith. For the Jewish believing audience, this
might be accompanied by a retreat into some form of Judaism and its
system of animal sacrifices.
c. Reinforcement of the argument (2:3b-4)
2:3b-4. The author reminds his readers that this “salvation” has been
confirmed to them by those who heard Him personally, and was further
authenticated by the display of supernatural miracles and gifts of the Holy
Spirit (cf. Acts 4:33; 5:12; 14:3; 2 Cor 12:12). They had ample evidence to
believe in Jesus as the Christ, His kingdom teachings, and this new calling
unto the New Covenant that replaces the Old.
3. Reasons the Son was briefly lower than the angels (2:5-18)
Following the warning of 2:1-4 the author continues his comparison of the
Son with angels. Though the Son is clearly superior to angels (1:5-14), it
was necessary for Him to be temporarily made lower than the angels (i.e., to
become incarnate), in order to accomplish important things for man.
 a. To fulfill the dominion promise of Genesis 1 (2:5-9)
2:5. In vv 5-9 the author reflects on God’s original plan for man, namely,
for him to have dominion over His entire created order (cf. Gen 1:26-28).
Though the fall of man (Genesis 3) undermined that plan, God will yet
fulfill this future kingdom, which the author designates as the world to
come. The Greek term for world (oikoumenē) is used in Ps 93:1 and 96:10
in the context of the Lord’s eschatological reign. This kingdom was not
given to angels but to the Son to reign over (as further proof of His
superiority). This kingdom is the same as that already introduced in chap. 1
(e.g., 1:8) in fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant promise of an eternal
throne and kingdom (1:5).
2:6-8a. The author appeals to Ps 8:4-6, in which David reflects on the
dominion promise of Genesis 1. The psalmist marveled that God would
honor lowly man (made “lower than the angels”) so highly by entrusting
the rule of His created order to him. In doing so, God had “crowned him
with glory and honor.” The Psalm itself states that God’s intention was to
put “all things in subjection under his feet” (Heb 2:8a), and the author of
Hebrews underscores this point by stating, He left nothing that is not put
under him. Though this psalm originally referred to the first Adam, the
author of Hebrews finds its fulfillment in the last Adam, Jesus Christ.
2:8b-9. It must be fulfilled in Christ because the divine intention was not
fully fulfilled in mankind, because of Adam’s sin. In fact, man became a
slave to sin and subject to the assaults of Satan and his demonic forces.
Also, “death” still holds sway over man and keeps him in bondage (locked
in fear). For this reason the author adds, we do not yet see all things put
under him. Mankind does not have complete dominion over creation.
This paves the way for the promise to be fulfilled in Jesus, who has been
appointed heir of all things (1:2). By His incarnation He has joined the
ranks of mankind as a little lower than the angels, and is thus a qualified
candidate to reign over creation. Though He waits for His enemies to be
completely subdued before His formal inauguration as King (1:13), He is
already crowned with glory and honor. Mankind is crowned with glory
and honor by virtue of his God-given privilege (having dominion), but this
promise from Ps 8:5 has a more significant fulfillment in Jesus. He has been
resurrected and exalted to the right hand of the Father (cf. Heb 1:3), from
which He exercises authority over everything (cf. Matt 28:18).
Jesus’ incarnation also gives Him the opportunity to suffer on the Cross
and so taste death for everyone (a topic he will take up in Heb 2:10-18).
Thus because we see Jesus in His suffering and redemptive work, we can
have hope as we await His coming kingdom. This hope is founded on His
resurrection, which ensures that His atoning work was successfully
completed.
b. To suffer for many sons (2:10-18)
2:10. Verse 10 highlights three ways in which the Son’s sufferings
uniquely benefit believers. First, the words all things recall v 8 and over
what mankind was originally to have dominion. The Father has granted the
“dominion rights” to Jesus Christ and (in turn) to those who follow Him and
“inherit salvation” (1:14).
Second, just as the Son passed through His sufferings to arrive at glory, so
the Father is at work in bringing many sons to glory. The word glory
recalls Psalm 8 again (see Heb 2:7) and how Christ experienced glory in
resurrection and exaltation. To bring many sons to glory looks at God’s plan
for believers also to share in glory, as Christ Himself did after successfully
completing His earthly pilgrimage. Because of their faith in Him, they will
eventually receive the glory of resurrection and (if they do not neglect the
“so great a salvation”) a sharing in the glorious reign and dominion of the
Son. The latter privilege is conditional in light of 2:1-4 (cf. 4:1ff).
Third, the Father made the captain of our salvation perfect through
sufferings. The word captain (archēgos) basically means leader, and hence
His mission is to lead us (or, safely guide us) to this future eschatological
salvation that awaits us (“salvation” being understood the same way as in
1:14 and 2:3). Just as He Himself had to pass through sufferings, so we too
must do so on our earthly pilgrimage that leads to His kingdom. The words
make perfect translate the Greek verb teleioō, meaning “to bring
something to its goal.” Jesus was not made more holy (He was eternally
sinless). Rather, His endurance of sufferings served to complete the goal for
Him to experientially learn obedience to the Father (cf. 5:8).
2:11. The word sanctifies (hagiazō, “to set apart”) in this context and in
light of Heb 10:10 refers not to progressive sanctification, but to being set
apart once for all by the atoning work of Christ (i.e., positional
sanctification; referred to by Paul as justification). As Christ is the leader of
our salvation, we share a deep intimacy with Him. He has sanctified us
(offering His body as our sacrifice), and we are sanctified. Hence, He
unashamedly views us as brethren.
2:12-13. The author quotes two passages from the LXX to support this
concept of being Christ’s brethren. In the first (Ps 22:22) David’s
experience typifies the experience of Messiah (both are “king” over their
congregation). In the second (Isa 8:17-18), while the nation was turning
away from the Lord and resorting to Assyria for help, Isaiah put his trust in
the Lord (v 17) along with his disciples (“the children,” v 18). In doing so
they typify the Lord Jesus (who trusted the Father) and the disciples (Jesus’
“children”) who have followed Him in faith.
2:14-16. These verses state very positively what Christ has done for His
brethren. He has annulled the power of the devil, the one who had the
power of death, and in so doing has delivered us from the fear of death.
Man was created by God to exercise dominion—as Psalm 8 highlighted—
but ironically became paralyzed through the fear of death. Satan’s plot to
get man to sin and thus suffer death was used to bludgeon humanity with
fear. The death of Christ removes this fear, because His resurrection and
exaltation to the right hand of the Father assures us of our own ultimate
resurrection. Yet this aid (Christ’s death for sinners) is of no benefit to
angels, but only humans (those who share in His flesh and blood). The seed
of Abraham refers to those who are the spiritual seed of Abraham by faith
in Christ (cf. Gal 3:7).
2:17-18. The reason the Son aids believers is because He is a merciful
and faithful High Priest, ready to aid believers who are tempted. He
came in the flesh in order to make propitiation for sins. As our propitiation
(hilaskomai, “to be merciful or gracious, to bring about forgiveness”), He
not only aids us in temptation, but also He is the means by which we
receive forgiveness when we sin. But through His incarnation, He was
exposed to the realm of human temptation, which enabled Him to learn
experientially what mankind goes through. In particular, He experienced the
temptation of giving up and turning away from the living God.
Since He remained faithful, He knows what it takes to endure and can thus
help us do the same. The mention of High Priest in v 17 (first of many
occurrences in Heb) serves to prepare us for what lies ahead. If we are to be
successful in our earthly pilgrimage and receive a full inheritance in our
eschatological salvation, we will need the help of this High Priest. In this
role He is both merciful and faithful, and focuses all of His attention on
aiding us in trials and temptations in order to bring us to glory.
B. The Son Is Superior to the Old Covenant Leaders (3:1–5:10)
The author continues his contrast of the New Covenant with the Old, yet
his concern shifts from contrasting the Son to angels to contrasting Him to
the human leaders of the Old Covenant, namely, Moses and Joshua. In
doing so, the author emphasizes the role of the Son as a merciful and
faithful High Priest (recall Heb 2:17). His faithfulness is a key theme for
3:1–4:13, while His mercy is a key theme for 4:14–5:10. These themes have
significant implications for New Covenant believers.
1. The second warning – the importance of being faithful (3:1–
4:13)
This unit looks back to the role Moses and Joshua played under the Old
Covenant. Moses was faithful in building the Old Covenant tabernacle,
while Joshua faithfully led the people to their “rest” in the land. What Jesus
does is similar, yet it has far greater significance.
a. The model of Jesus’ faithfulness (3:1-6)
It is significant that the author compares the work of Jesus with that of
Moses. Most Jews (including the recipients of Hebrews) regarded Moses as
the greatest person who ever lived. He led Israel out of bondage in Egypt,
constituted Israel as a nation at Mount Sinai, and inaugurated the Old
Covenant that gave the people the Law. Yet Moses was also associated with
the priestly side of the Old Covenant. Of Levitical descent himself (Exod
2:1-2), he was the one to whom the tabernacle plans were revealed. This
paragraph highlights his role in building the tabernacle.
3:1-2. The author addresses his readers as holy brethren, a direct allusion
to Heb 2:11, in which the “many sons” are said to be sanctified and are
called His brethren. The words “holy” and “sanctified” are related to the
same verb hagiazō. By saying this the author links this section with the
previous one and also clearly identifies his readers as genuine believers.
 He also indicates they are believers by referring to them as partakers of
the heavenly calling. The word partakers (metochoi) has the sense of being
participants in a common endeavour (cf. 1:9; 3:14). The heavenly calling is
not the invitation to the gospel. In the context of Hebrews this is a calling to
the greater heavenly realities associated with the New Covenant,
culminating with participation in the New Jerusalem of the messianic
kingdom (cf. 11:16). This is the pilgrimage on which they have embarked,
one which will hopefully result in sharing in the dominion and inheritance
of God’s King-Son.
The readers are admonished to consider Jesus, that is, to focus on the
Apostle and High Priest of our confession. This confession refers to their
public affirmation that Jesus is the Messiah and to their belief in the gospel
(cf. John 9:22; 12:42; 2 Cor 9:13), which apparently they were being
strongly tempted to abandon (Heb 4:14; 10:23). They could counter this by
focusing on His faithfulness as a model for their own.
3:3-5. The author then focuses on the word house as a reference to the
tabernacle where priestly activities were conducted. Drawing on Num 12:6-
8, the author presents Moses as being faithful in all His house as a
servant. Moses had been commissioned to build the tabernacle according to
God’s precise instructions (Exod 25:9) and was faithful in doing so. This
was important because it served as a testimony of those things which
would be spoken afterward. That is, the Old Covenant tabernacle was
intended as a type of the greater realities to come later when the heavenly
tabernacle was disclosed (cf. 8:4-5).
3:6. By way of comparison Christ’s involvement with God’s house is far
greater than Moses. Moses obeyed as a servant in the house, but Christ as a
Son. Moses was faithful in all His house, but Christ is faithful over His
own house. Moses’ ministry related to the symbol, but Christ’s to the
reality itself. And the reality is that believers are His house…if we hold
fast. Thus there is more at stake under the New Covenant, and the readers
must respond appropriately. The readers must be prepared to meet the
condition of “holding fast.” There are two crucial questions here. Who is it
that “holds fast?” What danger is there for failing to do so?
First, the context emphasizes the house (= tabernacle) as a place where
priestly activities took place. In light of 1 Pet 2:5 we are “being built up a
spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices.” Believers
have these priestly responsibilities in this New Covenant “house” (cf. Heb
12:28; 13:15-16). Only as one faithfully fulfills these obligations is he being
“the house.” This has nothing to do with proof of being one of “the elect.”
Obviously any withdrawal in faith (especially abandoning their confession)
would mean they were falling short of their goal.
Second, this paragraph has a striking similarity to 10:19-25. Both
emphasize the readers as “brethren” and Christ as High Priest over the
house. Also both refer to the “confession” and “hope” of the readers. The
latter passage, however, indicates that the need of the readers is not to
believe the gospel, but to “draw near” and “hold fast.” In 10:23 “holding
fast” is not merely a conditional matter but an exhortation. Holding fast is
an obligation for believers. In neither passage is loss of personal salvation
presented as the danger for failure. The danger is a failure to grow up into
the building (house) of God in Christ. Such failure may lead to temporal
judgment from God (Heb 3:7-19).
Thus v 6 confronts the readers with a grave concern. Will they remain
faithful believer-priests of Christ’s house over which He is High Priest?
Their status as genuine believers does not guarantee this. In their earthly
pilgrimage to the Son’s kingdom, they must be sure to hold fast. This must
be accompanied by endurance and doing the will of God (cf. 10:36).
Though failure to do so may bring temporal judgment (3:7-19), faithfulness
in doing so will ensure them of successfully entering the “rest” to come
where blessings and rewards await them (4:1-13).
b. The unbelief at Kadesh Barnea (3:7-19)
Hebrews 3:6 suggested that Christians have a responsibility as believer-
priests in the greater spiritual house over which Christ presides as High
Priest. The author now strengthens the warning by drawing an analogy to
the wilderness generation that experienced God’s temporal judgment as a
result of hardening their hearts against God. In their rebellion they made a
fateful decision of unbelief at Kadesh Barnea.
3:7-11. The author quotes from Psalm 95, because it provided a
commentary on the wilderness generation that rebelled against God and lost
their future inheritance in the land. The Psalm begins by calling the people
of God to worship Him and to be humble. The latter half, however,
transitions to a warning about guarding oneself from a “hardened heart.”
The quotation begins with the words “Today, if you will hear his voice.”
The word you in this verse is identified in the previous line of the psalm as
those who are “the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” This
warning is directed to God’s people (genuine believers) indicating that
believers are capable of hardening their hearts against God and
experiencing His judgment. To suggest that all those who died in the
wilderness were unbelievers (and eventually went to hell) is simply not
sustainable (cf. Exod 15:13).
The emphasis in this quotation (and in Psalm 95) is on the condition of
believers’ “hearts.” This is significant, for it is in the heart that one either
exercises faith or unbelief. Yet the “unbelief” in this situation was not a
failure to believe in the Messiah for everlasting life, but a failure to believe
Him in leading them to Canaan. This was a faith issue of their mission, not
of their justification. The unbelief seen as early as Meribah and Massah
(Exod 17:1-7) eventually manifested itself in full-blown rebellion against
God at Kadesh Barnea. This reflects the danger of hardening one’s heart
against God, for it can easily lead to a catastrophic outcome. In the instance
of the unbelieving Israelites God “swore” that they would “not enter His
rest.” Rest is a symbol not of heaven but of the promised inheritance in the
land of Canaan.
3:12. The author provides his explication of the psalm, beginning with a
word of caution. The words Beware, brethren indicate once again that he
regarded the readers as genuine Christians. His concern is that some of
them might have an evil heart of unbelief. The unbelief in view is not
related to their personal salvation from eternal death. This is clear from the
context and especially v 19 in which the very same word for “unbelief”
(apistia) is used. The wilderness generation did not enter the land “because
of unbelief.” They failed to believe God’s promises that He would give
them the land, and thus forsook their mission. To speak of a believer having
an evil heart is not inappropriate. The word for evil (ponēros) is used for the
brother under discipline in 1 Cor 5:13, the disciples in Luke 11:13, and
believers with “evil motives” in Jas 2:4.
Such a heart of unbelief might result in their departing from the living
God. Ordinarily in the NT this word for depart (aphistēmi) means “to
depart from someone or a place literally.” The word occurs more frequently
in the LXX, and in several cases has the clear nuance of “forsaking” God by
turning to idols (Deut 32:15; Josh 22:19) or of “rebelling” against the Lord
(2 Chr 26:18; 30:7). This nuance of “rebelling” against the Lord precisely
describes the actions of the wilderness generation. What they did at Kadesh
Barnea was a rebellion against the Lord (Num 14:4, 9; Deut 1:26). In light
of Heb 3:6 the author seems to be saying, “Hold fast, and don’t rebel
against God!”
3:13. The author now offers a remedy for unbelief and rebellion. They are
to continually exhort (or “encourage”) one another. Because any Christian
can succumb to a hardened heart of unbelief, all need to avail themselves of
a caring, encouraging community of believers (cf. 10:24-25).
3:14. The author firmly warns his readers to stick with what they have
undertaken. The words partakers of Christ echo the thought in v 1 of
being “partakers of the heavenly calling.” The word partakers or “partners”
(metochoi) is the same in each verse. When they believed in Jesus Christ for
everlasting life, they embarked on a partnership with Him involving their
pilgrimage to His kingdom and the heavenly Jerusalem. To share in His
dominion and inheritance they need to endure in a life of faith, doing the
will of God (cf. Heb 6:11-12; 10:36).
Remaining Christ’s partners is conditional. We do so, only if we hold the
beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end. The word translated
confidence (hupostaseōs) can have the idea of “an undertaking or endeavor
to which one has obligated himself.” By sticking with their original
undertaking, they will enter the kingdom successfully, inheriting great
rewards. Failure to do so will not mean loss of salvation, but rather loss of
reward (and possibly temporal judgment while on earth). Hence the author
closes this paragraph with some final reminders about possible judgment
from God.
3:15-19. The author reminds them again of the wilderness generation that
hardened their hearts and rebelled against God. For those Old Covenant
believers this was sin that led to their death in the wilderness (temporal
judgment from God). The implication is obvious: Something analogous
awaits New Covenant believers who harden their hearts and rebel. After
wandering forty years in the wilderness, that generation was unable to
enter rest. Similarly believers under the New Covenant who fail to believe
and obey will suffer something much more dire.
 The wilderness generation spoiled their future and forfeited their
opportunity to share in the rest in the land of Canaan. They failed to believe
that God could bring them into the land, and they also failed to obey when
He told them to enter. For New Covenant believers there is also a future rest
that can be jeopardized by unbelief. This is the subject of the next section.
c. Our goal of entering God’s greater rest (4:1-13)
God’s judgment on the wilderness generation was exclusion from His rest
of inheriting Canaan (Ps 95:11). The land was regarded as both a resting
place (they could have rest from their enemies), and an inheritance from the
Lord (Deut 12:9-11). Yet this “land rest” was typological of a greater rest to
come.
Bible students hold different views on this “greater rest.” First, the rest is
regarded as equivalent to heaven (or the eternal bliss awaiting believers
there). The rest is a future experience, based on Heb 4:1–“since a promise
remains of entering His rest” (cf. v 11). The danger of “coming short” (v 1)
is then a failure to believe the gospel and be saved. However, this view is
fatally flawed. The “rest” in chap. 4 depends on Ps 95 for its analogy, a
psalm that has Old Covenant believers in view (saving faith was not the
issue). Also Heb 4:11 clarifies that the rest may be jeopardized by following
“the same example of disobedience” as the rebellion at Kadesh Barnea.
Also the author admonishes them in 4:14-16 to hold fast their confession
and to come boldly to the throne of grace for help, admonitions hardly
fitting of unbelievers.
A second view is that the greater rest is a present Christian experience of
peace–a “faith-rest life” (cf. Matt 11:28-30) when a believer stops trying to
live the Christian life in his own fleshly works and learns to “trust God.”
Proponents argue that the present tense of the verb “enter” in Heb 4:3
(eiserchometha) supports the interpretation of a present (rather than a
future) experience. Yet this view is not convincing. The present tense verb
“enter” can be understood differently (see comments below). The most
problematic issue for this view is that the believer’s works are regarded
negatively or carnal, contradicting the analogy to God’s works in v 10.
Furthermore, one should “be diligent” to enter this rest, that is, make great
effort.
 A third view is that the greater rest is equivalent to being in the millennial
kingdom. While this view correctly understands the rest as a future
experience in light of 4:1 and connects the promise to the kingdom in light
of the broader context of the epistle, there are concerns. First, why limit this
rest to one thousand years? Christ will rule forever and ever (Rev 11:15).
Also advocates of this view tend to see the promised rest as the destiny of
all regenerate believers, thus nullifying any danger for true believers
(contrary to the wilderness analogy in Heb 3).
A fourth view is preferable, namely, the experience of receiving one’s
inheritance and ruling with Christ in the messianic kingdom. This view
includes the millennial kingdom but also extends throughout the New
Creation (Revelation 21–22). More importantly, entering the rest is not
merely being in the kingdom (which all true believers are entitled to), but
also focuses on the inheritance and reward awaiting faithful believers (and
which unfaithful believers may very well jeopardize). Primarily this
involves a share in the dominion over God’s creation (recall Hebrews 2).
This last view has the best support for the following reasons. First, the rest
is understood as a future experience in keeping with 4:1 (“a promise
remains of entering His rest”). Second, the epistle began by stressing that
Christ is the heir of all things, a promise which finds its fulfilment at the
Second Coming, when all His enemies have been subjected to Him (cf.
10:13). Third, the author has been concerned about those who would inherit
salvation (1:14) in the “world to come” (2:5). Fourth, this period of
salvation makes it possible for man to have dominion over the created
realm, satisfying God’s original intentions (2:5-9). Fifth, this view is
consistent with the analogy suggested in chap. 3 (recall Psalm 95), in which
God’s children (not unbelievers) failed to gain their potential inheritance on
account of unbelief and disobedience. Sixth, the matter of rewards for
faithfulness is an ongoing motif of the epistle (cf. 6:11-12; 10:35-36; 11:6,
26, 39). Seventh, this epistle stresses Messiah’s kingdom (cf. 1:8; 12:28),
and the concept of “rest” was even linked in such passages as Isa 11:10 with
Messiah’s kingdom.
4:1-2. The author’s question “how shall we escape?” in 2:3 has now been
strengthened to let us fear. There is a rest yet remaining (cf. 4:6, 9, 11)
above and beyond the “rest” of Joshua’s day. The words the gospel was
preached to us translate one Greek verb euēngelismenoi, used here in a
nontechnical sense of “preaching good news” rather than the gospel
specifically (cf. Luke 1:19; 1 Thess 3:6). The wilderness generation heard
the good news of the offer to inherit Canaan (see especially Num 13:30;
14:7-9), but New Covenant Christians have been offered a far superior good
news–the privilege to reign with Jesus. In both cases, however, a response
of faith and obedience is required (cf. 3:18-19).
4:3a-b. The author gives the basic principle for entering the greater rest.
This rest is for we who have believed (the aorist participle pisteusantes is
best viewed as a “durative aorist,” stressing the progress of the action in
past time). It is we who have persevered in faith who will enter this rest, as
the preceding context indicates (cf. 3:6, 14). The present tense of the verb
eiserchometha (“enter”) is probably a gnomic present, stressing the
principle involved and not the time of fulfilment. His appeal in 4:3a to the
words from Psalm 95 supports this conclusion. Likewise the principle has a
corrollary–failing to respond in faith may disqualify one from entering
God’s rest.
4:3c-5. God Himself entered into rest when He completed His work of
creation. Two conclusions are drawn from this. (1) Any subsequent offer of
rest on God’s part reveals that even the creation rest foreshadows something
greater. (2) Rest is to be enjoyed by those who complete their works (as
God modeled). The latter suggests that “works” should not be viewed
negatively. Works—those done in faith through the enabling Holy Spirit—
are what believers should be doing faithfully (cf. John 14:12; Eph 2:10; 2
Tim 2:21). Faithfulness in doing the good works God has ordained for us is
related to ruling with Christ after His return (cf. Rev 2:25-27). Just as God
rested after His creation work, so this greater rest is offered to believers
who faithfully endure and complete their works (note Heb 4:10).
4:6-9. That this greater rest is still available implies believers should
pursue it. The author is thinking primarily of Psalm 95 and particularly the
word “Today.” If God’s rest had been fulfilled in Joshua’s day, the psalmist
(writing years later) would not have made the same offer and warning to his
generation. So both the rest associated with creation as well as the rest in
Joshua’s day point toward a greater rest in God’s program which He has
promised. And since God has promised that some will enter this rest, it
remains that some must enter it, that is, the opportunity to successfully
receive an inheritance in God’s ultimate Sabbath rest remains available to
New Covenant believers, unless they disqualify themselves.
4:10-11. The author again highlights the importance of works. When
believers complete their earthly pilgrimage, the opportunity for works is
over, and they will not get another try. Hence, he says, Let us therefore be
diligent to enter that rest. The word diligent (spoudasōmen) means “to
make every effort.” Obviously one does not do this to merit forgiveness and
eternal life, because these are a free gift on the basis of faith alone in Christ
alone (Rom 6:23). But diligent effort is appropriate for successfully entering
this future rest where our inheritance in Christ’s kingdom is at stake. This is
not a call to self-effort, for the author makes clear throughout the epistle
that this diligent effort is through a life of faith, endurance, and reliance on
the enabling grace of our High Priest. The believer who neglects this is in
danger of “falling,” if he follows the example of disobedience exhibited at
Kadesh Barnea. The term fall (piptō) is a deliberate allusion back to Heb
3:17–”whose corpses fell in the wilderness.”
4:12-13. The readers are to make diligent effort to enter this future
climactic rest, and they have been warned of disqualifying themselves. The
author now sternly reminds them of God’s penetrating scrutiny–He is a
discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. It is precisely in the
heart where hardening takes place and unbelief arises. One day, at the
Judgment Seat of Christ, each believer must face such a scrutinizing
judgment by God (cf. Rom 14:10-12; 1 Cor 3:12-15; 4:4-5; 2 Cor 5:9-10).
As sobering as God’s judgment is, we are not left helpless. Fortunately we
have a High Priest with the grace and mercy we need in the trials we face.
2. The help available from Christ, the New Covenant High Priest
(4:14–5:10)
Hebrews 3:1–4:13 focused on the importance of faithfulness to entering
“rest.” The wilderness generation failed to enter God’s land-rest of Canaan,
because they hardened their hearts against God until finally rebelling at
Kadesh Barnea. By analogy, New Covenant believers can fail to
successfully enter God’s greater rest of Messiah’s coming kingdom, that is,
to obtain their potential inheritance. Yet there is no need to “come short of
it,” for Jesus is available to help them. Following an exhortation to avail
oneself of His mercy and grace, the author then substantiates Jesus’
qualification and preparation as High Priest.
a. Hold fast by resorting to the grace of Christ (4:14-16)
4:14. The author resumes his consideration of Jesus as High Priest (cf.
3:1). The qualifying words who has passed through the heavens remind
us that He has not gone into the mere earthly Most Holy Place, but into the
ultimate heavenly one. Consequently we must hold fast our confession of
faith in Him, and not abandon it.
4:15. Despite His exalted position, this great High Priest can truly
sympathize with our weaknesses. He can understand just how difficult our
earthly pilgrimage is and how weak we are in facing temptations. In light of
the preceding context the author is probably thinking of the particular
weakness (and temptation) of succumbing to unbelief and rebelling against
God. He Himself has felt the full force of what it means to be tempted,
including Satan’s temptations against Him in the wilderness (Matt 4:1-11).
The author hastily adds yet without sin, for sin would have disqualified
Him as a perfect sacrifice (cf. 7:26; 2 Cor 5:21).
4:16. In facing temptation, God’s solution is the throne of grace, and we
are invited to come boldly to it.
b. Jesus’ qualification as High Priest (5:1-6)
Since this “throne of grace” is so important to our earthly pilgrimage and
attaining God’s rest, the author now substantiates Jesus’ qualification to be
our great High Priest.
5:1-4. The author first points out several characteristics about high priests
of the Levitical system: (1) they were taken from among men; (2) none
were self-appointed; and (3) since every priest was himself a sinner (for he
had to offer a sacrifice for himself according to Lev 16:6, 11, 15-17), he
could be compassionate with those whom he served.
5:5-6. The author now shows both the continuity and discontinuity
between Christ and the Levitical priests. The discontinuity is obviously the
fact that Christ had no sin (4:15). Yet there is also continuity. Levitical
priests were not self-appointed; neither was Christ. The author quotes from
Pss 2:7 and 110:4 (two well-known messianic texts) to show that Christ
did not glorify Himself.
 By linking these verses he demonstrates that Messiah was appointed not
only to a royal position as the Davidic Son-King but also to a priestly
position. Furthermore Psalm 110 reveals that Messiah would be of a
different priestly order. Because the New Covenant is superior to the Old, it
is important that the priesthood associated with the New be distinct and
qualitatively better. Indeed it is, for Christ is a priest of the eternal “order of
Melchizedek,” not that of Levi, which is temporary (cf. 7:17-28).
c. The perfecting of Jesus as High Priest (5:7-10)
These verses show the relationship between the sufferings and endurance
of Jesus in His earthly experience and the help that He is able to give to
New Covenant believers.
5:7-8. Even the eternal Son learned to cry out to the Father for help (when
He faced the Cross), and found that the Father was able to save Him from
death. The word save (sōzō) does not carry a soteriological sense here, but
rather has the common OT meaning of “deliver.” Jesus was heard, meaning
that the Father answered Him favorably. The point is that, though Jesus
fully participated in death (2:9), He was delivered from its bonds through
resurrection.
From His sufferings (climaxing at Calvary), the Son learned obedience.
He did not need to learn how to be obedient, for He was never disobedient.
Rather, He learned firsthand all that obedience entails, especially that doing
the will of God often brings suffering.
5:9-10. Through His sufferings, Jesus was perfected (teleiōtheis). This
cannot mean that Jesus became any more perfect in His nature, for as the
Son of God He is eternally perfect. The Greek verb means to bring
something to its intended goal. These sufferings served to complete the goal
of preparing Him for His role as our High Priest (cf. 2:10).
This accomplished, He became the author (aitios, the responsible cause)
of eternal salvation to all who obey Him. If we say that salvation in this
verse means personal salvation (or redemption) that comes from believing
the gospel, then we have a theological problem, in that the verse seems to
condition this salvation on obedience. Yet the NT is elsewhere clear that
one’s personal salvation can only be received as a free gift on the sole basis
of faith in Christ and thus only by God’s grace (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9; Titus
3:5). Neither does the text say that those who truly believe the gospel and
are saved will assuredly go on to live obedient lives. Though one might
argue that the obedience to eternal salvation is the obedience of faith spoken
of in Rom 1:5, in the context of Hebrews 5 obedience is a reference to
works.
The best view is that eternal salvation in this verse does not refer to
redemption from sin based on Christ’s atonement. This is seen in several
ways. First, of seven occurrences of “salvation” in Hebrews (1:14; 2:3, 10;
5:9; 6:9; 9:28; 11:7), not once does it clearly mean salvation from sin. In
several cases (1:14; 9:28; 11:7), it clearly means something else, which
should caution us from presuming a soteriological meaning in 5:9.
Second, Christ’s experience in 5:7-8 is meant to parallel that of believers.
He suffered, cried out to the Father for help, and was “saved,” i.e., rescued
through resurrection to share in glory. The “salvation” of Heb 5:9 cannot
overlook the use of this word in regard to Christ’s own experience just
mentioned in 5:7.
Third, the context has not been talking about a sinner’s need for salvation
from sin. This unit (4:14–5:10) began with the exhortation for believers
who already “have a great High Priest” to hold fast their confession and
turn to the throne of grace for help.
Fourth, the obedience mentioned in 5:9 must be seen in light of the
preceding verse. The verb “obey” in v 9 (from hupakouō) is clearly
associated with the word “obedience” in v 8 (from the related noun,
hupakoē). Thus the believer’s obedience in v 9 is meant to be seen in
comparison with Christ’s obedience in v 8, namely, obedience connected
with sufferings in the course of being faithful to God; not obedience in
general. Furthermore this call for obedience to Christ stands in contrast to
the disobedience that disqualified the wilderness generation from their rest
(cf. 3:11; 4:11).
If these verses do not mean justification and personal salvation from sin,
then what do they mean? The context has highlighted how Christ was
perfected for His role by obedience through sufferings, after which he
experienced “salvation.” Now He is in a position to help His “brethren”–
those already sanctified–who are being brought to glory (2:10). Through
Him, they can attain to eternal salvation (eternal, because it cannot be taken
from them). In the context of Hebrews this means an eschatological
salvation in which one shares in Christ’s inheritance and reigns with Him.
This is not automatic for believers; it is for those who obey Him–not a self-
reliant obedience, but one possible through reliance on Christ as High
Priest. This includes the obedience of holding fast one’s confession and
drawing near to God rather than rebelling (recall 4:14 and compare the issue
of rebellion in 3:12).
C. The Son Is Superior to the Levitical Priests (5:11–7:28)
The New Covenant is superior to the old Mosaic Covenant in that it also
introduces a new (and superior) priesthood. The author introduced this
theme in 4:14–5:10, and then returns to it in chap. 7. The material in
between (5:11–6:20) constitutes another warning passage, confronting their
immaturity and seeking to motivate them to a life of persevering faith. A
proper interpretation of this difficult warning passage depends on keeping
the wider context in view. Since the author has been showing that Christ has
a greater ministry than the Levitical priests and all they performed under the
Levitical system, the author now warns his readers against returning to that
system.
1. The third warning – confrontation and motivation (5:11–6:20)
The author wants to relate Christ’s priestly ministry to the promise in the
OT of a priesthood founded on Melchizedek. Their spiritual immaturity,
however, makes it difficult to reason with them.
a. Confrontation regarding the need for maturity (5:11–6:12)
Not only will their immaturity hinder them from comprehending the truth,
but continued persistence in this condition could result in their “falling
away” (6:6). That situation would not only invite God’s judgment (vv 7-8),
but would also jeopardize their inheritance (vv 11-12).
5:11. Time alone does not guarantee Christian growth in comprehending
spiritual truth. The readers of Hebrews were in fact dull (nōthroi) of
hearing. This Greek word basically means “slow” or “sluggish,” and
suggests they did not “hear” well regarding spiritual matters. This term
occurs again in v 12, thus forming an inclusio for the subunit. This
observation is significant, suggesting that the same group of people are
addressed throughout. Thus all the severe things he says to them in vv 1-8
stem from their spiritual immaturity (not their lack of regeneration).
 5:12. The readers had had time to mature and make progress in spiritual
understanding. Some time earlier (note the word again) they had been
taught the first principles of the oracles of God. The word for principles
(stoicheion), refers to the fundamental basics of the faith (the ABCs). This
term was used elsewhere of the letters of the alphabet that a school child
would learn. The author likens these basic principles of the faith to milk in
contrast to solid food. Unfortunately the readers had not moved beyond the
milk stage of spiritual growth.
5:13-14. A milk-only diet, though suitable for babies, leaves one unskilled
in the word of righteousness. A healthy diet consists of the solid food of
the Word of God, and will help one grow in true righteousness (cf. 12:11).
This solid food is not for babies, but for those of full age, who have
sufficiently matured. This maturing process requires difficult exercise or
training (from gymnazō), but yet is beneficial. Only through this maturing
process is one able to distinguish good and evil.
6:1a. Immature believers could waddle in the playground of spiritual
ABCs indefinitely and never make progress. That would not be desirable,
and in fact it could even be dangerous (jeopardizing their inheritance, v 12).
So the author exhorts them, Let us go on to perfection. By perfection, he
certainly does not mean “sinless perfection.” Rather the Greek term
teleiotēta (derived from teleioō, “to reach a goal”) looks at true Christian
maturity (the opposite of “babe” in 5:13). Such a summons implies that the
opportunity to “go on” is still available to them.
6:1b-3. If the original readers were Jewish, their faith in Jesus as Messiah
and participation in the New Covenant had called for a radical reassessment
of certain foundational truths (though the author did not wish to go over
these again). Dead works may represent the efforts connected with the
earthly sanctuary system to secure cleansing and acceptance before God
(note 9:14). Now that Messiah had made His perfect sacrifice, Jewish
believers who turned to Him in faith changed their mind about the Levitical
sacrificial system.
The author also mentions at least four areas of instruction that needed to be
corrected in light of Messiah’s ministry. The doctrine of baptisms (or
washings) probably refers not to Christian baptism but to Levitical ritual
washings (note the use of baptisma in the plural in 9:10). Purification by the
blood of Christ has accomplished infinitely more than what Levitical
washings did under the Old Covenant. The laying on of hands, formerly
associated with the symbolic placing of one’s sin on a sacrifice before it is
slaughtered or sent outside the camp (Exod 29:10-19; Lev 8:14-21; 16:21)
or for the consecration of Levites for ministry (Num 8:10), now indicated
placing one’s blessing on a fellow Christian to send them out into the world
for ministry (Acts 13:3-4). Even their understanding of resurrection
(though taught in the OT, e.g., Dan 12:2) would have to be corrected in light
of Christ’s resurrection. All judgment was now given into His hands (John
5:22), and all are accountable to Him (2 Cor 5:10).
The author thinks of the potential judgment that some of his readers might
incur. They were on a downward slippery slope (as evidenced by labeling
them “dull of hearing,” exhorting them to hold fast their confession, and
warning them in Heb 4:11 that they might follow the same example of
disobedience as the wilderness generation). Continuation in this negative
direction could mean that God would not permit them to “go on” to
maturity, and in 6:4-8 the author presents just such a case of a believer who
“falls away.” Though a serious situation, there is nothing in the passage that
explicitly states they might lose their salvation, any more than the sin of the
wilderness generation meant loss of salvation for them. The analogy in
chap. 3 with the wilderness generation suggests they may face temporal
judgment and loss of inheritance.
6:4. Verses 4-6 are a complete unit of thought. In the Greek text the
emphatic word impossible is placed up front in v 4, while the complement
“to renew them again to repentance” follows in v 6. In between is a series of
five participles describing those who cannot be renewed to repentance (all
governed by one definite article in the Greek). These verses describe a
genuine Christian for at least three reasons: (1) the author had expressed
concern about his readers earlier (3:12) though calling them “brethren”; (2)
6:4-6 cannot be divorced from what he has said about them at the beginning
of the literary unit in 5:11-14, namely, that they are spiritual babies who
have not matured; and (3) the terminology in 6:4-5 is most naturally
descriptive of Christian experience.
The author’s first description of them is that they were once enlightened.
He uses this expression elsewhere in 10:32, pointing out how they had
suffered for their faith after being enlightened. This surely points to their
regenerate state, for it is hardly imaginable that first-century Jews would
suffer persecution for Christ had they not truly come to know Him.
Second, they had tasted the heavenly gift. The word tasted
(geusamenous) does not imply a mere sampling (short of regeneration). The
same word is used in 2:9 to refer to Christ having “tasted death for
everyone” (i.e., He fully experienced it). The readers had truly experienced
the heavenly gift of eternal life in Christ (cf. John 4:10; Rom 6:23).
Third, they had become partakers of the Holy Spirit, having received the
Spirit at the moment of saving faith (cf. Eph 1:13-14).
6:5. Fourth, they had tasted the good word of God and the powers of
the age to come. They had embraced the Christian message, which in turn
was accompanied by miraculous confirmations (cf. 2:3-4).
6:6. The final participle fall away indicates that it is possible for a
regenerate Christian who has experienced everything described in vv 4-5 to
meet with spiritual disaster. The Greek term for fall away (parapiptō) is not
used elsewhere in the NT (in the LXX it frequently means “to transgress”
against the Lord, as in Ezek 20:27). The earlier use of the related cognate
form piptō in Heb 4:11 is insightful. The readers might “fall” through
following the same example of disobedience, in contrast to those who were
diligent to enter God’s rest. There is also a very close connection with the
words “departing from” in 3:12 (with the Kadesh Barnea incident in mind).
Though a lexically different word, it is conceptually related to parapiptō in
6:6. Thus “falling away” in v 6 is to transgress against the Lord in a way
that parallels what happened at Kadesh Barnea when the Hebrews hardened
their hearts and rebelled against the Lord in unbelief. In light of the author’s
exhortation in 4:14 (and again in 10:23), he is probably thinking of a
rebellion involving an abandonment of one’s confession of faith in Christ,
and returning to the old, familiar way of doing things.
The author is telling them that there is a point beyond which it is
impossible to restore such a rebel to a state of repentance, because this
would be tantamount to recrucifying the Savior and publicly humiliating
Him. The severity of such an action will be pointedly made later in Heb
10:26-31.
6:7-8. The author follows this somber warning with an apt illustration. In
these verses the author is not describing two different grounds, but rather
two possible outcomes for the same ground (as is true for every Christian).
Regardless of the outcome, the ground has received the rain, which
probably speaks of God’s divine care and provision for spiritual growth in
the life of a believer. The contrast in vv 7-8 is most likely between a faithful
believer who is fruitful and an unfaithful believer who should have
produced but did not (consistent with 5:11-14).
Hebrews 6:8 is a deliberate allusion to Gen 3:17-18 (note the use of thorns
and briers, as well as being cursed). The first man Adam received a curse
for his disobedience, and the allusion to this brings to mind the temporal
judgment that fell on the first man’s disobedience. Elsewhere in the OT the
word “curse” signified God’s temporal discipline on His people for their
disobedience to the covenant (cf. Deuteronomy 28–29). To be rejected
(“worthless,” NASB) need not imply loss of eternal life. The Apostle Paul
used the Greek term (adokimos) of himself in 1 Cor 9:27 in the sense of
being “disqualified” from his reward as a result of not disciplining himself.
Thus the unfruitful ground of Heb 6:8 is “rejected,” implying that the
offender has not gained God’s approval and is considered unfit. He may be
in store for God’s discipline and eventual loss of reward.
When the author says whose end is to be burned, he is not thinking of
burning in hell. Though the metaphor of fire could be used in that sense, it
is also used to speak of God’s scrutinizing judgment of regenerate
Christians, as in 1 Cor 3:12-15. In such a case fire is used for revealing the
quality of a believer’s works, as a prelude to dispensing rewards. Two
things in the following context suggest that the author has the works of
believers in mind: (1) he specifically mentions their work in Heb 6:10; and
(2) rewards are in view in v 12 (some inherit the promises because of their
faith and patience).
6:9. The author, though quite concerned for his readers, apparently does
not feel that they have gone to the extreme situation depicted in vv 4-6.
Thus he ends on a more encouraging note. Most likely, salvation (sōtēria)
is being used in the same eschatological sense as earlier in the book (and
again in 9:28 in reference to the Second Coming). The author thinks of the
time when man will be crowned with glory and honor, ruling jointly with
Christ in his resurrected state. This is the glorious destiny of believers who
are faithful to Christ in this life (cf. Rev 2:26-27).
6:10. His confidence in them is apparently due to the firsthand knowledge
he had of their past faithfulness (as evidenced by their work and their
brotherly love).
6:11-12. Diligence (recall 4:11) suggests making every effort to retain the
full assurance of hope (cf. 3:6). Based on preceding chapters, the author is
thinking about their confident hope that Jesus is the Messiah and has
provided the sufficient sacrifice for their sins. It is necessary that they
persevere in maintaining their confession of Him. The word sluggish
(nōthroi) is the same word translated “dull of hearing” in 5:11. They must
move forward with faith and patient endurance, leaving their spiritual
sluggishness behind. By doing so, they can join with other saints who
inherit the promises of God, that is, the promises held forth earlier in the
book regarding the “eschatological salvation” and entering the greater rest
to rule with Christ.
b. Motivation for maturity (6:13-20)
Abraham, the “father” of the Jews, is a perfect example of a man of God
who through faith and patient endurance inherited God’s promise.
6:13-15. The author’s example of Abraham pertains not to his justification,
but to his faithfulness as a believer (which has important implications for
the warning in vv 4-8). The quotation in v 14 is drawn from Genesis 22,
which records Abraham’s loyalty when he was tested by God’s instruction
to sacrifice Isaac. Following the successful completion of the test, God
declared several promises to Abraham (see Gen 22:17-18). Significantly
God introduced these promises with a statement that implied an oath: “By
Myself I have sworn” (v 16).
The author highlights the promise pertaining to blessing and multiplied
descendants, for that promise was “threatened” by sacrificing Isaac. God’s
reassurance of the promise, however, came after Abraham had patiently
endured (from makrothumeō, a verb related to “patience” in Heb 6:12).
6:16-17. It was enough that God reiterated these promises to Abraham, but
the added element of an oath provided even more assurance to Abraham.
Since God never lies, the oath was unnecessary. Yet the addition of the oath
to His word of promise underscored all the more (for Abraham’s benefit)
how immutable was God’s intent to do what He said.
6:18-20. Just as Abraham and Sarah were heirs of promise, so the
author’s readers had promises of God before them to inherit, namely, the
promises connected with the New Covenant and reigning with Christ. Yet,
just as Abraham had to first patiently endure and obey by faith, so the
readers of the epistle must first lay hold of the hope set before them. The
translation lay hold (kratēsai) would be better rendered “hold fast,” as the
same verb was rendered earlier in 4:14, “let us hold fast our confession.”
They had already taken hold of this hope, and the author is concerned that
they hold it fast.
In the context of Hebrews this hope (elpis) is the blood of Christ. In
contrast to the Levitical sacrifices, the author declares in 7:19, “there is the
bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.” It is
Christ’s blood (not animal blood) that has entered the Presence behind the
veil, that is, into the heavenly tabernacle and the very presence of God (cf.
9:11-12). The ones entitled to strong consolation are those who continue
holding fast to this hope. Indeed, it is an anchor of the soul that only the
priest according to the order of Melchizedek can provide. Those who turn
away from this and retreat back to some form of Judaism will find no
consolation there.
2. Jesus is in the superior order of Melchizedek (7:1-28)
Since Jesus was descended from the tribe of Judah, He was not qualified to
be a Levitical priest. The OT, however, actually validates another
priesthood known as the “order of Melchizedek.” Jesus is a priest of this
order, which is immensely superior to the Levitical priesthood. Now that He
has entered into His priestly ministry, there is no need to continue
participating in the priestly ministry of the Old Covenant.
a. The greatness of Melchizedek (7:1-10)
The author begins by reflecting on the person of Melchizedek and how
great he actually was, though the OT revelation about him was brief (only
Gen 14:18-20). Yet he was clearly superior to Abraham, and by extension,
to Levi as well.
7:1-2a. The Genesis passage highlights three things about Melchizedek:
(1) he was a king of Salem and a priest of God, implying that he was a
king-priest (a combination not possible under the Old Covenant); (2) he
blessed Abraham; and (3) he received a tithe from Abraham. Each of these
demonstrates something of his superiority.
 7:2b. The author of Hebrews even found significance in the meaning of
Melchizedek’s name. The name Melchizedek is a compound name formed
from the Hebrew noun melek (“king”) and tsedeq (“righteousness”).
Appropriately then, he is king of righteousness. Yet since Salem
(apparently an ancient name for Jerusalem) means “peace,” he is also king
of peace. Both were indeed appropriate for this ancient king-priest who
serves as a type of Christ.
7:3. Melchizedek was a real person. But unlike Levitical priests, the
Biblical record offers no genealogy for him. In contrast to the Levitical
priesthood, which was based on proven hereditary lineage, Melchizedek’s
right to priesthood is based solely on the call of God. Similarly, the Lord
Jesus’ call to priestly ministry was based on God’s oath to Him in Ps 110:4.
Furthermore, there was no record of death for Melchizedek, which gives
him an eternal appearance. Yet what was prefigured in Melchizedek is
realized in Christ, who is truly eternal. Just as there is no record of the
termination of Melchizedek’s ministry, so he prefigured Christ who would
be “a priest forever.”
7:4-7. Besides Melchizedek being unique as a type of Christ, the Genesis
record also implies his superiority to the Levitical priests. This is seen first
in Abraham’s payment of a tithe to Melchizedek. The text highlights
Abraham as the patriarch, the father of the nation. Abraham is not merely
acting as an individual but is representative of the entire nation that stems
from him. His act of giving a tithe is significant, for under the Old Covenant
the Levitical priests collected tithes from the people (Num 18:21-24).
Furthermore Melchizedek blesses Abraham on the payment of the tithe,
which is significant in light of the fact that the one who is greater blesses
the one who is lesser.
7:8-10. In these verses the author draws out the typological significance of
the observations reported above. Since no record is given of Melchizedek’s
death and no provision is made for his succession (in contrast to those of the
Levitical priesthood), he has an “apparent unending life and ministry”
(though in reality he did die). Yet in this way he typifies the Lord Jesus
Christ who literally has an unending life and unending priestly ministry.
If Abraham acts in a representative fashion as “patriarch” and head of the
nation, then in essence Levi (who was in Abraham’s loins) was giving a
tithe to Melchizedek. That, of course, would imply that the Melchizedekian
priesthood was superior to the Levitical priesthood. Thus Messiah Jesus
(declared by an oath from God to be a priest of the order of Melchizedek in
Ps 110:4) is a priest of a more superior priesthood than the Levitical one.
How fitting it is, then, that the New Covenant has its own priesthood and
high priest, and these are superior to those of the Old Covenant.
Consequently there should be no hesitation for Jewish believers in the first
century to embrace Jesus as their new High Priest and to abandon the
sacrifices of the Levitical system.
b. Jesus was appointed to the order of Melchizedek (7:11-28)
Whereas Heb 7:1-10 focuses on the person of Melchizedek as he is
introduced in Genesis 14, the remainder of Hebrews 7 focuses more on the
appointment of the Messiah to the “order of Melchizedek” as recorded in Ps
110:4. In both cases the implications are drawn out to argue for the
inferiority of the Levitical priesthood to the present priestly ministry of the
Lord Jesus.
7:11-14. The author could see that the announcement in Ps 110:4 that
Messiah would be “a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek”
had important implications. Psalm 110 was a Psalm of David, written about
1000 BC. Yet the Old Covenant Law (on which the Levitical priesthood
was based) dated back to 1446 BC, when the Hebrews received it at Mount
Sinai after leaving Egypt. Obviously, then, Psalm 110, coming later, was
introducing a change to the earlier priestly arrangements. This must mean
that the Levitical priesthood was only a temporary arrangement, and the
plan revealed in Psalm 110 must be superior to it and a replacement of it.
By perfection, the author probably means the ability of the Levitical
priesthood and its sacrificial system to make the worshipper perfect in
conscience because of the certainty of having one’s sins eternally forgiven
before God (cf. Heb 9:9; 10:1, 14). If the Levitical priesthood had indeed
been able to give the worshipper this, there would certainly have been no
need to make any changes to the priestly system. Yet Psalm 110 clearly
indicated a major change. Significantly how could Messiah be a priest,
since other OT passages clearly presented him from the tribe of Judah (cf.
Gen 49:8-10; 2 Sam 7:12-16)? Moses spoke nothing concerning
priesthood for anyone of the tribe of Judah, but only of the line of Aaron
from the tribe of Levi.
 Thus the revelation of Psalm 110 (coming later than the Law) and the
obvious introduction of major change in the tribal origin of the priest
himself pointed to the fact that this was not merely a modification of the
system but an actual replacement of it. Of course the time of the actual
implementation of the new system was still unclear. Though announced in
David’s day, it would apparently come later in history, whenever it was
conferred on Messiah. Yet the significance could not be missed: there would
be a change of priesthood at some future point! This in turn had
implications for the covenant itself.
The Levitical priesthood is an inherent part of the Old Covenant. There
can be no change in the priesthood, unless there is a major change in the
covenant arrangement itself that legitimizes it. Now that Messiah had come,
the temporary provision of the Old Covenant and the Levitical priesthood
accompanying it were no longer operative. Levitical rituals were now
obsolete!
7:15-17. The author now turns the attention of the readers to one specific
word within Ps 110:4, the word forever. Under the Old Covenant, the high
priest had to be of the line of Aaron, and each individual high priest was
limited in the duration of his ministry. The law of a fleshly commandment
dictated that a new high priest could not take office until the previous high
priest had died, and he would continue as high priest only until his own
death. Yet the priest of the new order of Melchizedek would not have this
time constraint, for his term of office would be “forever.” In order for one to
be a priest forever, however, he would have to be more than an ordinary
human. Only a person with an indestructible and endless life could fulfill
such a requirement. This was a powerful case for the new priest’s
superiority, and thus the superiority of the covenant on which his priesthood
was based.
7:18-19. In these two verses the author does not put forward a new
argument for the superiority of the Melchizedekian priesthood. Instead he
highlights the conclusion to which all of this is leading. If there is a new
priesthood that replaces the former inferior one, then this must imply that
the new priesthood makes possible a better sacrifice that gives people a
better hope before God.
By a former commandment, the author means the entire set of
commandments that made up the Old Covenant Law. The Law has been
annulled, that is, put out of commission or made inoperative, because of its
weakness and unprofitableness. Of course, the Levitical sacrificial system
was not completely “useless.” After all, it was instituted by God and served
a purpose, namely, to teach the concept of substitutionary sacrifice pointing
forward to the work of Christ in His atonement for sins. Yet it was weak
and unprofitable in the sense that it had no inherent power to provide a basis
for forgiving sins or cleansing the conscience of the worshipper. Animal
blood simply could not accomplish that. On the other hand, the precious
blood of Christ provided a far better hope for the person wanting to draw
near to God (i.e., to be able to approach Him).
7:20-22. In these verses the author puts forward a new argument for the
superiority of the Melchizedekian priesthood that confirms Jesus as a high
priest. Its announcement in Ps 110:4 was attended by an oath, as reflected
in the introductory words “The Lord has sworn.”
Of course the Lord could have appointed Messiah as a priest of the order
of Melchizedek without making any oath. Yet the presence of the oath in
this verse gives additional force to what is being said. The Levitical
priesthood was not established by oath, whereas Jesus’ appointment to this
new priesthood was. This makes His appointment all the more certain, and
also points to the greater superiority of the priesthood that He represents
and the New Covenant of which it is a part.
The author concludes by saying that Jesus has become a surety (enguos)
of a better covenant. The word translated surety (“guarantee,” NASB)
occurs only here in the NT. However, it does occur three times in the LXX.
In those cases the word is used of a pledge or guarantee for something, that
is, something given as an assurance that a promise will be kept (such as
pledge money). This oath that introduces Ps 110:4 strengthens the argument
that Jesus is our surety (that which guarantees) that the New Covenant is
indeed a better covenant.
7:23-25. In vv 15-17 the author had called attention to the word “forever”
in the promise of Ps 110:4 to argue for the superiority of the
Melchizedekian priesthood. In contrast to the Levitical priests who had
short-lived ministries because of death, Jesus has an eternal ministry
because He lives and serves forever. Over the years there were many high
priests under the Old Covenant, not to mention the many assisting priests.
The first high priest was Aaron, but when he died he was replaced by his
son Eleazar (Num 20:25-29). According to Josephus, eighty-three high
priests officiated from Aaron to the fall of the second temple in AD 70. The
newer Melchizedekian priesthood, by way of contrast, does not have this
succession of priests, because Jesus lives and serves forever.
The author’s point, however, is not simply to repeat the same argument,
but rather to draw out a significant implication arising from Jesus’ unending
and unchangeable priesthood. He is able to save to the uttermost those
who come to God through Him, since He ever lives to make intercession for
them. By using the phrase save to the uttermost does he mean that Jesus is
saving sinners from the penalty of sin (speaking soteriologically)? If so,
then this verse is saying that He does that because of His intercessory
ministry that He continues to carry out on their behalf.
Yet that is precisely what the author is not saying. It would be quite
theologically inaccurate to say that a Christian’s personal salvation from the
penalty of sin depends on Christ’s ongoing intercession for him. That
depends solely on the work of Christ on the Cross! That is why Jesus cried
out from the Cross, “It is finished,” and why Paul in Col 2:13-14 could
proclaim that God has forgiven us all our trespasses and wiped out the
handwriting of requirements that was against us, “having nailed it to the
Cross.” That kind of salvation is not dependent on the Cross plus ongoing
intercession!
More likely, the author has something different in mind than personal
salvation from the penalty of sin. Since the verb “to save” (sōzō) and the
noun “salvation” (sōtēria) are used predominantly in Hebrews in regard to
an eschatological salvation, it is very possible that he is thinking of a future
salvation connected with the Second Coming of Christ.
It is also important to observe the objects of this particular saving ministry.
It is those who come to God through Him. The word used for come to is
proserchomenous. This verb is used seven times in the epistle (4:16; 7:25;
10:1; 10:22; 11:6: 12:18, 22). In 4:16, for instance, the author had
admonished his Christian audience, “Let us therefore come boldly to the
throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of
need.” The “coming” (“draw near,” NASB) to the throne of grace is not for
personal salvation, but is a resource of help in light of “our weaknesses”
(4:15). This speaks of postconversion activity (see a similar situation in
10:22 concerning the brethren who are admonished to “draw near”).
Consequently this saving ministry of Christ is for those Christians who avail
themselves of Jesus’ priestly role, and who want to “draw near” to God
(i.e., receive his grace and mercy for their Christian pilgrimage).
The phrase to the uttermost (eis to panteles) does not have a temporal
force (as in the NASB’s “forever”), but rather conveys the idea of
“completely.” For those Christians who rely on Christ’s priestly role and
intercession for them, they find that He is able to carry them completely
through all trials and difficulties to arrive at their eschatological salvation,
qualified to enter the greater rest.
7:26-28. The final argument for the superiority of the new priesthood with
Christ as High Priest is that He is perfectly holy and righteous. By contrast,
the Levitical priests obviously were not holy and undefiled, for they had to
offer up sacrifices for their own sins before they could offer up sacrifices
for others. Furthermore the Levitical priests had to offer up sacrifices daily,
in contrast to Christ who offered a final sacrifice once for all.
The word perfected (teteleiōmenon) in v 28 reminds us of all that was
involved in God’s preparing Jesus to be the High Priest for His people. This
would include both His lifetime of sufferings (2:10; 5:9), as well as His
final act of suffering on the Cross. The former prepared Him to help His
brethren who struggle in their sufferings, while the latter enabled Him to
present His blood on their behalf to provide forgiveness of sins. Indeed, in
so many ways chap. 7 portrays Jesus as an infinitely superior priest to all
those who served under the Law.
III. The Superior Sacrifice of Jesus (8:1–10:39)
Beginning in chap. 8 the author embarks on a new major section of the
epistle. In the previous unit the author argued for the superiority of the New
Covenant on the basis of the superior priesthood in which Jesus serves as
High Priest, namely, the Melchizedekian priesthood. The focus of chaps. 8–
10 is on the nature and accomplishment of the sacrifice that this High Priest
makes and which forms the foundation for the superior New Covenant.
A. The Foretelling of the New Covenant (8:1-13)
Two major observations show that the Old Covenant and its sacrificial
system were intended only to serve a temporary purpose. First, the
tabernacle was a copy of a greater heavenly reality (i.e., the earthly
tabernacle pointed forward to something greater to come). Second, the Lord
Himself announced through the prophet Jeremiah that the Old Covenant
would be replaced at some future point by a New Covenant.
1. Christ is a High Priest in the heavenly tabernacle (8:1-2)
8:1. The words Now this is the main point signal a major turning point in
the epistle. Of all the author has talked about in the preceding chapters, the
main subject is that of Christ being a High Priest. This was mentioned in
every chapter except chap. 1, and even there it was implied in 1:3. Even the
thought that He is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty
in the heavens was first enunciated in 1:3 (the word “majesty” is a figure
for God the Father).
8:2. Verse 2, on the other hand, looks forward to a new facet of His
priestly ministry. Christ is not merely a legitimate High Priest (substantiated
in chap. 7), but He has carried out His sacrifice in a far more significant
“tabernacle.” He has carried out His priestly ministry in the true tabernacle
itself, that is, the heavenly tabernacle. Again the author makes use of
contrast to prove the superiority of Christ’s priestly ministry.
2. Christ’s ministry is better than the Levitical one (8:3-6)
8:3. The author begins this paragraph by directing attention to what Christ
might have to offer. As High Priest surely He must have something to
offer. This anticipates what the author will expound on in chap. 9
concerning the offering of Christ’s own blood.
8:4-5. For now, however, the author wants to call attention to the priestly
activities taking place on earth, that is, as performed by the Levites. The
Levitical priests ministered on a daily basis, and the high priest (in the line
of Aaron) brought a special sacrifice once a year into the earthly Most Holy
Place. But this whole system was merely the copy and shadow of the
heavenly things. This should be clear from the very instructions that God
gave to Moses in Exod 25:40 (“And see to it that you make them according
to the pattern which was shown you on the mountain”). Everything about
the tabernacle was to be according to the pattern shown to Moses. The
word pattern (from typos, meaning a pattern or model), implies that the
tabernacle system is not the ultimate structure of God’s dwelling place, but
a model that reflects this greater reality. The “copy” and “model” must be
inferior to its pattern. The point here is that Christ has gone into the original
itself, not the copy of the original, thus demonstrating how much more
significant is that which He has done.
8:6. Yet Christ has a more excellent ministry, because it involves Him
mediating a better covenant, which was established on better promises.
All the priestly activity performed by the Levites was done in accord with
the Old Covenant. The promises attached to the New Covenant that Jesus
mediates are decidedly better than any promise associated with the Old
Covenant given to Moses. Probably the author is thinking primarily of the
promise of eternal forgiveness of sins, because that is the climactic
statement of his doctrinal teaching in 10:14-18. If the promises of the New
Covenant are better, then the New Covenant itself must be better.
3. Implications of the announcement of the New Covenant (8:7-
13)
8:7-12. In Jer 31:31-34 the prophet announced that the Lord would make a
New Covenant with His people. Although it is not stated when this
covenant will go into effect, it is clear that it will be a replacement of the
Old Covenant that was made with the nation at Mount Sinai. Without even
looking at the provisions of this New Covenant, the very fact that a second
covenant was deemed necessary demonstrates that the first covenant was
inadequate.
The timing of this announcement by Jeremiah is significant. This was
made when Jerusalem and the temple were about to be destroyed by the
Babylonians in 586 BC and the people led away into exile. God was
allowing this to come on His people because of their covenant
unfaithfulness, just as He had forewarned them in Deuteronomy 28–29. In
Heb 8:8 the author introduces the quotation from Jeremiah with the words
finding fault with them. The invasion and destruction by Babylon in
Jeremiah’s day were evidence that the Lord had found fault with His
people. After over eight hundred years of failing to live up to the terms of
the Old Covenant, it was apparent that the people were unfaithful. This led
to the Lord’s plan for a New Covenant to replace the old one, and for
Jeremiah to announce it to the nation.
The NT is clear that this New Covenant was inaugurated by the blood of
Christ shed at Calvary and has been operative since that time (Luke 22:20;
1 Cor 11:25; 2 Cor 3:6). At the Cross the Old Covenant was replaced by the
New Covenant, and all believers since then are participants in the New
Covenant and are no longer under the Mosaic Law (Rom 7:4-7; 1 Cor 9:19-
21; Heb 7:18). Though inaugurated at the Cross, it would be best to think of
the New Covenant as being progressively fulfilled, since there is still an
aspect of it that awaits fulfillment with Israel as a nation (cf. Rom 11:25-
27). Although the promises of the New Covenant were originally given to
Israel as a nation, it became clear in the progress of revelation that the
Church would also participate in this covenant, that is, in its spiritual
benefits (the forgiveness of sins, and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit
mentioned in Ezek 36:22-32 and Joel 2:28-32).
8:13. The author ends the chapter by pointing out that the mere mention of
a new covenant in Jeremiah should have alerted the people to anticipate
that the Old Covenant would one day be replaced. Since this announcement
made the first covenant obsolete, the people should have expected that a
change was coming. With Christ’s first advent the moment of change had
arrived, and the time had now come to set aside the Old Covenant and all
the rituals associated with the Levitical priestly ministry.
B. The Perfect Sacrifice Presented in the Heavenly Tabernacle
(9:1-28)
Beginning in chap. 8 the author focused on the sacrifice of the New
Covenant that Jesus, the High Priest of the order of Melchizedek, had to
present. The sacrifice He offered is far superior to any offered by the
Levitical priests, which argues even more strongly that the New Covenant is
superior to the Old. Chapter 9 highlights this sacrifice, which is nothing less
than the perfect sacrifice of Himself in the greater tabernacle of the very
presence of God. Throughout this section the author draws comparisons and
contrasts to the sacrifices of the earthly tabernacle.
1. The sacrificial ministry at the earthly tabernacle (9:1-10)
As a backdrop to speaking about Jesus’ sacrifice, the author begins by
reminding his readers about the earthly tabernacle of the Old Covenant.
a. The Old Covenant’s regulations (9:1)
9:1. The author mentions that the worship system of the Old Covenant had
regulations for worship and an earthly sanctuary. He briefly describes the
latter in vv 2-5 and then the former in vv 6-7.
b. A brief description of the earthly sanctuary (9:2-5)
9:2-3. The author points out that the tabernacle had two rooms, the outer
one called the sanctuary (or Holy Place, hagia), and the inner one called
the Holiest of All (or Most Holy Place, hagia hagiōn). Among the items
placed in the outer sanctuary were the lampstand (Exod 25:31-39) and the
table that held the showbread (vv 23-30). Each of these items had some
typological significance. For example, the lampstand reminded the people
of God that their purpose was to be a light to the world, a kingdom of
priests (19:5-6). This function of being a light to those in darkness is
ultimately fulfilled in Christ Himself, who is the Light of the World (John
8:12; 9:5). In turn, Christians are to be lights in the world (Matt 5:13; Eph
5:8; 1 Thess 5:5). The oil for the lamp signified the Holy Spirit who keeps
the light going. On the table of showbread were twelve loaves of bread (Lev
24:5-9), one for each of the twelve tribes of Israel. The showbread spoke of
God’s sustenance of spiritual life through fellowship with Him (which
explains why Jesus refers to Himself as the Bread of Life; John 6:35, 41, 48-
51).
9:4-5. Now he mentions the items that were placed in the inner room (the
Holiest of All). The key item is the ark of the covenant, in which was the
golden pot of manna, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tablets of the
covenant. The lid on the ark was called the mercy seat. This is because
once a year on the Day of Atonement the high priest sprinkled the
sacrificial blood on the lid. Above the mercy seat were the representations
of two angelic creatures called cherubim. Unfortunately the author did not
provide more explanation.
The mention of the golden censer (chrusoun thumiatērion) is confusing.
In some translations this is rendered “the golden altar of incense.” The latter
translation, however, is problematic, since the author seems to associate it
with the Holiest of All, though the OT clearly locates it before the veil in
the sanctuary (Lev 16:12-13). The best solution to the problem is the
translation offered by the NKJV. The author is speaking about the golden
censer, in which were placed coals from the altar of incense and then
brought inside the veil into the Holiest of All. Incense placed on these coals
would fill the room with smoke, sending forth a pleasing fragrance. As
support for this interpretation, whenever the term thumiatērion is used in
the LXX, it is clearly used for a censer (2 Chr 26:19; Ezek 8:10). Also there
is a clear reference to the altar of incense in Luke 1:11, but that verse uses a
different expression in the Greek.
c. The ministry of the earthly tabernacle (9:6-7)
9:6-7. Since the author will show the parallels between the work of Christ
and what the earthly high priest did on the Day of Atonement (cf. Leviticus
16), he points out that access to the Holiest of All was greatly restricted.
Ordinary Levitical priests could enter the sanctuary for daily ministry
activities (e.g., keeping the lamps lit and changing the showbread), but they
could never enter the Holiest of All. Only the high priest could enter it, and
even then only once a year on the Day of Atonement. In the Holiest of All
was the Shekinah glory of God (Exod 40:34-35). Even though God is
omnipresent, He did manifest His glorious presence in this place, thus
making it very sacred. Furthermore even the high priest could not enter
without taking blood from the sacrificial animals for the sins of himself and
the people.
We learn several lessons from this. First, entering the Holiest of All
patterned the very presence of God in the heavenly tabernacle. Only one
person (a high priest) is qualified to enter. Second, just as the Holiest of All
was entered only once a year, so Christ would enter the heavenly tabernacle
on our behalf only one time. Third, just as sacrificial blood (for sins) was
required of the priest to enter the Holiest of All, so sacrificial blood was
required for Christ to enter the heavenly tabernacle. In the latter case,
however, the blood was not for His sins, but only for the people He
represented.
d. The significance of the Day of Atonement (9:8-10)
9:8-9. When the author mentions the Holiest of All in v 8, he does not
mean the earthly one but the greater reality of God’s very presence in
heaven (cf. 10:19). So long as the first tabernacle (i.e., the earthly one)
was still standing and operational (which it was as long as the Old Covenant
was in force from Mount Sinai to the Cross), the way into the heavenly
Most Holy Place was not made manifest. During that long period that the
people were under the Law and the Levitical priesthood was practiced, they
could not clearly see what God intended by all these things (they were
symbolic for that time).
With the coming of Christ, however, the types became clear, and thus
could now be set aside. Everything the earthly tabernacle and its rituals
were meant to portray had now been fulfilled with Christ. The earthly
tabernacle was indeed characterized by its restricted access, but the author
will point out (in 10:19-20) that the way is now plainly open and accessible
for believers to enter God’s presence, now that Christ has gone before them
and the New Covenant has been enacted.
Furthermore there is no need to keep clinging to the copies and shadows,
because they are unable to make one perfect in regard to the conscience.
The emphasis here is not on God’s ability to forgive, but on the worshiper’s
need for a cleansed conscience. The point is that no one could have
confidence that the blood of animals had adequately dealt with his sins
(especially since the ceremony was repeated year after year). But a cleansed
conscience is essential for one seeking to serve God effectively.
9:10. The gifts, sacrifices, and other rituals under the Old Covenant
(though willed and commanded by God) were valid only until the time of
reformation (diorthōseōs). This term for reformation means a “new order,”
that is, the new arrangements brought about by the establishment of the
New Covenant.
2. Christ’s accomplishment in the heavenly tabernacle (9:11-15)
In this paragraph the author points out two primary contributions of the
atoning work of Christ: eternal redemption, and a cleansed conscience for
serving the living God.
a. The provision of eternal redemption (9:11-12)
9:11-12. What was implied before is now made explicit. The author points
out three major ways in which the priestly ministry of Christ is superior to
the ministry of the Old Covenant. First, Christ has gone not into an earthly
tabernacle made with human hands, but into the perfect tabernacle of
heaven (the actual presence of God). Second, Christ has presented His own
blood for sins (based on a sinless life), not that of animals. Third, Christ has
done this once for all (not year after year). As a result, He obtained eternal
redemption. The word redemption (lutrōsin) means releasing from
obligation by virtue of payment (as with ransom money paid to release
prisoners of war). Christ has made the full payment for our sins, so as to
release us forever from the debt we owe God. This is the blessing that
awaits any sinner who accepts the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus by
trusting Him alone for salvation (Rom 6:23).
b. The provision of a cleansed conscience (9:13-15)
9:13-14. The benefit of Christ’s sacrifice is not limited to eternal
redemption, for it also provides a cleansed conscience from dead works.
Dead works may refer to the person who went through the motions of the
Levitical rituals without faith and thus obtained no spiritual benefit (cf. Heb
6:1). This type of worshiper could never escape a defiled conscience. He
may go through the rituals outwardly, but inwardly he still struggled under
the burden of guilt. On the other hand, the worshiper who recognizes the
New Covenant and thus rests in the finished work of Christ alone can enjoy
a cleansed conscience altogether.
Yet this is not an end in itself. Knowing his sin is totally and eternally paid
for and forgiven, he experiences the freedom to serve the living God. Note
the contrast between dead works and living God. The word for serve
(latrueō) has overtones of worship and priestly service, not mundane labor.
The choice of this word to describe “service” would suggest to the reader
the responsibility for priestly service, drawing our attention back to chap. 3
where the author was concerned that the readers actively be part of the
worshiping community as the “Son’s house.”
9:15. The death of Christ, by which He mediated the New Covenant, sets
in motion a chain of events that leads to the attainment of the promise of
the eternal inheritance. The latter part of this complex sentence is a
purpose clause in the Greek. The purpose of His obtaining eternal
redemption for us is that we might ultimately receive an inheritance that we
can eternally enjoy and benefit from. The text does not say, however, that
all believers will automatically receive this. The “eternal redemption” is
absolutely free, but not necessarily the eternal inheritance. The latter
appears to be conditional for at least two reasons.
First, the author has just mentioned “serving the living God” in v 14
(which looks at our priestly service now enhanced by a cleansed
conscience). The idea of the tabernacle-house (suggesting priestly service)
was expressed in 3:6 as a conditional matter. Proper “priestly service” is a
prerequisite for this inheritance. Second, a study of the word group related
to inheritance (klēronomias, used eight times: 1:2, 14; 6:12, 17; 9:15; 11:7,
8; 12:17) suggests that inheritance is a conditional matter related to
faithfulness. This is highlighted in 6:12 where the author tells his audience
that they could not be sluggish if they hoped to inherit the promises but
must have faith and patience. Thus faith and patience (i.e., patient
endurance) are prerequisites for inheriting (cf. 10:36).
The appropriation by faith of Christ’s sacrifice grants us eternal
redemption. In addition to this, believers can also have an eternal
inheritance, provided they exercise faith, endure the trials and difficulties of
their earthly pilgrimage, and faithfully render their priestly service.
Obtaining this eternal inheritance is at the heart of what it means to “enter
His rest” (cf. 4:1-11).
3. The role of blood to inaugurate the Old Covenant (9:16-22)
a. The importance of death to covenant making (9:16-17)
9:16-17. The author prefaces what he will teach about the inauguration of
the Old Covenant with a brief comment about the role death plays in
covenant making. The Greek word he uses for “covenant” (diathēkē) can
mean either a Biblical covenant or a last will and testament, and scholars
debate which of the two is in view here. Whether the author intends a
human will (or testament) or a divine covenant, the point remains the same.
A death is necessary to activate it. If a Biblical covenant is in view, the
death would be that of an animal as a substitute for the one ratifying the
covenant.
b. The Old Covenant inaugurated by blood (9:18-22)
9:18-22. The Old Covenant was activated by the death of animals. That is,
their blood was ceremonially used to inaugurate the covenant. The author is
thinking here of the ceremony described in Exod 24:1-8 when Moses
received the Law from God. At that time blood was sprinkled about on both
the people and the altar, which foreshadowed the blood of Christ
inaugurating the New Covenant. Although the first covenant utilized animal
blood and the second the blood of Christ, nevertheless they both taught the
demand of blood as crucial for God’s forgiveness.
 4. The role of blood to inaugurate the New Covenant (9:23-28)
9:23. Just as blood inaugurated the Old Covenant, so blood inaugurates the
New Covenant. However, the latter had to involve better sacrifices, since it
was conducted in the heavenly tabernacle.
9:24-26. Echoing what he had said earlier (vv 11-12), the author again lays
out the rationale for Christ’s sacrifice being better. First, it is offered in
heaven in the very presence of God (v 24). Second, it involves the blood of
the sinless Son of God, not animal blood (v 25a). Third, it is offered only
once, not yearly, thereby proving its effectiveness (vv 25b-26).
9:27-28. Whereas the benefit of Christ’s first coming was to bear the sins
of many, the benefit of His Second Coming is for salvation. Obviously
what the author means by salvation in this context is something different
than the atonement for sins that Christ provided in His first coming. This
salvation needs to be seen in light of the broader context of Hebrews, an
eschatological salvation wherein the faithful share in the dominion over
creation with Christ (cf. 2:5-8). Yet, just as the eternal inheritance in 9:15
was conditional, so here the author seems to imply that this “salvation” is
conditional (or limited to a smaller circle than all the redeemed). It is for
those believers who eagerly wait for Him (from the verb apekdechomai,
used seven times in the NT in regard to the Second Coming of Christ; see
esp. Phil 3:20 and 1 Cor 1:7). This term is contrasted with the “many” who
benefit from His bearing their sins. In this Second-Coming salvation Christ
will “smite the nations” (Rev 19:15), deliver the world from the bondage of
Satan, and bring in a new order of righteousness in which faithful believers
will reign with Him and receive their inheritance in the “greater rest.” Thus
they “inherit salvation,” to use the words of Heb 1:14. Part of the secret to
faithfully enduring in the Christian life is to be eagerly awaiting the return
of our Lord Jesus.
C. The Adequacy of Christ’s Sacrifice for Eternal Forgiveness
(10:1-18)
This is the author’s final exposition about Christ’s sacrifice for sins before
exhorting the readers once again in 10:19-39. The emphasis on the “once-
for-all” nature of Christ’s sacrifice (see 9:12, 26) carries over into chap. 10.
The author is trying to convey that only this “once-for-all” sacrifice is
adequate for cleansing the conscience of the worshiper and providing an
assured forgiveness of sins.
1. The sacrifices under the Law (10:1-4)
10:1. The entire Law system with all its Levitical rituals and sacrifices was
nothing more than a shadow of the good things to come. The word shadow
(skian) was used earlier in 8:5, and conveys the typological nature of this
Law system (cf. Col 2:16-17). The words good things to come, on the other
hand, refer to the priestly ministry of Christ as He entered the heavenly
tabernacle in the presence of God the Father to present His blood once for
all as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind (note the use of this phrase in 9:11).
If the Law system was only a type of what Christ would do
(foreshadowing His work), then obviously one should not look to the type
in which to put his confidence. Furthermore the repetitive nature of the type
(continually year by year) reveals its inferiority. The author is probably
thinking primarily of the sacrifices connected with the yearly Day of
Atonement, as that ritual more than any other typifies Christ’s sacrificial
blood entering the heavenly Most Holy Place.
When the author refers to the Law never making perfect those who
approach, he is thinking about the inability of the Levitical sacrifices to help
the conscience of the worshiper. Support for this is twofold. First, the author
uses the word “perfect” in 9:9 in stating how the gifts and sacrifices under
the Old Covenant could not make the worshiper “perfect in regard to the
conscience,” in contrast to the blood of Christ (9:14) that could cleanse the
conscience from dead works. Second, the author refers in the very next
verse (10:2) to the matter of having consciousness of sins.
10:2-4. There never seemed to be an end to the repetitive sacrifices under
the Old Covenant, and the people never got to the point where they could
say that the blood of bulls and goats (the animal sacrifices) had been
enough. The consciousness of sins points to the worshipers’ sense of sin
when confronted on the Day of Atonement with the holiness of God.
2. The replacement of the sacrifices anticipated (10:5-10)
10:5. Hebrews 10:5-7 is a quotation from Ps 40:6-8a, an OT passage
anticipating that a representative of God was coming who would provide
something better than the Old Covenant animal sacrifices. In his quotation
the author seems to rely primarily on the LXX translation of these verses
(Ps 39:7-9 in the LXX), which differs slightly from the original Hebrew.
The words “But a body you have prepared for Me” appear in the Hebrew
as “ears You have dug for me.” The sense, however, is the same. The LXX
translators realized that the word “dug” was a figure of speech (a
metonymy). God bore out the holes in our head, as it were, putting the
apparatus in our head to hear His Word. The word “ears” represented
another figure of speech (a synecdoche–substitution of a part for the whole).
If God has our ear, then He has our body, that is, our whole being. Thus
God “bore the ears” (for hearing) with the intention that one’s whole person
(body) would hear His Word and be completely disposed to doing His will.
10:6-7. The author of Hebrews was apparently led by the Spirit of God to
change the wording of the quotation in 10:6 (concerning burnt offerings and
sacrifices for sin) from “You have not required” to “You had no pleasure.”
In doing this, he may have had Ps 51:19 in mind (50:19 in the LXX). The
word for have pleasure (eudokeō) was used in this psalm to speak about the
sacrifices God is pleased with, in contrast to those He is not pleased with.
So the author quotes Psalm 40, but his mind is so steeped in the
terminology of God’s pleasure (or lack thereof) with sacrifices in the OT
psalms, that he readily substitutes a word he was familiar with from similar
contexts within the Psalter. Psalm 51 indicates that it is ultimately the
condition of the worshiper’s heart, not the activity of bringing an animal
sacrifice, that really matters with God (“a broken and contrite heart You will
not despise”).
10:8. Whereas “the body” became a way for the LXX translators to
capture the point of the Hebrew text (“ears You have dug”), the author of
Hebrews seizes the rendering to identify Christ as the perfect fulfillment.
He is the “body” that has come–via His incarnation–perfectly desiring and
doing the will of God (cf. John 4:34; 8:29). Furthermore with the sacrifice
of His body, He has superseded the Levitical sacrifices. The quotation from
Psalm 40 substantiates that God always anticipated something better than
animal sacrifices, and this was recorded even while the Old Covenant was
still in operation. The fact that this body (i.e., the One who perfectly obeyed
the Father) is then itself given up as a sacrifice makes the Levitical offerings
pale in comparison.
 10:9-10. The author also finds significance in the order in which ideas are
stated in the psalm. After the comments about sacrifices, we read, Then He
said, “Behold I have come.” This implies that the latter is more superior to
the sacrifices, and thus replaces the need for them. By that will, (i.e., the
will of God that planned the offering of the body of Jesus as a once-for-all
sacrifice for sins), all true believers in Christ Jesus are sanctified (hagiazō).
In this context, as in Heb 2:11, the author is thinking of our positional
sanctification because of Christ’s redeeming blood, whereby we are given a
righteous standing before God once for all.
3. The significance of Christ having sat down (10:11-14)
10:11-14. The author concluded the preceding paragraph with the thought
that Christ’s sacrifice (unlike animal sacrifices) was “once for all.” Now he
links that thought with the matter of His having sat down at the right hand
of God. These words are from Ps 110:1, where David’s “Lord” was told,
“Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” It would be
very natural to relate these words to the Messiah, since this is the very same
Psalm that commissioned Him as a Priest according to the order of
Melchizedek (v 4). These words from 110:1 have been used earlier in the
epistle to demonstrate the exalted status that the resurrected Christ has
attained to (cf. Heb 1:3; 8:1). The author now wants to draw out an
additional significance of this verse, namely, the fact that He sits rather than
stands.
Under the Old Covenant, priests did not “sit” in their priestly ministry (so
to speak). Their ministry could be summarized as “standing,” since they
always had to carry out more sacrifices. In contrast, the High Priest of the
New Covenant sits. He can sit in His priestly ministry, precisely because He
does not need to offer further sacrifices. The offering of Himself was
sufficient. The fact that He “sits” is thus an anticipation from the pages of
the OT that by the offering of Himself He has perfected forever those who
have trusted in His sacrifice.
Furthermore He sits in anticipation of what is coming. Verse 13 indicates
that He is sitting from that time waiting till His enemies are made His
footstool. He has not yet received the full benefit of what the Father intends
for Him. He sits (now that His sacrifice is completed and He has ascended
to the Father’s right hand), but His enemies have not yet been fully
subjugated. That, however, will all change at our Lord’s Second Coming.
All enemies (whether earthly rulers, the Antichrist, or demonic forces) will
be subdued and forcibly disengaged, thus setting the stage for Him to rule
as King of the earth in His millennial kingdom (cf. Pss 2:1-2, 8-9; 72:8-11;
Rev 19:19-21).
4. The New Covenant’s assurance (10:15-18)
10:15-18. In the final paragraph of this section the author returns again to
the passage from Jeremiah 31 (which was quoted at length in Heb 8:8-12).
This time, however, he is more selective in what he quotes, choosing to
highlight that part of the New Covenant prophecy which promised that God
would remember “Their sins and their lawless deeds” no more. This fact
obviously implies an assured forgiveness for those who participate in this
New Covenant. But if this is a promise of eternal forgiveness (and it is!),
then this would imply that further sacrifices would not be necessary once
this New Covenant came into operation. This is the confirming argument
that the sacrifice of Christ is the once-for-all payment of our sins. For the
readers to turn back to the Levitical system with its unending demand of
animal sacrifices would be to deny what we were rightfully made to expect
by the announcement of the New Covenant in Jeremiah 31.
In summary this section from Heb 10:1-18 is actually a series of proof
texts from the OT that argue for the once-for-all nature and superiority of
Christ’s sacrifice. Those trusting in His sacrifice need not have a troubled
conscience, and can be absolutely assured of God’s eternal forgiveness of
their sins.
D. The Proper Response to Christ’s Sacrifice (10:19-39)
Highlighting the implications of the superior sacrifice of Christ, the
readers are called to remain faithful to the Lord Jesus and patiently endure
as they await His return.
1. Admonitions to respond faithfully (10:19-25)
The earthly tabernacle having served its purpose, the Lord Jesus has
ushered in astonishingly new realities for God’s children. The author now
presents two primary reasons why believers ought to remain faithful to
Christ and the New Covenant realities, following which he sets forth several
exhortations to faithfulness.
 a. Two reasons to draw near (10:19-21)
Despite one’s past faith, sluggishness and immaturity that is left
uncorrected (cf. 5:11–6:12) can make one susceptible to delusion, even to
the point of abandoning one’s outward confession of Christ. Such a
disastrous choice would invite God’s chastening judgment. Yet there are
good reasons to firmly hold on to New Covenant truth. It is these reasons
the author lays out for his readers.
10:19-20. In light of his presentation in 9:1–10:18 the author affirms that
believers have free access to the Holiest, meaning the heavenly tabernacle
itself. The presentation of the blood of Jesus in the heavenly “Holiest” gives
us boldness for entering there ourselves.
Under the Old Covenant only the high priest could enter the Most Holy
Place after passing through the veil which separated the two rooms of the
tabernacle. This veil served two purposes: it hid the Shekinah glory of God,
and it gave access to the presence of God (for the high priest only). The
counterpart under the New Covenant is not a curtain at all, but rather His
flesh, that is, the body of Jesus. While on earth, Christ’s human body was
like a shield, preventing others from seeing and being overwhelmed by the
glory of God. Furthermore by coming through His flesh (i.e., trusting in
Christ as our substitutionary atonement), we can have access to the presence
of God, a privilege Old Covenant believers never had. In fact, we have
“boldness” (or confidence, parrēsian) to enter there. The rending of the
temple veil at the time of Christ’s death signified this new access (cf. Matt
27:51).
10:21. New Covenant believers are part of a greater spiritual temple
headed by Jesus Christ as priest. The phrase house of God reminds us of
the cautionary words in 3:6, “whose house we are if we hold fast.” New
Covenant believers have a responsibility to exercise a priestly ministry in
accord with this new reality. Turning from Christ to retreat to the shadows
of the earthly temple would be tantamount to abandoning one’s priestly
calling and responsibilities to the real “house of God.”
b. Admonitions to remain faithful (10:22-25)
With the two preceding provisions of the New Covenant in mind (vv 19-
21), the author gives three exhortations to faithfulness.
