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Ask a QuestionEver learning--some new point, for mere curiosity, to the disparagement of what they seemed to know before. the knowledge--Greek, "the perfect knowledge"; the only safeguard against further...
Fight the good fight--Birks thinks this Epistle was written from Corinth, where contests in the national games recurred at stated seasons, which will account for the allusion here as in 1Co...
Whatever tends to weaken love to God, or love to the brethren, tends to defeat the end of the commandment. The design of the gospel is answered, when sinners, through repentance towards God and...
form--outward semblance. godliness--piety. denying--rather as Greek, "having denied," that is, renounced. the power--the living, regenerating, sanctifying influence of it. turn away--implying that...
The ministry is a warfare against sin and Satan; carried on under the Lord Jesus, who is the Captain of our salvation. The good hopes others have had of us, should stir us up to duty. And let us...
ruleth--Greek, "presiding over." his own house--children and servants, as contrasted with "the church" (house) of God (1Ti 3:5, 15) which he may be called on to preside over. having his children...
Salute every saint--individually. greet--salute you. The brethren which are with me--Perhaps Jewish believers are meant (Ac28:21). I think Php 2:20 precludes our thinking of "closer friends,"...
heady--precipitate in action and in passion. high-minded--literally, "puffed up" with pride, as with smoke blinding them. lovers of pleasure...God--Love of pleasure destroys the love and sense of...
Translate, "As a widow (that is, of the ecclesiastical order of widowhood; a kind of female presbytery), let none be enrolled (in the catalogue) who is less than sixty years old." These were not...
People will turn away from the truth, they will grow weary of the plain gospel of Christ, they will be greedy of fables, and take pleasure in them. People do so when they will not endure that...
And--Greek, "But." Thou art to come to me, but Tychicus I have sent to Ephesus to supply thy place (if thou so willest it) in presiding over the Church there in thy absence (compare Tit 3:12). It...
For this cause--Because I know of your "tribulation" having actually begun (1Th 3:4). when I--Greek, "when I also (as well as Timothy, who, Paul delicately implies, was equally anxious respecting...
Rather translate, "Through (literally, 'in'; the element in which the apostasy has place) the hypocrisy of lying speakers"; this expresses the means through which "some shall (be led to) depart...
Who was before--Greek, "Formerly being a blasphemer." "Notwithstanding that I was before a blasphemer," &c. (Ac 26:9, 11). persecutor--(Ga 1:13). injurious--Greek, "insulter"; one who acts...
The leading topic of Paul's preaching at Thessalonica having been the coming kingdom (Ac 17:7), some perverted it into a cause for fear in respect to friends lately deceased, as if these would be...
Who only hath immortality--in His own essence, not merely at the will of another, as all other immortal beings [Justin Martyr, Quaest. ad Orthod., 61]. As He hath immortality, so will He give it to...
younger women--rather, as ellipsis ought to be supplied, "the younger widows," namely younger widows in general, as distinguished from the older widows taken on the roll of presbyteresses (1Ti...
Outward acts of self-denial profit little. What will it avail us to mortify the body, if we do not mortify sin? No diligence in mere outward things could be of much use. The gain of godliness...
And--Greek, "But." In contrast to the greedy gain-seekers (1Ti 6:5). having--so long as we have food. (The Greek expresses "food sufficient in each case for our continually recurring wants"...
Gaius mine host, and--the host of the whole church--(See Ac 20:4). It would appear that he was one of only two persons whom Paul baptized with his own hand (compare 3Jo 1). His Christian...
law is not made for a righteous man--not for one standing by faith in the righteousness of Christ put on him for justification,and imparted inwardly by the Spirit for sanctification. "One not...
Nevertheless--Notwithstanding the subversion of their faith, "the firm foundation of God standeth" fast (so the Greek ought to be translated). The "foundation" here is "the Church" [Alford], "the...
For kings--an effectual confutation of the adversaries who accused the Christians of disaffection to the ruling powers (Ac 17:7; Ro13:1-7). all...in authority--literally, "in eminence"; in stations...
will be rich--have more than "food and raiment." Greek, "wish to be rich"; not merely are willing, but are resolved, and earnestly desire to have riches at any cost (Pr 28:20, 22). This wishing...
The deacons were at first appointed to distribute the charity of the church, and to manage its concerns, yet pastors and evangelists were among them. The deacons had a great trust reposed in...
Some oldest manuscripts read, "Pray ye also for (literally, 'concerning') us"; make us and our work the subject of your prayers, even as we have been just praying for you (1Th 5:23). Others omit...
The existence of Church organization and presbyters at Ephesus is presupposed (1Ti 5:17, 19). The institution of Church widows (1Ti5:3-25) accords with this. The directions here to Timothy, the...
The transition from the widow presbyteresses (1Ti 5:9) to the presbyters here, is natural. rule well--literally, "preside well," with wisdom, ability, and loving faithfulness, over the flock...
shun--literally, "stand above," separate from, and superior to. vain--opposed to "the truth" (2Ti 2:15). babblings--with loud voice: opposed to the temperate "word" (Tit 3:9). increase--Greek,...
their wives--rather, "the women," that is, the deaconesses. For there is no reason that special rules should be laid down as to the wives of the deacons, and not also as to the wives of the bishops...