 10:22. First, he exhorts them to draw near with a true heart in full
assurance of faith. (Compare the caution in 3:12 of having an “evil heart of
unbelief.”) Now they are exhorted to have a true heart, a genuine heart that
is fully assured, and with this to “draw near.”
In drawing near, they are to do so with a heart that has been sprinkled
from an evil conscience and a body washed with pure water. The word
for sprinkled (rantizō) is used three other times in Hebrews (9:13, 19, 21) to
speak of the Old Covenant inauguration ceremony of Exod 24:1-8. In that
ceremony the blood of animals was sprinkled outwardly on the covenant
participants, and obviously it had no inner effect on their conscience. By
contrast, the blood of Christ has had a profound effect on the conscience of
those embracing the New Covenant (cf. Heb 9:14). The body washed with
pure water refers not to Christian baptism, but (in contrast to Old Covenant
ritual washings) to the washing of regeneration accomplished by the Holy
Spirit that leads to personal holiness in the Christian life (cf. Titus 3:5).
10:23. The second exhortation is for the readers to hold fast the
confession of our hope without wavering. The author issued this
exhortation earlier in 4:14 (cf. 3:1). This presumes that they had actually
made a previous confession of faith in Jesus as their Messiah. The
exhortation is followed by the rationale, for He who promised is faithful.
This has reference to God’s promises mentioned earlier in the book,
promises connected with the idea of inheritance (cf. 6:12; 9:15) and the
future coming salvation (9:28). When the Lord returns to establish His
kingdom, He will be faithful to render what He promised to those who
patiently endured and actively served in the true “house of God.”
10:24-25. The third exhortation pertains to faithful participation with the
New Covenant community. The author wants them to consider ways they
can stimulate each other to love and good works, fostering a New
Covenant esprit de corps (cf. Gal 5:6). Since all of us are weak and easily
falter, there is mutual benefit in communal worship and interaction.
Unfortunately some had apparently already withdrawn from gathering
publicly, and thus the author warns them not to forsake the assembling
together.
Mutual encouragement is needed, and all the more as they might see the
Day approaching. It is doubtful this refers to the time of judgment on
Jerusalem in AD 70 when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple.
His reference to the Second Coming salvation in 9:28 and to the Lord’s
soon “coming” in 10:37 suggests that the author is thinking of that period of
judgment known in Scripture as “the day of the Lord” that accompanies the
Second Coming.
2. The fourth warning—severe judgment is possible (10:26-31)
For those who choose not to heed the preceding exhortations, he reminds
them of the consequences. The evidence from the context argues that those
in danger of judgment are genuine believers. In 10:19 they are called
“brethren” (those who have been “sanctified,” 2:11), while in 10:32-33 the
author recalls past experiences of suffering for their faith.
a. “Willful sin” under the New Covenant (10:26-27)
10:26. The use of the first person plural in the opening conditional
statement refers to those the author has been addressing in 10:19-25.
Indeed, they have received the knowledge of the truth, a technical
expression used to speak of authentic Christian experience (1 Tim 2:4; 2
Tim 2:25; 3:7; Titus 1:1). These genuine Christians are then warned not to
sin willfully. The faulty translation “keep on sinning” misses the point
altogether. The context suggests that the author is thinking of a particular
sin rather than a lifestyle in which one continues to sin.
First, he just admonished them in 10:23 to “hold fast the confession,”
suggesting that he was concerned they might not do that (cf. 3:6; 4:14).
Second, the adverb willfully (hekousiōs) suggests a connection with what is
known as “willful sin” in the OT, or “sin of a high hand” (Num 15:30-31)–
the case where serious violation of the Law was done intentionally (with
full knowledge and purposeful transgression). Moses used the combination
of aekousios (an antonym of hekousiōs) and hamartanō (“to sin”) in Num
15:27 to describe the concept of “sinning unintentionally,” implying that the
opposite idea (“to sin intentionally”) would be expressed by hekousiōs and
hamartanō–which is exactly what the author of Hebrews does. This
observation is significant, for the issue in Numbers 15 was not persistency
in sin, but a certain kind of sin serious enough to warrant physical death.
Furthermore this helps explain why the author of Hebrews says that for
this case there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins. When one had
“sinned intentionally” according to Numbers 15, there was no sacrifice to
offer that would avert God’s judgment (i.e., temporal judgment of death).
10:27. The probable sin that the author has in mind (parallel to “intentional
sin” of Numbers 15) is the sin of abandoning one’s confession of faith (see
Heb 10:23). For this sin there can only be a certain fearful expectation of
judgment. The words fiery indignation which will devour the
adversaries appear to be drawn from the LXX translation of Isa 26:11. The
metaphor of fire was used in the OT to speak of Yahweh’s anger toward His
failing covenant people, in which He brought judgment resulting in their
physical death without any suggestion of hell (cf. Lev 10:1-3; Num 16:35).
The allusion to Isa 26:11 suggests he is thinking of the eschatological
judgment that will befall the world in the Day of the Lord. Isaiah 24–27
describes this period of time (see especially Isa 24:3). Metaphorically God’s
judgment on the world at that time is compared to a burning fire (Isa 24:6).
A similar fate of God’s temporal judgment could await New Covenant
believers who rebel.
b. A comparison of punishment (10:28-29)
Using a style of rabbinic argument, the author reasons that if the New
Covenant is superior to the Old, then a greater punishment ought to await
those who violate the New Covenant.
10:28. The words dies without mercy are an allusion to Deut 17:6 in
which the death penalty would be given for more serious sins such as
murder (cf. Deut 19:15). Such cases necessitated two or three witnesses to
testify against the guilty one. Committing this sin was tantamount to
rejecting Moses’ law, that is, rejecting the covenant obligations.
10:29. Consequently a worse punishment ought to be due the person who
lives in outright rebellion against the greater New Covenant! He then
describes the characteristics of New Covenant rebellion. First, the rebel, in
essence, has trampled the Son of God underfoot. Although the word
trample (katapateō) can mean literally to trample underfoot, it also carries
the figurative meaning “to look on with scorn, to treat with disdain.” To
look on Christ and what He had done on the Cross with scorn would be a
most grievous sin for a Christian.
Second, the rebel has counted the blood of the covenant as nothing more
than a common thing. The author has in mind the blood of the New
Covenant, that atoning blood of Jesus which is infinitely superior to the
blood of goats and bulls (9:11-14). The words a common thing are actually
one word in the Greek. Although this word (koinon) often means
“common,” here it is used in the sense of that which was defiling under the
Law (note the use in Acts 10:14-15). How ironic (yet tragic!) that the very
blood of Christ would be regarded similar to things considered “unclean”
under the Law.
Significantly the author points out that it is this blood by which he (i.e.,
the New Covenant rebel) was sanctified. Some have sought to dodge the
seriousness of this statement by claiming that the pronoun could be
translated “it” rather than “he,” implying that it is the covenant that is
sanctified by Jesus’ blood, not the person. Such an interpretation overlooks
the author’s use of this key term “sanctify” (hagiazō) in the epistle. Earlier
in chap. 10 the author stated, “we have been sanctified through the offering
of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (v 10; cf. v 14). In v 29, therefore,
the author is clearly confronting true believers who have been sanctified by
Christ’s perfect atoning sacrifice.
Third, such a New Covenant rebel has insulted the Spirit of grace. There
is no need to equate this statement with that of blasphemy against the Holy
Spirit (Mark 3:22-30), since the contexts differ significantly. Rather, the
author is probably thinking of the Spirit as the agent who dispenses grace
from the heavenly throne (cf. Heb 4:16). An abandonment of one’s faith in
Christ and His atoning blood was an insult to the Holy Spirit who had
actively worked to make grace available to the Christian pilgrim on his way
to God’s greater rest.
c. God judges His own people (10:30-31)
The author recalls two OT verses in which God did indeed judge His own
people. Since God does not change, the principle still applies.
10:30. Both quotations are drawn from Deuteronomy 32, a lament for
Israel who worships idols (other gods) rather than Yahweh who had blessed
her. Scholars debate whether these quotations (from Deut 32:35-36a)
pertain to unfaithful Israel or her enemies that afflicted her. The more
natural understanding is that unfaithful Israel is in view. The following
verses (36b-38) focus on Israel being overwhelmed by calamity, so that her
“power is gone.” This will cause her to see the futility of her trust in idols
(Deut 32:39). Thus God will execute “Vengeance” against His own
covenant people Israel, and “repay” them for their sin of forsaking Him by
turning to other gods. In doing so, “He will judge His people.”
10:31. Finally, the author reminds his readers: It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God (cf. Heb 3:12). These words are drawn
from 2 Sam 24:14, in which case David fell into the hands of the Lord, who
sent a pestilence (temporal judgment) that caused seventy thousand
Israelites to die.
What then is the “fearful thing” the apostate should expect? Since the
author does not say that it is loss of eternal life (which, in any case, cannot
be lost), we should not presume that. For God to remove a believer by
physical death and for that believer to experience eternal loss of reward
certainly constitutes a “worse punishment.” The remainder of the chapter
confirms this.
3. An encouragement and call for endurance through faith
(10:32-39)
The stern warning is followed by words of encouragement and then by an
admonishment to patiently endure by faith in light of the expected return of
the Lord Jesus, who will reward those who have been faithful.
a. A call to reflect on their past sufferings (10:32-34)
10:32-34. The exhortation for the readers to recall the earlier days of
suffering for their faith strongly argues that the previous warning is directed
at genuine believers. These were sufferings after they were illuminated
(phōtisthentes). This word speaks of the enlightenment brought to their
souls because of regeneration (cf. 6:4). Verses 33-34 recall some specific
ways they had been made to suffer for their faith. They had been willing to
undergo these trials because they had a better and an enduring possession
for themselves. No doubt the author is thinking of what awaits them in the
New Jerusalem of Christ’s kingdom (cf. 11:10, 16; 12:22; 13:14). All
earthly sufferings are worth enduring, if one knows that he stands to gain so
much in eternity. The author’s reminder of their earlier sufferings is meant
to rekindle in them that same earlier spirit.
b. A call to endure to receive the promised reward (10:35-36)
 10:35. Consequently the readers were exhorted not to cast away their
confidence (recall the use of parrēsian in v 19). To abandon their
confidence in the priestly work of Jesus might invite God’s stern judgment
(vv 26-31), yet faithful adherence to it held hope for great reward. The
context of the book suggests that this reward consists of sharing in the Son’s
ultimate dominion, successfully entering the greater rest, and inheriting
“the promises” mentioned in 6:12.
10:36. Yet the author reminds them that such future reward is contingent
on endurance. This word (hupomonēs) speaks of the perseverance needed
in one’s Christian pilgrimage, especially in light of the pain and hardships
along the way. One endures such challenges precisely because he is more
committed to doing the will of God than his own. All temporal pain and
discomfort, however, is temporary. More importantly, one’s faithful
endurance entitles him to receive the promise (see comments on 11:39-40).
c. The need for faith in light of Christ’s expected return (10:37-
39)
10:37-39. The time of such reward is at the return of Jesus. Quoting from
the LXX translation of Hab 2:3-4, the author reminds them that “He who is
coming will come and will not tarry” (cf. Heb 9:28). The Lord’s return
should mean good news for believers, but for some it could mean shame
(cf. 1 John 2:28). Consequently he reminds them that “the just” are to “live
by faith”–an enduring faith that he will illustrate in
chap. 11–and not draw back, that is, to turn cowardly from the Lord (by
abandoning one’s confession). The “just” one (dikaios; lit., “righteous one”)
can potentially do either, but by “drawing back” the Lord will take “no
pleasure in him,” that is, He will not be pleased with such an unfaithful
believer. The chapter ends, “We, however, are not of those who cowardly
turn back resulting in destruction, but we are of those who exhibit an
enduring faith resulting in the preservation of the soul” (my translation).
The NKJV translation perdition (apōleian) in v 39 might better be rendered
“destruction.” This term can be used of people (including believers) in cases
where eternal damnation is not in view (such as 1 Tim 6:9 and Acts 8:20).
Also the related verb form (apōllumi) can refer to temporal physical
destruction (e.g., Mark 4:38). Most likely the author is thinking once again
of the stern judgment that he had spoken of in Heb 10:29. Since he had just
spoken of the fate of the believer when the Lord returns, this could mean
not only temporal destruction but a negative experience at the judgment seat
of Christ (coming short of God’s rest; 4:1). Any thought, however, that
10:39 might have soteriological faith in view must certainly be rejected in
light of the fact that the author clearly portrays in chap. 11 that the faith he
has in mind is a life of walking by faith in which one pleases God.
IV. The Means and Responsibilities of New Covenant Life (11:1–
13:17)
In the previous section the author exhorted the readers to respond
positively to the doctrinal exposition of Christ’s perfect sacrifice by
drawing near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith (10:22).
Those who “cast away their confidence” are warned that they may face
God’s severe judgment (vv 26-31). Yet they can “endure” by responding in
faith and living by faith, resulting in great reward and inheriting God’s
promises (vv 35-36).
In Hebrews 11 the author gives examples and motivations for living a life
of faith. If unbelief resulted in exclusion from God’s rest for the wilderness
generation under the Old Covenant (3:19; 4:11), then certainly faith will be
critical for New Covenant believers who wish to enter successfully into
God’s greater rest.
A. The Life of Faith That Pleases God and Brings Reward (11:1-
40)
This chapter is not merely a long list of examples of faith from the OT.
There are also several other themes in the chapter that are very relevant to
the overall concerns of the epistle. This would include living in such a way
as to “obtain a good testimony” from God, living as aliens in the world
because of the treasure that awaits us beyond this life, willingness to suffer
persecution and ill treatment, and eventually obtaining one’s inheritance and
rewards in God’s timing.
1. The prologue (11:1-2)
11:1. The author begins by defining faith and the value it has. He says it is
the substance of things hoped for. The word translated substance
(hupostasis) is quite flexible in meaning, but in this context it probably
stresses the confidence or assurance that one has in something (cf. the
synonym parrēsia in 10:35). This active sense would fit the description of
faith in 11:6 as something that believers do that pleases God (cf. v 39). Also
this is consistent with the author’s concern in 10:38 that believers “live by
faith” (i.e., be confident in what God has said and act accordingly).
The word translated evidence (elegchos) would better be understood as “a
conviction about” something. The NIV’s translation is accurate: “Now faith
is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” In
light of the examples cited the author has in mind an assurance about things
God has revealed or called a person to do (not things one wishes to happen).
11:2. It was “by faith” that the elders obtained a good testimony. By
elders (presbuteroi) the author means their ancestors before the time of the
Cross. The words obtained a good testimony are actually one word in the
Greek text (emarturēthēsan). This is a key term in the chapter (vv 2, 4, 5,
39). Its use in the prologue and epilogue forms an inclusio for the chapter.
The NASB translates this word as “gained approval.” The point is that by
their faith they obtained a good testimony in the eyes of God, thus gaining
His approval and meriting His rewards (note the stress in vv 5-6 of
“pleasing God” and being rewarded). Hopefully the readers will emulate the
lives of these men and women of faith, obtaining a good testimony with
God.
2. The primordial period (11:3-7)
11:3. The author begins with the Biblical account of Creation. Only by
faith can we know that the world was created by a word from God. From
the beginning, then, there is this principle that we must depend on what God
has revealed rather than on what we can see.
11:4. In the Cain and Abel story Abel’s gift to God was regarded as a
more excellent sacrifice. The reason is due, not to the substance of the
sacrifice itself, but to the faith behind the gift. Abel’s gift was motivated by
a faith that sought to please God (cf. Gen 4:4). He recognized what
constituted a “more excellent sacrifice,” and then was obedient to offer that.
Likewise the readers should recognize and rely on the “more excellent
sacrifice” that Christ has made for them.
11:5. God’s favor on Enoch was evident, because he was taken away by
God rather than experiencing death. In Gen 5:24 we are told that he
“walked with God.” The Greek LXX translated these words as “he was
pleasing to God”. The sense, however, is the same: the fact that he walked
with God resulted in his pleasing God. We should not expect the same
outcome as Enoch (God used him to demonstrate that He was master over
death), but we should seek to please God as Enoch did through a life of
faith.
11:6. The author extends the example of Enoch by emphasizing that
without faith it is impossible to please God. Yet what does it mean to
come to God? This is the same word (proserchomai) translated “draw near”
in 10:22 (cf. 4:16). The author is not talking about non-Christians coming to
God for salvation, but how Christians draw near to their God. Christians
can draw nearer to God by believing not only that God is, but that He is a
rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. This reinforces what the
author had said about rewards and receiving God’s promises in 10:35-36
(cf. 6:11-12). The one who lives by faith can expect God’s eternal reward(s)
in the kingdom of His Son.
11:7. Throughout this epistle the author has warned the readers to hold fast
their confession of faith in Jesus and follow in the ways of the New
Covenant. Noah is a good model of a man who heeded God’s warning and
acted in faith (though his actions put him at odds with the world). The ark
he built provided for the saving of his household, that is, their physical
deliverance and escaping God’s judgment. For this act he became an heir of
the righteousness which is according to faith. This does not mean that his
obedience gained him a righteous standing with God. Like Abraham, God’s
righteousness could be secured only by faith (Gen 15:6). Genesis 6:9 bears
witness that Noah was already a righteous man before he ever built the ark,
and (like Enoch) he walked with God. So Noah already had the
“righteousness according to faith.” But his faithful obedience in building
the ark enabled him to also become an “heir,” that is, an inheritor. This
same Greek word (klēronomos) was used in Heb 1:2 of Christ, the heir of
all things. Furthermore use of this term (and the related verbal form) in
6:12, 17 reminds us that Christians become heirs with Christ as a result of a
life of enduring faith (cf. Titus 3:7). The idea of becoming an “heir”
complements what the author had said about rewards in v 6.
3. Abraham and the patriarchs (11:8-22)
 The author now turns to Abraham and the patriarchs. He had introduced
Abraham earlier as an inheritor of God’s promises (6:13-20). The mention
of Noah as an “heir” in the previous verse forms a natural transition to
Abraham. The latter was particularly important, for he was considered by
Jews as the father of the nation. Of all men whose life they might wish to
emulate, certainly Abraham’s would be foremost.
11:8-10. Abraham’s quest for an inheritance in the land of promise sets the
pattern for those under the New Covenant. It was a challenge for Abraham
to leave that which was familiar (Ur of the Chaldeans) and obey God’s
calling. The readers face something similar as they embark on their New
Covenant undertaking (leaving behind the trappings of the Old Covenant).
Likewise they have an inheritance, but in the Son’s kingdom. They also
need to see themselves as “sojourners” (those dwelling in a foreign country)
who live in temporary dwellings (tents). That is, their real home is
elsewhere, and their time here on earth is only a temporary pilgrimage.
Yet Abraham and Sarah were not alone, for Isaac and Jacob were heirs
with him (sugklēronomōn, lit., “fellow-heirs”) of the same promise. In all
this, Abraham realized that earthly Canaan was not his ultimate destiny. He
was waiting for the city which has foundations, whose builder and
maker is God. In light of v 16 the author has in mind the “heavenly
Jerusalem”–a city beyond this earthly life (cf. 12:22; 13:14)–to be realized
in Jesus’ messianic kingdom (cf. 12:28). Abraham may not have clearly
understood this, but the author of Hebrews realizes that this was the real
destiny to which God was taking him.
11:11-12. Female readers of the epistle would take particular
encouragement in Sarah, the woman of faith who accompanied Abraham. In
her old age she bore Isaac, the child of promise. Despite her moments of
doubt (Gen 18:9-15), she thought Him faithful who had promised. At an
age when most people would be dead, Abraham and Sarah finally received
the son in whom God would fulfill His promise of a great seed! If Abraham
and Sarah could follow the One faithful to His promises, certainly the
readers of Hebrews should be confident that their own endurance in faith–
doing the will of God–would result in obtaining His promises at Jesus’
Second Coming (Heb 10:36).
11:13. Verses 13-16 form an interlude in the author’s discussion of the
patriarchal period, underscoring some of the important implications from
their lives of faith.
What was implied in the previous verses is now made explicit. Abraham
and the patriarchs regarded themselves as strangers and pilgrims on the
earth. This is how the person of faith must see himself, for God’s ultimate
promises are not meant to be received in this life. That is why the author
states, These all died in faith, not having received the promises. The
author concludes this chapter on the same thought (see v 39).
11:14-16. Though Abraham by his own confession was a stranger and a
pilgrim even after reaching Canaan (Gen 23:4), he certainly did not regard
Ur (or Haran) as his true homeland. Had that been the case, he could have
easily returned. There was a better country for him, a heavenly country (the
author is thinking again of the “heavenly Jerusalem”). Such an attitude wins
God’s approval, and thus the author can say that God is not ashamed to be
called their God (cf. 2:11). This is evidenced by the fact that God has
prepared a city for them, a city that will be an integral part of the Son’s
kingdom (cf. 12:22, 28). These heroes of the faith, headed for New
Jerusalem, stand in contrast to the wilderness generation that rebelled at
Kadesh Barnea and failed to enter God’s “rest” because of unbelief.
11:17-19. Abraham and the patriarchs were people who lived life in light
of their ultimate destiny in the eternal city of God. Because of this
perspective, their faith evidenced itself in ways that looked beyond death.
Abraham’s offering up of Isaac (Genesis 22) is a case in point. Testing in
the Christian life is not unnatural, for even Abraham was subjected to God’s
testing. Furthermore there was a lot at stake in this test. The Abrahamic
Covenant and God’s whole theocratic program to bring universal blessing
(Gen 12:1-3) were contingent on the promised “seed” to Abraham. After
waiting so long to finally have the promised son, would he really be able to
obey God’s command to sacrifice Isaac?
Prior to the testing itself in Genesis 22 Abraham was given the specific
promise in Gen 21:12, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” How could he
reconcile this promise with God’s command? Most likely, he did not know
how God would fulfill this promise if he were to sacrifice Isaac. Yet he had
learned over the years that God keeps His word. From this he apparently
reasoned that even if he were to sacrifice Isaac, God would somehow
miraculously bring him back to life. He need not have fully understood the
doctrine of the resurrection to have reasoned to this conclusion. Abraham,
however, did not actually have to kill Isaac. Thus in one sense Abraham
received the gift of having his son back. It was as though he received him
back from the dead. Even this aspect (receiving back his son) became a type
of what would come later, when God the Father would receive back His
only Son by virtue of His resurrection.
Hence the author of Hebrews could say of Isaac’s virtual death, from
which he also received him in a figurative sense. To pass this test,
Abraham needed a faith to trust God for life beyond death. Furthermore his
successfully passing the test brought great blessing from God and hope for
the future (see esp. Gen 22:15-18).
11:20-22. The author now presents similar examples from each of the next
three patriarchs (Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph). Isaac, for instance, blessed both
Jacob and Esau concerning things to come. That is, just before he died,
Isaac uttered a blessing for each of his sons regarding their future (Gen
27:27-29 for Jacob and 27:39-40 for Esau). In both cases the fulfillment
would come after Isaac’s own death. The promised blessing for Jacob
included the words, “Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you”
(27:29). These words went far beyond Jacob’s lifetime, finding their
ultimate fulfillment in Christ Jesus (cf. 27:8-11; Dan 7:13-14).
The author then recollects Jacob’s dying moments. The words, worshiped,
leaning on the top of his staff, reflect the LXX translation of Gen 47:31.
Some translations of Gen 47:31 have “bed” rather than “staff,” but the word
for staff (Hebrew mittah) is easily confused for “bed” (matteh). The
translation “staff” in this verse is favored by the NIV, and this seems
preferable (recall the importance of Jacob’s staff in 38:18). The main point
is that Jacob, at the end of his life, was still a worshiper. Also in his
blessings for Joseph’s two sons (48:8-22), he looked ahead to the future.
Finally Joseph, looking ahead to God fulfilling His promises to Abraham,
at the end of his life requested his bones be carried up to Canaan when the
nation left Egypt (50:22-26).
4. Moses and the Conquest period (11:23-31)
The main point of this section is that faith confronts (rather than retreats
from) opposition and hostility.
11:23. Even the parents of Moses were not afraid of the king’s
command to kill the newborn infants (Exod 2:1-4). Rather, they obeyed
God in the face of such hostility.
11:24-26. As he grew older, Moses had to make a difficult choice, namely,
what he would live for. He could retain the honor and privileges of being
the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, or he could identify with God’s people.
The author of Hebrews is subtly suggesting to the Jewish Christians reading
this epistle that they needed to identify with New Covenant worshipers.
That choice was not an easy one for Moses and caused him to suffer
affliction. (When Pharaoh tried to kill Moses, he had to flee the country in
disgrace; Exod 2:15). Obviously Moses needed a strong motivation to give
up the treasures in Egypt he could have had. The reproach (or disgrace)
that he suffered was anticipatory of what Christ would later have to
undergo, though not nearly to the same extreme.
Yet he could do it, because he looked to the reward. The Book of Exodus
does not clearly say what reward he hoped for, but it may have been the
future of the nation in the land promised to Abraham. At the birth of his
first son, Moses names him “Gershom,” to reflect that he had been a
sojourner (Heb., gēr) in a foreign land. Also the emphasis in Exodus 3 is on
God calling Moses to lead this people to the promised land (see Exod 2:24
and 3:7-10). Moses realizes in this that a faith that endures is rewarded by
God, and the rewards of God meant more to him than anything Egypt had to
offer.
11:27-29. These verses all relate to the Exodus event. Like his parents,
Moses chose to obey God regardless of the opposition. Thus he forsook
Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king. One should recall that Moses’
encounters with Pharaoh were many, not just a single face off, thus
necessitating his endurance as God brought plague after plague on Egypt.
But Moses had encountered the invisible God (Exodus 3), and by faith
continued seeing Him (kept his focus on God), and thus was able to endure.
In the Passover (Exodus 12) Moses learned the value of the sprinkling of
blood on the doorposts and lintel. Similarly the author of Hebrews hopes
the readers will place their confidence in “sprinkled blood,” namely, the
superior blood of Christ typified by the Passover lamb (Heb 9:23-24). By
putting their confidence in the sprinkled blood, Moses and the Hebrews
avoided judgment. He who destroyed the firstborn did not touch them
(recall the warning in Heb 10:26-31!).
 Finally, 11:29 indicates that they crossed the Red Sea, whereas the
Egyptians were drowned in their attempt to do so. They lived to experience
God’s salvation-deliverance, which vindicated them. How much more
glorious will it be, then, for New Covenant believers who live to experience
Christ’s “salvation” at the Second Coming (recall 9:28).
11:30-31. The final two verses of this paragraph highlight the Jericho
victory under Joshua’s leadership. God’s way of victory against Jericho (the
walls were encircled for seven days) may have seemed rather unorthodox,
but it proved true. What seems reasonable to human logic, however, does
not always match God’s ways. The harlot Rahab (a sinful Gentile)
probably seemed out of place among God’s people, yet her faith had gained
her that privilege. This was a good reminder to the Jewish Christians
reading Hebrews of God’s love for Gentiles and their place in His program.
Gentile inclusion in the New Covenant is no reason to shy from association
with it (and Gentiles can be encouraged in reading this!).
5. The post-Conquest period (11:32-38)
The author looks beyond the time of the Conquest to consider other heroes
of the faith before the time of Christ. Obviously there are too many to
highlight. The author first considers those who were victorious in faith (vv
32-35a), and then difficulties encountered by people of faith (vv 35b-38).
His point is that faith is valiant, but also is prepared to suffer.
11:32-34. The author begins by mentioning four names from the period of
the Judges, one king (David) and then Samuel and the prophets. Certain
deeds of faith are enumerated, most of which are readily apparent. The one
who stopped the mouths of lions was obviously Daniel (Dan 6:22-23), and
those who quenched the violence of fire were Daniel’s three friends (3:25-
28).
11:35a. Worth noting is the concluding note that Women received their
dead raised to life again. This is a reference to two incidents from the OT,
1 Kgs 17:17-24 and 2 Kgs 4:17-37, one involving Elijah and the other
Elisha. In both cases, an only son of a woman unexpectedly dies, but is
subsequently resuscitated by a prophet (in the case of Elijah in 1 Kgs 17, a
Gentile woman of Sidon is the recipient of God’s grace). By concluding on
this note, the author suggests to his readers that resurrection was the grand
hope and the supreme achievement of faith. Our hope ought to be firmly
fixed in the God who resurrects people of faith and can give them a life
beyond death.
11:35b. With v 35b the tone quickly changes. Heroes of faith often
encountered persecution and hardships, but these were really not defeats at
all for them. Why? Because they looked to the distant future to see their
sufferings in light of the resurrection and the reward that awaited them. This
provides a lesson for the readers of Hebrews: present-day sufferings can be
endured in light of expected rewards in the future world!
When the author mentions those who were tortured, not accepting
deliverance, he may have had in mind certain individuals from the
intertestamental period during the persecution under Antiochus IV
Epiphanes. Rather than recanting their faith (that might have brought their
deliverance), they remained faithful to God at the cost of their own lives.
Yet they were motivated by hopes of obtaining a better resurrection, not
merely resuscitation. In this resurrection to come, they were consoled in
knowing that God would reward them for having suffered for their faith.
11:36-38. The author then lists numerous ways in which their ancestors
had suffered for their faith. The reference to being stoned may refer to
Zechariah in 2 Chr 24:21. The author honors such heroes of the faith who
suffered for the Lord by saying that they were people of whom the world
was not worthy. By saying this, the author is inviting the readers to join
their elite company, and thus to endure all hardships in hopes of entering
God’s greater rest.
6. The epilogue (11:39-40)
11:39. What the heroes of old did gain by virtue of their faith was a good
testimony in the eyes of God–they gained His approval (recall v 2). What
they did not gain, however, was the promise. At least they have not gained
the promise yet, though it will be something they receive in the future. The
use of the definite article with the word for promise (tēn epangelian)
suggests that the author may have something specific in mind. Just as
Abraham died in faith without receiving the promises of the land
inheritance of Canaan–an earthly “rest” (v 13)–so the other faith heroes are
made to wait for the ultimate realization of what God has promised them. In
4:1 the author had called to their attention the promise that remained of
entering His rest. The conclusion was reached that this “rest” will involve a
share (as one’s inheritance for faithfulness) in the dominion over God’s
creation as described in chap. 2. It is this promise of God’s greater rest in
the messianic kingdom that the author seems to have in mind.
11:40. This verse explains why God’s faith heroes have not yet received
this promise. God has something better in mind, namely, that the saints of
the OT would not be made perfect apart from us of the New Covenant.
The words be made perfect are actually one word in the Greek text
(teleiōthōsin). This word (from teleioō) means being brought to completion
or reaching an intended goal. Although the author had said earlier in 10:14
that Christ’s sacrifice “has perfected forever those who are being
sanctified,” he seems to have something more in mind in 11:40. Since this
verse implies that these OT saints have not yet been perfected, this would
indicate that it is not something attained in the present life but awaits
consummation in the future.
In light of the context of the epistle stressing Messiah’s kingdom and in
light of the promise itself in v 39 of God’s greater rest, the author seems to
be thinking about that final state that we will be brought to in Messiah’s
kingdom when our full salvation is realized. The saints of God throughout
the ages will enter this new era together, having been sanctified as a result
of Christ’s sacrifice, resurrected and glorified, and finally rewarded
(individually) to live and serve in Christ’s kingdom. Perhaps the greatest
perfecting work of God in us will be that which is expressed in 1 John 3:2,
“Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed
what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like
Him, for we shall see Him as He is.” God’s grand work in us will then be
complete, all to the praise of His glory!
B. The Benefit of Discipline in the Quest to Endure (12:1-13)
Having considered the role of faith for endurance in chap. 11, the author
now turns to highlight another benefit of enduring trials. Though painful at
times, the Christian who sees this as being from God and submits to it will
grow in holiness.
1. The call to endurance (12:1-3)
12:1. The author likens the Christian pilgrimage to an endurance race. The
threefold repetition of “endure” emphasizes this theme. A great cloud of
witnesses watch us, as though we are running before them in a stadium.
These are the OT heroes of chap. 11 whose victorious lives inspire us on.
Because this race is so important, any unnecessary weight and hindrance
must be eliminated. In antiquity Greco-Roman runners often removed their
clothing so nothing would impede them. This metaphor teaches us to
discard everything that interferes with a total commitment to Christ,
especially any distracting sin.
12:2. As inspiring as these heroes are, the author carefully points the
readers to the supreme example of persevering faith, Jesus Christ. Our eyes
must stay fixed on Him in our pilgrimage, for He is the author and
finisher of our faith. The word author (archēgos) is better rendered as
“leader” or “pioneer” (cf. 2:10). He has blazed the trail we are to follow.
Finisher (teleiōtēs) occurs only here, but is related to the verb teleioō, “to
perfect or bring to completion.” Christ is the perfect example of enduring
faith we are called to live out, and the One who perfects it in us.
Christians feeling shame should remember that the shame of the Cross did
not deter Jesus from His mission. Also He was eventually victorious, for He
has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God (Ps 110:1; Heb 1:3).
Likewise eschatological victory and joy await the believer who endures in
faith.
12:3. The author yearns that his readers not become weary and
discouraged—to tire before completing their race. He urges them,
therefore, to contemplate the hostility from sinners that Jesus Himself
endured. They may face hostile opposition to their faith, but so did our
Lord.
2. Discipline’s positive value (12:4-11)
The readers had indeed suffered for their faith (10:32-34), but their
sufferings need to be put in perspective. “Rough” experiences should not be
construed to mean that their New Covenant commitment was a mistake.
These can be a normal part of the Christian life and actually beneficial for
growth in Christlikeness.
a. Putting trials in perspective (12:4-6)
12:4. Resisted to bloodshed probably speaks of martyrdom, but they had
not suffered to this extent (as had their Lord). Every believer is engaged in
striving against sin, which ultimately is connected with our sufferings.
None of us has fought this battle as vigorously as we should, and we need
God’s discipline to help us overcome the sin that impedes our running the
race.
12:5-6. God’s love for His children includes not only forgiveness, but also
His efforts to free us from sin’s bondage. The author quotes Prov 3:11-12
(from the LXX) to reinforce this point. Though discipline may sometimes
reflect God’s displeasure, it is primarily a mark of sonship.
The word “chastening” (paideia) could be translated “discipline” in the
sense of child training. Proverbs 3:11-12 reminds us that troubles should be
seen as a training ground, providing lessons that help us mature in the
Christian life. Submitting to them not only leads to maturity, but (since faith
and obedience are involved) to eventual reward as well.
b. Discipline is a good sign (12:7-8)
12:7. Although the NKJV translates this verse as a conditional clause,
most Greek texts—including the Majority tradition—properly render this as
a statement: “It is for discipline that you endure.” In the process of
enduring, we receive discipline, that is, we are trained. By giving up
prematurely, we miss out on the discipline-training that God intended for
us. By enduring, we get the full benefit.
12:8. Discipline should not be viewed negatively, since all true sons
partake of this. Earlier the author used the word partakers (metochoi) to
speak of our participation in the heavenly calling (cf. 1:9; 3:1). If we are to
be metochoi with Jesus on the pilgrimage to the heavenly Jerusalem, then
we must also willingly become metochoi of God’s discipline that helps us
successfully arrive there.
c. Appreciating discipline’s benefits (12:9-11)
12:9. Earthly fathers corrected us without us losing our respect for them.
How much more we should respect our heavenly Father and welcome His
discipline. The words be in subjection (from hupotassō) have the idea of
voluntarily submitting oneself. This implies a right attitude toward
discipline and cooperation with God’s Spirit. As Jas 1:2-4 suggests, we
need to count God-given trials with joy in light of the positive things God
will accomplish in us as we endure them.
 12:10. In the relatively short time (for a few days) our earthly fathers
chastened us, they did so as seemed best to them–though they were not
perfect and made many mistakes. In contrast, God’s discipline is always
perfectly administered, without mistakes. Furthermore earthly fathers may
have done so at times with impure motives or wrong attitude (e.g.,
uncontrolled anger). Yet our heavenly Father always acts with the purest of
motives, doing what is for our profit. It profits us because ultimately it is
designed to make us partakers of His holiness. Though holiness is one of
the greatest possessions in life, it does not come easily. This comes only as
we endure God’s discipline and subject ourselves to Him, seeking to learn
what He wants to teach us.
12:11. The author acknowledges that God’s discipline seems at the time to
be more painful than joyful. Yet by cooperating with God, we are trained
by it. The word trained is from gymnazō, from which we get the word
“gymnasium,” a place of training. Like any athlete who has learned that
grueling workouts eventually pay off, so God’s sons must focus on the
long-term benefits rather than the immediate pain. That benefit is not larger
biceps, but the peaceable fruit of righteousness—righteousness that
conforms us to the Lord Jesus. He loves righteousness and will rule over
His kingdom with a scepter of righteousness (Heb 1:8-9).
3. Mutual help and encouragement (12:12-13)
12:12. The word Therefore signals an inference from the preceding. Since
God’s discipline is good for all, believers should give mutual care and
concern to one another (cf. 3:13; 10:24-25). The temptation to give up
under discipline can be offset by helping others (especially the weak and
struggling).
The mention of weak hands and feeble knees should be understood in
light of the opening metaphor of the chapter depicting the Christian
pilgrimage as an athletic race. The proper response is commitment to
enduring the struggles of the race, being ready with flexed arms and strong
knees. Yet some in the community of faith are already struggling and
“sluggish” in their readiness (cf. 5:11; 6:12). Those who are stronger
spiritually need to strengthen these weaker members. Verse 12 is an
allusion to Isa 35:3. In that context Isa 35:3-4 are words of encouragement
offered in light of the coming eschatological salvation that follows the
Lord’s “day of vengeance.”
12:13. The terms feet, lame, and healed in this verse are simply
metaphorical, helping paint a word picture. Making straight paths is an
allusion to Prov 4:26. The context of Prov 4:25-27 deals with single-
mindedness of purpose in remaining committed to the will and way of the
Lord. We must not swerve from the track of faithfulness if we are to finish
our race well! As we do, we must remember those who are weaker (“lame”)
and in danger of falling out of the race altogether (dislocated). By our
example and help to them, they might even be “healed,” that is, made
spiritually well again and moving on to maturity and endurance.
C. A Final Warning (12:14-29)
If the readers viewed their hardships as part of God’s beneficial discipline,
this would help them endure and finish their Christian pilgrimage well. For
those tempted to respond negatively, the author issues a final “warning
passage.”
1. A word of caution for the disobedient (12:14-17)
Just as believers should help the “weaker” ones (vv 12-13), so the whole
community has a responsibility to look out for any who might drift away
from the Lord.
12:14. He exhorts them to pursue peace with all people. By “all people,”
he means all in the community of faith, since both the preceding and
following contexts have these in view. By peace, the author may have in
mind the Hebrew concept of “shalom”–not merely peace but one’s whole
welfare. To pursue peace with everyone in God’s family would be to seek
for their total welfare, especially their spiritual well-being. The words
translated “pursue” and “peace” are also found in combination in Rom
14:19, in a context calling for mutual concern and edification among
believers (cf. Ps 34:14).
Each believer also needs to pursue holiness (or “sanctification,”
hagiasmos). This normally denotes progressive sanctification (e.g., Rom
6:19), and the preceding context confirms that meaning here (note
“partakers of His holiness” in Heb 12:10). This is essential for one to see
the Lord.
 In light of the epistle’s eschatological concerns (Christ’s return was
referred to in both 9:28 and 10:37), “seeing the Lord” probably looks
forward to that future moment that completes the sanctification process
when each believer will see the Lord face to face and be like Him (cf. 1
John 3:2). Though none of us will become completely like Christ in this
life, yet because this is our ultimate destiny, we ought to pursue
sanctification now (cooperating with God in His discipline of us).
Just as all true sons partake of God’s discipline (Heb 12:8), so also all
enter the sanctification process, progress to some degree, and ultimately see
the Lord. The text is not saying that people will be saved in the final
analysis because they attain to a certain level of holiness. Simple faith in
Christ and His atoning work is the sole basis by which people go to heaven,
not the extent of their sanctification.
12:15. The same communal spiritual concern includes being on the
lookout for anyone who might fall short of the grace of God. The stress on
progressive sanctification suggests this does not mean a failure to believe
the gospel. In light of the context of Hebrews (especially the weak and
failing ones mentioned in vv 12-13), this probably looks at the failure to
appropriate God’s grace for successfully completing one’s Christian
pilgrimage (cf. 4:16). This can lead to a root of bitterness in the believer’s
life (cf. Deut 29:18-21), that furthers a hardened unbelieving heart and
eventually leads to withdrawal from the community into apostasy. Like a
bad disease, this can spread to others and defile them.
12:16-17. Immaturity (and spurning the grace of God) can degenerate to
an immoral lifestyle that further hardens a believer’s heart. In Esau’s case
he was the firstborn son and therefore entitled to the firstborn’s inheritance
rights. Later on he wanted that privilege back, but found it was too late.
Hence, he found no place for repentance, that is, Isaac, his father, would
not change his mind. Not even tears could change his father’s mind and
restore what he, Esau, had forfeited (Gen 27:34, 38). One must be careful
not to follow in Esau’s footsteps in light of the future eschatological “rest”
(and inheritance) at stake.
2. The contrast of two covenants (12:18-24)
The thought of Esau forfeiting his inheritance is analogous to any who
might jeopardize his future by turning back to the Old Covenant. The author
carefully contrasts the Old and New Covenants in preparation for one final
warning against forsaking the New Covenant.
a. The Old Covenant and Mount Sinai
(12:18-21)
12:18-21. The author draws from four OT passages that describe the
giving of the Old Covenant at the mountain that may be touched, that is,
Mount Sinai (cf. Exod 19:16-20; 20:18-21; Deut 4:10-13; 5:22-27). This
scene was terrifying to the people, not inviting at all. In Heb 12:21 the
author also includes the occasion when Moses descended the mountain and
beheld the golden calf (see Deut 9:19). This situation was so terrifying that
Moses expressed how fearful he was. The very conditions and mood at the
time of the Old Covenant’s inauguration reflect the nature of the covenant
itself. Though the laws of the covenant witnessed to the holiness of God,
the covenant itself fostered fear and distance from God.
b. The New Covenant and Mount Zion
(12:22-24)
12:22. The New Covenant is far more inviting, and Mount Zion (the
heavenly Jerusalem) stands in stark contrast to Mount Sinai. By the words
you have come to Mount Zion, the author means that this is the destiny for
those of the New Covenant. The idea of God’s city as the believer’s hope
occupies much attention in the closing chapters (11:10, 16; 12:22; 13:14),
and is the very same “New Jerusalem” portrayed in the Book of Revelation
to be introduced in the messianic kingdom (cf. Rev 3:12; 21:2, 10-27).
12:23a. The attractiveness of the New Covenant is also affirmed by those
in attendance. Certainly God and the angels will be there, but also many
people who have been redeemed throughout the ages. Possibly the author
intends to differentiate people within this list. Although the expression
general assembly in v 23 (panēgurei) is used only here in the NT, Josephus
(The Antiquities of the Jews, 2.4.3) uses the term for a “public festival,” in
which everyone’s participation was expected. Included among these are the
church of the firstborn ones. The word firstborn (prōtotokōn)—here an
adjective—is very similar to the noun form in v 16 for “birthright,” that is,
firstborn inheritance rights (prōtotokia). This may suggest those faithful
believers who have gained their eternal inheritance, and thus a more
restricted group. Most commentators agree that “church” in this verse is not
a technical expression for “the body of Christ,” but an assembly of people.
12:23b-24. The reference to God the Judge of all reminds us that even
believers must face the scrutinizing judgment of God (at the judgment seat
of Christ). Highlighting this heavenly city will be Jesus, the very One who
mediated the New Covenant. The blood of sprinkling is, of course, His
blood shed at Calvary, which inaugurated the New Covenant. Though
Abel’s blood was pleasing to God (11:4), it pales in comparison to the blood
that provides eternal forgiveness for sinners.
3. The expected response (12:25-29)
By portraying the New Covenant in terms of the New Jerusalem in which
it results, the author in one last bold stroke has implied that it is utterly
foolish to turn back from this covenant to the Old Covenant.
a. The warning not to disobey (12:25-27)
12:25. The exhortation See that you do not refuse Him who speaks
hearkens back to the epistle’s opening words, “God…has in these last days
spoken to us by His Son.” There is only one logical alternative: God has
clearly revealed His will—the Old Covenant has served its purpose, and the
New Covenant based on the perfect sacrifice of Jesus has been inaugurated.
To refuse God’s plan, however, is to choose God’s judgment from which
there is no escape. Under the Old Covenant those who refused Him at
Kadesh Barnea met stern judgment (barred from entering the rest of
Canaan). How much more, then, should those who rebel against the
heavenly New Covenant expect His judgment (cf. 10:26-31). Those doing
so will certainly be subject to temporal judgment in this life and eventually
be denied their inheritance rights and reward when they stand before the
Lord.
12:26-27. Whatever shaking of the earth was experienced at Sinai is not
nearly as earth-shattering as that in the future. The author refers to the
promise (from Hag 2:6, 21) that God will shake the earth once more. The
present world order is not always going to continue as it has, for God will
eventually intervene. In the context of Haggai this will include a political
shaking of the kingdoms of the nations (2:22).
b. The demand of a response (12:28-29)
 12:28a. The one thing that will remain after God’s future “shaking”—His
judgment on the nations of this world—will be Messiah’s kingdom, just as
the OT had foretold (cf. Dan 2:44). This kingdom cannot be shaken or
destroyed (cf. 7:13-14). This kingdom will be formally inaugurated at the
Second Coming, and at that time all things will be put “in subjection” (Heb
2:8) to the Lord Jesus, the “heir of all things” (Heb 1:2). This is “the world
to come” that the author has sought to impress on the readers (cf. Heb 2:5).
12:28b-29. The thought that God has graciously destined us for this
everlasting kingdom ought to arouse a very thankful spirit in us. In light of
similar wording in Luke 17:9 the words let us have grace mean to “be
thankful.” If indeed we are thankful, then we will respond obediently and be
responsible believer-priests acting in faith to offer spiritual service to Him.
The verb translated serve (latreuō) is often used of those engaged in
priestly spiritual service (cf. Heb 13:10; 9:14). On the other hand, if we are
not thankful but refuse Him, we must remember that our God is a
consuming fire. These words (drawn from Deut 4:24) warn that He is a
jealous God who judges those who turn from His covenant. He should not
be provoked to anger!
D. Spiritual Sacrifices for New Covenant Believers (13:1-17)
Under the New Covenant, Jesus serves as “a High Priest over the house of
God” (10:21). The use of the verb latreuō in the call to “serve God
acceptably” (see 12:28) underscores that those under the New Covenant are
all “believer-priests” with responsibilities for spiritual service (cf. Rev 1:6).
Hebrews 13 provides some clues as to the type of spiritual sacrifices
appropriate to the New Covenant (vv 15-16). Furthermore the reference to
prisoners (v 2), having no fear of man (v 6), Jesus’ suffering (v 12), and
“bearing His reproach” (v 13) were appropriate remarks for those who
might be discouraged and tempted to withdraw because of opposition they
faced.
1. Personal morality and social responsibilities (13:1-6)
13:1. The author begins with a general plea, Let brotherly love continue,
which sets the tone for all that follows. A strong loving fellowship was
essential to counter the temptation to forsake their assembling with other
Christians on account of persecution and hardships. Such brotherly love
ought to manifest itself in good deeds and sharing, true sacrifices before
God (cf. v 16).
13:2. To entertain strangers means practicing of Christian hospitality,
which ought to be done “without complaint” (cf. Rom 12:13; 1 Pet 4:9).
Practicing hospitality was important in the first century when mission work
was expanding, travel was difficult, and many had to flee persecution as
refugees. In Gen 18:2, 16, Abraham and Sarah literally entertained angels
(without being aware of it) by their hospitality. We should not expect angels
to visit us, but we may have the honor of helping someone who is on a
divine mission for God.
13:3. The prisoners mentioned here are those who had been imprisoned
for their witness and service to Christ and who had suffered under
extremely unpleasant conditions (cf. 10:34; 13:23; Col 4:18). To
Remember them suggests more than praying for them. After all, the
readers themselves were in the body, that is, human and capable of feeling
the pain of suffering. Because those imprisoned (and their families) might
be in need of material help, believers were not to be handicapped by the
love of money.
13:4. Because sexual temptations abound, believers need to guard
themselves against two extremes. First, there are those who look on
marriage negatively (a sub-Christian interest in the pleasures of this world).
Such an attitude led some to “forbid marriage” (cf. 1 Tim 4:3) and to
foolishly advocate celibacy for all. To these the author counters that
Marriage is honorable among all (which could be translated as an
exhortation, as does the NIV). Marriage, conducted God’s way, is a
wonderful gift from the Lord.
The other extreme is to seek sexual gratification illicitly, outside the
bounds set by God. To these the author warns that fornicators and
adulterers God will judge. Christians who disobey God in this vital area
are warned that God will bring judgment on them (cf. 10:30).
13:5-6. In these verses the author addresses the subject of money and
possessions. Contentment is the goal of the Christian life, not accumulation
of wealth (cf. 1 Tim 6:6-10). Hence we are to be without covetousness.
This is a requirement of spiritual leaders, for their affections must be on the
things of the Lord in order to lead God’s people (1 Tim 3:3). This does not
mean, however, that being rich is wrong. God at times may choose to
prosper certain individuals to help fund His work. These must learn to be
generous in giving (cf. 1 Tim 6:17-19).
The author combines a quotation from Deut 31:6 with another from Ps
118:6. The point of both is to alleviate fears and help one find his security
in the Lord. Since the Lord will “never leave us nor forsake us,” we can be
comforted in knowing that whether we have money or not, we can always
have the greatest treasure of all, namely, God’s fellowship. Those in the
community who feared what man might do (e.g., persecution and loss of
possessions) could claim the promise, “The Lord is my helper; I will not
fear.”
2. Community religious life (13:7-17)
The references to leaders (“those who rule over you”) in v 7 and again in v
17 mark the boundaries of the paragraph and unify this section.
a. Dismay over the passing of former leaders (13:7-8)
13:7. The readers are to remember those who rule over you. Since the
verb rule here is actually a participle, the tense should be understood from
the second verb have spoken (aorist tense) and translated “who ruled over
you.” That is, this is probably referring to previous leaders (who are no
longer alive) who had formerly preached the Word of God to them. The
readers would do well to carefully observe the outcome of their conduct,
that is, how they faithfully finished their earthly pilgrimage.
13:8. The departure of these early leaders need not be unsettling or
disruptive for those left behind. There is security in knowing that Jesus
Christ is the same always. The king over all remains on the throne, and our
focus must be on Him, not His subordinates.
b. Warning about false legalistic teachings (13:9)
In contrast to the faithful teachings of these early leaders, the readers were
encountering various and strange doctrines. The reference to foods used
in the sacrificial system suggests that such teachings may have promoted
legalism (as was true of first-century Judaism). Priests who partook of these
foods did not profit from them spiritually. Yet the author is thinking not
merely of the food aspect but also of the entire Levitical cultus and Old
Covenant regulations. By the first century AD the Pharisees had turned
God’s Law into a dismal legalistic system. Jesus came to teach the true way
of God and to free people from the bondage of legalism (cf. Matt 11:28).
13:9. Thus the author reminds them that it is good that the heart be
established by grace. Teachings that emphasize the grace of God are what
strengthen the heart. We come to know God through the gospel of grace,
and we are to draw on His grace for our spiritual pilgrimage to God’s rest
(4:16). Above all, we must guard against those who distort the gospel of
grace. The gospel that is all of grace—offering eternal life as a totally free
gift from God for the undeserving sinner—is meant to be followed by a
commitment to discipleship that results in a righteous lifestyle.
c. The contrast of priestly systems (13:10-16)
13:10. The thought about Old Covenant legalism in v 9 prompts an
extended discussion contrasting the two systems. Hence the author reminds
them that we have an altar that those who serve the tabernacle (adhering
to the Old Covenant) have no right to. This altar is a figure of speech
(metonymy) for the “sacrifice of Christ” and the benefit to believers of
eternal forgiveness. Old Covenant priests are entitled to eat some of the
sacrifices (cf. Lev 7:35-36), but they are not entitled to the benefits of the
Cross.
13:11-12. On the Day of Atonement the blood of the animals was brought
into the tabernacle, but the bodies (carcasses) were taken outside the camp
to be burned (cf. Lev 16:27). The very animals that provided blood for the
atonement were regarded as “unclean” (rejected) and therefore “burned”
(made to suffer) outside the camp. In the divine typology the Lord Jesus
was led outside the city of Jerusalem to be crucified by those who rejected
Him as Messiah.
13:13-14. Consequently the author exhorts the readers to go forth to Him,
outside the camp, bearing His reproach. In this play on words to go
“outside the camp” would mean to decisively leave the camp of Judaism,
choosing to align oneself with God’s Son and the New Covenant. Such a
choice may entail reproach or persecution from those remaining steadfast in
Judaism, but one can do this when he knows the Lord Himself bore such
reproach.
The idea of reproach and rejection by first-century Judaism would be
painful for those who loved earthly Jerusalem. Yet their hopes need to be set
on something of more enduring value, namely, the city to come–the
heavenly New Jerusalem that awaits New Covenant believers and in which
they can share in Christ’s dominion and enjoy His rewards for a life
faithfully lived. Like Abraham who left his earthly city, we should seek the
one to come (11:8-10).
13:15-16. To leave behind the Old Covenant does not mean giving up
sacrifices to God. There are appropriate and better New Covenant sacrifices
than that of animals. (Of course, the foundational sacrifice has already been
offered once for all by Christ Himself). Even Old Covenant sacrifices were
meaningless, unless the worshiper was praising God in his heart. So, to
offer praise to God is to capture the heart of real sacrifice. The phrase
giving thanks to His name is literally “confessing His name” (cf. 3:1;
4:14; 10:23). The first aspect of our “sacrifice of praise” is the willingness
to confess His name—not just to hold fast this confession, but openly to
confess Jesus as Messiah and Savior. Further sacrifices that please God are
to do good and to share. Such brotherly acts of love encourage one another
and foster that sense of “family” that helps believers withstand the pressures
and persecution coming from outside.
d. Submission to spiritual leaders (13:17)
13:17. The author now turns to consider the relationship of the readers to
those who rule over them, that is, their present spiritual leaders (contrast v
7). Apparently the followers, not the leaders (possibly house-church
leaders), were wavering in faith and being tempted to withdraw from the
worshiping community. The author urges them to be submissive to these
leaders. God has raised them up that they might watch out for your souls.
This exhortation implies that a certain tension had developed between the
two parties, and in light of the preceding context (note v 9) this would most
likely be the readers’ allurement to false teaching and legalism (and
specifically false teaching that rejected Jesus as Messiah and called for
adherence to the Old Covenant). The readers should remember the
responsibility that these leaders carry as those who must give account to
God. Hence the followers should not make their task more difficult, but
should faithfully endure and thus bring joy to the leaders rather than grief!
V. The Epilogue to the Epistle (13:18-25)
 The author concludes with a request for prayer, the pronouncement of a
benediction, and the extending of greetings.
A. The Author’s Request for Prayer (13:18-19)
13:18. In asking prayer for us the author aligns himself with the leaders
mentioned in v 17, suggesting he had had a close relationship with them.
This might imply he had once lived or ministered in their area. His
confidence in their good conscience is uttered in defense of their integrity
of motive and conduct, for they desired to live honorably, that is, in a
commendable way, as had the former leaders mentioned in v 7. Furthermore
they had sought God’s will for the readers and their ultimate welfare so that
they might “inherit the promises” (6:12). Just as leaders should lead in a
godly way (with a good conscience that they are shepherding the sheep in
the will of God), so the flock needs to be in continual prayer on behalf of
them.
13:19. The author urges special prayer that he might be restored to them
as soon as possible, implying he must have known them personally.
B. A Benediction for Their Spiritual Progress (13:20-21)
13:20. The author’s request for prayer is balanced with a benedictory
prayer on their behalf. The God of peace (the Father) brought up our
Lord Jesus from the dead, which calls to mind His resurrection, the solid
evidence of His messiahship (cf. Rom 1:4). This resurrected Jesus is also
the great Shepherd of the sheep, whose rejection by the nation was
anticipated in the OT (cf. Zech 11:4-14; 13:7), but who would nevertheless
“give His life for the sheep” (John 10:11). His blood provided the basis for
the everlasting covenant, the New Covenant. The same expression is used
in the LXX of Ezek 37:26 to refer to the New Covenant that God will
establish with His people when the Messiah comes to reign (cf. Isa 55:3).
(The latter phrase in Ezek 37:27 “that the Lord will be their God and they
His people” is drawn from the New Covenant announcement in Jer 31:33.)
13:21. The God who resurrected Jesus also stands ready to equip the
readers in every good thing to do His will. This hearkens back to 10:36, in
which the reader was assured of receiving “the promise” on the basis of
endurance in doing the will of God.
 For God to accomplish in us what is well pleasing in His sight, there
must be a cooperative exercise of faith. In 10:38 the reader was told that
God is not pleased with the one who “draws back” (cowardly in unbelief).
Rather, God looks for faith, for that is what pleases Him (11:6). The words
through Jesus Christ also remind us of our need for Christ as our High
Priest. Through Christ’s high priestly help and by our response in faith to
God and His Word, we can live to do His will.
C. Greetings to Be Extended (13:22-25)
13:22. The author calls this epistle the word of exhortation. The use of a
similar expression in Acts 13:15 suggests that the author was thinking of an
edifying discourse that followed the public reading of Scripture in the
synagogue. This implies that the author wanted this read as a homily in the
public assembly.
13:23. He alerts them that brother Timothy has been set free. The words
set free (from apoluō) are commonly used for the release or pardon of a
prisoner (e.g., Matt 27:15; Acts 16:35). This is apparently the same Timothy
who ministered with Paul, and implies that Timothy was imprisoned for his
faith (though this is not recorded elsewhere in the NT). Paul had once
exhorted Timothy not to be ashamed of the fact he was a prisoner and to be
willing to suffer for the gospel (2 Tim 1:8), words Timothy faithfully
heeded.
13:24. Greeting those who rule over them would hopefully foster
reconciliation with the community leaders. Greetings are also extended
from Those from Italy. This might mean fellow Christians currently in
Italy (implying the author wrote from Italy), although it could also mean
those who had once been in Italy but who had been forced to relocate—
such as those affected by Claudius’s expulsion of the Jews from Rome (cf.
Acts 18:2).
13:25. The epistle ends on a grand note, Grace be with you all, reminding
them of the inexhaustible grace of God available to them in their spiritual
pilgrimage to God’s greater rest and the heavenly New Jerusalem. Such
grace is available daily from God’s “throne of grace” (4:16) and the endless
mercy of our High Priest over the house of God (7:25).
Those who avail themselves of this precious grace can faithfully endure,
and (having once done the will of God) will one day reign with His Son, the
Heir of all things through whom God has spoken in these last days.
 James
ZANE HODGES
INTRODUCTION
The Epistle of James is a beautifully constructed Christian letter written by
a skilled communicator with a pastor’s heart. His style is both terse and
graphic, employing a wide range of effective illustrations, making it easy to
believe that he also taught God’s truth orally with considerable power.
An indispensable element of the NT canon, the letter’s profound substance
renders invalid Luther’s initial evaluation of the work as a “right strawy
epistle.” The Book of James is the voice of a great Christian leader whose
grasp of the spiritual life and of human nature is equal to any in the NT. The
modern Church ignores James’s immensely practical admonitions at its own
peril.
Authorship
The author calls himself James, a bondservant of God and of the Lord
Jesus Christ (1:1). But which James is this?
The “James” most frequently connected with this letter is the half-brother
of Jesus. If the epistle was written after the death of the Apostle James (see
the discussion on the date), then James the Lord’s brother was the only
well-known James left in the Christian church of Palestine. He might then
have easily referred to himself simply and modestly as “a bondservant of
God and of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1:1). It is also likely that the bearer of
the epistle knew its author and would so inform the recipients wherever it
was read. In addition, the tone of authority in the epistle presupposes a
fairly commanding and respected figure, rather than an unknown James.
Thus there are no compelling grounds for setting aside the traditional view
of authorship by James the Lord’s brother. On the contrary, the epistle
dovetails in important details with this identification of its writer.
Audience, Date, and Destination
James designates his intended audience as the twelve tribes (1:1). This
naturally identifies the recipients as Jewish, and the tone. The contents of
the epistle agree with this. The notion that the Epistle of James is a non-
Christian Jewish document, into which some Christian additions have been
inserted, is now properly regarded as fiction. Nevertheless, James makes no
reference to the Gentiles, nor does he show any awareness of the kind of
evangelism typical of the Pauline mission. This suggests the possibility that
James was written before the Gentile outreach recorded in Acts.
If the traditional date of James’s death (AD 62) is correct, the epistle
cannot have been written later than that. Instead, the absence of any concern
with the issues raised by the conversion of Gentiles suggests the possibility
that the letter might be dated as early as the middle or late 30s. Taking April
3, AD 33 as the date of the crucifixion, the conversion of Saul of Tarsus
(Paul) could have taken place in AD 34, leaving about a year or a little more
for the events of Acts 1–9. In that case James could plausibly be dated as
early as AD 34.
If James is regarded as quite early, before the spread of the gospel to the
Gentile world, one can understand the phrase the twelve tribes which are
scattered abroad accordingly. The words scattered abroad translate the
Greek words en tē diaspora (“in the dispersion”).
From their unified, communal situation in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 4:32-35),
the early Christians were “dispersed” throughout Judea and Samaria. In fact
in Acts 8:1 the English words they were…scattered translate diesparēsan,
which is from the same Greek root as diaspora. If James was written to this
dispersed audience not long after they had undergone this very troubling
experience, the writer’s pastoral stress on the spiritual value of trials is
highly appropriate.
Possibly the letter was written even before the evangelization of Samaria.
But since the Samaritans had a racial relationship to the Jews, the early
Christians could have viewed the Samaritan converts as returning to the
spiritual community of the twelve tribes who constituted the true Israel of
that day (cf. Rom 2:28-29). A close study of the early chapters of Acts
shows that the Christians did not yet regard the Church as an entity distinct
from Israel in purpose and character. That enlightenment was to come later
through Paul and through the other holy apostles and prophets of the early
Church (Eph 3:5).
 In conclusion, therefore, the Epistle of James was a pastoral letter written
to the dispersed Jewish believers of Palestine, probably at a time before
Paul’s initial mission to the Gentile world, that is, to Arabia (Gal 1:17). This
would suggest a date of AD 34 or 35. On this view James is by far the
earliest NT document (Galatians, the next book written, can be dated about
AD 49).
Purpose
James is writing to Christians who had been scattered (1:1) by the
persecution that arose after Stephen’s death. This persecution had probably
now subsided (see Acts 9:31). No doubt the memory of their recent trouble
was still fresh in the readers’ minds. But enough time had passed for new
difficulties to appear, and the stress these caused was manifested in various
kinds of intra-church problems, such as quarrels and disputes (4:1). James’s
letter is an effort to encourage these believers to face trials with faith and
perseverance (5:7-8, 10), and to renew a spirit of peace within the churches
(5:9).
The structure of James’s letter helps us define his purpose even more
closely. The threefold admonition of 1:19, “let every man be swift to hear,
slow to speak, slow to wrath,” in fact, is the key to the letter’s development.
James adopts for his letter a structure known and approved for speeches by
ancient writers of rhetoric. Of course, as contemporary rhetorical criticism
has pointed out, the NT documents were almost certainly intended for
public reading in the churches. Thus James’s letter is basically a speech or
sermon, cast in written form. Its basic elements are as follows: a preface, or
prologue (1:2-18), followed by a thematic statement (1:19-20); a body,
called by the Greek rhetoricians the kephalaia, or “headings” (1:21–5:6);
and an epilogue (5:7-20). The outline below shows this structure.
With this ground plan in mind, the thematic material in 1:19-20 reveals the
purpose of James as set forth in the following outline.

OUTLINE
I. Salutation (1:1)
II. Prologue: Respond to Trials Properly (1:2-18)
A. Welcome Trials (1:2-11)
B. Do Not Accuse God (1:12-18)
III. Theme: Behave Well in Trials (1:19-20)
IV. Body: Cultivate the Necessary Behavior (1:21–5:6)
A. Be Swift to Hear (1:21–2:26)
B. Be Slow to Speak (3:1-18)
C. Be Slow to Wrath (4:1–5:6)
V. Epilogue: Persevere in Trials to the End (5:7-20)
A. Perseverance Will Be Properly Rewarded (5:7-11)
B. Perseverance Can Be Undergirded by Prayer (5:12-20)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (1:1)
1:1. The author of the epistle was evidently James, one of Jesus’ half-
brothers (see Introduction). He was also a prominent leader in the Jerusalem
church. Yet he does not lay claim to any prestigious title, but simply calls
himself a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ. This humility
might well be expected of a man who grew up in the same household with
the sinless Son of God.
James addresses an audience whom he calls the twelve tribes which are
scattered abroad. If this epistle was written to Jewish Christians not long
after the first persecution of the church in Jerusalem (c. AD 35; see
Introduction), the addressees are the true believing Israel within the larger
Jewish nation (cf. Rom 2:28-29; 9:6-8).
II. Prologue: Respond to Trials Properly (1:2-18)
A. Welcome Trials (1:2-11)
1:2-4. James refers to his readers as his brethren, not because they are
fellow Jews, but because they have been born from above, brought…forth
by the word of truth (1:18; cf. Acts 9:30; 10:23, etc.). This form of address,
(my) brethren, is frequent in this epistle (1:16, 19; 2:1, 5, 14; 3:1, 10, 12;
4:11; 5:7, 9, 10, 12, 19). Even a superficial reading of 1:2-18 shows that the
author regards his readers as Christians. It may be said that nowhere in the
letter—not even in 2:14-26—does he betray the slightest doubt that those in
his audience are truly his brothers or sisters in the Lord. If this simple and
obvious fact is not observed, one may fall into a quagmire of skewed
interpretations, just as many expositors of James have actually done.
The words count it all joy are actually the opening words of v 2 (in
Greek). They strike precisely the note of triumph that James wishes to
sound for his Christian brothers. They should be joyful in trials because
trials have a positive and highly beneficial purpose in the plan of God. And
that purpose is stated here as something known to the readers. God’s
intention in allowing faith to be tested is to produce patience, more
accurately, “endurance” or “perseverance.” God is in the business of
building up strong Christian men and women who can persevere in hard
times without fainting.
But believers must not be impatient. This is the thrust of v 4. When James
urges his readers to allow “endurance” (patience) to have its perfect work,
he means that they should allow the Lord to accomplish a complete work of
endurance within them. Of course, by perfect James does not mean sinless
perfection. Both Greek words, perfect and complete, mean much the same
thing, but they might be rendered this way: “that you may be complete and
intact, with no deficiency.”
1:5. One of the deficiencies that trouble often exposes is lack of wisdom.
Thus, if “endurance” is to accomplish its “complete work”, the deficiency
in believers’ wisdom needs to be supplied. Of course, James is not speaking
here of any and all wisdom, since believers will always be deficient in many
such areas while still in the body. Rather, in this context, James is speaking
of that particular wisdom needed to cope with the various trials they
experience.
So if a particular trial exposes a particular lack of wisdom in some area,
what should a believer do? James’s answer is that he should pray for this
wisdom. God loves to bestow wisdom and He bestows it bountifully. Ask,
James reiterates, and it will be given (cf. Matt 7:7; Luke 11:9).
1:6. There is one stipulation, however. The request for wisdom must be
made in faith (v 6). This also means the request must be made with no
doubting. Faith and doubting are opposites, of course. When one doubts, he
is not believing. When one believes, he is not doubting. (See Matt 14:31;
21:21; 28:17; Mark 11:23; Rom 14:23). The Christian who comes to God
for wisdom must come with calm confidence in the Lord. If his heart is
buffeted by doubts about God’s willingness or ability to grant the request,
then this Christian is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the
wind. That is, he is in the grip of uncertainty and perplexity.
1:7. His failure to trust the One to whom he comes in prayer is serious.
Indeed, it is an insult to God Himself. Such a man should not expect to
receive anything from the Lord. Just as the Christian life begins with the
confidence that eternal life is by faith in Christ, so the believer’s ongoing
need for wisdom must be sought from God with a similar confidence.
On the other hand, it must not be assumed that the answer to a prayer for
wisdom will come like a bolt of lightning the moment it is requested. Such
a conclusion would ignore the context of James’s thought here. James has
just said that God’s goal in trials is to furnish those spiritual assets that are
lacking (vv 3-4). Thus one can expect God to answer his prayer for wisdom
through the very trial itself, as he endures it until God’s perfect work in him
is done. An appropriate prayer may be, “Father, help me to gain from this
trial the wisdom You want me to have.”
1:8. The Christian who cannot make up his mind to leave his need for
wisdom confidently in God’s hands is spiritually unstable. He is, in fact,
double-minded (dipsychos, “two-souled”), a kind of “split personality.”
One part of him knows that he must leave this need for discernment with
God, while the other part still feels that he can, and must, solve the puzzle
by himself. The result of such an inward division in perspective is likely to
be a zigzag course of action filled with mistakes and false starts. The
Christian who combines a lack of wisdom with the spirit of a “doubting
Thomas” is a prime candidate to make a mess of things. Or, as James puts
it, he is unstable in all his ways.
1:9. How then should the lowly brother accept trials? (By a lowly brother
James probably means a “poor brother,” since he is contrasted with the rich
[brother] in v 10.) Does not a Christian of low estate in life have enough
problems just by virtue of his status? How can such a brother calmly,
indeed joyfully, accept the additional trials which often befall him,
especially those arising from the very fact of his being a Christian? James’s
solution is simple. That brother should consider his trials a form of
exaltation.
Two reasons for doing this are suggested in the immediate context. First,
God is paying attention to the lowly brother by using trials to make him a
better person (vv 3-4). There is no higher honor than to be the object of
God’s gracious and loving concern. Also God is preparing to bestow on this
brother the crown of life, which comes to those who endure testing (v 12
and discussion). That too is an exaltation. Thus the lowly brother’s
exaltation is both present (in the trial itself) and prospective (in the trial’s
outcome). This, then, should be the poor person’s perspective on trouble.
1:10. The situation is different for the rich brother. The wealthy Christian
brother should glory (also implied from v 9) in his personal trials as a form
of humiliation. Like all people with abundant material wealth, the wealthy
Christian can easily forget that as a flower of the field he will pass away.
Trials, however, can be used by God to remind him of the transience of his
own earthly life and of how quickly all his material belongings can be lost
(cf. Luke 12:18-21). He should rejoice in his sufferings because they
humble him and because, after all, he is a mere human being whose life is a
“vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (Jas 4:14).
1:11. To underline his point, James compares the wealthy man to mere
grass of the field whose grass withers under burning heat. His pursuits
will abruptly cease when he dies. The rich Christian can take occasion from
his troubles to be reminded of all this.
B. Do Not Accuse God (1:12-18)
1:12. James here begins the second unit of his introduction. The one who
takes the attitude prescribed for him by James in vv 2-11, endures
temptation (peirasmos; the same word translated trials in v 2) and may
anticipate reward. Enduring temptation (and trials) will cause believers to
be proved. In using the word proved (dokimos), James is alluding to the
character development he has referred to in vv 2-4 (cf. Rom 5:3-4a). The
Christian whose endurance through trials has cooperated to produce
approved character (dokimēn) is indeed blessed of God.
The reason he should be considered blessed is that (since he has become
approved) he will receive the crown of life. The question arises here as to
whether the crown of life, to which James refers, is a present benefit or a
future one. Either view is possible, but the life in question must not be
confused with the free gift of life that James mentions shortly (vv 17-18; cf.
Rom 6:23; Rev 22:17, etc.). Clearly, v 12 refers to a reward for enduring
trials.
 If a future reward is in view, a parallel verse might be Gal 6:8, where the
future “harvest” of a believer’s deeds is presented as the reaping of
everlasting life. Although eternal life must be received initially as a gift, the
possibility of having it “more abundantly” (John 10:10) is held out to
obedient Christians.
More likely James has in mind the way God enriches one’s present
experience of life, when testing has been successfully endured. This
interpretation takes on a high probability in light of James’s later statement
in 5:11. Obviously this statement picks up the themes of 1:3-12, including
the reference to being “blessed” (1:12) in the words “count…blessed”
(5:11). Every Jewish–Christian reader of James would know how God had
crowned Job’s life with blessings after his trials were over. Therefore it
seems quite likely that it is the enrichment of temporal experience of life
(spiritually always, materially sometimes) that James has in mind in the
expression the crown of life.
Finally, this experience is for those who love Him. Only to these has God
promised this crown of life. In fact, it may be stated that each of the
believers’ various trials in some way or other is a test of their love for God.
With each test there comes the temptation to resist God’s will in sending the
trial at all or, at least, the temptation to resent it and thus refuse to allow
God to do the character–building work He desires to perform . Only when
they submit lovingly to God’s mighty hand do they find the crown of life.
1:13. At this point in his prologue James makes a subtle shift in his use of
the word peirasmos from its broader meaning of “trial” or “testing” (vv 2-
12) to its more narrow meaning of “temptation” or “solicitation to evil.” In
every “trial” (broad sense), there is also a “temptation” to evil (narrow
sense).
The person who claims, “I am tempted by God,” has forgotten that God
cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He…tempt anyone. Instead, the
source of temptations is the inward pull exerted by one’s own [evil] desires.
If people were not evil, they would have no such desires and would be free
of wrong impulses.
If God cannot be tempted, some have wondered how Jesus was. Though
Jesus was human, He was perfect and holy, and did not have a sinful nature.
Nevertheless, it was in His flesh, not in His divinity, that He was tempted
by Satan.
 1:14. Clearly in this passage James is thinking of “temptation” in the
subjective sense. All Satan’s efforts to lead people into evil and all of the
world’s seductions would have no effect on a person at all unless he is
drawn away by his own desires and enticed. There is no temptation
except when a person finds evil desirable in some way.
James affirms that God does not tempt anyone. This means that God is not
personally the agent of temptation, but James’s words leave room for the
truth that God allows others to engage in temptation. Job is the classic
example. God Himself did not tempt Job, but He allowed Satan to do so.
Thus the readers of James’s letter must not sinfully charge God with
responsibility for their temptations. Rather, the responsibility is their own
because of their own wicked hearts.
1:15. James now traces the potentially deadly consequences into which
man’s evil desires can lead him. The language he employs is the language
of childbearing. Desire (as if it were a woman) experiences a “conception”
and subsequently gives birth (tiktei) to sin.
Desire, James says, is the mother of sin. Such conception occurs when
desire, or lust, is united with the human will, so that the birth of sin
becomes a determination of the heart. But after the sin is brought to birth
through lust, it grows (or, is repeated) and reaches maturity (i.e., it is full-
grown). Then sin in turn bears a child of its own—namely, death (sin…
brings forth [apokyeō, “gives birth to”] death).
Death, then, is the grandchild of sinful lust or desire. Death is the cul-de-
sac into which one’s lusts can lead him. This point is reaffirmed by James in
5:20, The truth that physical death is the ultimate end of sinful conduct is
stated repeatedly in the Book of Proverbs (e.g., 10:27; 11:19, 12:28; 13:14;
19:16). Since James is writing to his Christian brothers (see discussion of
Jas 1:2), it is plain that even a born-again Christian can flirt with premature
physical death by indulging in his sinful lusts. This is an extremely serious
consideration. But immediate repentance from sin, that is, a turning from
the error of his way (5:20), can cut the sin off before it is full-grown and
thus save the sinning one from death.
1:16. So James’s Christian brothers and sisters should not allow
themselves to be deceived. Temptation to evil can lead to physical death,
and death is the very opposite of the kind of gift that God always bestows.
In fact, death is the dreadful consequence earned by sin (Rom 6:23), but
God is fundamentally a Giver.
1:17. Indeed, He is a flawless Giver, unlike all earthly givers. Every good
gift and every perfect gift is from Him and therefore from above. One
might have expected James to say that God only gives good and perfect
gifts, but in fact he says more than this. Wherever there is such a thing as a
flawless gift, that gift is necessarily from above. All human gifts, by
contrast, are flawed in some way because the human giver is flawed. Only
God can give perfect gifts. That is because He is the Father of lights, with
whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. God is immutable in
His activity of giving.
1:18. Christians should know this truth (v 17) best of all, and James’s
readers are Christians. Therefore James can say of them and of himself, Of
His own will He brought us forth, that is, He “gave birth” to us.
This statement is clearly related to the context. James’s word for brought
us forth (apokyeō) is the same word used in v 15 for “brings forth.” Sin,
James is saying, “gives birth” to death, but God “gives birth” to believers!
Moreover, it is not related to the “will” of man, by which it could be flawed
because of the corruption of that “will.” Rather, new birth finds its source in
God’s will (of His own will) and is effected by the word of truth.
God’s role in conversion may be described as revelatory. As an act of His
own will He commands the light of the gospel to shine into a person’s heart
so that he can perceive that light in faith, as Jesus said to Peter after his
great confession (Matt 16:17). This of course in no way diminishes man’s
responsibility to seek God and the illumination He alone can give (Acts
17:26-27; Heb 11:6).
Thus the teaching called “Lordship salvation” is flawed. By insisting that
saving faith is an act of the will, it demolishes the Biblical concept of faith
as a reception of God’s truth. Biblical saving faith is a conviction or
persuasion about what God says in the gospel (Rom 4:21). There is no place
here for man’s will—even as influenced by God’s Spirit. God commands
the light of His Word to shine into one’s heart and, like blind men suddenly
able to see, he perceives it as truth (2 Cor 4:6). Once received as truth, that
is, believed, there is no room for man’s will to act. Faith and regeneration
have already occurred.
 The result of this amazing act of God’s will and Word is that we who are
born again become a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. The NKJV
translation that we might be is slightly ambiguous just as is the original
Greek behind it (eis to einai). The Greek phrase can indicate either purpose
or result. If the idea were one of purpose, James could be saying, “God has
regenerated us so that we may afterwards be (become)…” If the idea is
result, then the words suggest, “God has regenerated us so that we are
(already) a kind of firstfruits…” The latter idea seems more natural since it
gives cohesion to James’s statement by making clear what the believer is as
a result of God’s regenerating activity.
James’s point is that God’s gift of new life is so good and perfect that
when one possesses that life he is a foreshadowing of what God will do for
all His creatures (all created things). Just as the first crops from a field
(firstfruits) suggest the quality of the harvest as a whole, so the miracle of
regeneration is so wonderful that what God plans for the entire creation can
also be called a regeneration (Matt 19:28). Although James recognizes that
the analogy is not exact (believers are a kind of firstfruits), yet it carries his
point effectively. There is no flaw in the gift of new life; otherwise it could
serve as no true model of what God wants to do for the entire creation.
III. Theme: Behave Well in Trials (1:19-20)
1:19. James now states his answer to the question of how to behave under
stressful circumstances. The word therefore shows the connection with
what has been previously said. There is a sense in which the statements in
vv 19-20 are thematic for the entire epistle. Although the advice they
contain is certainly good advice for all times and situations, these
exhortations have a special suitability for those who are undergoing trial
and testing. His admonitions are three.
First, Be swift to hear. A willingness to listen properly is an essential
ingredient in successful endurance under testing. Although this trait is
needed at all times, yet when a believer experiences stress, he urgently
needs to be attentive to the wisdom that God offers through His Word or
through the counsel of others based on that Word.
But typically people are more eager to talk in times of stress than to listen.
Hence the second admonition is to be slow to speak. Eagerness to pour out
one’s thoughts and feelings under trial needs to be restrained. As has often
been said, one cannot learn anything while talking! It might even be pointed
out that Job’s triumph under trial was enhanced by his brief but meaningful
statements in Job 1 and 2 (1:21; 2:10). It was only when he decided to
engage his so-called friends in extended dialogue that the sharpness of his
victory over trial was diluted. It is a good practice for everyone who is
under stress to cover his mouth, that is, to be slow to speak.
The third admonition is to be slow to wrath. Everyone knows that wrath
(orgē, “anger”) is one of mankind’s most common reactions to difficult
times. The human heart is easily swayed to anger by undesirable events.
Then people begin to blame others or even God for their troubles.
Obviously the ability to avoid anger at such times is a supremely admirable
trait.
1:20. But such restraint is not merely admirable; it is also functional. For,
James adds, the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of
God. The ultimate goal for a Christian undergoing trial is the realization of
God’s righteousness in his life. The moral improvement a person can gain
through trials (cf. vv 2-4) is in the last analysis a growth in righteousness
and Godlikeness.
Verses 19-20 conclude the Prologue and also anticipate the contents of the
main unit of the epistle. The subject of the Epistle of James is testing: its
theme is the proper behavior under testing. Such behavior consists of
eagerness to listen, reluctance to talk, and restraint in the expression of
anger.
IV. Body: Cultivate the Necessary Behavior (1:21–5:6)
A. Be Swift to Hear (1:21–2:26)
1. More than mere listening (1:21-27)
1:21. Now that the theme of the epistle has been summarized by James (vv
19-20), he launches into an extended exposition of his theme. The word
therefore (dio) signals the new point of departure. It is not enough for the
writer simply to state the demands of v 19. He must also examine their
ramifications. How easily a reader might claim, “Of course I am quick to
hear God’s Word!” But James’s exposition puts this claim to the test.
The believer who wishes to receive…the implanted word must prepare
himself both negatively and positively. Negatively, he should lay aside all
filthiness and overflow of wickedness. Positively, he should receive (or,
“welcome” [dexasthe]) the Word with meekness.
The necessary preparation for “hearing” the Word is divesting oneself of
evil. The word translated lay aside (apotithēmi) was often used of removing
clothing. The evil itself is described as all filthiness and as an overflow of
wickedness. James calls “evil” an abnormal outgrowth in the Christian’s
life.
Like a seed implanted within them, the Word had imparted new life to
them. It was thus an “inborn” Word which was natural and innate to them as
born-again people. (See Peter’s use of the seed imagery for new birth in
1 Pet 1:23-25.) Just as a seed of wheat contains within itself all of the
potential from which fully developed wheat may grow, so too does the
gospel. Simple though the message of salvation is, the seed of life which is
implanted when we believe this message contains enormous potential which
only Christian obedience can fully develop.
Furthermore the implanted word can produce an enormous benefit, for
James tells his readers that it is able to save your souls. Many readers and
expositors have an automatic reaction to the phrase save your souls in
English, which leads them to understand it as eternal salvation from hell.
But none of James’s readers were at all likely to get such a meaning out of
this text. The Greek phrase found here (sōsai tas psychas hymōn) was in
common use in the sense of “to save the life.” It is used in both the Greek
OT as well as in the NT in exactly that sense (see Gen 19:17; 32:30; 1 Sam
19:11; Jer 48:6; Mark 3:4; Luke 6:9). This is its obvious sense also in Jas
5:20, which refers to the physical preservation of a life from death. There is
not a single place in the entire Greek Bible (i.e., the NT plus the Septuagint,
the Greek translation of the OT) where this phrase signifies deliverance
from hell. (For the Lord’s metaphor using this phrase see the discussions on
Matt 16:24-28; Mark 8:34-38; Luke 9:23-27.)
The meaning which the data supports—“to save your lives”—is precisely
the meaning most suited to this context. The readers are already born again
(v 18) and are in no need of being saved from hell. Moreover, James has
just spoken of the death-dealing consequences of sin (vv 14-15). In this
light the meaning of v 21 is transparent: although sin can culminate in
physical death, the Word of God, properly received, can preserve physical
life (cf. Prov 10:27; 11:19; 12:28; 13:14; 19:16).
 From both a linguistic and contextual point of view, as well as from the
perspective of Hebrew wisdom, there can be no legitimate doubt about
James’s meaning in this verse. To take these words as a reference to eternal
salvation is to commit an obvious error of eisegesis (reading one’s own
ideas into the text). As long as a reader does that in v 21, he will not only
misunderstand the verse itself, but he will misunderstand the entire epistle,
including 2:14-26!
1:22. As important as it is to receive the implanted word with cleansed
hearts and a meek spirit, there is one further essential step. They must
become doers of the word. James’s readers must never allow themselves to
become mere hearers; instead they must obey it. James trades on the fact
that the word “hear,” in both Hebrew and Greek, can mean either sensory
audition or “to hear responsively,” that is, “to obey.” In his exposition of the
command to be swift to hear (v 19), James wants his audience to realize that
the regular hearing of God’s Word in the meetings of the church is not all he
has in mind. To be swift to hear, at its deepest level of meaning, means also
“to be swift to obey.” If the readers ever thought that mere attention to the
Scriptures was enough, they were mistaken. With such a view they would
be deceiving themselves. The analogy today would be the Christian who is
fascinated by the exposition and study of God’s Word but who has
assimilated very little of it into his everyday life.
1:23. James then points out in fact that hearing the Word without doing it
is like looking into a mirror and then forgetting what one has seen.
What is seen in this mirror is described by James as his natural face (to
prosōpon tēs geneseōs autou). A more precise rendering of the phrase
would be “the face of his birth.” In the word “birth” (geneseōs) one can
hear, as in the word “inborn” (v 21), a further echo of the readers’
experience of regeneration (v 18). “The implanted [inborn] word” (God’s
mirror; 2 Cor 3:18) reveals to its Christian hearers the true “face” of their
new birth into God’s family. It shows them what they truly are in Christ and
therefore how they ought to behave in keeping with that image of
themselves.
1:24. This approach to Christian morality is a fundamental feature of the
NT epistles. We begin by recognizing what we are by God’s grace, and we
are then commanded to behave accordingly (cf. Rom 6:5-14; 1 Cor 6:15,
19-20; Gal 2:20; Eph 4:1; Col 3:1-4; 2 Pet 1:3-7). Thus the believer who
hears the Word but goes out and ignores what it has shown him is truly like
a person who immediately forgets what kind of man he is. To be a mere
hearer of God’s truth is to forget one’s true identity as a born-again and
justified child of God, and to behave as though he is not.
1:25. By contrast with such a person is the Christian who is not a
forgetful hearer but a doer of the work. Doer of the work (poiētēs ergou)
is in the general sense of a “work-doer.” This is James’s first reference to
good works in a series of sections leading up to 2:14-26.
The perfect law of liberty is the spiritual “mirror” into which a believer
looks when he hears “the implanted word.” Since the commands of this
Christian law are in accord with his innermost nature as a born-again
person, they are not in any way a form of bondage but rather they are a “law
of liberty [freedom].” What the Christian really learns from the Word (as
seen in vv 23-24) is to become (in conduct) what he already is by virtue of
his regenerate nature. When a person is doing something as a natural
expression of his true nature, he is obviously enjoying the liberty of just
being himself.
The Christian man who looks into…and continues in God’s Word is one
who submits to divine authority (law), yet in so doing he finds himself truly
free. One can easily imagine that James had personally heard Jesus say, “If
you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know
the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Such truly free
obedience to God is the secret of “saving our lives” (Jas 1:21) and of
enjoying every other benefit God chooses to bestow on believers. The doer
of…work (or, “work-doer”) of this verse, not the mere hearer of the Word,
is the person who will be blessed in what he does.
1:26. The church or churches to which James is writing (see Introduction)
are much less than perfect (see chap 4). They probably contain many
individuals who consider themselves punctilious in their religious
observances and thus worthy of the blessing James had just spoken about (v
25). But it is commonplace for people to reduce obedience to God to the
performance of various religious routines. In James’s day these might
include regular attendance at Christian worship, as well as prayers and
fasting. The words for religious here and “religion” (v 27) were terms used
to describe just such activities as these. But James is not concerned with the
practice of religious exercises, however valuable they are in their place.
Instead he is concerned with down-to-earth conduct in relation to other
people.
James totally dismisses the religion of any Christian person who placed no
restraint on the use of his own tongue. Sanctimonious prayers in public or
private are worth little if the person who offers them has lips filled with
slander, deceit, and cursing when he talks to other people (see 3:9-10).
1:27. Equally, any claim to being religious is dashed to the ground by a
failure to help the needy, or by any sinful practice derived from the
unbelieving world around them. Pure and undefiled religion is far more
than a few basic liturgical routines. The God and the Father of James’s
readers—the Father of lights who had regenerated them (vv 17-18)—looked
for more than such routines. What best expresses His nature and character is
mercy and personal moral purity. This means James’s readers needed to
visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep themselves
unspotted from the world.
Any Christian who fails to mingle with and assist those who have greater
material needs than his own is in serious danger of being infected by the
world’s selfishness, greed, and indifference. No amount of prayer and
church attendance can compensate for the loss of compassion and
involvement with the poor. Charity to the poor channeled in an impersonal
way through the government or other institutions is not at all the same
thing.
2. More than mere morality (2:1-13)
2:1. In developing the theme of being “swift to hear” (see 1:19), James
points out that to hear is more than merely listening to the Word. It also
involves doing it (1:21-25), yet not simply in the sense of the observance of
ceremonial routines but with acts of mercy to those in need (1:26-27). Such
acts guard one against worldly “spots” (1:27). It is this last point that forms
a bridge to the next unit (2:1-13).
One worldly spot to be diligently avoided is that of partiality. Deference
to the rich and disdain for the poor have always been features of
worldliness, so James insists that such discrimination against the poor is
unworthy of the faith which his readers have in our Lord Jesus Christ.
This is all the more true because Christ is the Lord of glory.
 2:2. With the vividness of a preacher, James describes the sharply different
treatments which an impressively attired rich man might receive, when he
visits a Christian assembly, as over against a dirty-looking poor man. The
former would be offered a comfortable seat, the latter an insignificant seat
or no seat at all. Perhaps James had actually witnessed such cases of blatant
partiality (v 1).
Although the Greek word for assembly is the one used for a synagogue,
“meeting” seems most natural here. In the circle of churches to which
James writes (see Introduction), it is not likely that there were many who
met in the local synagogue since that would imply the conversion of most
of the synagogue’s members. Most probably the Jewish–Christian churches
of Palestine met in private homes where rooms might be set aside to
accommodate these gatherings.
2:3. The statement, “Sit here at my footstool,” is literally, “sit here under
(or, below) my footstool.” There may be a touch of ironic exaggeration in
these words for James suggests that the position given the poor visitor is so
demeaning as to be underneath the footstool on which the speaker rested his
own feet!
The scene James has in mind may be one in which the Christians were
reclining at a table to observe the Lord’s Supper. If so, the rich visitor is
allowed to sit down on a seat in the room to observe the proceedings. The
poor visitor, on the other hand, is told simply either to stand (against the
wall?) or to sit on the floor “below” the pillow or object on which the
speaker placed his feet. For the concept of visitors at a Christian gathering
(see 1 Cor 14:23-25).
2:4. Those who behave with such outrageous favoritism are to be firmly
censured. “If you do this,” James is saying, have you not shown partiality
among yourselves? This may indeed be the meaning of the text, but it
seems too obvious a conclusion to be drawn from the glaring example
presented in vv 2-3. The original words (ou diekrithēte en heautois) can
also be understood in the sense “have you not discriminated among
yourselves.” In that case the partiality is condemned because it draws an
unchristian distinction between the rich and the poor man. It implies that
those who behave this way have judged the rich man to be better and more
worthy as a person than the poor man. But such judgments are morally
wrong and make those who exercise them judges with evil thoughts.
 2:5. The type of behavior just criticized represented a serious
miscalculation. James wants to call the attention of his fellow Christians to
this miscalculation in no uncertain terms: Listen, my beloved brethren,
that is, “Pay attention to this!” The fundamental principle James now states
amounts to telling his readers that partiality toward the rich flies directly
into the face of reality. The despised poor man may actually be rich in
God’s sight. Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich in
faith?
More than once Scripture commends faith which is either abundant or
exceptional in character (Matt 8:10; 15:28; Acts 6:5; 11:24; Hebrews 11). It
is clear that not everyone who has faith can be described as rich in faith. Yet
even little faith can have significant results (Matt 17:20; Luke 17:6) because
it is in an infinite God. The issue here is not that of eternal salvation. Simple
faith in Christ is sufficient to save (Acts 16:31). The issue rather is: How
much is a Christian trusting God in his daily life? How high can one’s trust
rise when outward appearances are deeply discouraging? Ironically a rich
Christian may have less opportunity to trust God for his needs than a poor
man who must trust Him day by day, and sometimes meal by meal. Thus by
the providential arrangement of God a poor Christian may become very rich
in the area of personal faith in God, while the rich Christian may be
poverty–stricken in this aspect of spiritual experience. James’s readers
needed to remember this whenever a scruffy, poor brother came to their
assembly. Despite outward appearances, he might be a spiritual millionaire!
Indeed, if so, he was also one of the heirs of the kingdom. By this phrase
James indicates that the poor man who is rich in faith will be a co-ruler with
Christ over the kingdom of God. Just as Christ inherits the kingdom (Ps 2:8-
9) because of His loyalty to God the Father (Heb 1:8-9, quoting Ps 45:6-7),
so will the co-heirs of His kingdom. Thus the kingdom has been promised
to those who love God. Although salvation is freely bestowed at the
moment a person exercises simple faith in Christ for eternal life, the
kingdom is not inherited that way. Heirship in the kingdom requires loving
God, which can be expressed only through obedience to Him (John 14:21-
24), while obedience itself is the product of living by faith (see Gal 2:20).
Anyone who does not live this kind of life cannot rightly be called rich in
faith, even though he or she has believed in Christ for eternal salvation.
 2:6-7. Poor believers, then, tended to live such lives and to be people of
importance in the light of God’s coming kingdom, and disdainful treatment
of a poor person who attended a meeting was a failure to take that fact into
account. “You should have honored him,” James is saying, but [instead]
you have dishonored the poor man. As a class, rich people were more
likely to be enemies of Christianity and to be oppressors rather than helpers
of the Christian community. In the Jewish context of this book many
unbelieving, wealthy Jews were a source of oppression to Christians and
might drag [them] into the courts on any pretext. Moreover, many did not
hesitate to blaspheme that noble name “the Lord Jesus Christ,” v 1, by
which you are called. By putting the statements about rich men in question
form, James is simply making them face what they already know. It made
no sense for any reader of James to obsequiously extend himself in
welcoming a rich person into the Christian assembly, while at the same time
slighting a potential heir of the kingdom!
2:8. The failure to avoid partiality in dealing with the rich and the poor
was more than a failure to face reality in regard to these two classes of men.
More fundamentally, it was a breakdown in Christian morality. It was a
violation of Scripture’s royal law commanding love for one’s neighbor
based on how a person would wish to be treated. Certainly no one desired to
be slighted in the way described by James (v 3).
In calling the command to “love your neighbor as yourself” a royal law,
James creates a memorable expression with more than one significant facet.
The command to love is royal because it is issued by the King—the Lord
Jesus Himself, in fact, first as the divine Revealer (Lev 19:1, 18) and then in
His incarnation among men (Matt 22:37-40). But it is also royal because it
is conduct of a high order worthy of a king. James is alluding to the theme
of heirship in the kingdom which he had just mentioned (Jas 2:5). The heirs
were the future kings of God’s kingdom and they should conduct
themselves according to the royal (kingly) law of love for one’s neighbor.
Thus with considerable skill James pulls together in this passage the two
great commands of OT revelation, uniting them under the theme of
kingship. (These two commands are also a part of the New Covenant “law
of liberty.” See discussion on 1:25 and 2:9.) The aspiring future kings will
possess (reign over) the kingdom if they “love God” (v 5), but this requires
also love for men (cf. 1 John 4:20-21).
 2:9. But do they indeed fulfill it? Not if they show partiality to the rich
over the poor, for in that case they commit sin, and the Biblical command
to love exposes them as transgressors of God’s law. No doubt, as Jewish
converts to Christianity, James’s readers still held the moral standards of
God’s OT law in high esteem. After all, every one of the Ten
Commandments, except the one about the Sabbath day, is repeated in the
NT. Thus the repeated commands are binding on those who live under the
New Covenant rather than under the Old, which has been set aside (see
Hebrews 8). Therefore the failure to love a brother as oneself (which is a
failure reflected in partiality) constitutes a genuine infraction of God’s will
for believers.
2:10. Furthermore such failure exposes inadequacy in the light of God’s
holy standards. An infraction of the Law of the sort James is discussing is to
break the Law as a whole. No matter how well one might keep the rest of it,
a sin against love constitutes a person as a lawbreaker, that is, a criminal
before the bar of justice!
2:11. This disturbing point is driven home by James with the observation
that the commands against adultery and murder are part of the same Law.
Since both sins were punishable by death under the Old Covenant, James’s
argument has great force. Obviously he is saying, if you do not commit
adultery, but you do murder, innocence in one area does not excuse a
person in the other. As James’s readers would know, murderers suffered the
ultimate penalty for Law-breaking whether or not they had ever committed
adultery.
Naturally James is addressing himself to Jewish Christian readers (see
Introduction) who still retained a high opinion of Law-keeping. Their
culture and heritage strongly inclined them to this, even after they had been
justified by faith in Christ. James writes with considerable perception to
such readers. Even though justification is not the issue here, his readership
(like their unsaved but self-righteous fellow countrymen) put a high
premium on avoiding such sins as adultery and murder. But they needed to
be reminded that a failure to love a poor brother who came to their
assembly nullified any pride they might have in obeying God’s Law in other
respects. One either obeyed it all, or he did not obey it—whatever the
specific infraction might be.
 Even James’s converted readers, however, needed to be reminded of this
truth about the Law, lest they ignore their own unloving partiality and
carelessly regard themselves as Law-keepers in God’s sight. “Don’t think
that way at all,” James is saying, “for your loveless behavior sets you under
the Law’s condemnation, not the Law’s approval!” Thus the kind of
“hearing” James wants of his readers (see 1:19-25) is not mere moral
separation from sins like adultery and murder. No indeed. To “be swift to
hear” is also to be swift to love, and that excludes partiality.
2:12. But it is not the OT Law by which Christians will be judged, but
rather by the law of liberty to which he has already referred (see discussion
of 1:25). The qualifying phrase of liberty clearly suggests a differentiation
from the mere term law when not so qualified. James certainly concurred
with Peter’s description of the OT law as “a yoke of bondage” (Acts 15:10).
He joined in the final solution of the Law problem which was hammered
out at the Jerusalem Council (vv 13-29). James knows that Christians are
“not under law but under grace” (Rom 6:14). That is to say, he knows that
Christians are not under the Mosaic Law of the Old Covenant. But James
also knows that God’s will was extensively revealed for New Covenant
people through the NT apostles and prophets and—above all—through “our
Lord Jesus Christ from Glory.” It is precisely this revelation which was
made for born-again people and which appeals to the fundamental instincts
of their regenerate nature. As such it is not a burden at all (1 John 5:3-5),
but rather allows them to express what they really are as children of God.
Thus it is a law of freedom.
Yet at the same time it is the code of conduct by which Christian life will
be judged. Thus believers should so speak and so do with that fact in mind.
Christians’ lives will be assessed in the light of the high and holy standards
of the law of liberty.
In speaking of judgment, James can mean only what is referred to as the
Judgment Seat of Christ (2 Cor 5:9-11). In reference to eternal life the
believer “shall not come into judgment” (John 5:24). There is no such thing
as a judgment for the believer to determine whether he goes to heaven or
hell. The believer has already passed from death to life and no charge can
be brought against him because he is already justified (John 5:24; Rom
8:32-33). Those who say this judgment in James 2:12 pertains to eternal life
for believers can only do so by first reading it in!
 2:13. Such is the solemnity of the Judgment Seat of Christ, however, that
no one can view it without sensing how awesome and exacting it must be.
Paul also sensed this feature of it (2 Cor 5:11). Any reasonable person must
know that a judgment of his Christian life “by the book” (i.e., with full
strictness) is likely to leave him with much censure from his Savior and
with much loss of potential reward. What is needed in that day is mercy—-
a willingness on the part of the Lord and Judge to assess the believers’
words and deeds with the fullest possible measure of compassion. But how
can they store up the mercy that will be so urgently needed in that day?
James’s answer is simple and thrilling: he commends mercy. For if the one
who has shown no mercy will experience none in that day, the converse
must certainly be true: the one who has shown much mercy will experience
much. Indeed, the mercy shown to others can actually “win the day” at that
future experience of judgment, for mercy triumphs over judgment. The
word triumphs (katakauchaomai) could be rendered “exults over,” as if
mercy could celebrate with words its victory over judgment. Hence, if a
Christian constantly tempers his words and deeds with mercy, he can
emerge a victor in the day of divine assessment.
In this light, then, the cold indifference toward the poor man of Jas 2:2-3
was a dangerous procedure to follow. Instead, that poor man should have
been welcomed with the warmth and sensitivity that the merciful person is
careful to express. Only in that way would their treatment of him be a
positive rather than a negative factor at the Judgment Seat of Christ.
3. More Than Passive Faith (2:14-26)
2:14. James opens this section of admonition by confronting the
fundamental issue. Suppose someone lays claim to faith but cannot point to
acts of obedience of the kind James has been discussing (1:26–2:13). What
then? Can he expect his faith in God’s Word to “save his life” (1:21) if he is
not a work-doer (v 25)? In other words Can faith save him?
Actually the question (in Greek) implies its own answer and might better
be translated, “Faith can’t save him, can it?” The expected response is, “No,
it can’t!” But, of course, faith can and does save when one is speaking of
eternal salvation (e.g., Eph 2:8-9). But here—as James makes plain—faith
cannot save under the conditions he has in mind (see discussion at Jas
1:21).
 Thus in James 2, the writer plainly makes works a condition for salvation.
The failure to admit this is the chief source of the problems supposedly
arising from this passage for most evangelicals. Readers need to recognize
that James cannot be discussing salvation by grace. But instead of
admitting these points, many interpreters dodge them.
This is frequently done by trying to translate the question, “Can faith save
him?” (2:14), by “Can that [or, such] faith save him?” But the introduction
of words like “that” or “such” as qualifiers for “faith” is really an evasion of
the text. The Greek does not support this sort of translation.
Nevertheless, support for the renderings “such faith” or “that faith” is
usually said to be found in the presence of the Greek definite article with
the word “faith.” But in this very passage, the definite article also occurs
with “faith” in vv 17, 18, 20, 22, and 26. (In v 22, the reference is to
Abraham’s faith!) In none of these places are the words “such” or “that”
proposed as natural translations. As is well known, the Greek language
often employed the definite article with abstract nouns (like faith, love,
hope, etc.) where English cannot do so. In such cases the Greek article is
left untranslated. The attempt to single out 2:14 for specialized treatment
carries its own refutation on its face. It must be classed as a truly desperate
effort to support an insupportable interpretation.
These statements by James cannot be willed away. As clearly as language
can express it, faith by itself does not “save,” according to James. But
“save” in what sense? Or better, “save” from what? From eternal hell? Or
from something else? The only appropriate answer, in the light of the whole
epistle, is to say that James is picking up the theme of 1:21 (expressed again
in 5:19-20). This theme is the truth that obedience to God’s Word can
“save” the life from the deadly outcome of sin (see 1:15 and discussion).
Faith alone cannot do this. Works of obedience are completely
indispensable.
2:15-17. If one keeps in mind the concept of “saving the life by
obedience,” then the words of 2:15-17 can be heard in a fresh light. Can the
fact that a person holds correct beliefs and is orthodox “save” him from the
deadly consequences of sin? Of course not! The very thought is absurd.
That is like giving one’s best wishes to a destitute brother or sister when
what they really need is food and clothing (2:15-16). It is utterly fruitless.
As a matter of fact, this kind of callous conduct on the part of one Christian
toward another is precisely what James has been warning against (see 1:27;
2:2-6). It superbly illustrates his point.
Such idle words are as “dead” (ineffectual) as a nonworking faith. So
James says, Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. It
needs to be carefully considered why James chose the term dead to describe
a faith that is not working. Yet the moment this term is related to the plainly
expressed concept of “saving the life” (1:21), everything becomes clear.
The issue that concerns James is an issue of life or death. Can a faith that is
dead save the Christian from death? The question answers itself. The choice
of the adjective dead is perfectly suited to James’s argument. Just as the idle
words of some ungenerous believer cannot save his brother from death in
the absence of life’s necessities, a nonworking faith cannot save a believer’s
life from the death–dealing consequences of sin. For that purpose faith is
sterile and ineffective by itself, because it cannot accomplish the needed
result.
Commentators often deal with the word dead simplistically. As a metaphor
dead is often treated as though it could refer to nothing other than the
death/life terminology employed to describe salvation from hell. But every
linguist knows that “death” and “deadness” are concepts that have given
rise to numerous and diverse metaphors in nearly every language. English
itself has many (“this law’s a dead letter,” “you’re dead wrong,” “he’s dead
drunk,” “he’s a dead duck,” “that idea is dead,” “they navigated by dead
reckoning,” etc.). So also the Greek language (and the NT itself) abounds in
such metaphors. In Romans alone, Paul says Abraham’s body was “dead”
while it was still alive, and attributes “deadness” to Sarah’s barren womb
(Rom 4:19). Paul says that “apart from the law sin was [or is] dead” (Rom
7:8) (although sin can be quite active apart from the Law [Rom 5:13]), and
then declares that “sin revived and I died” (Rom 7:9). So too the Christian’s
body, in which the Spirit dwells, can be described as “dead” (Rom 8:10),
although the Christian himself is regenerated. The complexity in Paul’s use
of the term “dead” is clearly evident from these texts. A concordance study
yields examples in other parts of the NT as well (e.g., Luke 15:24, 32; Heb
6:1; 9:14; Rev 3:1). It is simply wrong to think that James’s metaphor about
“dead faith” can have only one meaning, namely, a soteriological one. To
claim this is to beg the question.
 So when faith is described as “dead” in James 2, this can easily be
understood in context as meaning that (for the purpose being considered)
faith is sterile, ineffectual, or unproductive.
2:18-19. James does not expect such words to go unchallenged. Even in
Christians, the impulse to excuse or cover our failures is strong. So James
anticipates his readers’ excuse by introducing the words of an imaginary
objector. Such alleged objectors were a common stock-in-trade for writers
on morals in James’s day, and here he employs this well-known literary foil.
The entirety of vv 18-19 belong to this hypothetical speaker.
The exact extent and meaning of the objector’s words have long been a
problem to commentators. The NKJV follows a common understanding in
its punctuation of vv 18-19. The words, “You have faith and I have
works,” are enclosed in quotation marks by the NKJV and this signals that
these words alone are taken as the words of an objector. (What they are an
objection to has puzzled many commentators.) The remaining words of v 18
and those of v 19 are taken by the NKJV as the reply of James, though it is
by no means clear how they answer the words attributed to the objector. But
all punctuation in our English Bibles is the work of editors, since the
original manuscript of James would probably have had little or none. But
the text is only correctly understood when the entirety of vv 18-19 (starting
with, You have faith…) is assigned to the objector and none of it assigned to
James.
In vv 18-19 the specific literary format James uses was familiar from the
Greek diatribe, which was a learned and argumentative form of discourse.
The form employed in vv 18-20 might be called the “objection/reply
format.” Words such as James’s “but someone will say” (v 18) are used to
introduce the objection and, when the objection has been stated, a sharp
rejoinder is begun with words like James’s “but do you want to know, O
foolish man” (v 20). This same format used by James also occurs in Rom
9:19-20 and 1 Cor 15:35-36. The view of many writers that James’s reply
has to begin at v 18b ignores the manifest structural signals of James’s text.
These writers have failed to produce any comparable text in the relevant
literature. This writer regards it as certain that the objector’s words extend
to the end of v 19.
But what does the objection mean? Since most Greek manuscripts read the
word “by” (ek) in place of the familiar word “without” (chōris) in v 18, the
reading “by” is preferred here. The objector’s statement may then be given
as follows, retaining the Greek word order more exactly than does the
NKJV:
But someone will say: “You have faith and I have works. Show me your
faith from [ek] your works, and I will show you, from [ek] my works, my
faith. You believe that there is one God; you do well. The demons also
believe, and tremble” (vv 18-19, author’s translation).
The argument which these words express appears to be a reductio ad
absurdum (reducing someone’s claims to absurdity). It is heavy with irony.
“It is absurd,” says the objector, “to see a close connection between faith
and works. For the sake of argument, let’s say you have faith and I have
works. Let’s start there. You can no more start with what you believe and
show it to me in your works, than I can start with my works and
demonstrate what it is that I believe.” The objector is confident that both
tasks are impossible. The impossibility of showing one’s faith from one’s
works is now demonstrated (so the objector thinks) by this illustration:
“Men and demons both believe the same truth (that there is one God), but
their faith does not produce the same response. Although this article of faith
may move a human being to ‘do well,’ it never moves the demons to ‘do
well.’ All they can do is tremble. Faith and works, therefore, have no built-
in connection at all. The same creed may produce entirely different kinds of
conduct. Faith cannot be made visible in works!” With this supposedly
unanswerable claim, the objector rests his case.
No doubt James and his readers had heard this argument before. It was
precisely the kind of defensive approach people might take when their
orthodoxy was not supported by good deeds. They might say, “Faith and
works are not really related to each other in the way you say they are,
James. So don’t criticize the vitality of my faith because I don’t do such and
such a thing.”
2:20. James’s reply to the objector’s words may be paraphrased this way:
“What a senseless argument! How foolish you are to make it! I still say that
without works your faith is dead. Would you like to know why?” Verses 21-
23 are James’s direct rebuttal of the objection. This is made clear in the
Greek text by the singular form of “do you see” (blepeis) in v 22. This
shows he is addressing the objector. Only with the “you see” (horate) of v
24 does James return to the plural and to his readers as a whole.
 2:21. In refuting the objection he has cited, James selects the most
prestigious name in Jewish history, the patriarch Abraham. He selects also
his most honored act of obedience to God, the offering of his own son Isaac.
Since in Christian circles it was well known that Abraham was justified by
faith, James now adds a highly original touch. He was also justified by
works! If James’s subject matter is kept clearly in mind, one will not fall
into the trap of pitting James against the Apostle Paul. In no way does
James wish to deny that Abraham, or anyone else, could be justified by
faith alone. He merely wishes to insist that there is also another
justification, and it is by works.
Of course, there is no such thing as a single justification by faith plus
works. Nothing James says here suggests that idea. Rather, there are two
kinds of justification (see v 24). Somewhat surprisingly to most people, the
Apostle Paul agrees with this. Writing at what was no doubt a later time
than James, Paul states in Rom 4:2, “For if Abraham was justified by
works, he has something of which to boast, but not before God.” The form
of this statement in Greek does not deny the truth of the point under
consideration. The phrase, “but not before God,” strongly suggests that Paul
can conceive of a sense in which people are justified by works. But, he
insists, that is not the way people are justified before God. That is, it does
not establish their legal standing before Him.
Therefore, in responding to the kind of person who tried to divorce faith
from works in Christian experience, James takes a skillful approach. His
thought paraphrased this way: “Wait a minute, you foolish man! You make
much of justification by faith, but can’t you see how Abraham was also
justified by works when he offered his son Isaac to God? [v 21]. Isn’t it
obvious how his faith was cooperating with his works and, in fact, by works
his faith was made mature? [v 22]. In this way, too, the full significance of
the Scripture about his justification by faith was brought to light, for now he
could be “called the friend of God” (v 23).
It should be carefully noted that in referring to Abraham’s offering of his
son Isaac, James has returned to the theme of trials which is the basic
concern of his epistle (see 1:2-18). In Jewish tradition, this story about
Abraham represented the supreme trial of the patriarch, over which he had
triumphed gloriously. But equally, when James turns to Rahab in v 25, he is
likewise dealing with a woman who had triumphed under severe trial. The
two stories, standing at the end of a major unit (1:21–2:26), form an implicit
inclusio (a reference back) carrying the reader’s mind back to the point at
which the unit on true hearing had begun. The exhortation of 1:21 had
sprung from the preceding discussion on Christian trials.
2:22-23. The content of these verses is rich indeed. It is a pity that they
have been so widely misunderstood. The faith that justifies—James never
denies that it does justify!—can have an active and vital role in the life of
the obedient believer. As with Abraham, it can be the dynamic for great acts
of obedience. In the process, faith itself can be made perfect, that is,
“perfected” (eteleiōthē). The Greek word suggests development and
maturation. Faith is thus nourished and strengthened by works.
It would hardly be possible to find a better illustration of James’s point
anywhere in the Bible. The faith by which Abraham was justified was
directed toward God’s promise about his seed (Gen 15:6), a promise that
reaffirmed the initial promise of Gen 12:1-3, which carried soteriological
significance (see Gal 3:6-9). But Abraham’s faith was also implicitly faith
in the God of resurrection (cf. Gen 15:6 with Rom 4:19-21 and Heb 11:17-
19).
Abraham had confidence that the God in whom he believed could
overcome the deadness of his own body and of Sarah’s womb. But it was
only through the testing with Isaac that this implicit faith in God’s
resurrection power becomes a specific conviction that God could literally
raise a person physically from the dead to fulfill His oath.
The faith of Abraham was strengthened and matured by works. From a
conviction that God could overcome a “deadness” in his own body
(inability to beget children), he moved to the assurance that God could
actually resurrect his son’s body from literal, physical death. In the process
of carrying out the divine command to sacrifice his beloved boy, his faith
grew and reached new heights of confidence in God.
In this way, too, the Scripture that spoke of his original justification was
fulfilled. Abraham’s works filled this ancient text full of meaning, so to
speak, by showing the extent to which his faith, mentioned in Gen 15:6,
could develop and undergird a life of obedience. Simple and uncomplicated
though it was at first, Abraham’s justifying faith had potential ramifications
which only his works, built on it, could disclose.
 And now he could be called the friend of God, not only by God Himself,
but also by men (cf. 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8). This is in fact the name by which
Abraham has been known down through the centuries in many lands and by
at least three religions (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam). Had Abraham not
obeyed God in the greatest test of his life, he would still have been justified
by the faith he exercised in Gen 15:6. But by allowing that faith to be alive
in his works, he attained an enviable title among countless millions of
people. In this way he was also justified by works (before men; cf. Rom
4:2).
When a person is justified by faith, he or she finds an unqualified
acceptance before God. As Paul puts it, such an individual is one “to whom
God imputes righteousness apart from works” (Rom 4:6). But only God can
see this spiritual transaction. When, however, one is justified by works, he
or she achieves an intimacy with God that is manifest to others. He or she
can then be called a “friend of God,” even as Jesus said, “you are My
friends if you do whatever I command you” (John 15:14; see also the
discussion of Jas 4:4).
2:24. Leaving the imagined objector behind, James returns in vv 24-26 to
address his readers directly. (See comment on v 20.) His statement here
confirms what is noted above (v 21), that there are two kinds of
justification, not one kind conditioned on faith plus works. James’s words
should be read like this: You see then that a man is justified by works,
and not [only justified] by faith. The key to this understanding is the Greek
adverb “only” (monon), which does not qualify (i.e., modify) the word faith,
since the form would then have been monōs. As an adverb, however, it
modifies the verb justified implied in the second clause. James is saying that
a by-faith justification is not the only kind of justification there is. There is
also a by-works justification. The former type is before God, the latter type
is before men.
2:25. This is precisely what is now illustrated in the additional case of
Rahab. James does not say, “Was not Rahab the harlot justified by faith and
works?” James knows of no such justification. Rather, Rahab, like
Abraham before her, was justified by works in front of other people, that
is, before the nation of Israel among whom she came to live.
Rahab, however, is superbly suited to tie James’s thoughts together. The
passage had begun with a reference to his theme of “saving the life” (v 14;
1:21). Not surprisingly, Rahab is selected as a striking example of a person
whose physical life was “saved” precisely because she had works.The
author of Hebrews (11:31) points to her faith and lays the stress on the fact
that she received the spies. James, by contrast, points to the fact that she…
sent them out another way. Why does James do this? The answer has
considerable significance for James’s argument.
Although Rahab’s faith began to operate the moment she received the
messengers, she could not really be justified by works until she had sent
them out another way. This is obvious when the story in Joshua 2 is
carefully considered. Up until the last minute, she could still have betrayed
the spies. Had she so desired, she could have sent their pursuers after them.
That the spies had lingering doubts about her loyalty is suggested by their
words in Josh 2:20, “And if you tell this business of ours, then we will be
free from your oath.” But the successful escape of the spies demonstrated
that Rahab was truly a friend of God because she was also their friend. In
this way, Rahab was justified by works.
And in the process, she saved her own life and her family’s! Her faith,
therefore, was very much alive because it was an active, working faith.
Though she was a prostitute—and both inspired writers remind us that she
was—her living faith triumphed over the natural consequences of her sin.
While all the rest of the inhabitants of Jericho perished under the divine
judgment which Israel executed, she lived because her faith lived!
2:26. James therefore wishes his readers to know that works are in fact the
vitalizing spirit which keeps one’s faith alive, in the same way that the
human spirit keeps the human body alive. Whenever a Christian ceases to
act on his faith, that faith atrophies and becomes little more than a creedal
corpse. “Dead orthodoxy” is a danger that has always confronted Christian
people and we do well to take heed to this danger. But the antidote is a
simple one: Faith remains vital and alive as long as it is being translated
into real works of living obedience.
B. Be Slow to Speak (3:1-18)
1. The tongue is a dangerous instrument for displaying wisdom
(3:1-12)
 3:1. In the early Church the gatherings of believers were less formal than
the morning worship services familiar to so many today. In Corinth (cf.
1 Corinthians 11–14), if not in all churches, meetings were largely
unstructured (except for the Lord’s Supper) and were open to any of the
men who wished to make an oral contribution (the women, however, were
silent; 1 Cor 14:34-35). In such a context any brother might rise to give
instruction to the believers, whether he was particularly suited, or gifted, for
this task. James begins his discussion of the tongue by addressing this
tendency. He believes that not many of you [should] become teachers.
The reason? Very simply, the man who used his tongue to teach would be
held to a higher standard, a stricter judgment, at the Judgment Seat of
Christ, than someone who had not so used his tongue.
3:2. After all, James states, we all stumble in many things (as in v 1 the
we includes James). The Greek word for perfect is teleios, which does not
mean specifically “sinless,” but probably here means something like
“flawless,” that is, “a man without a flaw.” But as the rest of the chapter
makes plain, no such man exists, since “no man can tame the tongue” (v 8).
3:3-4. James now emphasizes the capabilities of this small member of the
human body. It is true that bridling the tongue means one can also control
his “whole body” (v 2). In the same way, we put bits in horses’ mouths
and are able thereby to control the horse’s whole body. Moreover, sizable
ships are controlled even in fierce winds by a relatively tiny attachment: a
very small rudder. Thus a great ship, like a horse, is subject to human
control and is turned…wherever the pilot desires by a very small
instrument. Thus far, James has stressed only the tongue’s potential as a tiny
“bit” or “rudder” capable of controlling man’s “whole body” (v 2). That is
to say, human beings can control their own actions provided they first can
control the “rudder,” the human tongue.
3:5. In view of the tongue’s potential as a “controller” of behavior, this
little member of the body can boast of great exploits (it boasts great
things). The Greek word translated by this last phrase is megalauchei
(according to the great majority of manuscripts) and carries negative
overtones of proud bragging. No doubt the choice of this word here is
deliberate on James’s part. This verse, for him, is actually a transition
statement that moves from considering the tongue’s “potential” (vv 3-4) to
considering its “potential dangers” (vv 5b-6). It is almost as if, when the
tongue “speaks” of its great exploits, it cannot refrain from “boasting” about
them. Everyone can recognize this trait in himself, for who indeed can
speak of his accomplishments without pride or boasting?
The transition to a negative assessment of the tongue begins therefore with
the expression boasts great things and moves on swiftly to compare the
tongue to a little fire (we might say: a ‘spark’ or a ‘match’) which results in
a raging inferno in a great…forest. How often some casual remark has
touched off a firestorm of trouble in human experience!
3:6. Therefore it can be truly said that the tongue is a fire or, perhaps
better, “the tongue is fire.” To play loosely with the tongue is to play
dangerously with fire. Why? Because the tongue is also a world of
iniquity. The Greek phrase here (ho kosmos tēs adikias), which might also
be rendered “an iniquitous world,” suggests that a veritable cosmos of evil
lies present within the tiny confines of this dangerous member of the human
body. There is no kind of evil at all which cannot be ignited in human life
by this tiny firetrap!
That is how the tongue functions in the human body. The words the
tongue is so set probably refers back to the first part of this verse. The KJV
and NKJV, however, take them as a reference forward to what follows and
introduce the word that into the text. But there is nothing in the Greek to
correspond to the word that and the remaining statements seem clearly to be
qualifying statements about the tongue. It would be preferable to translate,
“That is how, among our members, the tongue is set, which defiles the
whole body,” and so forth. The word for set is kathistatai, which is of
flexible character in Greek usage; here it probably means something like
“plays its role.” James means that the tongue plays the role of a dangerous
fire and of a “world of wickedness” (see the first part of this verse).
No wonder then that the role of the tongue makes it a physical member
which defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature. By
the words a person speaks he may come to feel completely filthy;
furthermore, words can lead to physical acts that defile the entire physical
self, as is the case with sins like adultery and fornication. Moreover, one’s
words can not only lead to overall defilement but they can also inflame the
entire course of one’s life by the ongoing consequences they produce.
3:7-8. After the grim portrayal of the tongue’s capacity for harm in v 6,
one would think that so dangerous an instrument can be kept fully under
control. Unfortunately this is not the case. For although human beings have
had success in training virtually every kind of beast and bird, of reptile
and creature of the sea, no one can claim a similar success with the
tongue, since no man can tame the tongue.
Precisely, then, because it cannot be finally tamed while people are in their
earthly bodies, the tongue remains an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.
Christians need to remember at all times that they carry in their mouths
what could be compared to a poisonous viper, and that serpentine
instrument can affect others in a way that even results in their death (for
example, ridicule of a suicidal person). Since the Christian can never relax
with the assumption that this “viper” is fully under control, he or she must
be especially alert against its most disastrous eruptions.
3:9-10. He must be alert as well to its horrifying inconsistencies. The same
lips that bless our God and Father, in a hymn or prayer of praise, may also
curse [and vilify] men (even our Christian brothers) despite the fact that
they bear the similitude of God who created them in His image (Gen 1:26-
27). The Bible does not teach that the image of God has been obliterated in
fallen man, however much it has been defaced by sin. Thus the same
mouth can become the source of blessing and cursing—sometimes in such
a swift transition that mere seconds suffice to move from one of these
modes of speech to the other. In a deliberately understated assertion, James
informs his Christian brethren that these things ought not to be so.
3:11-12. Furthermore, such behavior by the tongue is unsuitable, it “ought
not to be,” (v 10) because it flies in the face of the consistency and
predictability of so much in nature. For example, a spring does not
inconsistently send forth fresh water and bitter. The tongue is not only
inconsistent (v 11), but also behaves contrary to natural expectation. On a
fig tree one does not expect to find olives, nor does one look for figs on a
grapevine. Should one expect lips that were designed to bless our God and
Father to produce vilification of humans who are “made in the similitude of
God” (v 9)? Yet too often this anomaly is true of even Christians.
James now concludes his warnings against the untamable tongue by a
renewed reference to a spring. But this closing statement is somewhat
different from the one just made in v 11. Those who lived in the arid
conditions of the Middle East knew the value of a good spring of water.
James’s reference to fresh and bitter water was largely a reference to the
taste of the water. One either enjoyed the spring’s water or he did not,
though he might drink it anyway in an emergency. But salt water and fresh
water were qualitatively distinct, and men and animals could live on the
latter kind of water but not on the former. Not only does the tongue (unlike
any natural spring) produce both pleasant and unpleasant words (“fresh”
and “bitter”), but it produces words that can destroy (salt water) and words
that can sustain life (fresh water). If his readers used their tongues too
much, they could readily expect both negative and positive results of a far-
reaching character. The writer of Proverbs (18:21) expressed the thought
well: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it
[the tongue] will eat its fruit [death and life].”
2. Holy conduct is the safe instrument for displaying wisdom
(3:13-18)
3:13. James’s suggestion is clear and specific. Was anyone among them
wise and understanding? The way to demonstrate this fact was by good
conduct. Naturally such conduct would be characterized by works, as
James has already shown (1:21–2:26). The NKJV, however, slightly distorts
the text by introducing an italicized that which is unnecessary. It is better to
translate it, “Let him show [display] his works through good conduct with
the meekness of [derived from] wisdom.” Instead of boldly (and arrogantly)
verbalizing the wisdom they thought they possessed, James’s readers are
challenged to demonstrate it by their lifestyle in that gentle spirit (prautēti,
meekness) which is always a mark of true wisdom. As Jesus said, if He
teaches believers, they will learn to be gentle (praos); (Matt 11:29).
3:14. But meekness was sorely lacking, it appears, in some of the churches
James was addressing (see 4:1-2). James therefore warns them that if they
had bitter envy and self-seeking in [their] hearts, any effort to display
God’s wisdom would be like lying against the truth. The word translated
self-seeking (eritheia), though rare before NT times, probably connotes the
kind of egotism that is expressed by an ambition to get ahead of others.
Christians who wish a higher status in the church than someone else, of
whom they are envious, often seek some prominent role that will satisfy this
fleshly ambition.
To behave in the way James is describing is to boast and lie against the
truth. The Greek verb for boast (katakauchasthe) is the same word used in
2:13 about mercy triumphing over judgment. The probable meaning here is
similar. A person who dares to wield the truth of God as an instrument to
satisfy his own envy and self-seeking, as he professes to teach that truth, is
guilty of “triumphing over” the truth. That is, he arrogantly tramples down
the truth as if it were a thing subordinate to his own personal ambitions.
3:15. If that is the way the would-be teacher was trying to show his
wisdom (see v 13), he was misguided. He was showing a kind of wisdom all
right, but it was not the kind he thought. This wisdom, says James, is not of
heavenly origin. Instead it is earthly, sensual, demonic.
3:16. Basically, wherever envy and self-seeking were at work among
believers, there were always two inescapable consequences. One of these
was confusion (akatastasia, “disorder,” “unruliness”) and the other was
every evil thing (pragma, “deed,” “event”). How often this inspired
statement has proved true in churches where individuals seek prominence
out of a spirit of jealousy or proud ambition! Characteristically the local
church where this occurs is thrown into turmoil, and factionalism and evil
things are said and done which have no place in the Christian fellowship.
Thus the work of Satan becomes unmistakable.
3:17. In sharpest contrast with all this stands true heavenly wisdom: the
wisdom that is from above. The primary characteristic of such divinely
bestowed wisdom is the fact that it is pure. It is free of the moral
contamination of envy and self-seeking (v 16) and is marked by true
devotion to God. As a result, it is also peaceable (eirēnikē) and is therefore
concerned about harmony with and among the brethren. But its peace-
loving nature also makes such wisdom both gentle (“kind,” epieikēs) as
well as willing to yield (“compliant,” eupeithēs). This kindness and
compliancy means that such wisdom does not rigidly insist on its own way,
but is graciously anxious to go out of its way for other believers. The last
three qualities (peaceable, kind, compliant) all begin with the Greek letter
epsilon (e) and they are alliterative when put together as James arranges
them here. They also describe traits that tend to appear together in an
individual.
But if purity, peaceableness, kindness, and compliancy have pride of place
in James’s list, it is equally true that heaven-wrought wisdom will be full of
mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy. The
attentive reader will hear echoes in these words of earlier themes in this
epistle. “Mercy” recalls 1:27 and 2:13. “Good fruits” echoes 1:22-25 and
2:14-26, while “without partiality” evokes 2:1-13 (although the Greek word
here is different from the one in 2:1). “Without hypocrisy” echoes the near
context, specifically v 14. In short, along with the first four qualities, these
are the aspects of “good conduct” (v 13) that verify a person’s wisdom in a
way that words by themselves are powerless to do.
3:18. The person who behaves as v 17 describes is among those who
make peace. (The translation by those who make peace [tois poiousin
eirēnēn] takes poiousin as a dative of agent [by] rather than of advantage
[for]. The dative of agent is found earlier in this chapter in the phrase
translated “by mankind” in v 7 and it gives the best sense here.) Thus as a
peacemaker the one who demonstrates the heavenly wisdom of v 17 is like
a sower in a field. His behavior (his seed) has its ultimate fruit in
righteousness, since righteousness among believers grows and flourishes
when they dwell together in peace. Given James’s concern for
congregational peace (cf. 4:1-3), it is probable that the phrase in peace goes
actually with the phrase, the fruit of righteousness, rather than with sown,
as in the NKJV (i.e., the clause should read, “the fruit of righteousness in
peace, is sown by…”).
C. Be Slow to Wrath (4:1–5:6)
1. Wrath Is Created by Worldliness (4:1-5)
4:1. What then was the cause of the wars and fights among his readers?
Where did they come from? The answer is sharp and direct. Such conflicts
arise, James states, from your desires for pleasure. The NKJV surely has
the correct idea here even though no Greek word corresponds to the English
words desires for. But James’s statement virtually personifies the word
pleasures so that these pleasures become like hostile soldiers who wage
war within his readers, that is, in your (physical) members.
Why were the Christians at war with each other? It was because they
experienced war within themselves, as good and evil impulses did battle
with each other!
4:2. Their tumultuous inner life is now discussed in terms of its utterly
frustrating nature. You lust and do not have: what they wanted was out of
their reach. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. It is unlikely that
James means that his readers literally committed murder, but, as the Apostle
John declares, “whoever hates his brother is a murderer” (1 John 3:15).
In their jealous hostility toward some Christian brother or sister, James’s
readers were doubtless guilty of “wishing him away” (“I wish he was
dead”) and then of coveting what they hoped they might obtain if he
actually were dead. But since this murderous spirit could not be actualized
(too risky, too shameful, too sinful, etc.), it only accentuated the readers’
frustration. Despite their mental murder and intense coveting, they were left
where they started. They could not obtain what they coveted. All that was
left was to continue the brother–versus–brother conflict in all its unpleasant
aspects: hence, says James, you fight and war. Out of their deep
frustration, James is saying, they were turning their church into a battlefield.
But as tragic as was the selfish inward frustration of his readership, equally
bad was the fact that they had not turned to God to meet their needs: you do
not have because you do not ask.
4:3. On the other hand, when they did ask, their requests were wrongly
conceived. (The words you ask amiss are equivalent to “you ask badly,”
where “badly” translates the Greek word kakōs.) Their requests were bad
precisely because they were selfish. Whatever they were asking God for,
they intended to spend it on their pleasures. The phrase is a remarkable
one. By using the word spend (dapanēsēte) James clearly implies that the
benefits they sought from God would soon be used up. They would have no
permanent or lasting worth. Coupled with the word spend here, the word
pleasures suggests transient gratifications of the wrong kind (contrast the
more neutral use in v 1). No wonder they do not receive answers to requests
of this type!
When James writes, you do not ask, he has in mind requests which, when
answered, will meet the fundamental needs of the readers. Among other
obvious requests, they should have been asking for peace and harmony with
their brothers and an end to turmoil in the church. But when James also
writes, you ask and do not receive, he has in mind misguided and
undiscerning prayer. Prayer can result in needs met, but it cannot result in
the coddling of our selfish desires.
4:4. Exasperated as James must have been when he considered this state of
affairs (vv 1-3), it is not surprising that he breaks forth into an exclamation
that charges his readers with being adulterers and adulteresses. As in the
case of “murder” (v 2), James is probably not speaking literally. What
arouses him is the transparent infidelity to God that his readers have
exhibited by craving friendship with the world. As will become apparent
later in the chapter, some of his readers loved to boast about their business
ventures (4:13-16). In doing so they exhibited a crassly materialistic and
worldly spirit.
In fact, James has already warned the readers about the need to “keep
oneself unspotted from the world” (1:27). And this warning was
immediately followed by a rebuke to conduct in the church in which a rich
person was fawned over while a poor man was demeaned (2:1-7). What
emerges from the epistle is a portrait of Christian readers many of whom are
materialistic in outlook, cultivating connections with the wealthy while
pursuing financial success for themselves. But all of this was worldly to the
core. Did his readers not realize, James asks, that friendship with the world
is enmity with God? Did they not know that whoever…wants to be a
friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God?
Often in the NT the term world (kosmos) is used of a system or entity that
is hostile to God and is manipulated by Satan (e.g., 1 Cor 1:20-21; 2:12; Gal
6:14; 2 Pet 1:4; 1 John 2:15-17; 3:1; 5:19). Materialism, immorality, and
spiritual blindness are all components of this wicked entity and are in sharp
conflict with God’s interests and purposes on earth. James is insistent here
(as is John in 1 John 2:15-17) that one cannot be on good terms with both
God and the world. One must choose the side he is really on, and when one
opts for friendship with the world, he automatically opts for enmity with
God. He has chosen the status of an antagonist toward his Maker and
Redeemer. This is just like when a married man decides to engage in
immorality with a woman to whom he is not married. In that very decision
he chooses to reject fidelity to his wife. Thus in their craving for worldly
acceptance and standing, James’s Christian readers are committing spiritual
adultery and renouncing friendship with their Lord. It may have surprised
many of them to hear it put this way, but James’s aim is to wake them up to
the sad depth to which their spirituality and devotion had sunk.
4:5. And James also wants them to realize that God does not accept such
infidelity with indifference. Thus he reminds them that it is not in vain that
the Scripture says God’s Spirit is jealous over believers. This is surely the
meaning of this text although no single Scripture contains exactly the words
used here by James. Nevertheless the truth that God is a jealous God is well
known from Scripture (e.g., Exod 20:5; 34:14). Therefore the quotation
marks in the NKJV (NT Greek had no such indicators) could be dispensed
with, and James’s words here could be treated as a paraphrase of Biblical
truth couched in terms appropriate to the NT. On the other hand, the
absence from the Greek text of a word like hoti (“that”) after the word says
leaves the impression that James is indeed quoting. In that case, the source
of the quotation is unknown and might possibly be a Christian hymn or
prophecy. But it would still be true that the words paraphrase what Scripture
teaches and are thus quite correctly designated as something that Scripture
says.
The OT truth that God is a jealous God is here combined with the NT truth
that His “Spirit…dwells in us.” But since the Holy Spirit is God, what can
be said of God can also be said of the Spirit. If God is jealous, His Spirit is
jealous. James is affirming that God’s indwelling Spirit “yearns jealously”
over the affections of his readers. He is, therefore, grieved by their pursuit
of friendship with the world. The readers, James thinks, ought to take this
most seriously, for the Scripture does not say such a thing in vain (lightly).
In fact, the words in vain, coupled with the strong assertion about God’s
Spirit, hint at the possibility of some kind of retribution if the Spirit’s
yearning over them is ignored.
2. Wrath is cured by humility (4:6–5:6)
4:6. Although James has hinted at possible retribution for his readers’
deplorable conduct (see v 5), he chooses not to dwell on this aspect of
things. Instead, he affirms that the God whose jealousy they had aroused by
desiring friendship with the world, was nevertheless strongly inclined to be
gracious. He gives more grace affirms this emphatically. God never runs
out of grace—He never exhausts His supply—He always has more grace to
give. This is surely an appropriate conclusion for this author who had lived
under the same roof with the Lord (John 1:14).
In view of the inexhaustible availability of divine grace, James urges his
readers to position themselves to receive it. In doing this he quotes Prov
3:34 in the form in which that verse appeared in the Greek OT (Septuagint).
If his readers remain arrogantly “proud,” God will resist them. Here again
the hint of trouble is present. But the main point is that God “gives grace to
the humble.” Divine favor (grace) will therefore be available to his readers
if they recover the necessary attitude of humility. The rivalries and conflicts
that were crippling their churches (4:1-3) were manifest expressions of
pride. This spirit needed to be decisively laid aside.
4:7. What follows at this point is an unmistakable call to repentance. His
readers should begin with submission to God, that is, with a determination
to do what was right and pleasing to Him. Satan would test such resolve.
Thus they should also resist the devil (just as Jesus did in His temptation)
and they should expect victory over this enemy: he will flee from you. As
great as are the powers of seduction employed by Satan, he is not
invincible. A Christian firmly committed to God and the authority of His
Word can rely on the help of the Spirit who dwells in him and expect Satan
to end his assaults and flee when he meets this kind of resistance.
4:8. But it was not enough simply to reassert one’s commitment to
obedience and to resisting temptation. Repentance needs to have a personal
dimension in which a Christian’s fractured fellowship with God is renewed.
Therefore James enjoins his readership to draw near to God, knowing that
such action will be reciprocated: and He will draw near to you. Of course,
as the Apostle John makes clear (1 John 1:9), confession of sin is the first
step in drawing near to God again. But renewed prayer and meditation on
Scripture are also appropriate steps. God will respond to such steps, not
only with forgiveness, but with other tokens of His nearness. He is always
more eager to bridge the gap between believers and Him than they are.
Restored closeness, therefore, between God and James’s readers is precisely
what James is aiming at here. God would meet them more than halfway.
As gracious as the invitation to draw near to God is, however, it could not
be done apart from candid and painful renunciation of sin. When even
dedicated Christians get into the Lord’s presence, their wretched condition
becomes acutely painful to them (see Isa 6:1-5; Rev 1:17). James’s readers
could hardly expect to genuinely draw near to God without similar feelings.
Thus they are now exhorted to cleanse [their] hands from sin and to purify
[their] hearts from their double-minded mentality. They must put away
any evil thing their hands were doing. Also, they must renounce the split
loyalties they had, which drew them aside to worldly concerns.
4:9. If this was done with discernment and with a depth of commitment, it
would be natural for them to lament and mourn and weep. Whatever
exuberance they feel should be transformed into mourning, and whatever
delight they are experiencing must be replaced by gloom. This does not
mean, of course, that laughter and joy are wrong. On the contrary, both are
beneficial to human experience (see, e.g., Ps 126:2; Prov 17:22). However,
when an individual is dealing with personal sins in the presence of God,
laughter and joy are inappropriate, and such levity suggests a conspicuous
lack of seriousness in the repentance. But when a person’s heart is moved
by the depths of his wickedness in the sight of God, the responses enjoined
here would seem not merely natural but also compellingly spontaneous.
The sins of which the readers needed to repent (4:1-3) fully justified the
demands James makes in this verse. As in all Christian repentance, the goal
was a definitive renunciation of their grievous faults. A glib and superficial
repentance of sins makes the repetition of the same offenses much more
likely.
4:10. The objective, therefore, was a genuine humbling of themselves in
the sight of the Lord. If they did this properly, God would someday lift
[them] up. The Greek verb translated lift…up is hypsōsei and signifies
“exaltation.” If the readers would now bring themselves low by repentance,
God would someday “exalt” them. Whether this ever took place in this life
or not, God would certainly repay their “humiliation” with an “exaltation”
of His own time and choosing.
4:11. Specifically, they are not to speak evil of one another. In
congregations with the problems James has focused on (4:1-3), there could
be no cessation of conflict unless there is a cessation of critical and
condemning speech about others. The verb translated speak evil
(katalaleite) is broad enough to cover any kind of negative talk that is
harmful to the best interests of a Christian brother or sister, regardless of
whether the subject matter was true or false.
Such speech, of course, was also a negative judgment on the character or
behavior of that fellow Christian. So James charges that the person who
speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother was at the very same
moment a person who speaks evil of the law, and judges the law. Here
James is probably thinking once again of the royal law of Scripture (see
2:8) which, in Lev 19:16-18, is preceded by a warning “not to go about as a
talebearer among your people” (v 16). People who tell others about the
faults and failings of another Christian are clearly violating the command to
“love your neighbor as yourself.” But in flouting this command by their
criticisms of others, they are in effect criticizing and condemning the royal
law itself. Since all such speech is forbidden by this law, the one who
disobeys it is virtually saying, “This law is unworthy of my obedience and I
judge it to be invalid for me in this case.” No doubt James’s readers might
be surprised by this concept, but nonetheless this was true of any and all
lawbreaking. The lawbreaker was passing his own negative judgment on
whatever command he disobeyed.
Such behavior was anything but humble (see v 10). Anyone who took a
stance which, by its very nature, passed judgment on God’s law, was
placing himself above that law. But in that case, James says, you are not a
doer of the law but a judge. That is, such a person has left his proper role
of humble submission to the law and has exalted himself to the role of a
judge. The arrogance of this, however unwittingly done, is obvious.
4:12. But no mere human being could fill such a role, since there is [but]
one Lawgiver. God alone has power to save and to destroy, that is, to
preserve or take away life. The verbs used here (sōsai and apolesai) were
both used commonly in secular Greek in reference to physical life or
physical death. There is no reason to read the doctrine of eternal salvation
into them here. God is certainly the only One who determines one’s eternal
destiny, but this determination is already made: believers are already free
from final judgment and condemnation (John 3:18; 5:24). But here a
reference to this truth is not as natural as a reference to physical life or
death (as also in Jas 1:21; 2:14; 5:15, 20). The idea will then be that though
a Christian may condemn another believer verbally, God alone determines
whether to “save” them from sin’s penalty of death (1:15; 5:20) or whether
to destroy their lives as an act of chastening (cf. Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor 11:30).
James’s bottom line, then, is sharp and to the point: Who are you to judge
another? If the readers’ repentance (Jas 4:7-10) is to be real, they must be
humble enough to perceive their unworthiness to pass judgment on a fellow
Christian. Anything else was only the fruit of arrogant self-exaltation.
4:13-14. With attention-catching abruptness James denounces those who
brag about their business plans with total disregard for the transient nature
of their lives. The NKJV phrase “today or tomorrow” is read by the
majority of the Greek manuscripts of James as today and tomorrow, and
this is to be preferred. These boasters are full of self-confidence in their
long-range planning. They are going to a specific city (“such and such a
city”) and their journey will take them two days (today and tomorrow).
Their plans call for “a year” of business activity there, from which they
expect to “make a profit.” Yet, as James points out, these braggarts do not
even know what will happen tomorrow (cf. Prov 27:1). They have plotted
out a year’s program without knowing what tomorrow itself may bring.
Anything could take place tomorrow to frustrate their intentions. They may
not even be alive tomorrow, since their lives are nothing more than a vapor
that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.
4:15. In place of being so proudly confident about their plans, they ought
to recognize God’s sovereign control over their business operations and
even over their lifespan. What they ought to say, if they are truly humble, is
that their lives (“we shall live”) and their activities (“do this or that”) are
subject to God’s will. The words “if the Lord wills” would have been most
suitable on their lips, not as a mere formula, but as a genuine expression of
their dependence on God.
4:16. But instead of this humility, the readers actually boast in [their]
arrogance. This expression, however, is not altogether clear as rendered in
the NKJV. The Greek phrase kauchasthe en tais alazoneiais hymōn is
actually better handled by the KJV as “ye rejoice in your boastings.” It
could perhaps also read, “You glory in your proud pretensions.” James’s
point is that the self-confident words he has just condemned (vv 13-14) are
more than a lapse in their awareness of God’s sovereignty. Rather, such
pretentious plans are themselves a source of pride to those who announce
them. That is, they love putting these “pretensions” (alazoneiais) on display
in order to attract the admiration of other people. Viewed in that light such
boasting is evil.
How often it happens in the church that people love to lay their plans
(regarding business or anything else) before others to elicit respect,
admiration, and deference from them. Even a missionary or a preacher may
fall into the trap of setting forth his plans for serving God as a way of
obtaining honor from his fellow Christians. James’s words here are a
timeless reminder that all such boasting is evil.
4:17. So if James’s readers know the proper way to act and speak, they
should do so. For if they do not do so, their failure is itself a sin. If they
know that they should acknowledge their dependence on God’s will when
speaking about their plans, they should start at once to act on that
knowledge, since to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to
him it is sin. Sin therefore can occur not merely as a wrong act, but also as
a right act that remains undone. Accordingly, believers ought not omit from
their conversation the recognition that their lives and all their activities are
as fragile as a wisp of smoke. They must acknowledge that God alone can
enable them to do whatever they hope, or plan, to do.
5:1. In light of the materialism and favoritism James has addressed, he
now provides a solid and emphatic reminder of the transience of all human
wealth. To remind them of this he virtually dons the mantle of a prophet and
speaks in terms reminiscent of OT prophecy. (See Joel 1:5, 13; Isa 13:6;
14:31; 15:3; Jer 4:8, where James’s word for howl [ololyzontes] occurs in
the LXX, the Greek translation of these passages.) His pronouncements are
obviously no longer addressed to the Christian community alone, even
though the epistle was intended to be read by that community. Yet his words
are designed to awaken his readers by means of a crisp announcement about
the eschatological doom of all human wealth.
Looking outward at the world, then, James in prophet-like fashion
announces miseries for the rich, which ought to bring them to tears and
lamentation.
5:2-3. The sorrow appropriate to the rich is now traced to the ultimate
doom of all human wealth. As is often true in prophetic pronouncements, a
judgment yet future is presented as a fait accompli (already accomplished),
and James sees human riches as already corrupted, costly garments as
already moth-eaten, and earthly gold and silver as already corroded. But
then, he surprisingly adds, their corrosion…will eat your flesh like fire.
While James is likely referring to the eschatological judgment on human
wealth at the end of the Tribulation (cf. Zech 14:12-15), he wants the rich
brethren to recognize that whether they see the last days or not, all their
wealth will burn. Therefore they should not be materialistic or greedy, and
must refrain from showing favoritism. The accumulation of useless wealth
will stand as a witness against the rich of the world since they are so foolish
as to have heaped up treasure in the last days.
5:4. Justice will thus overtake unscrupulous wealthy men of this world.
Throughout history, and not only in James’s day, men of wealth have often
been guilty of holding back the wages of the laborers who mowed their
fields. This does not mean they did not pay them, but rather that they
fraudulently paid them less than was right. These wages are here
personified by James as accusers of the rich who cry out to God for
vengeance. Moreover, these cries are heard (and will be avenged) by the
Lord of Sabaoth, that is, by “the Lord of Hosts” (Armies). Here too the
reference to the Second Advent seems plain, since Jesus will return to
execute judgment, riding at the head of the heavenly armies (Rev 19:14).
5:5-6. In ancient times it was apparently customary for men of wealth to
hold a feast when they sheared their sheep and slaughtered some of them to
provide meat for their festive table (see 1 Sam 25:4-8; cf. Ps 44:22; Jer
12:3). The behavior of rich men, says James, has been like that. They have
lived…in pleasure and luxury fattening their own hearts as in a day of
slaughter. The metaphor is vivid. Rich men are portrayed as enjoying a
continual feast day, bloating their own hearts with the delights and
enjoyments which are theirs in abundance. (Compare the rich man of Luke
16:19, who “fared sumptuously every day.”) Tragically, however, their day
of slaughter was not confined to the killing of sheep. They also had other
victims: you have condemned, you have murdered the just [man]; he
does not resist you.
The hands of the rich, therefore, were stained with fraud (Jas 5:4) and
murder (v 6). Righteous men, who did not resist injustice, had perished in
persecutions instigated by people of wealth (see 2:6-7). The guilt of the rich
is enormous. Strikingly, James’s prophetic oracle abruptly halts on this note
of condemnation. The rhetorical impact of this sudden conclusion, however,
is effective. It is as though James is pointing to the murder of just men as
the final and climactic charge against the rich, which justifies everything he
has foreseen for them by way of ultimate catastrophe.
Hopefully, after this dramatic denunciation of human wealth and of the
wealthy, James’s readers will take a lower view of the value of material
things.
V. Epilogue: Persevere in Trials to the End (5:7-20)
A. Perseverance Will Be Properly Rewarded (5:7-11)
5:7. James’s prophetic oracle (5:1-6), though a part of the body of the
epistle, nevertheless sets the stage for his conclusion. Prophecy can be used
not only to wean his readers from worldly wealth, but also to encourage
them to hold out to the end, whatever trials they currently may be enduring.
They need therefore to be patient…until the coming of the Lord.
Troubles can often heighten one’s anticipation of Christ’s return, but if
believers view His return only in terms of their own pressing situations,
they will be tempted to be impatient instead of patient.
In the agricultural society of Palestine in James’s day, the early and latter
rain were well known (i.e., after sowing: late autumn; before harvest: early
spring). So the farmer who waited patiently for the seasonal rains that were
crucial to the production of the precious fruit of the earth could be taken
by James’s Palestinian readers as a model of patience. But since the harvest
image is deeply embedded in NT eschatology (e.g., Matt 13:39), there is
probably also a reference here to the Lord as the divine Farmer who waits
patiently for the consummation of all things.
5:8. In any case, whether one thinks of the human farmer or the divine
One, James’s readers can find grounds to also be patient and establish
their hearts, since the coming of the Lord is at hand. In affirming this
fact, however, James (like other NT writers) has been thought to be
mistaken. How, it is asked, can the coming of the Lord have been at hand in
James’s day when almost two thousand years have passed without it having
taken place? (Of course, this objection is already countered by Peter in 2 Pet
3:3-9.) There are a number of answers to this objection which arises from
unbelief, but the one that is most suitable in this context is this: the coming
of the Lord is always at hand (ēngike, “has drawn near”) precisely because
believers are not separated from it by any known event at all (see next
verse). Throughout the entirety of more than twenty centuries it has always
had this character so that a believer could well say, “It may be today.”
Anything that must happen, and could happen today, is in a very legitimate
sense at hand. Thus the readers can use this knowledge as a means of
settling down and holding out, that is, they can establish their hearts.
5:9. If their hearts are indeed established in this expectation, the readers
will not grumble against one another. The word grumble translates a word
(stenazete) which signifies “to groan” or “to sigh.” In view of the wars and
fights that James had earlier reproved (4:1-3), this verb sounds relatively
mild by comparison. James graciously assumes that his call to repentance
(4:7-12) will be heeded, and that the churches will enjoy greater internal
harmony and peace. However, realism called for him to caution against
even the most subdued complaints of Christians against one another. Even if
it was only a “groan” or a “sigh,” they should avoid it, since the Lord’s
coming could take place at any time.
This sense of the imminency of the Savior’s return is captured in the
striking metaphor, Behold, the Judge is standing at the door! The readers
are thereby likened to a group of litigants, or defendants, standing within a
courtroom. Total silence is required out of respect for the judge who is just
outside the courtroom door and about to step inside to take his place on the
judgment seat. Like a Roman lictor announcing a judge’s impending entry,
as it were, James cries “Quiet!” His Christian readers must fully silence
their complaints against each other in the realization that their Lord and
Judge can at any moment appear and sit down on the Bēma (Judgment Seat)
in order to assess their lives (cf. 2:12-13; see also Rom 14:10-12; 2 Cor
5:10). They must therefore be careful that He does not find them nurturing a
complaining spirit against their fellow believers (cf. Rom 14:12-13a).
5:10. Do the readers need any additional reasons for patiently holding out
to the end? If so, they can take the prophets, who spoke in the name of
the Lord as their models. James makes a smooth transition from an
admonition based on prophecy (the Rapture, vv 7-9) to an admonition based
on the prophets themselves. Servants of the Lord like Daniel and Jeremiah,
knew something about suffering and patience.
The word translated suffering (kakopatheias) carries overtones of
endurance under hardship or suffering. Thus it differs somewhat from
patience (makrothymias), which signifies control of one’s temper or
emotions, that is, having what is popularly called a “long (makro-) fuse.”
The readers have been told to “be patient (makrothumēsate)…until the
coming of the Lord” (vv 7-8) and to control their temper toward each other
(v 9). The prophets of old exhibited this trait of self-control while they bore
up under many serious trials.
5:11. But despite their sufferings, James is saying, believers look back at
the prophets with admiration and respect for their endurance. Indeed, they
take the same attitude toward all who bear up well under testing: we count
them blessed who endure. The readers could certainly say this about Job,
for example, whose perseverance (hypomonē, “endurance”) under trial was
justly celebrated among those who honored the OT. The readers had also
seen (in the well-known biblical story) the end intended by the Lord. The
reference in the word end is clearly to the conclusion of the Book of Job,
where it is stated that “the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his
beginning” (Job 42:12). Since Job ended his days with much more than he
started with, the readers could see for themselves that the Lord is very
compassionate and merciful.
The implication of this, surely, is that the readers may expect to be
“compensated” for whatever they endured (or lost) under the trials God sent
their way—provided, of course, that they acquitted themselves well as did
Job and the prophets. But the general language James uses simply states
that God is truly compassionate and merciful toward those who endure
well. The readers would have no grounds for saying that their compensation
must be made in material terms, as was Job’s. Rather, the spiritual benefits
of trials are likely to be uppermost in James’s mind (cf. 1:1-12). However,
in a context that so strongly points toward the coming of the Judge (vv 7-
10), it is natural to think that James also has in mind the rewards that will be
dispensed at the Judgment Seat of Christ (see 1 Cor 3:14; 2 Cor 5:10).
Suffice it to say, James believed strongly that endurance under trial would
be amply rewarded by a compassionate and merciful Lord.
B. Perseverance Can Be Undergirded by Prayer (5:12-20)
The content of 5:7-11 is tightly knit by James into a broad, general call to
endure patiently until the Lord returns. Now in the concluding segment of
his epistle James gives some specific practical advice related to the readers’
need to endure. As was true with the three admonitions of 1:19, so it is here.
5:12. First, he wants them to avoid oaths. Above all (pro pantōn) is for
emphasis, not to elevate this command above every other. It is precisely
when people are under stress (trials) that they are inclined to use language
that is inappropriate, like swearing an oath. Oaths taken to establish one’s
veracity in communication with others implies that one’s normal
affirmations are inadequate. The readers therefore should abstain from this
kind of oath-taking. They should not swear, either by heaven or by earth
or with any other oath, as also the Lord Himself had taught (Matt 5:34).
Instead, they should be people of their word, whose simple affirmations and
denials, “Yes” and “No,” were sufficient, requiring no further validation
such as an oath might appear to give.
 The NKJV at this point renders a Greek text that means lest you fall into
(lit., “under”) judgment (hypo krisin). But it is very likely that the few old
manuscripts that contain this text reflect an ancient scribal error in which
the tiny Greek word eis (“into”) has dropped out. This would leave only
hypokrisin (hypocrisy) which editors now divide into hypo krisin (“under
judgment”). A sizable majority of the Greek manuscripts of James include
eis so that the text should read, “lest you fall into hypocrisy” (eis
hypokrisin).
The oath-taker falls too easily into hypocrisy since it gives him the
opportunity to tell lies under cover of a solemn claim to truthfulness. Peter
had fallen into precisely this kind of hypocrisy in his denials of the Lord.
James’s wisdom amounts to this: a believer should never need to use an
oath to prove that “this time I really mean it!” Instead he should always
“really mean it.” In this way he can avoid the trap of oath-taking, which
easily allows him to plunge into hypocritical communication.
5:13. Calmness and appropriate behavior, even under stress, are what
James is really seeking here. A rash oath is a poor response to any situation.
But suppose someone is really suffering? In that case prayer is in order.
And what if someone is cheerful? In that case praise is in order. The word
rendered let him sing psalms (psalletō) probably has the more general
sense, “let him sing praise,” although it is likely enough that in the early
church such songs were often built on the psalms of the OT Scripture.
5:14-15. In a more specific sense what if the suffering person (mentioned
in v 13) is experiencing sickness? Prayer is certainly in order (v 13), but in
this case a special kind of prayer is accessible to the sick person. The sick
person could call for the elders of the church. These men would then
come and, after anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, they
would pray over him. (The Greek grammar is most naturally understood as
implying that the anointing precedes the prayer.) Where God granted any,
or all, of these men to pray a prayer of faith, that prayer would save the
sick person from dying and the Lord would raise him up.
There is nothing here at all about a gift of healing possessed by any of the
elders. Rather, these church leaders function simply as intercessors on
behalf of the one who is sick. Neither does James say that recovery always
occurs. It might be, in any given case, that the elders would not be at all
sure whether recovery would be for the best. The more Biblically based and
perceptive the elders of a church are, the more readily they will be able to
evaluate the specific situation in a spiritual way and to pray accordingly.
Since this anointing was to be done in the name of the Lord, at the very
least we might take it to signify dependence on God’s sovereignty over the
healing process. It was the sovereign Lord who alone could raise the sick
person up. This agrees with the fact that much of the anointing with oil that
occurs in the OT points to God’s sovereignty in choosing a person for some
role (whether as prophet, priest, or king).
There is the possibility, however, that the anointing James refers to was a
popular medicinal practice of the day (cf. Mark 6:13; Luke 10:34).
Anointing with oil was a household remedy for those who were sick or ill.
If this is what James is referring to, the elders pray over the one who is sick
after administering medicine to him.
James then observes that in cases where sin has occurred, forgiveness as
well as healing can take place. But it is precisely the words if he has
committed sins that serve as a necessary caution. Not all sickness is the
result of sin (as some teach), but some of it is (cf. 1 Cor 11:30). The fact
that someone calls for the church elders suggests that he or she is prepared
to deal with any underlying sin that may have been committed. Obviously,
the elders should make appropriate inquiries about this, unless the situation
is so clear as to render inquiry unnecessary. This makes it even more plain
that it may not be prudent for these church leaders to initiate the procedure
James describes. If the sick person himself has not called them, it may well
be because he has sin in his life which he is not ready to confront.
5:16. However, all of James’s readers should be prepared for that open and
honest confession of sin which was a necessary prelude to healing (that you
may be healed). But the command to confess your trespasses to one
another is still based within James’s discussion of sickness and should not
be stretched into a general admonition. There is no biblical command to
publicly confess all our known sins. Confession to God is necessary in
regard to any sin one is aware of, and should be made in conformity with
1 John 1:9. But only here in Scripture is there a command to make
confession to one another and this lies fully within the parameters of the
need for prayer by the elders and fellow Christians (pray for one another)
that God will make the sick person well.
 It seems apparent that James was not thinking in vv 14-15 of instantaneous
healing after the elders have prayed. Rather, he is thinking of collective
prayer, both by the elders and the congregation, and he is thinking of
ultimate, rather than immediate, recovery. But if the sick person has reason
to believe that God’s hand of discipline is on him, he should be prepared to
acknowledge his failures openly so as to clear the path for effective prayer.
Prayer can work wonders! Not, however, if it comes from an unrighteous
heart, or if it is shallow, glib, and superficial. Rather, it avails much when it
is an effective, fervent prayer expressed by a righteous man. The words
effective, fervent both translate a single Greek verb form (energoumenē)
which is difficult to render precisely in English. The familiar English words
used by the NKJV are on target, but since the verb “energize” is from the
Greek verb in question, James’s statement might be paraphrased as “a
spiritually energetic prayer” or “a prayer energized by God.” The point is
that such prayer is more deeply at work than prayers that are verbalized in a
casual or perfunctory state of mind. James is speaking of prayer that is
Spirit-wrought and that comes from the heart and soul. Such prayer can be
offered only by a righteous man, so that James implies that if the sick man
will indeed turn from any sins he has committed, he could even pray
effectively for himself. In fact, this is precisely what righteous King
Hezekiah did in a time of near-fatal illness (2 Kgs 20:2-6), though his
sickness was not related to sin so far as is known.
5:17. As a classic illustration of “the effectual, fervent prayer of a
righteous man,” James now recalls Elijah, [who] was a man with a nature
like ours. If his readers were tempted to think that Elijah was a kind of
spiritual superman whose prayer life could never be reproduced, they were
wrong. Elijah was as human as anyone, yet his prayer shut up the heavens
for three years and six months. In saying that Elijah…prayed earnestly,
James uses a phrase that had its roots in a Hebrew idiom. The Greek words
(proseuchē prosēuchato) mean literally “he prayed with prayer,” but they
might be paraphrased “he really prayed.” The reference, as the NKJV
suggests, is to the previously mentioned concept of an “effectual, fervent
prayer” (v 16). James’s expression here is a way of saying that it was
precisely such a prayer that Elijah prayed. Its results spoke for themselves.
5:18. Nor was this a totally isolated experience of prayer for this righteous
man. Rather, he prayed again and his prayer affected both heaven, which
gave rain, and earth, which produced its fruit. So James is suggesting
that his Christian readers, likewise, can accomplish much (see avails much
in v 16) if they are righteous people who pray earnestly.
James has passed beyond the subject of sickness, which had launched his
discussion of prayer (v 16). The healing of physical ailments was only one
of the possible results of effectual prayer. As everyone who remembered the
story of Elijah knew, the prayers of this prophet were instruments God used
in connection with His call for repentance by His people Israel (1 Kings
18). The prayer that shut up heaven placed Israel under God’s discipline,
while the prayer that opened it again brought God’s blessing. But this was
only after the nation had repented and turned from the worship of Baal.
Thus Elijah had turned a whole nation from the error of its way (v 20).
Similar opportunities awaited the prayers James’s readers could pray as
well.
5:19. This truth is now made clear in the closing statement of the epistle
(vv 19-20). This statement definitely must not be read in isolation from the
previous discussion about prayer. James has already disclosed the fact that
there could be sick people among the churches he is addressing who were
guilty of sin, and that their need could be met through prayer. But there
could also be others who might go spiritually astray, who might not be
physically sick at all. James clearly accepts the fact that this need exists,
and that sin, unfortunately, is a fact of Christian life. So, he suggests, if
anyone among you wanders from the truth, any of his readers could
become the person who turns him back, as Elijah did for Israel. It need
hardly be stated by James that this could not be done without prayer. Elijah
was the obvious model for such restorative endeavors.
5:20. And these endeavors were well worthwhile. In fact, anyone who
turns a sinner from the error of his way (hodou, “road”) is in reality
turning him aside from a sinful path that can lead him to his physical death
(see 1:15). Thus a Christian’s efforts for the restoration of his brother to the
pathway of obedience are life-saving in scope. If successful, he will save a
soul (psychē, “life,” “person”) from death. But he will do more than that,
since a restored sinner receives the gracious forgiveness of God. Thus the
many sins created and multiplied by a man who turns away from God are
all removed from view when that man turns back to God. The word
rendered cover here (kalypsei) means “conceal.” The restored sinner’s
multitude of sins are now out of sight through the pardon he has received.
And the loving brother who turns him back is credited not only with the
preservation of his fellow Christian’s life, but also with making him clean,
as if his efforts have removed from view all the unsightly moral
disfigurements which sin creates, (though, of course, only the Lord actually
cleanses anyone). Thanks to such personal involvement, the formerly erring
Christian is both physically alive and spiritually clean.
And here the epistle ends. But in no sense is this ending flat or
anticlimactic. On the contrary, in his impressive conclusion (5:7-20), James
has carried his readers all the way from a state of grumbling against each
other (v 9), to a loving mutual concern for one another’s physical needs (see
v 16), to the highest point of all: concern about a brother’s sin (vv 19-20).
When believers have reached this plateau, they have indeed surmounted
their self-centered concern for their own trials and testings. They now have
their eyes focused on the spiritual needs of their brothers and sisters, their
hearts are lifted in prayer for them, and their hands are outstretched to draw
them back onto the right road.
 1 Peter
GARY DERICKSON
Introduction
Author
This epistle claims to be written by the Apostle Peter (1:1), who witnessed
Christ’s sufferings (5:1). The unanimous witness of the church fathers
confirms this. Peter’s epistle is extensively quoted or alluded to by Clement
of Rome (c. AD 30–100), Polycarp (c. AD 70–155), and Irenaeus (c. AD
130–202), as well as the church leaders who followed them. Eusebius (c.
AD 260–339), representative of the next generation of church leaders,
identified the epistle as one of the books of the Bible accepted by the early
church.
The authorship of 1 Peter remained uncontested in the church until the
advent of higher criticism in the nineteenth century. Critical scholars
concluded, based on the religious leaders’ contention that Peter was
“uneducated and untrained,” that he could not have written with the skill
evidenced in this epistle. Its vocabulary, grammar, literary devices, and
rhetorical style reflect a level comparable to the apostle Paul, who was a
highly educated Rabbi before his conversion. Peter, on the other hand, was
a simple fisherman. But “uneducated” by the standards of the Sanhedrin
does not mean ignorant, illiterate, or unthinking. Peter’s sermons, recorded
in Acts, reveal a capable speaker and thinker. Peter knew the Scriptures and
communicated his ideas powerfully. Galilee, where he grew up and
conducted business, was a multilingual region where Greek was used as
commonly as Aramaic. Also, though he was the Apostle to the circumcised
(Gal 2:7-8), he ministered to Christians converted out of Hellenistic
Judaism whose primary language was Greek. His travels would have
included extensive exposure to and ministry among Greek-speaking
Christians that would have enabled him to develop his knowledge and skill
in the language. Thus arguments from supposed lack of ability are
speculative at best and should not be given more weight than the claims of
the author himself or the testimony of the church fathers.
 Date and Place of Origin
Peter wrote this epistle from “Babylon” (5:13), most likely under Nero
around AD 60–64. The two likely locations for “Babylon” are Jerusalem
and Rome. Since Silas (Silvanus), who was normally one of Paul’s
companions, helped Peter write the epistle (5:12), Rome is the more likely
location and the early 60s the best time for writing since that was when Paul
was imprisoned there. By this time the church would have been well
established throughout the regions named in Peter’s introduction. It is
known that Peter was in Rome during the ten years before his death (c. AD
67).
Audience
Peter wrote to the churches within the regions making up the northern half
of Asia Minor (the modern-day Turkish peninsula). The reference to his
readers as “pilgrims of the Dispersion” in 1:1 indicates at least a strongly
Jewish composition in the churches, although the congregations probably
included some Gentile converts as well.
Though Paul had evangelized much of the Turkish peninsula, he had not
visited the regions named in this epistle. These churches were either planted
by Jewish converts returning home after the Day of Pentecost or by Peter on
a missionary journey of his own. Residents of these regions (“Parthians and
Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia”) were at the feast and heard the preaching of the apostles
(Acts 2:9). Acts 11:19-20 indicates that following Stephen’s martyrdom, the
Jewish believers who fled Jerusalem began witnessing to only Jews. The
one exception was the believers in Antioch who preached also to the
“Hellenists,” which refers either to Greeks or to Hellenistic Jews. But this
was the exception, not the rule. The possibility of Peter planting these
churches is indicated by Paul’s statements in Rom 15:20 and 1 Cor 9:5.
First, Paul’s statement that he did not want to build on another’s work may
explain why he never ventured into these regions. Second, his statement
that the other apostles took along believing wives when they traveled would
have applied to Peter and others.
Galatians 2:7 records the believers’ recognition of Paul and Peter’s
separate spheres of responsibility. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles (the
“uncircumcised”) while Peter was the apostle to the Jews (the
“circumcised”).
Peter’s contrast of his readers with the Gentiles in 1 Peter 2:11-12, where
he again calls his readers “sojourners and pilgrims,” need not mean that
they were Jewish believers, though it strongly suggests it. Though 4:3-4 is
seen by some to indicate a Gentile audience, Hellenistic Jews were known
to have adopted some Gentile lifestyles, including some of their many
vices. So, as the apostle to the Jews he wrote to churches composed mainly
of Jewish converts in regions where Paul had not ministered and established
churches.
Occasion and Purpose
Though the purpose of this epistle is not stated, it seems, based on the
subjects Peter discusses, that it is a pastoral letter written to encourage
Jewish Christians who are facing persecution and trials. This is in part
because they are not identified with their community, though some of the
issues discussed involve family life. No apparent problem of divisions or
heresies is evident. More than likely, especially in light of Peter’s words in
2 Pet 1:12-15, he may have written because those churches were considered
under his watch and care and not Paul’s. This being the case, Peter wrote to
encourage faith and endurance in the face of persecution within a pagan
culture.
Distinctive
Peter’s motivation for action differs from both Paul and John. All three call
for a life of faith in Christ in obedience to His commands. But the basis of
motivation differs among the three. Paul bases much (though not all) of his
application on justification realities, or positional truths. He calls people to
action based on what God has done. John calls for action on the basis of
sanctification realities, and what God is doing in them. Peter bases his
motivation on glorification realities, and what God has promised to do. This
needs to be understood so that Peter’s discussion of salvation will not be
reduced to a description of justification. He speaks to believers, and only
occasionally does he refer to their justification when discussing their
salvation. He more often points them to glorification realities.
 OUTLINE
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
II. The Christian’s Response to Suffering (1:3–2:10)
III. The Christian’s Response to Unjust Suffering (2:11–3:12)
IV. The Christian’s Response to Suffering for Righteousness (3:13–5:11)
V. Greetings and Benediction (5:12-14)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
1:1. Peter identifies himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ and his readers
as Jewish Christians, calling them pilgrims of the Dispersion. His
designation as an apostle identifies both Peter’s office and authority to
address this diverse group of believers, though he likely had not visited
their individual churches. The term for pilgrims (parepidēmois) means a
sojourner, foreigner, or temporary resident. Dispersion (diasporas) is a
technical term for Jews living in Gentile countries (i.e., outside of Judea and
Galilee).
1:2. In Greek the word elect is in v1, immediately preceeding and
modifying “pilgrims of the dispersion.” The readers were chosen to be
pilgrims and hence to share in Christ’s sufferings. The purpose of the
Spirit’s sanctification is the believer’s obedience. Though good works do
not produce or prove salvation, they are the goal of the Spirit’s ministry in
the life of the child of God.
The sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ looks at the atoning work of
Christ on the Cross that cleanses us. In the OT blood was sprinkled at the
cleansing of the temple, the inauguration of the Law, the ordination of
Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, the cleansing of lepers, and on the
Day of Atonement. Each of these cleansings affected the believing
Israelite’s fellowship with God. Their purpose was not to justify, but to
sanctify by restoring fellowship broken by sin. In the same way Jesus’
blood cleanses (present tense) us and enables us to be in fellowship with
God (1 John 1:7, 9).
II. The Christian’s Response to Suffering (1:3–2:10)
 A. The Heavenly Inheritance (1:3-12)
1. Reward Reserved in heaven (1:3-5)
1:3. God has begotten us again (anagennēsas). Peter is here emphasizing
the new birth with an aorist participle. Through this he identifies his readers
as children of God, born spiritually into the family of God (John 3:3).
Biblical hope is a positive attitude based on a desired expectation and
includes certainty (Rom 5:5; 8:24-25). The adjective living means the hope
is active, affecting the Christian. Because Jesus rose from the dead,
Christians have hope (1 Cor 15:30-32).
1:4. While v 3 focuses on regeneration, this verse focuses on glorification.
This inheritance already belongs to believers by spiritual birthright. It is a
place (John 14:2-3) described with three adjectives. Incorruptible
describes its permanence rather than moral nature. It cannot perish, be lost,
or break down over time. Undefiled means that their inheritance is
unstained by sin. And unlike flowers, it does not fade away in that it does
not lose its beauty or desirability.
Reserved translates (tetērēmenēn), a perfect passive participle, which
means that it is already in place and being guarded, or watched over, by
God. The possession of the believer from the point of regeneration into
eternity is in heaven, to which may be added additional rewards based on
one’s deeds (1 Cor 3:10-15).
1:5. Kept is a military term describing the protection soldiers of a military
garrison give to a city. It is used of God’s peace guarding our hearts and
minds (Phil 4:7). The present tense indicates God’s continuous preservation
and the passive voice shows that it is not something believers do for
themselves.
The phrase through faith might seem to indicate that God’s preservation
of His saints depends on the constancy of their faith. But since it is God
who guards them, it cannot be that their faith keeps them saved; it is by
God’s faithfulness. This salvation is eschatological, not temporal salvation
in this life, with the last time referring to the believer’s future destiny in
heaven.
2. Rejoicing in trials (1:6-9)
 1.6. When Peter tells his readers you greatly rejoice, he is describing an
active response of thankfulness toward God. For a little while focuses our
attention on the brevity of the trial in light of eternity.
Suffering trials is not without purpose. Peter adds if need be to his
description of their circumstances. This first-class conditional clause
assumes that the “if” clause is true and so it affirms that trials are a
necessary part of his readers’ experience.
The term translated various trials (peirasmoi) is broader than persecutions
(diōgmoi) or tribulations (thlipseis). The latter two terms are used
throughout the NT to describe antagonistic actions against Christians. The
word Peter uses here includes sickness, accidents, war, or any other
negative experience, along with persecutions and tribulations.
1:7. Genuineness (dokimion) expresses approval after evaluation or
testing to see if something is what it claims to be, if it measures up to a
standard. Here the faith of the one experiencing trials is evaluated. Are they
really trusting God?
In comparing faith to gold that perishes, Peter is affirming that it is of
greater value to God (and so should be to believers) than anything in this
temporal world. Tested by fire reflects the purification process of gold that
proves its identity and improves its quality by removing impurities.
This praise is the commendation, the “well done,” given by God to the
saint for his or her faith (Matt 25:14-30). Honor describes the high
distinction or recognition given to the faithful (Luke 12:8-9; Rev 3:5).
Believers are promised that they will share Jesus’ glory at His second
coming, or revelation (Col 3:4; 1 Pet 5:1-4; Rev 3:21).
1:8. The readers are not eyewitnesses of Jesus’ ministry or resurrection.
And though they still do not see (present participle) Him, their faith leads to
rejoicing in the midst of trials. This is the very faith commended by Jesus
when He appeared to Thomas. It is commendable to believe in Him without
seeing Him (John 20:29). This use of glory emphasizes the greatness
(height) of the emotional response of the believer. It is genuinely expressed
joy. This happens only when one’s faith is focused on Christ.
1:9. Peter speaks here of receiving. The idea is that his readers are in the
process of “obtaining for themselves” a rich eternal future with God. The
salvation of your souls does not refer to obtaining eternal life, which is
already possessed (v 4); it refers instead to the rewards of a future abundant
life for those found faithful (Revelation 2–3).
3. Prophesies of this future salvation (1:10-12)
1:10. The salvation of v 9 was of interest to the OT prophets. This
indicates that this salvation did not refer to eternal life, for OT saints
received eternal life in the same way Church-Age believers do, by believing
in Christ for it. The use of inquired and searched together expresses the
intensity of their effort and desire to understand fully what they prophesied.
They were asking these questions after they prophesied. They received the
revelation from God and then wondered about its significance.
1:11. This verse clarifies that the prophets were not questioning the
meaning of their prophecies. They understood that they spoke of the
sufferings and glories that Jesus would experience. It was the details
(what) of the prophecies and their timing (what manner of time) that they
wondered about. Psalm 22; Isa 53:1-12; and Dan 7:13-14 are examples of
such prophecies.
1:12. The prophets did not understand everything they were saying, but
they did understand that they were speaking prophetically and that a later
generation would benefit. Why? Because God had revealed that truth to
them.
In contrast to the prophets’ forward-looking prophecies are the backward-
looking reports of the Gospel witnesses. They have reported the very
details about which the prophets had wondered. The Spirit of Christ spoke
through the prophets then, and the same Holy Spirit speaks through the
gospel preachers now.
B. The New Birth Manifested (1:13-25)
1. Hope and holiness (1:13-21)
1:13. This paragraph is an application of the truths presented in the
preceding verses. Those who understand their spiritual destiny will respond
a certain way. To gird one’s loins meant tucking the bottom half of a
person’s robe into a belt so that it would not interfere with his movements.
This was how men prepared for battle, work, or rapid travel. The mind here
is more than intellect. It includes attitudes and motives. It is a mindset. A
sober response entails rational and clear thinking that leads to sound
judgment rather than panic or flippancy.
The Christian’s hope rests on the expectation of receiving grace from
Jesus when He returns. This grace involves our glorious acceptance before
God on the basis of Jesus’ accomplished work on our behalf, which assures
our destiny.
1:14. The subordinate clauses in this verse explain how to have the holy
conduct commanded in v 15. First, believers must recognize their standing
in God’s family as His obedient children. The descriptive adjective
obedient is related to the verb “to hear” and describes one who “hears and
obeys.” Second, as Paul commands us not to be conformed to this world
(Rom 12:2), Peter makes it a condition for holiness. The middle form of the
participle, conforming, indicates it is something the Christian either does or
allows to be done to them by the world. Peter is saying that it is impossible
to be holy while conforming to one’s former way of life.
1:15. The strong adversative but contrasts their former lusts with God who
is holy. Peter moves from the imagery of birth (children) to calling, and
alludes to Israel’s calling out of Egypt. In the past tense the word called
shows that Peter’s readers are already redeemed children of God. It focuses
their attention on God’s character. Our holy conduct is to correspond to
God’s holy character.
1:16. “Be holy for I am holy” is a quotation from Lev 19:2 or 20:7 (they
are identical). Both times God said this in the context of giving instructions
for holy living by the people He had called and redeemed from Egypt.
Peter’s point is that God continues to make the same demand of those He
calls and redeems today.
1:17. This paragraph continues the thoughts introduced in the previous
paragraph. The conditional clause that begins it assumes the truth of the “if”
portion. The “then” portion forms the command. Peter is telling us that
everyone who calls on God is expected to conduct life in reverent fear.
The security of the believer’s relationship is expressed through the term
Father. The readers have already been told that they have a glorious
inheritance (vv 4-5). Jesus taught that the Father had given all judgment to
Him, including both believers and unbelievers (John 5:22; 1 Cor 3:10-15;
2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:11-15). And Jesus said that He would judge all men on
the basis of their deeds (Rev 22:12). So, what could Peter mean by God
judging the believer’s work? He is describing our heavenly Father’s
discipline of His children. As God disciplined Israel in the wilderness when
they sinned, He disciplines His children today (Heb 12:3-11).
This fear is the kind the priests and people were to have because He
disciplined them with corporal physical punishment when they sinned or
violated His Law (Leviticus 10, Numbers 16). However, the period of such
fearful living is limited to the time of our stay on earth. We will not fear
God’s discipline in heaven.
1:18. The reason for a lifestyle of reverent fear is given in the next two
verses. Redeemed speaks directly of justification. It normally alludes to
God’s redemption of Israel from Egypt by His defeat of Pharaoh. But since
the comparison is made between Jesus’ blood and money, here it likely
refers to the practice of buying a slave’s freedom.
The corruptible things listed are subject to decay, as opposed to the
incorruptible inheritance (heaven) of v 4. As we understand what it cost
God to redeem us, we can realize more deeply the intensity of His interest
in how we lead our lives.
1:19. The value of Jesus’ death is described in the strong contrast (but)
between silver or gold and precious blood. Jesus’ work on our behalf is
illustrated with the simile of a sacrificial lamb, an allusion to the OT
sacrificial system (Lev 23:12; Num 6:14; 28:3). The two phrases without
blemish and without spot reflect the requirement of a perfect and
undefiled sacrifice.
1:20. The words foreordained before the foundation of the world means
Jesus’ work on the Cross was planned before creation. Some have taken this
to mean that there was some special “covenant” between God the Father
and Jesus the Son to redeem the world. This is one of three “covenants”
within covenant theology, none of which are Biblical.
These last times reflects the Jewish concept of history in two phases, the
present age and the age to come. Peter is using language that indicates that
the present age is ending and the messianic age is about to begin. We
continue to live in the “last days” as we await the coming of the messianic
kingdom with Jesus’ return.
1:21. Faith in God is through Jesus, as God’s manifested provision for sin.
There is no other avenue of salvation (John 5:23; 14:6; 1 John 2:23),
whether for those coming to God or those continuing with Him. The
grammatical construction of the words so that your faith and hope are in
God (hōste followed by the infinitive of eimi) expresses result rather than
purpose. The Father’s resurrection and glorification of Jesus results in faith
and hope being in God as people believe through Jesus. Faith and hope are
directed toward, or focused on God.
Why does Peter emphasize this? One is saved only by faith in Christ. Yet
the desire to live a godly life springs from a real hope in God—that He will
keep His promise to ultimately save and reward them.
2. Love for the brethren (1:22-25)
1:22. In Greek these four verses are one long sentence followed by a short
one. The imperative of this sentence is to love one another. But first he
begins with the reason believers are able to love each other.
The phrase have purified your souls expresses a perfect active participle
that emphasizes the work already completed by the believer. This action of
purifying precedes the action of love. What Peter means by purified is
explained by the three prepositional phrases that follow.
The object of their obedience is the truth. Peter is describing obedience
associated with sanctification, not obedience leading to justification. It is
commitment to a code of conduct given by God. This can be achieved only
through the Spirit’s aid. In addition, to love one another fervently, with
no false motives corrupting one’s intentions, can be accomplished only by
believers with a pure heart.
1:23. A second reason believers should love one another is our new birth.
This is one of the few places where the precise expression born again
occurs in the Bible. It looks back at Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus.
Jesus’ followers are to love because they are regenerate.
Corruptible versus incorruptible seed contrasts physical and spiritual
births. This is additional evidence that a believer cannot lose his salvation.
The new birth produces an incorruptible seed because God keeps His word.
The words lives and abides suggest that God’s promises remain in effect.
1:24. This quotation from Isa 40:6-8 is a contrast between the faithfulness
of God and transitoriness of men. Isaiah uses a pair of similes to say that,
compared to the eternal God, men are just as transitory as “grass” and its
“flower.”
 1:25. The word but emphasizes the contrast between man’s inability to
keep any promise forever and God’s eternal ability to keep His word.
Confidence in one’s spiritual birth (regeneration) is based on the
truthfulness of God in keeping His promises, called “the word of the Lord
which endures forever.”
The eternally enduring word is the message preached to Peter’s readers in
the content of the gospel. This shows how important it is to preach a clear
gospel. Works are not the means of assurance of salvation (“fruit proves
life”). If they were, then believers must look to themselves for their hope
rather than to the trustworthiness of God in keeping His promises.
C. God’s Calling Should Motivate Christians (2:1-10)
1. Desire the pure milk (2:1-3)
2:1. The word therefore tells that Peter is drawing another conclusion on
the basis of the truth he has just taught. What follows is an application of
the truth that the new birth is by incorruptible seed.
This verse is a long clause, subordinate to the command contained in v 2,
to desire God’s word. Laying aside (apotithēmi) translates a strong term for
dispensing with something undesired. Using the aorist participle, Peter is
affirming it as a condition that must be met in order to desire God’s Word.
Peter provides a “vice list” to describe things that are opposed to the truth.
Malice is a general word for wickedness or evil, implying a malevolent
attitude toward others. Deceit has the sense of cunning and treachery,
deceiving with a selfish purpose. Hypocrisy includes the idea of pretense.
Envy (phthonous) is a negative word that expresses hateful attitudes toward
someone. This differs from the Greek word for jealousy (zelos) that is often
translated as “zeal.” Evil speaking is slanderous speech that denigrates
another, not vulgarity or cursing. So what is Peter saying? Salvation should
change how a person thinks and acts toward others.
2:2. Peter completes the prerequisites to desiring God’s Word with a simile
of a newborn. Why? Because newborns desperately desire their mother’s
milk! Believers are to desire God’s word with that same intensity. The
adjective used for pure (adolon) is opposite to deceit (dolon) in v 1.
Craving God’s Word has a purpose: that you may grow thereby. The
motive for studying God’s Word is not simply to know more of it, but to
live more of it and thereby mature in one’s walk with God.
 2:3. If…you have tasted is a first-class conditional clause that assumes
the truth of what is said. Peter is affirming that they have desired, and so
should be growing. The NKJV includes the English word indeed to
emphasize the certainty of this reality. Peter’s use of tasted in the past tense
assumes his readers are regenerate (Ps 34:8).
2. The new spiritual house (2:4-8)
2:4. Peter changes his imagery from milk to Solomon’s temple. During the
construction of that temple a large stone was initially rejected and cast
aside. Initially judged to be useless and discarded, it became extremely
valuable when it was found to be perfect as the temple’s cornerstone.
Peter’s use of coming to Him (present participle) may communicate a
double sense. First, when a person comes to Christ, he is added into the
spiritual temple as living stones (v 5). Second, as they continue to come to
Christ, they continue to be “built up” in that spiritual house. This second
sense is reflected in their status as living
stones that come to the living (life-giving) stone, Jesus.
Though the world rejects Jesus, in the sense of deeming Him useless,
believers agree with God who has chosen Him, considering Him precious.
2:5. Jesus is the chief cornerstone, and Christians are the other stones in
the living temple of God, His spiritual house (1 Cor 3:16-17; 6:18-19).
When Solomon consecrated the first temple, he asked God to dwell with
His people, Israel. God now dwells within His people, the Church.
Believers are also a holy priesthood that offers spiritual sacrifices (Heb
13:15-16) to God through their high priest, Jesus Christ (Hebrews 5-8),
who is the only way, even for believers (John 14:6).
2:6. This quotation from the Greek translation (Septuagint) of Isa 28:16
points men to the Messiah as the promised one they are to believe in as God
judges Judah. Peter identifies Jesus as that “cornerstone,” the focus of
faith, both then and in the present.
The prophecy promised to Judah then, and which Peter now affirms, is that
everyone “who believes on Jesus will by no means be put to shame.” The
absolute certainty of this promise is communicated with a double negative
construction in the Greek (ou me) and translated by no means.
2:7. The promise in Isaiah is explained by Peter’s quotation of Ps 118:22.
His readers (you who believe) find Jesus precious as the chief cornerstone
of the spiritual temple and service they participate in. Unbelievers, who are
disobedient to the gospel, are identified with those who “rejected” the
original stone that prophetically pictures Christ.
2:8. Israel stumbled over Jesus because they were disobedient to the Word.
This relates to the original command to long for the pure milk of the Word.
If believers do not desire God’s Word more than anything else, they will
ultimately disobey it and likewise “stumble” over Jesus.
Peter’s choice of the verb apeitheō, translated as being disobedient,
includes the idea of a willful refusal to believe. This involves a conscious
rejection of God’s Word.
God’s hand in judging the rebellious is seen in that He has appointed them
to stumble. Here the stumbling does not refer to failing to believe, but to
experiencing the consequences of their choice to disbelieve. This is not
describing election (double predestination), but temporal judgment on those
who rejected Christ as the chief cornerstone and so disobeyed the word.
3. The contrast with disobedient Israel (2:9-10)
2:9. This short paragraph begins by contrasting Peter’s readers (but you)
with the disobedient nation of Israel. His readers are not disobedient to the
Word like those who stumble over Christ. Also, though the disobedient were
“appointed” to their stumbling, that is, to their temporal judgment, His
readers are appointed by God to a better experience. Peter describes their
new experience with four terms. By describing his readers as a chosen
generation Peter emphasizes God’s purpose and action in including them in
His plans. Royal priesthood combines His promise that believers will reign
with Christ with their service to God in worship and ministry to the world.
When he calls them a holy nation, Peter is not saying Israel has been
abandoned by God; he is emphasizing the Church’s distinction from the
nations of the world as a people belonging to God. This is repeated and
emphasized by their fourth description as God’s own special people.
God’s purpose in choosing the Church for this role is that they may
proclaim His praises. The motivation for such proclamation is God’s
saving work, described here as calling believers out of darkness, picturing
their unregenerate state, and into God’s light, picturing fellowship with
God (1 John 1:5-10).
 2:10. Next Peter describes his readers’ change in status before God.
Whereas they previously were not a people and had not obtained mercy,
they now are the people of God and now have obtained mercy from God.
This may be an allusion to Hos 1:10, where God said to Israel that their
status will be changed from being rejected to being His sons once again.
Paul states that this promise is still in effect and will be kept in the future
(Romans 11). What Peter is not saying is that the Church has replaced
Israel. What he is saying is that the Church has a special status in the
administration of God’s purposes on earth. This identifies Peter’s primarily
Jewish audience with the righteous remnant spoken of in the OT prophets.
III. The Christian’s Response to Unjust Suffering (2:11–3:12)
A. Abstain from Fleshly Lusts (2:11-12)
2:11. Peter begins this new section by calling his readers beloved. What he
says to them next is motivated by his love for them. He also reminds them
of their status in this world, calling them sojourners and pilgrims.
Peter’s use of sojourners would mean more to Jewish Christians than
Gentiles who were citizens of the countries where they resided, unlike
Diaspora Jews. Peter’s meaning is the same for both groups. His readers are
to view themselves as pilgrims on this earth. Our home is not earth. Our
hearts, and thus our loyalties, are not to be set on earthly things (Col 3:1-4).
As a separate people, belonging to God, believers are to abstain from,
(i.e., not indulge in) fleshly lusts, or those powerful desires (passions) that
arise out of the flesh (sarx). Here Peter’s use of soul looks at the whole
person, not just the noncorporeal portion of a person.
2:12. This verse gives the reason for abstaining from fleshly lusts. When a
Christian’s conduct involves abstinence from lusts, it produces an
honorable lifestyle. And, though unbelievers, called Gentiles here, will
speak against Christians, calling them evildoers, they will still observe
their good works. And, as the Christian is to be motivated by the
anticipation of a heavenly inheritance, so too he should be motivated by his
desire to bring glory to God on judgment day.
The day of visitation refers to Jesus’ second coming, not the day of
salvation, for pagans who have been observing the Christian’s good
behavior. This seems best in light of 4:17 where the believers’ suffering is a
warning of judgment to the lost world.
 B. Submit to Authorities, Masters, and Husbands (2:13–3:7)
1. Submission to civil authorities (2:13-17)
2:13. This paragraph begins a detailed explanation (therefore) of what
honorable conduct looks like in the community and home. The Christian is
to submit to the government willingly. Peter’s use of the aorist passive
imperative indicates that it was something his readers needed to start doing.
Ordinance includes not only laws, but also government agencies,
beginning with the king as the highest human authority.
2:14. As lawful representatives of the kings, governors deserve the same
submission from Christians. By implication, all government officials
serving below them are included. Peter notes that the governor is sent by the
king to punish evildoers and praise those who do good.
2:15. Peter is now ready to explain why (for) Christians should submit to
their pagan governments. First, it is the will of God. Second, God has a
purpose. Christians doing good (same term as “those who do good” in v 14)
will silence the ignorance of foolish men. Peter uses the word ignorance
to denote the unfounded (inaccurate) accusations that are being refuted
publicly before government officials.
2:16. To act as free means to enjoy the spiritual status of free men with
regard to sin and evil conduct. But this freedom from sin does not mean
believers can use their liberty as a license to sin (antinomianism), described
here as a cloak for vice. Rather, this freedom from sin obligates Christians
to be servants of God (cf. Romans 6). This will result in excellent behavior
before the lost world that will silence their criticisms and bring glory to
God.
2:17. By the command honor all people, Peter is saying to show respect.
To Love the brotherhood shows how Christians are to treat each other.
Fear of God is expressed in a lifestyle of reverence for God. The king (or
the president of a nation), too, is to be treated with respect, regardless of his
character (cf. Romans 13).
2. Submission to masters (2:18-25)
Having addressed the Christian’s responsibilities to society in general,
Peter is ready to address more specific areas, beginning with the slave’s
relationship to his master. What he says to slaves applies in the modern
workplace as well.
2:18. Peter begins by commanding household servants or slaves (hoi
oiketai) to be submissive to their masters. The term he chooses for fear is
the same one used to describe the believers’ fear of God. Christians are to
serve employers with the same willingness and reverence with which they
serve God, whether their employers are good and gentle or harsh. A bad
boss is not a good excuse for an employee’s bad attitude or poor work ethic.
2:19. Peter now explains why (for) slaves (and employees) are to submit
themselves respectfully to their masters (and employers). Submission to
harsh, unreasonable masters should be motivated by a desire for a clear
conscience before God, not the master. By commendable, Peter is saying
that God approves of the Christian who endures grief (pain, sorrow) in the
process of unjust suffering.
2:20. Peter explains (for) his point by stating it negatively. Patient
endurance of well-deserved punishment (being beaten for your faults) is
expected. If a person deserves punishment, he should take it patiently. And
it does not gain any brownie points (credit) with God! Only exhibiting a
good attitude when suffering after doing good is commendable before
God.
2:21. Peter next explains why (for) we should have a good attitude when
suffering. Though called likely refers to salvation, here it includes the idea
of “life calling” or “spiritual vocation.” Patient suffering is a part of the
spiritual world into which Christians are born when they are born again!
Jesus’ experience serves as an example to be imitated by Christians.
Christ’s suffering is the model on how to respond to injustice.
2:22. Peter affirms Jesus’ innocence by quoting Isa 53:9, in which he uses
synonymous parallelism to state the same truth twice. The first line is a
direct statement of His innocence. The second line reaffirms this from the
perspective of others. This is an emphatic way of declaring that everything
He said and did was true and honest.
2:23. Jesus was reviled at His trials when the guards beat Him and
mocked Him as king. On the Cross He was mocked by the leaders and one
robber. Though He told His disciples He had “more than twelve legions of
angels” at His disposal (Matt 26:53), Jesus did not threaten His
adversaries with them. Rather, He prayed for His murderers’ forgiveness
(Luke 23:34).
Rather, Jesus committed Himself to God in His prayer in the Garden of
Gethsemane by submitting Himself to the Father’s will (Matt 26:39, 42).
On the Cross He committed His spirit into the Father’s hands (Luke 23:46).
2:24. Rather than reviling or threatening, Jesus bore our sins in His own
body as He died on the Cross (2 Cor 5:21; Col 2:13-14). The purpose of
this was so that (hina) we might live. But He did not do it so that believers
could live for themselves, but for righteousness (cf. Rom 6:1-6). And this
living for righteousness can only happen after someone has died to sins
(aorist middle participle) by being identified with Jesus on the Cross in
regeneration.
By whose stripes you were healed does not teach physical healing in the
atonement. Reflecting Isa 53:5, Peter uses this figurative language to
communicate forgiveness of sins. Employing synonymous parallelism,
Isaiah uses four statements to describe forgiveness of sin through the death
of the Messiah, the Suffering Servant. “Wounded,” “bruised,”
“chastisement,” and “stripes” all describe the same thing, namely, Messiah’s
death. Similarly “transgressions” and “iniquities” are parallel, as are
“peace” and “healed.” Thus as Isaiah’s use of “healed” refers to forgiveness
of sins, not remission of disease, so too does Peter’s. Christians do not
escape the effects of disease by their identification with Jesus on the Cross.
2:25. Peter explains further (for) why Jesus bore the world’s sins in His
body. Alluding to Isa 53:6 and possibly John 10 (the Good Shepherd
discourse), Peter uses two images together (a hendiadys) to describe Jesus’
relationship to Christians who are facing suffering. Shepherd reflects
Jesus’ care and provision for the saints. Overseer (episkopon), translated
elsewhere as bishop, focuses on protection and watch care rather than
leadership. Jesus both provides for and watches over those believers who
depend on Him, even when they suffer for His sake.
3. Submission to one’s husband (3:1-6)
3:1-2. Peter’s use of likewise connects this command with the previous
two commands to be submissive. It also indicates that Jesus’ example of
submission is still in view. Wives are to submit themselves to their
husbands so that even when they are treated unfairly by their husbands
(not men outside the home), the husband who is unsaved might become a
believer.
The wife’s submission is not dependent on the husband’s walk with the
Lord. Peter’s use of if (first class condition) assumes the husband is an
unbeliever since he does not obey the word (cf. 1 Pet 2:8). Peter’s choice
of words for won connotes winning someone to one’s view, and so it
communicates the idea of winning the unbelieving husband to the Lord.
Husbands are won by conduct rather than words. A wife’s actions speak
louder than her words. Peter’s use of an aorist participle (epopteusantes),
translated when they observe, indicates that unbelieving husbands will be
won only after observing their wife’s lifestyle. The wife’s chaste conduct
involves a morally pure lifestyle combined with an exemplary character, as
described in the next two verses.
3:3. This verse is not a condemnation of makeup and jewelry. Though
Peter defines outward with the arranging the hair, wearing gold, and
putting on fine apparel, these reflect the first-century culture with its
attitude that a woman’s beauty was only external, much as in today’s
society. Women wore their hair bundled on top of their heads, often in
elaborate designs. The wealthy wore the finest clothing they could afford.
They did not put their savings in a bank; they wore it as jewelry for display
purposes. Peter does not want womanly beauty to come from these things
only.
3:4. In contrast to an attitude toward beauty that focuses on external
appearances, the idea behind the hidden person of the heart is that the
Christian woman is to adorn herself with character.
The emotional response and demeanor or spirit that a Christian woman
should exhibit is described with two adjectives. Gentle (praeos) involves
the aspects of humility, considerateness, and meekness, like Jesus’ qualities
(Matt 11:28-29). Quiet reflects how she responds. Why are these precious
in the sight of God? As He told Samuel, “man looks at the outward
appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Sam 16:7).
3:5. Peter now explains (for) how godly women are to adorn themselves
with a gentle and quiet spirit. For him, the former times involved the lives
of the OT saints. The evidence of their faith in God was the character with
which they adorned themselves. The actual expression of their faith was
being submissive to their own husbands.
 3:6. Sarah is the model. She obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, a term
of respect and obedience that slaves used of their masters. Peter describes
Sarah’s obedience with the same term used for the believer’s obedience to
Christ in 1:14.
Genesis records three times Abraham told Sarah to do something. Once
she fixed a meal for God and His two accompanying angels (Genesis 18).
Twice she lied about being his wife and had to trust God to deliver her from
two kings’ harems (Genesis 12; 20). It appears that Peter is thinking about
these last two instances in Sarah’s life. Just as it had to be frightful for Sarah
to be taken from her husband and added to a harem, Peter acknowledges
that life with some husbands may be equally difficult.
Doing good and responding with courage makes a Christian woman a
“daughter” of Sarah. To refer to a woman as the daughter of someone is to
say she reflects her character, just as the phrase “sons of God” means that
the person reflects God’s character (Matt 5:9). By terror, Peter means the
anxiety and commotion caused by intense emotions. In other words a godly
woman should not allow herself to be reduced to irrational fear.
4. Honoring one’s wife (3:7)
3:7. Again Peter used the word likewise. This is another area of
submission, one in which the husband is not being treated well by his wife.
In such situations the husband must submit to his wife by respecting her,
and giving her honor by the way he treats her and speaks to her.
By weaker vessel Peter is not implying that wives are intellectually,
physically, or emotionally inferior. Rather they are more easily hurt,
physically or emotionally. And this weakness is to be respected rather than
abused or exploited by the husband. Why? He does this because as heirs of
the grace of life with their husbands, they stand before God as equal
participants in the eternal inheritance God is reserving in heaven for every
saint (1:4). They are God’s special concern. Peter warns that God will not
listen to the prayers of a husband who does not honor his wife.
C. Seek Unity, Love, and Humility (3:8-12)
3:8. Peter draws a conclusion to this middle section of the epistle (finally)
with instructions that apply to every category of relationship (government,
masters, husbands, wives). Being of one mind involves a commitment to
unity and harmony more than perfect agreement in every area. The word
that is translated compassion is related to our word “sympathy.” The kind
of love to be found among Christians is familial, that of brothers. Both
tenderhearted and courteous describe how Christians are to respond to
each other, setting the stage for the question of unfair treatment.
3:9. Peter now points back to Jesus’ example in 2:22-23, who did nothing
wrong, and who did not respond with reviling or threats when He was
treated unjustly. Rather, He trusted God. In contrast (but) to our natural
response, Christians are to return a blessing to those who mistreat them.
Here again the Christian’s motivation is forward-looking. The Christian
blesses in order that he or she may in turn inherit a blessing from Christ at
His return.
This blessing is not eternal life. It refers to rewards received for
faithfulness in this life. Eternal life is a free gift, both initial (justification)
and final (glorification), and cannot be earned. The Christian responds
because of his or her eternal destiny and expectation that Jesus will reward
His followers for their faithfulness at His return.
3:10-12. Peter’s use of Ps 34:12-16 shows that God is on the side of those
who do not retaliate and He opposes those who do evil. The point of the
psalm is that those who respond to evil with evil face God’s judgment along
with the first offender. God will judge both rather than bless the victim
while punishing the instigator.
IV. The Christian’s Response to Suffering for Righteousness (3:13–
5:11)
A. Sanctify Christ (3:13-17)
3:13. Peter begins this final section of his message with a rhetorical
question. It is a general principle of life that harm will not come to those
who are followers of what is good. This is not in contradiction to 2 Tim
3:12, where Paul writes that those who live godly lives will suffer
persecution. Peter’s use of and connects this back to 1 Pet 3:8-12. He is
looking at relationships in the family and not speaking in terms of
persecution from the world, as Paul did. Verse 14 further shows Peter’s
agreement with Paul on this issue.
 3:14. Though Christians should not expect to suffer for doing good,
suffering may come. With the use of the adversative conjunction but, Peter
is showing that he is not proclaiming a Biblical promise in v 13, but a
principle of life. The coordinating conjunction If in the first-class
conditional sentence indicates that suffering is a real possibility. But, if that
happens, the “then” portion of the sentence is a certainty and the suffering
saint is blessed (cf. Matt 5:10-12).
The second half of 1 Pet 3:14 seems to be a quotation from Isa 8:12, which
records God’s instruction to Isaiah on how to live and act during the reign
of Ahaz. He is to trust and fear God and not be intimidated by the false
prophets or by the fears of the people around him.
3:15. Rather than being intimidated, Christians who face persecution for
righteous living are to respond positively. The command to sanctify the
Lord God in your hearts talks about one’s mindset or attitude. Believers
avoid being troubled or intimidated by having the right perspective (Col
3:1-4).
But believers are not to be silent sufferers! They are to be ready and
willing to verbalize their faith and give a defense to everyone who asks.
This defense is an apology, an explanation that includes reasons. Peter’s
assumption is that if believers have the right perspective people will want to
know why they are reacting the way they are. Their response of faith will
cause people to ask questions, and believers are to explain the hope they
have.
3:16. The term Peter uses for meekness (prautētos) indicates a gentle
response. Fear is not fear of the questioner (v 14b makes that clear), but
reverential fear of God. The Christian’s response is to be God-honoring, not
aggressive.
The people asking for an explanation are those who revile the Christian’s
good conduct. The Christian is to maintain a good conscience for a reason.
Unbelievers will defame and repeatedly speak evil against Christians and
describe them as evildoers. Peter assumes the Christian lifestyle will be in
conflict with society. Yet when evildoers stand before Jesus at the Great
White Throne judgment, they will be ashamed of their actions and words.
3:17. Given the fact that believers will suffer unjust treatment, Peter says
they need to make sure that their suffering is under the right circumstances.
When he says, if it is the will of God, he indicates that God may desire that
believers go through suffering. Though God disciplines them when they sin,
it is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil.
B. Remember Christ’s Death for Sins (3:18-22)
3:18. In saying that Jesus suffered once for sins Peter is affirming the
sufficiency of Jesus’ death to pay for all sins for all time. The purpose of
Jesus’ death was that He might bring us to God, to reconcile people to
Him (2 Cor 5:19).
Peter has been talking about suffering unjustly while living justly. Using
the same Greek root word he notes that Jesus, while being just/righteous
(dikaios), suffered and died on behalf of those who are not just (adikaios).
What does Peter mean by the words put to death in the flesh but made
alive by the Spirit? He does not mean that Jesus does not now have a
physical body. Rather, Peter affirms that Jesus died physically and was
resurrected through the work of the Holy Spirit. He is affirming Jesus’
bodily resurrection.
3:19. The Holy Spirit (by whom refers to Him in v 18) was not only active
in Jesus’ resurrection but also in His pre-Resurrection and post-
Resurrection ministries. Through the Spirit’s ministry Jesus preached to
the spirits in prison. Who are these spirits? One view is that they are the
spirits of the fallen angels who left their proper domain, took on human
form, and cohabited with human women in an attempt to pollute the
Adamic line which would bring forth the Messiah. In this view, when Christ
died on the Cross, He went to where they are being held and preached to
them, showing them how they had failed.
Another view is that Christ, through Noah and by the Spirit, preached to
the disobedient people in the days of Noah before the Flood came on the
earth and destroyed them (cf. 4:6). They were invited to be delivered from
the coming Flood, but they rejected the invitation and so are now in prison
(hell). When Christ died, He did not descend into hell to preach to them, for
that would serve no purpose. This view makes sense of v 20, which clearly
describes Noah’s contemporaries as people who were drowned (and not
fallen angels). It also makes sense of the chronology of the sentence’s
construction in Greek.
3:20. This relative clause (introduced with who) describes the spirits in
prison as disobedient during the days of Noah while he was building the
ark. They were invited by Noah to join him in fleeing God’s judgment but
they ignored the warning (2 Pet 2:5).
God’s patient endurance of offenses, described here as Divine long-
suffering, is demonstrated in His holding back judgment until Noah and his
family can escape it. As a result, of the world’s entire population only eight
souls were spared God’s judgment. The ark enabled them to pass through
God’s judgment of the world without being hurt by it. In this sense they
were saved from physical death.
3:21. By saying not the removal of the filth of the flesh, Peter is
clarifying that water baptism is not what saves. He rejects the idea of water
baptism as a requirement for salvation. Baptism is the antitype of the ark,
not the Flood. It saves the believer from judgment. Many take this as a
reference to salvation from sin in justification. The statement, the answer
of a good conscience toward God seems to support this. But the question
is how were Peter’s readers being saved in their present experience, since
he says baptism now saves you?
This reference to baptism and that of Acts 2:38 are applicable to the first-
century generation of Jews who were converting to Christianity. The
judgment in view is that of Titus’s attack on Judah and the fiery judgment
coming on the generation of Jews who rejected Jesus. If they hear Peter’s
message and identify with Christ, they are separating themselves from their
generation. Therefore water baptism saves from temporal, corporal
punishment. The punishment in 1 Pet 3:19-20 looks at the physical,
temporal judgment Noah’s generation underwent in the Flood, with only
those identifying with (entering) the ark surviving. In the same way the
readers’ failure to identify with Christ for fear of persecution would only
lead to identification with Judah in the hour of her punishment from God in
AD 66–70.
This does justice to the issue of testimony under adversity in which the
readers are asked to give an account of the hope they have (v 15). The
Christian’s public testimony begins with water baptism, which is a picture
of spirit baptism. For Peter’s readers it separated them from the Jewish
community that was facing God’s coming judgment. The significance of
baptism here is identification with Christ and therefore the Church, the body
of Christ.
 Peter also emphasizes the resurrection of Jesus Christ, through which
believers are saved. The resurrection of Jesus is a crucial element of our
faith. In context, as Peter has been talking about deliverance from temporal,
corporal punishment, this reminder is that even if some die in persecution,
they will be raised to new life just as Jesus was.
3:22. Jesus is first described as the One who has gone into heaven. The
past tense stresses the historical reality of His resurrection and ascension.
Peter emphasizes His present ministry with the present tense, is at the right
hand of God. The resurrected and ascended Christ is the One in whom
believers trust and who controls their circumstances.
C. Follow Christ’s Example (4:1-6)
4:1-2. Every use of flesh in these two verses involves the Greek term sarx
that normally has a negative connotation in Paul, but is used of both Jesus
and Christians by Peter. Jesus’ suffering for us in the flesh refers to His
physical suffering on the Cross. This is our motivation (since) to be
mentally prepared (arm yourselves…with the same mind) to suffer.
Some see Peter’s statement about the one who has ceased from sin as a
reference to Christ and His accomplished work on the Cross. But all that
follows clearly looks at people on earth and not Jesus in heaven. And Jesus,
being sinless, certainly did not need to stop sinning. Others see this as a
proverbial statement similar to Rom 6:7. But nothing in either text indicates
that these are proverbs. The perfect tense, has suffered, looks at something
in the definite past. So it is best to see this as referring to the sanctification
process of believers and the cleansing effect of suffering in that process.
Peter is not describing sinless perfection, but a changed attitude toward sin
as a result of suffering.
Christ is our example in this. He was living for the will of God and not for
the lusts of men. That was how He lived His life. That determined how He
responded to suffering.
4:3. Peter now explains what he has just said. He does this by challenging
his readers not to be conformed to their society’s values by doing the will
of the Gentiles. His vice list describes the Gentile world of that day.
Lewdness, or debauchery, is shamelessly vulgar behavior. Lusts refer to
powerful desires that can include greed as well as sexual desires. Revelries
refer to feasts that involved not only gluttony and drunkenness but also
sexual immorality (orgies). Drinking parties focused solely on drinking to
get drunk. Abominable idolatries causes many to see Peter’s audience as
Gentile converts since this form of idolatry was not participated in by
practicing Jews. But some Jews became Hellenized and adopted aspects of
their pagan culture, though not always the pagan religions. And since Peter
is writing to Jewish Christians who likely have been expelled from their
synagogues, they would not be viewed as “faithful” Jews by their Gentile
neighbors. They would be expected to act like Hellenized Jews and to
“blend in” with society.
4:4. When a Christian lives a moral life, those in the pagan world think it
strange. They do not understand why someone would live the way a moral
Christian does, or why someone would want to. So they resort to speaking
evil (lit., “blasphemy”) about Christians, and seek to injure them through
slander and defamation.
When Peter describes the pagan’s lifestyle as a flood of dissipation he is
referring to lives wasted in the excesses of immorality. The Greek world
then, like today, sought maximum sensual gratification through self-
indulgence. And it wasted much of its energy and resources pursuing such
things.
4:5. Peter warns those who live in such a way that God stands ready to
judge the living and the dead. Jesus closes the Book of Revelation with this
same warning (Rev 22:12). There is no escape through death (John 5:28-29;
Rev 20:12-13).
Peter’s term for judge (krinai) looks at the sentencing phase of a court
case rather than determining guilt or innocence. The living and the dead
include all of mankind. The imminence of the Day of Judgment is described
by the word ready. It can come at any time. God stands poised to judge
humanity.
4:6. Peter writes that the gospel was preached…to those who are dead.
This could refer to four possible groups. First, it could refer to the time
between Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection when He preached to those
people in hell who had died. Some who hold this view believe that Jesus
was offering the dead the chance to believe in Him. But there is no second
chance for the lost after death (Heb 9:27), and if He is not offering them
salvation, then there was no other purpose in His preaching to them. The
second view is that Jesus preached salvation to OT saints between His
crucifixion and resurrection. Though this solves the problem of Heb 9:27,
and seems to be supported by Eph 4:8-10, the last half of 1 Pet 4:6 seems to
prohibit this. If these were OT saints, Christ would not be preaching
judgment to them.
The third option is that Christ is preaching the gospel through the apostles
and others on earth to those who are spiritually dead. The unregenerate that
respond to the gospel “come alive” spiritually. But Peter’s use of “dead” in
v 5 clearly refers to physically dead people who face God’s judgment.
Again, with this view the last half of the sentence makes little sense.
The best view is to see the dead as people who had the gospel preached to
them and believed it before they died or were martyred. When they were
alive, they were judged according to…the flesh by being scorned by men
(4:4), but will live according to God in the spirit. In the judgment of God
the opinions of men will be reversed. Though they were physically dead,
believers are now spiritually alive (2 Cor 5:1-8). This takes “dead” in vv 5-6
in the same physical sense. Flesh (sarki) and spirit (pneumati) are taken in
the same sense as in 3:18 which says Jesus was “put to death in the flesh but
made alive by the Spirit.” This also gives full weight to the Greek
construction (men-de) reflected in the contrast (but) that begins the final
clause. So, even though pagans might condemn and execute Christians for
not conforming to their society’s values, God will reverse that judgment and
give them life with Him.
D. Reflect Love and Concern (4:7-11)
4:7. Peter begins this portion of his instruction with a declaration that
further explains his warning of God’s readiness to judge in v 5. When he
says the end…is at hand, he uses a perfect tense verb (ēggiken) to
communicate the idea of “has drawn near and everything is in place” for
judgment to begin.
He describes how to live life with an end-time perspective (therefore).
Christians do not sell all their possessions and stand on a hilltop waiting to
see Jesus in the clouds. Instead an end-time perspective drives them to
serious prayer with a watchful attitude. Peter’s command (aorist
imperative) assumes his readers were not doing this.
4:8. Peter’s use of above all shows how important this command is—even
more important than the previous one to pray! When he says our love is to
be fervent, he is describing it as constant and intense. And this is agape
love, a love expressed by attitudes and actions (1 Cor 13:4-8a).
Peter’s quotation of Prov 10:12 explains why (for) believers are to love
each other fervently. The proverb’s point is that they will choose not to
pursue a course of conflict when wronged if they truly love the other
person. Jesus taught believers to forgive the offense and its resultant debt
(Matt 6:12) every time one is asked (18:22-35). A commitment to loving
others goes beyond simply tolerating them and looks for ways to serve
others. Only love will enable believers to overlook offenses or
offensiveness.
4:9. This second command builds on the previous one. Fervent love
expresses itself with hospitality. And it is to be done in a happy manner,
without grumbling! To be hospitable involves self-sacrifice that expects
nothing in return.
4:10. Peter affirms first that each Christian has a gift from God and
commands them to use it to minister to one another. The verb for minister
comes from the same root word as diakonos, from which comes the word
“deacon” and which means “to serve others.” Thus God gives the gifts for
the benefit of others, not the gifted person.
Believers should view their gifted service from the perspective of a
steward. Stewards were servants who managed their master’s households.
They served their master not only by taking care of his family, but also by
feeding and caring for his other servants as well. Peter says a person
manages the expression of God’s grace when he uses his gifts to benefit the
body of Christ. And by describing God’s grace as manifold Peter indicates
that the gifts God gives express various aspects of His grace directed toward
His children. As His stewards, God has made them channels through which
His grace flows into the lives of others.
4:11. The words If anyone include everyone who has a speaking role in
the church, whether teaching, preaching, counseling, leading in prayer, or
visiting. Though not God’s oracles (prophetic utterances), they should
consider what is said with the same seriousness because they are
administering God’s grace as His stewards (v 10). Christians should use
every opportunity they can to bestow the grace of God into the lives of
other believers.
 When someone ministers (same verb as v 10) they are to use the ability
God gives them for the other person’s benefit. He does not say when they
have enough ability, or when they are fully qualified. Rather, they are to do
it to the level of ability God has given. Through Jesus Christ is a reminder
that Jesus works through the Church, His body.
Peter concludes this command with a doxology. If Christ’s glory is a
believer’s goal, they will be motivated to obey all these commands.
E. Rejoice in Sharing Christ’s Suffering (4:12-19)
4:12. Peter begins this section by telling his readers how not to respond to
trials. Using imagery from metallurgy, he describes the negative
experiences of his readers as a fiery trial. The figure is that of metal being
subjected to a refiner’s blazing hot fire that burns away the impurities. Try
(peirasmon) is related to the word for trials in 1:6 (peirasmois). The
adverse situation is there by God’s design, and Christians ought not think it
strange in the sense of being surprised in a negative way. Rather, refining
trials are normal.
4:13. Peter contrasts (but) the proper response with the wrong. Believers
should rejoice rather than be taken aback. Through persecution they
partake of (“share in”) Christ’s sufferings. As Jesus’ representatives on
earth, they suffer in His place as the world rejects Him through them (Acts
9:4-5; 2 Cor 1:5; Col 1:24). But they should rejoice in such suffering
because of the accompanying reward.
The phrase when His glory is revealed should be seen in eschatological
terms. It refers to Jesus’ second coming when He will reward His faithful
followers (1 Cor 3:10-15; Col 3:1-4). A less likely possibility is that this
refers to Christ’s character being revealed in believers as their lives are
purified by the trials they experience.
4:14. Having said that being persecuted for Christ’s sake is normal and
part of God’s refining fire of life (vv 12-13), Peter writes that persecution is
actually a sign of great blessing from God. Jesus said the same thing in the
last beatitude and His explanation that followed (Matt 5:10-12). In Luke
12:4-12 Jesus promises the Holy Spirit’s ministry in believers’ lives when
they are being persecuted for His sake.
4:15. Not all suffering by Christians is for Christ’s glory, for there is both
deserved and undeserved suffering. Christians may suffer justly for sin or
unjustly for Christ. Though the NKJV begins this verse with but, it literally
begins with an explanatory “for” (gar). Peter is explaining how to ensure
that all suffering is for Christ.
The list of causes for deserved suffering moves from the worst (murder)
to the least (busybody). An evildoer refers to someone guilty of malicious
conduct that is generally wicked though not criminal. A busybody gets into
everyone else’s business. Christians should not do anything that justifiably
turns people against them.
4:16. Peter then says, yet if, to remind his readers that being a good citizen
does not guarantee a peaceful life in this earth. His use of if here (first class
condition) assumes the possibility will happen. His readers either are or will
suffer as Christians. The proper response is not to be ashamed but to
glorify God. By this he means either to “praise God” (give Him glory) or to
live in a way that brings Him glory.
4:17. This verse explains (for) both vv 15-16. Peter chose the term
(kairos) that means an appointed time or season involving the house of
God, the Church.
Peter’s word for judgment (krima) is normally associated with God’s
judgment of the unregenerate world. This term does not focus on
determining guilt or innocence, but rather on the sentence handed out by the
judge, or on the punishment aspect of judgment. It does not refer to God’s
judgment of the lost world because of how they treat the Church. This is a
judgment of believers, called here the house of God.
Peter’s point is that if Christians suffer a refining judgment, those who do
not obey the gospel of God (i.e., the unbelieving world) will certainly not
escape a punishing judgment. The temporal suffering of believers as a result
of sin serves as general revelation to the world of the coming judgment it
faces from God.
4:18. Peter now quotes Prov 11:31 to affirm the certainty of the judgment
of the wicked. This brings up the point of v 15, what not to suffer for! God
will not let His children get away with sin. And if He will not let them get
away with anything (“scarcely saved”), the “ungodly” do not have a
chance.
4:19. Peter now applies the truth (therefore) to life with a command
addressed to those who are suffering righteously. The phrase according to
the will of God looks back on the suffering for being a Christian (vv 13-
14). Those who suffer for doing the will of God must commit their souls
(their lives) to Him. If God allows His children to suffer as a result of doing
good, then all believers can do is trust that He knows what He is doing (cf.
Rom 8:28). Like the soldier sent on a mission who trusts his commander not
to ask him to die needlessly, though he might die, believers are to trust their
faithful Creator never to err in what He asks of them.
F. Shepherd the Flock (5:1-7)
5:1. Peter addresses the elders with a word of exhortation, but not without
first listing his own qualifications. He begins with his own status as a fellow
elder, speaking as “one of them” and pointing to their mutual responsibility
from God. Next he reminds them of his role as a witness of the sufferings
of Christ, describing his office as an apostle (Acts 1:21-22, 26). Then, he
points to his future as a partaker of the glory that will be revealed. This
refers not to the Transfiguration, but to his participation in the second
coming of Christ.
5:2-3. Peter commands the elders to shepherd the flock of God, namely,
the local church given into their care. He then describes how shepherding is
to be done. Shepherding is to be done by the overseers, elsewhere
translated as “bishops.” They are responsible for oversight or supervision
and are to be involved in guiding the lives of those under them.
Peter describes their role in terms of motives, contrasting wrong with right
motives. Rather than being forced to take the lead, it must be done
willingly. Rather than money motivating their service (dishonest gain),
devoted zeal should cause them to serve eagerly. And instead of
domineering and controlling the lives of their church members (being lords
over those entrusted) and leading by edict, they should model the life,
providing examples. There is no place for dictatorial leadership in the body
of Christ.
5:4. Peter ends with a reminder of the reward for faithful service. He
points out that Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, will judge the quality of an
elder’s service. The crown (stephanos) of glory is a wreath rather than a
crown (diadema). This looks at honor from Christ in recognition for a job
well done (Matt 25:14-30). Like the inheritance of 1 Pet 1:4, this reward is
eternal as well.
 5:5. Peter next turns his attention to those being led. Though he refers
specifically to younger people, these principles can be applied to all who
are not the spiritual leaders in the church. Their responsibility is self-
submission as willing followers. Humble submission is the godly person’s
response, whether the elder is gentle or overbearing, sincere or greedy.
But submission is not just for those who are younger, but for all. Every
person in church is to be submissive to one another characterized by the
mindset of humility. It is only with humility that an elder can avoid base
motives. It is only with humility that a younger person can willingly follow
in a voluntary society such as the church. Peter quotes Prov 3:34 as support
for this principle.
5:6-7. Peter’s application (therefore) is a command to the younger
members in the church. Rather than attempt to be exalted, believers must
humble themselves. Christians are not to strive after positions of power or
control, but are to pursue a servant’s role, serving God by serving others. In
this way, if we are exalted, it will be in God’s own time and by His hand.
By exalt, Peter may be referring to God giving greater roles in the church.
But more likely this refers to Jesus’ second coming and rewards in His
kingdom. This seems best because both elders and younger people are in
view, and elders have already been exalted in this life.
All your care involves every area of life. And Peter’s choice of term for
care (merimnan) focuses on the worry created by concerns. The picture
painted by the word for casting (epirripsantes) those cares upon Him
requires completely letting them go. They are not handed over, but thrown
into the arms of God.
God cares for believers in response to their submission to others (v 5) and
maintaing a mindset of humble service (v 6). The shepherd protects the
flock that submits to him. God protects His flock by providing oversight
through the elders.
G. Resist the Devil (5:8-11)
5:8. Peter’s next command assumes that believers are humbly submitting
to God and reveals that submission does not make them immune to attack.
A sober approach to life is rational and self-disciplined. They are vigilant
when alertly watching out for satanically inspired moral attacks on their
lives.
 Lions typically roar after they have caught their prey, not while hunting.
But Satan roars while he is seeking whom he may devour. Though
Christians are his prey, his roaring allows them to know where he is. Peter’s
point is that if they are caught unawares, it will be their own fault when they
are devoured by Satan. He devours by enticement to sin, whether through
temptation to lust or in response to physical attacks by people under his
influence.
5:9. The response to Satan is to resist by standing up to him. Believers
remain steadfast in the faith by remaining true to their Christian
convictions and to their trust in God (Rev 12:11). But they need not resist
Satan alone because Christians all over the world are suffering at the hands
of Satan’s emissaries.
5:10. Peter ends with a blessing on his readers, calling on the God of all
grace whose nature is to show unmerited favor. God has called us to His
eternal glory by Christ, which speaks again of the imperishable
inheritance that awaits those who resist the devil.
Peter’s prayer for God to perfect his readers is a request that He bring
them to maturity and completion rather than sinless perfection. By establish
he means to make firm in the sense of producing stability. The synonym
strengthen means to encourage someone so he can stand firm. Settle
expresses the idea of making someone steadfast. Peter wants God to keep
them standing with a solid footing so they will not be moved from their
faith by Satan’s schemes.
Peter does not pray that his readers will be removed from their trials. He
prays that they will endure them victoriously! How often do believers pray
for others to escape trials and then forget to pray for their faith to grow and
endure through the trial? How often do believers pray for a trial to be
removed from their own lives when they should be asking how can we
glorify God through it?
5:11. Peter concludes the body of his epistle with a doxology of praise to
God. Even when believers will receive eternal glory as their inheritance
(5:10), all glory and dominion belongs to God.
V. Greetings and Benediction (5:12-14)
5:12. Sylvanus, called Silas elsewhere, was likely Peter’s amanuensis, his
scribe who wrote the epistle as he dictated. Peter describes him as faithful
and as a brother, looking at his character and relationship in the body of
Christ. Peter considered the epistle both as exhortation and his testimony to
God’s grace.
5:13. Babylon likely refers to Rome, a common code name for the city
because of its wickedness. As Babylon conquered and controlled Judah in
earlier centuries, so Rome did in its day.
Mark refers most likely to John Mark. Though he deserted Paul and
Barnabas (Acts 13:13) which led to their split (15:36-41), Paul later found
him trustworthy and requested his company while imprisoned (2 Tim 4:11).
He was not Peter’s physical son. He was his spiritual son, and he wrote the
Gospel of Mark based on Peter’s accounts of Jesus’ ministry.
5:14. This closing command is not a command to kiss, but to greet
Christian brothers and sisters in a loving manner. Peter’s benediction directs
peace to all believers, described here as all who are in Christ Jesus.
 2 Peter
ZANE C. HODGES
INTRODUCTION
Second Peter was probably written between AD 65 and 68, not long before
Peter’s death (see 2 Pet 1:13-15). His audience seems to have been the same
audience addressed in 1 Peter (see 1 Pet 1:1 and 2 Pet 3:1). Whereas 1 Peter
focused on the issue of suffering righteously, 2 Peter is chiefly concerned
with false teaching. The contents of his second epistle therefore constitute a
warning against both the theology and lifestyle of the false teachers (see
esp. 2 Pet 2:1-2). The Apostle holds forth the hope of the Second Coming of
Christ (apparently denied by the false teachers) as a supreme motivation for
godly Christian living.

OUTLINE
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
II. Prologue (1:3-11)
III. Purpose of the Epistle (1:12-15)
IV. Body of the Epistle: Hold Fast the Hope of Christ’s Coming (1:16–3:13)
V. Conclusion (3:14-18a)
VI. Benediction (3:18b)

COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (1:1-2)
1:1. Peter calls himself a bondservant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
thereby setting himself in sharp contrast with the arrogant and disobedient
false teachers (cf. 2:1).
His addressees have obtained like precious faith with us. The faith in
Christ and in Christian truth which the readers share with the apostles has
every bit as much value for them (like precious faith) as it had for the
apostles who were eyewitnesses of its reality (see vv 1:16-18).
 Of course, their faith had brought them a righteous standing before God
(justification), but it also directed them toward righteous living (see 2 Pet
1:5-11; cf. Titus 2:11-14).
1:2. Peter wishes that the readers might discover how God can multiply
their experience of His grace and peace. But only as these Christians stay
rooted in their knowledge of God and God’s Son, and allow that
knowledge to determine the course of their lives, only thus will they truly
experience, ever more abundantly, God’s grace and peace.
II. Prologue (1:3-11)
1:3. God’s divine power has adequately endowed believers with all things
related to life and godliness. Born-again believers have everything they
could possibly need to live a godly life.
Most certainly this provision includes the gift of the Holy Spirit Himself,
who unites believers spiritually with their risen and ascended Lord.
Christian living is possible for believers because their regeneration by
God’s divine power fully equips them for a victorious Christian experience.
Moreover, this endowment came through the knowledge of Him who
called us by glory and virtue. The word Him probably refers to Christ (see
2:20). Indeed, eternal life itself can be defined as the knowledge of God and
of Christ (John 17:3). When a person comes to know Christ by faith, he is
made a recipient of the spiritual equipping that Peter is discussing.
1:4. The words by which have been given to us are connected with the
main idea of v 3: His divine power has given believers all things, including
exceedingly great and precious promises. These valuable promises are the
means by which believers can be sharers of the divine nature and can
escape the lust-driven corruption of the world around them.
While all believers have a divine seed imparted to them at the new birth
(1 John 3:9), Peter is here speaking at a practical level. God has given
believers what they need for godly living and thus they can experientially
share in God’s nature, in His holiness, and actually escape the bondage to
lust that corrupts human life in this world.
God’s exceedingly great and precious promises include the prophetic
promises emphasized in vv 16-21; 3:4, 9, 13.
1:5. Because God has given believers all things that pertain to life and
godliness (v 3) they are responsible (but also for this very reason) to draw
on these provisions in order to build a godly character in an ungodly world.
Spirituality, then, is a choice. It does not come automatically or inevitably.
Thus in vv 5-7 Peter tells what believers are to do with all diligence.
To begin with, believers are to add (epichoregeō, see v 11) virtue to their
faith. The Greek word used for virtue here (aretē) is a general word for
moral excellence, indicating mastery over one’s baser passions and lusts.
Every Christian starts his Christian experience with faith (John 3:16; Eph
2:8-9). But one of his first responsibilities is to begin to build on that faith a
virtuous (highly moral and ethical) life.
To virtue he should also add knowledge. Morality is not simply a rigid
adherence to a set of rules. If virtue becomes nothing more than conformity
to commands (though it is that in a real sense), it is in danger of
degenerating into legalism. Morality must be constantly informed and
guided by knowledge.
God wants believers not only to do but also to discern. For that they need
the ever-deepening knowledge of God’s Word.
1:6. To knowledge, however, the believer is also to add self-control
(disciplined moderation). Out of knowledge there should arise a down-to-
earth restraint that leads to a balanced life, free from harmful extremes.
But further, to self-control should be added perseverance. Believers who
cultivate a virtuous life, reinforced by knowledge and self-discipline, are
well prepared for the worst of times. But in the midst of trials and
disappointments they will find their virtue, knowledge, and self-discipline
put to the test.
To perseverance Christians should also add godliness (reverence toward
God). Out of the trials of life can come not only the quality of perseverance
but also a deepening of reverence and awe for the living God. Not only can
believers come to acknowledge His sovereign control over their lives,
including His right to send them hard times, but also can they learn to praise
Him for the mercies He grants in their deepest times of need.
1:7. The two crowning pinnacles of fully-developed Christian character
are brotherly kindness (philadelphia, brotherly love) and love itself (agapē).
Brotherly love precedes love here. This implies that love is not only the
capstone of the list but is also wider than one’s circle of fellow believers.
Like God Himself (John 3:16), believers are to love unsaved people. Thus
evangelistic efforts will be far more than obedience to the Great
Commission. They will also be the outflow of the Godlike love that caused
the Father to send the Son to be the propitiation for the sins of the whole
world (1 John 2:2).
1:8. The Christian who has these qualities and who has them in increasing
measure will be a fruitful person.
The Greek word translated barren here might better be translated idle or
lazy. A Christian who is inactive in his Christian faith will also be
unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Conversely a
believer who is vigorous in his service for God will most assuredly be
fruitful.
1:9. The character-deficient Christian can be said to be shortsighted.
Since the epistle as a whole lays heavy stress on the reality and certainty of
the Lord’s coming (vv 11, 16, 19; 3:4-14), the Apostle is probably thinking
of believers who no longer look ahead to the Rapture. Instead their vision is
severely limited to the here and now, or for the present world.
A Christian who lacks the qualities mentioned in vv 5-7 is also blind. The
word order of the original text has blind first and shortsighted second,
calling for a translation like this: “For he who lacks these things is blind,
shortsighted, and has forgotten. . .” A person who is blind to the spiritual
realities of life from God’s viewpoint is also shortsighted about the future.
He is not challenged by the Second Advent to be a better person (see 3:11-
14). On a spiritual level a person can be both blind and shortsighted.
And a Christian can also forget that he was cleansed from his old sins.
This individual is a Christian! He has been cleansed from his old sins. The
Apostle unmistakably can conceive of a cleansed believer as lacking the
qualities found in vv 5-7. He deplores the spiritual condition of such a
person, but he in no way questions his salvation.
The blind and shortsighted believer lacks appreciation for God’s mercy in
the past. But he also shows an unconcern about new sins that will also
require forgiveness from God. Naturally this does not mean that he is in
danger of losing eternal life. The fact remains that sinning believers must
seek their Father’s forgiveness in order to renew their fellowship with Him
(1 John 1:7-9). Remembering one’s past cleansing ought to galvanize him to
pursue holiness and growth (3:17-18).
1:10. Thus increased diligence (be even more diligent) is all the more
desirable in developing such a lifestyle. The personal results affecting one’s
present quality of life (vv 8-9) carry with them other results regarding his
future quality of life (vv 10-11). Here Peter enjoins his readers to make
their call and election sure. This statement has often been misinterpreted
and misapplied.
This text does not mean that Christians are to confirm their call and
election to eternal salvation. Such an idea is completely foreign to this
passage. Peter has just finished addressing his readers as believers (v 1)
whom God has richly endowed (vv 3-4). If the word election (eklogē =
selection, choosing) referred to being chosen before time (as in Eph 1:4), it
is surprising that the phrase is not reversed: “your election and calling” (cf.
Rom 8:30).
Here is one of the many verbal allusions in the Petrine epistles to the
teaching Peter had heard from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself: “many are
called, but few are chosen [eklektoi]” (Matt 20:16; 22:14).
All Christians have been given a royal summons by God Himself, inviting
them to the glorious privilege of co-reigning with Christ in the life to come
(2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26-27; 3:21). But not all Christians will be chosen to co-
reign (cf. Rom 8:17b; 2 Tim 2:12).
Peter, therefore, wishes his readership to produce in their lifestyle
appropriate verification that they are royal people, destined for high honor
in the coming kingdom of God.
1:11. All born-again Christians will enter the kingdom of Christ, but only
those who develop the Christian character described in this chapter will
have a special kind of entrance. For so, says Peter, an entrance will be
supplied to you abundantly.
The words will be supplied are from the passive form of the same verb,
epichoregeō, in v 5. Only if believers add to their faith the character
qualities Peter describes will God add to him a rich entrance to the
kingdom.
Heavenly reward, not salvation from hell, is the theme here. The holy and
fruitful lifestyle of vv 3-8 can be a demonstration that an individual
Christian has not only been called, but actually chosen, for great reward in
God’s future kingdom. As he diligently pursues this pathway, doing the
things Peter has enjoined, he will be able to avoid any serious spiritual
stumble (v 10). Thus his pathway can climax in a rich entrance into Jesus’
everlasting kingdom.
III. Purpose of the Epistle (1:12-15)
1:12. In this brief section of the epistle (vv 12-15), the apostle discloses his
fundamental purpose in writing. He wishes to reinforce the truth his readers
already possess and about which he has just written in vv 3-11.
The words for this reason refer back to the privilege of an abundant
entrance into the kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1:11). When
the apostle states that he will not be negligent to remind you always of
these things, he no doubt expects the readers to realize that this is the very
thing he is doing in this epistle. He does not want them to forget these vital
truths.
These matters are definitely not new to Peter’s readers. Instead, the readers
know them. Furthermore, the readers are well established in the present
truth. Peter does not regard his readers as waverers about to give up the
truth, but as basically stable (cf. 3:17). Yet they can benefit from the
apostle’s reminder.
1:13. Peter’s goal of reminding them about basic truth (v 12) is one that
seems fully appropriate (dikaion, right) to him. He intends to go on
reminding them for the rest of his life.
1:14. But Peter is also driven to this goal by the realization that his life
would soon end. He is aware that shortly I must put off my tent. As is true
in v 13, the reference is to his physical body.
The words just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me no doubt refer to
Jesus’ prophecy about Peter’s death (John 21:18-19). Thus Peter is referring
to his conviction that his martyrdom, which Jesus had predicted, would be
soon.
Many people might be tortured by the anticipation of such a death. But
clearly Peter has come to terms with this looming, painful tragedy. No
doubt he trusts the Lord’s grace to get him through it.
1:15. In view of his approaching death, Peter is not only concerned with
reminding them here and now (see vv 12-13), but he is also concerned to
leave a reminder behind. This seems to be the force of the statement in this
verse.
IV. Body of the Epistle: Hold Fast the Hope of Christ’s Coming
(1:16–3:13)
 A. This Hope Is a Certainty (1:16-21)
1:16. Peter opens the body of the letter by giving a reason why he should
do the kind of reminding he has spoken about in vv 12-15. These matters
are worth the effort because (For) they are true. They are not mere
cunningly devised fables. Instead, he and his fellow apostles (James and
John) were eyewitnesses of Christ’s future majesty when at the
Transfiguration (vv 17-18) they beheld His power and coming, the mighty
splendor of the King.
1:17. In the light of v 16, the honor and glory bestowed on Jesus at the
Transfiguration was particularly a royal honor and glory. It was visible on
this occasion only to Peter, James, John, Moses, and Elijah, but in a future
day this will be manifest to all mankind (Mark 13:26). In addition God
Himself said to His Son, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased.”
These words were spoken at the occasion of what the Apostle describes as
“the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” So their significance for
the Lord’s kingship needs to be duly appreciated. Jesus will obtain His
throne because He pleased His Father (cf. Rev 3:21).
If the readers cultivate true Christian character (2 Pet 1:5-7) they, like their
Lord and Savior, will be well-pleasing to God so that when He comes they
may share in His royal glory (cf. 1 Pet 1:7; Rev 2:26-28).
1:18. It is no doubt with a consciousness of all this that Peter says that this
voice…came from heaven. The verb translated came here and in v 17 is
pherō, which generally means “to bear, to carry,” but could well be
translated in vv 17-18 by a phrase like was spoken or was proclaimed. Peter
employs the verb twice again in v 21. Clearly the word conveys for Peter
the sense of a divinely originated or inspired utterance from God.
1:19. As a result of the eyewitness experience of the Transfiguration (vv
16-18), God’s prophetic word has been made more sure. What Scripture
had predicted about Jesus’ glorious second advent found confirmation in the
revelation of His majesty (v 16) that took place there.
The readers would do well to heed it because it gleams before them as a
light that shines in a dark place. The dark place must surely be the world,
where the only real hope for change lies in the second coming of Christ.
 The words until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your
hearts are no doubt to be taken with you do well to heed rather than with
the intervening words, as a light that shines.
The prophetic Scriptures are to be attended to until the reality of that future
day of fulfillment is so real that it is as though that day has already
“dawned” and as though Christ Himself, the morning star (cf. Rev 22:16),
has already shown brightly in believers’ souls. Not a few Christians have
had this experience as the Savior’s return has become so meaningful to
them that it was like a brilliant, thrilling reality that illumined them within.
May it be so for each believer until His return!
1:20-21. The exact meaning of the words private interpretation (idias
epilyseōs) has been much debated. But the problem lies mainly in the
English translation. Peter uses the word idias five other times in this epistle
(2:16, 22; 3:3, 16-17), and in each case the reference is to the subject of the
statement. In the light of Peter’s usage, the only natural translation of the
statement in v 20 would be “no prophecy of Scripture is of its own
interpretation.”
No passage of prophetic Scripture has its own, peculiar interpretation so
that it can be treated in isolation from other prophetic passages. The reason
is that prophecy never came by the will of man, but was always the
product of the Holy Spirit speaking through holy men of God. The result is
a series of interconnected, harmonious utterances which cannot be correctly
understood independently from one another.
The holy men of God who wrote these prophecies spoke as they were
moved by the Holy Spirit (cf. 2 Tim 3:16).
Peter’s statement in vv 20-21 seems to be aimed at the “scoffers”
mentioned in 3:3-4. Insofar as some of them had already appeared on the
scene, they would have denied the reality of the Second Coming. They no
doubt called it a “cunningly devised” fable (cf. 1:16).
B. This Hope Will Encounter Opposition (2:1–3:9)
1. The coming of the false teachers (2:1-3)
2:1. Having just referred to the OT prophets (1:20-21), Peter now reminds
his readers that then there were also false prophets among the people of
Israel. So too Christians may expect false teachers to steal into their
congregations. Peter calls these people false teachers, not false prophets.
The Greek word translated secretly bring in probably implies that these
false teachers would enter the churches under false colors by concealing the
doctrines they actually hold until they were safely part of the congregation.
Peter says these men are purveyors of destructive heresies, that is, they
are ruinous in their spiritual effects. Though these false teachers are
unsaved (2:9, 17), nevertheless the Lord Jesus bought them. This
statement affirms the universality of the atonement Christ made on the cross
(cf. 2 Cor 5:19; 1 John 2:2; 1 Tim 2:4-6). Thus the sin of the false teachers
in denying the Lord becomes more heinous precisely because this Lord is
the One who bought them at the cost of His own life’s blood.
Although not all unsaved people deny the lordship of Jesus Christ (cf. Matt
7:21-23), these coming false teachers not only do not believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ for eternal life, but they also have rejected His lordship and
bring on themselves swift destruction. Furthermore, it is not their
rejection of His lordship that brings eternal condemnation, but rather their
lack of faith in His guarantee about the gift of eternal life (e.g., John 6:35-
40, 47).
2:2. Peter sadly anticipates that many will follow their destructive ways.
It should be noted here that the NKJV translates a reading found in only a
few Greek manuscripts. The words destructive ways (apōleiais) should be
instead licentious ways or simply licentiousness (aselgeiais). Essentially
these men will be apologists for a depraved lifestyle.
Naturally such Christian casualties are a source of embarrassment for the
testimony of the Church so that the way of truth will be blasphemed. In
cases like this, the unsaved world is only too glad to point an accusatory
finger at Christians who have fallen into sinful ways and to use such people
as an excuse to slander Christianity itself. Peter’s purpose in writing this
very epistle is to warn his readers not to be among those who are deceived.
2:3. The primary “hook” by which these false teachers seduce their hearers
is their appeal to basic human covetousness (by covetousness they will
exploit you with deceptive words). But such men have a judgment
awaiting them that is nothing less than eternal damnation (see v 17). In fact,
there are specific cases in which this judgment is already active, that is, for
a long time their judgment has not been idle. The apostle has in mind
three cases in particular: the “angels who sinned” (v 4), “the ancient world”
of Noah’s day (vv 5-6), and “the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah” (vv 7-8).
 It is evident from these cases of divine retribution that Peter is thinking
here of a definitive temporal retribution resulting in the banishment of these
flagrant sinners to the realm of the lost to await their final day of judgment.
These solemn words give powerful support to the Biblical doctrine of
eternal hell.
2. The doom of the false teachers (2:4-9)
2:4-5. The entirety of the new subunit (vv 4-9) is a single long sentence in
the Greek text, the climax of which is reached in v 9 with the words “the
Lord knows how to deliver the godly…”
In vv 4-5 the Apostle draws his first example from the days of Noah. This
is obvious in v 5, but might not be so obvious in v 4. Yet the reference in v
4 to the angels who sinned can hardly be to those angels who followed
Satan in his original rebellion against God. The angels Peter refers to are
now under restraint, having been cast…down to hell, bound by chains of
darkness. But this is certainly not the case with most fallen angels today
(cf. Eph 6:12), who are both free and actively oppose believers.
The reference here is to “the sons of God” (cf. Job 1:6; 2:1) who
intermarried with human women in the days of Noah (Gen 6:2). Alternative
explanations for “the sons of God” in Gen 6:2 are not very persuasive. By
contrast, a reference to sinning angels in 2 Pet 2:4 in immediate connection
with Noah and the flood (v 5) brings together two elements already
connected with each other in Genesis 6.
The point of the comparison is to show that both angels (v 4) and men (v
5) fell under severe judgment in Noah’s time. The former were consigned to
a place of restraint and torment until the day of their final judgment (cf.
Matt 8:29; Rev 20:10), while men were swept away by the flood and were
likewise confined to Hades until their own final judgment.
God saved Noah and his family from physical death. For 120 years Noah
was a preacher of righteousness, evidently calling for people not only to
believe in the Lord for eternal life, but also to live righteously (presumably
so that they too might be saved from the Flood).
Peter is therefore fortifying his readers against the seductions of the false
teachers by reminding them that those teachers are headed for a similar
doom. However urbane and sophisticated unsaved teachers of error may be,
in the end their destiny is stark and tragic indeed.
 2:6-9. The combination of the days of Noah with the days of Lot in the
discussion here recalls unmistakably our Lord’s combination of these two
periods in His own prophetic teaching (see Luke 17:26-30). Both time
periods illustrate the truth that the judgment of God fell unexpectedly on
sinners, as will the judgments that are to occur at the time of His second
advent.
When Peter states that God delivered righteous Lot, who was oppressed
by the filthy conduct of the wicked, his words have a powerful relevance
to his readers. The readers themselves will be delivered when the judgments
begin to fall. That is to say, like righteous Lot before them, they will be
delivered “from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10).
The apostle is speaking of experiential righteousness here. Lot’s
righteousness is seen in that he tormented his righteous soul from day to
day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds. In other words, being
tormented by wickedness is in itself an expression of righteousness.
Peter’s observation about Lot being delivered from Sodom before it fell
(vv 6-7) furnishes a reminder to his readers that a similar expectation is
theirs as well (i.e., the Rapture). And if, like Lot, they are distressed by the
ungodliness of the false teachers and of the world around them, they can
know that this distress will not last forever. They should therefore find hope
and inspiration in the precious promise of their Savior’s imminent return.
The Apostle wants his readers to draw two conclusions. The first is that the
Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations (Noah, v 5; and
Lot, vv 7-8). The second is that the Lord knows how to deal with the
ungodly too, reserving the unjust under punishment for the day of
judgment.
3. The character of the false teachers (2:10-17)
2:10. Peter scathingly indicts the character of the false teachers. Their
corrupt character not only serves to describe them but, by implication, to
justify their doom about which Peter has just spoken.
Two features are prominent: First, they are heavily into sexual immorality
(they walk according to the flesh in the lust of uncleanness; cf. v 14); and
second, they despise authority.
The men about whom Peter is writing are presumptuous and self-willed
and are not afraid to speak evil of dignitaries (doxas, i.e., glorious
beings, fallen angels).
2:11. This arrogant presumption is not even duplicated by angels, who are
greater in power and might than these audacious false teachers. For
angels do not bring a reviling accusation against them [i.e., against the
dignitaries] before the Lord (cf. Jude 8-9).
The reason false teachers would revile dignitaries such as Satan and his
angels may well be to “disprove” the most obvious charge against them. For
when they teach immoral conduct in the churches, they might easily be
accused of serving Satan. By their speaking evil of Satan and his minions,
they attempt to demonstrate their independence from these evil dignitaries.
2:12. When they speak evil of angelic dignitaries, they are not exhibiting
wisdom or spiritual acumen as they might claim. Instead they are talking of
things they do not understand. They have no more understanding of such
matters than animals (natural brute beasts)! These men who behave at the
level of animals can expect the fate of animals: they will utterly perish in
their own corruption.
2:13. The apostle now returns to the specific description of the character of
the false teachers which he had begun in v 10 with the Greek words
translated presumptuous, self-willed. They count it pleasure to carouse in
the daytime. That is, the depraved lifestyle of these men is carried on not
simply at night (when such behavior most frequently occurs), but also
openly and flagrantly in the daytime.
Worse yet, such men are spots and blemishes in the church meetings,
where they are found carousing in their own deceptions while they feast
with you. The most natural reference here is to a church gathering where
food was served, which is probably the Lord’s Supper.
With the words carousing in their own deceptions Peter captures the
extremely duplicitous nature of these men. They are feasting at the Lord’s
Table and at the same time reveling (carousing) in the deceitful pretences
they are making in the churches. Had they not claimed Christian faith, they
would no doubt have been excluded from the Christian fellowship. Instead,
they obviously have told whatever lies they wished in order to insinuate
themselves into the Christian meetings.
2:14. Unlike spiritually minded Christians who examine themselves before
partaking of the Supper (see 1 Cor 11:28), these men sit there with eyes full
of adultery. So far from engaging in worship, they actually lust after the
women who participate in this sacred meal. They are so corrupt that they
cannot look at a woman without lustful desires (having eyes…that cannot
cease from sin).
Their corruptness, however, is not confined to mere desire. Instead, they
are guilty of beguiling unstable souls. This probably refers mainly to their
efforts to seduce immature or carnal young women in the congregation, but
may also allude to the encouragement they give to unstable young men to
pursue the same practices.
In their eagerness to express their sexual desires, they are very
experienced, having hearts trained in covetous practices.
Peter calls these false teachers accursed children (lit., children of a
curse). Peter here likely alludes to the curse that came on mankind as a
result of the sin of Adam and Eve in the Garden (Gen 3:16-19). Though not
sexual in nature, their disobedience represents the very first sinful
interaction between man and woman.
2:15-16. In addition to their sexual lust, these men also lust for financial
gain. Instead of pursuing a straight road, they have followed the way (or
road) of Balaam.
Like Balaam, they love the wages of unrighteousness. By pretending to
be genuine Christian teachers, they became entitled to the financial
remuneration Christians gave to those who ministered the Word (see Gal
6:6; 2 Cor 9:1-7; 1 Tim 5:17-18). Their unrighteousness produced financial
profit.
2:17. As Peter concludes his withering description of the false teachers, it
is clear that Peter’s prophecy refers to unsaved false teachers, since their
destiny is described here as the gloom of the blackness of darkness
forever. This does not mean, of course, that born-again Christians cannot
become false teachers. In fact, they can (see 2 Tim 1:18-20; 2:17-18). It
only means that Peter’s prophecy (cf. 2 Pet 2:1) concerns unregenerate false
teachers.
Such men are as empty and disappointing as wells without water and as
clouds carried rapidly away by the strong winds of a storm without ever
releasing the needed rainfall. In the arid Middle East where Peter grew up,
these would be powerful metaphors for how unsatisfying and unprofitable
the false teachers are.
 With this last metaphor, however, Peter also characterizes the false
teachers as transient beings who are swept along by their corrupt desires,
like swiftly moving clouds, and are swallowed up into the darkness of hell.
4. The victims of the false teachers (2:18-22)
2:18. Peter begins to discuss the effects these teachers will have by stating
that they allure through the lusts of the flesh…the ones who have
actually escaped [the believers who are duped] from those who live in
error. The method by which these teachers seduce their victims involves
two factors: (1) great swelling words of emptiness and (2) the lusts of the
flesh.
In other words, the timeless appeal that fleshly desires have to the sinful
human heart is enhanced by the pompous justifications for gratifying them
that the teachers proclaim. But such justifications, in Peter’s eyes, are
nothing other than empty words.
The phrase through licentiousness might also be rendered in or with
debaucheries (the Greek noun is plural). That is, the lusts of the flesh are
aroused by the wild profligacy of the behavior that the false teachers paint
in such appealing colors.
Beginning with v 18, Peter turns to describe the Christian victims of the
false teachers he has been talking about in vv 1-17. These victims are
people who have actually escaped from those who live in error. They are
Christians who have made a break from the corrupt lifestyles around them.
But when they listen to the voice of these teachers of error, if they succumb
to that teaching, they are dragged back into the moral corruption of the
unregenerate world.
2:19. Falling would have tragic consequences for Peter’s readers (but loss
of eternal salvation is not one of them). To begin with, their unsaved
“mentors” promise them liberty but in fact they themselves [the false
teachers] are slaves of corruption.
The simple fact is that when a person is overcome by something, he is
brought into bondage by that very thing. This fundamental thought was
expressed by the Lord Jesus Himself when He declared that “whoever
commits sin is a slave of sin” (John 8:34).
2:20. When Christians therefore are duped into following the licentious
lifestyle of such men, it is a serious matter if they do so after they have
escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ. Peter is not referring here to newly saved
individuals who are still struggling with sins they committed before they
were saved. Instead, Peter is referring to people who have grown
sufficiently in the knowledge of Jesus Christ so that their escape from the
pollutions of the world has been real (cf. “actually” in v 18).
This word for knowledge in this epistle denotes the vehicle whereby God
equips believers for holy living (1:3). To have found this knowledge
powerful enough to liberate one from the pollutions of the world, and then
to turn away from it back into depraved conduct, is serious indeed. It is so
serious that for those who do this, the latter end is worse for them than
the beginning.
This last idea, of course, does not suggest that such people (duped
believers) end in hell (cf. John 6:35-40). On the contrary, it refers instead to
the actual conduct of such people; since conduct is precisely what is being
discussed. When anyone escapes an immoral lifestyle through the
knowledge of the Lord, and then if he abandons the holiness he has found,
he will sink more deeply than ever into the pollutions of the world.
The words the latter end is worse for them than the beginning very nearly
reproduce the words of Jesus in Matt 12:45 and Luke 11:26, “the last state
of that man is worse than the first.”
Although the Bible always affirms that salvation is absolutely free and can
never be lost, it never treats a Christian’s defection from God’s path lightly.
For a godly saved person to abandon the Lord’s righteous standards is to
court His righteous wrath and to invite tragic personal disaster. It is a fool’s
pathway (cf. v 22).
2:21. Therefore it would be better for Christians not to have known the
way of righteousness than turn from the holy commandment delivered
to them.
Peter does not say that in such cases it would be better for a person not to
have known Christ. Since eternal salvation is guaranteed by faith alone and
cannot be lost, there are no circumstances under which not knowing Christ
as Savior would actually be better. It is the path of righteousness that they
would have been better off not knowing.
If a mature Christian, therefore, returns to corrupt behavior after walking
in the path of righteousness, his time on that righteous pathway will prove
counterproductive. Since a fall from that pathway leads to deeper
degradation in sin, the time spent on the Christian road has led to a worse
result than otherwise would have been the case.
A second thing Peter does not say is that such people turn from Christ.
Rather they turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
2:22. Those who follow this spiritual deception behave in a gross and
degrading way. They behave like a “dog” that “returns” to eat its “vomit”
or like a “sow” that has been all “washed” off but goes back to
“wallowing” in its favorite mud hole. This pointed proverb is simply a
straightforward and highly unflattering description of the conduct of those
who heed the false teaching. They are behaving like disgusting animals!
Once again, of course, we observe here the uncompromising realism of the
NT writers. They know the saving grace of God, but they refuse to gloss
over the enormity of the failures to which believers are liable unless they
stay close to the Lord and depend on His strength.
5. The doctrine of the false teachers (3:1-9)
3:1. For the first time Peter addresses the readers as Beloved (also used in
vv 8, 14, 17). Because these people are beloved by the apostle he warns
them of the coming spiritual dangers.
The word translated stir up seems to have been used especially of
awakening people. Peter, however, is not implying that his readers are
spiritually asleep. He is not awakening them, but their pure minds. His
words actually are indirectly complimentary. Precisely because their minds
are pure, he would not expect them to be contemplating the arrival of such
degraded, lascivious men as these false teachers will be.
3:2. The holy prophets (cf. 1:19-21) had prophesied the Second Advent
long ago. Peter wants the readers to keep this OT authentication in mind.
But he also wants the readers to remember the commandment of your
apostles of the Lord and Savior (both the CT and MT omit us and read
your either before apostles or before Lord and Savior). By the words your
apostles Peter meant the apostles who actually evangelized the readers in
the first place and who had given them their fundamental teaching.
The commandment (singular) Peter has in mind here is the Lord’s often
repeated admonition to watch for His coming (see Matt 24:42; 25:13; Mark
13:33, 35, 37; Luke 21:36).
 3:3. The false teachers are not to be allowed to deter this watchfulness.
Instead, they can actually furnish an incentive to watch! The reason for this
incentive is found in the words that scoffers will come in the last days.
Therefore, when the readership observes that these scoffers have come,
driven by their own lusts and challenging the Second Advent, they should
see them for what they are, namely, a fulfillment of prophecy!
Peter correctly assesses the vital link between eschatological truth and
moral rectitude. He encourages his readers to reject both the false doctrine
and the depraved lifestyle of these teachers of error.
3:4. The scoffers will mockingly ask, “Where is the promise of His
coming?” They will view the delay of the Second Advent as proof that no
Second Advent will occur. Since the judgments associated with it in OT and
NT prophecy have not taken place, they will affirm that the world simply
goes on as usual (3:4b). Thus they reject the idea of a cataclysmic
intervention by God.
3:5. This rejection, however, occurs because (for) their doctrine is based
on willful ignorance of revealed truth. They willfully forget the destruction
of the ancient world by the Flood of Noah’s day. In other words they
deliberately ignore the testimony of Scripture about the Flood.
The world destroyed by water in Noah’s day was created by the word of
God. The dry land emerged from the primordial waters that covered the
globe when God commanded that this should be so (Gen 1:9-10). Peter
refers to this when he speaks about the earth standing out of water and in
the water.
3:6. According to Gen 1:6-7 the ancient world was enclosed by a “canopy”
(firmament) that held water above it. In the Flood, however, “all the
fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven
were opened” (Gen 7:11). The “canopy” evidently collapsed.
However, this water-encompassed existence, which God’s creative word
had brought about, meant that these very waters could serve as the means
for the catastrophic termination of the pre-Flood world (by which the
world that then existed perished).
3:7. The present heavens and earth…are kept in store—not for water—
but reserved for fire, by which they too will ultimately perish (see vv 9-
10). This reservation of the present cosmos for a fiery end is secured by the
same word, the very same word that created the water-encompassed state
of the pre-Flood world.
Therefore the apparent stability of the present cosmos is not due to its
inherent nature but to the power of God (see Col 1:16-17; Heb 1:3). This
too the scoffers obviously overlook.
This treasuring up of the present cosmos for fire means that it is being
preserved until the day for the judgment and perdition of ungodly men.
The day of the fiery dissolution of all things waits on the appointed time for
the complete judgment and ruin of the unrighteous.
The expression the day for the judgment and perdition of ungodly men is
probably Peter’s equivalent for the term the Day of the Lord in v 10. Thus it
refers to the whole range of divine judgments including the Tribulation
judgments, the Lord’s judging of people during the Millennium (cf. Matt
5:22), His crushing of man’s final rebellion at the end of the Millennium
(Rev 20:7-10), and finally the Great White Throne Judgment (Rev 20:11-
15). The terminology Peter uses here is especially appropriate to the
culmination of those judgments, the final appearance of the unrighteous
before their Maker.
Peter’s view of the cosmos as transient and temporary contrasts with the
perspective of the scoffers. Sadly most of humanity remains utterly
unprepared for the Day of the Lord even while events involving Israel and
the Middle East suggest that that Day may be very imminent.
3:8. Peter informs the readers they should not let it slip from their minds
(do not forget this one thing) that God experiences time differently than
man does. As Peter puts it, God experiences one day as if it were a
thousand years and He experiences a thousand years as if they were one
day.
Scientists now know that time itself is a dimension of our universe. Thus
we live in a four-dimensional cosmos in which there are three dimensions
of space (length, depth, and height) and one of time. The passage of time is
actually relative to an observer’s speed of movement through space.
3:9. The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, that is, as some
count slackness. How can a God for whom a great span of time (a thousand
years) is no longer than a single day be accused of slowness? Additionally,
God is longsuffering toward us. The word us (found in the majority of
manuscripts) here is not a reference to Peter and his believing readers but to
humanity in general, since Peter is talking about a worldwide calamity.
Peter is not discussing the final judgment of men, but instead the arrival of
the Lord’s coming, which the scoffers are challenging (see vv 4, 10).
God is in no way anxious to begin the judgments following Christ’s return.
Instead, He is longsuffering, not willing that any should perish. The
Greek word rendered perish (apolesthai) might equally well have been
translated be killed. God is reluctant to see sinners killed.
What God seeks from men while His judgment tarries is repentance. God’s
wish therefore is that all should come to repentance. This statement
should not be read as though it indicated God’s desire that all men should be
saved from hell, though that desire is expressed elsewhere in Scripture
(John 3:16-17; 2 Cor 5:19-20; 1 Tim 2:4-5). What is suggested here,
however, is that if men would repent, the judgment of the Day of the Lord
could be averted. But this repentance would need to be universal; that is, all
would have to come to repentance (cf. Luke 13:3, 5).
God’s compassion is real and man’s opportunity to repent is equally real.
Peter is not talking about everyone getting saved, but about everyone
turning to the true God in one way or another. The point is simple. God
delays in order to give all men a genuine opportunity to repent. The
opportunity is real because the mercy is real.
Undoubtedly God fully knows under what set of conditions mankind might
turn to Him—however briefly—and so long as there are options that are
viable in His eyes, He withholds the promise of our Savior’s return. But
even if this results in another thousand years of seeming delay, for Him the
length of “time” is inconsequentially short.
C. The Call to Live in Light of the Coming World (3:10-13)
3:10. In the Greek the word translated will come stands first in the
sentence and is clearly emphatic. The false teachers will insist that the day
of the Lord will not come, but—says Peter—it will!
What is especially striking here is that Peter passes immediately from the
arrival of the Day of the Lord to its consummation: the heavens will pass
away and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.
Obviously Peter is not concerned with the multitude of specific events that
occur during this unprecedented time period, but only with its final
outcome. That outcome will be new heavens and a new earth (v 13).
 Some have concluded that since Peter does not mention the Millennium,
this means that he did not believe in that event. But a person’s failure to
mention something is not a valid basis for thinking he does not know about
it. Both the OT and the NT teach that the first thousand years of the Lord’s
eternal kingdom contain rebellion and sin. This is plain from Zech 14:16-19
and from the fact that the rebellion of Gog and Magog (Rev 20:7-9) follows
the Millennium.
But here Peter is not concerned with writing about the Millennium. Instead
he chooses to treat the Day of the Lord as that climactic period in human
history that is initiated by the fulfillment of God’s promise about the
coming of His Son. When this time period is over, there will be a new
creation.
Whereas the Day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night, the old
heavens and old earth do not just silently pass away. Instead Peter describes
a picture of their dissolution that is visually and audibly dramatic.
(Editor’s note: While the Day of the Lord and the imagery of a thief in the
night is clearly linked with the Rapture/Second Coming [cf. Matt 24:43, 49-
50; 1 Thess 5:2], the author believed that Peter was using the expression
here not to refer to the Second Coming per se, but to what emerges from it,
to its consummation as he says above. The result of Christ’s promised return
is the elimination of all taint of sin in the universe.)
He begins his description of this in terms of audibility: the heavens will
pass away with a great noise. As is well known, scientists have discovered
the fact that the universe is expanding. Given this kind of image, the
collapse of the stellar heavens will be accompanied by a rushing noise. All
the elements in the universe will melt with fervent [fiery] heat, that is,
they will be destroyed by burning. As this conflagration takes place, the
earth and all it contains will be burned up, removing all taint of sin.
How vain it is to focus on the things of this world! Someday they will all
be gone along with the universe of which they were but a tiny part! A
spiritually perceptive Christian will live with this fact in mind.
3:11. As people who possess this future perspective on things around
them, the readers have a moral obligation to live appropriately. This
obligation is not elaborated here; but it is deeply embedded in the
instructions that Jesus gave His disciples (e.g., Matthew 24–25; Luke
12:22-48), and which they in turn have transmitted to us. The readers,
therefore, should seek to be the manner of persons who are characterized
by holy conduct and godliness.
Peter is thinking of the many specific ways in which a believer ought to
make plain in his behavior that he is living with God’s eschatological
promises in view.
3:12. It is clear both here and in the teachings of Jesus and Paul that
whenever the final divine judgments on this earth begin, the day of God
(i.e., the day of the Lord) also begins. But as in v 10, Peter has leaped over
the one thousand years of the Millennium and brings his readers at once to
the conclusion of the Day of the Lord in the dissolution of the old cosmos.
Peter again describes the end of the present universe as one in which the
elements will melt with fervent heat (cf. v 10).
This is the very last judgment. But we should not take this statement as a
mere repetition of what Peter has just said in v 10. To be sure, he is
describing the very same event, but this time that destruction is put into the
context of God’s overall purpose for His creation.
All that is contrary to God will be banished from this new creation forever
(cf. 1 Cor 15:24-25; 2 Pet 1:11).
The readers are to be looking for and hastening this coming day. The
word hastening is not the best translation. In this context the Greek means
eagerly awaiting (cf. Acts 20:16). Believers cannot move up this day. But
they can and should look for it with eager anticipation.
3:13. The coming of “the day of God” brings with it new heavens and a
new earth in which righteousness dwells. Unlike the old heavens and
earth that have been plagued with the presence of sin ever since the Fall of
Adam and Eve, the new world will be a place where righteousness will be
truly and permanently at home.
V. Conclusion (3:14-18a)
Since many of the recipients of the letter had no doubt been exposed to the
ministry of the Apostle Paul (cf. v 3:1 with 1 Pet 1:1), Peter in his
conclusion especially emphasizes his own solidarity with that great servant
of Christ.
3:14. Since the Day of the Lord was to arrive without warning like a thief
in the night (see vv 1-10a), the Lord Jesus might come at any time. In view
of that, the readers ought to be careful that when He came He would find
them in harmony with one another (in peace) and free from moral and
spiritual defilement. The words without spot and blameless do not, of
course, indicate sinlessness, but rather lives lived free of the general
depravity and corruptness all around them, especially of the sort encouraged
by the licentiousness of the false teachers.
3:15. In addition, Peter once again warns his readers not to be discouraged
by the delay of the Second Advent (vv 3-4). Instead they should regard that
delay as a token of their coming deliverance (salvation) from the wrath
which Jesus’ return will bring.
Up to this point Peter has done little more than to hint at this deliverance in
2:9. But as he and the readers well know, Paul discussed this deliverance in
some detail. The epistle Peter especially has in mind is 1 Thessalonians
where Paul tells us we are waiting for His Son from heaven “who delivers
us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10; see also 1 Thess 5:9-10).
Peter warmly calls Paul our beloved brother and credits him with divine
wisdom given to him. Peter was obviously an admirer of Paul—a fact that
speaks volumes not only about Paul but also about Peter. There is no
professional jealousy here!
3:16. Although Peter is no doubt thinking particularly of what Paul taught
in 1 Thessalonians, he also recognizes that in all his epistles he addresses
the prophetic truths (these things) Peter has discussed in this letter.
Admittedly, says Peter, Paul’s letters contain some things that are hard to
understand. Obviously, Peter had spent time in Paul’s letters and was not
content with a mere superficial reading of them. Since Paul’s wisdom came
from God (see v 15), Peter valued this teaching and evidently worked hard
to gain a comprehension of it.
However, others who were untaught and unstable did not succeed in
reaching a correct interpretation of Paul’s words. This was caused by a lack
of teaching combined with spiritual instability, not by Paul’s writings
themselves. The flawed understanding of these unstable people led them to
misrepresent (that is, twist) what Paul taught. Indeed this twisting of
Pauline doctrine led also to the twisting of Scripture as a whole (the rest of
the Scriptures) with spiritually ruinous results. That Paul’s writings were
indeed Scripture, Peter tacitly acknowledges with the words the rest of the
Scriptures.
 As frequently happens today as well, a false doctrine often originates from
a misunderstanding of one (or a few) Biblical passages. Once adopted, the
rest of Scripture is twisted to conform to this misconception, and the false
idea is promoted as Biblical truth. The statement about people twisting
Biblical truth to their own destruction does not, of course, indicate that
such people are unsaved. Even born-again people may go astray doctrinally.
3:17. The deplorable example of the untaught and unstable ought to be a
warning to the readers not to be similarly deceived by the error of the
wicked. Peter again no doubt has in mind the coming false teachers whose
theology not only involves twisting the Scriptures but is also motivated by
their own corrupt desires. Peter does not want the readers to forget that false
doctrine and depravity often go hand in hand.
The beloved readers ought not to be led astray in this manner and thus fall
from their present state of spiritual steadfastness. Peter’s view of the
readers is positive at this point and he wishes them to maintain their
spiritual stability in God’s truth. However, his realism about the spiritual
dangers they face is refreshing. It contrasts sharply with the readiness of
many today to construe such a fall as evidence of an unregenerate
condition.
3:18a. Instead of going backward, the readers should move forward
spiritually. This means that they should grow in the grace and knowledge
of their Lord and Savior. Peter’s approach to the spiritual life is intimated
here in condensed form. Knowledge is not for Peter the only, or even the
primary, key to spiritual growth. Instead grace has primacy in this process
and true spiritual knowledge flows from an understanding of grace.
Experience teaches the wise spiritual shepherd that an appreciation of the
grace of God as manifested in Jesus Christ is the catalyst for spiritual
progress.
VI. Benediction (3:18b)
3:18b. The concluding benediction affirms that glory belongs rightly to
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The ultimate purpose of Peter’s letter
is in fact the glory of Jesus Christ. If the readers will avoid the moral
corruptness of the false teachers, they can live lives that bring glory to God.
Moreover, that glory is not merely for the present but also for the eternal
future (both now and forever). Unlike the scoffers who think that the
present world is forever (v 4), but whose lifestyle will perish when the
world does, Christians are headed toward a world where righteousness
makes its home (v 13). In such a world their righteousness will shine on
forever to the eternal glory of the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Dan 12:3).
 1-3 John
ZANE C. HODGES
INTRODUCTION
Ancient tradition assigns these epistles to John the son of Zebedee, one of
the twelve apostles. Although efforts have been made to evade the
implication that an eyewitness wrote 1:1-4, these efforts are faulty. The
statement of 4:6 (“We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is
not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the
spirit of error”) would be pompous, to say the least, if it was not penned by
an apostle.
In 2 and 3 John the writer introduces himself as “the Elder.” This title is
perhaps simply the author’s self-effacing way of saying “the elderly one” or
“the old man.” On the other hand, possibly “the older ones” (or, “elders”)
had already become a designation for the apostles. If so, the term in 2 and 3
John could be a claim to apostolic authority.
The efforts made by critical scholars to find nonapostolic authors for the
Fourth Gospel and these epistles are not surprising, because of scholars’
usual bias against apostolic eyewitness accounts. But the attempt to
differentiate the authorship of the Gospel from that of the Epistles and even
sometimes that of 1 John from 2 and 3 John, is a stunning display of tunnel
vision. It is difficult to find four books anywhere in Greek literature that
exhibit a style more likely to stem from one mind than does the style of the
Gospel and the Epistles. Even the English reader can detect this.
The near unanimity of ancient opinion that the apostle John wrote these
three epistles must carry its full weight. Johannine authorship is well
supported and incapable of refutation.
There are no clear internal indications of the date when the Johannine
Epistles were written. The content of the Epistles often seem to presuppose
knowledge of what was written in the Gospel of John.
The date of the Gospel is most likely prior to AD 70 since the destruction
of the temple is not mentioned in that Gospel. The statement in John 5:2
that “there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool” argues that Jerusalem
was still standing when the Gospel was written. According to Eusebius and
Irenaeus, John wrote his Gospel from Ephesus. Many believe he began to
minister there in the late 40s or early 50s. The most likely date for the
composition of the Gospel of John at Ephesus (as per Irenaeus) would be
between AD 48 and 52. No one knows how much time elapsed between the
composition of the Fourth Gospel and the writing of the Epistles, which
seem often to presuppose the teaching found in the Gospel. But it could
well have been quite a few years.
The Book of Revelation was the last book John wrote. While many hold to
a late date for Revelation, there is good reason to believe that it also was
written before the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (See Introduction to
Revelation).
Therefore the Epistles can be broadly dated between 48 and 70, but in light
of the infusion of false teaching in the church, and John’s reference to what
they had “heard from the beginning” (cf. 1 John 2:7, 24; 3:11; 2 John 6), a
date of 64–65 seems preferable.
When John wrote 1 John, he may have been back in Jerusalem with a
number of other apostles (cf. comments on 2:19). John already is well
acquainted with at least one of the churches addressed (see comments on 2
John). His paternal concern for them, marked by his repeated term of
address, “little children,” also suggests that he felt a pastoral responsibility
for these believers.
In 1 John the apostle writes out of a concern that certain false teachers may
be given a hearing in the church or churches he is addressing. Since they
deny that Jesus is the Christ come in the flesh (1 John 2:22; 4:3), their
doctrine strikes at the heart of Christian experience. The readers, who
themselves are Christians (2:12-14, 21; 5:13), are not in danger of losing
eternal life—which cannot be lost—but are in danger of having their
fellowship with God seriously undermined.
The aim of 1 John is fellowship (1:3), but John also wrote to sustain and
promote this fellowship with God in the face of theological errors. These
errors seem to center around the denial that Jesus is the Christ who had
come in flesh. The statements in 1 John 5:6-8 suggest the possibility of an
error that said the man Jesus and the divine Christ were two distinct beings,
and that the Christ descended on Jesus at His baptism, but left Him prior to
His death. Thus the divine Christ might be said to have come “by water”
but not by “blood” (see discussion on 5:6).
 If this were the case, it would imply that some aspects, at least, of physical
experience were considered by the false teachers to be inappropriate or
meaningless for a divine being. This may have involved the concept that
any real physical contact with such a being was also impossible and that
people could have contact only with the human Jesus. If this claim was
made, it is denied in 1:2 where the apostles are said to have had physical
contact with “that eternal life which was with the Father and was
manifested to us” (italics added).
The false teachers could also have affirmed that the spiritual person did
not actually commit sin when he was involved in immorality, since he was
fundamentally above or separate from all physical experience. John’s
apparent concern that the commandments of the Lord should be taken
seriously would thus be relevant to any such teaching as this (2:3, 4, 7;
3:23; 4:21; 5:2-3).
Particularly relevant is the final command of the epistle: “Little children,
keep yourselves from idols” (5:21). As the letters to the seven churches in
Revelation reveal, the problem of Christian compromise with pagan
idolatrous practice was very much alive in these churches (Rev 2:14, 20).
The cultural situation made such compromise particularly seductive.
Artisans, for example, might belong to a particular guild that had a specific
pagan god as its patron. Guild meetings could be held in the idol’s temple
and such feasts often featured the opportunity for immorality with temple
prostitutes. A Christian who refused to attend such meetings might well fear
expulsion from his guild and the loss of his means of livelihood.
First John also contains hints that the apostle is combating a view of God
that allowed for both light and darkness as part of the divine nature. For
example, when John writes, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all”
(1:5), the Greek statement about “no darkness” is emphatic, as the English
words “at all” rightly suggest. Again, in 2:29 where John writes, “If you
know that He is righteous,” he uses a Greek conditional form that does not
take such knowledge for granted.
The false teachers may have taught that ultimately both good and evil,
light and darkness originated with God Himself. Indeed, this idea seems to
lie behind the discussion of the sinlessness of the regenerate person’s
nature, which is found in 3:6-9.
 John also stresses the idea of “original truth,” and repeatedly uses the
phrase “from the beginning” in connection with what Christians were taught
or believed (see 1:1; 2:7, 24; 3:11). The false teachers did not deny
Christianity in its totality, they reinterpreted Christian history and doctrine.
For this reason these false teachers may be thought of as “the Revisionists,”
those who brought a new version of Christianity.
They are not referred to as Gnostics because there is no trace of the later
Gnostic mythologies in 1 John (with the possible exception of the reference
to Cain in 3:12). It is conceivable that the false teachers could be called
proto-Gnostics, but the term “Revisionists” seems more appropriate.
Nevertheless, they probably reflected some of the concepts that were
formative in later Gnostic thought.
The false teachers evidently were connected with the apostolic circle at
one time. This is by far the most natural reading of 2:19 where a “they-us-
you” sequence begins (see comments on 2:20). Naturally false teachers,
who wished their doctrines to be heard in the churches among the Gentiles,
would claim connections with the mother church in Jerusalem. Indeed, the
legalists, who came to Antioch from Judea (Acts 15:1), apparently made
such claims, which the apostles and elders at Jerusalem felt compelled to
deny (v 24). From 1 John 2:19 one can infer similar claims by the
revisionists, which John denies.
Like 1 John, 2 John is chiefly concerned with the revisionists, or
antichrists. At first glance, 2 John might seem like a personal letter, but it is
generally taken as written to a particular Christian church personified by
“the elect lady.”
Third John is a personal letter. There is no hint of doctrinal problems in
this epistle, and Diotrephes seems nothing more than the first known church
tyrant in Christian history. But this epistle is all the more important for its
uniqueness in addressing a problem that has replicated itself in Christian
history numerous times.

OUTLINE OF 1 JOHN
I. Prologue: The Call to Fellowship (1:1-4)
II. Preamble: Living in Fellowship with God (1:5–2:11)
III. Purpose: Resist the Antichrists (2:12-27)
IV. Body: The Life that Leads to Boldness Before Christ’s Judgment Seat
(2:28–4:19)
V. Conclusion: Learning How to Live Obediently (4:20–5:17)
VI. Epilogue: Christian Certainties (5:18-21)

OUTLINE OF 2 JOHN
I. Salutation (vv 1-3)
II. Protecting the Truth by Rejecting Error (vv 4-11)
III. Farewell (vv 12-13)

OUTLINE OF 3 JOHN
I. Salutation (v 1)
II. Upholding the Truth by Supporting Its Representatives (vv 2-12)
III. Farewell (vv 13-14)

COMMENTARY
I. Prologue: The Call to Fellowship (1:1-4)
First John begins with a firsthand eyewitness account of what the author
and his apostolic companions witnessed in Jesus Christ. John calls on what
they have seen and heard as a way to refute a group of professed teachers
who may be called Revisionists. Their message does not accord with the
truths originally given to the apostles. If the readers were to adopt any of
the doctrines these false teachers teach, it would destroy their fellowship
with the apostolic circle and with God (v 3).
1:1. The impersonal form that which was from the beginning is
deliberate. The person of Christ is not his theme here, but rather the “eternal
life which was with the Father and was manifested to us” (v 2). Although
Jesus is “the true God and eternal life” (5:20), the apostle wishes to stress
the realities of eternal life itself. This is a life his readers share (see
comments on 5:13).
John and his apostolic companions (note the word we) have heard…we
have seen…we have looked upon, and our hands have handled this life.
Of the four verbs in v 1 (“heard…seen…looked upon…handled”), the first
two, which are repeated in v 3, are in the Greek perfect tense, while the last
two, not repeated in v 3, are in the aorist tense. The perfect tense verbs
imply the ongoing shared experience of the apostles, while the two aorist
verbs do not.
Their message was concerning the Word of life, or “concerning the
message about life.” But since Jesus Christ is that life (5:20), one can also
say it means “concerning the message about Life.” John is writing about
what he and the other apostles witnessed in Jesus Christ, who is life (5:11-
12).
1:2. The apostles have seen this manifested life, bear witness to it, and
declare it to the readers. The revelation of this life was made only to the
apostles themselves (to us), so they were equipped to share their knowledge
of this manifested life.
1:3. What the apostles had seen and heard cannot be fully shared in this
life. Believers must wait until they are in the presence of the Lord to “gaze
at” or “handle” Him.
John now states the purpose of the epistle, namely, is fellowship (koinōnia
shared experiences, undertakings, possessions, etc).
But this is no ordinary kind of fellowship. It is fellowship with the
apostolic witnesses. In addition, John invites the readers to share in the
apostles’ own fellowship…with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ. If
one has fellowship with John’s circle, that one also has fellowship with God
and Jesus Christ.
1:4. John and the other apostles are delighted when those they have led to
Christ, or nurtured in the faith, are true to the faith. If the present letter
succeeds in encouraging the readers to “let that abide in [them] which [they]
heard from the beginning” (2:24), the joy of the readers will be full.
True joy is gained through knowing Christ and God the Father through the
apostles. Churches today need to respect the importance of accepting divine
truth, and rejecting doctrinal error.
II. Preamble: Living in Fellowship with God (1:5–2:11)
Since the Revisionists are a threat to the readers’ ongoing fellowship with
God, it is important to state the fundamental principles for such fellowship.
A. Staying on the Path: Walking in God’s Light (1:5–2:2)
 1:5. The simple yet profound message that God is light is crucial to all
fellowship between God and His creatures. Being free from every moral
defect, His light is unsullied by any degree of moral impurity, and in Him
is no darkness at all.
This latter statement is so emphatic in Greek (“darkness is not in Him—
none”) that the Revisionists may have claimed that there was darkness in
the Deity. In the religious atmosphere of the first century, pagan concepts
about the gods may have influenced some to produce anti-biblical
revelation of God. The heretics may have thought of Him as having a nature
that included both light and darkness. If the Revisionists did have such a
view of God, they could argue that moral distinctions were invalid. It was
vital that the readers of this epistle have no misunderstanding on this point.
God is completely holy.
1:6. The word we includes both the apostles and their Christian audience.
The believer who walks in sin has lost touch with a completely holy God. If
he nevertheless claims fellowship with such a God, he is lying. Sinning
believers are out of fellowship with Him.
The phrase practice the truth (lit., “to do the truth”) means “to act
consistently with the truth.” To claim fellowship with God while walking in
darkness is to behave contrary to the truth about God’s holiness.
1:7. Instead of walking in darkness, believers should walk in the light,
that is, to live in God’s presence, exposed to what He has revealed about
Himself, and to “walk in darkness” (v 6) is to hide from God and to refuse
to acknowledge what is known about Him. The believer who wants
fellowship with the Lord must maintain an openness to Him and a
willingness to be honest in His presence about everything that God shows
him.
The result of walking in the light is that believers have fellowship with
one another. That is, they have fellowship with God and He has fellowship
with them. Though Christians remain sinful people, while we walk in the
light the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin so that
they can maintain fellowship.
True, all Christians have already been cleansed (cf. 1 Cor 6:11) and have
full forgiveness in Christ (cf. Eph 1:7). So too there is an ongoing cleansing
based on Christ’s blood that enables imperfect children to have a genuine
experience of sharing with a perfectly holy heavenly Father.
 1:8. At no point in time can someone rightly claim to have no sin. Anyone
who makes such a claim is self-deceived.
The words the truth is not in us do not mean that the person in question is
not saved. The apostle continues to use first-person pronouns, we and us,
just as he has done from v 5 onward. If the truth has its proper effect on
believers, they will not fall into this trap. If they do fall into it, the truth is
not in us as an active and controlling force that shapes their thoughts and
attitudes.
1:9. As long as believers walk in that light, they are in a position to be
shown their failures. When that happens, they should confess them. The
word repentance is not used here or anywhere in the epistle. In John’s
usage, Christian repentance is appropriate when a pattern of sin is persisted
in and needs to be changed (see Rev 2:5, 16, 21, 22; 3:3, 19). In 1 John 1:9,
John is talking about those who discover sin while in fellowship with God,
not those who have wandered away. The audience of 1 John is spiritually
stable and has nothing to repent of (see 2:12-14, 21). Their task is to
“abide” in Christ and His truth (see 2:24, 28).
Confession of sin enables believers to remain in fellowship. First John 1:9
is not meant for the unsaved. Nowhere in the Johannine literature is
confession of sin given as a condition for obtaining eternal life. Faith is the
only condition for salvation (cf. John 3:16; 5:24; 6:47; 1 John 5:1, 12, 13).
If believers deny what the light shows them, they cease to be honest and
open with God and fellowship will end. But if we confess (homologeō,
“agree, admit, acknowledge”) our sins that the light reveals, they can
depend on God, who is faithful and just to forgive us our sins. Then
fellowship continues. The word just (dikaios) means “righteous.” Because
of the shed blood of Christ (v 7), there is no compromise of God’s
righteousness when He forgives.
The NKJV places the second our in italics since there is nothing in the
Greek that strictly corresponds to it. One could translate “to forgive us the
sins,” with the implication being “the sins we confess.” But what about the
sins of which believers are unaware? These are covered by the words and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Therefore, whenever a believer
makes confession–honestly acknowledging what he knows to be wrong–
whatever other sin there may be in his life is totally cleansed away. Nothing
is left uncleansed.
 1:10. When sin is revealed, believers either confess it or claim that we
have not sinned. If they choose the latter, they make Him a liar by
denying the testimony of His word and in effect, charging God with
untruthfulness.
It is inappropriate here to take the words we have not sinned as a
categorical denial that we have ever or at any time sinned. Even while one
is in fellowship with God, he is not free from the need for cleansing (v 7).
Should he deny that truth, he is self-deceived (v 8). If he confesses
whatever sins the light shows him, he is forgiven (v 9). But if he denies
what the light shows, he is making God a liar, which proves he does not
have fellowship with God (v 6), who is Light (v 5).
2:1. The apostle now enters a disclaimer. His words could be wrongly
perceived as discouraging the believer’s resistance to sin. But this is not his
intent. Tenderly he addresses his readers as my little children. That his
readers are genuine Christians he never doubts anywhere in his letter (cf.
2:12-14). He does not want his spiritual children to misconstrue his
intention in writing these things to them. These things (i.e., 1:5-10) are not
written either to excuse or to encourage sin. Instead they are written so that
you may not sin.
Though sin is to be vigorously shunned, it can and does occur in the lives
of believers. So John adds, And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with
the Father, Jesus Christ. As our Advocate, Jesus does not plead with God
to keep us “saved.” The many promises made in John’s Gospel that
guarantee the security of the believer stand against such an idea. Since
Jesus’ promises are true and the believer eternally secure, there is no need
for the Son to plead with the Father not to cast sinning believers away.
As their Advocate, Jesus intercedes for believers in prayer to the Father
that their “faith should not fail (cf. Luke 22:31-33). Though “the gifts and
the calling of God are irrevocable” (Rom 11:29), the faith that appropriates
those gifts is nevertheless subject to failure (cf. 2 Tim 2:18). Christ
intercedes for believers so that this will not happen.
2:2. Jesus is also the propitiation for our sins. He can intercede for
believers before God because He has personally made satisfaction to God
for our sins. No matter what one’s sin may be, Christ has made satisfaction
for it. Indeed, as a propitiation for sin, this propitiation covers the sins of all
humanity, (the whole world).
 The argument that if Christ paid for all human sin all would be saved is a
misconception. The removal of sin as a barrier to God’s saving grace does
not automatically bring regeneration and eternal life. The sinner remains
dead and “alienated from the life of God” (Eph 4:18). At the final judgment
of the lost (Rev 20:11-15), sin as sin is not considered. Instead, men are
“judged according to their works” (Rev 20:12) to demonstrate to each that
their “works” give them no claim on God’s salvation.
B. Reaching the Goal: Knowing the God of Light (2:3-11)
2:3. Any claim that one has achieved a personal knowledge of God can be
at once tested by whether he keeps His commandments. The word Him
might refer either to God or to Christ, or it may be intentionally vague,
since for John they are One.
This verse is often taken as a way of knowing whether a person is
genuinely saved. The explanation often given is that although salvation is
by faith, one cannot know whether his faith is real unless he keeps His
commandments. But that view conflicts with Johannine theology in many
ways.
First, a person is saved by believing in Christ for eternal life (John 3:16;
5:24; 6:35; etc.). Second, the idea that a Christian can believe in Christ,
without knowing whether he or she has really believed, is nonsense. When
Jesus asks Martha if she believes, neither of them adopt a “wait and see”
mentality (John 11:25-26). Martha’s reply, which was accepted by Jesus,
was a strong affirmation of her belief (v 27). Since belief is a conviction
that something is true, when we believe, we know we have believed.
First John 2:3 is not talking about the saving knowledge of Christ, but a
fellowship knowledge. While it is true that all believers do know God and
Christ at a fundamental level, all believers may not know them at the level
of communion and fellowship (cf. the interaction between Philip and Jesus
in John 14:7-9). First John 2:3 refers not to the saving knowledge of God,
but of the experiential knowledge of God.
Just as a claim to fellowship with Him is false if a believer “walks in
darkness,” so too a disobedient lifestyle falsifies any claim to intimate
knowledge of Him.
2:4. But someone might claim such knowledge without the obedience that
goes with it. In that case the person making the claim is a liar, and the
truth is not in him as a dynamic, controlling force (see comments on 1:8).
Without obedience to God’s commandments, no person can truthfully claim
an intimate personal knowledge of the Father and the Son.
Here, as in v 3, the words “I know Him” could be translated I have come
to know Him. On the lips of the Revisionists this claim would probably
imply the attainment of a knowledge of God that the readers lacked and that
the Revisionists offered to supply.
2:5. In contrast to the false claim discussed in v 4, the apostle now
observes that the person who keeps (guards) His word has a special
experience of the love of God. Love for Christ and obedience to His word
are in no way a test of saving faith, despite the repeated claim by many that
they are. Instead, they are tests of genuine, heartfelt discipleship to Jesus.
The love of God is perfected in obedient Christians. The Greek word
translated is perfected (teteleiotai) suggests “bring to completion,” “bring to
its goal,” or “bring to full measure.” God’s love for the believer is
wonderful at the point of salvation (see 3:1), but its goal is not reached until
the believer returns that love by obedience, with the result that he knows the
deeply personal love of the Father and Son as they “make [their] home with
him” (John 14:23).
The expression in Him (en autō) is not equivalent to Paul’s concept of
being “in Christ” (en Christō). In light of Christ’s teaching in John 13–17
(esp. 15:1-8), the words in Him refer to the “abiding” Teacher/disciple
relationship.
2:6. The claim that someone abides in Christ can be verified only by a
Christlike lifestyle. The Greek word menō (“to remain,” “to dwell,” “to
live”)–its first occurrence in 1 John–describes the life of discipleship (cf.
John 15:4-7). The words of 1 John 2:5 about being “in Him” are equivalent
to the idea of “abiding” in Him. The next few verses explain how to do this.
2:7. The old commandment is the one the believers had from the
beginning of their Christian experience. The old commandment is the one
spoken years before by Jesus in John 13:34: “A new commandment I give
to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love
one another.”
This memorable “new” commandment was now old for John’s readers
because they had received it from the beginning, that is, in the very earliest
period of their Christian lives. This is the only reasonable sense for the
phrase from the beginning. There is an implicit connection between 1:1 and
2:7, since John is concerned in this letter with the original truth of
Christianity in contrast to the spurious “new truth” evidently taught by the
Revisionists. Perhaps the Revisionists of John’s day reinterpreted the
meaning of the commandment to love one another. This John would not
allow. The old commandment still had the same content as before.
2:8. From another point of view (Again), the commandment John spoke
about in v 7 as being “old” can be called a new commandment. This is
because it belongs to the new age that was dawning.
Is passing away (paragō) occurs in 1 John only here and in v 17 (cf. 1 Cor
7:31). Since the world is morally at odds with God the Father (1 John 2:15-
17), darkness describes its moral condition. Thus the apostle is stating that
the “old” moral situation of the world is temporary. The “new” reality that
will replace it, the true light, is already shining. It was revealed fully in
Christ’s love for the world (John 3:16), and is being revealed in Christians’
love for one another. A day will come when this love will shine forth in
unhindered brilliance (2 Pet 3:13).
2:9. The claim that this verse can refer only to “professing” believers is
without evidence. If John was thinking of an unsaved (but professing)
Christian hating a true Christian, he would not have written: He who says
he is in the light, and hates his brother, for the word his would be
misleading. The correct way to say that would be, “He who hates a brother”
(i.e., someone who hates a Christian).
In this context the subject matter is the Lord’s command to “love one
another” (cf. John 13:34). John has in mind the love of Christians toward
other Christians (cf. esp. 4:20–5:1). The term brother must therefore be
understood in the Christian sense.
The apostle acknowledges the sad reality that some believers have feelings
of hostility and animosity toward other believers. Such a Christian’s moral
condition is deplorable. The claim by such a person to be walking in the
light in fellowship with God is disproved by his hatred of his fellow
Christian. He is in darkness until now.
2:10. By contrast, the Christian who loves his brother is not only in the
light, but also abides there. By loving God and others as Christ loved, he is
walking “as He walked” (v 6).
 The one who lives this way is also a person in whom there is no cause for
stumbling (skandalon, “a trap or a snare” whatever ensnares a person in
sin). In the person who loves his brother there is no such trap.
This does not mean that this person is sinless (see 1:8), but rather that in
walking as Christ walked, he does not create an inner spiritual condition by
which he can be ensnared in sin.
2:11. A Christian who hates another believer has lost touch with “the true
light” (v 8), which displays God’s loving nature. And he has also embraced
“the darkness” which “is passing away” (v 8). He becomes a tool in the
hands of Satan, resulting in tragic division and church splits. As John says,
he walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going.
III. Purpose: Resist the Antichrists (2:12-27)
A. By Recognizing Their Spiritual Assets (2:12-14)
Verses 12-14 clearly reveal that John does not regard his readers as “false
professors.” Viewing this epistle as presenting “tests” by which to
determine the genuineness of a person’s salvation misreads the epistle.
2:12. The fact that the readers have experienced the forgiveness of sins
marks them as the little children of their heavenly Father (cf. v 13). This
forgiveness has been granted for His name’s sake (lit., “on account of His
name”). That is, their forgiveness is predicated on the efficacy of Christ’s
name.
As will be seen in vv 25-26, the Revisionists seem to have questioned the
readers’ entire salvation experience but John has just taught that they have
experienced true forgiveness (cf. 1:5–2:2).
2:13. By addressing his readers as fathers, John is reminding them of what
he has just written about regarding knowing God (vv 3-11). In view of the
statements found in vv 3-4, the assertion that the readers have known God
implies that they have reached the stage where they keep the Lord’s
commandments.
The words Him who is from the beginning could refer to either God or
Christ. Here the words from the beginning are most naturally taken as a
reference to the eternality of the One whom the readers know. The term
fathers carries with it an overtone of seasoned experience with the eternal
God.
 But the readers are also young men [who] have overcome the wicked
one (Satan). The designation young men follows fathers because the
readers’ invaluable experience as little children (the forgiveness of sins) and
as fathers (the knowledge of God) renders them vigorous young men
prepared to do battle with Satan.
In fact these young men have already overcome Satan. The Greek verb
(perfect tense, nenikēkate) suggests a past victory, the fruits of which still
remain. Probably John is thinking here of the readers’ faith in Jesus.
As little children (paidion, instead of teknion [v 12]) the readers have
gone well beyond the minimal experience of the forgiveness of sins. All
believers in Christ have experienced forgiveness as part of their salvation
experience. Even in their earliest days as little children in God’s family,
they experience “family forgiveness” as they confess their sins to God (see
1:9). Just as a baby cannot be said to do much more than recognize his
parents, so it is in the spiritual realm. Coming to know the Father requires
time in the faith and spiritual growth.
The concept of “coming to know” God is in the Greek perfect tense,
thereby conveying a situation that results from what has been accomplished
in the past. In every case where John employs this tense, an appropriate
translation would be to come to know. In this second reference to little
children, advancement beyond mere infancy is implied.
2:14. To the readers viewed as fathers John chooses to say no more than
he has already said. For what could mark an advance on the knowledge of
Him who is from the beginning? Their knowledge of God is fully
sufficient. No doubt the Revisionists thought otherwise.
As young men in whom the word of God abides, John’s audience is
prepared for battle, since the resource of answered prayer is open to them
(see 3:22; 5:14-15).
B. By Recognizing Their Spiritual Adversaries (2:15-27)
1. Resisting the World (2:15-17)
2:15. The world–a moral and spiritual system designed to draw humanity
away from the living God–is profoundly seductive (see v 16), and no
Christian, however advanced, is fully immune to its allurements.
If a Christian does love the world or the things in it, he does not love
God. John is not saying that God does not love those who love the world,
but that God’s love is not working in and through those who love the world.
It is impossible to love both the world and God at the same time.
2:16. All that is in the world can be summarized under three categories
the apostle names here. Taken together they summarize the totality of the
allurements of this godless system.
The first is the lust of the flesh, that is, every illicit physical activity that
appeals to people’s sinful hearts. These are those things the flesh craves,
such as illicit sexual pleasure or addictive drugs.
The second element of the world is the lust of the eyes, that is, whatever
is visually appealing but not proper to desire or obtain. The object before
the eyes might be a person or thing, but the desire to have it is what is called
elsewhere as covetousness.
The pride of life means “the vain display of earthly life.” The Greek word
rendered “pride” is alazoneia (arrogance, pretentiousness, or boasting about
self, possessions, or accomplishments).
The Revisionists probably maintained that one could freely participate in
the activities of the world. They may have argued that since God is its
Maker, one was simply using what the Creator had made. But although the
physical world is “of God” who created it, the world as a moral system is
not. All that is in the world bears the taint of wickedness (cf. 1:5).
2:17. The world is also transient: The world is passing away. When the
world no longer exists as an entity morally and spiritually opposed to God,
none of its illicit experiences will exist either. The lust of it, that is, the
world’s sinful gratification, is every bit as transient as the system it reflects.
By contrast, he who does the will of God abides forever. There is an
eternal permanence to the character and activity of such a person. Since the
“abiding” life has already been referred to (v 6) and is a prominent theme in
the epistle (see comments on v 28), likely this is a reference to that kind of
life. The one who does the will of God is inseparable from the Christ
likeness which such a person has achieved. Likeness to Christ can give
boldness at the Judgment Seat of Christ (4:17; cf. 1 Cor 3:11-15; 2 Cor
5:10).
2. Resisting the Antichrists (2:18-27)
2:18. Not only is “the world passing away,” but what is more, the apostle
and his readers are living in the last hour. Though hour can refer to a
portion of a day (e.g., John 1:39; 4:6; 11:9), it also is used in reference to an
undetermined length of time (e.g., John 2:4; 4:21, 23; 5:25, 28; 16:25; etc.).
Here the last hour is when human history will climax with the rise (and
overthrow) of Satan’s final great deception.
Many interpreters take the term Antichrist as a reference to the “man of
sin” who will claim godhood in the Jewish temple (2 Thess 2:3-4) and who
will rule the world (Rev 13:5-8). But the many antichrists of this verse are
essentially the same as the “many false prophets” of 1 John 4:1. The
teachers of error are precursors of the supreme human deceiver, the
Antichrist.
2:19. The “many antichrists” had once been part of the same fellowship to
which the apostles themselves belonged. The word us, used four times in
this verse, obviously contrasts with the “you” of the following verse, which
is emphatic in Greek. Here for the first time is seen the “we”–”you”–”us”
contrast (cf. 4:4-6).
The antichrists had not left the church or churches to whom John writes,
for if they had they would no longer have been a problem. On the contrary,
the apostle is concerned about the exposure his readers have to these men.
They departed from the church, which indicated that they did not really
“belong” to it in the first place.
2:20. The term anointing refers to the Holy Spirit, probably not the Word
or the Gospel. In the NT the Word of God is never directly connected with
the idea of anointing, whereas the Holy Spirit is.
The recipients of this epistle were spiritually advanced Christians (see vv
13-14), possibly the spiritual leadership (or elders) in the churches to which
John is sending his letter. If so, when the letter was read aloud in the public
meetings, it would reinforce the spiritual authority of the leaders. With this
understanding, since the leaders know all things, there is nothing the
Christians in these churches need to learn from the Revisionists. The leaders
themselves are competent to teach the whole body of Christian truth.
2:21. He has not written to them because they are ignorant of the truth.
On the contrary, he writes precisely because they know the truth. It is clear
that John is not writing to test whether the readers are genuinely saved or
not. In view of vv 12-14 such a view reflects a blindness to the statements
of the epistle itself.
 In addition to knowing the truth, John’s readers also know that no lie is of
the truth. John would have been most impatient with Christians who praise
a false idea as “insightful” or “worthy of dialogue,” no matter how far it is
from the truth.
2:22. The lie John particularly has in mind is the denial that Jesus is the
Christ. For John, of course, the belief that Jesus is the Christ is saving
belief (see comments on 5:1; cf. John 20:30-31). The person who denies
this truth is a liar who subverts the very basis on which anyone is saved.
Believing that Jesus is the Christ means to believe that He is the One who
guarantees eternal life to every believer.
The lie John has in mind involved the denial that John’s readers had
eternal life (see v 25). If Jesus is not the Christ, then the readers’ assurance
that they possessed this life by faith in Him was a mirage. If their assurance
collapsed, so would their fellowship with God. To deny that faith in Christ
is the only means of eternal life is to deny the Father also.
2:23. Jesus was so perfectly reflective of His Father that both His words
and works were those of the Father (cf. John 14:10-11). To deny the Son
was automatically to deny the Father (cf. v 22).
In light of 2 John 9 (see comments there), the claim that the denier of the
Son does not have the Father either, means that neither the Son nor the
Father has anything to do with the activities of the false teachers.
2:24. The readers can triumph over the wicked one’s agents, the
antichrists, by abiding in God’s Word, which they heard from the
beginning. As a result, they will abide in the Son and in the Father. As
noted earlier (see vv 5-6, 14), the “abiding life” is the life lived by a disciple
who keeps the Lord’s commandments and is marked by love for the
brethren.
2:25. The antichrists deny “that Jesus is the Christ” (v 22). But only by
believing that Jesus is the Christ can a person obtain eternal life (5:1; John
20:30-31). God promises eternal life to any person who believes that Jesus
is the Christ. The pronoun He could refer to God or to Christ Himself.
2:26. The Revisionists brought with them a doctrine of salvation different
from the one the readers had heard from the beginning (v 24). They
denied that Jesus is the Christ (v 22), and apparently they also denied that
eternal life is available through Him alone (in light of v 25). They may have
even claimed some special relationship to “the Father,” which John denied
(vv 22-23).
2:27. This verse is the climax of the epistle’s purpose section. His readers
are highly competent in the truth and need only to hold fast to what they
already know in order to enjoy the full benefits of the “abiding life.”
The anointing which [they] have received from Him suggests that the
readers are the “anointed ones” by means of the Spirit who came to them
from Jesus, the “Anointed One” (cf. v 20). The readers’ anointing teaches
them to reject the Revisionists’ lie about the “Anointed One.”
As a result of this anointing they do not need that anyone teach them, a
mark of their maturity (see Heb 5:12). This maturity has already been
implied elsewhere in this section (cf. 1 John 2:13b-14, 20).
The two parallel statements–as [it] teaches you concerning all things and
just as it has taught you–shows that the ongoing teaching ministry of the
Holy Spirit is always consistent with what the Spirit has already taught.
That is, whatever the Spirit has previously taught will not be negated or
denied by anything He continues to teach. Whatever “revisions” the
antichrists taught could be rejected as not from the Holy Spirit if it
contradicted what the Spirit had already taught.
IV. Body: The Life That Leads to Boldness Before Christ’s
Judgment Seat (2:28–4:19)
A. The Theme Verse: Abide to be Bold (2:28)
2:28. This verse is a theme statement for the material that follows in 2:29–
4:19. As the readers allow the truth to “abide” in them, they will be able to
“abide” in the Son and in the Father (vv 24-27).
John speaks of the coming of Jesus Christ and the need to be ready to
stand before Him with confidence, and not be ashamed. Even though the
readers obviously are saved (cf. comments on vv 12-14), it is still possible
for them to feel shame in the presence of Christ, and particularly at His
Judgment Seat. Even though salvation is a free gift that can never be lost,
each believer must give an account of his or her Christian life in the
presence of Christ (cf. Rom 14:10-12; 1 Cor 3:11-15)–both “good and bad”
(2 Cor 5:10).
 Instead of shame, the writer suggests that his readers can have confidence
before Him at His coming. The entire body of the epistle explains how this
confidence can be obtained.
B. By Learning to See God’s Children (2:29–3:10a)
2:29. Possibly the Revisionists maintained that God’s nature includes both
light and darkness (cf. 1:5). On this understanding God by His very nature
had experience with both good and evil. An obvious deduction from this is
that His children could do the same. In contrast, since God is righteous,
[then] everyone who practices (lit., does) righteousness is born of Him.
This is the first reference in the epistle to the new birth. The born-again
person can be recognized as such if he manifests Christian righteousness.
The “commandments” of Christ (cf. the pl. in 3:22) can be summarized
under a single commandment: “And this is His commandment: that we
should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as
He gave us commandment” (3:23). True righteousness is impossible apart
from faith in Christ and love for fellow Christians.
John is not talking about how one can decide if a person is regenerate.
John is clearly concerned with the deduction one can make if a person
knows that God is righteous. If that is known, it follows that one who
reproduces His righteous nature is actually manifesting that nature and can
rightly be perceived as born of Him.
3:1. The mention of new birth (2:29) draws from John an exclamation of
wonder. The Greek word translated what manner of (potapos) sometimes
conveys intensification (“how great,” or “how wonderful”). How truly
magnificent is the love of the Father that makes believers His children!
The visibility of God’s love in the church is a crucial theme in 2:29–4:19.
Obviously there must be something visible to see. As v 29 has
demonstrated, the performance of Christian righteousness makes the child
of God visible. As a child of God is seen acting in Christian righteousness,
he makes God’s love for him visible as well.
This perception of the child of God is not available to the world, which is
as ignorant of believers as it was of Him, the Lord Jesus. Thus the
“beholding” urged here by the apostle is a uniquely Christian experience.
3:2. The word Beloved picks up the thought of the previous verse that
Christians are the objects of the love of the Father, who regards them as His
children. This is true now (emphatic). But even though this basic fact is
true now, it has not yet been revealed what believers shall be like when
they are transformed into the Savior’s likeness.
The word twice rendered revealed is the same word rendered “appears” in
2:28 (phanerōthē). When Christ “appears,” what believers shall be will
“appear” too. Since we shall be like Him then, believers do not want to “be
ashamed before Him” now (cf. 4:17-19).
The reason they will be like Him at His coming is that they shall see Him
as He is. Seeing Jesus in His glory will be automatically transforming for
each child of God. This agrees with Paul’s teaching that even now their
spiritual transformation takes place as they behold His glory in the
Scriptures (2 Cor 3:18). Christians have a marvelous expectation for the
future—the glorious transforming sight of their Savior—and this should
energize them toward Christlikeness now. It should inspire them to “abide
in Him” (2:28).
3:3. The wonderful truth that they will one day be completely like their
Lord Jesus both physically and spiritually is a hope that purifies believers.
The born-again person does not sin at all because he has in him the sinless
seed of God’s nature and he cannot sin (see v 9). At the inward level of his
redeemed nature, the believer is every bit as pure as his Savior. That purity
will be totally realized at the coming of the Lord (v 2), but is theirs now at
the core of their being.
Thus the phrase everyone who has this hope in Him is equivalent to
John’s expression “whoever believes in Him [in His name, etc.].” When an
individual believes in Christ, God imputes righteousness to him. Here too a
person purifies himself, not because of any intrinsic power in his faith, but
because the exercise of this faith is the basis on which God cleanses him
inwardly.
3:4. Sin is the antithesis of the purity that belongs to Christ and to
everyone who has the hope of being like Him. Lawlessness (anomia) might
be better translated “wickedness” or “iniquity.” Committing of sin in no
way expresses or manifests the purity of which John spoke in v 3.
3:5. For those who have inwardly purified themselves through the new
birth (cf. v 3), sin is not only unsuitable because it is evil (v 4), but also
because it contrasts to the person and work of Christ. Though every
Christian sins (1:8), sin has no place in the life of a Christian (cf. Rom 6:1-
4). It should not be tolerated, much less endorsed in any way (cf. 1 John
2:1).
The purpose of Jesus’ first advent was to take away our sins. Because of
His sacrificial death, ultimately the world’s sin will be removed from
human experience. No one in God’s eternal kingdom (after the final
rebellion in the millennium; Rev 20:7-10) will ever sin again. The
statements of v 2 have already referred to this climax.
The repudiation of sin, therefore, should be based not only on its iniquitous
character, but also on the realization that the goal of the Savior, is to
completely remove it from the believers’ lives. His own personal purity, (v
3), offers incentive to reject sin in all its forms. For He is entirely without it:
in Him there is no sin. Christ’s sacrificial work, plus His own personal and
absolute holiness, make sin utterly unsuitable for the believer.
3:6. Since there is no sin in Christ, the believer who abides in Him does
not sin (cf. 2:28). Many efforts have been made, both here and in v 9, to
soften this assertion. One popular way has been to understand the present
tense (does not sin) as “does not continue to sin.” Another popular view is
that John is speaking of an ideal which is not fully realized in present
experience.
Against both of these views is the statement of v 5 that “in Him is no sin.”
Since this is so, the one who abides in the Sinless One cannot be said to be
only “a little bit” sinful! If there can be “no sin” in Christ at all, one cannot
take even a little bit of sin into an experience that is specifically said to be
in Him. The failure to recognize the logical connection between vv 5 and 6
is the reason v 6 has been misunderstood. As a result, this misunderstanding
carries over into v 9.
First John 1:8 makes it clear that no Christian can ever claim to be
experientially completely free from sin in this life. But at the same time the
experience of “abiding in Him” is a sinless experience. One area of
obedience is not “contaminated” by the presence of sin in other areas. If a
person obeys the command to love his brother, that obedience is not tainted
in God’s sight by some different sort of failure in the life, such as a lack of
watchfulness in prayer (cf. Eph 6:18).
When a believer is walking in fellowship with God, He is able to look past
all his failures and sin and see the actual obedience that is there. In 1:7 John
explained that even while walking in the light, there is cleansing going on
by virtue of the blood of Christ. As a believer walks in the light and does
what God commands, God sees him as one who is totally cleansed and is
without any charge of unrighteousness.
Thus, when a believer abides in Him, the positive obedience is what God
takes account of and recognizes. The sin that still remains is not in any
sense sourced in the abiding life, and that sin is cleansed in accord with 1:7.
The experience of “abiding” is therefore equivalent to obedience.
Since sin has no part of the abiding experience, it follows that whoever
sins has neither seen Him nor known Him.
It is wrong to resort to the present tense of the verb sins, as though it
means “continues to sin,” (see v 9). The flow of thought points to an
antithesis between sin and Christ, between sin and abiding. Every attempt to
accommodate “a little bit of sin” or “an occasional sin” in John’s statements
completely nullifies the contrast the apostle is drawing. Since even
believers sin (1:8), the statement is intended to stigmatize all sin as the
product not only of not abiding but also of blindness toward God.
Every sin in some way is deceiving (Heb 3:13), and flows out of a
darkening of the heart toward God. Not to recognize that John’s statement is
true of all sin is to miss his point completely. If the Revisionists rationalized
sin, they were wrong. People sin when in some way they are blind to and
ignorant of the true God.
3:7. Simplicity of mind and spirit is often the best hedge for the Christian
against heresies that purport to have more “profound” knowledge to share.
Clearly in the preceding material (esp. vv 4-6) John has had the Revisionists
in mind. The readers are not to allow these antichrists to deceive them.
Some believers probably thought they could commit sin and still claim to be
in touch with God.
In order not to be deceived, the readers must keep in mind the simple fact
that he who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous.
John’s point is that righteousness (rather than sin) is what indicates that a
person has a perfect, inward righteous standing with God (see 2:29).
Only righteousness arises from the inner nature of one who is already
righteous as God is righteous, for “in Him there is no darkness at all” (1:5).
When a believer sins, it is not a manifestation of divine righteousness.
3:8. If believers are righteous, and sin is not a manifestation of that
righteousness, then the sin all believers commit (1:8) is of the devil, that is,
sourced in him. Interpreters who take a statement like this as the equivalent
of saying that a professing Christian is unsaved miss the point. Since even
John acknowledges that Christians sin (see 1:7-10), if he who sins is
unsaved, everyone is unsaved!
John states that the devil has sinned from the beginning, that is, he is the
source of all sin, and his sinful career dates from the beginning. (The
beginning does not refer here to eternity past, since the devil is a created
being and not eternal. The reference is to the original state of creation as it
was when Satan introduced sin into it (Isa 14:12-15; Ezek 28:11-15.) To be
of the devil means “to be doing the devil’s work” (cf. Jesus’ words to Peter
in Matt 16:23).
Also participation in sin is participation in the very thing that Jesus came
to destroy, because the Son of God was manifested in order that He might
destroy the works of the devil (cf. v 5, He “was manifested to take away
our sins”).
3:9. The person who has been born of God has God’s seed within him
and so is not capable of sin (he cannot sin) by virtue of his birth from God.
Naturally many have wondered how this claim can be squared with reality
since Christians do sin, as even John acknowledges (1:8). But the answer
lies near at hand. In 1:8 John warns, “If we say that we have no sin, we
deceive ourselves.” But in 3:9 he says, whoever has been born of God does
not sin. As total persons, believers do sin and can never claim to be free of
it, but their “inward self” that is regenerated does not sin.
In describing his struggle with sin Paul notes that two diverse impulses are
at work. So he can say, “For I delight in the law of God according to the
inward man. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law
of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my
members” (Rom 7:22-23; italics added). Previous to this he had concluded,
“Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that
dwells in me” (v 20; italics added). His conclusion is simple; “So then, with
the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin” (v
24). At the core of his being (in his inward man) he does not and cannot sin.
The inward man (the “regenerate self”) is absolutely impervious to sin, fully
enslaved to God’s will. If sin occurs, it is not the inward man who performs
it.
 Sin does exist in the Christian, but it is foreign and extraneous to his
regenerated inner self, where Christ dwells in perfect holiness. Since Christ
is eternal life (1 John 5:20), the one who possesses that life cannot sin
because he is born of God. The divine seed (sperma) of that life remains
(menō, “abides,” “stays”) in him who is born again, making sin an
impossibility at the level of his regenerate inward self.
This understanding of 3:9 builds naturally on 2:29–3:8. Absolute contrasts
are a familiar part of Johannine discourse. Most prominent among these are
the light/darkness and the death/life antitheses. But to these must be added
the sin/righteousness polarity that has appeared prominently in this unit.
For a number of decades the opinion was popular that the key to
understanding 3:9 is in the present tense of the verb to sin. In this view the
verse should read, “Whoever has been born of God does not continue to sin;
for His seed remains in him; and he cannot continue to sin, because he has
been born of God.” (The NIV has a similar rendering.) In this view
prolonged continuation in sin does not occur if one is born again.
But this raises more questions than it answers. Do not all Christians
continue to sin until the day of their death? Furthermore do not all
Christians sin daily? How can anyone claim not to be continuing to sin?
Does the born again person come to some point at which he ceases to sin?
This proposed translation solves nothing.
The regenerate person can express himself only through righteousness (cf.
2:29) and can never express himself through sin, because he cannot sin.
3:10a. The NKJV takes this statement as a reference to what follows it
(note the colon in its translation). But it is preferable to take the last half of
the verse as the beginning of a new unit.
The words In this refer backward rather than forward in this context. The
use of the words are manifest in verse 10a link the statement with what has
preceded in 2:29–3:9. The children of God…are manifest by their doing
righteousness. This is not to be viewed as a test of salvation. John’s one and
only test of salvation is faith (cf. 5:1 and 5:9-13). Instead, this is simply a
statement about how God’s children do manifest themselves.
Those who see 1 John as a handbook for deciding who is saved and who is
not misuse the book grievously. John is advancing the theme stated in 2:28
that boldness in the presence of the Lord is offered to those who abide in
Him. By abiding in Him, believers can and do manifest themselves as
children of God. But those who do not abide do not so manifest themselves.
The reality of their regenerate inward man remains hidden.
The same principle applies to the children of the devil. There is no good
reason to take this phrase as a reference to unsaved people generally (see v
8). The term children of the devil is descriptive in nature. In light of 2 John
9 (see comments there), the Christian who has deviated from sound doctrine
about the person and work of Jesus Christ and who vigorously opposes the
truth could be so described. This is no more strange than the fact that Jesus
addressed His own disciple Peter as “Satan” (Matt 16:23). The “child of the
devil” is anyone who does the devil’s work by opposing the truth.
C. By Learning to See Christian Love (3:10b-23)
1. What Love Is Not (3:10b-15)
3:10b. Here John affirms that what is true of whoever does not [do]
righteousness is true also of whoever does not love his brother. In both
cases the person is not of God in the sense that God is not behind what he
is doing.
As was the case with the phrase of the devil in v 8, it is wrong to take the
phrase not of God (ek tou theou) as though it meant “not born of God.” The
NIV rendering, “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of
God,” paraphrases the text and misinterprets it at the same time. There is
nothing in this text about not being a child of God. How could there be?
One must be a child of God before one could hate his brother. An unsaved
person has no Christian brother to hate (cf. 2:9).
John also moves from a broader to a narrower theme. The words whoever
does not practice [lit. “do”] righteousness can refer to anyone who lacks
righteous conduct, whether saved or unsaved. But the words he who does
not love his brother introduce a specific kind of righteousness that only a
Christian can manifest or fail to manifest.
3:11. The failure to love one’s brother is nothing less than an infraction of
the Savior’s command to love one another (John 13:34). The original
command was expressed by Jesus only after Judas had left the Upper Room
(John 13:30). Such a command would have had no bearing on Judas, who
was not a child of God.
 Thus the new subject matter in this unit of the epistle (3:10a-23) has to do
with a command that was given only to believers and can be fulfilled or not
fulfilled only by a born-again person. This message about love had been
given to them from the beginning of their Christian experience (cf. 2:7).
3:12. The classic example of brother-to-brother hatred is the case of Cain
and Abel (Gen 4:1-15). Cain was of the wicked one, in that what he did
was derived from satanic influence rather than from anything related to God
(cf. 1 John 3:8, 10b). As Jesus had said, Satan “was a murderer from the
beginning” (John 8:44). Whether Cain was ever regenerate is a question that
cannot be answered from the Biblical information. But John uses the
physical relationship between Cain and Abel as an illustration of the
spiritual relationship between Christian brethren. And just as it is possible
for one brother to murder his biological brother, it is possible for one
Christian to murder another. So grievous a crime as murder is not regarded
in the NT as impossible for a Christian to commit (cf. 1 Pet 4:15). If a
Christian were to be guilty of murder, the influence of the wicked one is
behind it.
The apostle’s next words are telling. Why did he murder him? Because
his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Thus a spiritual envy led
to the first murder in human history. Whenever Christians feel guilt because
their behavior is contrary to God’s will, they will find it easy to experience
hatred toward those whom they know God approves.
3:13. Many see v 13 as an explanation of vv 11-12, and are inclined to see
Cain as an example of what to expect from the world, but something not
possible for a Christian brother. But the wider context reveals that John’s
intent is to contrast brotherly love with worldly hate, while showing that
sometimes even brothers behave like the world.
While brother-to-brother hatred is wholly inconsistent with Jesus’
command “to love one another” and is therefore not to be the expected
experience, the same cannot be said of the world. The world’s hatred, as
Jesus taught, is to be expected (John 15:18-19). While the readers might
well marvel at hatred from a brother, the world’s hatred is to be anticipated.
3:14. The emphatic we no doubt refers to the apostles themselves. In
contrast to “the world,” the apostles love their fellow Christians.
Indeed, John declares, we [apostles] know that we have passed from
death to life, because we love the brethren. This is more than an assertion
that they love their fellow Christians. It is also a claim to a certain quality of
experience. The apostles are able to recognize their experience of love as an
experience of life rather than death.
The words passed from death to life do not mean the apostles were sure of
their eternal salvation because they loved the brethren. There is no reason
why this should be true for them or any other Christian. Assurance of
salvation is based on the testimony of God (see 5:9-13). Instead, in a
perfectly normal use of the word know John declares that he and his fellow
apostles experience their passage from death to life through loving their
Christian brothers.
The implication is that the passage from death to life, which occurs at the
point of salvation (John 5:24), can be experientially known and appreciated
through Christian love.
By contrast he who does not love his brother abides in death. There is
no way a Christian who fails to love his brother can have the immediate,
experiential knowledge of life John has just spoken about. On the contrary
such a person abides (“dwells”) in death. If love is an experience of “life,”
John is saying, hatred of one’s Christian brother is an experience of death
(cf. Rom 7:9-10).
There is thus no reasonable objection to the concept of a Christian
“abiding” in death in the sense that he has lost touch with the experience of
God’s life. In sharp contrast with 2:9-11; 3:10, 12, there is no Greek word
for his in the phrase his brother. The statement of v 14 can then apply not
only to Christians who might hate a particular Christian brother, but also to
anyone else who might hate such a brother. It makes no difference who is
doing the hating. Hatred by a Christian is an experience in the realm of
death.
3:15. Hatred of one’s brother is also an experience of murder. The person
who hates his Christian brother is really no different from Cain (cf. v 12),
even though he may not commit the overt act of physically killing his
brother. The spirit of hatred is that a brother wants “to be rid” of his brother
and would not really care if he died.
John does not say (as the NIV paraphrases), “No murderer has eternal life
in him.” The NKJV (and NAS) better translate the Greek as No murderer
has eternal life abiding in him. The key is the concept of “abiding.”
Moreover, John’s concept of abiding is always that it is a reciprocal
relationship, even as Jesus said; “Abide in Me, and I in you” (John 15:4; see
1 John 2:27). Since Christ Himself is eternal life (cf. 5:20), to say that
someone does not have eternal life abiding in him is equivalent to saying
that he does not have Christ abiding in him.
2. What Love Is (3:16-18)
3:16. Christian love can be recognized by its conformity to the supreme
model found in Christ’s death for us. Although Christ died for the entire
world (2:2), when a believer considers his own obligation to love he should
focus on the fact that it was for him that Christ died. As the personal
beneficiaries of His great sacrifice, believers should be prepared to make a
similar sacrifice for the brethren.
The words we know are in the perfect tense, suggesting a situation arising
from a past event or action. Once a Christian has understood the love of
Christ for him, he has come to a definitive knowledge of what Christian
love is about.
3:17. Sometimes it is easier to profess a willingness to die for one’s
brother than it is to aid him in his time of need. John therefore wishes to
test the reality of a Christian’s love for his brother by offering an example
more likely to occur than an opportunity to die for a brother.
In v 16 the Greek word for “life” is psyche. In v 17 John employs another
Greek word for “life” (bios, life in its earthly and/or material aspects),
hence the translation goods. One could almost render; but whoever has
this world’s life! The thought is that sharing with other Christians the
material things that sustain life is, at heart, a way of laying down one’s life
for them.
If, instead of doing this, however, a Christian shuts up his heart from his
needy brother, this speaks about his relationship to God.
The Christian who acts so uncompassionately is not having a vital
experience of God’s love. John’s rhetorical question, how does the love of
God abide in him? simply means that God’s love does not abide in him.
The uncompassionate Christian is not walking as his Master walked (cf.
2:6) and thus is not living the abiding life.
3:18. The readers must not think that they have expressed love if that
expression is merely verbal (in word), involving only the tongue. True love
requires action (in deed) and conformity to the truth. By the words in truth
John means that their love for other Christians should conform to the
manifestation of love in Christ (cf. v 16).
3. What Love Does for Believers (3:19-23)
3:19. The issue here is not assurance of salvation, but whether one
participates in the truth with respect to Christian love. The believer in Christ
can easily ask himself, “Can I love as He loved? Am I really doing that?”
The words of the truth are an echo of the exhortation of v 18 that
believers are to love “in deed and in truth.” The introductory words And by
this refer back to v 18, and are essentially equivalent to “And by doing this”
(i.e., by loving in deed and in truth). When believers act in love with deeds
that reflect the truth about love as revealed in Christ, they can know that
they are of the truth.
If the Christian doubts that he is able to express Christian love to his
brethren, essentially he is doubting whether he can relate to, or participate
in, the truth revealed in Christ about that kind of love. He may feel guilty
for past failures or he may have a strong sense of inadequacy, but by acting
in love as verse 18 directs, he can actually know that by such actions he is
participating in the truth—that is, he is of the truth. Another way of saying
this is that by so loving one can know that his actions have their source in
the truth.
The words that follow, and shall assure our hearts before Him, are best
taken with the words of the next verse.
3:20. The NKJV wrongly treats this verse as a separate sentence for it
omits a repetition of the initial Greek word hoti (For). But hoti is repeated
in the Greek in front of the clause beginning (in the English) with God is
greater and is left untranslated in NKJV. The translation should be linked
with the last clause of v 19 and would be as follows, “and we shall assure
[or, persuade peisomai] our hearts before Him that [hoti] if our heart
condemns us, that [hoti] God is greater than our heart, and knows all
things.” By acting with deeds of love (“by this,” v 19), believers can know
they are “of the truth.” But also by so acting, they can quiet their
condemning hearts.
When believers love “in deed and in truth,” they should assure [persuade]
their hearts that God is greater than their hearts in that He knows perfectly
well the love they have expressed by their actions.
 When believers approach God’s throne of grace in prayer, they should
count on God knowing (even if our heart does not!) what they have
actually done in love.
3:21. As believers come before God, perhaps their hearts do not condemn
them for failure to express Christian love. This could be because their hearts
readily accept the fact that God takes cognizance of their love manifested
“in deed and in truth” (cf. 18), or because they have “persuaded” it to do so
(v 19). In any case the result is confidence toward God.
The word for confidence (parrēsia) is the same one used in 2:28 (having
“confidence before Him at His coming”). Obviously, if believers do not
have confidence before God when they kneel in prayer (cf. v 22), even less
likely will they have such confidence at His coming.
3:22. As indicated by the emphatic words “before Him” in v 19, John has
been thinking in this immediate context of “confidence” in prayer. (He will
return to this subject again in 5:14-17.) The result of “confidence” toward
God in prayer is, of course, answered prayer. Thus, whatever we ask we
receive from Him. The reason for this kind of answered prayer is twofold:
because (1) we keep His commandments, and (2) [we] do those things
that are pleasing in His sight.
Also the Christian who is actively seeking to please God will not ask for
things that are not pleasing in His sight. When prayer arises therefore from
the heart of one in whose life the will of God is foremost, then whatever he
asks of God will be received from Him because he is asking “according to
His will” (5:14).
3:23. John concludes this subunit (vv 19-23), as well as the larger
subsection (3:10b-23), with a summary of what it means to “keep His
commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight” (v 22).
That this is indeed a summary is seen by the transparent shift from the
plural “commandments” (v 22) to the singular commandment. Answered
prayer (cf. v 22) finds its basis fundamentally in adherence to this
commandment.
This commandment has two aspects. The first of these is that we should
believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ. John links faith and love
together as a single commandment for Christians. Faith in the name of His
Son Jesus Christ imparts life to all believers and views other believers as
their brothers or sisters. This relationship gives them the proper object for
their love when we are told to love one another. Believing the name of
God’s Son is a prerequisite, and an essential component, of love for one
another.
The closing words of the verse, as He gave us commandment, refer to
Jesus from whom the commandment to love one another directly came
(John 13:34). The verse should read, that we should believe on the name of
His [God’s] Son Jesus Christ and love one another as He [His Son] gave us
commandment. God’s will therefore can be summarized as faith in His Son’s
name and obedience to His Son’s commandment.
D. By Learning to See the God of Love (3:24–4:16)
1. God’s Indwelling Affirmed (3:24)
3:24. The person who keeps His commandments abides in Him and, in
addition, He abides in him (the obedient believer). The obedient believer
has God making “His home” within him (cf. John 14:23). Such an
experience with God is the ultimate form of fellowship with God, which
John declared from the beginning was the goal of his epistle (cf. 1:3).
Although the Spirit has been referred to under the designation of “the
anointing,” He is now mentioned specifically. If God indeed abides in us,
this can be known by the Spirit…He has given us.
2. God’s Spirit Recognized (4:1-6)
4:1. Satan has many spirits who serve him here, as is shown by the fact
that many false prophets have gone out into the world.
In vv 1-2 John seems to be trading on the fairly fluid meaning of the term
spirit. The word itself can refer to a human spirit, to supernatural spirits
like demons, or to an attitude or disposition. John is not trying to be
specific; he is warning against every malevolent spirit of Satan, every
human spirit who becomes his agent, as well as every manifestation of “the
spirit of error” (cf. v 6) that characterizes satanic doctrine.
False prophets are to be tested “by their fruits” (cf. Matt 7:16-20).
Contrary to popular interpretation, this does not mean that they were to be
tested by their works. On the contrary, as 12:33-37 proves, their fruits are
their words! They look like sheep when in reality they are “ravenous
wolves” (7:15). Their behavior does not set them apart from the sheep, but
their message does!
 4:2. The test that can be applied to every spirit is its willingness or
unwillingness (cf. v 3) to confess Jesus Christ incarnate. The words by this
you know refer backward and mean, “This is how (i.e., by testing the
spirits) you know the Spirit of God.” A period, rather than a colon, should
follow the statement, with the words Every spirit beginning a fresh
sentence.
On this understanding vv 2b-3 give the test that is to be used to recognize
God’s Spirit. Verses 1-2a insist that only those willing to test the spirits will
be able to recognize God’s Spirit. If they “believe every spirit” they will
really not know which of them is truly God’s.
The conjoining of the Spirit of God with the words every spirit that
confesses no doubt is intended to link the Holy Spirit with every human
spirit that makes this confession.
A more likely translation of the statement that Jesus Christ has come in
the flesh is this: “Every spirit that confesses Jesus as Christ having come in
the flesh.” John’s principal theological concern is that Jesus should be
recognized as the Christ (cf. 2:22). The Revisionists may have held to the
doctrine that Jesus was a mere man and that the divine Christ was an
incorporeal, spiritual being who descended on Him at His baptism, but
departed from Him before He died.
4:3. In contrast to “Every spirit that confesses” Christ is every spirit that
does not confess…Jesus [as] Christ come in the flesh. Such a spirit
exemplifies the spirit of the Antichrist.
John does not say every spirit that denies, but rather every spirit that does
not confess. Heretical teaching can mask the full extent of its deviation from
the truth by simply failing to affirm some pivotal Biblical truth.
4:4. John’s readers have spiritual strength and are capable of successfully
resisting the antichrists (cf. 2:12-14, 20-21). The reason the readers have
overcome is their possession of the Holy Spirit, who was in them as He is in
all Christians (cf. 3:24; Rom 8:9). It is precisely because He (God’s
Spirit)…is greater than he (Satan) who is in the world, that victory over
the world’s deceptions is possible.
4:5. The antichrists, or Revisionists, are viewed in sharp contrast with the
readership. Whereas the readers are “of God,” the Revisionists are of the
world and stand in opposition to Him (see comments on 2:15-16). They
speak as of the world in the sense that their message is worldly in content
and perspective. Not surprisingly, the world hears them. Heterodoxy has a
far greater appeal to worldly people than orthodoxy.
4:6. In vv 4-6 there are three contrasting pronouns, “You–They–We.”
“You” refers to the readers, “They” refers to the Revisionists, and We refers
to the apostles. In the fullest sense the apostles were of God because their
doctrine came directly from Him.
They could thus confidently affirm that He who knows God hears
(“listens to”) us. As noted in 2:3 (cf. 2:13-14), in this epistle the concept of
“knowing” God suggests progress beyond mere spiritual infancy (cf.
comments on v 7). A mark of the mature Christian is that he is responsive to
apostolic teaching.
It follows that he who is not of God does not hear (“listen to”) us. John
may be thinking of anyone out of touch with God as the kind of person who
rejects apostolic authority and teaching. Such a person could be a believer
or an unbeliever.
The words By this we know can refer to the apostles, who are the subject
of the earlier statements of this verse. The apostles were able to make
appropriate discriminations between the spirit of truth and the spirit of
error on the basis of each spirit’s submission or lack of it to apostolic truth.
John condemns the Revisionists as “false prophets” who are “of the world”
(vv 1-3, 5).
3. God’s Indwelling Recognized (4:7-16)
4:7. The apostle now leaves behind his discussion about the many false
spirits which “have gone out into the world” to allure Christians into
worldly ideas. These ought to be rejected so that the readers can focus on
love for one another.
If the readers obeyed the command to love one another, they would be
carrying on an activity that was distinctively sourced in their heavenly
Father. The reason for this is that love itself is of God.
It follows then that two things may be safely said of everyone who loves:
(1) such a person is born of God and (2) he also knows God. John treats
these concepts as two different things, for he says in v 8 that “he who does
not love does not know God.” It would have been easy to say, “He who
does not love is not born of God and does not know God” in direct
antithesis to the statement of v 7. But this is precisely what cannot be said.
Already John has talked about a person who “hates his brother,” which is a
feat quite impossible for a non-Christian since a Christian is not his brother
(cf. 2:11; 3:10b; 3:15; 4:20). Those who teach that a Christian cannot hate
another Christian are teaching a myth.
4:8. But since a born-again Christian can fail to love, if he does not love it
would show that he has not really come to know his heavenly Father (cf.
2:3). The God who has begotten him is love.
Here is the second of 1 John’s two great affirmations about God. The first,
in 1:5, affirms that “God is light.” Now John declares that God is love. The
former points to His perfect holiness; His freedom from all sin or deception.
This second statement affirms that His basic nature is characterized by love.
This does not mean God has no other attributes, such as wisdom and justice.
But it does indicate that love is fundamental to what God is and to what He
does.
4:9. The supreme expression of the love of God toward us is the love of
His only begotten Son.
God’s purpose in sending His only begotten Son was that we might live
through Him. Unstated here, though plainly indicated in v 10, is the fact
that God’s Son had to die that we might live. Thus the manifestation of
God’s love involved two opposite experiences: death for God’s Son, life for
believers. That God would allow this for His beloved Son so that we might
have eternal life speaks volumes about the greatness of that love.
4:10. God’s love was not a response to ours: not that we loved God, but
that He loved us. God’s love sought to meet our spiritual need: and [God]
sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Although John wants
believers to be concerned for their brother’s physical needs (3:17), we
should also be concerned for their spiritual needs. Since no one in all
humanity is beyond the reach of the Savior’s sacrificial death, no brother or
sister should be beyond the believers’ sacrificial love.
4:11. The use of the word so makes the total phrase, God so loved us,
redolent of the words of John 3:16, “For God so (houtō[s]) loved the
world.” Since the Lord spoke these words in John’s hearing so many years
before, they no doubt had become richly valued by John and by those he
taught. He thus chooses an echo of John 3:16 on which to ground his
insistence that we also ought to love one another.
 4:12. What John now says might seem surprising. The invisible God,
whom No one has seen at any time, actually abides in those who love one
another.
When Christian love, modeled on God’s love, is truly exercised by
Christians, God is “at home” in those who exercise it: If we love one
another, God abides in us. The invisible God, whom no one has seen, is
actively living in such a body of believers.
Also God’s love has been perfected in (or “among”) them. This idea was
first mentioned in 2:5. The Greek words for has been perfected
(teteleiōmenē estin) are in a form (perfect tense) that suggests His love
resulting in Christian love. God’s love achieves its goal and reaches its full
measure in believers when that love is reproduced in them and reflected
through them by loving one another.
4:13. In place of “keeping His commandments” (3:24) here “loving one
another” is the key to this mutual “abiding” relationship. But as seen from
3:22-23, these are but two sides of the same coin for the apostle: the
obedient Christian is loving and the loving Christian is obeying.
Whereas John wrote in 3:24 that believers know the abiding of God “by
the Spirit whom He has given,” them, 4:13 states that this is known because
He has given us of [lit., “out of”] His Spirit. That is, believers participate
in the same Spirit that God has. This means that they participate in a “spirit
of love” which is nothing less than His Spirit, since “God is love.”
4:14. No verse is 1 John is more critical to understanding the epistle than
this one. The initial statement, And we have seen…that the Father has
sent the Son, suggests an apostolic experience similar to 1:2.
The we is not the “apostolic we” as in 2:19; 3:14; and 4:6. In all these
places there is a contrasting “you” nearby (cf. 1:2-4; 2:20; 3:13; 4:4) which
does not occur here. In 4:7-14 the subject we includes the readers along
with the apostles (vv 7, 9, 10-13).
The Greek word kai (And) can be taken in its well-recognized sense of
“And so.” The verse can be paraphrased, “And so, when we love like this,
we (both the readers and the apostles) have seen the reality. By loving one
another, the readers can have fellowship with the apostles in what the
apostles had seen,” (precisely as the prologue had promised; 1:3a). And this
was nothing less than fellowship with the Father and with His Son Jesus
Christ (1:3b).
 In 3:24–4:13 John teaches that love demonstrates the presence of the
indwelling God whose love believers share. Since this manifested Christian
love is nothing less than the manifestation of eternal life within the loving
Christian fellowship, those who so manifest this life are living witnesses to
the reality that the Son really is the Savior of the world (cf. John 13:35).
The visible manifestation of eternal life through Christian love is an
effective way to testify about the Saviorhood of Christ. Such a “seeing” is a
“seeing” of faith expressed in the confession of Jesus as the world’s Savior.
4:15. “Fellowship” was with the apostles in what they had “seen” (v 14).
But the readers were also to have “fellowship” in what the apostles had
“heard” (cf. 1:3). What the readers can hear in the midst of the loving
Christian community is nothing less than a confession that Jesus is the Son
of God.
The words of John the Baptist that he had seen and testified (John 1:32-34)
reflect the wording of the previous verse (we have seen and testify, v 14)
whereas the Baptist’s words that this is the Son of God reflect the present
verse. Thus the “testimony” mentioned in v 14 is not to be limited to the
visible manifestation of eternal life in the form of Christian love, although
this is a part of it. But John is thinking of a congregational context where
there would also regularly be the confession of Jesus as God’s Son.
John had in mind the visible manifestation of Christian love, accompanied
by this confession of Jesus and reproduced in what the apostles themselves
had seen in Jesus and what they had heard about Him from His forerunner,
John the Baptist. The apostle John’s goal of leading his readers into this
kind of fellowship with the apostolic circle (1:1-3) has now been reached.
Furthermore the goal of obtaining an abiding relationship with God is also
reached since God abides in anyone who confesses that Jesus is the Son of
God, and he in God. This confession is by the Spirit of God by whom the
indwelling of God is known and recognized (cf. v 13).
When Jesus is confessed as the Son of God, He is being confessed as
“Christ come in flesh” (cf. 4:2) and as the Guarantor of eternal life and
future resurrection to every believer.
It is possible for a Christian community to recognize the reality that God
“abides” within them if (1) they love one another and (2) they confess that
Jesus is the Son of God. Thereby that community is keeping “His
commandment” (3:23).
 4:16. Verse 16 is parallel in grammar and theme to v 14. The author
apparently intends that both verses show the results of the community
experience of love he has been discussing. But between the two verses John
has pointed out the role of confessing Jesus (v 15) as an additional sign that
God indwells the members of a loving Christian community. Therefore
when believers in a church enjoy such an experience as this, they face the
reality of the love God has toward them. The statement abides in God and
God [abides] in him forms an inclusio with the statement “abides in Him,
and He in him” in 3:24.
E. Having Boldness at the Judgment Seat (4:17-19)
4:17. God’s love is perfected only in a Christian who conveys it to others.
Another aspect of this perfecting is boldness in the day of judgment. This
goes back to 2:28 and the concept of “confidence before Him at His
coming.” The word rendered “confidence” there and boldness here
represent the same Greek word (parrēsia). This is not a judgment for the
saved to determine their destiny in heaven or hell, since that is already
settled (cf. John 5:24; Rom 8:31-34). But Christians will give an accounting
of their Christian lives at the Judgment Seat of Christ (Rom 14:10-12; 2 Cor
5:10-11).
The idea of having boldness in the day of judgment is stunning.
Reasonable Christians, even though fully assured of their salvation, will
realize “the terror of the Lord” (2 Cor 5:11). The possibility of triumphing
over that “terror” is challenging indeed. Yet this is possible if believers
“abide in love” (1 John 4:16).
The reason one who “abides in love” can expect boldness at the Judgment
Seat of Christ is because as He is, so are we in this world. Since “God is
love” (4:8, 16), the one who loves is like He is, even though the loving
Christian is still in this world.
4:18. The experience of fear and perfect love are incompatible. If a
Christian has been made perfect in love, he need not fear the Judgment
Seat.
By perfect love the writer does not mean sinlessness (cf. 1:8). The word
translated “perfect” (teleios) is of the same root as the verb rendered has
been made perfect (teteleiōtai), a verb also used in 2:5; 4:12, 17. Here, as in
those places, the concept is of a matured love that has reached its goal or
objective (see comments on 2:5). John’s point is that when God’s love to
believers has reached its goal in them, by making them channels for that
love to one another, this experience casts out fear.
However, the disobedient Christian will experience God’s discipline, since
the presence of fear involves torment (kolasis, “punishment”). John likely
has in mind the truth that “whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges
every son whom He receives” (Heb 12:6). In fact this NT truth is found on
the lips of the Lord Jesus in Rev 3:19, “As many as I love, I rebuke and
chasten.”
If a Christian experiences fear as he anticipates being evaluated at the
Judgment Seat, then this fear can be regarded as a punishment intended to
awaken him to his need to correct his behavior. Unpleasant as it is, like all
divine discipline (Heb 12:11), it is nevertheless a signal of God’s love and
of His desire to see believers made perfect in love. If the Christian responds
to this kind of discipline, the discipline is effective and “yields the
peaceable fruits of righteousness” (Heb 12:11), which for John are
inseparable from love.
4:19. With regard to the Christian’s exercise of love, John has up to now
spoken of that love as directed toward other Christians, (one another). Here,
however, he speaks for the first time in the epistle of loving God. (It should
be noted that the standard critical editions of the Greek NT omit Him and so
do the translations based on them [e.g., JB, NASB, NIV, etc.]. The omission
is unfortunate, since the reference to loving God is pivotal here; see v 20.)
One’s love for God is sourced in His love for believers (vv 9-10). So if
believers love one another and also love God, there can be only one reason.
It is because He first loved us!
V. Conclusion: Learning How to Live Obediently (4:20–5:17)
A. What Loving Our Brothers Means (4:20–5:3a)
4:20. To a Christian it might seem easier to love God whom he has not
seen than to love his brother whom he has seen. While God seems
perfectly deserving of the Christian’s love, one’s brother often does not. But
for John, love is not an emotional word. For John “to love” is to behave in a
way that meets the need of one’s fellow Christian (see 3:16-18). By their
actions, not their feelings, John assesses the reality of the believers’ love for
one another: they are to love “in deed” and therefore “in truth” (3:18).
 Since action, not emotion, is the critical issue in Christian love, it is
obvious that there is actually no basic difference between expressing love
for God and love for a Christian brother, since the test of one’s love for Him
is obedience to His commandments (see 4:19). If a Christian does not obey
God’s commandments, he does not love Him, no matter what he says or
feels. Thus the person who says, “I love God,” but does not obey God’s
command to love his brother, is a liar.
4:21. John now states the connection between love for God and love for
one’s brother. These two things are part of the same commandment. The
commandment is so stated that the presence of one kind of love necessitates
the presence of the other.
5:1. The chapter break is unfortunate since John is continuing the
discussion begun in chapter 4. John’s definition of a Christian brother is
simple and direct. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of
God. Here John recalls the thematic statement of his Gospel (John 20:31).
There is no other way John ever defines a Christian.
Whether a Christian brother is living worthily of his Christian faith is
irrelevant. The reason for loving another Christian has nothing to do with
his performance. The real reason is now stated by the apostle: everyone
who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him.
Believers love others because they love the Father of those children! If they
do not love the child, it is a lie to say they love the Father (4:20).
5:2. The apostle now makes explicit what was implicit in 4:20–5:1. If one
wants to know whether he really loves the children of God, this can be
verified if he love[s] God and keep[s] His commandments.
Keeping His commandments is the way to demonstrate that a believer
loves his brother, since love for the brethren is one of those commandments.
This new perspective subtly introduces a new thought. John does not speak
here of a single commandment (as he did in 3:23 and 4:21), but rather of
keeping God’s commandments (plural). It is not merely one’s obedience to
the specific command to love our brother that shows love. Rather it is one’s
obedience to all that God commands that verifies that we love the children
of God.
5:3a. Not surprisingly John now insists that the love of God is a matter of
keeping His commandments. The NKJV translation the love of God does
not mean God’s love for believers (subjective genitive). Instead the phrase
refers to our love for God (objective genitive; cf. v 2), which consists of
keeping His commandments.
B. What Actually Empowers Our Love (5:3b-15)
5:3b-4. In the NKJV the closing words of v 3 are made into a complete
sentence. But this does not correctly represent the Greek since v 4 starts
with the Greek subordinating conjunction hoti (“because,” For). It would be
better to read vv 3-4a this way: And His commandments are not
burdensome, [because] whatever is born of God overcomes the world.
The reason God’s commands are not burdensome is that whatever is born
of God overcomes the world. John says whatever, not “whoever.” This
suggests that there is something inherently world-conquering in the very
experience of being born of God. Believers are now immediately told that
this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith (v 4b).
John is stating that our faith in Christ (cf. v 5) has already overcome the
world. Since the antichrists deny “that Jesus is the Christ” (2:22), it is a
great victory to believe this truth and so to be born again. This initial
victory does not guarantee subsequent victory in Christian living. Rather,
the victory achieved by the new birth makes obedience to God’s commands
an achievable goal.
5:5. The Greek constructions here translated he who overcomes (ho
nikōn) and he who believes (ho pisteuōn) are present participles preceded
by the Greek article. This construction in Greek is essentially timeless and
characterizes an individual (or individuals) by some act or acts he has (or
they have) performed. Such statements have their closest analogy to many
English nouns (often ending in –er) that express completed and/or ongoing
action. For example, “He is a murderer.” In this case the person may be
described this way based on one instance of murder or on the basis of many
such acts.
John is thus saying that “the overcomer of the world” is one and the same
as “the believer in Jesus Christ, God’s Son.” As is made clear by the past
tense of v 4 (“has overcome”) this is already true! But since John is
discussing the fact that keeping God’s commandments is not “burdensome”
(v 3b), the implication is that such victory can continue and that the key to it
is faith! Just as the Christian life begins at the moment of saving faith in
Christ, so also that life is lived by faith in Him.
 This implication will be developed a little further on by John (1 John 4:12-
13), but for now he pauses to clarify a point related to this faith, which was
evidently challenged by the Revisionists.
5:6. Cerinthus, of Asia Minor, taught that Jesus was a mere man and that
the divine Christ descended on Him at His baptism and left Him at the
cross. Thus only the human Jesus, not the divine Christ, died and rose.
Ancient Christian literature portrays Cerinthus as an arch-enemy of John.
This reference to water is a reference to the baptism of Jesus, while the
reference to blood is a reference to His death.
The baptism of Jesus was the formal inauguration of Him as the messianic
Savior, that is, the Christ.
The words it is the Spirit who bears witness accurately describe the role
of the Holy Spirit at the baptism of Jesus. (The Father also bore witness by
speaking from heaven; Matt 3:17.) Possibly the Revisionists distorted the
baptism by making the Spirit represent the “divine Christ” who descended
on the human Jesus at that time, only to leave Him when He died on the
cross. John’s words then correct a misrepresentation of the Holy Spirit’s
role in relationship to the messiahship of Jesus. The Spirit is a witness, but
He remains a distinct person not to be identified as the Christ.
Moreover, the Spirit’s testimony is reliable because the Spirit is truth.
The Spirit can be said to be truth in much the same sense as “God is love”
(cf. 4:8). The very nature and character of the Spirit is to be truthful and
therefore His testimony can be relied on.
In the light of this verse it is possible to surmise what the theology of the
Revisionists may have been. They claimed that Jesus was not the Christ
(2:22), and possibly they regarded the “Christ” as a spiritual being (the
Spirit?) who descended on the man Jesus at His baptism but left Him to die
alone. Thus the work of the Cross was not a sacrifice offered up by God’s
Son, but the death of a mere man. Therefore Jesus’ death had no saving
value.
Those who believed that Jesus is the Christ would then be believing a
falsehood. Hence they were not born of God, as the apostles taught that they
were (cf. 5:1).
This was a grave challenge to Christianity. If the Revisionists’ view that
Jesus is not the Son of God (cf. v 5), there was then no victory over the
world through faith (cf. vv 4-5). Nor was there any hope of ongoing victory
over the world.
5:7-8. The words of this verse are well known because they were first
introduced into an early printed edition of the Greek NT by Erasmus. They
then became part of the KJV. But they are not found in the vast majority of
the surviving Greek manuscripts of 1 John.
Thus they may read as follows: 6bAnd it is the Spirit who bears witness,
because the Spirit is truth—7because there are three that bear witness: 8the
Spirit, the water, and the blood; and these three agree as one.
John has affirmed that the Spirit is reliable—He is truth—and this is
because His testimony follows the Biblical law of verification which
required two or three witnesses (cf. Deut 17:6; 19:15; Matt 18:16; John
8:17-18).
The baptism and the death of Jesus were so firmly attested that they could
be said to bear witness along with the Spirit and to be fully in accord with
Him: these three agree as one. Behind John’s words stands the fact that at
the baptism God declared, “‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well
pleased’” (Matt 3:17). John the Baptist personally “bore witness” to this
event (cf. John 1:32-34). In addition the crucifixion was foreseen by the
Scriptures (cf. 13:18; 19:24, 28, 36, 37) and was attested by apostolic
witnesses (19:35; 21:24, note the words “we know”). Thus the water and
the blood are fully attested in their own right, both by divine testimony and
by witnesses.
5:9. This verse looks to the testimony specified in vv 7-8 and forward to
the witness of God stated in vv 11-12. They make the point that inasmuch
as they do receive human testimony as valid, how much more should they
be able to do this with the witness of God which is obviously greater and
thus much more deserving of reception.
The words, If we receive the witness of men, is probably referring to the
requirement of two or three witnesses in order for the statement to be
considered valid (vv 7-8).
John claims that God has testified of His Son. The words that follow in
verses 11-12 show that this testimony derives from words spoken by Jesus
in the hearing of the apostles.
5:10. This verse should probably be in parentheses. They constitute a brief
side comment before the “witness of God” is actually stated in v 11. John
draws the contrast between believing and not believing the testimony about
God’s Son.
The phrase believes in (pisteueō eis) reflects an expression common in the
Fourth Gospel (cf. John 1:12; 2:11, 23; 3:15-16, 18, 36). “Believing in”
Jesus is identical in force with the idea of “believing that (hoti) Jesus is the
Christ” (John 11:27; 20:31; cf. 8:24; 13:19). Either Greek construction
expresses the means of receiving eternal life (cf. 20:30-31 with John 3:15-
16, 18, etc. and cf. 1 John 5:1).
The person who exercises this faith has the witness in himself, that is,
God’s testimony about His Son, is internalized when a person believes in
the Son of God.
By contrast, the person who does not believe God (i.e., disbelieves the
testimony that God has given of His Son) makes God out to be a liar. Such
people are saying, in effect, that God’s testimony is false.
There is nothing here about “head belief” or “heart belief,” or about an
inner faith over against mere intellectual assent. The Bible does not
complicate faith like that. Once one has understood the message, the issue
is, does the person believe it or not?
5:11-12. The words and this is the testimony should be taken as covering
both verses which, taken together, state God’s testimony about His Son.
God’s testimony consists of two closely related affirmations. The first is
about what God has bestowed (v 11), and the second is about the exclusive
character of this bestowal (v 12).
According to the divine testimony God has given us eternal life.
Therefore He who has the Son has life, and he who does not have the Son
does not have life.
The Revisionists seem to have questioned the readers’ belief that they
possessed eternal life (cf. 2:25). And since the Revisionists also denied that
Jesus is the Christ (cf. 2:22), they would have affirmed that there was no
eternal life available in Jesus. Thus in the eyes of the Revisionists John’s
readers did not really possess such life. John counters by asserting that he
and his readers do have eternal life because God has given it to them in His
Son and that this life is to be found in Him and nowhere else. If someone
does not have the Son, that person does not have this life.
The reason John has been speaking about the “testimony that God has
given of His Son” (vv 6-12) is to assure the readers that they do indeed have
eternal life and to encourage continuing faith in His name.
5:13. The words These things refer not to the entire epistle but to vv 6-12.
This near reference is consistent with John’s style elsewhere in the letter.
The words “these things we write to you” (1:4) refer to what has just been
mentioned in vv 1-3. In 2:1, the statement “these things I write to you, so
that you may not sin,” (1:4) refers to the discussion on sin in 1:5-10. The
words of 2:26, “these things I have written to you concerning those who try
to deceive you,” refer to the preceding discussion about the antichrists in
2:18-25.
Every believer knows at the point of saving faith that he has eternal life,
because the promises he believes guarantee it (cf. John 11:25-26). But the
believer is not immune to doubts after he is saved (cf. John the Baptist;
Luke 7:18-19). The antidote to such doubts is always God’s promises.
These promises can be referred to repeatedly as a fresh source of assurance.
No book of the Bible contains more of these straight-forward guarantees
than John’s Gospel itself (John 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:35-40, 47; etc.). First
John 5:11-12 reminds the readers of God’s testimony they have already
believed.
Since the believers he writes to have believed in the name of the Son of
God (whose identity is attested by “the Spirit, the water, and the blood,” v
8), then they should rest securely on the testimony that God has given about
and through His Son. This testimony assures believers that they do have
eternal life.
All true assurance of salvation and eternal life must rest on the “testimony
of God,” for only that testimony has full reliability. Ironically once one’s
Christian experience is made the grounds for assurance, John’s statement in
v 13 about knowing becomes a complete impossibility!
The apostle here seeks to reaffirm the assurance of his readers which was
to question the antichrists.
5:14. The Lord Jesus had taught His disciples the effectiveness of His
name in receiving answers to prayer (John 16:23b-24). John’s shift to the
subject of prayer after his reference to ongoing faith “in the name of the Son
of God” (v 13), is natural, since the Son’s name is also the key to answered
prayer.
To do something in someone’s name means to act on his authority (cf.
John 5:43; 10:25). It has nothing to do with simply tacking onto our prayers
a phrase like “in Jesus’ name”. Praying in Jesus’ name means to
ask...according to His (God’s or Christ’s) will. If this is done, believers can
have confidence that...He hears them. The word for confidence (parrēsia)
is also used in 3:21, which also deals with prayer. Elsewhere in the epistle it
is used only twice (2:28 and 4:17), both in relation to the Judgment Seat of
Christ.
When a Christian prays, how can he know what God’s will is? There is one
unmistakable way: His will is expressed in His “commandments” (cf. v 3).
5:15. Suppose, then, that a believer asks God for His help to love his
Christian brothers and sisters. Can he expect God to grant such a request?
John’s answer is in the affirmative.
Since God’s command “to love one another” (3:11, 23; 4:7, 11-12) is an
expression of “His will” for Christians, if they ask for help in doing this,
they can know that they are being heard (cf. v 14). And if, in any such
matter which is “according to His will” (i.e., whatever we ask in His will),
we are heard, we can also know that we have the petitions (requests) that
we have asked of Him. If therefore the request is for assistance to do God’s
will by loving fellow Christians, one can know that this assistance will be
granted.
C. What Faith and Love Can Do for Our Brother (5:16-17)
5:16-17. As everywhere in John’s epistle, the words his brother refer to a
real Christian. If then, such a brother is seen sinning a sin which does not
lead to death, Christian love should move one to pray for him.
This verse might have been better translated “which does not lead directly
(or immediately) to death.”
God sometimes inflicted death immediately in response to certain sins of
Christians. The two obvious examples are Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-
11), and the Christians at Corinth who ate the Lord’s Supper with
unconfessed sin in their lives (1 Cor 11:27-32).
John states that there is sin leading directly to death and that he is not
saying (I do not say) that a Christian should pray about that. There is no
command to pray for such sin, although also there is no command not to
either. In other words, if a Christian suspects that a sin leading directly to
death is being committed, he is free to pray for the sinning believer, but
without any certainty about the outcome of his prayer. Although there is no
guarantee, it is always possible that God may “relent” from His judgment.
What may a Christian expect when he prays for cases where the sin is one
which does not lead directly to death? He (God) will give life for those
who commit sin not leading immediately to death. Since the death in
question for the sinning brother is not eternal (John 11:26), there is no
reason to take life here as eternal either. Since, however, all sin leads
ultimately to physical death, to turn from sin leads to a lengthening of one’s
physical life.
VI. Epilogue: Christian Certainties (5:18-21)
John brings his epistle to a close with a series of statements introduced by
the words “We know.” Together these statements plus the closing
exhortation constitute a kind of epilogue. The fact that verbs whose subjects
are “we” predominate in both prologue and epilogue is a further sign of
stylistic balance. John is far from being the rambling writer some have
imagined him to be; he is a literary artist of high caliber.
5:18. John now wishes to remind his readers that whoever is born of God
does not sin, that is, the regenerate person as such is incapable of any sin.
This leads to the further observation that he who has been born of God
keeps himself with the result that the wicked one does not touch him. The
inner man, born of God, has the inborn capacity to resist the pollution of
evil and thus lies outside of Satan’s reach.
In saying that the regenerate inward person (cf. Rom 7:22) keeps himself,
John is not saying that one’s inner self can somehow prevent all sin in the
Christian life (cf. 1:5-10). What John means is that God’s “seed remains in”
the regenerate inner self (cf. 3:9) as the controlling element of his born-
again nature and is impervious to even the slightest contamination from the
wicked one. Believers’ failures are due to the sinful “programming” of their
earthly bodies, as Paul himself taught in Rom 7:7-25.
But try as he might, Satan cannot really touch the believer. But if a
believer lets him, Satan will use his failures to lead him to further failures.
So after every sin, a believer ought to rise from his confession to God,
knowing that he is the same inwardly holy person he was before he failed!
5:19. If a Christian knows the truth stated in v 18, he can also know whose
side he is on. Knowing God normally suggests a dynamic experiential
relationship with Him (cf. 3:19; 4:4).
The world lies under the sway of the wicked one translates en tō ponerō
keitai, (“lies in the wicked one”). This phrase suggests that the world
passively rests within Satan’s operative sphere. By contrast, the phrase ek
Theou (of God) means being “from” God.
The Christian should be aware of his own sinless inward man (v 18), and
he should also be aware of his utter separateness from the whole world that
lives under Satan’s sway. Believers, whom the enemy cannot “touch” (v
18), are not a part of the world, which lies passively in the wicked one.
Thus believers must not “love the world or the things in the world” (2:15-
17) and they must resist the ideas that the world promotes (cf. 2:18-19).
This letter is written to Christians who are advanced in their spiritual state
(cf. 2:12-14; 4:6), probably the church leaders. The statements of these
closing verses can apply in varying degrees to other believers, depending on
the extent to which their own spiritual experience matches that of the
readers addressed.
5:20. The third thing we know is that by virtue of the coming of God’s
Son believers have been granted spiritual comprehension (an
understanding) that makes it possible for them to know the true God.
The word understanding (dianoian) means intelligence. The idea is that
the Son of God has granted spiritual intelligence, or intellect, necessary to
know God.
This knowledge is attained through fellowship and is verified by obedience
to God’s commands (cf. comments on 2:3-4, 12-14). The ability to acquire
such knowledge, that is, the necessary intelligence for it, is made possible
by the fact that the Son of God has come.
Christian love (obedience) is never absent where God is truly known (cf.
comments on 4:7-8). There could be no true understanding of love or of
God had not the Son of God come and died to reveal God’s love. Through
His death the Son has given us an understanding (an intelligence) by means
of which we may know God. The obedient Christian possesses the necessary
spiritual capacity to know God.
The statement we are in Him who is true recalls the same expression in
2:5 (“by this we know that we are in Him”), which John linked to abiding in
Him (2:6). “Abiding” is John’s description of the experience of “living as a
disciple” (cf. John 15:8).
But to be in Him, that is, to abide in Him, is not only to abide in Him who
is true (as John has just described God), but it is also to be in His Son Jesus
Christ. There is no and between the phrases in Him and in His Son. To
abide in God and to abide in Christ are the same thing.
The declaration that this is the true God is one of the most
straightforward announcements of the deity of Jesus Christ found in the NT
and He is also eternal life, which leads back to the Prologue in 1:1-4, where
the subject matter of John’s letter is “that eternal life which was with the
Father and was manifested to us” (1:2; cf. “I am...the life” John 14:6). This
shows that the final statement is primarily a reference to His Son Jesus
Christ.
Moreover, the reference to eternal life ties prologue and epilogue together
in this climactic affirmation. John has now fulfilled his intention to
“declare” to his readers this “eternal life” (1:2). He has shown them that
through “abiding” in Him who is true (which is also to abide in His Son
Jesus Christ), they can experience eternal life. That life, expressed in love
toward their Christian brothers and sisters, springs out of the sinless inner
self (v 18). It marks their life and experience as being of God rather than of
the world (v 19), and expresses the spiritual understanding that the Son of
God came to give them (v 20a).
5:21. The heresy John combats undermines the Saviorhood of Jesus Christ
and espouses compromise with the world. They are agents of Satan,
promoting various forms of idolatry (whether literal or metaphorical) that
blind men to “the true God and eternal life.”
The apostle’s final words should therefore reverberate down the corridors
of human history: Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.

2 JOHN
COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (vv 1-3)
Vv 1-2. John uses the title the Elder to mean “the elderly one.” The elect
lady and her children probably refer to the church and its members.
 John’s love in truth means that he loves them because they love the truth.
Moreover, his love for them is shared by all those who have known the
truth. They have believed the truth that “Jesus is the Christ” and so are
“born of God” (cf. 1 John 5:1).
John’s statement that the truth (God’s revelation in His Son)…abides in
us describes their corporate state.
But God’s truth also will be with us forever. Christianity has endured
through the centuries and continues to be with us today, and will be true
eternally.
V 3. The benefits of grace, mercy, and peace will come both from God
the Father and also from Jesus. The full title, the Lord Jesus Christ,
followed by the Son of the Father, is unique in the Johannine writings and
serves to affirm His lordship, messiahship, and deity (cf. vv 7, 9, 10).
Moreover, these benefits will come, John states, in truth and love. As
with Paul in Eph 4:15, truth is given priority. Those who think that truth can
be downplayed in the interests of mutual love, do not share the NT point of
view (cf. 1 John 3:23; 4:21).
II. Protecting the Truth by Rejecting Error (vv 4-11)
A. Practice the Truth as Originally Given (vv 4-6)
V 4. John’s goal was to turn believers into disciples, who are walking in
truth, that is, in the commandment of Jesus Christ, the command to love
other Christians (cf. vv 5-6; Matt 22:37-39).
V 5. John pleads with the whole church (lady) to adhere to the
commandment to love one another, a command they had from the
beginning.
V 6. As in 1 John 5:2-3, love for one’s brother can be defined as obedience
to God’s commands. Thus when believers walk according to His
commandments, they love one another.
The single commandment (cf. 1 John 3:22-23) is to love God. For if we
love God, we will automatically love the brethren (1 John 2:4-11; 3:11-15;
4:7-11, 20).
B. Protect Your Work by Rejecting Error (vv 7-11)
V 7. The false prophets or deceivers are linked to the Antichrist, no doubt
the same ones in 1 John. They denied that Jesus is the Christ, a denial that
marked them out as antichrists (cf. 1 John 2:22).
V 8. The words Look to yourselves (Blepete heautois) might be rendered,
“Watch out for yourselves.” The intrusion of false teaching into the church
can severely damage the work God has been doing among them, which will
result in the reward for that work being diminished.
In the words that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we
may receive the repetition of we contrasts with Look to yourselves. John
had labored for the Lord in the very church and area where the recipients of
this epistle were located. What was at risk, because of the threat of false
doctrine, was not simply their work for God, but the apostle’s as well.
If false doctrine is allowed to intrude a church, it has the potential to stop
that church’s progress or even to destroy the church.
John’s concern, expressed in terms of losing a full reward, shows that
this, not the loss of salvation, was the consequence of failure to maintain the
truth.
V 9. If the church John was addressing was not vigilant as he has just
warned them to be, or if one (or more) of its members gave in to the new
theology, John states that such a person transgresses (parabainō, “to go
aside”) and does not abide (menō, “to stay”) in the doctrine of Christ. He
turns aside from the truth instead of remaining in it.
The person who does not abide in the true doctrine about Jesus Christ does
not have God with him in his new perspective and/or lifestyle. He is out of
touch with God, while he who abides in the doctrine of Christ is vitally in
touch with God.
V 10. If the readers are to “abide” in the truth about Jesus Christ, they
must be extremely wary of any traveling teacher who comes to [them] and
does not bring (i.e., “teach”) this doctrine. They must offer him no
hospitality or encouragement at all.
In Greek the pronouns you and your are plural, showing that the
congregation is addressed. No one in the congregation was to give the false
teachers assistance of any kind. The words do not receive him into your
house at the least meant to refuse such things as food or lodging. The
wisdom of not allowing such people “to get in the door” has often been
proved by those who have invited the representatives of cults to come in
and talk. Letting them in is often easier than getting them out! John tells the
members of the church not even to greet such people. The reason for this is
stated in the following verse.
V 11. This admonition may sound harsh. Why would a simple “hello”
mean participating in the false teacher’s evil deeds? The Greek word for
greets (chairein) means “rejoice.” One might compare it to “good luck” or
“have a good day.” A believer should not say “Have a good day” to a
person he knows is an enemy of the truth. To say this to a bearer of a false
message was to participate, however slightly, in his evil deeds. In a tolerant
age, believers must learn a true measure of holy intolerance!
III. Farewell (vv 12-13)
V 12. The last two verses of 2 John are a personal “farewell” from the
author, who clearly knew the recipients. He has many things he could
write to them, but has decided to save these for a future visit. This
indirectly speaks volumes about the importance of the matters addressed in
this letter, since he has chosen not to wait for a visit before communicating
them. They were important enough to be put into writing immediately.
V 13. If 2 John were a personal letter to a particular woman, the question
might be raised why only the children of her sister send their greetings.
(The word for greet here is a standard one and different from the word in vv
10-11.) Of course, there are possible answers to this question: the sister was
away; the sister was not a Christian; etc. But this does not seem truly
natural, especially since neither the elect sister nor “the elect lady” (v 1) are
given personal names. This contrasts with 3 John where three personal
names appear in the brief space of the epistle, whereas in 2 John neither the
“ladies” nor any of their “children” receive names.
On the other hand if the “elect lady and her children” of v 1 are the church
and its members, then the children of your elect sister simply refers to the
members of the church where John is when he writes this letter. The bearer
of the epistle would know the identity of that church so that the readers
would recognize that John is sending the greetings of a sister church.

3 JOHN
COMMENTARY
I. Salutation (v 1)
 V 1. As in 2 John the apostle writes under the title of The Elder. The
recipient is a man named Gaius for whom John expresses Christian love.
The apostle loves him in truth, that is, both “truly” and in accord with
Christian truth (cf. 2 John 1).
Several men bearing the name Gaius appear in the NT, but nothing
indicates that the Gaius of 3 John should be identified with any of the
others.
II. Upholding the Truth by Supporting Its Representatives (vv 2-
12)
The letter appeals to Gaius to do what Diotrephes was unwilling to do, that
is, to support the truth by supporting its representative Demetrius.
A. Commendation of Gaius’s Walk in the Truth (vv 2-4)
V 2. The word prosper (euodousthai) is equivalent to the English
expression “get along well” and does not necessarily refer to material
prosperity. The apostle wants things to go well for Gaius and for him to be
in good health. Since he regards Gaius’s soul as “getting along well”
(prospers), he expresses the hope that Gaius’s temporal well-being might
match his spiritual well-being.
V 3. John now states that he has received information from certain
Christian brethren that Gaius conducts himself consistently with the truth,
that is, the substance of the Christian revelation made through God’s Son.
V 4. John is delighted with the reports of Gaius’s adherence to the truth. To
walk in truth means that Gaius lived in conformity to the truth.
B. Encouragement of Gaius’s Support for Those who Proclaim the
Truth (vv 5-10)
Vv 5-6. The brethren referred to are Christian missionaries (itinerant
evangelists). Gaius is being encouraged to continue to assist them as he
evidently has done in the past.
The phrase for the brethren and for strangers does not mean Christians
and non-Christians, since the statement who have borne witness...before
the church seems to refer to both categories. Sometimes, however, the term
brother or brethren seems to refer to specific people known to the
Christians who are addressed (cf. 1 Cor 16:12; 2 Cor 9:3, 5; 12:18). The
brethren may indicate traveling evangelists whom both John and Gaius
knew, while strangers refers to evangelists from other places who were
unknown to Gaius.
Gaius was an openhanded man when it came to assisting those who
traveled in the service of the gospel. This was an act of fidelity to the Lord
and His truth. The words you do faithfully might be rendered, “you do a
faithful thing.” John’s point is that whatever Gaius might do (ergasei, “do,
accomplish”) for these servants of Christ is an act of faithfulness to God.
V 7. These men have gone on their mission without seeking any assistance
from unsaved Gentiles. As indicated by the words taking nothing, these
NT preachers apparently refused to accept such help.
The words for His name’s sake could be rendered “for the sake of the
Name.” (There is no word for His in the Greek and a reference to the Lord’s
name is perhaps preferable; i.e., the Name par excellence.) The implication
of this is that to seek material assistance from the unsaved would have been
unworthy of the Name.
V 8. The word receive (apolambanein) means “welcoming” (e.g.,
welcoming a guest into one’s home [cf. Luke 15:27]). When Christians
offered hospitality to such servants of the Lord, they became fellow
workers (synergoi, “coworkers”) for (or, with) the truth proclaimed by
them. In other words, they became partners with the preached word!
V 9. Gaius might have wondered why this request was put to him instead
of to the church to which he belonged. John’s remark here implies that his
procedure was a bit unusual and so he wishes to explain it to Gaius.
John states that he has written to the church. The possibility exists that 2
John is the letter referred to here, but it is only that—a possibility.
The problem in Gaius’s church was the presence of a dominant leader
named Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them.
This indictment does not mean that Diotrephes held some doctrinal error.
Nor does it mean he was not a Christian. Instead, Diotrephes is guilty of
usurping a position in the church that belongs to Jesus alone.
The word us probably means those who formed a part of John’s immediate
circle of apostles (cf. comments on 1 John 2:19). For this reason John does
not expect Demetrius (v 12) to be received by Diotrephes either. That is
why John is writing Gaius, rather than the church, to request hospitality.
V 10. John assures Gaius that if he does come to Gaius’s church, he will
call to mind the deeds that Diotrephes does. John seems confident that he
can put this man in his place if he goes to that church in person.
By the term his deeds, the apostle no doubt has in mind Diotrephes’s
refusal to recognize any emissaries that had come to him from the apostles.
Such rejections had been accompanied by prating against us (the apostles)
with malicious words. The verb for prating (phlyareō) occurs only here in
the NT (though related to phlyareō occuring in 1 Tim 5:13 in the sense of
“gossips” or “tattlers”). It signifies foolish or senseless talk.
Whereas Diotrephes ought to have been deeply ashamed of these words
with which he demeaned the apostles, he actually added to that (lit., “to
these things,” i.e., to the words he spoke) the additional sins of both
rejecting the traveling preachers himself and then also preventing others
(those who wish to) from doing so.
C. Exhortation to Continue This Support in Regard to Demetrius
(vv 11-12)
V 11. Gaius is not to imitate what is evil. If he did, then it could be said
of him that he had not seen God! Conversely, if he did the right thing, it
could be said that he was of God.
To be of God signifies that the action of the person in question has its
source in God (cf. 1 John 3:10b). Sin, on the other hand, is always an act
performed in spiritual ignorance and darkness. The sinner acts sinfully
because he has lost sight of God (cf. 1 John 3:6).
The Greek articular present participle is used in the phrases He who does
good (ho agathopoiōn) and he who does evil (ho kakopoiōn), but these
expressions imply no more than that the action is performed. Such
participles can express actions that occur only once (e.g., John 6:33, ho
katabainōn, “He who comes down”) or actions that are no longer occurring
(e.g., John 9:8, ho kathēmenos kai prosaitōn, “he who sat and begged”).
The statements remain true whether good or evil is done once or many
times.
Gaius therefore is being told that if he does good by receiving Demetrius
(v 12), in so doing he will be of God. That is, he will be behaving in such a
way that God Himself is the source of what he is doing. Alternatively if he
imitates Diotrephes and does evil, he will be acting out of spiritual
blindness and will have had no perception of God.
 V 12. Demetrius had a good testimony from all who knew him. But
beyond that, Demetrius received “testimony” from the truth itself. (i.e.,
Demetrius proclaimed the truth). By doing so he demonstrated his
“orthodoxy” and this made him worthy to receive support in his travels
from other Christians (cf. 2 John 10). Thus the truth testified to him as he
proclaimed it.
A third “witness” was also available to Demetrius. John’s words And we
also bear witness obviously refers to the apostles, whose “witness”
Diotrephes was unwilling to accept. John is confident that Gaius, unlike
Diotrephes, will accept this testimony, adding, and you know that our
testimony is true.
III. Farewell (vv 13-14)
Vv 13-14. The apostle has a lot to say to Gaius, but he prefers to do this in
person. Earlier he had used the words “if I come” (v 10), and now he
expresses the hope that he will be able to do so shortly. No doubt
Demetrius was coming to Gaius’s area ahead of John, and so this letter of
recommendation was needed to procure Gaius’s hospitality for Demetrius.
 Jude
BRAD DOSKOCIL
INTRODUCTION
Authorship
The author is Jude (lit., “Judas”), a Greek form of the popular Hebrew
name Judah. Aside from Judas Iscariot, there are at least three men named
Judas or Jude in the NT. There is Judas, the Apostle, the son of James (Luke
6:16; John 14:22; Acts 1:13), also known as Thaddeus (Matt 10:3; Mark
3:18). He is not the author of this epistle because the author specifically
distinguishes himself from the apostles (Jude 17). Another Judas is
mentioned in Acts 15:22 and was also known as Barsabbas. The author is
the third Judas, the half-brother of Jesus and brother of James (cf. Matt
13:55; Mark 6:3).
He was an unbeliever during Jesus’ ministry (John 7:3-5), but he became a
believer sometime between Jesus’ resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:14).
Like his brother James, Jude did not exploit his natural relationship to the
Lord, and so he calls himself a slave of Jesus Christ (Jude 1).
Date of Composition
Jude probably wrote this epistle between AD 68 and 70. Many similarities
exist between 2 Peter and Jude, and so Jude was likely written at a time
close to 2 Peter, which scholars date as having been written around 67–68.
Also Jude probably wrote his epistle before the destruction of Jerusalem in
70; otherwise he would have mentioned that event as one of his examples of
God’s judgment.
Style
The many similarities between Jude and 2 Peter include Jude 4 and 2 Pet
2:1; Jude 6 and 2 Pet 2:4; Jude 7 and 2 Pet 2:6; Jude 8 and 2 Pet 2:10; Jude
9 and 2 Pet 2:11; Jude 10 and 2 Pet 2:12; Jude 12-13 and 2 Pet 2:17; Jude
16 and 2 Pet 2:18; Jude 17 and 2 Pet 3:2; Jude 18 and 2 Pet 3:3.
Jude wrote using triads. For example in v 1 he addresses believers who are
called, sanctified, and preserved. In describing God’s judgments of sin
during the course of time he mentions the Exodus generation, fallen angels
(Gen 6), and Sodom and Gomorrah. He describes the false teachers who
have infiltrated the church as dreamers who “defile the flesh, reject
authority, and speak evil of dignitaries.”
Jude used 15 words not found elsewhere in the NT. And like Jesus, Jude
used many illustrations to make his points (e.g., vv 12-13).
Recipients
The numerous references to OT events suggest that the recipients were
Jewish believers. Where these Jewish believers lived is unknown.
Purpose
The purpose of the letter is to warn the church about the infiltration of
false teachers who promote sinful conduct and false doctrine. Thus the
epistle instructs believers to separate truth from error, Biblical teaching
from false teaching, and godliness from ungodliness.

OUTLINE
I. Greeting (vv 1-2)
II. The Purpose of the Epistle (vv 3-4)
III. The Judgment of God on Sin (vv 5-7)
IV. The Profile of False Teachers (vv 8-16)
V. The Warnings to Believers (vv 17-23)
VI. Benediction (vv 24-25)

COMMENTARY
I. Greeting (vv 1-2)
A. Salutation (v 1)
V 1. Jude calls himself a bondservant (doulos, lit., “slave”) of Jesus
Christ. By calling himself a slave, Jude highlights his devotion to the Lord.
Though a half-brother of Jesus, Jude did not mention that fact.
Jude addresses his brief letter to those who are called, sanctified by God
the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ. Those who are called refers to
believers who have been invited to serve Christ and fellowship with Him.
Sanctified (hagiazō) means “set apart, made distinct or unique as a saint.”
Preserved means “to keep an eye on, to watch.” The picture is of Jesus, the
Good Shepherd, watching over His flock. Temporally Christ protects His
followers from false teachers through His Word (cf. v 17), and eternally, He
is the one who guarantees everlasting life.
B. Jude’s Wish (v 2)
V 2. Jude wishes that his readers would experience mercy, peace and love
in ever greater ways. He wants these to be multiplied to them. When
Christians treat others with mercy (kindness or favor toward those who are
in need; cf. Luke 10:30-37), it should be from loving concern that brings
harmony. Likewise believers who contemplate God’s grace, mercy, and love
will experience contentment in their relationship with Him (Phil 4:7).
II. The Purpose of the Epistle (vv 3-4)
A. Exhortation to Contend for the Faith (v 3)
V 3. The term beloved indicates that Jude loves those to whom he is
writing, but it also points to the fact that they are loved by God as His
children.
Jude’s original intent was to write about our common salvation. Common
(koinē) refers to something held in common. Salvation refers to eternal life
given by God to anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. However, Jude was
compelled to write about false teachers who had infiltrated the church (v 4).
He wants believers to contend earnestly for the faith. The verb for
contend earnestly (epagōnizomai) occurs only here in the NT. It was used to
describe athletes in competition striving with great intensity for victory. The
faith is Jesus Himself and His teachings (cf. 2 Cor 11:3-4; 1 Thess 2:13;
Heb 1:2).
Since this faith was once for all delivered to the saints, every Christian,
not just church leaders, is to defend Biblical truth from erroneous teachings
of false teachers.
B. The Danger of False Teachers (v 4)
V 4. Certain men, Jude says, have crept in unnoticed. The phrase have
crept in unnoticed translates one word in Greek (pareisduō) and pictures a
thief slipping in a side door. These false teachers use stealth and secrecy to
deceive believers. They are ungodly (asebēs), that is, they are unlike God
and without reverence for Him.
They change God’s grace into lewdness (aselgeia, “behavior completely
lacking in moral restraint”). Also they reject God’s authority as master
(despotēs). Their perverted behavior matches their perverted teachings.
III. The Judgment of God on Sin (vv 5-7)
A. Judgment on the Exodus Generation (v 5)
V 5. Jude cites three examples from the past that show God’s judgment on
sinful conduct, which means that God will deal with false teachers too.
The first example is the Exodus generation whom God rescued from
slavery in Egypt and brought into the promised land (Exod 3:8), but that
generation, except for Caleb and Joshua, perished because of rebellion (cf.
Num 14:20-38; 1 Cor 10:1-11; Heb 3:12–4:6). Similarly, when Christians
fail to continually believe God in their daily lives and instead rebel against
Him, they can suffer earthly loss, premature death and loss of eternal
rewards.
B. Judgment on Fallen Angels (v 6)
V 6. The second example of God’s temporal judgment on rebellion is the
fallen angels of Genesis 6. Leaving their dwelling places in the heavens,
they cohabitated with women (cf. Gen 6:1-6; 1 Pet 3:19-20; 2 Pet 2:4). This
unnatural and perverted sexual union (Jude 7) produced a mixed race
(angelic fathers and human mothers), who were called Nephilim, (“fallen
ones,” Gen 6:4). This attempt to corrupt the purity of the human race, if
successful, could have precluded the coming of Christ as the promised seed
of the woman (Gen 3:15). These fallen angels are imprisoned in a place
called Tartarus (2 Pet 2:4), held under darkness awaiting their final
judgment in the lake of fire (Matt 25:41).
C. Judgment on Sodom and Gomorrah (v 7)
V 7. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah pursued unnatural sexual
encounters, especially homosexuality. So God destroyed these cities with
fire and brimstone (cf. Gen 19:24).
Jude’s point in citing these three examples is to remind believers that God
judges sin temporally. If left alone, without God’s intervention, man would
destroy himself through sin.
IV. The Profile of False Teachers (vv 8-16)
A. They Commit Many Sins (vv 8-9)
V 8. Jude refers to the false teachers as dreamers (cf. Deut 13:1-3), blind to
the truth, divorced from reality, and unaware of their own conduct.
Like those groups who rebelled, these false teachers defile their own flesh
through sexual immorality, reject the authority of the apostles and of God
Himself, and speak evil of dignitaries. The word translated speak evil
(blasphemeō) means “to speak against someone in such a way as to harm or
injure the person or his reputation.” The word rendered dignitaries means
“glories.” Some interpret this as a reference to angels (cf. v 9), while others
view it as a reference to God. However, since these dreamers reject
authority, Jude is probably using the term in a broader sense: leaders in
government, business, schools, athletics, church, and elsewhere.
V 9. Jude discusses an event that is recorded nowhere else in the Bible.
After Moses died (cf. Deut 34), a dispute broke out between Michael the
archangel and Satan over the body of Moses. Apparently Michael was sent
to bury the body but was opposed by Satan who, as prince of this world
(2 Cor 4:4; Eph 2:2), claimed the right to dispose of it. Michael, chief of the
angels, is assigned to guard and protect Israel from Gentile nations and
angelic powers who seek her destruction (cf. Dan 10:21; 12:1).
Before his fall Satan was the anointed cherub, perfect, wise, and beautiful
(Ezek 28:12-14). Now he is the leader of the fallen angels (Rev 12:7-9). So
both of these angelic beings–Michael and Satan–are glorious creatures
(picking up the thought of “glories” from v 8). Nevertheless, while arguing
with Satan about Moses’ body, Michael left the matter of rebuke to the
Lord. Michael’s humility contrasts with the arrogance of the false teachers
Jude is describing.
B. They Slander What They Do Not Know (v 10)
V 10. Unlike Michael the archangel, the false teachers do not perceive the
extent to which they speak abusively about dignitaries (v 8). Such abusive
speech does not exhibit any wisdom; instead it shows their ignorance (cf.
2 Pet 2:12). Like animals they comprehend things instinctively by their
physical senses because they have no ability to reason. The false teachers’
behavior is like that of animals, and only serves to corrupt them further.
C. They Are Like Sinners of the OT (v 11)
V 11. Jude begins this verse with a pained denunciation (ouai) on these
false teachers before comparing them to three OT sinners who were judged
temporally by God. Cain insisted on worshipping God in his own way,
rather than in the way God had instructed (cf. Gen 4:1-25; Heb 11:4). Cain
did not give the first and the best of his crops, and thus the way of Cain
manifests pride, envy, and hatred (cf. 1 John 3:12).
These false teachers also embraced the error of Balaam. Balaam
(Numbers 22–24; 31:8, 16) used his position as a prophet to obtain wealth
selfishly. Likewise these false teachers minister not to serve God but to
become rich. Their motivation for spiritual service is entirely self-centered.
The third example is the rebellion of Korah (Num 16:1-40). Korah and
his followers challenged the authority of God’s representatives and so were
executed by God. In saying that the false teachers perished with Korah,
Jude speaks of their destruction as a past event thereby affirming that God’s
judgment of them is certain.
D. They Lack Integrity (vv 12-13)
V 12. Jude uses five illustrations to describe these false teachers. The love
feasts of the early church were common meals for the purpose of fostering
fellowship and expressing love to one another (cf. Acts 2:42, 46). Yet the
false teachers are like spots (spilades) at these feasts. Like stains, they
defile the love feasts by not expressing love for others. However, spilades
also refers to hidden reefs just below the surface of the water. If this is what
Jude means, then these false teachers are a hidden source of danger to the
church, and their participation is disruptive of true fellowship, possibly
leading some believers to spiritual shipwreck. Either way, they are without
fear of reprisal.
They were serving only themselves (poimainontes, lit., “shepherding
themselves”). Unlike a real shepherd (Acts 20:28; 1 Pet 5:2) they show no
regard for the welfare of others.
Jude describes them as clouds without water that are carried about by
the winds. They put on a big show, but lack substance. Their teaching has
no truth or sound doctrine for thirsty souls. Being blown by the wind
suggests that they were unstable; governed by their emotions.
Late autumn is the normal time for picking fruit, but these teachers are
like trees without fruit. If a tree does not bear fruit, it is considered dead,
and is pulled out, which makes it twice dead. This illustration suggests that
the false teachers do not have spiritual fruit (e.g., love for others), but are
spiritually dead and are useless to others.
V 13. The consequences of their sins are evident in the next illustration.
Raging waves of the sea are powerful but unrestrained and thus are brutal
and destructive. Such waves (foaming up) carry refuse on their crests,
which is carried up onto the beach (cf. Isa 57:20). The word shame
(aischunē) is plural and refers to shameful deeds or disgraceful acts.
Wandering stars refer to comets (or possibly meteors), which wander
through space and are not a regular nightly occurrence. They appear for a
time, and then vanish into darkness. By contrast, fixed stars (those with a
discernable location, like many constellations) were used by seamen to
navigate their ships. A shipmaster who followed a wandering star would be
led astray. Thus to follow these false teachers would lead a believer astray
and into darkness, away from fellowship with the Lord.
E. They Will Be Judged (vv 14-15)
V 14. Enoch, the seventh from Adam (Gen 5:4-19; 1 Chr 1:1-3; Luke
3:37-38), predicted the Second Advent of Jesus Christ, who will come with
His saints (cf. v 3). The use of saints in this instance is more likely a
general reference to holy ones, which would include angels (cf. Zech 14:5;
Matt 16:27; 25:31; 2 Thess 1:7-10). Saints probably does not refer to
church-age believers for that would mean the church, which is a mystery
and not revealed in the OT, would have been known at least to Enoch and
those familiar with his prophecy.
The verb comes (aorist tense in Greek) is unusual to describe a future
event, but it reveals the certainty that it will happen.
V 15. Christ’s Second Advent will inaugurate God’s program of future
judgments on unbelievers (cf. Deut 30:1-8; Dan 2:34-35, 44-45; 7:9-12, 25-
27; Joel 3:1-13; Matt 24:29-41; 25:31-46; Rev 19:11-21; 20:11-15),
including unregenerate false teachers.
 These false teachers are unregenerate as noted by Jude’s fourfold use of
the term ungodly combined with their description as sinners (cf. v 13; 2 Pet
2:17). In contrast Jude’s readers are called saints and beloved. The sinners’
irreverent actions and words, though not the basis of their condemnation
(cf. Rev 20:15), may indicate that the severity of punishment for eternity in
the lake of fire will vary according to the nature and extent of an
unbeliever’s actions and words.
F. They Commit Sins of the Tongue (v 16)
V 16. These false teachers are grumblers (goggustēs), murmuring or
muttering, and complainers (mempsimoiros, fault-finders). They also live
according to their own lusts, speaking arrogantly and flattering people for
their own advantage.
These descriptions present a vivid contrast between these sinners and how
Christians should behave.
V. The Warnings to Believers (vv 17-23)
A. Remember the Apostles’ Words (vv 17-19)
V 17. Jude again addresses his readers as beloved (cf. v 3). The word but
shows that Jude is now changing his focus to instruction for believers.
Specifically he wants his readers to remember the words which were
spoken before by the apostles. The term spoken before (proeipon) means
“to say before, foretell, or forewarn” and occurs in the perfect tense, which
indicates that the words of the apostles spoken in the past have results that
continue into the present. The apostles are those men commissioned by the
Lord and given authority to establish the church. Thus Jude wants his
readers to remember what the apostles said (God’s Word). When Christians
forget God’s Word, they become vulnerable to false teachers, false
doctrines, and sinful behavior. God protects His loved ones (beloved) when
they know, believe, and obey His Word. Vv 18-19 summarize the specific
warnings the apostles uttered.
V 18. The last time refers to the church age, which ends when the Lord
comes for His bride at the Rapture (1 Thess 4:13-18). Meanwhile mockers
will treat believers with scorn and ridicule. These mockers will live
according to their ungodly lusts, following their own selfish desires.
 V 19. Such selfish actions inevitably lead to divisions. God’s intent for the
church is for believers to be unified in love and sound doctrine—not to be
divided by sinful desires. Thus Jude concludes that these false teachers are
sensual (psychikos, natural, physical, material, human), not having the
Spirit. These false teachers do not have the Holy Spirit indwelling them.
B. Keep in God’s Love (vv 20-21)
Vv 20-21. The primary instruction is to keep (teēreō, “to keep unharmed
or undisturbed”) yourselves in the love of God; that is, to keep from being
harmed by the false teachers’ sinful conduct and false teachings. The best
place to avoid such harm is in the love of God. To accomplish this Jude
reveals three simple disciplines his readers should practice.
First, believers should be building up their most holy faith. Instead of
ridiculing doctrines as the false teachers do (v 18), believers should
continuously build on their foundation (Christ), the object of their belief.
The term faith refers to the body of Christian teachings or doctrine. Again
Jude emphasizes the need for Christians to learn, know, believe, and obey
God’s Word.
Second, Jude wants believers to be praying in the Holy Spirit, in contrast
to the false teachers who do not have the Spirit (v 19). This means that their
prayers should be guided by the Holy Spirit, and therefore, oriented to
God’s desires.
Third, believers should be looking for (prosdechomai, “anticipating,
expecting, or welcoming”) the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto
eternal life. Mercy (eleos) is kindness or concern expressed for someone in
need, and contrasts with wrath or judgment (cf. vv 5-7, 15). Thus believers
who grow in the Lord can expect to receive His mercy and kindness instead
of judgment. Jude’s reference to eternal life does not mean that it is
received only when believers keep themselves in God’s love. Instead the
preposition unto (eis) indicates that believers who keep themselves in God’s
love will receive His mercy and kindness temporally until they reach
eternity.
C. Restore Sinning Brethren (vv 22-23)
Vv 22-23. Jude now states what he wants his readers to do on behalf of
other believers. Since believers receive mercy from the Lord (v 21), they
should be merciful to others in their need. Jude wants his readers to help
those who are duped by the false teachers, whether by their false teaching or
their rationalization of sinful conduct. However, in showing compassion to
others, believers should make a distinction (diakrinō, “to separate,
discriminate, make a distinction”), that is, be discerning when showing
compassion.
Jude commands his readers to save (rescue) others by pulling them out of
the fire. To rescue someone from a fire is a perilous undertaking, which
should be done with caution (fear). Similarly believers should rescue (from
temporal judgment) other believers who have fallen spiritually, whether to
sin or false teaching. Believers are not to get caught up in sin or false
teaching while attempting to help another believer who has stumbled (cf.
Gal 6:1-2; Jas 5:19-20).
Jude illustrates this with the picture of clothing defiled by the flesh. In the
OT, clothing worn by a leper was considered contaminated and was to be
burned (Lev 13:47-52). Believers should be nauseated by filthy clothing,
but should still love the person wearing them. In other words, hate the sin
and error but show love and compassion for the fellow believer who has
fallen in some way.
Thus, believers are responsible for each other.
Of course not all believers persevere in faith to the end of their physical
lives. If this were true, then Jude’s commands would be meaningless.
Fortunately God does not give up on His children who fall away; rather
they are “preserved in Jesus Christ” (v 1)!
VI. Benediction (vv 24-25)
A. Ability Is Not a Guarantee (v 24)
V 24. God is able to keep you from stumbling. Now just because God is
able to do something does not mean that He will. Yet this does not mean
one’s eternal life is in jeopardy. The word stumbling, another word unique
to Jude, refers to the things about which he has been warning his readers.
He is concerned that they will fall into sinful conduct and false doctrines.
Thus Jude’s readers are to rely on God to protect them from being deceived
by false teachers.
Jude’s remark is assurance that his readers will be protected from harm if
they heed his instructions (vv 17-22) and allow God to work in their lives.
 God is also able to present believers faultless before the presence of His
glory. This is a reference to Church-Age believers standing before the
Judgment Seat of Christ for evaluation and reward (cf. 2 Cor 5:10). Not all
believers will receive reward and commendation; some will shrink back in
shame (1 John 2:28). The word faultless (amōmos) means “without spot,
blemish or defect.” It was used in the LXX to describe sacrificial animals
that were without blemish, and people who exhibited integrity (cf. Pss 15:2;
37:18; 101:6; 119:1, 80; Prov 11:5, 20; 20:7).
While all believers will be glorified, not all will be blameless at the
Judgment Seat. Only those believers who remain faithful to the Lord and
serve Him will stand in His presence without blame.
B. God Is Great (v 25)
V 25. Jude closes his letter with marvelous praise to God. He alone is wise
(sophia). His actions are always skillful, righteous, and full of integrity. As
the Savior He not only rescues believers from eternal condemnation but
also is gracious, temporally rescuing them from the effects of sin and false
teaching. Glory (doxa) reveals that God alone is worthy of praise and
honor. Majesty (megalōsynē) is a word used only of God in the NT (cf. Heb
1:3; 8:1), and indicates that He alone is supremely great and sovereign over
all. Dominion (kratos) means that He alone has the power to rule eternally
over His creation. Power (exousia) reveals that He alone has the authority
and ability to govern. God is all of these things both now and forever. His
greatness is eternal! Only God can deliver Christians from the effects of
false teaching and sinful conduct.
 Revelation
ROBERT VACENDAK
INTRODUCTION
The Book of Revelation is the awesome and majestic conclusion to both
the NT and the entire canon of Scripture. It is a fascinating look at what the
future and eternity have in store for those who believe in Christ and for
those who do not. John’s primary purpose in writing it was to instruct and
encourage believers in Christ through a presentation of Jesus in His role as
Judge. Unlike any other book in the Bible, it magnifies Christ as the One to
whom the Father has “committed all judgment” (John 5:22).
Revelation begins by showing what the Judge is like (chap. 1). Then the
book gives an in-depth look at the Judge in His dealings with three groups
—(1) the local assemblies of believers (chaps. 2-3), (2) rebellious mankind
(chaps. 4-19), and (3) the lost of all the ages (chap. 20). Once the Judge has
completed His work of judgment, we observe the aftermath of His
judgments—the new heaven and earth—the glorious and eternal dwelling
place of Christ and His people (chaps. 21-22). This inspired book has
enriched and encouraged the lives of God’s people for centuries, especially
believers who are surrounded by trouble and persecution.
Authorship
Four times the author of Revelation states that his name is “John” (1:1, 4,
9; 22:8). In 1:1 he describes himself as Christ’s servant. In 1:9 he is the
brother and companion of the suffering believers to whom he writes from
the island of Patmos. Ancient opinion assigns the authorship of Revelation
to John the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles. Though modern
critics claim that the author’s name is a pseudonym (i.e., fictitious), the near
unanimity of ancient tradition must be given its rightful place.
In the earliest references to Revelation, church fathers such as Justin
Martyr (c. 100-165), Irenaeus (c. 140-202), and Tertullian (c. 150-225) all
ascribed the authorship of Revelation to the Apostle John. In the third
century two leading figures of the Western Church, Cyprian (d. 258) and
Hippolytus (d. 236), both quoted extensively from Revelation and attributed
its authorship to the Apostle. In the Eastern Church, Clement of Alexandria
(c. 155-220) and Origen (c. 185-254)—men who disagreed with the literal
interpretation of Revelation held by other early church leaders—both
accepted its Johannine authorship. Nevertheless Dionysius (c. 200-265),
also a leader in the Eastern Church, began to vigorously promote the view
that John the apostle was not the author of Revelation. He based this on the
supposed differences of vocabulary, grammar, and style with the Gospel of
John. In doing so however, he, like many modern commentators, dismissed
not only the unified testimony of the early church fathers but also the
overwhelming similarities between the Gospel of John and Revelation (cf.
John 1:1 & Rev 19:13; John 1:3 & Rev 21:5; John 1:9 & Rev 22:5; John
1:29 & Rev 5:6; John 2:19-21 & Rev 21:22; John 12:28 & Rev 10:3-4).
Thus the case for authorship of Revelation by the Apostle John, the author
of both the Gospel of John and 1, 2, and 3 John, rests firmly on both
external and internal data.
Date
Scholars date the writing of Revelation in one of two time periods—during
the reign of Domitian (AD 81-96), or during the reign of Galba (June 68-
January 69) prior to the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Both external evidence
(early church tradition, e.g., the writings of Irenaeus, Clement of
Alexandria, Eusebius) and internal evidence point to a date in Domitian’s
reign.
External Evidence
Irenaeus, the bishop of Lyon in southern France said John wrote
Revelation toward the end of Domitian’s reign. Eusebius (260-340), the
bishop of Caesarea who was called the “Father of Church History” also
dated John’s exile to Patmos during Domitian’s reign.
Internal Evidence
In Revelation 2-3, five of the seven churches addressed were in severe
spiritual decline (cf. Rev 2:4, 15, 24; 3:1, 16). Decline of this magnitude
would require an
extended period of time, not just a few years.
Thus, based on both the external as well as the internal evidence, the late
date for the writing of Revelation — AD 95 — carries the greatest weight.
 [Editor’s note: Others hold to a date of AD 68-69. Support includes the
fact that the destruction of the temple is not mentioned in Revelation; Rev
17:10 refers to five kings (emperors) who had died (Augustus, Tiberius,
Caligula, Claudius, and Nero), one who is (Galba), and one who soon
would reign for a short time (Otho who ruled January-April AD 69). The
external evidence is not conclusive.]
Interpretive Method
The basic hermeneutical problem in Revelation is determining what is
symbolic and what is literal. The intertwining of the two throughout the
book makes it difficult to understand. As a result, there are four common
approaches to understanding the message and meaning of Revelation.
The Preterist Approach
In this view Revelation is seen as a symbolic portrayal of events that took
place in the Roman Empire during the first century and does not deal with
actual future events. The primary problem with this view is that it
contradicts the book’s stated claim to be a book of prophecy about things to
come (cf. 1:3; 22:7, 10, 18-19).
The Historical Approach
Here Revelation is viewed as a symbolic portrayal of church history from
the Day of Pentecost till the Second Coming of Christ. The problem with
this view is that interpreters struggle to agree on what part of history a given
passage refers to.
The Allegorical Approach
In this approach Revelation is viewed as a collection of stories about the
struggle between good and evil and has no reference to actual past or future
events.
The Futurist Approach
Those who take this view of Revelation see the major portion of the book
(chaps. 6–22) as prophetic events yet to happen (e.g., the Tribulation, the
Second Coming of Christ, the millennial kingdom, the Great White Throne
judgment, and the eternal state). This is the only approach that takes
seriously Revelation’s claim to be a prophetic book. This commentary
follows the futurist view.
Revelation and Christ’s Olivet Discourse
(Matthew 24-25)
The prophetic teaching that Jesus shared with His followers on the Mount
of Olives in Matthew 24–25 is commonly known as the “Olivet Discourse.”
This is Jesus’ most important and informative explanation of prophecy.
One’s ability to understand the Book of Revelation (as well as the rest of the
prophetic passages in the NT) rests to a great extent on the insights and
parables the Lord offered on the Mount of Olives shortly before His death.
In fact, apart from the Olivet Discourse, Revelation would be difficult to
piece together properly.
A popular view of the seven-year Tribulation period is that it will consist
of three-and-a-half years of peace on earth followed by three-and-a-half
years of problems and persecution. But the idea that three-and-a-half years
of peace will transpire following the Rapture of the Church from the earth is
not supported by Christ’s teachings on Olivet nor from the Book of
Revelation. Jesus said that in conjunction with “the beginning of sorrows”
(birth pains)—the first three-and-a-half years—“nation will rise against
nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning
of sorrows” (Matt 24:7-8; emphasis added).
Revelation bears this out as well. In fact, as shall be seen in the comments
on Revelation 6-11, because of the seal and trumpet judgments that will fall
on the earth during the first three-and-a-half years, half of the earth’s
inhabitants will have lost their lives! This can hardly be thought of as a time
of peace on earth. It is important to note that the purpose of the second seal
judgment is “to take peace from the earth” (6:4; emphasis added). The truth
is that all these troubles will signal that God’s judgments have begun. Then
during the last three-and-a-half years—once the Man of Sin has defiled the
temple in Jerusalem (cf. Matt 24:15)—the earth will endure even greater
troubles. “For then there will be great tribulation (thlipsis megalē, ‘great
travail’, or ‘intense birth pains’; cf. anguish in John 16:21), such as has not
been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be”
(Matt 24:21; emphasis added). It is clear that as the last three-and-a-half
years transpire, the world will reach a point of chaos and trouble that is
without parallel in human history. Again, this is borne out in Revelation 12-
19, and especially seen in the bowl judgments and the Battle of
Armageddon.
In Matthew 24, immediately after Jesus’ words about the Great
Tribulation, He said that unless God limits that era to three-and-a-half years,
life on earth would cease to exist (v 22). Far from being a time of peace
followed by disaster, the seven-year Tribulation Period will begin with
troubles and will conclude with even greater troubles. This is clearly seen in
both the Olivet Discourse as well as the Book of Revelation.
Purpose
The purpose of the Book of Revelation is to instruct and encourage
believers in local churches through a prophetic presentation of Jesus in His
role as judge (6:10; 11:18; 14:7; 15:4; 16:5, 7; 17:1; 18:8, 10, 20; 19:2, 11;
20:12-13; cf. Ps 96:13; Acts 10:42; 2 Tim 4:1). The assurance that Christ
will ultimately judge evildoers and reward the godly motivates believers to
remain faithful to Him till the end of their earthly lives. Such dedication to
Christ will mark them off as “overcomers” (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21;
21:7) and will result in vast rewards, including ruling with Christ for
eternity (22:5). Jesus warned His followers that in the world, they would
have trouble. But He also reminded them, “be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world” (John 16:33; cf. Rev 17:14).

OUTLINE
I. Prologue (1:1-3)
II. Introduction (1:4-8)
III. The Experience of the Churches (1:9–3:22)
IV. The Beginning of Birth Pangs—the First Half of the Week (4:1–11:19)
V. Birth Pangs Proper: The Second Half of the Week (12:1–16:21)
VI. Climax: The Two Cities (17:1–22:5)
VII. Conclusion (22:6-21)

COMMENTARY
I. Prologue (1:1-3)
 The Apostle John begins the Book of Revelation with a concisely penned
paragraph that gives his readers information that is foundational to the
entire book.
1:1. In calling the last book of the NT The Revelation of (or from) Jesus
Christ, the Spirit of God immediately alerts its first readers, the believers of
the seven churches (cf. 1:4; 22:16), to the identity of the One addressing
them. Jesus is giving His servants (i.e., bondslaves) a much-needed
revelation (apokalypsis “disclosure”) of end-time events which must
shortly take place. The word shortly is a reference to the fact that from
God’s point of view (cf. 2 Pet 3:8) these events will take place very soon
(cf. Jas 5:8-9). In fact, not only will they take place, they must take place
(cf. Luke 21:9). Not one word of God, including the prophecy and promises
of Revelation, will fail to come to pass!
The importance of the message presented in this book is seen in the
impressive method God used in conveying it to mankind: from the Father to
the Son to an angel to the Apostle John and finally to the servants of Christ.
Equally impressive is the signification of the book—Christ sent and
signified it by His angel. Signified translates the Greek word esēmanen
which refers to speech that gives a vague indication of what is to happen.
John uses this word three times in his Gospel (cf. John 12:33; 18:32; 21:19)
and in each case what is being said is not immediately or easily discerned
and yet it is not so unintelligible that its meaning is impossible to determine.
While the Book of Revelation is full of symbolism and signs that can be
difficult to understand, it is a book that can be understood. Just as many of
Christ’s parables were intended to be confusing so that His disciples would
come to Him for an explanation (cf. Matt 13:10-17), the Revelation of Jesus
Christ might be intentionally confusing so that readers dig deeper, longer,
and more prayerfully into the text of Scripture.
The identity of the angel who brought the Revelation to John is unknown,
but in 22:9 the angel describes himself to John as “a fellow servant” and
refers to his “brethren the prophets.”
1:2. Revelation is John’s faithful witness concerning all things that he
saw in the visions given to him. The book contains the word of God as
well as the testimony of (or about) Jesus Christ in His role as Judge of the
churches (chaps. 2–3), of the inhabitants of planet earth (chaps. 6–19), and
of the lost of all the ages (chap. 20). In the subsequent chapters (21–22), the
effects of His judgments are seen in the new heavens and new earth.
1:3. In the first of seven beatitudes in Revelation, John declares a blessing
on those who are faithful to this book. He who reads refers to the public
reader in the local church. The reader is blessed along with those who hear
the words of this prophecy. A blessing is also pronounced on those who
keep those things which are written in it (cf. Luke 11:28; John 14:15).
Prophecy is given to believers, not only so that they might learn about
future events, but also that they might prepare for them (cf. Matt 19:7;
24:44). A failure to prepare is unwise for the time is near when all
believers will give an account of their dedication to God and His word (cf. 2
Cor 5:9-10).
Revelation is referred to as prophecy here and in 22:7, 10, 18-19 (cf.
10:11), thus indicating its literary genre. The subject matter is primarily
concerned with predictions of things to come (i.e., “things which will take
place after this” 1:19) that were given to John.
II. Introduction (1:4-8)
In this second of seven major sections John addresses his readers, sends
greetings from the Trinity, praises God’s Son, records the prophecy of His
coming, and relates a declaration made by God Himself.
A. The Writer and His Audience (1:4a)
1:4a. The Apostle John is writing the entire Book of Revelation (not just
chaps. 2–3) for the benefit of local churches, specifically the seven
churches which are in Asia (cf. 22:16).
B. Blessings from the Trinity (1:4b-5a)
1:4b-5a. John encourages his readers with greetings from the Godhead:
from the Father, Him who is and who was and who is to come; the Spirit
(the seven Spirits who are before His throne); and the Son, Jesus Christ.
Seven is the number of fullness and perfection in the Bible. In 4:5, the
seven lamps of fire burning before the throne (called “the seven Spirits of
God”) give perfect illumination and insight concerning all that transpires
everywhere. By this perfect wisdom God rules the universe. The imagery of
God’s throne is used throughout the rest of the book (the word throne is
used forty-two times). The believers of the seven churches undoubtedly
received great encouragement from this greeting as it emphasizes that God
is at work in their lives with complete awareness as well as perfect insight.
In this greeting the person of Christ is wonderfully described as well. First,
He is presented as the faithful witness (cf. John 18:37; 1 Tim 6:13).
Throughout His earthly ministry Jesus was faithful to share the truth He
received from the Father (John 3:11, 32; 4:44; 7:7; 8:14-18; 18:37). This is
especially true in the matter of prophecy. As the greatest of all prophets (cf.
Deut 18:15, 18), He regularly foretold events that would occur in both the
near (e.g., Luke 13:41-43; 21:20-24) and distant future (e.g., Matt 13:41-43;
24:3–25:46; 26:29).
Christ is also called the firstborn from the dead (cf. Col 1:18), which
refers to His position as the highest ranking of all who are raised from the
dead. As the ruler over the kings of the earth Christ is seen in His future
role as He reigns over the entire earth (cf. 11:15).
C. Praise to the Son of God (1:5b-6)
1:5b-6. Christ is so glorious in both His person and His work that John
bursts out in praise: To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins
in His own blood…to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Amen.
In v 6 the NKJV reads, and has made us kings and priests to His God
and Father. In this instance both the Critical Text (CT) and the Majority
Text (MT) agree, and in the NASB it is correctly translated “and He has
made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (emphasis added).
By virtue of being washed in Christ’s blood, believers become a kingdom
(community) of priests who are called to “serve the living and true God, and
to wait for His Son from heaven” (1 Thess 1:9-10).
D. A Prophecy of Christ’s Coming (1:7)
1:7. This is the first prophetic utterance in the Book of Revelation. In v 6
John reflected on how worthy Christ is of eternal “dominion and glory.” But
now he sees Christ coming to obtain this glory: Behold, He is coming with
clouds (cf. Dan 7:13; Matt 24:30). As Christ descends out of the sky to
destroy His enemies at the end of the Tribulation (Rev 19:11-21), every eye
shall see Him, even they who pierced Him. All mankind will have the
opportunity to witness the return of Christ to earth, including Jews, who
will mourn their crucifixion and prolonged rejection of the Messiah (Zech
12:10; John 19:37). The phrase all the tribes of the earth (gēs) is a
reference to every nation on the planet (the same Greek phrase is used in the
LXX in Gen 12:3; 28:14; Ps 72:17; and Zech 14:17 in reference to the
entire earth). John is elated that both Jews and Gentiles will believe in
Christ and mourn over their mistreatment of Him. Thus he proclaims, Even
so, Amen.
E. A Declaration from God Himself (1:8)
1:8. Jesus now declares His eternality by referring to Himself as “the
Alpha and the Omega” (cf. 21:6; 22:13), “the Beginning and the End.”
He is the One “who is and who was and who is to come.” As the Lord,
Jesus declares that He is God. And because He is “the Almighty” (ho
pantokratōr, “the all-powerful One”), Christ declares His absolute ability in
bringing to pass His plans in both time and eternity. In an eschatological
context, Christ said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will
by no means pass away” (Matt 24:35). This holds true for the events of
Revelation as well. All will be fulfilled.
III. The Experience of the Churches (1:9–3:22)
Referring to that future period of seven years when Christ will judge the
earth after the Rapture of the Church, Isaiah wrote, “Behold, the Lord
comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their
iniquity” (Isa 26:21). Even though Revelation has much to say about God’s
dealings with unbelievers, it is clear that He examines and passes judgment
on believers as well. So in this third section (1:9–3:22), the emphasis is on
Christ the Judge and His activity in the midst of seven local churches of
John’s day.
A. The vision of Christ as Judge (1:9-20)
Before John discusses Christ’s activity among the churches (chaps 2–3) or
His dealings with rebellious man (chaps 6–19), he gives a detailed depiction
of the Judge he saw in his vision (1:12-16).
1. The setting and circumstances of the vision (1:9-11)
1:9. John reminds the believers of the seven churches that he is their
spiritual brother in Christ and also a companion with them in tribulation
(thlipsei, “distress brought about by circumstances”). He wants them to
understand that their sufferings for Christ have a direct connection with His
future kingdom (cf. 2 Thess 1:4-5) and they are to wait for that kingdom
with patience (endurance; cf. Heb 12:1-2). The prospect of future reward in
the kingdom provides tremendous motivation to endure present difficulties
with joy (cf. Col 1:11). John was exiled to the island of Patmos to stifle his
preaching of the word of God and his faithful testimony about Christ. Yet
he endured and God used him to pen Revelation. Men can stifle the
messenger but never the message (cf. 2 Tim 2:9).
1:10-11. John’s vision came to him on a Sunday, the Lord’s day. He was
in the Spirit, which means he was under the Spirit’s influence, akin to a
waking dream. Apparently John’s physical senses are supernaturally
suspended while God’s Spirit gives him the visions found throughout this
book.
While in the Spirit John hears a voice that is loud like a trumpet, and it
tells him to “write in a book” what he sees “and send it to the seven
churches.” John is to record the visions God is giving to him and to send a
scroll of these visions (i.e., the Book of Revelation) to the seven churches in
the Roman province of Asia Minor (cf. v 4).
2. The vision proper (1:12-16)
1:12-13a. The voice that commissioned John to write is so loud that he
turns to see who is speaking with him. Even though a person cannot “see” a
voice, what is undoubtedly meant here is that John turns to see the person
who is speaking to him. Having turned, John sees seven golden
lampstands (representing the seven churches; cf. v 20), and Christ (One
like the Son of Man) standing in the midst of the churches. The “voice”
John heard and turned to see was none other than the Lord Jesus Christ,
God’s ultimate and final voice to mankind (cf. Heb 1:2).
It is highly significant that the messianic title “Son of Man” is used here in
light of the fact that it is a title linked to Jesus in His role as Judge. “The
Father…has committed all judgment to the Son…and has given Him
authority to execute judgment also, because He is the Son of Man” (John
5:22, 27, emphasis added). Seeing Christ in His role as Judge is a key
element in understanding Revelation.
 1:13b-16. John is now given the Judge’s attributes in symbolic form. Like
present-day judges whose long robes signify the dignity and honor of their
positions, Jesus is clothed with a garment down to the feet. His robe is
girded because the Judge is prepared for action (cf. Eph 6:14; Luke 12:37),
the golden band possibly foreshadowing His judgment via the golden-
banded angels possessing the bowls of wrath (cf. 15:6-7). Like the “Ancient
of Days” (God the Father) in Dan 7:9, the Son is also an eternally
preexistent person whose longevity is symbolized by hair as white as
snow. Eyes like a flame of fire point to the Judge’s piercing examination
and judgment of both the saved (cf. 2:18, 23) and the lost (cf. 19:12). Feet
that glow like metal refined in a furnace allude to the Judge’s endeavors.
He “walks” in the midst of His churches (cf. 2:1), and is active in purifying
and chastening His people. His feet will also trample the lost in the
winepress of God’s wrath (cf. 14:19-20).
The voice as the sound of many waters manifests the power and majesty
of the Judge’s decrees (cf. Ezek 43:2; Psalm 29). The basis on and the
means by which His judgments are carried out is His Word, the sharp two-
edged sword from His mouth (cf. Heb 4:12; Rev 2:16; 19:15, 21). His face
is like the sun shining in its strength. Just as the physical sun lights the
earth and all its inhabitants, so also does Christ in a spiritual sense. John
8:1-11 records the divine Judge driving the adulterous woman’s accusers
away because He has implicitly exposed them. Then in v 12 He calls
Himself “the light of the world” for the first time (a reference to the
physical sun, as John 11:9 makes clear). As the Judge there is nothing at all
He does not bring into the “sunlight” of His countenance.
3. John’s response to the vision (1:17a)
1:17a. The Judge is revealed in such a powerful visual image that John,
who formerly laid his head on Christ’s chest (John 13:23, 25; 21:20), is now
on the ground, cringing in fear at His feet. Seeing the exalted Lord often
had the same basic effect on people (cf. Isa 6:5; Matt 17:6). This might be
because of what God had said to Moses: “No man shall see Me and live”
(Exod 33:20), but more likely it reveals the utter majesty and glory of
Christ’s countenance.
4. Christ’s words to John (1:17b-20)
 1:17b. As he is lying on the ground, John is told to “not be afraid.” Jesus
reminds him that the One whose right hand now rested on him is the
eternal God, “the First and the Last,” and there is no reason to fear.
1:18. Another reason John is not to fear is that the One he worships has
power over death. Jesus said, “I am He who lives, and was dead (kai
egenomēn nekros; lit., “and I became dead”), and behold, I am alive
forevermore. Amen.” Death for Christ was simply a “blip” on eternity’s
screen. Through His resurrection Christ demonstrated His authority over
“Hades and Death.” Keys in Scripture are symbols of authority. Thus
those who believe in Him have no reason to be afraid of hell or even the
experience of death itself because He holds the keys. For the believer death
is a momentary event that leads into God’s eternal presence.
1:19. John is now commissioned by Christ to “write the things” he saw
(the vision in chap 1), “the things which are” (chaps 2–3; present realities
concerning the churches), and “the things which will take place after
this” (chaps 4–22, future events). Essentially v 19 is a concise statement
about the contents of the Book of Revelation.
1:20. John sees “the seven stars” in Christ’s “right hand” (v 16) and
now he is given a clue to unlock “the mystery” of what they represent.
This same clue helps identify “the seven lampstands.” “The seven stars
are the angels of the seven churches” that will be addressed in chapters 2–
3. The seven lampstands represent “the seven churches.”
The identity of the angels is debated. The most prominent view sees them
as representing the pastor in each of the seven local churches, but the
plurality of leadership in the churches of the first century argues against
this. Another view is that the angels are simply personifications of the
churches themselves. However, in light of the information regarding angels
as found in both the OT and NT, it is better to identify the angels as actual
beings, not as symbols.
The best option then is that the seven stars represent guardian angels over
individual assemblies of believers. Given the data in the Book of Daniel
about angels being associated with individual countries (cf. Dan 10:13, 20-
21), the words of Jesus regarding angels and children (cf. Matt 18:10), and
the response to Rhoda about Peter’s angel (cf. Acts 12:15; cf. Heb 1:14),
local churches probably have angels that guard them and represent them.
 Nevertheless some of these churches have begun to stray from the truth,
and so in chaps. 2–3, Jesus speaks to seven of His local churches and gives
them warnings and encouragements that are as profitable today as they were
in the first century.
B. The Activity of the Judge among the Churches (2:1–3:22)
The Judge of all the earth is not detached from a single one of His local
churches. With great authority He holds them in His hand and walks in their
midst. Therefore in light of the crucial task the Lord has for each one of His
churches as His lampstands, He is now ready to speak to the needs of each
one. Four of the churches (Ephesus, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis) receive
words of praise and rebuke from the Judge. Two receive only praise
(Smyrna, Philadelphia). One church receives only rebuke (Laodicea).
1. Ephesus: Christ deals with waning devotion (2:1-7)
Ephesus was the “New York City” of the first century. Located on the
coast of the Mediterranean Sea, it was a leading center of Greek culture as
well as idol worship. Being a city of wealth and commerce, it contained the
amazingly ornate temple of the goddess Diana (cf. Acts 19), one of the
seven wonders of the ancient world. It was also a city that had been
effectively evangelized by Paul over the course of several years (cf. Acts
19:10, 20) and had become a gathering place of believers earnestly devoted
to the Lord and His work. Unfortunately over time these dedicated believers
“left their first love.” Therefore with great concern the Lord speaks lovingly
yet directly to His Bride in Ephesus to woo her back to her original
devotion and zeal.
2:1. In each message to a local assembly the Lord describes Himself in
some specific way, depending on what each church needed to learn about
His character. To “the church of Ephesus” (see comments on 1:20
regarding the identity of “the angel”), Christ describes Himself as one
“who holds the seven stars.” This reveals His power and authority. By
saying He “walks in their midst,” He reveals that He is active among His
churches.
2:2-6. Believers in Ephesus did many good things. They worked hard,
refused to give up, and despised false teaching as well as false teachers. On
top of that, they labored, not for their own “name’s sake” but for Christ’s,
and had not become tired of doing so. They even hated (cf. Heb 1:9) what
the Lord hated, which in this case were the evil “deeds of the Nicolaitans.”
Though difficult to identify with much certainty, there may be some
significance or symbolism in their name, since Nicolaitans means “to
conquer the people.” Aside from this, little is known about their practices or
doctrine, though they were contrary to Scripture. The Ephesian believers
were wise and despised their practices at a time when others were listening
to and heeding them (cf. Rev 2:15).
Though there was much good in the Ephesian believers, the Lord was
disappointed that they had “left their first love.” Their original devotion to
Christ had died down. They loved Him and were serving Him, but not with
the same dedication and zeal they had in the beginning (cf. Jer 2:1-2).
Christ gave them three commands so that they could regain their love and
devotion to Him. First, they were to remember their original dedication to
Him.
Second, they were to repent. Every time the word repent is used in
Revelation (twelve times) it is never in reference to obtaining eternal life
but always to turning from sins that have been ongoing or ingrained. The
result of failing to repent is never eternal condemnation but always God’s
temporal judgment on the sinful attitude or activity. This is true whether
believers or unbelievers are in view. In the case of the Ephesian church the
judgment would be loss of opportunity and witness. Christ warns that if
they do not repent, He “will…remove your lampstand from its place.” If
their devotion continues to wane, the Judge will close the church’s doors
(which He eventually did).
The final step Christ commands them to take to get back on track as a
church was to “do the first works.” He wants them to burn as brightly for
Him as they did in years past.
2:7. The proclamation “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit
says to the churches” occurs in each of the letters to the seven churches as
well as in a slightly different form in 13:9. It reveals a transition from
addressing the primary problem in an individual church, to a practical
application for all the churches (plural).
In Christ’s first application to all the churches, readers are introduced to
the theme of the one “who overcomes.” Some propose that the overcomers
represent all believers on the basis of 1 John 5:5. However we are dealing
with two discernibly different contexts here. 1 John 5:5 speaks of people
who, through a single instance of faith in Christ, overcome the blindness
intrinsic to the present world system so hostile to the gospel. Believing in
Jesus for everlasting life is truly a significant victory and on that basis one
“overcomes the world.”
But the victory that Jesus is looking for from His people in Revelation 2–3
is subsequent to their initial faith in Christ for eternal life and results in
eternal rewards such as partaking of the tree of life, ruling with Christ over
the nations of the earth (2:26; 3:21), and the confession of the overcomer’s
name before the Father and His angels (3:5). This kind of victory (i.e.,
overcoming) is not by faith alone as in 1 John 5:5, but involves
perseverance in the truth and faithfulness in keeping Christ’s works “until
the end” (Rev 2:26). Thus the overcomers spoken of here in chaps. 2–3 are
those people who not only believe in Christ for eternal life, but also walk in
godliness (cf. 2 Pet 1:5-11) and remain faithful to Him until the end of their
lives (cf. Matt 25:20-21; 2 Tim 2:12; Rev 2:26).
The reward offered here to overcomers is getting “to eat from the tree of
life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” This reward is
reminiscent of the original paradise in Genesis 1–2 where Adam and Eve
were allowed to eat from any tree in the Garden, including the tree of life.
At the end of the Book of Revelation, the tree of life is described as bearing
twelve kinds of fruit, one for each month, with leaves that bring healing to
the nations (22:2). Not everyone has the right to eat from the tree of life
(22:14). A person can forfeit the right to eat from the tree by adding to or
taking away from the words of Revelation (22:19). Aside from this, little is
known about the tree of life, but its vagueness makes this reward even more
tantalizing and motivating.
2. Smyrna: Christ comforts the poor and persecuted (2:8-11)
The believers in the city of Smyrna (about thirty-five miles north of
Ephesus) were suffering greatly. They had lost everything financially and
were in danger of being martyred because of their stand for Christ. Because
of the difficulties they faced, these suffering believers needed
encouragement and hope.
2:8. John is instructed to write “to the angel (see comments on 1:20) of
the church in Smyrna.” The believers there get encouragement based on
who Jesus is. Jesus Himself, “the First and the Last” (see Isa 41:4; 44:6;
48:12), reminds those facing possible death (Rev 2:10) that He “was dead,
and came to life.” Thus He can relate to suffering and death at the hands of
evil men.
2:9. They also receive encouragement based on what He knows. He tells
them that He is very aware of their “works, tribulation, and poverty”
(ptōcheian, “extreme poverty”). They had lost everything in a city that was
known for its wealth. But Jesus reminds them that even though they are
financially poor, they are spiritually rich. They have been faithful to Christ
and have already laid up treasure in heaven (cf. Matt 6:19–21).
The Lord reminds them that He is aware of the blasphemy they endure.
The hostility of unbelieving Jews toward believers in Christ is prominent in
the NT (cf. John 9:22; Acts 13:45; 18:6, 12-17; 1 Thess 2:14-16). This
blasphemy (blasphēmian, “abusive speech”) may refer to the accusation of
Christians by the Jews before the Roman authorities (such as Paul endured
in Acts 18:12-17). Christ’s perspective on this persecution is telling, as He
refers to them as “a synagogue of Satan.” It is doubtful that this phrase
literally refers to a synagogue where Satan worship took place. More likely,
this was a typical Jewish synagogue. The people of this synagogue
persecuted this church in the name of God, but Satan was the instigator of it
all.
2:10. These believers had already suffered greatly (v 9) but the greatest
suffering was still future. So now Jesus encourages them by what He says.
He commands them to fear none of the things they would yet face. The
devil (probably a reference to Satan acting through Roman or local
authorities) was about to “throw some of them into prison” that they
might be tested for “ten days.” Though possibly literal, this likely refers to
an undefined yet brief period of time. But they are not to fear. Negative
circumstances, even those that may culminate in death, are never to be a
source of fear for the believer in Christ.
Jesus promised rewards beyond comprehension for those who are faithful
to Him “until death,” one of which is “the crown of life.” This is not a
literal crown but a reference to the abundant quality of existence faithful
believers in Christ will experience in eternity. If the believers in Smyrna die
for Christ in this life, they will receive an eternal experience that is totally
opposite to the troubles they faced on earth.
 2:11. Turning to an application for all “the churches,” Jesus states that
“He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.” Arminian
commentators err in taking this verse to mean, “Believers who do not
overcome shall be hurt by the second death.” Reformed commentators also
err by reading it this way: “All true believers are overcomers and therefore
will not be hurt by the second death.” Both views have Jesus offering
escape from hell for faithful obedience to Him. Since this flatly contradicts
so many passages regarding eternal security and justification by faith alone
(e.g., John 5:24; 10:27-30), it is better to understand Jesus’ words as a
figure of speech called a litotes.
A litotes is an assertion that understates the reality being referred to. If a
person, in speaking about a certain baseball player, says, “He’s no Babe
Ruth,” what he is saying is that the player is not a great home run hitter. A
Biblical example of litotes is Heb 6:10: “God is not unjust to forget your
work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name,” meaning
God will definitely remember all your hard work.
So when Jesus says, “He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second
death,” He is making an understatement. He is saying that the faithful
Christian will be more than amply repaid for whatever sacrifice he may
make for Christ’s sake, and that his eternal experience will be so far beyond
the reach of the second death that it cannot be imagined. The suffering
believers in Smyrna could rest in this glorious promise given to them from
the Lord Himself.
3. Pergamos: Christ battles tolerance of false teaching (2:12-17)
The city of Pergamos (the northernmost of the seven cities, fifty miles
north of Smyrna) was full of temples and was a center for the cults of Zeus,
Soter, Athena, Dionysus, and Asklepios. Satan’s activity in this city not
only affected the unsaved but also was profoundly detrimental to believers
as well. They tolerated false teaching. Thus Jesus tells the believers in this
pagan city just what they need to hear.
2:12. Jesus describes Himself “to the angel (see comments on 1:20) of the
church in Pergamos” as possessing a “sharp two-edged sword.” Because
these believers were not doing anything about the false teaching in their
church, He wanted them to see His Word as an instrument of judgment and
to know that His judgment of them was near (cf. 2:16; John 12:48).
 2:13. He understands the difficulties they face because they live in a city
given over to paganism and immorality. The phrases “Satan’s throne” and
“where Satan dwells” refer to the fact that the devil was very active in
their city, instigating both idolatrous practices as well as the persecution of
believers. As disappointed as the Lord was with their tolerance of false
teaching, in His grace He commends them for holding “fast to His name”
and for refusing to “deny His faith” even after one of their fellow church
members, Antipas, “was killed.” They openly confessed their faith in
Christ and paid a price for it.
2:14-15. However, Jesus had a few things against them. First, they were
tolerating the false “doctrine of Balaam,” who introduced idol worship
and foreign women to the people of Israel (cf. Num 31:15-16; 2 Pet 2:15;
Jude 11). Probably the church in Pergamos had not yet fallen into idol
worship and sexual immorality, but they are warned that the doctrine that
leads to such sins was present in their midst. Such teaching would lead to
idolatry and sexual immorality if allowed to persist.
Another false belief the church was tolerating was that “of the
Nicolaitans” (see comments on 2:2-3). Jesus says He hates the aberrant
doctrine proclaimed by them.
2:16. In light of such tolerance for false teaching, Christ exhorts the church
to repent. If they do not, Christ says that He will “fight against them with
the sword of His mouth,” that is, judge them. Church leaders are to deal
with sin, whether it is doctrinal or moral. Leaders cannot force people to
repent, but if people will not repent, church discipline must be pursued.
2:17. Those who keep themselves from error will receive a double blessing
in eternity. First, the one “who overcomes” will enjoy a special heavenly
meal—“hidden manna.” This probably refers to a unique type of
fellowship with Christ, the Bread from heaven (John 6:48-51). The
overcomers will also receive “a white stone” that has been inscribed with a
“new name…which no one knows except him who receives it.” Certainly
Christ will know the name as well, since He is the one handing out (and
probably inscribing) the stones. It is as if the Lord will say, “Because you
refused to deny My name in time, I will honor you with a special name in
eternity.” To the overcomer this would be an extremely meaningful ongoing
reminder of the Lord’s high regard for him.
 4. Thyatira: Christ battles tolerance of a false teacher (2:18-29)
Thyatira was a highly successful center of trade forty miles southeast of
Pergamos and was known for its numerous guilds (or social clubs)
organized by types of trade. Apart from membership in a guild, it was
nearly impossible to succeed financially as a craftsman. Unfortunately these
guilds were also entrenched in profane worship and sexual sin. The church
in Thyatira had a woman, Jezebel (probably not her real name), who
supported such guild practices, maybe for pragmatic reasons. If a Christian
refused to participate in idol worship, he would often be excluded from the
guild, and therefore unable to conduct business. Nevertheless Jesus directs
John to write about this woman, her followers, and the church.
2:18. Jesus describes Himself “to the angel (see comments on 1:20) of the
church in Thyatira” as One who “has eyes like a flame of fire, and…feet
like fine brass.” The eyes of the Judge penetrate the façade and see the
interior (cf. v 23, “I am He who searches the minds and hearts”). His feet
like fine brass reveal His readiness to carry out any sentence He deems
appropriate (cf. 19:15).
2:19-20. The church at Thyatira is commended because, unlike the church
at Ephesus, Thyatira’s last works of “love, service, faith and patience…
are more than the first.” They have evidently been increasing in these
things. Nevertheless the Lord has “a few things against” Thyatira because
what Ephesus would not allow (false teachers), Thyatira allowed: “you
allow that woman Jezebel…to teach and seduce My servants to commit
sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” The two practices
often went hand in hand in the idol worship of the various guilds.
2:21-22. Christ “gave Jezebel time to repent of her sexual immorality.”
In the OT sexual immorality was often part of idolatrous practices, and
became a way to refer to idolatry. When Israel worshipped the gods of her
pagan neighbors, she became unfaithful to her one and only God (cf. Exod
34:15-16; Ezek 16:32; Hos 9:1). Without excluding the possibility that
some actual immorality was occurring, it is likely that Jezebel’s immorality
involved teaching God’s people that it was acceptable to engage in the
activities of the guild feasts that took place in pagan temples. The pressure
on the workers of that day to give in was great because failure to attend
these feasts could threaten their livelihood.
 God graciously gave Jezebel time to quit teaching error, “but she did not
repent.” As a result, the Lord promised to discipline her with some kind of
physical illness. “Those who commit adultery with her” (i.e., those who
facilitate her false teaching) would be disciplined by the Lord with “great
tribulation, unless they repent of their (her, MT) deeds.”
Even though Jezebel was teaching things contrary to sound doctrine, this
does not necessarily imply that she was unsaved. The NT records that
believers can stray into doctrinal error to the point that serious discipline is
required (cf. 1 Tim 1:19-20).
2:23. Another group in the church, “her children” (those who fully
embraced her teachings), would experience physical death. Again, as
severe as this sounds, it is not the first instance in the NT of God
disciplining His people with physical death (cf. Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor 11:29-
30). Immediately before pronouncing, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the
hands of the living God” (Heb 10:31), the writer of Hebrews declares, “The
Lord will judge His people” (v 30, emphasis added). The Lord’s discipline
would cause His people to know that He is serious about sinful activity and
false teaching and that no one is exempt from His discipline (cf. Gal 6:7).
2:24-25. The Lord now addresses those in Thyatira who refused to listen
to Jezebel and her disciples. Apparently Jezebel tried to convince people
that her teachings were truly “the depths” of Christian doctrine and practice
—the deep things of God—but our Lord called her teachings “the depths
of Satan.” The Lord promised the believers who stood strong that He
would “put on them no other burden,” that is, not give them any new
instructions. They were simply to continue to do what they had been doing
—to stand against false teaching and to “hold fast” until Christ comes (a
reference to the Rapture of the Church).
2:26. Christ’s promise to believers who overcome (see comments on 2:7)
—to those who “keep His works until the end” of their lives—is
magnificent. He will give them “power over the nations.” Those believers
who hear and obey God’s Word will be given the right to rule over the
nations along with Christ (cf. Rom 8:17; 2 Tim 2:12).
2:27-29. Here Jesus quotes Ps 2:9. In His eternal kingdom Christ will rule
as the great Shepherd/King whose “rod of iron” (i.e., strict rule) will dash
the clay pot of man’s self-will “to pieces.” The faithful will receive this
reward of ruling in the kingdom from Christ Himself as He had received it
from the Father. Overcomers will also be given “the morning star”—
referring to the special intimacy they will enjoy with the Morning Star
Himself, Jesus Christ (cf. 2 Pet 1:19; Rev 22:16).
5. Sardis: Christ resuscitates a dead church (3:1-6)
Sardis was located a little over thirty miles southeast of Thyatira and was a
glorious city in the past. In the sixth century BC it was considered one of
the greatest cities on earth and was ruled by the wealthy King Croesus
(called Midas by the Greeks because of his golden treasures). But by the
time John wrote to the church there in the first century AD, the city’s
greatness lay in the distant past. Unfortunately the church at Sardis had the
same problem—a great past but dismal conditions in the present. So the
Lord gives this church the steps they need to come alive again as well as a
warning if they fail to do so.
3:1. With Christ describing Himself as “He who has the seven Spirits of
God” the Lord is telling this church that He knows their true spiritual
condition because He possesses the omniscient Spirit of God (see 1:4b-5a).
Even though they have a great reputation among men (“you have a name
that you are alive”), the truth of the matter is that they are dead. They
honor God with their lips but their hearts are far from Him. Their
spirituality is superficial and they are outwardly active but inwardly dead.
3:2. If they were to become the church Christ wanted them to be, they
would need to follow His instructions carefully. First, they needed to “Be
watchful” (“be on the alert”). They needed to be the kind of believers who
would be constantly awake and ready (cf. 1 Pet 5:8).
They were also to “strengthen the things which remain, that are ready
to die.” Apparently many of the profitable qualities this church possessed
for God in the past had been carelessly cast aside, and the probability was
high that the things that did remain were in danger of being lost as well.
Therefore the Lord instructs His people to show diligence in protecting
every remnant of good that remained. They were not to be flippant about
this or allow any more of the good that was still in existence to be cast aside
as it had been in the past.
Another problem in the lives of the believers here was in relation to their
deeds. Christ says, “I have not found your works perfect before God.” If
the word perfect means complete, this indicates that the believers in Sardis
had a tendency to begin things but never finish them as God desired (cf.
Acts 14:26). Plans for obedience are no substitute for actual obedience.
3:3. Since their attentiveness and works were not what the Lord wanted
them to be, He gives them three steps to rectify the situation. If they were
obedient to His commands here, they would begin to see a tremendous turn-
around.
First, they needed to Remember the excellent instruction they had
received in the past from their spiritual leaders (including the apostles) and
how truly blessed they were in obtaining it. Sound doctrine is always the
foundation of a church that brings honor and glory to God (cf. Titus 2:1-15).
Second, they would need to “hold fast” to this instruction—to obey it
consistently and diligently. Third, to turn things around, the church would
need to repent (see comments on 2:5) of their negligence and superficial
spirituality. If they failed to watch as He asked (cf. 3:2), the Judge of the
churches promised to “come upon” them unexpectedly (“as a thief”) to
discipline them for their sinfulness and inattention.
3:4. The church in Sardis had a “name” among men but the all-seeing
Judge was aware of “a few names” who had “not defiled their
garments.” Some had kept themselves unspotted from the world (cf. Jas
1:27). The Judge knows their names and promises to honor them in eternity:
“they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy” (see comments
on Rev 3:5-6).
3:5-6. Not all believers in Christ are overcomers (see comments on 2:7),
but every believer in Christ who “overcomes shall be clothed in white
garments.” This could refer to the actual clothes that the overcomer will
wear in Christ’s eternal kingdom or, more likely, to the purity and brilliance
of the glorified body the faithful believer will “wear” as a badge of
authority for all eternity (cf. Dan 12:3; 1 Cor 15:35-42).
In saying that He “will not blot out” the overcomer’s “name from the
Book of Life,” the Lord is not making a veiled threat that unfaithful
believers will wind up in hell. Rather, He is using a figure of speech (see
comments on 2:11 regarding litotes) to say, If you are faithful to Me to the
end, I will honor you by magnifying your name! Christ Himself “will
confess the overcomer’s “name before His Father and before His
angels.” This confession is functionally the positive idea implied in the
litotes (no erasure of his name means a magnifying of his name, i.e.,
magnification by Christ’s personal acknowledgement before the Father and
His angels).
6. Philadelphia: Christ extols an obedient church (3:7-13)
The city of Philadelphia was located about twenty-eight miles southeast of
Sardis and was plagued by recurring earthquakes. The church there had to
deal with the uncertainty this entailed and also with the persecution of those
of “the synagogue of Satan.” In spite of the problems it faced, this church
was faithful to the Lord and along with the church in Smyrna it received
praise from Christ and no rebuke.
3:7. The Judge describes Himself to the church in four ways. First, Christ
is the One “who is holy.” As the Holy One, Jesus is set apart from
everything and everyone else. Second, Christ is the One “who is true.” He
is not a shadow of God—He is God—in infinite distinction from all other
false gods who represent a lie. Christ also possesses “the key of David”
(cf. Isa 22:22), which refers to His authority in the kingdom (cf. Luke 1:32-
33). He wants the believers in Philadelphia to know that their rewards in
that kingdom will be based on His royal prerogative alone. The fact that He
“opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens” refers to His
sovereign control over the opportunities He gives to each local assembly as
His lampstands in a dark world.
3:8. The Lord informs the church that He “set before them an open door
that no one can shut.” He did this for three reasons. First, their strength
(probably a reference to numerical strength) was small. Without His
intervention, they could never have hoped to have such an opportunity for
service and witness. Second, they obeyed His word. Third, they did not
deny His name. They were a small group of people and yet they stood
boldly and publicly for Christ.
3:9-10a. A valid reason to place the first part of v 10 with v 9 is that, in his
writings, the Apostle John seldom began a sentence (only 6 percent of the
time) with the word because (hoti). Over 90 percent of the time the apostle
states an effect first: e.g., “Then a great multitude followed Him…”
followed by the clause “…because they saw His signs which He
performed…” (John 6:2). In light of the fact that John rarely began
sentences with the word because, a more accurate translation here would
read: “Indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and
to know that I have loved you because you have kept My command to
persevere.”
Connecting these two verses fits well with the Biblical teaching that Christ
expresses His love in special ways toward believers who obey Him and take
a stand for Him (cf. John 14:21-24). In Rev 3:8, Christ had just commended
this church for obeying His word and now He is rewarding them because
they obeyed His command to persevere. They would not give up even when
their enemies were relentless. “The synagogue of Satan” refers to Jews
who were antagonistic to Christianity (see also comments on 2:9).
3:10b. Christ promises His people that He will “keep (deliver) them from
the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those
who dwell on the earth.” The hour of trial refers to a time of trouble that
the entire Roman world would undergo in the readers’ lifetimes. That it is
not referring to the Tribulation Period is clear as all Church-Age believers
will be protected from that hour (via the Rapture). Here Jesus assures the
obedient believers in Philadelphia that they would have His protection
during this time of turmoil sent to trouble “those who dwell on the earth”
(i.e., the unsaved; cf. 6:10; 11:10; 13:14; 14:6; 17:8).
3:11. Christ reminds His people that He is “coming quickly” (soon; see
comments on 1:1). Therefore they are to “hold fast” to their obedience and
perseverance right up to the end (cf. 2:26). To give up on following Christ
because of persecution and opposition is to allow the enemies of Christ to
“take your crown,” that is, to allow them to cause you to forfeit the
ultimate eternal reward of ruling with Christ forever in His kingdom (cf. 2
Tim 2:12-13). Eternal life is a free gift and cannot be lost but the reward of
ruling with Christ forever requires faithfulness to the end (cf. 2:10).
3:12-13. Christ promises several different eternal rewards for the believer
who overcomes (see comments on 2:7). The believer who has been faithful
to the end will become “a pillar in the temple of His God.” Since in
eternity the Father and the Son will be the temple (cf. 21:22), this reward is
probably an especially wonderful experience of nearness to God as well as a
key position of support and prominence in God’s eternal kingdom. Second,
the phrase “he shall go out no more” refers to the permanence of these
rewards. Once these positions of honor and authority are given to the
overcomer, they shall never be rescinded. He is securely set as a “pillar” in
Christ’s eternal kingdom and as such will never be separated from this
special relationship to God.
Also Christ “will write on him” God’s name and “the name of” God’s
eternal city, “the New Jerusalem” as well as His own “new name.” It is
unlikely that these will be literal tattoos; instead they are representative of
the blessings the overcomer will enjoy as God identifies them as people
who served Him faithfully on earth. The honor God confers on the
overcomer in eternity will be as wonderful and real as if God Himself
inscribed a literal mark on him that reads: “This is My beloved servant in
whom I am well pleased” followed by His autograph. Since faithful
believers openly confessed the name of Christ throughout their lives (cf.
3:8), Christ will identify them as His victorious ones forever.
7. Laodicea: Christ counsels an indifferent church (3:14-22)
Laodicea was a large and prosperous city forty miles southeast of
Philadelphia where many wealthy people retired, thereby establishing it as a
renowned banking center. A medical center specializing in eye salve and a
prominent wool industry famous for its glossy black garments added to its
material prosperity. Because they lived in the midst of this affluent city, the
believers dwelling there also became affluent. Unfortunately these believers
allowed their wealth to ruin their effectiveness for Christ, and they did not
even know it! Because of their outward wealth they had no clue as to their
inward poverty. Therefore the Judge of the churches sends a stern rebuke in
their direction to move them to repent as well as an invitation to open the
door to close fellowship with Him once again.
3:14. As “the Amen” (lit., “Truly”), Christ makes a definitive declaration
to a church desperately in need of truth. Because the Laodiceans bore false
witness (“I am rich,” etc.) to their true spiritual condition, “the Faithful
and True Witness” comes to them with an accurate and unbiased
assessment (“you are wretched,” etc.). As “the Beginning of the creation
of God” (or the First Cause of God’s creation), Christ reminds the
Laodiceans that no matter how vast their material wealth is, all things in
creation came from Him (cf. John 1:3; Col 1:16); consequently He could
also supply them with the spiritual wealth they so urgently needed in their
current state of spiritual impoverishment.
 3:15-16. The Judge found nothing in this church to commend. Their
works were not like cold water that refreshes, or like hot water that soothes
and stimulates. They had no cool water for the spiritually thirsty people
around them (cf. John 4:13-14), nor were they hot enough spiritually to stir
up one another’s faith. In reality, this church was like water that was
lukewarm, not fit for anything. Because of this the Lord told them that He
will “vomit them out of His mouth,” that is, punish them for their sin (cf.
Lev 18:24-28).
3:17-18. The Laodicean church’s estimate of themselves is based solely on
their outward conditions (riches and wealth). They were so comfortable
materially that they were totally unaware of their true inward condition.
Spiritually they were “wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked.”
Because their self-estimate was so deeply flawed, the Lord gave them
counsel as to exactly what they needed to do. Their ability to pull out of
their disastrous spiritual condition rested on their paying the price they
needed to pay spiritually.
First, they needed to stop depending on their earthly riches and to “buy…
gold refined in the fire.” This means they are to live by faith in God (cf. 1
Pet 1:7). They also needed to buy “white garments” (cf. Rev 19:8), which
refers to doing good works and serving God, not out of selfish motives, but
in a way that truly pleases Him (cf. 2 Cor 5:3, 9-10). Being spiritually
“naked” in the matter of God-pleasing works, this church brought shame on
itself. And they needed to “anoint their eyes with eye salve, that they
might see.” That is, they desperately needed to get into the Word of God
and to ask God’s Spirit to help them understand it. If they did that sincerely,
God would remove their spiritual blindness (cf. 2 Pet 1:9) and help them to
see.
3:19. Possibly the believers at Laodicea felt as if the Lord was being
overly harsh toward them, so He reminds them, “As many as I love, I
rebuke and chasten” (emphasis added). His rebuke is because of His love
for them; however, if the Laodiceans would not listen to His rebuke, His
love would move Him to chasten them as well (paideuō, “child training”;
cf. Heb 12:10-11). The fact that Christ calls them to repent indicates that
they had been in this spiritual condition for quite some time (see comments
on 2:5).
 3:20. Through their sinful attitudes and actions the Laodicean believers
had shut the Lord out of their lives. Now in His mercy and grace He seeks
fellowship with anyone there who “hears His voice and will open the
door.” Christ’s invitation here is not for lost sinners to believe in Him for
the free gift of eternal life, but for His disobedient children to get close to
Him once again. If any of these lukewarm believers did open the door to
Him, Christ promises, “I will come in to him and dine with him, and he
with Me.” This is a promise that they will enjoy close fellowship with Him
once again.
3:21-22. Every believer who overcomes by keeping Christ’s works until
the end of his earthly life (cf. 2:26) will rule with Christ forever (“sit with
Me on My throne”). Christ was obedient to the end of His earthly life and
was rewarded with a share in His Father’s throne. In the same way, He
promises those believers who overcome a share in His eternal throne (cf.
Matt 25:21, 23; Rom 8:17b). Initially these faithful believers will rule with
Christ on earth for a thousand years during the millennial kingdom (cf. Rev
20:6). Throughout eternity they will reign with Christ on the new earth (cf.
21:10-11; 22:1-2).
The seventh letter ends with a beautiful promise of reward that is a fitting
conclusion not only to the seventh letter but to all seven letters.
IV. The Beginning of Birth Pangs—the First Half of the Week
(4:1–11:19)
In the first three chapters of Revelation John provided a detailed
description of the person of Christ in His role as the Judge of all mankind
(1:9-20) and then described the activity of the Judge in the midst of the
local churches (2:1–3:22). Chapters 4–11 contain a thorough account of the
activity of the Judge against rebellious mankind during the first half of
Daniel’s seventieth week, which is the first three-and-a-half years of the
seven-year Tribulation Period. In His Olivet Discourse, Jesus referred to
this time of judgment as “the beginning of birth pangs” (Matt 24:8, NASB).
A. Introduction of the Unit (4:1-11)
The unit found in chapters 4-11 is marked off by an inclusio that begins
with “…a door standing open in heaven” (4:1) and ends with “…the temple
of God was opened in heaven” (11:19, emphasis added). The focal point of
chapter 4 is God’s throne, revealing that God is sovereign in judgment. It is
essential to consider the prophetic disclosures of the subsequent chapters
from the viewpoint of God’s heavenly throne.
4:1. The phrase these things refers to the previous vision John had of the
Judge and His activity among the churches. Now John receives a new
vision: he sees a door standing open in heaven, the dwelling place of God
(cf. 2 Cor 12:2). John then hears a voice like a trumpet (most likely the
voice of Christ) calling him to Come up through this door for additional
visions and revelation regarding end-time events: things which must take
place after this. After Revelation 2–3 no reference is made to the Church
again until 22:16, and so some see 4:1 as a picture of the Rapture of the
Church. However, the apostle alone, and not the Church, is summoned by
this voice. Therefore this is an invitation to John to enter God’s dwelling
place and receive new revelation regarding His future plans.
4:2. Apparently the moment John enters the door of heaven, he also enters
a new prophetic trance (for comments on in the Spirit see 1:10-11). The
first thing John sees is the majestic and glorious throne of God and One
seated on the throne. The One seated there is God the Father because both
the Son (5:5-7) and the Spirit (4:5) are set apart from Him. The fact that
God’s throne is mentioned before each of the series of judgments that are to
fall (cf. 4:1–5:14; 8:1-6; 15:1-8) shows that God is sovereign, and is in
complete control over all that transpires on earth. From this point of origin
will proceed “the wrath of the Lamb” (cf. 6:16-17), which is mentioned
again in 11:16-19 and 16:17-21.
4:3. The NKJV rendering of v 3 makes it sound as if God Himself is being
described. However, the MT and CT omit the words And He who sat
there, thus making it clear that the jasper and sardius stones are
descriptions of the appearance of God’s throne and not the One seated on
it. The ancient jasper stone was “clear as crystal” (cf. 21:11), like a
diamond. The sardius was a fiery red stone and fits perfectly the description
of God’s throne given in Dan 7:9, “His throne was a fiery flame.” The
rainbow that encircled the throne was similar to an emerald in color
(various shades of green), and is reminiscent of the faithful promise God
made to mankind after the Flood (Gen 9:8-17). Thus God’s throne and the
verdicts it confers on mankind are rooted in His absolute purity (the jasper),
His righteous anger toward sin (the sardius), and His perfect faithfulness to
His promises (the rainbow). Together these stones reveal that God’s throne
is a throne of grace (cf. Heb 4:16). Even in the terrors of the Tribulation,
God is gracious, because if He did not limit it to seven years, no one would
be left alive (cf. Matt 24:21-22).
4:4. Around God’s throne, twenty-four elders wearing white robes and
golden crowns were seated on twenty-four thrones. Many commentators
see the elders as angels, but this is questionable in light of 5:9 (see
comments there). That they are elders (indicating maturity and experience),
sit on thrones and wear crowns (both indicating rulership), recalls the
promises in 2:26-27 and 3:21. The twenty-four elders do not represent all
believers, but faithful believers who will one day rule with Christ forever in
His eternal kingdom (cf. 5:10; Matt 25:21).
4:5. So awesome is the Lord’s majesty and divine power that from the
throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. A storm is coming
upon rebellious mankind and it would do well for them to listen to God’s
voice (cf. Exod 19:16-19; Heb 12:18-21). God’s throne is a throne of grace,
but it is also a throne of wrath.
The seven lamps of fire burning before God’s throne represent the third
member of the Godhead, the Holy Spirit (cf. 1:4). Unlike earthly throne
rooms, God’s throne room is not in the dark about anything (cf. Zech 4:10;
Heb 4:13).
4:6a. The sea of glass before God’s throne is like crystal (transparent;
22:1), and portrays the purity of God and the perfect calmness of His throne
as judgments are about to emanate. While the “nations rage” (Ps 2:1) on
earth like a “troubled sea” (Isa 57:20), God will execute His righteous but
fiery judgments (cf. Rev 15:2).
4:6b-7. The four living creatures are angelic beings, similar to both the
cherubim of Ezekiel 1 and the seraphim of Isaiah 6. They offer unceasing
worship (v 8) and thanks (v 9) to God and function as assistants to God in
the outpouring of His divine wrath on mankind (cf. 6:1-7; 15:7). They
possess the basic attributes of the One seated on the throne. Full of eyes
(4:6, 8) the creatures picture the omniscience of God (Prov 15:3) and
beautifully portray different aspects of the character and role of Christ so
often revealed in the Gospels. A lion, the king of beasts, is bold and
courageous and depicts Christ’s kingly role (Matt 2:2; 21:5; 27:11, 29, 37,
42) as the “Lion of the tribe of Judah” (Rev 5:5). The calf (or ox) is a beast
of burden and parallels Christ as the quintessential servant of God and man
(Matt 12:18; 20:26-28; cf. Isa 53:4).
The face like a man is symbolic of Christ in His humanity (Heb 4:15; cf.
Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13; 22:64). The majestic eagle, soaring high above
the earth, is a fitting picture of Christ in His deity and supremacy over all
things (John 3:31; Ps 97:9). Believers who regularly behold “the glory of
the Lord” in the Word also have the privilege of wearing that same image of
Christ through the power of God’s Spirit (cf. 2 Cor 3:18).
4:8. Like the seraphim (cf. Isa 6:2), the living creatures each have six
wings. If their wings perform the same function as the seraphim, four of the
six wings cover their entire bodies and denote humility and reverence
toward God Almighty. With the other two wings they fly, which points to
their readiness to obey the command of God. When they are not engaged in
a God-given task, the living creatures do not rest in exalting the holiness,
power, and eternality of God.
The MT contains an astoundingly resplendent tribute to the holiness of
each member of the Trinity in that the trisagion of v 8 (“Holy, holy, holy”)
is proclaimed three times: “Holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy, holy, Holy, holy
holy”a tri-trisagion! Each member of the Godhead is infinitely holy in His
own person.
4:9-11. The twenty-four elders are in perfect harmony with the
declarations of the living creatures and cast their crowns (symbols of their
own triumph and rulership) before the throne. They proclaim God’s
worthiness to be praised and exalted because He “created all things.” They
“were created” and presently exist because it was and is His desire (“by
Your will”). The One seated on the throne and He alone created all things
and it is to Him alone that all glory is due. However, because His will and
glory mean nothing to rebellious man, divine wrath must fall.
B. Introduction of the Seal Judgments (5:1-14)
Before His wrath falls on rebellious man, God describes the person He has
chosen to execute His judgments. The key question here is: “Who is worthy
to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” (5:2). Since “the Father judges no
one” (John 5:22), it is critical for the executor of these judgments to be
identified.
 5:1. The scroll that John saw in the right hand of the Father is
representative of the judgments God will pour out on planet earth
throughout the Tribulation period (cf. Revelation 6). The opening of one
seal alone, the fourth one, results in the death of one fourth of the earth’s
population (cf. 6:7-8).
5:2-3. Because God the Father has decreed that He will not execute His
judgments on mankind personally (cf. John 5:22), a strong angel asks,
“Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?” The answer is
No one in heaven…earth or under the earth (i.e., Hades; cf. Matt 12:40)
were able to do this. Not one of God’s creatures could attain to the level of
worthiness required.
5:4. John wept that no one was found worthy to open and read the
scroll. Spiritually minded people long for that future day when the evil
cosmos will be subjugated and God will be obeyed. Because no one is
found worthy to execute God’s wrath and bring this subjugation about, John
is extremely grieved.
5:5. In the midst of his grief John is commanded by one of the elders to
stop weeping because a mighty “Overcomer” was found worthy to open the
scroll—none other than “the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of
David,” the Messiah. The word prevailed is the Greek word enikēsen and
is from the same word used in chaps. 2–3 to describe the victorious
believers who earn the title of “overcomer” and thereby reign eternally with
Christ (cf. 3:21). The implication is that Christ was perfectly faithful to God
in His role as Messiah. He is the ultimate Overcomer, and therefore only He
has earned the right “to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals,” to be
the Executor of God’s judgments.
5:6. Following the announcement of the elder, John sees before him the
Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. His presence in the midst of the
throne room of God reveals that He is the very focal point of the heavenly
realm and that He alone is worthy to open the scroll and loose its seals. He
is worthy because He was slain (esphagmenon, “slaughtered”; cf. v 9).
But He is worthy not only because of His earthly experience but also
because of His heavenly nature. The Lamb’s seven horns depict His
omnipotence, since horns are symbols of power and strength (cf. 1 Sam
2:10). His seven eyes portray His omniscience as the all-seeing God.
Through the ministry of the Holy Spirit (the seven Spirits of God) Christ
has perfect awareness of everything that transpires in all the earth, thus
making Him the ideal Person to punish rebellious mankind.
5:7. The transfer of the scroll from the One on the throne to the Lamb is a
visual picture of the truth that “the Father…has committed all judgment to
the Son…and has given Him authority to execute judgment also, because
He is the Son of Man” (John 5:22, 27).
5:8-9. Ever since that day in the first century when Jesus asked His people
to pray, “Your kingdom come” (Matt 6:10), both the saints on earth and
those in heaven have been anticipating the answer. Now the time has come
and heaven erupts in a joyful song of praise and worship. Christ is praised
because He alone has been found worthy to judge rebellious mankind and
to inaugurate His earthly kingdom.
The twenty-four elders are likely humans and not angels (see Rev 7:9-
11). They represent believers in Christ (in the church age and in the
Tribulation) who served Christ faithfully till the end. The primary evidence
that they represent believers is in the new song that they sing: “You were
slain, and have redeemed us to God by Your blood Out of every tribe
and tongue and people and nation” (see comments on 4:4). Unlike the
CT, the MT correctly includes the Greek hēmas: “You…have redeemed us
to God.”
5:10. Verse 10 has two significant textual issues. The NKJV reads, “And
we shall reign on the earth,” but the MT, along with the CT, reads, “And
they (believers) shall reign on the earth.” Who then is speaking this
sentence? Some say it is spoken by the twenty-four elders, who are angels.
Another suggestion is that there is an antiphonal choir here, with the four
living creatures singing this line (i.e., all of v 10) as they alternate lines with
the twenty-four elders.
The same is true of the first clause in the NKJV translation, “And [You]
have made us kings and priests to our God.” Once again the NKJV
mistakenly has “us,” whereas the MT and CT have the third person plural:
“And You have made them kings and priests.”
The four living creatures and elders are singing joyfully to the Lamb about
those who will not only be entering His eternal kingdom, but will also be
ruling with Him in it because of their steadfast devotion. They were faithful
and godly in life; therefore they will reign in eternity (cf. 2:26-27).
 5:11-12. After the four living creatures and twenty-four elders sing their
praises to the Lamb, an immeasurable number of angels begin to worship
Him with a loud voice. The Lamb is worthy not only to judge sinful
mankind, but also He is worthy of the magnificent rewards that will be
bestowed on Him when he inaugurates His kingdom. He will “receive
power and riches and wisdom, And strength and honor and glory and
blessing!”
5:13-14. On that day every creature including the unsaved (cf. Phil 2:9-
11) will give the Father and the Son the glory they deserve.
C. The Seal Judgments (6:1–8:1)
Chapter 5 pictures the Father investing His authority in the Son as the
executor of His wrath on rebellious mankind during the Tribulation.
Revelation 6:1–8:1 reveals a picture of that judgment beginning to take
place as the Lamb opens the seven seals.
1. The first seal: Divine conquest (6:1-2)
6:1. As Christ opens the first seal, John hears one of the four living
creatures say, “Come and see.” The voice like thunder suggests the
intense storm of God’s judgment that is coming on the earth.
6:2. In his vision John sees a white horse. Most commentators see the
white horse rider as a picture of the Beast (cf. 13:1, 11). But nowhere in
Revelation is the Beast portrayed in such a way. White (leukos) is a symbol
of purity in Revelation (cf. 1:14; 2:17; 3:4, 5, 18; 4:4; 6:11; 7:9, 13; 19:11,
14; 20:11) and the only other reference in Revelation to a rider on a white
horse clearly refers to Christ (cf. Rev 19:11-21).
But more important than determining the identity of the rider is
understanding the judgment that is being symbolized. John writes that the
one sitting on the horse went out conquering and to conquer. The first
four seals represent the initial judgments from the hand of the Judge and it
is clear that this first judgment foresees conquest, which would be the
divine conquest of rebellious mankind (cf. Ps 45:3-5; Isa 13:11-13).
2. The second seal: conflict (6:3-4)
6:3-4. After the second seal is opened, another horse, fiery red, goes forth
and peace is removed from the earth. Consequently murder, violence, and
war run rampant as never before. In His Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25)
Jesus described the conditions on planet earth for the seven years prior to
His return. In Matt 24:6-8, the Lord revealed that during the initial stages of
these seven years, there will be “wars and rumors of wars.” “Nation will
rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.” Christ states that such
things will be “the beginning of sorrows.” Even though most commentators
view the first half of the seven years as a time of peace, it is clear that “the
beginning of sorrows” includes a world completely given over to war and
bloodshed. However terrible and destructive war is, the sorrows that follow
are more catastrophic. The colossal bloodshed during these beginning
stages is pictured by the fiery red horse and a great sword given to its rider.
3. The third seal: famine (6:5-6)
6:5-6. The third judgment to come on the earth is famine. This famine is
pictured by the black horse whose rider had a pair of scales in his hand.
The voice emanating from the midst of the four living creatures is
undoubtedly God’s voice and determines the severity of the famine. “A
quart of wheat” will cost “a denarius,” which was a worker’s average
daily pay in John’s day. “Three quarts of barley,” which is a less desirable
grain, will be available for “a denarius” as well. Since one quart of grain
will feed one person for a day, this will undoubtedly be the most devastating
famine the world has ever seen.
However, this famine will not affect the wealthy to the same degree. Oil
and wine were luxury items that God commanded the rider not to harm. In
spite of the fact that this judgment will primarily affect the poor, God’s
judgments will fall on all classes of people (cf. 6:14-17).
4. The fourth seal: physical death (6:7-8)
6:7-8. When Christ opens the fourth seal, John sees a pale horse and the
rider on the horse is Death. This judgment will decimate earth’s population
on an unprecedented level; one-fourth of mankind will die. Hades (the
place unbelievers go immediately at death) follows the rider named Death.
This image reveals that as Death rides forth like a harvester among the
grain, he scoops up victims and casts them into Hades’ sack.
The means by which these people will lose their lives physically are the
sword (war, murder, etc.), hunger (famine, undoubtedly worse than the
third seal), death (widespread disease), and the beasts of the earth (i.e.,
ferocious, wild animals). This fourth judgment will involve the highest
casualty rate ever experienced in the history of mankind. If earth’s
population is six billion people at that time (as it is today), this means the
deaths of 1.5 billion people. As catastrophic as this is, by the time the first
three-and-a-half years have transpired, one half of the inhabitants of earth
will be dead (cf. 6:8 with 9:18).
5. The fifth seal: The cry of the martyrs (6:9-11)
6:9-11. The first four seals (and the first six trumpets as well; cf. 8:7–9:21)
picture the utter devastation the world in general will experience from the
hand of the Judge. But the fifth seal reveals a period of persecution on
believers. It is important to note that a basic function of the fifth and sixth
seals is to locate the first four seals properly in relation to God’s total end-
times program. The first four seals are the beginning of a series of events
that precede a period of persecution (fifth seal) followed by the climax (the
earth-shattering judgments of the sixth seal). This precisely parallels what
Jesus prophesied in the Olivet Discourse: (1) war, famines, pestilences
(Matt 24:6-8), (2) persecution (Matt 24:9-14a), and then after the
persecution, (3) the end will come (Matt 24:14b).
Therefore, the fifth seal is undoubtedly anticipatory since the souls of
those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony
which they held are those believers who will die at the hand of the Beast
(cf. 13:7). In the last three-and-a-half years, as the Beast assumes
worldwide authority (cf. 13:3), he will set out to rid the world of the
witnesses of Christ who are spreading out all over the earth to share the
gospel, and will succeed in killing multitudes (cf. Matt 24:9, 14; Rev
12:17). The martyrs cry out to God and ask Him “how long” it will be until
His judgment falls on their murderers. They are told that they must wait a
little while until the full number of martyrs is completed.
6. The sixth seal: Seismic and stellar catastrophes (6:12-17)
6:12-17. Like the fifth seal, the sixth seal is also anticipatory and foretells
the cataclysmic occurrences that will take place at the end of Daniel’s
seventieth week. These extremely frightening and destructive catastrophes
will come to pass “immediately after the tribulation of those days” (Matt
24:29; emphasis added). As the Beast and his armies gather together to
make war against Christ (cf. Rev 19:19), a great earthquake will occur.
There will also be a massive disruption of the stellar heavens: the sun will
turn black and the moon will become red like blood. People will be utterly
terrified as they see the stars of heaven fall in the earth’s direction and the
sky recede (lit., “split”) as a scroll when it is rolled up. The universe will
seem to be imploding before their eyes.
The shaking of the earth’s tectonic plates is so great that every mountain
and island is moved out of its place. There is no reason to see this as
figurative. Absolute panic will grip those without Christ and they will
attempt to hide themselves in caves and in the rocks of the mountains.
The different classes of people who make these attempts—kings…great
men…every slave…every free man—reveals that all are affected by this
judgment. Those who have taken the mark of the Beast are doomed and
they know it. They would rather have the mountains collapse on them and
be killed in that manner (cf. Isa 2:19-21) than to stay alive and endure “the
wrath of the Lamb.”
Those attempting to flee “the great day of the Lamb’s wrath” ask “who
is able to stand.” The splitting of the sky and shaking of the earth that is
occurring is so unprecedented that the followers of the Beast clearly
recognize their guilt and culpability before God and His Son. They have not
one ounce of hope.
7. Parenthesis: God’s saving mercy granted to the Jews (7:1-8)
The mention of martyrs during the Tribulation (6:9-11) leads John to write
about what will happen to those who become believers during that time.
Though billions of unbelievers will die, many will come to faith in Christ
and many of those will be martyred for their faith in Him. In wrath, God
will remember mercy (cf. Hab 3:2). Even though this will be a time of
trouble like never before, it will also be a time of salvation like never before
—of both Jews (vv 1-8) and Gentiles (vv 9-17).
7:1. The four angels in John’s vision have the responsibility of restraining
the judgment of God (pictured by the four winds; cf. Jer 49:36-38; Dan
7:2; Hos 13:15) on nature (the earth…the sea…any tree). The vast
majority of the trumpet and bowl judgments involve God’s destruction of
the earth’s environment in some way (cf. Revelation 8–9, 16). However, as
11:14 reveals, the first six trumpet judgments transpire before the 144,000
go out to preach in the last half of the seven years.
7:2a. John sees another angel in addition to the first four. This angel is
ascending from the east (lit., “the rising of the sun”) with the seal of the
living God, which is the mark applied to the foreheads of the 144,000 (cf.
7:3). In Ezekiel 9, a linen-clothed angel went forth and put a mark on a
select group of people to set them apart from those on whom God’s
judgment would fall. The same is true here. The purpose of this seal is to set
apart those who will share the gospel in the last three-and-a-half years of
the Tribulation and to protect them from the judgments that will be falling
on unrepentant mankind (cf. 9:4).
7:2b-3. The fifth angel proclaims to the other four that they are not to do
any damage to planet earth until the 144,000 are sealed. God wants His
servants set apart and ready before any of the judgments fall.
7:4-8. John heard the number of those who were sealed as well as the
names of the tribes from which they came. The fact that twelve tribes are
represented reveals that ethnic Israel will retain her unique national identity
before God. God’s plans for this world revolve around the nation of Israel
and from this nation twelve thousand males from each of the twelve tribes
will be sealed for the purpose of sharing the testimony of Jesus during the
world’s darkest hour (cf. 12:17).
The twelve tribes listed are unusual. Neither Levi nor Joseph was listed in
the OT as being one of the twelve tribes. (Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and
Ephraim were each listed as tribes.) Yet both Levi and Joseph are in this list
(vv 7-8). Ephraim and Dan were listed in the OT, but are not in this list
(though Joseph includes Ephraim). The order is also not the order found in
any of the lists of the tribes given in the OT. That Judah is listed first is
likely because it is the royal line.
That there are not 12,000 from Dan does not mean that that tribe will not
be represented in Israel during the Millennium and on the new earth. It
means Dan will not be honored in this way during the Tribulation. Two
possible reasons are because Dan was notorious for its idolatry in the OT
(Judg 18:30; 1 Kgs 12:29) or because the False Prophet may arise from this
tribe (Jer 8:16).
 8. Parenthesis: God’s saving mercy granted to the Gentiles (7:9-
17)
7:9-12. Following the vision of the 144,000 John sees a great innumerable
multitude made up of every nation. This multitude represents the Gentile
converts of the 144,000 Jewish witnesses of 7:1-8. In spite of the turmoil all
around them, the 144,000 are faithful to God and God uses them to reach
many people from all over the earth (cf. Matt 24:14).
In John’s vision the converts of the 144,000 are wearing white robes to
symbolize the fact that they have been declared righteous in the sight of
God through faith in Christ. Whereas the white robes in Rev 3:4-5 are an
eternal reward given to believers who are faithful to the end, the robes here
in 7:9, 14 are symbolic of the complete and eternal cleansing of sin that
comes to every person who believes in Christ for eternal life (cf. 7:14).
The palm branches they hold point back to John 12:13 where the Jews
meet Christ at His triumphal entry into Jerusalem with joyful celebration
and exalt Him as Israel’s King. (The Jews celebrated the Feast of
Tabernacles by waving palm branches as they quoted Ps 118:25-26.) In a
similar manner the redeemed ones before the throne will celebrate the
imminent victory of the King at His Second Advent (cf. 19:11–20:3) as well
as His coming reign (cf. 20:4).
With exuberant praise they cry out, “Salvation belongs to our God…and
to the Lamb!” The word salvation here (sotēria) is not a reference to
eternal life but to the long-awaited deliverance God will bring to pass at
Christ’s return. He will victoriously deliver the earth from the Man of Sin
(cf. Mic 5:6), physical corruption (cf. Rom 8:21-22; Isaiah 35), and the
rebellion of men (cf. Ps 2:9; Jer 30:23-24).
7:13-14. One of the elders reveals to John the identity of this multitude.
They are believers in Christ—people who have “washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” He also explains that they
came “out of the great tribulation.” The Great Tribulation (cf. Matt
24:21) is the last three-and-a-half years of the seven-year Tribulation period
and is also called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7).
7:15-17. Because their sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ,
the blessings they enjoy are magnificent. In their wonderfully altered living
conditions in the kingdom they will function as believer-priests in God’s
presence. “They are before the throne of God, and serve (latreuousin;
service of a religious nature) Him day and night (i.e., continually) in His
temple.” They will have unimpeded access to God (cf. Heb 4:16; 10:19-22)
and will enjoy the security of God’s sheltering presence.
The word dwell is related to the Greek word for “tent.” On earth these
believers will live during the worst period of suffering and satanic
oppression people have ever known. But in the kingdom they will never
fear since God will “pitch His tent” over them and they will be under His
protection. (A tent is a place where one eats, is cool, and finds rest.) As a
result their former woes—hunger...thirst…sun…heat…every tear—will
forever be a thing of the past (cf. Isa 49:10; this OT reference is definitely
millennial in nature) and they will find great comfort because “the Lamb
will shepherd them and lead them to fountains of living water” (MT and
CT reads “to fountains of the waters of life”). This is not simply saying that
in His kingdom the Lord will give His people clean water to drink. Rather,
it is a reference to Christ leading believers into the rich and variegated
experiences of His own life, which is eternal life.
(The living water of John 4:14 is the saving message which when believed,
results in eternal life. Clearly the waters of life mentioned in Rev 22:1 refer
to literal water. That water will cause the tree of life to grow and produce a
different fruit each month [22:2]. Both the fruit and the water will enhance
the lives of those who consume them. Likely the waters of life in this verse
are to be understood literally as well.)
Eternity will surely be a rich experience of life for all of God’s children,
totally apart from the issue of eternal rewards (cf. John 7:37-39—an
eschatological description that is not rewards-related).
9. The seventh seal: silence in heaven (8:1)
8:1. Following the elder’s teaching about the deliverance and care of the
multitude of Tribulation martyrs (7:14-17), the Lamb opens the seventh
seal, which initially results in silence in heaven for about half an hour.
The silence symbolizes the calm before the storm (cf. Zeph 1:7, 15, 17). In
Rev 7:3 the angel says not to “harm the earth, the sea, or the trees” until
God’s servants are sealed. This is now complete and silence is in order
because God’s wrath, as represented by the seven trumpets, will soon fall
upon the earth. “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among
the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Ps 46:10).
D. Introduction of the Trumpet Judgments (8:2-6)
Before John actually describes God’s punishment of mankind through the
trumpet judgments (beginning in v 7), he describes what is happening
around the throne of God, giving heaven’s perspective on these judgments.
In this introduction the prayers of the saints play a key role in the
inauguration of the trumpet judgments.
8:2-4. Seven angels standing before God are given seven trumpets.
Throughout Scripture, trumpets often signal that God is ready to do
something significant (Exod 20:18; 1 Thess 4:16).
Before a trumpet is blown, another angel is given much incense to offer
to God along with the prayers of all the saints. This angel fills the role of
priestly mediator similar to the OT priest (cf. 2 Chr 26:18) and adds an
element of sanctity and holiness that is pleasing to God (cf. Rom 8:34; Heb
7:25). He reveals that the impending judgments arise from God’s holy
justice and are sent in response to the numerous prayers of godly people in
all ages who have prayed for judgment and justice to come on the earth (cf.
Matt 6:10). The smoke of the incense mingled with the prayers of the
saints ascend to God, and He prepares to act on behalf of His people.
8:5-6. The censer, earlier filled with prayer, is now filled with fire from
the altar and is cast to the earth. The resultant noises, thunderings,
lightnings, and an earthquake are reminiscent of how God manifested His
power and presence at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:16-19; Ps 68:8) and are a
forewarning of how God will manifest His power and presence through the
trumpet judgments.
E. The Trumpet Judgments (8:7–11:15)
Like the devastating seal judgments (which claim the lives of one-fourth of
the earth’s population; cf. 6:8), the trumpet judgments are extraordinarily
devastating, destroying one-third of the survivors (cf. 9:18). Those
remaining still refuse to repent (vv 20-21). The first six trumpet judgments
will hit the earth during the first half of the seven-year Tribulation (see
comments on 11:14) and are likely part of the plagues and disasters called
down by the two witnesses of God (cf. 11:6).
 1. The first trumpet: vegetation burned (8:7)
8:7. The moment the first angel sounds his trumpet, hail and fire…
mingled with blood are thrown to the earth. As a result, a third of the
trees and all of the green grass on earth is burned up. The blood may refer
to the blood of those injured and killed by the fiery hail since, judging from
the OT incidents involving hail (cf. Exod 9:23-25; Josh 10:11), human loss
is inevitable. Similarly the hail and fire on Gog and his followers just after
the Millennium (cf. Ezek 38:21-22; Rev 20:7-9) is referred to as a judgment
with “bloodshed” (Ezek 38:22).
2. The second trumpet: oceans disrupted (8:8-9)
8:8-9. The trumpet of the second angel sounds and the result is another
ecological disaster which affects the oceans of earth and kills a third of the
life in them. This may be a meteorite striking the earth. Whatever ocean this
meteorite falls in will take the brunt of the devastation. There will be a huge
tidal wave and a third of the ships will be destroyed. The loss here of
human life will undoubtedly be immense since a large portion of the
world’s population resides on the continental coasts. This meteorite is not a
small object—it is called a great mountain burning with fire (emphasis
added).
3. The third trumpet: rivers poisoned (8:10-11)
8:10-11. The trumpet of the third angel brings another ecological disaster.
This time, a great star falls from the sky (probably another meteorite or a
trailing piece of the first meteorite). A third of the fresh water supplies in
the rivers and springs are ruined. Many people, either unaware that the
water supplies are bitter (poisonous), or out of desperate dehydration,
drink from the water and die.
4. The fourth trumpet: luminaries darkened (8:12-13)
8:12. When the fourth angel sounds his trumpet, God causes a third of
the sun, moon, and stars to become darkened. God may simply darken
them supernaturally as He did in Egypt prior to the Exodus (cf. Exod 10:21-
23), or there may be some kind of atmospheric phenomenon that causes an
eclipse, blocking the light for four hours during the day and four hours
during the night. It may also simply refer to the light earth receives from the
sun, moon, and stars being dimmed by one-third as a result of the
atmospheric damage and smoke from the previous two trumpet judgments.
Whatever happens, earth’s inhabitants will experience great fear, especially
if this darkness is foretold and executed by God’s two witnesses (cf. Rev
11:6).
8:13. The phrase And I looked indicates a new center of attention for John
in his current vision. John both sees and hears an eagle (NKJV has angel,
but the Gk word in the majority of manuscripts is aetou, which means
“eagle”) flying through the sky. The phrase midst of heaven is an
unfortunate translation in the NKJV as it makes it sound as if the eagle is
adjacent to God’s throne, when in reality, it is in the sky above the earth,
that is, in mid-heaven. With a loud voice it warns those dwelling on earth
that the next three trumpet judgments, often called “the three woes” (cf.
9:12; 11:14), will be much worse than the first four. The first four trumpet
judgments targeted earth’s environment, but the next three judgments will
target earth’s inhabitants (cf. 9:10, 18; 11:18). That this message is
conveyed by an eagle—a far-seeing bird of prey that feeds on carrion—
symbolizes the fact that huge numbers will die in the subsequent judgments.
It sees what lies ahead that mankind does not!
5. The fifth trumpet: demons loosed (9:1-12)
9:1. When the fifth angel sounds his trumpet, John sees a star that had
fallen from heaven to earth. This is evidently an angelic being, not a
literal star, because to him was given the key to (i.e., authority over) the
bottomless pit (lit., “abyss”). The fact that this being had fallen from
heaven may mean it is a fallen angel (cf. 12:3-4a).
9:2. The fallen angel uses the authority given to him to open the abyss, and
as a result, smoke…like the smoke of a great furnace poured out—so
much smoke that the sun and the air were darkened. This probably
describes some sort of volcanic eruption of a magnitude never before
experienced on earth.
9:3. Not only does John see smoke pour out of the abyss, but locusts as
well. These locusts are given a power similar to scorpions, which is
explained in v 5 as the ability to torment people with excruciating pain.
From the description of the locusts in vv 7-10 they are not literal crop-
destroying insects, but may represent an innumerable host of demons that
are loosed to afflict unrepentant mankind. The demons will be like a huge
army of locusts in that they will cover the earth to wreak havoc, not on
vegetation, but on unregenerate sinners.
Since this unit began in v 1 with an obvious symbol (an angelic being
symbolized by a star), John’s vision here may be highly figurative as well.
Thus the darkening of the sun and air by the smoke coming out of the abyss
may picture the ability the demonic hordes will have to blind people
morally and draw them into an experience (see comments on v 8) that will
ultimately result in pain, suffering, and suicidal desires.
9:4. The horde of locusts are commanded not to harm the grass of the
earth, or any green thing, or any tree but only unsaved people, those who
do not have the seal of God on their foreheads (cf. 7:3-8). While it is
possible that the reference to grass, green thing, and tree refer to physical
vegetation of earth, since these are set in contrast to those who do not have
the seal of God, it is more likely that the grass, greenery, and trees
symbolize those who do have the seal of God, and are thus under divine
protection. This would specifically refer to the 144,000 initial converts of
the two witnesses (called the “firstfruits to God” in 14:4) and by inference,
all who have believed in Christ for eternal life.
9:5-6. The locust horde are not allowed to kill anyone but simply to
torment people with pain that is similar to the pain of being stung by a
scorpion. For a period of five months they torment earth’s inhabitants
with pain so intense that people will desperately desire to die, but death
never comes. The intensity of the pain may cause people to become
physically incapacitated and therefore unable to commit suicide.
9:7-10. Having explained what these creatures do, John elaborately
describes what the creatures look like. It is important to keep in mind that
John’s vision here is a primarily symbolic vision (in vv 7-10, the word
“like” is used eight times, pointing to a figurative rather than literal
interpretation).
As horses prepared for battle, the demons from the abyss will be
extremely swift (cf. Joel 2:4). The crowns they wear represent the victory
they will have over people as they lead them astray and afflict them
physically.
Their humanlike faces portray the intelligence they possess.
 Next, these creatures are said to have hair like women’s hair. Since one
of the attractive qualities of a woman is her hair, it is possible that there is
something about mankind’s experience of this plague that is similar to
sexual attraction. The conjoining of this with teeth…like lions’ teeth may
indicate that though there is an initial allurement pulling people to this
experience, in the end, the experience is like the bite of a lion in its
painfulness. In ages past (as well as in contemporary society), sinful people
have involved themselves in matters concerning sexual relations with
demonic entities (who if they became visible might be beautiful indeed).
Yet it is clear that the description given here by John paints their true
character—they will be like hungry lions that ravage peoples’ lives.
In direct contrast to their destructive abilities, the breastplates of iron
imply that the locusts themselves will be immune to human destruction—
mankind will be unable to thwart their efforts. The fact that this army
sounded to John like chariots with many horses running into battle
indicates the terror that they will inspire in the hearts of those who have
given in to their seductive allure. It can be compared to the terror in the
hearts of ancient soldiers who suddenly and without warning find
themselves facing a rush of chariots and horses (cf. 2 Kgs 7:6-7; Jer 47:3).
People overcome by this deception will not experience physical pleasure,
but
torment similar to the stings of scorpions.
This plague will afflict unsaved mankind for a period of five months (cf.
Rev 9:5), which stresses the idea of God’s absolute sovereignty in the spirit
world and over the events of the Tribulation.
9:11. The king who directs this horde of tormenting locusts is named
Abaddon (a Hebrew word), which in Greek is Apollyon. Both words
mean “destroyer.” That both Hebrew and Greek names are given in relation
to this angel of the bottomless pit may imply that both unbelieving Jews
and Gentiles will be the objects of his destructive intent.
It is apparent that this angel is not Satan, but probably one of the more
powerful beings among the fallen angelic forces (cf. Eph 6:12). In two
passages in Revelation Satan is spoken of by alternate names (12:9 and
20:2). In both places John clearly states that he is speaking of Satan. If the
angel of the bottomless pit is Satan, John would have clarified it here as
well.
 9:12. The first woe is past, but two more of these devastating judgments
are yet to come.
6. The sixth trumpet: mankind decimated (9:13-21)
9:13-15. When the sixth angel sounds his trumpet, John hears a voice
emanating from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.
The key issue to consider here is not who the voice belongs to, but the
source from which it originates, namely, the altar of incense. At this altar
the prayers of the saints are mingled with incense and ascend to God (cf.
8:3-4). Since the altar is associated with the prayers of God’s people, the
voice from the altar may symbolize the judgment that comes because of
these prayers.
The voice from the altar issues a command: “the four fallen angels who
are bound at the great river Euphrates” are to be released to kill a third
of mankind. The time frame given—the hour and day and month and
year—could be a reference to the precise amount of time that God has
allotted for this judgment to run its course down to the very hour (just
slightly over thirteen months).
9:16. The four angels who were bound and then released will lead a vast
army of horsemen on a worldwide rampage—the number of the
army...was two hundred million. Exactly what this army is and how it will
decimate mankind is impossible to determine.
9:17-19. John’s description of this army is just as symbolic as his
description of locusts in vv 7-10. Because of that, the elements of
description are designed to characterize the activity of the army, rather than
paint a picture of how it will actually appear.
John describes the horses as possessing lion’s heads, which indicates that
they will be fierce and destructive in nature. The breastplates suggest their
invulnerability to human destruction (cf. vv 7-9). If the riders are indeed
viral, the medical community will be unable to produce a cure. The fire,
smoke, and brimstone that come out of the horses’ mouths picture the
utterly destructive nature of their attacks against people. The locusts of v 10
could only inflict pain, but these creatures have the power to kill, so that
they eradicate one third of mankind.
9:20. If ever a passage shows how hardened the heart of unsaved man can
become toward God, this is it. At this point in time, God’s two witnesses
have been preaching the gospel and proving the genuineness of their words
about God through miraculous activity and painful judgments for nearly
three-and-a-half years (cf. 11:3). The unsaved have experienced these
painful judgments personally and have seen over one half of mankind die
before their very eyes (cf. 6:8 with 9:15). But those who were not killed by
these plagues (i.e., the fire, smoke, and brimstone) did not repent of the
works of their hands. They had no intention of ceasing to produce statues
to adore (idols) or of worshipping them, which John equates with
worshipping demons (cf. Ps 106:35-38; 1 Cor 10:19-20). In the Tribulation
religious deception and demon worship will reach an all-time high. And yet,
even though billions of people will have lost their lives, God’s judgments
do not motivate overtly religious people to repent of their sins.
9:21. Nor do the overtly sinful people of the world repent of their
murders…sorceries (pharmakeiōn refers to drugs used for occult
purposes), sexual immorality or their thefts. The emphasis is not on
man’s eternal destiny but on his physical life. The issue here is the temporal
punishment of man because of sin. If the people had repented, they would
not have been killed by these plagues (cf. Luke 13:1-5). With over three
years of ministry from God’s two witnesses (cf. 11:3), humans will know
what God wants them to do (cf. Pharaoh in Exod 8:8), and what it would
take to get the judgments they are experiencing to stop falling on them, but
they love their sin more than their Creator, and will not turn from it. As
always, “Sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (Jas 1:15). This is
true for both the saved and the unsaved.
7. Parenthesis: no more delay (10:1–11:2)
Chapter 10 reveals that the purposes of God for His creation will soon be
realized.
10:1. A mighty angel comes down from heaven with a little book to give
to John. The angel is clothed with a cloud because he is God’s messenger
bearing a message of judgment (cf. 1:7; 14:14; Matt 24:30). The rainbow is
a reminder of God’s mercy (cf. Gen 9:12-13). Even in the midst of
judgment God will show mercy on those who believe the gospel (cf. Heb
8:12; Eph 2:4-5). The angel’s face, reflecting God’s magnificent glory,
shines like the sun. Feet like pillars of fire are reminiscent of God’s
protection and guidance of the Jews as they left Egypt (cf. Exod 13:21;
14:19-24).
10:2. The little book is actually a scroll and it is open in the angel’s hand
(cf. Ezek 2:9-10), unsealed. The angel’s right foot on the sea and his left
foot on the land symbolize God’s authority over the created order.
10:3. A lion roars just before overpowering its prey. This loud voice of
the angel indicates that God is about to overpower His enemies. Following
the loud voice, John hears the seven thunders utter their voices, which
represent God’s voice (cf. Job 37:2-5; 40:9; Ps 29:1-9; John 12:28-29).
Psalm 29 makes this very clear as it contains a seven-fold manifestation of
God’s voice in reference to thunder (“The God of glory thunders…The
voice of the Lord is powerful…full of majesty…”, etc.—cf. Ps 29:1-9). It
seems that the picture here is the power of God in implementing and
executing His will—He has promised judgment to fall on sinful mankind
and His power will bring it to pass. Thunder is a key indicator that violent
storms are coming soon.
10:4. John hears what the seven thunders (i.e., God) has said, but he is
not allowed to write it down. God has in store for mankind some things that
He chooses not to reveal (cf. Deut 29:29).
10:5-7. These verses are the key to the entire chapter. The angel raises his
hand to heaven and says that there will be no more delay (chronos, lit.,
“time”). God’s plans for mankind that He declared to His servants the
prophets will soon be carried out to completion.
The mystery of God—God’s purposes and plans for humanity—is not
readily discernible to most people, but it was declared to the prophets (cf.
Isa 14:26-27; Jer 4:20). God’s hand is already stretched out over the nations
of the earth. Judgment will fall, human rule will be eradicated (cf. Dan
2:35), and Christ will reign as King over the whole earth (cf. Rev 11:15).
10:8-10. John hears a voice from heaven that tells him to eat “the little
book” (or scroll), which was in the hand of the angel. John writes that it
was like honey in his mouth, but his stomach became bitter. God’s plans
often include aspects that are bitter as well as sweet. Though it is a joyful
thing for God’s plans to be brought to completion, the process often
involves tragic judgment on mankind.
10:11. John is recommissioned to prophesy as he had been doing
previously. The phrase “peoples, nations, tongues, and kings” reveals that
John’s prophetic utterances will pertain to the whole earth (cf. Dan 7:14).
11:1-2. But John’s prophecies would also pertain to his own people. His
belly is bitter because throughout the last half of the Tribulation, under the
direction of the Man of Sin (cf. Dan 7:25), “the Gentiles…will tread the
holy city underfoot for forty-two months” (three-and-a-half years; cf.
Rev 13:5). Jerusalem must be judged because it became spiritually corrupt
like Sodom and Egypt in OT days (11:8).
John is given a reed and is told to “measure the temple” (naon, lit.,
“sanctuary,” containing the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies), “the altar”
(of incense) just outside the Holy of Holies, “and those who worship
there,” meaning the Jewish priests who performed the daily rituals inside
the sanctuary.
He is “not to measure” the “court which is outside the temple, for it
has been given to the Gentiles.” During the last half of the Tribulation
(when the holy city will be oppressed under the dominion of the Gentiles
and the Beast; cf. 13:5), God gives the Gentiles only what is “outside”
while the inner reality of Israel’s worship and worshippers is protected by
Him (this protection is symbolized by the measurement of the temple in v
1). The true worship of God is protected at the same time the city (and by
implication the temple), falls under the dominion of the Gentiles. Verses 3-
13 reveal that He maintains the truth about Himself through His two
witnesses. All the worshippers of the first half week (e.g., the 144,000; cf.
14:4) as well as those who flee for protection in the next (cf. 12:6; Matt
24:15-16) will be the fruit of the ministry of the two witnesses.
8. Parenthesis: God’s two witnesses (11:3-13)
11:3. The “one thousand two hundred and sixty days” (three-and-a-half
years) is in contrast to the “forty-two months” of v 2 as God’s “two
witnesses” will prophesy during the first three and one-half years of
Daniel’s seventieth week (the 42 months representing the last three and a
half years). Immediately after Christ removes His church at the Rapture, not
one saved person will be left on the earth. But this will change the very day
it becomes true. Two men in Israel will be converted to Christ—apparently
by direct, supernatural revelation (similar to Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 or Saul
of Tarsus in Acts 9). They will become the first prophets of Israel (outside
those of the early church) since John the Baptist and will be given power to
perform miracles that will torment (cf. Rev 11:10) earth’s inhabitants. Their
clothing of sackcloth will match their message that the Day of Judgment
spoken of by the OT prophets (the Day of the Lord; cf. Isa 13:9; 34:8; Zeph
1:14-18; Zechariah 14) has arrived. They will also share the good news of
the gospel so that the firstfruits of the Lamb—the 144,000—will be
converted, and spread the gospel to the ends of the earth (Matt 24:14).
However, the primary role of the two witnesses is clear: they will testify
about the Creator who has begun to pour out His wrath on rebellious
mankind.
11:4. These two witnesses are compared to olive trees and lampstands
(cf. Zech 4:11-14) because they, like witnessing believers today, will be
God’s light in a dark world and dependent on the oil of God’s Spirit as they
share the truth. They tell a secular and pluralistic society something it will
not want to hear: that the God whose judgments they mediate is the Creator,
the God of the earth.
11:5. Since the judgments they invoke will be the worst the world has ever
experienced, the witnesses will be intensely hated. People will attempt to
kill them, but will fail. If anyone wants to harm them, fire proceeds from
their mouth and devours their enemies. Some commentators see the fire
as a reference to the plagues they call down “as often as they desire” (v 6).
But it is possible in the present context (where the narrative is almost
entirely literal) that the fire out of their mouths is literal (cf. 2 Kgs 1:9-10)
or is a reference to their pronouncements of judgment indicting mankind.
11:6. They will be hated because, like Elijah of old (cf. 1 Kgs 17:1), they
will have power to shut heaven, (ouranon, i.e., the sky) so that no rain
falls in the days of their prophecy, which lasts three-and-a-half years.
Like Moses they will have the power to turn water to blood as well as to
bring all kinds of plagues on the earth. Their miraculous power will even
exceed what Moses possessed in that they will be able to strike the earth
with all plagues as often as they desire. God used Moses to destroy Egypt
with plagues (cf. Exod 10:7) but He will use His two witnesses to wreak
havoc on the entire earth. By the time they finish their testimony, one-half
of earth’s inhabitants will have died because of the calamities they will have
unleashed (see comments on Rev 9:19-20).
11:7. But only after they finish their testimony is anyone able to harm
them. After 1,260 days the two witnesses will be killed by the beast that
ascends out of the bottomless pit (see comments in 13:4-8 and 17:8-11).
11:8-9. The great city where the dead bodies of the two witnesses will lay
for three-and-a-half days is Jerusalem, where our Lord was crucified.
Spiritually (i.e., figuratively) it is called Sodom because of its pride and
iniquity (cf. Gen 13:13; Ezek 16:49) and Egypt because of its oppression of
God’s people (cf. Exod 3:7, 20:2). The entire world (peoples, tribes,
tongues, nations) will view their corpses and not allow them to be buried,
which is a huge indignity both in ancient times as well as today.
11:10. Sinful people will be so happy that the two prophets who
tormented them are dead that a worldwide party will ensue in which the
unsaved will make merry, and send gifts to one another.
11:11. But this party will be very short-lived—only three-and-a-half
days. The breath of life from God (cf. Gen 2:7) will enter the lifeless
bodies of the two witnesses and they will stand on their feet. Their
resurrection will be totally unexpected and will cause intense fear to come
on all who see it.
11:12. Before the unsaved are even able to process all that they are seeing,
they hear a loud voice from heaven (the sky). Just as Christ was raised
from the dead and ascended in a cloud (cf. Acts 1:9), so the two witnesses
are told by the voice to “Come up here.” Those who serve God and suffer
can expect vindication from Him. Triumphantly the two prophets ascend to
heaven in a cloud and will be seen by their enemies.
11:13. Shortly after the ascension of the two prophets, in the same hour,
God’s judgment falls on Jerusalem. A great earthquake rips through the
city, destroys a tenth of the buildings, and takes the lives of seven
thousand people. Those Jews dwelling in Jerusalem who survive the
earthquake become afraid and give glory to the God of heaven. The text
does not say that these survivors believe in Christ for eternal life. Instead,
their response is similar to people who endure frightening events such as
tornadoes or lightning storms and acknowledge them as divine in origin. A
person being scared to death and overwhelmed by God’s power and a
person believing in Christ for eternal life are two different things.
9. The seventh trumpet: The kingdom of Christ proclaimed
(11:14-15)
 11:14. Since the death of the two witnesses and the subsequent earthquake
occur after the first and second “woe” (i.e., trumpet judgments five and six),
one may conclude that the first six trumpet judgments occur during the first
three-and-a-half years of the Tribulation. The third (and last) woe (the
seventh trumpet) is coming quickly. It will result in great woe for an
unbelieving world and its rulers because it involves a complete transfer of
dominion to Christ and the eradication of evildoers (cf. 11:15-18). The
triumph of Christ and His faithful servants signifies impending disaster for
a sinful world.
11:15. When the seventh angel sounds his trumpet, John explains that
loud voices in heaven proclaim that “our Lord” (God the Father) and “His
Christ” (God the Son) are now in complete control of the earth. The
kingdom (singular in the MT) “of this world has become the kingdom of”
God. Obviously this event is being referred to as if it has already taken
place (the phrase have become is anticipatory). The actual coronation of
Christ will not come to pass until He returns to earth after the seven-year
Tribulation is complete, but heaven is already singing about it and viewing
it as accomplished. Once He is crowned as king, Christ will “reign forever
and ever!” “And of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).
F. Conclusion (11:16-19)
These verses conclude the entire unit that began in 4:1 involving the
activity of Christ, the Judge of all mankind, during the first three-and-a-half
years of the Tribulation.
11:16-18. The response of the twenty-four elders (see comments on 4:4
for their identity) to the announcement of Christ’s eternal kingdom is
exuberant worship and thanksgiving to God. Verses 17-18 could be called a
poetic tribute to the consummation of God’s purposes in connection with
His kingdom. This is that future day when God has “taken His great
power and reigned.” It is the long-awaited tying together of all the loose
ends. “The nations were angry (Ps 2:1-3) and God’s wrath has come”
upon them (Ps 2:4-5). It is the “time (or season) of the dead, that they
should be judged” (cf. 2 Tim 4:1; Matt 25:31-46). God will also “reward
His servants the prophets and the saints” as well as “those who fear His
name, small and great” (the insignificant and the influential). This will
take place at the Judgment Seat of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 3:12-15; 2 Cor 5:9-11).
 When Christ returns, God will “destroy those who destroy the earth,”
probably a reference to the decimation of the great harlot (cf. Rev 17:1),
whose ruinous and destructive influence over the nations is referred to three
other times in Revelation (cf. 14:8; 18:3; 19:2). Thus the twenty-four elders
give anticipatory thanks because Christ reigns, evildoers are judged, and the
faithful in Christ are rewarded.
11:19. This verse is a key to understanding the structure of Revelation. It
involves an inclusio begun in 4:1, where a door was standing open in
heaven. Now the temple of God is opened in heaven as well. These two
references to “openings” are like bookends that mark off the beginning and
the end of the prophecies and visions of John concerning the first three-and-
a-half years of the Tribulation.
With the sudden opening of the heavenly sanctuary the ark of His
covenant becomes visible. In the OT the presence of God dwelt between
the cherubim on the ark (cf. 1 Sam 4:4). It was the ark of God that led Israel
across the Jordan and into their inheritance (cf. Joshua 3–4). Just as He
protected and kept His promises to His people in the OT, God will do the
same for His people in the Tribulation.
The lightnings and thunderings point to God’s awesome power (see
comments on Rev 8:5). As great as God’s judgments were in the first half of
the Tribulation (chaps. 6–11), the storms He will send on rebellious
mankind in the last half (chaps. 12–19) will be even greater, like none ever
seen before in the history of mankind (cf. Matt 24:21). Revelation 12
records the inauguration of John’s prophecies concerning the last half of
Daniel’s Seventieth Week, “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7), also
known as “the Great Tribulation.”
V. Birth Pangs Proper: The Second Half of the Week (12:1–16:21)
In this third major section of Revelation (chaps. 12–16), John continues his
detailed account about the activity of the Judge against rebellious mankind.
The first three-and-a-half years (chaps. 4–11) were the beginning of birth
pains for planet earth. Now chaps. 12–16 record mankind’s experience of
“great tribulation,” those intensely excruciating labor pains Jesus spoke of
in Matt 24:21 that will eventually result in the birth of a brand new age, the
millennial kingdom (cf. Isa 11:9; 24:23; 25:6-8; 65:25; 66:20; Rev 20:4-6).
A. Characters of the Great Tribulation (12:1–14:20)
 The last half of the Tribulation focuses on two main characters: Satan and
the nation of Israel. The other significant players in this eschatological
drama include the end-time agents of God, the 144,000 (14:1-20), set in
contrast to the end-time agents of Satan: the Man of Sin (13:1-10) and his
False Prophet (13:11-18).
1. The central characters (12:1-17)
Knowing that he has but a small window of opportunity, Satan works
furiously to try to destroy the nation of Israel and to defeat the purposes of
God.
a. Israel (12:1-6)
12:1. The Apostle John sees a great sign in heaven. A sign is something
that stands for or that represents something else. Some have understood the
woman in this sign to exclusively represent Mary, the mother of Jesus, but
vv 13 and 17 make it clear that this woman will be the object of intense
persecution during the Great Tribulation. Consequently she must represent
the nation of Israel (specifically the believing remnant). The connection
between the sun, moon, and twelve stars and the nation of Israel is clearly
seen in Gen 37:9-10 where the twelve stars represent the twelve sons of
Jacob.
The sun, moon, and stars also point to God’s covenant faithfulness to the
nation of Israel (cf. Ps 89:34-37; Jer 31:35-36). God will not break His
covenant with them.
12:2. Since the woman is Israel, the child is the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. v 5).
The labor and birth pains are pictures of the grief and sorrow that the nation
of Israel experienced in OT days at the hand of Satan in his attempts to
prevent the Messiah from coming. This agonizing struggle between Satan
and Israel has been going on from the very beginning (cf. Gen 3:15).
12:3. The next sign John sees in the sky is of a great, fiery red dragon
having seven heads and ten horns whom God identifies as Satan (cf. Rev
12:9; 20:2). In 13:1 as well as in 17:3, the future world ruler, the Man of
Sin, is described as a “beast…having seven heads and ten horns.” It is
crucial to see the connection here. The kingdom of the Man of Sin is, in
reality, Satan’s kingdom (cf. 13:2). Furthermore, the dragon will persecute
the woman through the power given to the Man of Sin (cf. 12:17; 13:5-7).
The seven diadems on the dragon’s heads are symbolic of seven kingdoms
(see comments on 17:9-11).
12:4. The stars of heaven are the angels who followed Satan in his
rebellion against God. Satan threw them to the earth because he had a job
for them to do, namely, the prevention of the birth of the Messiah (cf. Gen
3:15, Exod 1:16; 2 Kgs 11:1-3). Hostilities toward NT believers is also a
part of their job description (cf. Eph 6:12). Because of egregious sin, some
of these fallen angels have been permanently imprisoned by God (cf. 2 Pet
2:4; Jude 6).
The moment Satan realized that all of his attempts to prevent the Messiah’s
birth were futile, he stood ready to destroy Christ physically when He was
born. He provoked Herod to seek “the young Child to destroy Him” (Matt
2:13). When this attempt failed, Satan then moved Herod to order the death
of all male children two years of age and under (cf. Matt 2:16). This assault
by Satan against Christ was also futile.
12:5. In spite of Satan’s relentless attacks the male Child (Christ) born of
Jewish descent will one day rule all nations with a rod of iron (cf. Ps 2:8-
9), a reference to the strict nature of Christ’s administration and kingdom.
At His ascension (cf. Acts 1:9) the Child born of the woman (Israel) was
caught up to God and His throne, to sit at His Father’s right hand until
His enemies will be made the footstool of His feet (cf. Heb 1:10). The
Messiah’s kingdom will come in spite of any and all attempts of the dragon
to prevent it.
12:6. The events of v 5 (Christ’s birth and ascension) took place some two
thousand years ago. The events of v 6 (Israel’s flight and provision) will
take place in the future, in the exact middle of the seven years of
Tribulation, immediately after the Man of Sin enters the rebuilt Jewish
temple and declares that he is God (cf. 2 Thess 2:3-4; cf. Matt 24:15-18,
21).
The believing remnant of Israel will need to get out of Judea and into the
wilderness as quickly as possible because Satan’s desire, once again, will
be to devour her. As she flees, he will move the Man of Sin to send his
armies after her to kill her (cf. 12:15). If Christ’s words are obeyed and the
believers move out into the mountains with haste, they will find that they
have a place prepared by God where they will be fed for one thousand
two hundred and sixty days—for the entire last half of the Tribulation.
God fed millions of Jews for forty years during their Exodus from Egypt,
and He will do so again in Israel’s darkest hour.
b. Satan (12:7-17)
12:7. Now John witnesses a monumental event. In his vision he sees a war
taking place in heaven before his very eyes. The archangel Michael, who
battled with Satan over the body of Moses (cf. Jude 9), now battles with
him again. He leads the angels of heaven in war against the dragon (Satan)
and his angels. Daniel 12:1a explains that “Michael shall stand up,” which
undoubtedly refers to the fact that the archangel is ready to act on behalf of
Israel (cf. Dan 10:21). This particular battle will occur just before the time
of Jacob’s trouble (the last half of the Tribulationcf. Dan 12:1b).
12:8-9. Satan and his armies did not prevail. As a result they are barred
from entering heaven ever again. For centuries Satan used this God-given
access to make relentless accusations against the people of God (cf. 12:10;
Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7), but near the middle of the Tribulation, this access to
God’s throne is terminated (see comments on Rev 12:7). The great dragon
whom God identifies as the Devil and Satan, the one who deceives the
whole world, is cast out of God’s presence to the earth along with his
angels. The days of his vile accusations before God are over. Now planet
earth becomes the sole focus of his destructive terror (cf. 12:17).
12:10-11. John now hears a loud voice in heaven lift up praises to God
because the casting down of Satan indicates that Christ’s kingdom is very
close to becoming a reality. As in 11:15 this praise anticipates the event as if
it had already occurred. The coming of Christ to establish His kingdom will
result in the salvation of Israel. In the Tribulation the 144,000 are the
firstfruits (cf. 14:4) of Christ’s saving work among the Jews, but at His
return “all Israel will be saved” (Rom 11:26, emphasis added). Nationally
as well as individually, their sins will be forgiven (cf. Isa 59:20-21; Rom
11:25-27). The kingdom will be ruled on the basis of the “power of…
Christ” and His commands.
Satan, “the accuser of our brethren,” is “cast down” to earth (see
comments on 12:8-9). This is a fulfillment of the prophetic words of Christ:
“I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven” (Luke 10:18). During the
Great Tribulation, Satan’s attacks on God’s people are formidable, but
“they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.” Satan lost access to
God’s throne, but God’s people had not (cf. Rom 5:1-2). They had victory
over Satan because they would not bow to the image of the Beast (cf.
13:15) but openly shared “the word of their testimony” even if it meant
persecution or death. These believers “did not love their lives to the
death.” Instead, they loved serving and exalting Christ more than their own
lives.
12:12. This verse contains the last part of the enthusiastic praise that began
in v 10. Satan has been cast down, believers have overcome him, and
Christ’s kingdom is very near. Therefore both the heavens and those “who
dwell in them” are to rejoice. But those living on planet earth must
prepare for woe, because “the devil” will be coming to them with “great
wrath,” knowing that he has only “a short time” (1,260 days) before he is
defeated and bound in the abyss (cf. 20:1-3).
12:13-14. Verse 13 picks up where v 9 left off. Because the dragon
(Satan; cf. v 9) is consigned to earth, one of his main objectives becomes to
pursue and destroy the woman (Israel). The two wings of a great eagle
pictures God’s powerful intervention on her behalf (cf. Exod 19:4; see also
comments on Rev 12:6). Many in the believing remnant of Israel will obey
their Messiah’s command in Matt 24:15-16 to get out of Judea quickly and,
as a result, find a place of total security. God will feed His people there for
a time, and times, and half a time (three-and-a-half years, or 1,260 days)
and supernaturally protect them from the serpent (Satan) who will attempt
to destroy them by means of the armies of the Man of Sin.
12:15-17. The serpent spewing water out of his mouth like a flood
envisions the armies of the Man of Sin. In the OT, overflowing waters and
floods are sometimes used as symbols of military attack (cf. Isa 8:7-8; Jer
47:2-3). Shortly after the Man of Sin sits in the temple, declaring himself to
be God (cf. 2 Thess 2:3-4), he will discover that his enemies (the believing
Jewish remnant) are escaping and will very likely send a flood of soldiers
after them. However, just as He did in the past on behalf of His people (cf.
Exod 15:12; Ps 106:17), God will miraculously open an enormous fissure in
the earth that will swallow the soldiers of the Man of Sin alive.
The Man of Sin’s failure to kill the believing Jews who have obediently
fled Judea (cf. Isa 26:20-21) causes Satan to become enraged.
Consequently he moves the Man of Sin to focus on the Jews that he does
have access to. The rest of her offspring refers to the 144,000 evangelists
(cf. Rev 7:1-8; 14:1-5). The 144,000 Jewish men who will fan out across
the earth during the Great Tribulation are not only believers in Christ (cf.
14:4), but godly followers who keep His commandments and share the
testimony of Jesus (the word Christ is not in the MT or CT) with all who
will listen (cf. 12:11). The OT clearly teaches that a remnant of Jewish
people will come to faith in Christ during the Tribulation (cf. Isa 1:9; 10:22-
23; Mic 2:12; 5:7-8; Zech 13:8-9). The 144,000 are part of this remnant,
which also includes those who will be saved at the return of Christ to earth
(cf. Zech 13:10–14:1; Rom 11:26-27).
2. The end-time agents of Satan (13:1-18)
The intense anger of Satan toward Israel (as seen in chap. 12) compels him
to raise up two men through whom he will seek its destruction in the last
half of Daniel’s Seventieth Week.
a. The Man of Sin (13:1-10)
13:1. The Apostle John has a new vantage point for his visions here: the
sand of the sea. In the Bible, this phrase is used in reference to the nation
of Israel (cf. Gen 22:17; 32:12; Isa 10:22; Rom 9:27). Standing on the
seashore, John sees a beast (thērion, lit., “wild beast”) coming up out of
the sea with seven heads and ten horns (see comments on 17:9-14). The
sea from which this wild animal emerges is a symbol of the Gentile nations
(cf. 17:15). Satan’s right-hand man who will rule the world for the three-
and-a-half years before Christ’s return will be a Gentile—specifically, an
Assyrian (cf. Mic 5:5-6; see comments on Rev 11:7). The blasphemous
name on the heads of the Beast indicates that he will speak insulting words
toward the God of the Jewish evangelists (cf. Dan 11:36), and even declare
himself to be God.
13:2. The Beast will come to worldwide power quickly (like a leopard)
and crush his opponents decisively, having feet like the feet of a bear (note
his military engagements as the Middle-Eastern “king of the North” prior to
his worldwide rule in Dan 11:40-43). With the mouth of a lion, he will
pour forth abusive words about God and His people (cf. Rev 12:2, 5-6).
Satan will give him power, a throne, and great authority. These will all be
directly from the hand of the dragon (i.e., Satan; cf. 13:4).
 13:3. As John stands on the seashore, he sees the Beast suffer what
appears to be a mortal wound. Both vv 3 and 12 speak of it as a “deadly
wound.” Though it is impossible to pinpoint the exact moment this will
occur, it seems that the Beast is killed. What causes the whole world to
marvel (ethaumasen, “to be utterly amazed”) and to follow the beast is his
miraculous recovery—his deadly wound is healed!
A strong case can be made that he actually dies and is raised from the
dead. In 5:6, Christ is described as a Lamb “as though it had been slain.”
Here in 13:3, the same basic phrase in the Greek is used (hosei
esphagmenēn) translated “as if it had been mortally wounded.” Again, this
same phrase is used in v 8 calling Christ the Lamb “slain from the
foundation of the world.”
In the matter of resurrection, the Greek word used in Rev 2:8 refers to
Christ’s resurrection from the dead (ezesen) and is used in v 14 where it
says that the Beast was “wounded by the sword and lived” (emphasis
added). So in both cases, there is strong evidence that the Beast does indeed
die and then come alive.
After over three years of absolute turmoil on earth, mankind will be easily
deceived by the miracles they see, and they will wholeheartedly follow the
Beast.
13:4. As he did with Christ, Satan will offer the Beast “all the kingdoms of
the world and their glory” if he will “fall down and worship” him (cf. Matt
4:8-9). And because the Beast does worship him (cf. Dan 11:37-39), Satan
bestows worldwide authority on him. Unsaved mankind will then worship
both the dragon and the beast and in total amazement will say, “Who is
like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” Never has the world
met a man his equal.
13:5-6. The Beast will receive profound oratorical abilities and will use
them against God and his followers. He was given a mouth speaking
great things and blasphemies. Satan will also give the Beast authority to
continue (MT: exousia polemon poiēsai, lit., “power to make war”) for
forty-two months. Deceived by Satan and convinced that earth’s problems
are due to God and His followers, the Beast will despise God’s people,
make war against them, and seek to destroy them (cf. 12:17; 13:7). He will
also pour out insulting words against God’s name, His tabernacle, as well
as those who dwell in heaven.
 13:7-8. The Beast will make war with the people of God and will
overcome them (i.e., kill them; cf. 13:15). Though they die by his hand,
they themselves will be overcomers (cf. Revelation 2–3), ruling and
reigning with Christ forever (cf. 20:4; 2 Tim 2:12).
The Beast’s rule will be worldwide: over every tribe, tongue, and nation.
His adoration as mankind’s god will also be worldwide: All who dwell on
the earth will worship him. The word all does not refer to every single
human being, but to all who will ultimately remain in unbelief, whose
names have not been written in the book of Life (cf. 20:15).
In calling Christ, the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the
Apostle John is emphasizing that Christ’s atoning death for man’s sin from
God’s perspective actually is timeless, occurring even before the world was
ever created.
13:9-10. God calls His creatures to listen carefully to what He is saying: If
anyone has an ear, let him hear. The Great Tribulation will be a time of
intense persecution and martyrdom for followers of the Lamb. It will be a
time when the Beast will lead many saints into captivity (i.e., prison). He
will kill multitudes of them with the sword (beheading will be his primary
method of execution; cf. 20:4). What believers are to cling to is the truth
that their persecutors will pay for the evil acts they commit (cf. 19:19-21;
Matt 26:52). As followers of Christ, if they are called to suffer
imprisonment or execution, their “weapons” are to be patience and an
unwavering faith in God.
b. The False Prophet (13:11-18)
13:11. The next beast John sees in his vision does not come out of the sea
as the first Beast did but out of the earth (gēs, “land”), possibly a reference
to the land of Israel (cf. 1:7). The first Beast is a Gentile (cf. 13:1), the
second—earth’s new religious leader—may be a Jew. And in light of the
endless Arab-Israeli problems the world has endured, this would be an
ingenious arrangement from the mind of Satan himself. The union of an
Arab and a Jew to lead the world into political, economic, and religious
harmony is the perfect answer to the world’s current dilemma.
When John says that the Beast out of the land possesses two horns like a
lamb, he is saying that outwardly he will appear very humble and gentle.
But his character will be far different. He will speak like a dragon. The
satanic doctrine he will zealously promote will be the deity of the first Beast
(cf. 13:12; Matt 7:15). Thus it is appropriate that God calls him “the false
prophet” three times in Revelation (cf. 16:13; 19:20; 20:10). The first Beast,
the Man of Sin, will exalt himself, not only as a political leader, but also as
God. Therefore he will need and want a religious man to promote him
before the world. In light of satanic deception believers must always test
what teachers say against the Word of God, no matter how holy and godlike
they may appear (cf. Matt 7:15-20; 1 Thess 5:21; 1 John 4:1).
Most commentators and pastors generally refer to the first Beast as “the
Antichrist,” but this is unlikely. The Apostle John is the only NT writer to
use this title in his writings, and he does so in the context of false prophets
(cf. 1 John 2:18-19; 4:1-3). It is highly probable that it was the end-times
religious leader (the False Prophet) whom John was referring to when he
coined the title “Antichrist.” Nowhere does Paul or any other NT writer call
the first Beast by this title.
13:12. The False Prophet will have worldwide authority and influence
like the first beast. Because the authority that is bestowed on him is so
great, he will command the entire earth, that is, those who dwell in it, to
worship the Man of Sin. He will erect a statue (cf. 13:14b) to honor the
Man of Sin as the one who rose from the dead, whose deadly wound was
healed (see comments on v 3).
13:13-15. The False Prophet will portray the Man of Sin as mankind’s
Messiah and will bolster his claims by performing great signs (sēmeia
megala, lit., “astounding miracles”). Among other things, he will be able to
make fire come down from the sky to the earth…in the sight of men.
Unsaved people will be deceived by the powerful miracles the False
Prophet will perform. But many of God’s covenant people (the Jews) will
be deceived as well (cf. Zech 13:8). In a reading that divides the MT, many
manuscripts include a phrase (tous ēmous) that, when translated, reads,
“And he deceives My own people who dwell on the earth.”
The False Prophet will also perform astonishing miracles in the sight of
(i.e., by the authority of, on behalf of) the beast. Those who are deceived
by these miracles will be told to construct an image, or statue, to honor the
beast who was wounded by the sword and lived (see comments on v 3).
This statue bearing the likeness of the Man of Sin will be no ordinary
statue. Through Satan’s power, the False Prophet will give breath
(pneuma, “spirit”) to it, that is, it will come to life. This is likely by demon
possession, not of a person, but of an inanimate object. It will possess the
ability to speak, but its main purpose will be to kill all who refuse to
worship it.
13:16-18. Another way the False Prophet will deceive and coerce mankind
to identify themselves with the Man of Sin is to require all, whether small
or great, rich or poor, free or slave, to receive a mark on their right
hand or on their foreheads. Without this mark of ultimate loyalty to the
Man of Sin, no one may buy or sell. Many take the mark for pragmatic
reasons, but doing so has eternally damning consequences (cf. 14:9-11).
That is, God will allow only unbelievers to take the mark, and those who do
will then be hardened in their unbelief. Though they continue to live for a
time, their fate is sealed because their continued unbelief is sure. The mark
of the Beast (as it is often called) will consist of the name of the beast, or
the number of his name.
Once the economic system based on this mark is instituted, believers will
find themselves enemies of society and shut out from the world’s economy.
What they will need is the wisdom offered to them by God. Those who are
wise and understanding will calculate the number of the beast. In other
words in spite of the tremendous but temporary advantages enjoyed by
those who take the mark of the Beast, the discerning believer in that day
will recognize the Man of Sin and his mark for what it is. It is the number
of a man and not God. Though it is somewhat of a mystery now, perceptive
followers of Christ in that day will clearly understand the connection
between the Beast’s number, 666, and the Beast himself (possibly through
the teachings formerly given by the two witnesses). They will understand
this connection and will avoid the Beast and his mark (see comments on
14:12).
3. The end-time agents of God (14:1-20)
In chapter 13 John received information about the end-time agents of
Satan during the Great Tribulation. Now the apostle receives a glimpse of
the end-time agents of God from this same period, the 144,000 evangelists
(14:1-5). God also reveals His sovereign right as Creator to judge mankind
in both time and eternity (14:6-20). Chapter 14 explains what ultimately
happens to those who refuse the mark of the Beast (vv 1-5) and to those
who do not (vv 6-20).
14:1. In contrast to his vision of the triumph of the two wild beasts in
chapter 13, John now sees a Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. John 1:29),
standing in triumph on Mount Zion with the one hundred and forty-four
thousand evangelists who faithfully carried His word across the world for
three-and-a-half years as the Beast reigned supreme (cf. Matt 24:14; Rev
7:1-8). Mount Zion is earthly Jerusalem, the location of the mountain from
which Christ will reign (cf. Isa 2:3; 24:23; Mic 4:1, 7). Because they
refused the mark of the Beast and followed the Lamb, the 144,000 will wear
both the name of the Lamb (cf. 3:12; 22:4) and His Father’s name on their
foreheads (see comments on 3:12), and will rule with Christ from Mount
Zion in His eternal kingdom (cf. Rom 8:17-18; Rev 2:26-27; 3:21).
14:2-3. John hears a voice (phōnēn, lit., “sound”) from heaven which he
compared to the sound of many waters and loud thunder. He also hears
harpists playing their harps. The voice and the harps represent the singing
and music of the heavenly multitude (cf. 19:6). They are singing a new
song before God’s throne, the living creatures (cf. 4:6-9), and the elders
(cf. 4:4). A new song in the OT was a song of thanks to God for a blessing
that caused a person’s heart to leap for joy anew and afresh (cf. Ps 40:1-3;
144:9-10). No one could learn this heavenly song except the 144,000
evangelists. The meaning of the song was reserved for the ears of these
faithful men alone who were redeemed from the earth (cf. 14:4; 1 Cor
6:20; Rev 5:9).
Since the emphasis here is not on the contents of the song but on the fact
that only the 144,000 could learn it, this could very well be a special reward
for their dedication to God like the reward of the “new name” in 2:17 that is
known only to Christ and the victorious one receiving it. Because these
faithful witnesses will have an utterly unique experience in their service to
Christ on earth, it is fitting that they enjoy a unique experience with Christ
in eternity.
14:4. Verses 4 and 5 illustrate the victorious stand these men will take for
Christ during the darkest days ever seen on earth. They were not defiled
with women, for they are virgins. This could mean that they were
unmarried and had never committed sexual immorality (cf. 1 Cor 7:26). But
more likely this refers to their spiritual purity. They have no friendship with
the world system headed by the Man of Sin, but instead they keep
themselves pure for God. Believers who embrace the evil philosophies of
the society around them become teammates with the enemies of God (cf.
Jas 4:4; 1 John 2:15-16).
Their victory is also seen in that they follow the Lamb wherever He goes.
Following Christ involves taking up the cross (cf. Matt 16:24) and suffering
for His sake. Because they understand the tremendous price their Savior
paid for them, they are willing, “not only to believe in Him, but also to
suffer for His sake” (Phil 1:29). Being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb
refers to the fact that these 144,000 men were the first converts of the two
witnesses of Revelation 11. They were undoubtedly saved and sealed (cf.
7:3-4) very early in the first half of the Tribulation, were discipled through
the teaching of the two witnesses, and then fled Judea at the midpoint of the
Tribulation (cf. Matt 24:15-18) to begin their worldwide ministry.
14:5. In contrast to the innumerable lies that come out of the mouths of the
Man of Sin and the False Prophet, there is found no deceit in the mouths of
the 144,000. Like their mentors (the two witnesses), they will accurately
and unashamedly share the truths of the Word of God. And because of this,
they are without fault before the throne of God. Being without fault is
not sinlessness but a lifestyle of steadfast obedience to God (cf. Col 1:22-
23). As these rely on God’s grace, they obey His will, and avoid stumbling
into sin (Titus 2:11-13; Jude 24).
14:6-7. In vv 6-11 three angels are sent to earth, each with a specific
message. These angels are seen flying in the midst of heaven meaning “in
the sky above earth” (see comments on 8:13). The first angel has the
everlasting gospel to preach to the inhabitants of earth (the “everlasting”
gospel stands in contrast to the “new” [and false] religion of the Beast and
False Prophet just described in chapter 13). In the Tribulation, mankind will
be deceived by the Beast and the False Prophet who will blaspheme the
God of the two witnesses as a vengeful, evil deity that is out to destroy
earth’s environment and inhabitants. The angelic message will counteract
these deceptive lies.
Thus the message of God’s righteousness and judgment is being set in a
context that is suitable for the hearers (every nation, tribe, tongue, and
people) to relate to (see comments on 19:10). This gospel is not the offer of
everlasting life to those who believe in Jesus Christ, but instead is the
explanation of what is happening on earth, and what people should do about
it. Nevertheless if those living during the Tribulation understand the reason
behind the judgments they are witnessing, they might be more inclined to
believe in Jesus Christ for everlasting life.
So the message this first angel proclaims is that disaster and death has
come on the world because “the hour of God’s judgment has come.” The
proper response to such a truth is that people should “fear God and give
glory to Him.” They should stand in awe and acknowledge His hand in
these devastating events and His right as God to act in this manner. Also
they should worship God for who He is, the Creator “who made heaven
and earth, the sea and springs of water.” When people refuse God’s
authority and set themselves up as God, He has the right to judge them.
14:8. Another angel pronounces God’s judgment upon Babylon (i.e., the
city of Rome; see comments on 17:1). This judgment is because of the
extreme sinfulness of the city, in that “she has made all nations drink of
the wine of the wrath of her fornication” (see comments on 17:2; 18:3).
For centuries Rome has been a center of false religion, obsessed with
persecuting those who hold the truth (cf. 18:24). Consequently in that future
day God will call her into account.
14:9-11. The third angelic warning to earth’s inhabitants is directed to
unsaved people who have not yet worshipped “the beast and his image”
(cf. 13:14-15) or received “his mark.” They are warned that reception of
this mark will bring God’s judgment of them in both time and eternity. In
their present life they will endure “the wrath of God” in “full strength.”
This alludes to the bowl judgments that will be unleashed on devotees of
the Beast shortly before the return of Christ to earth (cf. 15:7; 16:1-2).
Their judgment by God will also endure throughout eternity. They “shall
be tormented with fire and brimstone…forever and ever” and will
“have no rest day or night.” Day or night is a merism, which is a figure of
speech that uses a pair of opposites to indicate totality. Here it is referring to
eternity. Regardless of what people say, in God’s Word, hell (i.e., the lake of
fire) is presented as being an eternal reality (cf. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8)
as well as a place of considerable suffering. However, according to Christ,
the suffering will be tolerable (cf. Matt 10:15; 11:22-24), which accords
with the character of God in Scripture.
 In connection with the suffering of those who are eternally condemned,
Rev 14:10 says they “shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the
presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.” This
phrase is best understood as “in view, or in the sight of.” Christ and His
angels will see the suffering of those who rejected Him.
14:12. At this time in the Great Tribulation, when the vast majority of
humanity will be declaring their allegiance to the Beast by wearing his
mark, there will be an incredible need for patience (hupomonē; lit.,
“endurance”) in the lives of believers. This endurance will be manifested in
obedience to “the commandments of God” and in keeping “the faith of
Jesus.” The faith refers to the teachings of the NT canon (cf. Jude 3). God
will give believers in that day special grace to endure and to refuse the mark
of the Beast (cf. 1 Cor 10:13). Should a believer somehow fail to take
advantage of God’s grace in this matter, God may remove him from the
temptation or even take his life. But no believer will succumb to
worshipping the Beast and receiving his mark! Only the lost destined for the
lake of fire will yield to this deception.
14:13. Many believers who refuse the mark of the Beast will pay for it
with their lives (cf. 20:4). So John is told to “write: ‘Blessed are the dead
who die in the Lord.’” Believers who take their stand against the Beast,
and die as a result, are assured that they will be blessed throughout eternity
for this (“from now on”). This pronouncement of honor from heaven finds
the full agreement of the third member of the Godhead as well: “Yes,” says
the Spirit. The Spirit of God describes their eternal reward by promising
them that they will “rest from their labors, and their works follow them”
(cf. 6:11). Their works follow them in the sense that, unlike material
possessions, the good works they have done for others will go with them
into God’s presence and result in eternal reward. The Lord repays His
children for their good deeds (cf. Matt 10:42; Mark 9:41).
14:14. Verses 14-20 compare God’s judgment and wrath against mankind
in the second half of the Tribulation period to a grain harvest (i.e., the bowl
judgments; 16:1-21) and a grape harvest (i.e., Armageddon in 19:11-21).
The grape harvest clearly refers to Armageddon because it takes place
“outside the city” (14:20) and 19:15 compares this battle to the treading of
grapes in a “winepress.” Since the grain harvest is mentioned first in vv 14-
20 and precedes the grape harvest, it pictures the bowl judgments.
 John sees One like the Son of Man seated on a white cloud, having on
His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. Though many
take this to be Christ based on 1:13, it is more likely an angel who
represents the Son of Man (Christ) since the angel will be His agent in this
judgment. Also v 15 speaks of “another angel” and the only natural
reference for “another” is the previous figure found here in v 14. The white
cloud on which the angel sits pictures the heavenly purity of this judgment.
This judgment is completely just because the field is ripe for judgment (see
comments on vv 15-16). The golden crown indicates that this angel cannot
help but succeed in his efforts on Christ’s behalf. The sickle in the angel’s
hand is an implement of judgment, specifically the bowl judgments.
14:15-16. A second angel now calls out to the first angel to “thrust in
Your sickle and reap, for the time has come for You to reap, for the
harvest of the earth is ripe.” Grain harvest in Biblical times involved a
large field reaped from end to end. Symbolicly the field is the entire earth
on which the bowl judgments will fall. Because the sickle is sharp (v 14),
these judgments will be swift and devastating. Like grain being cut down by
the harvester, the enemies of Christ will be cut off from the earth (the earth
was reaped).
When grain became ripe, a farmer knew it was time to cut it down. The
bowl judgments will be poured out during the last three-and-a-half years of
the Tribulation. This grain harvest will then culminate with Christ
personally destroying His enemies at the Battle of Armageddon (cf. 19:11-
21), which is clearly pictured in the grape harvest that follows in 14:17-20.
14:17-18. After seeing the second angel, John sees yet another angel
come out of the temple which is in heaven with a sharp sickle like the
first angel of v 14. Like the previous angel, this one represents the Lord
Jesus Christ. Then John hears another (i.e., fourth) angel who is in charge
of the altar of incense and its fire (see comments on 8:3-5), loudly
command the angel holding the sickle: “Thrust in your sharp sickle and
gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully
ripe” (ēkmasen; lit., “in their prime”). The earth is pictured as a grape
vineyard with many clusters of grapes. These clusters represent the different
armies across the face of the earth that will war against Christ at
Armageddon. However, these armies need to be “severed” from their
various locations around the earth and be “gathered” to Jerusalem (cf. Zech
12:3; 14:2). This gathering will be brought to pass after the deception of the
kings of the earth has occurred (see comments on 16:12-16). In His
sovereign wisdom, God uses the sinful schemes of men (and ultimately
Satan) to fulfill His purposes.
14:19-20. The judgment pictured by the grape harvest is more localized
than the grain harvest of 14:14-16 in that it specifically targets the vine of
the earth (i.e., the Beast and his massive army) surrounding the city of
Jerusalem. This judgment is directed against them, and they will endure the
unmitigated wrath of God Almighty. The wrath of God in the Bible is
always a reference to God’s temporal judgment against the sinfulness of
man. The pouring out of His wrath against the Beast and the innumerable
army is pictured as grapes being trampled in a winepress (cf. Rev 19:15;
Isa 63:1-6).
The massacre of Christ’s enemies at this battle will be so great that their
blood will flow for two hundred miles (1,600 furlongs) at a depth of about
four to five feet (up to the horses’ bridles). The Beast undoubtedly
promised his followers great things, but in the end they received only the
terrifying bowl judgments and a horrifying death experience from the hand
of God (cf. Zech 14:12).
B. Events of the Great Tribulation (15:1–16:21)
The subject matter of chaps. 12–14 involves the key players of the Great
Tribulation—the final three-and-a-half years prior to the return of Christ to
earth. Chapters 15–16 cover some of the actual events that will transpire in
that period, namely, the bowl judgments. These judgments are exceedingly
severe and in them the “the wrath of God” is brought to completion (cf.
15:1, 8).
1. Introduction of the bowl judgments (15:1–16:1)
Before the bowls of God’s wrath are poured out on earth, God gives John a
vision of His throne, which reveals that God is just and right in all He does.
Even His most severe judgments are righteous and true (cf. 16:5-7).
15:1. The words then I saw another sign in heaven are a structural
marker in the book revealing a new section (cf. 12:1).
This sign is great and marvelous because of its intensity. The seven last
plagues commonly called “the bowl judgments” are unlike anything ever
seen or experienced by mankind. The word plagues (plēgas) does not refer
literally to epidemics of diseases, but to sudden outbreaks of extreme
distress. Mankind will be nearly wiped out and people will become
more rare than fine gold (cf. Isa 13:12).
15:2. This is the first of two distinct scenes introduced in Rev 15:1. The
first scene (vv 2-4) involves God’s throne. The second (vv 5-8) involves the
manifestation of His glory as the seven angels prepare to unleash the bowls
of His wrath on mankind.
The transparent sea of glass surrounding God’s throne is that same picture
encountered in 4:6 and symbolizes the holiness of the decrees issuing from
the throne. This crystal sea is now mingled with fire and indicates that
God’s passionate anger manifested in the bowl judgments is about to
commence.
Standing on the sea of glass are those believers who were martyred in the
final three-and-a-half years for their faith in Christ. They have the victory
(nikōntas; cf. the overcomers in chaps. 2–3) over the beast and everything
connected with him: his image…his mark…the number of his name (see
comments on chap. 13).
Being closely situated to God’s throne, these victorious believers possess
harps of God to accompany the abundant praise they offer to Him because
He has chosen to both manifest and complete His judgments (cf. vv 1, 4).
15:3-4. The tribulation martyrs sing the song of Moses as well as the song
of the Lamb. The songs they sing extol the power and wonder of God in
the judgment of His enemies (and theirs). They praise Him because His
retribution is a “great and marvelous” work. He is perfectly “just and
true” in punishing those who hate Him because He has given them ample
light and witness of Himself (cf. John 1:9, 3:19; Rom 1:20). Though not all
believe in Him, all will one day fear Him (i.e., stand in awe) and “glorify
His name” (cf. Phil 2:9-11). In the aftermath of His judgments they will
finally conclude that He “alone is holy.” This may take place during or
after the Great White Throne judgment (cf. Rev 20:11-15).
During Christ’s one-thousand-year reign on earth after the Battle of
Armageddon, “all nations shall come and worship before” Him (cf. Ps
86:9; Zech 14:16) because He has dealt conclusively with the worldwide
rebellion of man through the manifestation of His judgments.
 15:5. In vv 2-4, the throne of God was central. In this new scene (After
these things) in vv 5-8, the heavenly temple and God’s glory and power are
in view as the seven angels are equipped to do God’s bidding.
The heavenly temple is called the tabernacle of the testimony (cf. Exod
38:21). In the OT the Law was often called the Testimony (e.g., Exod 25:16-
22) and was stored in the ark of the covenant in the room called the Holy of
Holies (i.e., the Holiest of All; cf. Heb 9:2-4). Mankind has rejected God’s
law (cf. Luke 19:14, 27) and thus His judgments will proceed from the very
place His Law is housed.
15:6. The attire of the seven angels closely resembles that worn by Christ
in 1:13. As agents of God’s wrath their apparel represents the work they do.
Their clothing is pure and bright because God is perfectly holy and right in
these final judgments which will purify the earth of rebellious mankind. The
golden bands that gird their garments reflect God’s majesty and glory (this
is true of the “golden bowls” in 15:7 as well).
15:7. As in 4:6-9 the four living creatures are angelic beings who offer
incessant worship to God and assist Him in the outpouring of His wrath.
While the Mosaic Law was given to mankind from God through angelic
messengers (cf. Acts 7:53; Gal 3:19 where the “mediator” is Moses), now
God’s judgments for lawbreakers are poured out on mankind through
angelic messengers. One of the four living creatures gives each of the seven
angels a golden [bowl] full of the wrath of God (see comments on
“wrath” in Rev 14:19-20). The fact that God is referred to as One who lives
forever and ever intensifies the seriousness of the bowl judgments. These
judgments are from the one true God who has no beginning or end (cf.
10:6).
15:8. The temple is filled with smoke because the bowl judgments
represent the wrath of God burning hotly against mankind. When the Lord
descended on Mount Sinai at the giving of the Law (cf. Exod 19:18), it was
“completely in smoke.” The smoke in the heavenly temple is from the
glory of God and His power. Because God is present, His glory and power
are completely evident. And just as God desired to be alone when His wrath
burned hot against the nation of Israel (Exod 32:10), during the outpouring
of the bowl judgments no one will be able to enter the temple till the
seven plagues of the seven angels are completed. This is His work and His
work alone.
 16:1. The loud voice John hears emanating from the heavenly temple is
undoubtedly that of God Himself commanding the seven angels to “Go
and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.” The word
translated as loud (megalēs) is often translated as great elsewhere in this
chapter. Men are scorched with great heat (16:9), are shaken with a great
earthquake (twice in 16:18), and are struck with great hail from the sky
(16:21). This repeated emphasis indicates the extraordinary intensity of “the
wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His
indignation” (14:10; emphasis added). Christ used this same word when He
prophesied regarding this unprecedented future era, “For then there will be
great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until
this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matt 24:21; emphasis added).
2. The bowl judgments (16:2-21)
In Isaiah 13:11 God promised, “I will punish the world for its evil, And the
wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud.” The bowl
judgments are an integral part of this punishment and set the stage for the
return of Christ to earth. In these judgments “the wrath of God is complete”
(Rev 15:1).
a. The first bowl: painful sores (16:2)
16:2. Even though the exact time when the bowl judgments will begin is
not known, they will probably begin soon after the Man of Sin desecrates
the temple (cf. Matt 24:15) and institutes his religious system. The first
plague, a foul (dangerous) and loathsome (painful) sore, will be inflicted
on those who had the mark of the beast and those who worshipped his
image (cf. 13:11-18). This judgment may be progressive, starting with a
few cases of infection and then multiplying over time.
b. The second bowl: oceans bloodied (16:3)
16:3. The second bowl judgment turns all the oceans on earth into
unimaginably horrible reservoirs of blood like the blood of a dead man.
The blood of a dead man is coagulatedthickened into a coherent mass. As
a result, every living creature in the sea dies.
c. The third bowl: rivers bloodied (16:4-7)
 16:4. The third bowl judgment affects all the earth’s sources of drinking
water: the rivers and springs of water...became blood. In the earlier
judgments on the waters during the first three-and-a-half years (cf. 8:8-11),
only one third of the waters were affected. Now (several years later),
because of the heightened degree of mankind’s sin and impenitence (see
comments on 18:5), all of the earth’s waters are rendered useless to man.
The increase in the severity of the judgments is similar to what happened to
Pharaoh because of the continual hardening
of his heart against God (cf. Exodus 7–12).
16:5-7. These verses are parenthetical. While some may imagine that such
judgments are harsh, in actuality they are perfectly just. The angel in charge
of supervising the waters of the earth (cf. other angelic duties in 9:11 and
14:18) looks at what God has done and declares, “You are righteous [i.e.,
just], O Lord…Because you have judged these things.” While sinful men
blaspheme the works of God (cf. 16:9, 11, 21), the angels stand in awe of
His mighty deeds.
God is righteous in bringing such terrible plagues on mankind because
“they have shed the blood of saints and prophets.” The Man of Sin and
his allies had no hesitancy in beheading the followers of Christ and spilling
their blood (cf. 20:4). Now they reap what they have sown: “You have
given them blood to drink. For it is their just due.” The first angel’s
pronouncement is echoed in the environs of heaven: “true and righteous
are Your judgments.” God is absolutely and perfectly just in all He does.
d. The fourth bowl: people burned (16:8-9)
16:8-9. In the fourth bowl judgment the heat of the sun becomes a tool in
the hand of God to scorch the followers of the Beast with fire. Translated
literally, the beginning of v 9 reads: “And they were very severely burned.”
More than simply an oppressive heat wave that weakens and withers
people, this judgment will involve the blistering and charring of human
flesh by the sun. Those afflicted by this judgment blasphemed the name of
God who has power over these plagues. They refuse to repent (see
comments on 2:5 and 9:19-20) and give Him glory. Because of the extreme
sinfulness of their hearts (cf. Rom 1:21), the devotees of the Beast continue
in their sinful ways and in their blasphemy, knowing perfectly well that the
God they blaspheme has the power to rescind the plagues that beset them.
 e. The fifth bowl: painful darkness (16:10-11)
16:10-11. The target of the fifth bowl judgment is the throne of the beast
and his kingdom. His kingdom is most likely a reference to the country he
will rule as “king of the North” when he conquers Egypt, Libya, and
Ethiopia (Dan 11:40-45) along with the countries of the three kings he
subdues (cf. Dan 7:8, 20, 24). The throne of the beast is probably a
reference to his capital city. When this judgment falls, both his throne and
kingdom become full of darkness. The plague of darkness which falls in
the Great Tribulation is similar to the darkness that covered Egypt in the
time of Moses (cf. Exod 10:21-23) in that it includes some kind of unnamed
painful affliction that is so intense that it causes people to gnaw their
tongues because of the pain. Rather than blaming themselves for these
afflictions, the followers of the Beast choose to blaspheme God for their
pains and their sores (cf. 16:2). In addition, they choose to continue in the
sinful activities that cause them to be afflicted with these physically painful
plagues—they do not repent of their deeds (see comments on 2:5 and
9:19-20).
f. The sixth bowl: Euphrates dried up (16:12-14)
16:12. In the third bowl judgment the rivers and springs of water were
turned into blood (cf. 16:4). Apparently this plague is temporary in duration
since a reference is now made to the “water” of the Euphrates River. When
the sixth bowl judgment is poured out…on the great river Euphrates and
its water is dried up, a line of attack will emerge for the Man of Sin. God
will make this river passable so that the way of the kings from the east
might be prepared. It is very likely that the coagulation of the ocean
waters (see comments on vv 3-4) will make the transport of foreign troops
into the Middle East impossible by sea. When the Man of Sin sees that this
1,780 mile long river (stretching from the mountains of Turkey to the
environs of the Persian Gulf) is now dry ground, he will set out to secure
the military might of the countries to the east of the Euphrates (e.g., India,
China, Japan, etc.) to join him in annihilating the God of these agonizing
plagues. The transport of troops by land is now a possibility.
16:13-14. John sees three unclean spirits (or demons, v 14) that looked
like frogs coming out of the mouth of the dragon (i.e., Satan), the mouth
of the beast (i.e., the Man of Sin), and the mouth of the false prophet
(i.e., the beast out of the land; cf. 13:11-18). The satanic trinity pictured
here engages in a monumental demonic deception through the use of signs,
in order to seduce not only the kings of the east but also the kings of the
earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great
day of God Almighty, that is, the Battle of Armageddon (cf. 16:16; 19:19;
Ps 2:1-3). These miracle-working demons will convince the political leaders
of earth that by joining forces with the Man of Sin, victory over the “evil
spiritual entity” behind these devastatingly painful plagues can be realized.
These leaders will be reminded that the Man of Sin was victorious over His
two witnesses who plagued the earth and that with their assistance victory
over God Himself is within reach.
g. Parenthesis: admonition to watchfulness (16:15-16)
16:15. In this verse the Lord Jesus Christ warns believers to be faithful to
Him till the end (cf. 2:10, 26; Matt 24:13). Jesus reminds them, “I am
coming as a thief,” that is, suddenly and unexpectedly (cf. Matt 24:42-44).
The believer who will truly be Blessed at the coming of Christ and before
His judgment seat (cf. 2 Cor 5:9-10) is the one “who watches (is on the
alert) and keeps (guards) his garments” (continues in godliness). If a
believer is backslidden at the return of Jesus, it will be very embarrassing,
like standing in His presence naked. Others will see his shame
(aschēmosunēn), a euphemism for a person’s private parts (cf. Isa 47:3; Rev
3:18). The Lord wants His children to be ready for His return by holding
tight to their robes of holiness no matter how difficult the circumstances
may be. The only alternative is to be ashamed at His coming (1 John 2:28).
16:16. The demons in Rev 16:13-14 (v 15 is parenthetical) gathered the
armies of the earth opposed to Christ to the place called in Hebrew,
Armageddon (Magedōn; or Megiddo). Megiddo, about forty miles
northwest of Jerusalem and the site of many OT battles, will be the meeting
point as troops gather from all over the world.
h. The seventh bowl: earthquake and hailstorm (16:17-21)
16:17. When the seventh angel pours his bowl of judgment into the air, a
loud voice from heaven (most likely the voice of God Himself) declares,
“It is done!” The moment in history has arrived for “the Judge of all the
earth” (Gen 18:25) to finish the outpouring of His wrath on mankind (cf.
Rev 10:7; 15:1) and initiate the final stage of His return to earth.
16:18. The noises and thunderings and lightnings are reminiscent of
God manifesting His power and presence at Mount Sinai (Exod 19:16-19;
Ps 68:8). Sinai was the only mountain that “quaked greatly” (Exod 19:18),
but John witnesses the greatest earthquake in the history of man. Such a
mighty and great earthquake as had not occurred since men were on
the earth (see comments of 6:12-17).
16:19-20. The effects of this unprecedented earthquake are not confined to
one location. Apparently the entire earth is shaken in preparation for
Christ’s arrival and the establishment of His kingdom. Jerusalem, the great
city (cf. 11:8), will be divided into three parts.
Another outcome of this earthquake is the decimation of the cities of the
nations. In this colossal display of God’s wrath against sinful mankind, the
cities that men have built will be reduced to piles of rubble. Rome,
however, will be spared (see comments on 17:16). In light of the sequence
of the sixth and seventh bowls, it is clear that at the time of this earthquake,
the assemblage of the armies of the earth is already underway. With
deceitful words (cf. 2 Thess 2:9-10), the Man of Sin may represent the
earthquake as a counterattack of God, designed to prevent the arrival of the
armies in Megiddo.
An additional judgment that God will pour out before Christ’s arrival to
earth will be the destruction of great Babylon (that is, Rome; see
comments on Rev 17:1). God will reflect on all of the sinful deeds Rome
has committed against His people and the nations of the earth, and will
decide that the time has come to give her the cup of the wine of the
fierceness of His wrath (cf. 18:20, 24; 19:2). Rome will become the focus
of intense hatred and be completely obliterated by the ten kings and the
Beast (cf. 17:16).
An especially devastating disaster associated with the seventh bowl
involves the topography of the entire earth. A supernatural shifting of the
earth’s tectonic plates will cause a vast reorganization of the earth’s
topography. Every island will flee away, and the mountains will not be
found where they once were.
16:21. The seventh bowl judgment—the final expression of God’s wrath in
the threefold series of the seals, trumpets, and bowls—involves not only the
most severe earthquake in man’s history but also the most severe hailstorm
as well. Each hailstone will be about the weight of a talent, that is, about
one hundred pounds. Nevertheless men blasphemed God because of the
plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great.
The wrath of God intrinsic to the seals, trumpets, and bowls is now
complete (cf. 15:1) and Christ’s arrival to earth (cf. Zech 14:4) is now
extremely imminent.
VI. Climax: The Two Cities (17:1–22:5)
In this section is the grand finale of the Book of Revelation. What has been
anticipated—the kingdoms of this world becoming the kingdoms of Christ
(11:15)—now becomes a reality. Christ subjugates His enemies, obliterates
the rule of man, and initiates His everlasting kingdom!
Throughout this section two cities are contrasted, both pictured as women.
The first is evil and temporary: the city of Rome—“the great harlot” (17:1).
The second is holy and eternal: the New Jerusalem—“the bride, the Lamb’s
wife” (21:9). To the original readers of Revelation, seeing the future
judgment of the corrupt city that ruled over them as well as the glory of the
city they would one day personally experience would be highly inspiring
and help them to stand for God in the midst of very difficult circumstances.
A. The harlot—the city of Rome (17:1-21:8)
1. The description of the harlot (17:1-18)
a. The woman’s wicked splendor (17:1-6)
17:1. John is invited by one of the seven angels who executed the bowl
judgments to come and see, in much greater detail, “the judgment of the
great harlot” that was alluded to in 16:19 (“Babylon” being another name
for Rome). The empire that ruled the earth as John penned the Revelation
was the Roman Empire and the great harlot symbolizes the capital city of
that empire, Rome. In v 18 the woman is “that great city which reigns
[present tense] over the kings of the earth,” that is, the city that ruled the
world as John wrote. Some commentators say the woman symbolizes the
ancient Akkadian city of Babylon in Mesopotamia. But this strays from the
clear interpretation given by the angel in v 18.
The great harlot also “sits on many waters.” Once again, the angel gives
a clear interpretation of this in v 15: “The waters which you saw, where the
harlot sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues.” Rome’s evil and
decadent influence throughout history has impacted the entire world, but
this will be especially true in the Tribulation (cf. 17:16; 18:11-19). Rome is
like Hollywood in that even though Hollywood is known as a district
located in the Los Angeles area, it is also known as a lifestyle that
influences and impacts the entire world. Rome is the quintessential city of
unregenerate man—“earthly, sensual, demonic” (Jas 3:15; cf. 18:2).
17:2. Because of her wealth and beauty (cf. v 4), the harlot had no problem
in seducing “the kings of the earth” to commit fornication with her.
Rome could easily persuade foreign dignitaries to make alliances with her
that would financially benefit both parties (e.g., “the kings of the earth…
lived luxuriously with her,” 18:9; emphasis added). From God’s point of
view the true result of these alliances was disastrous: “the inhabitants of
the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.” Once the
leaders of foreign countries were “seduced” by Rome, the people of those
countries eventually became “intoxicated” by the sensual, materialistic, and
idolatrous lifestyle Rome promoted. Consequently they inherited not only
the decadence of Rome but her pagan and unbiblical religious views as
well. One of the main reasons God will cause Rome to be obliterated by the
ten kings near the end of the Tribulation is that she had relentlessly
“corrupted the earth” (19:2) in so many ways.
17:3. In his wilderness vision John saw the woman sitting on a scarlet
beast that had names of blasphemy written all over it (see comments on
13:1, 5, 6). In vv 7-14, the interpreting angel reveals that this “beast” is
none other than the Man of Sin who will one day rule the earth and seek to
“make war with the Lamb” at the final stage of His return (cf. 17:14). The
fact that the woman is sitting on the beast (cf. 17:7—“the beast that carries
her”; emphasis added) suggests that Rome’s success in the Tribulation is in
direct proportion to the prosperity of the Man of Sin. Of course this
prosperity will be short-lived (“forty-two months”—13:5; cf. Dan 11:36).
The beast has seven heads and ten horns (see comments on Rev 17:9-14).
17:4. Purple and scarlet…gold and precious stones and pearls paint a
picture of the harlot’s beauty and incredible wealth (cf. 18:16-17, 19). In her
hand is a golden cup—also outwardly beautiful—but inwardly full of
abominations and the filthiness of her fornication (cf. Luke 16:15). In
the OT abominations were sinful objects and practices that God hated—
things such as carved images of pagan gods (Deut 7:25-26), idol worship
(Deut 17:2-5), witchcraft (Deut 18:9-12), and sexual sin and perversion
(Lev 18).
17:5. Now John sees that on the harlot’s forehead a name was written. In
antiquity, a harlot whose forehead was inscribed was considered the lowest
of prostitutes, a tattooed slave. This harlot’s name is extensive and
mysterious: BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. She is not literal
Babylon, but mystery Babylon. This is obviously a cryptogram (or code
name) for Rome. Rome is not only a harlot herself (sinful and ungodly), but
the mother of harlots who births them repeatedly. Thus cities and peoples
all over the world follow in the footsteps of Rome’s depravity and
abominable practices: “for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived”
(18:23).
17:6. Of all of the godless practices in Rome’s “golden cup,” the most
despicable would be the murder of God’s people. John saw the woman,
drunk with the blood of the saints and with the blood of the martyrs of
Jesus (cf. 18:20, 24; 19:2). The fact that she is drunk implies that murdering
believers is something the woman is addicted to and in which she finds
immense pleasure. Jesus, the Apostle Paul, and countless others were
violently executed at the hand of the Roman authorities. Seeing this
drunken harlot, John is utterly amazed: I marveled (ethaumasa) with great
amazement.
b. The woman’s wretched doom (17:7-18)
17:7. John is so bewildered at what he has just seen that the angel says to
him: “I will tell you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that
carries her.” In other words he will be given a divine interpretation of his
astounding vision.
17:8. The angel begins interpreting John’s vision by giving him numerous
details about the beast. “The beast that you saw:”
(1) “Was and is not”—a reference to death; the Beast will be assassinated
(cf. 13:1-3).
(2) “Will ascend out of the bottomless pit” (cf. 11:7)—a demon will be
released from Hell (Hades) to indwell and resurrect the Beast (notice later
in v 8: “those who dwell on earth… when they see the beast”—emphasis
added).
(Editor’s note: It is possible that a human spirit, that of one of the first seven
emperors, will be released to indwell the beast [cf. Rev 17:11]).
(3) “Will…go to perdition” (apoleian, or ruin; cf. 2 Pet 3:7)—he will go,
not to the bottomless pit for eternity, but to the lake of fire (cf. Rev 19:20)
—eternal ruin and destruction (cf. 17:11).
During the Tribulation the unsaved multitudes, “whose names are not
written in the book of Life,” will realize that this man who has done the
impossible and killed God’s two witnesses (cf. 11:7) is no ordinary man—
and they “will marvel.” He will proclaim from the temple that he is God
(cf. 2 Thess 2:3-4), and many will worship him (cf. 13:4).
17:9. John would now be given wisdom (or insight) from the angel (cf.
Dan 9:22) concerning the vision of the woman and the beast. “The seven
heads” of the beast “are seven mountains on which the woman sits” and
represent the city of Rome (see comments on 17:1).
17:10. The seven heads also represent “seven kings” (or kingdoms). As
John wrote, five of these kingdoms had already fallen (Egypt, Assyria,
Babylon, Persia, and Greece), one of them was currently in control (Rome),
and the seventh had “not yet come” (the Revived Roman Empire—the
Man of Sin’s empire during the Great Tribulation). We are told that this
empire would only last for “a short
time”—three-and-a-half years (cf. 12:13-14).
Editor’s note: If seven kings are meant, then the one who is in control is
Emperor Galba and the one who will come for a short time is Emperor
Otho. See Introduction.
17:11. The angel now tells John that “the beast” would be “the eighth” in
this list as well as “one of the seven.” As one of the seven, the beast
represents an empire. But as the eighth, he is seen as the king of that empire
—a king who is killed and yet comes back to life due to the work of Satan
(cf. 13:2-3).
Though it is impossible to know for certain how all of this will play out in
that future day, the scene could very well look something like this. During
the first three-and-a-half years of the seven-year Tribulation Period, a
Middle-Eastern ruler whom Daniel calls “the king of the North” (Dan
11:36-45) will overthrow many countries including Egypt, Libya, and
Ethiopia. As he does this, the two witnesses in Jerusalem (cf. Rev 11:3-12)
will be striking the earth with troubles and plagues “as often as they desire”
(11:6). Near the mid-point of the Tribulation, the king of the North is
assassinated (see comments on 13:3-4). This tyrant, whose kingdom and
army had made some significant gains, is dead. Then the unimaginable
occurs. A demonic spirit “will ascend out of the bottomless pit” (17:8) and
resurrect the king of the North’s dead body!
Now empowered by Satan (cf. 13:2), as the two witnesses “finish their
testimony, the Beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war
against them, overcome them, and kill them” (13:7; emphasis added). From
there, he will proceed to the temple and commit the “abomination of
desolation” (Matt 24:15), declaring to the world that he is God. The revived
Roman Empire and its new emperor are alive and well! The prophet Daniel
states that this new world leader “shall prosper till the wrath has been
accomplished” (Dan 11:36).
17:12. Now the interpreting angel gives the meaning of “the ten horns he
saw” on the seven heads of the scarlet Beast. The ten horns represent “ten
kings” who will assist the Beast in his worldwide rule during the Great
Tribulation (cf. Dan 7:23-24). Before they are approached by the Beast,
they are not yet kings—they “have received no kingdom as yet”—though
they most likely hold some form of governmental leadership in their
respective countries. But the Beast offers them, as it were, a political
upgrade: “they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast”
(emphasis added). “One hour” is a reference to the fact that their rule, like
the Beast’s will be brief (the remainder of the three-and-a-half years).
17:13. The ten kings will be “of one mind,” that is, they will be united
with the Beast in ruling the world and doing his bidding. No show of force
will be necessary to obtain their loyalty as “they will give their power and
authority to the beast” (emphasis added).
17:14. At the end of the Tribulation the ten kings will be part of the vast
international coalition under the authority of the Beast that will “make war
with the Lamb” at the Battle of Armageddon (cf. 16:14, 16; 19:19-21).
Regardless of how much firepower the Beast and his armies will be able to
amass—quite significant undoubtedly—“the Lamb will overcome them”
for the simple reason that “He is Lord of lords and King of kings” (cf.
Eph 1:21). Christ is the humble Lamb but He is also the omnipotent King!
 “Those who will be with Him” as He arrives to do battle and set up His
eternal kingdom are “called, chosen, and faithful.” This recalls Jesus’
words in Matthew 22:14, “For many are called, but few are chosen.” The
fact that the soldiers who accompany Christ in Revelation 19:14 are
“clothed in fine linen, white and clean” (cf. 3:5; 6:11) may imply that those
who have the privilege of riding with Christ into this battle are overcoming
believers who finished their lives on earth in victory (see comments on 2:7).
This is seen in that they are not only called and chosen but are also faithful.
17:15. The angel interprets the “waters…where the harlot sits” as
“peoples, multitudes, nations, and tongues” (glossai, languages). The
waters represent all of mankind—Rome’s corruptive influence is worldwide
(cf. 19:2).
17:16. As seen in vv 3 and 7, the great harlot (Rome) rides on the back of
the beast (the Man of Sin) and experiences the prosperity that he
experiences in the three-and-a-half years before Christ’s arrival. Rome will
become extremely rich and will make others across the globe rich as well
(cf. 18:3, 7, 14-19). No reason is given to John, but “the ten horns” (or ten
kings; see comments on v 12) “on the Beast” (MT has “and the Beast”)
“will hate the harlot.” It is quite possible that the earthquake that
decimates the “cities of the nations” (see comments on 16:19-20) before the
arrival of Christ does not affect Rome, and the city continues to prosper
while the cities over which the ten kings rule are in shambles.
Another possible view is that the papacy may begin to rebel against the
religion of the Beast. Regardless, hatred wells up in the hearts of the kings
and the Beast and they decide to obliterate the city of Rome. They will
“make her desolate and naked.” The beautiful harlot will suddenly be
stripped of her wealth and be made desolate (“desolate” carries the idea of
ruin as well as depopulation; cf. Nah 3:4-7; Rev 18:19). Her flesh will be
consumed and anything not eaten will be burned “with fire.” The idea
pictured here is complete obliteration of the city.
In light of 18:8-18, it is possible that Rome’s annihilation will be by means
of a nuclear warhead (cf. Isa 47; esp. vv 9-11). Kings, merchants, and
shipmasters will all stand “at a distance” when they see “the smoke of her
burning.” The desire to keep a certain distance between themselves and the
mushroom cloud of smoke billowing up to heaven may indicate their fear of
the nuclear radiation that now envelops the city.
 17:17. In His sovereign wisdom God uses the sinful actions of humans
(here the ten kings and the Beast) “to fulfill His purpose.” The kings are
“of one mind and give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of
God are fulfilled” (i.e., God’s words concerning the destruction of Rome).
17:18. This verse is a vital key to unlocking the identity of “the woman”
in John’s vision. The interpreting angel tells John that she “is that great
city which reigns (present tense) over the kings of the earth.” John’s
original readers would immediately grasp the meaning here. The woman
represents Rome, the city that so feverishly persecuted them.
2. The destruction of the harlot (18:1-24)
a. Announced by an angel (18:1-3)
18:1. John is now given a new vision in which he sees an angel with
extraordinary authority and splendor descending from heaven. So great
was this angel that the earth was illuminated with his glory. This is the
only angel in Revelation which is said to radiate glory (doxēs), which
reveals his magnificence and power.
18:2. With a loud voice the angel announces that “Babylon the great (i.e.,
Rome) is fallen, is fallen.” The word fallen (epesen, “destroyed”) carries
the idea of instantaneous desolation. Once Rome is decimated by the Beast
and his ten kings, it will “become a habitation of demons, a prison for
every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird.” This
description of Rome after its destruction is in some ways appropriate to
what she was before her destruction (a city given over to idolatry). Since
her character was demonic spiritually, God brings this same character on
her physically.
18:3. Seven reasons for Rome’s destruction are now given to John. The
first is her corruption of the nations: “all the nations have drunk of the
wine of the wrath (thumos, lit., “passion, anger”) of her fornication.” The
affluent and sensual lifestyle rampant in Rome was like fine wine that other
nations drank of and became intoxicated (cf. 18:23; 19:2; see comments on
17:2).
Another reason Rome must fall is her negative influence on foreign
leaders: “the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her.”
Chapter 17 pictures Rome as a “harlot” (17:1) who is very adept at luring
others into her worldly and materialistic mindset. The foreign leaders saw
the financial advantages of becoming allied with Rome and were easily
seduced (cf. 18:9).
The third reason is the effect Rome has had on those who sell goods and
services: “the merchants (emporoi, i.e., those who travel by ship for
business reasons) of the earth have become rich through the abundance
of her luxury.” From vv 12-13 it is apparent that these merchants are
getting rich by selling religious icons and by engaging in slave trade for the
“bodies and souls of men” (18:13).
b. Warning for believers to flee (18:4-8)
18:4. In vv 2-3 a mighty angel spoke. Now John hears another voice from
heaven—probably that of the Lord Jesus Christ—saying, “Come out of
her, my people.” Apparently, because of the witness of some of the
144,000 throughout the earth in the last half of the Tribulation, some people
will be living in Rome who have become believers in Christ and who will
need to flee in light of Rome’s impending judgment. If a believer refuses to
flee the city, he will “share in her (Rome’s) sins” and “receive of her
plagues.” Lot feverishly warned his sons-in-law to get out of Sodom
because the Lord was going to destroy it. When they refused, they died (cf.
Gen 19:14-24). This will be true of God’s people who refuse to flee in that
future day as well.
18:5. The fourth reason for Rome’s judgment is its sins and iniquities
“have reached to heaven.” The picture of her sins reaching up to heaven
recalls the Tower of Babel when mankind attempted to build a city with a
tower “whose top is in the heavens” (Gen 11:4) so they might make a name,
not for God, but for themselves.
18:6-8. God will “render to her just as she rendered” meaning that the
city will be judged for the centuries of rebellion against God and the murder
of His people (cf. v 24; 19:2). This judgment will be substantial and He will
“repay her double” and “give her torment and sorrow.” The phrases
“she glorified herself and lived luxuriously” and “she says in her heart”
reveal two more reasons for Rome’s judgment. In sinful pride and self-
confidence Rome glorified herself and felt completely immune to disaster.
But in reality God’s judgment of her is swift and entire since “her plagues
will come in one day…she will be utterly burned with fire,” followed by
“death and mourning and famine.”
 c. The lament of Rome’s beneficiaries (18:9-19)
18:9-19. As a result of the destruction of Rome “the kings of the earth”
(vv 9-10), “the merchants of the earth” (vv 11-17a), and every
shipmaster and sailors (vv 17b-19), lament because their great source of
income has now been destroyed. Rome’s judgment comes, her “great
riches come to nothing” and “she is made desolate.” The copious detail
given in these laments has to do with the rhetorical use of language.
Extensive imagery is used here to reveal how devastated people will be in
the aftermath of Rome’s destruction.
d. The call to rejoice (18:20)
18:20. In contrast to the lengthy laments of those enriched by Rome is the
simple call for God’s people to rejoice at her judgment “for God has
avenged you on her!” God frequently promises His people that He will
deal with evildoers and bring His enemies to desolation in a moment (cf.
Pss 37:1-2; 73:19).
e. The finality of Rome’s judgment (18:21-24)
18:21-23a. Verses 9-19 revealed the rapidity of Rome’s judgment, and vv
21-24 unveil the finality of it. The permanent desolation Rome will
experience is underscored by the repeated use of the phrases “shall not be
found…anymore” (vv 21-22), “shall not be heard in you anymore” (vv
22 [twice], 23), and “shall not shine in you anymore” (v 23).
The violence with which Rome will be destroyed is pictured by an angel
taking a great millstone and throwing it into the sea. A similar text in
Jeremiah parallels the notion that Rome will not recover (cf. Jer 51:63-64).
Rome’s demise will bring the end of life’s joys such as music, crafts, and
wedding celebrations.
18:23b-24. Rome’s demise will also bring with it the loss of some of the
earth’s most powerful (and undoubtedly corrupt) merchants and
businessmen. It will be through these merchants that Rome will succeed in
casting a materialistic “spell” over mankind so that “all the nations were
deceived” and impressed by this affluent city. In men’s eyes, Rome was
awesome and appealing. But in God’s eyes, she is murderous for “in her
was found the blood of prophets and saints, and of all who were slain
on the earth.” This is the seventh and final reason given in chapter 18 for
Rome’s judgment. Because she has murdered God’s children (and lead
others to do the same), Rome will receive the death penalty from God’s
hand. She will not be found anymore!
3. The delight of heaven (19:1-10)
The great harlot (Rome) has now been punished by God for how she
treated God’s people. As a result the people of the earth mourn and are in
despair. But there is a different response in heaven. All of heaven is singing
God’s praises for what He has done. God will be praised and exalted
because His earthly reign and the marriage supper of the Lamb is near.
a. Delight at the harlot’s destruction (19:1-4)
19:1-2. Verse 1 contains the first of four uses of the word Alleluia in
chapter 19 (found only here in the NT). Alleluia is a transliteration of the
Hebrew halelu yah, meaning “praise Yah” (Yah is the poetic form of
Yahweh [the Lord]). John heard a very loud voice which came from a great
multitude in heaven praising God because of what He has brought to pass.
They were singing, “Salvation and honor and glory and power to the
Lord our God!” The heavenly multitude praises the Lord for two reasons.
One reason is that “His judgments” (including that of “the great harlot
who corrupted the earth” [Rome; see comments on chap. 17]) are “true
and righteous.” The word true (alēthinai) carries the idea that God’s
judgments are completely in line with the truth of His Word. God has done
what He has said He would do. God’s judgments are also righteous
(dikaiai), which means that God is just in executing them.
A second reason God is to be praised is because “He has avenged on her
(Rome) the blood of His servants shed by her.” Long ago God promised
that He would deal with those who shed the blood of His servants (cf. Deut
32:42-43), and now He has done so. The sinful humans who saw God’s
judgments blasphemed Him (cf. Rev 16:9, 11, 21); but the multitude in
heaven praises Him because His judgments are absolutely true and just.
19:3. Once again the great multitude in heaven lifts up praise to God.
They rejoice that Rome will never have the opportunity to shed the blood of
His saints ever again. The fact that Rome’s smoke rises up forever and
ever reveals the finality of her destruction.
 19:4. In the midst of this heavenly celebration a third group offers praise to
God. As was seen in 4:4-7, the twenty-four elders represent faithful
believers. Along with them were the four living creatures, which are
angelic beings. The elders and living creatures fell down and worshipped
God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!” In saying Amen
(lit., “so be it”) they give their heartfelt approval to the praise already
offered to God. By exclaiming Alleluia they offer their own praise to the
One seated before them.
b. Delight at the bride’s marriage to the Lamb (19:5-10)
19:5-8. Now John hears a voice…from the throne (probably that of an
angel) calling all of the saints before God in heaven with one triumphant
voice to “Praise our God.” The result is an awe-inspiring sound of a
multitude of voices like many waters and mighty thunderings crying out
to God. First, they praise Him that the Lord God Omnipotent reigns!
Omnipotent translates the Greek word pantokratōr, which means “the all-
powerful One.” The rule of man will be brought to an
end, and the Almighty’s eternal rule will begin.
Second, they praise God that “the marriage of the Lamb has come.” At
the end of the Tribulation, Christ will escort His bride to earth for the
celebration of their marriage supper. In Biblical times marriage suppers
could go on for a week or more. But the marriage supper of the Lamb
(synonymous with the millennial kingdom) will last for one thousand years!
The joy and gladness of that future era will be absolutely overwhelming (cf.
Isa 25:6-9; 35:1-10; 55:12).
Third, they praise God that the Lamb’s “wife has made herself ready.”
The wife of Christ is His church (i.e., all believers from the Day of
Pentecost until the Rapture; cf. 1 Cor 12:13; Gal 3:21-28). Christ brought
His wife to Himself to be with Him at the Rapture (cf. 1 Thess 4:16-17), and
she will continue to be with Christ throughout His one-thousand-year reign
on the earth. In that glorious kingdom the splendor of the Lamb’s wife will
be seen in the good works she did for Him while on earth.
Because she made herself ready for her Groom and their marriage supper,
to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. The
fine linen the bride will wear (the glory and splendor she will possess) is the
righteous acts of the saints. This fine linen cannot be a symbol of salvation
because it represents righteous acts (salvation is “by grace through faith…
not of works” [Eph 2:8-9]). Also these are the righteous acts of the saints—
people who have already placed their faith in Christ for salvation (cf. 1 Cor
1:2).
19:9a. John is now directed to write words that will encourage his readers,
many of whom were persecuted for their stand for Christ (cf. 2:10, 13; 3:8-
10). The words he writes are “Blessed are those who are called to the
marriage supper of the Lamb!” The word called (keklēmenoi) means
“invited.” This Greek word (or one of its cognates) is used frequently in the
NT in reference to an invitation to share in the rewards and glory of God’s
kingdom (cf. Matt 22:1-14; Luke 19:11-27; 1 Thess 2:12; 2 Thess 2:13-15;
1 Pet 5:10). What an honor it is to be invited! What a responsibility it is to
prepare and to make oneself ready! Believers have one life—one
opportunity—to ready themselves and to lay up treasure in heaven. Not all
believers will succeed in this. Though every believer will enter the
kingdom, only the faithful will sit victoriously at His table. “For many are
called [klētoi, lit., ‘invited’], but few are chosen” (Matt 22:14; cf. Matt 8:11-
12). Few are chosen precisely because they have failed to prepare by being
obedient to Christ “until the end” (cf. Rev 2:26).
19:9b. After telling John to write the beatitude concerning the marriage
supper, an angel (see v 10) says, “These are the true sayings of God.”
This is probably a reference to not only the first part of v 9 but to everything
the angel has said to John since 17:1.
19:10. John is so overwhelmed by what the angel has shared with him that
he falls down at his feet to worship him (cf. 22:8-9). Immediately the angel
tells John that he should “not do that!” The worship of angels was
forbidden in God’s Word (cf. Exod 34:14; Matt 4:10; Col 2:18). Even
though this angel and the truths he revealed were incredibly amazing, John
was not to worship him because, in reality, he was simply a “fellow
servant” of John as well as of John’s “brethren who have the testimony
of Jesus” (cf. 1 John 5:11; Rev 1:2, 9; 6:9; 11:7; 12:11, 17).
Since the angel was only a messenger and not divine, he instructs John to
“Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
The message of eternal life through faith in Christ, like the message of all
prophetic Scripture, is a message that tells people about the future and how
to prepare for it. This will be especially true during the Tribulation when the
testimony of the gospel will be given in connection with the prophetic
setting in which the Tribulation witnesses will be operating (see comments
on 14:6-7). The truth of the gospel and the imminent defeat of God’s
enemies will be proclaimed concurrently. In that day, if the people on the
earth do not believe in Jesus for eternal life, they will face God’s impending
judgment.
4. The description of the King (19:11-16)
The return of Christ to earth has been the prayer of God’s people for
thousands of years (cf. Matt 6:10; Rev 6:10; 22:20). Now their prayers are
answered. At His first advent, Christ was the humble servant who entered
Jerusalem on the back of a donkey (cf. Matt 21:1-11). But at His Second
Coming Christ will be the victorious Warrior-King who will “judge the
world in righteousness” (cf. Acts 17:31) and send forth “justice to victory”
(Matt 12:20). In Rev 19:11-16 John is given a detailed vision of this mighty
Man of War (cf. Exod 15:3; Isa 42:13).
19:11. The phrase I saw heaven opened indicates that John is receiving a
new vision. In this vision the first thing he sees sets the tone for what is to
follow: a white horse. The white horse is a symbol of victory and triumph.
In chapter 6, in connection with the seal judgments, God illustrated His
plans to judge mankind and rid the world of His enemies using the image of
a white horse and its rider (see comments on 6:2). The rider of this white
horse is called Faithful and True (cf. 1:5; 3:14) which is a clear reference
to Jesus Christ.
Jesus is also described as one who in righteousness…judges and makes
war. The word righteousness (dikaiosunē) describes the practice of judicial
responsibility with focus on fairness, justice, and equitableness. The
judgments of the Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon will be
perfectly just.
19:12. Jesus Christ is further described as having eyes…like a flame of
fire. (cf. 1:14; 2:18). This pictures His innate ability to render perfect
judgment of every person and every situation (cf. Heb 4:13). In saying that
on His head were many crowns John is illustrating that at Christ’s Second
Coming, He will conquer not only the Man of Sin but all of earth’s rulers
and will take their crowns, as it were, upon Himself—ruling over the entire
earth (cf. 1 Chr 20:1-2; Ps 47:8).
 At this point in the text, the majority of Greek manuscripts contain a
phrase not found in the TR and CT due to scribal error: onomata
gegrammena kai (names written and). In his vision, John saw crowns
having many names and one crown having a name written that no one
knew except Himself. The idea is similar to Isa 9:6 which also describes
the One who will reign. Christ has multiple facets to His nature and persona
that are knowable: “Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father,
Prince of Peace” (Isa 9:6). However, not all aspects of His being are
knowable to man; thus, He possesses a name that is known only to Him—a
name that reflects characteristics that are beyond human comprehension!
19:13. Jesus is also pictured as one clothed with a robe dipped in blood.
This robe symbolizes the death of His enemies who will come against Him
in the Battle of Armageddon (cf. Isa 63:1-4). His name is called the Word
of God because divine truth is continually manifested in the King’s every
word and act (including events such as the bloody destruction of His foes at
Armageddon).
19:14. When Christ returns to earth, He will come with His armies, which
consist of His faithful followers (see comments on 17:14) as well as His
mighty angels (2 Thess 1:7-9). If the believers who are allowed to
accompany Him are only those believers who have lived victorious earthly
lives (see comments on 17:14), the fact that they follow Him on white
horses (symbols of victory; cf. 19:11) is a wonderful testimony to this.
Christ’s troops wear fine linen, white and clean which represents the
righteous acts of the saints (cf. v 8).
19:15. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword that with it He
should strike the nations. The sharp two-edged sword proceeding from
Christ’s mouth is figurative of the powerful Word of God (cf. Heb 4:12). It
is with this sword that Jesus defeats the enemy nations that have gathered
against Him. At His word, His enemies are decimated (cf. Ps 2:5; Zech
14:12). He will speak into existence the means by which they are executed.
The stern judgment He brings against His enemies will characterize His
dominion as King over all the earth during the Millennium when He will
rule the nations with a rod of iron (cf. Ps 2:8-9). All who inhabit planet
earth during the one thousand years will be required to live according to the
laws and dictates of the King. Of course, those who already possess
glorified bodies will obey Him perfectly because they will be “like Him” (1
John 3:2).
Christ’s battle against His adversaries is likened to the treading of grapes
in a winepress, which pictures the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God. The treading of this winepress by Christ will result in the blood of His
enemies flowing like a river for two hundred miles at a depth of about four
or five feet (see comments on 14:19-20).
19:16. A name is inscribed on the part of Christ’s robe that covers His
thigh (a symbol of power; the previous picture was of Christ treading the
winepress of God’s wrath). Once Christ has tread His enemies under His
feet, His rule will be absolute and worldwide and He will bear a name that
He alone deserves: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.
5. The defeat of the King’s foes (19:17–21:8)
This section is a chronological depiction of Christ’s systematic defeat of
His enemies, including the Beast, Satan, the lost of all ages, sin, and death
(cf. 1 Cor 15:26-26).
a. The Beast and his armies (19:17-21)
After the three-and-a-half year reign of the Beast over the entire earth (cf.
13:5), the King of kings and Lord of lords will bring the reign of the Beast
to an end (cf. 2 Thess 2:8). Chiastically, Christ’s defeat of the Beast is
central to this section:
a Fowl invited to dine on casualties of war (vv 17-18)
b Beast’s armies gathered to war against Christ (v 19)
c Beast taken and cast into the lake of fire (v 20)
b’ Beast’s armies slain in war against Christ (v 21a)
a’ Fowls dine on casualties of war (v 21b)
19:17-18. John sees an angel standing in the sun inviting all flesh-eating
birds that fly in the midst of heaven (or the sky) to the “supper of the
great God.” The frequent use of the word flesh indicates how vast the
slaughter will be of those who come against Christ at the Battle of
Armageddon (cf. 14:18-20; 16:13-16). Those of all classes—“free and
slave…small and great”—will die.
Some commentators believe that all unsaved people will die when Christ
arrives. But in light of the information given by the Lord regarding the
Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats in Matthew 25:31-46, it is obvious
that there are some unbelievers (who have apparently survived by hiding in
elaborate and costly underground bunkers or even caves) that will be
brought before Christ for judgment (cf. Matt 25:32) after He takes His
throne. They will be sent, not to Hades, but to the lake of fire: “Depart from
Me…into the everlasting fire” (Matt 25:41; emphasis added). Of course,
they will appear at the Great White Throne. The text simply means that they
will have the same fate for the next one thousand years as the Beast and the
False Prophet (cf. v 20). The “holding tank” of this corrupt bunch will be
the lake of fire. Though one cannot be dogmatic on this, it seems likely that
infants and children still alive after Armageddon who have not reached the
age of accountability will enter Christ’s kingdom and eventually repopulate
the earth. Some will grow up and believe in Christ and others will not. This
accounts for the huge army Satan gathers at the end of the thousand years to
war against Christ (see 20:7-9).
19:19. While God is gathering the birds of prey to feast on their flesh, the
beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies have gathered together to
make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army.
Some writers say that these armies from all over the earth are gathered at
Megiddo (see comments on 16:16) to fight one another. But this verse is
clear (along with 16:14 and Ps 2:1-2) that the Beast and the kings of the
earth have gathered to make war against Him who sat on the horse.
19:20. Little detail is given concerning the capture of the Beast and the
False Prophet (i.e., who does it and how). The reason for this is that John’s
emphasis here is on its accomplishment: And the beast was captured (cf.
Isa 14:24-27), and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his
presence. Their time in power is over because Christ has come and He is
God, and not the Beast (cf. 2 Thess 2:4).
Before his capture, the False Prophet worked signs and performed miracles
on the Beast’s behalf (see comments on Rev 13:11-18) and was
undoubtedly viewed by mankind as a deeply spiritual man endowed with
amazing supernatural powers. By his signs and wonders he deceived human
beings (including some of God’s covenant people, the Jews; see comments
on 13:13-15) into receiving the mark of the beast as well as worshipping
his image (cf. 16:12-14). Those deceived by him will endure not only
God’s temporal wrath on earth but also
continual, eternal torment in the lake of fire (cf. 14:9-11).
Since the sins of the Beast and the False Prophet against God were so
great, they are the very first humans to be cast alive into the lake of fire
burning with brimstone.
19:21. The followers of the Beast were killed with the sword which
proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse (see comments
on 19:15). The slaughter of the ungodly is so extensive that all the birds
were filled (echortasthēsan, lit., “gorged themselves”) with their flesh.
With the condemnation of the Beast and the False Prophet and the death of
the kings of the earth and their armies, the rule of mortal man on earth is
forever a thing of the past. “Alleluia! For the Lord God Omnipotent
reigns!” (19:6; cf. Dan 2:44).
b. Satan (20:1-10)
At His arrival to earth Christ deals first with those enemies of His who
have gathered against Him in war. But once they have been dealt with, He
deals with the one who deluded them, “that serpent of old, called the Devil
and Satan, who deceives the whole world” (12:9).
20:1-2. In his vision John sees an angel coming down from heaven,
which implies that what is about to happen to Satan is by God’s directive.
The angel is in possession of the key to the bottomless pit (see comments
on 9:1) and a great chain. Keys are symbols of authority in Scripture.
Because He is sovereign, God decrees that Satan will be locked in the
Abyss. The chain is not literal but is a symbol of the fact that once Satan is
thrown in the Abyss he will be completely incapacitated for a thousand
years.
The dragon the angel lays hold of is identified not only as the Devil (a
slanderer) and Satan (the Adversary) but also as the one who deceives the
whole inhabited earth.
20:3. The angel from heaven captured and constrained the enemy of man
and then cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up (cf. 3:7), and
set a seal on him. This means that the angel closed (or locked) the Abyss
and sealed it over him.
Satan is constrained and confined in the Abyss so that he can deceive the
nations no more till the thousand years were finished. People without
glorified bodies will commit sin during the Millennial reign of Christ (cf.
Isa 65:20; Zech 14:16-21; Matt 5:22). However, this will be because of their
sinful nature and not Satan’s influence. They will have no one to blame but
themselves. But after his thousand-year imprisonment in the Abyss he
must be released for a little while. The outcome of this release is recorded
in vv 7-10.
20:4. John next saw two groups of people. The first group—those seated
on thrones to whom judgment was committed (cf. Matt 19:28; 1 Cor 6:2)
—are those who will reign with Christ during the Millennium who have
already been resurrected and glorified (church-age saints at the Rapture).
The second group, those who had been beheaded, consists of the
Tribulation martyrs. They lost their lives as a result of their witness to
Jesus (they were not afraid to confess Him before men; cf. Matt 10:32-33)
and for the word of God, which they obeyed rather than men (cf. Acts
5:29; Rev 15:2).
Their obedience to God is seen in that they would not worship the beast
or his image or take his mark on their foreheads or on their hands (see
comments on 13:13-18). Their loyalty to God will be so great that they will
choose death over disobedience. On Christ’s arrival to earth (cf. Zech 13:4),
the Tribulation martyrs are resurrected, and because they kept His works
until the end (cf. 2:26-28), they receive power over the nations and will
reign with Christ for a thousand years. Scripture is clear that bodily
resurrection and kingdom entrance are experiences that all OT, Church-
Age, and Tribulation believers in Christ (both faithful and unfaithful) will
enjoy (cf. John 6:39-40). But Scripture is also clear that only faithful
believers will reign with Christ (cf. Rev 2:26-28; 3:21; Matt 25:31, 33; Rom
8:17-18; 2 Tim 2:12).
20:5. The first statement of this verse—But the rest of the dead did not
live again until the thousand years were finished—implies that all who
have not been resurrected by the time the Tribulation martyrs are
resurrected, will not live again until the thousand years are over. Christ’s
words in John 5:28-29 show that by this point in time all who have died
possessing eternal life are now raised. This is the first resurrection. In
other words, “I’m speaking of the first resurrection.” John is explaining
what the first resurrection is about without going into detail.
 20:6. The phrase has part in sounds to the English reader like “takes part
in,” but the Greek expression ho echēn meros en can also mean “possesses a
portion in.” A similar phrase is used in Luke 15:12 (“the portion [meros] of
goods that falls to me”), which shows that the phrase can refer to an
inheritance received in the first resurrection. This inheritance is conditioned
on obedience (cf. Rev 20:4), and is further clarified in the rest of v 6.
The statement that the second death has no power (exousian, lit.,
“authority”) over them is best taken as a litotes (a negative statement that is
made to indicate a positive idea) and is clarified by the truth that they shall
be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand
years. The resurrected co-reigners are as far from being under the authority
of the second death as they could possibly be since they themselves have
authority as king-priests with Christ.
20:7-8. Once Christ has completed His earthly reign of one thousand
years, Satan will be released from his prison in the bottomless pit. He
will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the
earth (i.e., all over earth). His plan will be to deceive all unbelievers on
earth and gather them together to battle against Christ and His people in
Jerusalem (cf. Ezek 38:11-12). A reading of Ezekiel 38–39 makes it clear
that Gog (cf. Ezek 38:2-3) will be the earthly leader over this huge army of
unsaved people that Satan will deceive. Magog represents the land that Gog
is from (cf. Ezek 38:2).Though Christ has been reigning for a thousand
years, the number of unbelievers who rebel against Christ will be as the
sand of the sea.
Often the question is asked: “Where did all these unsaved people come
from? If Christ judges all the unsaved people left on earth after
Armageddon at the Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats (consigning them
to the lake of fire—cf. Matt 25:31-46), where do the unsaved people with
non-glorified bodies come from?” The answer to that is as follows. Most
likely they will be the infants and children of the unsaved who survive
Armageddon. They are not consigned to the lake of fire (see Matt 25:41)
along with their parents because they have not yet reached the age of
accountability. They enter the kingdom in normal human bodies and
eventually procreate throughout the thousand years (see comments on
19:18). Undoubtedly many of them will be saved at some point during the
thousand years. But as is obvious from this passage, many will not and will
be deceived by Satan and join Him in the final war of human history.
20:9. This huge army, deceived by Satan into thinking that victory over
earth’s King and His people is possible, will go up on the breadth (lit.,
“broad plain”) of the earth (gēs, lit., “land” of Israel) and surround the
camp of the saints and of the beloved city of Jerusalem. God intervenes
and destroys these enemies by sending fire…out of heaven to devour them.
20:10. Once Gog and his armies are decimated, the devil, who deceived
them, is cast into the lake of fire and brimstone (see comments on 14:9-
11 and 19:20), where the beast and the false prophet have been for a
thousand years. This satanic trinity—the Beast, the False Prophet, and Satan
—will be tormented day and night (i.e., continually) forever and ever.
When Satan was the heavenly angel named Lucifer, he could have remained
loyal to God and avoided this horrible, eternal outcome. But he chose his
way over his Creator’s, which is always in every situation, a foolish and
costly decision.
c. The lost of all ages (20:11-15)
Now that the Beast and Satan are in the lake of fire, Jesus Christ, the Judge
of all the earth, determines the degree of suffering that every unbeliever
who has ever lived will experience for eternity. The “rest of the dead” (v 5)
will “live again” (experience bodily resurrection) and stand before the Great
White Throne to receive their judgment.
20:11. John initially sees a great white throne and Him who sat on it—
the Lord Jesus Christ to whom the Father has “committed all judgment”
(John 5:22). The throne is great because it is the throne of the King of kings
and Lord of Lords and it is white because every verdict that proceeds from
it is holy, just, and right (cf. Ps 97:2).
The earth and heaven (i.e., the stellar heavens) flee in terror from the
Judge’s face. This pictures how serious and fearful it will be to stand before
Christ at this judgment. Creation seeks to “run away,” but there is no place
to hide: there was found no place for them. They could not escape.
20:12. Verses 12-15 describe the dead…standing before God. They are
the unsaved of all ages—both the unknown (the small) and the well known
(the great). As they stand before the Lord Jesus Christ, books (plural) will
be opened (cf. Dan 7:10) which contain the deeds of every unsaved human
so that they can be judged according to their works. Multitudes of people
have died thinking they are good enough to enter God’s eternal kingdom.
Therefore Christ will examine all that they have done throughout the course
of their lives and render His verdict (which will be the same for all): “by the
deeds [works] of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight” (Rom 3:20).
It is important to note the the sinful deeds of the unsaved are not the basis
on which they are eternally condemned. Another book (singular) was
opened as well—the Book of Life—which contains the names of all those
who have been born again since the beginning of creation through faith in
God’s promise (cf. Dan 12:1; Luke 10:20; Phil 4:3; Heb 12:23; Rev 3:5;
13:8; 17:8; 21:27). Here is the basis of condemnation in the final judgment.
People are eternally condemned because their names are not found written
in the Book of Life (cf. 20:15)—they have never believed in Christ for
eternal life.
20:13. The resurrection is comprehensive since the sea…Death and
Hades (see comments on 1:18 and 6:8) delivered up the dead who were in
it.
20:14-15. Being cast into the lake of fire is described as the second death.
When a person is arrested for a crime, he is sent to a temporary place of
punishment awaiting trial. But once that person has been tried and found
guilty, he is sent to a long-term place of punishment. Hades can be
conceived of as a prison to which men are temporarily assigned because
they have been bound over for trial, but the lake of fire is God’s permanent
prison for the eternally lost (cf. Matt 13:40-42; 25:41; Mark 9:43-44; Jude
7; Rev 21:8). All who die without faith in Christ alone for eternal life
(anyone not found written in the Book of Life) will experience the second
death—the lake of fire—forever.
d. Sin and sorrow (21:1-8)
The Beast, Satan, and the unsaved have all been dealt with. In the new and
eternal creation, sin and all of its attendant sorrows are no longer possible
for “the former things have passed away” (21:4).
21:1. In a new vision John now sees a new heaven and a new earth.
Once God does away with the first heaven and the first earth (cf. 2 Pet
3:7-13), He will bring into existence “new heavens and a new earth in
which righteousness dwells” (2 Pet 3:13). This future home will in many
ways be similar to the current heavens and earth, yet far superior to it. This
is clearly seen in Revelation 21 and 22.
One way in which the new earth will be different from the present one is
that there will be no more sea. The oceans that currently cover three-
fourths of the earth’s surface will become land masses that people will be
able to live on.
21:2. Since God had promised His people that He would give them the
land of Israel forever (cf. Gen 13:15; Josh 14:19; 1 Chr 28:8; 2 Chr 20:7;
Ezra 9:12; Ps 37:29; Jer 7:7; 25:5; Isa 60:21; Ezek 37:25), it is not
surprising that along with the new heaven and new earth John now sees the
holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. John
describes the New Jerusalem as coming down…from God not because it
will float above the new earth forever, but to illustrate the truth that this
city’s “builder and maker is God” (Heb 11:10). God Himself is currently
preparing a place in which His people will dwell forever (cf. John 14:2-3;
Heb 12:22), and when it comes down, it will be a city of exquisite beauty,
like a bride adorned for her husband (see comments on Rev 21:9-10).
21:3. As John gazes on the splendor of this city in his vision, he hears a
loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle (skēnē, lit.,
“transcendent celestial tent”) of God is with men, and He will dwell
(skēnōsei, lit., “set up His tent”) with them, and they shall be His people.
For all eternity, there will an intimate union between God and mankind. His
“tent” will be among men: “God Himself will be with them and be their
God.” In His first coming Christ “dwelt [eskēnōsen] among us” (John 1:14)
but He was rejected by men. In the New Jerusalem He will dwell with
mankind in perfect harmony forever.
21:4. The new earth will be beautiful and a wonderful place in which to
live. Every person who lives there will be completely untouched by life’s
many troubles. “Every tear” will be wiped away “from their eyes” (see
comments on 7:15-17), and “there shall be no more death, nor sorrow,
nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have
passed away.”
21:5. This new, joyful existence is possible because He who sat on the
throne (cf. 20:11), Jesus Christ, will “make all things new.” It is
significant that Christ is referred to as the One “who sat on the throne.” This
is the Judge. Revelation presents the Judge (chap. 1), His judgment of the
churches (chaps. 2-3) and of rebellious mankind (chaps. 4-19), as well as
His judgment of the lost (chap. 20). Now John hears the Judge say that He
is making “all things new” and that he is to “write” about that time when all
things are new. The reason for this is that chapters 21 and 22 include the
finishing touch to the Book of Revelation. In these last two chapters John
writes concerning what the Judge accomplishes in the aftermath of His
judgments: He will make all things new—new heavens above, a new earth
below, and a new capital city: the New Jerusalem.
21:6-8. The new creation is provided by the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Alpha
and the Omega, the Beginning and the End.” This eternal existence in
glory is offered to anyone who desires it. Jesus promises that He “will give
of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.” Eternal life
is a free gift (cf. John 4:13-14; Rom 6:23; Eph 2:8-9; Rev 22:17). All who
believe in Christ alone for the water of life (i.e., eternal life) acquire it the
very moment they believe (cf. John 4:13-14; 5:24; 6:47).
To those who have received the free gift of eternal life by faith, Jesus
motivates them to stay faithful to Him till the end. He promises that the one
“who overcomes (see comments on Rev 2:7) shall inherit all things (MT:
these things), and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” Victorious
believers will be given many experiences and rewards in eternity, among
which is the privilege of ruling with Christ (cf. 2:26-27; 3:21; 2 Tim 2:12).
The term son (never used elsewhere by John of believers) is a reference to
the Davidic Covenant and God’s “adoption” of the Davidic king as His son
(cf. 2 Samuel 7 and Psalm 2). Overcoming believers are His sons because
He gives them “these things” in company with the Lord, the true Davidic
king, that is, they co-rule.
Finally, Christ speaks clearly and seriously regarding those who reject Him
and His Word. He says that “the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable,
murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall
have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which
is the second death.” Sinful people will play no part in the eternal state and
will all be “outside” the holy city, that is, in the lake of fire (cf. 22:15). To
live and to die without believing in Christ leads to eternal and unending
misery.
B. The Bride: The New Jerusalem (21:9–22:5)
 In chapter 17 John began his contrast of two cities, both pictured as
women. Rome, “the great harlot” (17:1), is evil and temporary. Beginning
in 21:9, John discusses in great detail the eternal city—the New Jerusalem
—called “the bride, the Lamb’s wife.”
1. The exterior of the city (21:9-21)
21:9. In 17:1 John was invited by one of the bowl angels to see the great
harlot. In the same way he is now invited by one of the seven angels to see
“the bride, the Lamb’s wife” (cf. 21:2). The connection here between the
New Jerusalem and the Church (the bride of Christ; cf. 2 Cor 11:2; Eph
5:27) is clear. Jesus told the apostles: “I go to prepare a place for you…that
where I am, there you may be also” (John 14:2-3). This holy city, carefully
prepared by God’s Son for His bride, will be the place where they will
enjoy fellowship with each other forever.
21:10-11. For his vision of the harlot in chapter 17, John was transported
by an angel to the wilderness. But now, for his vision of the Bride, the angel
transports John in the Spirit (see comments on 1:10-11) to a great and
high mountain (a Biblical symbol for a kingdom) to see the holy
Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God (see comments on 21:2)
having the glory of God. The glory of the Lamb Himself will illuminate
the entire city with light that is like a most precious stone…clear as
crystal (cf. v 23; 22:5). The presence of the glorified Christ makes the city
look like a gigantic, glistening diamond.
21:12-14. The great and high wall John sees surrounding the city
suggests that the New Jerusalem (unlike contemporary Jerusalem) will be a
place of absolute security and serenity to those who live there. Though the
city has twelve gates inscribed with the names of the twelve tribes of the
children of Israel, these gates never need to be shut (cf. v 25). In ancient
cities gates were often named in reference to where they led. For example,
in ancient Jerusalem the Benjamin gate was in the direction of the territory
of Benjamin. The twelve apostles of the Lamb for whom the twelve
foundations (cf. Heb 11:10) are named were promised twelve thrones to
rule over the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:28-30). Thus the apostles
govern the twelve tribes, and so the Church rules Israel from this city. The
foundations of the city are those of the Church (cf. Eph 2:20). The King and
His bride (the Church) will rule the future world. Their marriage is one of
shared royal power. Their decrees go forth from the gates that lead to the
twelve tribes.
21:15-21. The grand details about the city contrast with the horrid details
given about the city of the harlot in chapter 18. The trials Christians face in
their stand for Christ can more easily be endured when they know that when
this life is over, they will live in a magnificent and beautiful world—apart
from evil—in the presence of Christ Himself.
2. The interior of the city (21:22–22:5)
21:22. The first thing John mentions about the interior of the city is that he
saw no temple in it. For centuries on earth the tabernacle and temple
symbolized God’s presence with man (cf. Heb 9:9). It played a major role in
the lives of His covenant people. But in the eternal state the symbol will no
longer be necessary for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its
temple (cf. Heb 9:11). Under the Law of Moses only the high priest could
enter the Most Holy Place and only once a year. In eternity people will live
in God’s presence continually.
21:23. The New Jerusalem looked like a gigantic diamond to John (cf.
21:10-11) because it was illuminated by God’s glory. This verse does not
say that nighttime will be done away with in the eternal state or that there
will be no sun, moon, or stars. It simply states that the New Jerusalem had
no need of them (see comments on 22:5). It will be the heavenly version of
“the city that never sleeps” because the Lamb is its light (cf. 1 Tim 6:16; 1
John 1:5).
21:24-25. The phrase of those who are saved is due to the reading found
in the TR but is not found in the majority of Greek manuscripts. The
translation of the MT reading is as follows: And the nations shall walk in
its light. Most speculate that the nations refers only to the masses of
regenerate and resurrected saints. Another possibility is that God will create
human beings to live on the new earth just as He created Adam and Eve—
sinless people whose status and condition will be similar to Adam and Eve’s
before the Fall (see comments on 22:2). More likely, believers who are alive
on earth at the end of the Millennium will be brought into the new heavens
and earth in their unresurrected bodies to populate it. These bodies will be
transformed into sinless bodies, but will not have been resurrected. They
will be like Adam and Eve before they sinned, but without the ability to sin.
As such, they will procreate and populate the new heavens and the new
earth, and so they will form the nations.
The kings (i.e., the overcomers; cf. 2:26-27; 22:5) who rule over them will
bring the glory and honor of the nations into the New Jerusalem (cf.
21:6). The new earth will be a wonderful place where everyone brings glory
to God. And because its gates shall not be shut, there will be continual
access for the nations and their rulers into the city.
21:26. The majority of Greek manuscripts have the following phrase at the
end of this verse: hina eiselthosi—“so that they may enter.” The kings will
bring the glory and honor of the nations into the New Jerusalem so that
they themselves, as well as the people they rule over, may enter. In that
future day entrance into the city requires the willingness to give glory and
honor to the God who rules from that city. Not one person will be unwilling
to do this. The eternal state will have rules and laws; but no one there will
want to break them.
21:27. John has just stated who may enter the New Jerusalem. Now he
states what will not enter it. But there shall by no means enter it anything
that defiles, or causes an abomination or a lie. Even with gates that will
be wide open continually, nothing that is evil or leads to evil will ever be
part of the New Jerusalem. The view of the final chapters of Revelation is
that unbelieving people and all their evil ways have been relegated to the
lake of fire for all eternity (cf. 21:8). Only those who are written in the
Lamb’s Book of Life will be on the streets of the eternal city.
22:1. Next John sees a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal,
proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. While it is true that
the life-giving and pristine river that flows from God’s throne may be a
source of physical refreshment for people throughout eternity, it surely
symbolizes the everlasting enjoyment of God and the life of God (i.e.,
eternal life) that will flow to all people as well (see comments on 7:15-17).
22:2. The river flowing from the throne runs down the middle of a very
broad street. Each side of the river is lined with the tree of life, which
according to 2:7 is located “in the midst of the Paradise of God” (i.e., the
New Jerusalem). The trees lining the river banks will bear twelve different
types of fruit—each tree yielding its fruit every month. Because
consumption of this fruit is an eternal reward, only overcoming believers
will have the right to eat it (see comments on 2:7). However, the leaves of
the tree of life will perform an additional function as well. They are for the
healing of the nations. In that day, even though there will be no death or
disease because of sin, it may still be possible for people who do not
possess glorified bodies to be injured or hurt. The leaves of the tree of life
will bring healing and restoration.
22:3a. The curse that God placed on the ground because Adam sinned
(making agriculture and farming difficult) will be lifted (cf. Gen 3:16-19).
Toil and sweat will be things of the past. The curse will be lifted on
childbirth as well. If, as is likely, there will be procreation among the non-
glorified humans living in that age (see comments on 21:24-25), women
will give birth to children apart from pain.
22:3b-5. Eternity will be an especially wonderful experience for
overcoming believers who served Christ faithfully to the end of their earthly
lives (see comments on 2:7). Around the throne of God and of the Lamb
are His servants who will serve Him. On earth, the role of a servant to a
king is generally reserved for those who play a special role in the king’s
administration. The Lord Jesus stated that His elite servants in eternity will
be those believers who serve Him well during their lives. For their earthly
service they will be abundantly rewarded in eternity (cf. Matt 16:24-27;
19:27-30; Luke 9:23-27; 12:31-34; 14:12-14; 18:28-30; 22:28-30; John
4:35-36; 12:24-26).
Overcoming believers will have the opportunity to serve God before His
throne and they will also see His face. In one sense all believers will stand
before Christ and see His face (2 Cor 5:9-10; 1 John 3:2), but the reference
here to seeing God’s face is an experience reserved for the overcomers and
involves personal interaction with the King. They will also have His name
inscribed on their foreheads (see comments on 3:12).
Because of the dazzling brilliance of the glory of God and of the Lamb,
there shall be no night in the New Jerusalem (see comments on 21:23). All
who dwell in the environs of the New Jerusalem will experience the
glorious light emanating from the Lord God Himself.
The greatest honor for overcoming believers is that they shall reign
forever and ever. Jesus promised, “To him who overcomes I will grant to
sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father
on His throne” (3:21; cf. Matt 25:21, 23; Luke 19:15-19). For the believer
in Christ, there may be no greater words to hear than “Well done, good and
faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler
over many things. Enter into the joy of your Lord” (Matt 25:21).
VII. Conclusion (22:6-21)
All that John has seen and heard in the visions given to him from 4:1
through 22:5 has ended. Now in the conclusion of Revelation, the Lord
Jesus Christ personally emphasizes some essential truths to His hearers in
the local churches.
22:6. Some have supposed that the angel speaking to John here is the
interpreting angel (i.e., one of the seven bowl angels) who has been with
him in his visions since 17:1. But the visions ended as of 22:5, and so the
angel who now speaks is most likely the angel whom Christ sent to John at
the very beginning of Revelation (cf. 1:1). This is especially likely in light
of the description the angel gives of himself in 22:6-9. Now that John’s
visions have ended, the original angel is now before him and says
emphatically that the Book of Revelation is “faithful and true.”
“The Lord God of the holy prophets” is the Lord Jesus Christ (see v 16
and 1:1) who “sent His angel to show His servants the things which
must shortly take place.” The Book of Revelation focuses on those future
events which, from God’s viewpoint, will come on mankind very soon.
22:7. The Lord Jesus Himself now proclaims, “Behold, I am coming
quickly!” This is a message that both believers and nonbelievers need to
consider and respond to. Nonbelievers need to respond by believing in
Christ for eternal life: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be
saved” (Acts 16:31). Believers, however, need to respond with obedience to
His commands. “Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of
this book” (cf. obedience in 22:9, 14; see comments on 1:3).
22:8-9. After seeing the angel and hearing the voice of the Lord Jesus
Himself, John may have thought he was worshipping Christ (see comments
on 19:10 regarding angel worship). In Rev 19:10 John fell down before the
interpreting angel of 17:1. In contrast to 19:10 the angel here describes
himself as “of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the
words of this book” (see comments on 1:1).
22:10. After telling John to direct his worship to God alone, the angel
gives another command: “Do not seal the words of the prophecy of this
book, for the time is at hand.” Because Revelation is a book that God will
use in a significant way to encourage and strengthen the lives of His people,
He has no interest in John concealing the message. He is to get the message
of Revelation out to God’s people.
22:11. This verse does not say that believers are to show no concern for
the unjust and filthy people of the world. The angel has just encouraged
John to get the message of Revelation out, but he wants him to understand
that even though the time is near, there will be those who simply will not be
persuaded. Such people should be allowed to remain in their ignorance. On
the other hand there will be those who in fact respond to the message of
Revelation. Those who respond positively to the message of Revelation will
see its promises come to pass and be amply rewarded (v 12).
22:12. The Lord announces that He is “coming quickly” and promises
that His “reward is with Him, to give to every one according to his
work.” The word work is singular and refers to a believer’s life on earth (cf.
1 Cor 3:12-15).
22:13. Immediately after making promises to return and to reward people
on the basis of their work, the Lord reminds His followers that they can rely
on the fulfillment of those promises because of who He is in His own
person. His promises can be completely trusted because the One making
them always has been and always will be. He is “the King eternal” (1 Tim
1:17).
22:14. Those who obey His commandments will have the right to the
tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. The believer
whose life has been characterized by obedience to God’s commandments
will enjoy the tree of life (see comments on 2:7; 22:2), and the privilege of
being able to enter the New Jerusalem through its twelve main gates (cf.
21:12-13). This does not mean that unfaithful believers will be excluded
from entering the city; they simply will not have the honor and privilege of
entering the city through the main gates (surely there will be other, possibly
smaller, gates through which the others will enter).
22:15. There are also those who will never enter the New Jerusalem. They
cannot enter because they are outside the city in the lake of fire (see
comments on 21:6b-8). The unusual term dogs refers in the OT to male
prostitutes (cf. Deut 23:18) commonly found among Canaanite religious
cults. In NT times Jesus and the apostles used the term to refer to enemies
of God’s Word (Matt 7:6; Phil 3:2). John’s emphasis here is that sinners will
never be part of the new earth and New Jerusalem; they will be excluded
forever.
22:16. Christ makes the divine origin and intended audience of Revelation
clear by stating that He has “sent His angel to testify to you these things
in the churches.” Believers can be assured that this book is from God
Himself and for their spiritual benefit. The message is trustworthy because
of who it came from: “the Root (ancestor; cf. 5:5) and the Offspring
(descendant) of David, the Bright and Morning Star” (cf. Num 24:17; see
comments on Rev 2:27-29). None other than God’s Christ is making these
promises to them.
22:17. God’s love for those who do not possess eternal life is so great that
the final chapter of the Bible would be incomplete without an invitation to
obtain this free and wonderful gift. First, the Spirit and the bride say,
“Come!” When He was on earth, the Lord Jesus told unsaved people in
understandable terms why they did not have eternal life: “...you are not
willing to come to me that you may have life” (John 5:40).
Next John says let him who hears say, “Come!” The local churches (cf.
Rev 1:3) who have an “ear to hear what the Spirit says to the churches”
(2:7, 11, 17, 29; 3:6, 13, 22) must understand that God’s desire for them was
to invite people to believe in Christ as well.
Now John invites everyone who thirsts and desires the water of life to
come. All who want the gift of eternal life may take the water of life
freely. Eternal life is not given to people because they have earned it by
doing good deeds. It is a gift, given to those who believe in Christ for it,
that is, it is absolutely free (cf. John 4:10, 13-14; Rom 4:4-5; 6:23).
22:18-19. As the Book of Revelation closes, John forbids tampering with
its text. He warns that anyone who adds to these things, God will add to
him (MT: may God add to him) the plagues that are written in this book;
and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy,
God shall take away (MT: may God take away) his part from the Book of
Life (MT: tree of life), from the holy city, and from the things which are
written in this book. As reflected in the MT, this is not so much a
prediction as it is an imprecation (a wish of judgment and difficulty on
another). This is an expression of holy desire that the seriousness of these
acts be met with severe divine judgment. John is not making an exact
prediction about what will happen to people who add to or subtract from the
Book of Revelation; the imprecations express judgments John believes such
people deserve. He wants the retribution to be commensurate with the guilt.
Throughout history, God has sent plagues on people who were disobedient
to Him that resemble the plagues of the Tribulation (e.g., the plagues of
Egypt). And as He sees fit, He can still bring similar troubles, diseases, and
so forth, on those who deliberately revise Scripture today. He can “add to”
and “take away” from them as He desires (including eternal rewards like the
tree of life).
22:20-21. He who testifies to the validity and divine origin of the entire
Book of Revelation says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” The Lord Jesus
Christ wants His people to understand that He will return and will
abundantly reward those who love and serve Him. Hearing these words, the
Apostle John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, exclaims, Amen. Even so,
come, Lord Jesus. It is with this prayer for Christ’s return on his heart, that
John offers a final prayer for His people: The grace of our Lord Jesus
Christ be with you all. Amen. The grace of Christ is a fitting end to an
awesome book and to all of Scripture. “To Him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen” (1:6).
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