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Verse 4:"You are of God, little children; and you have overcome them because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world." We do not have to search elsewhere, for He is already in us. We overcome because the One who is in us is greater than the evil spirits. We do not have to be afraid of the world, because what is in the world is only the evil spirits.
Verse 5:"They are of the world; therefore they speak out of the world, and the world hears them." Those who can gain the majority of the world to hear them and who themselves remain part of the world must have some problems with them; they must be of the evil spirits.
Verse 6:"We are of God; he who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. From this we know the Spirit of truth and the spirit of deception." Those who would not follow the teaching of the apostles and, in particular, the teaching of John, are those who willingly follow the spirit of deception.
Verse 7:"Beloved, let us love one another, because love is of God, and everyone who loves has been begotten of God and knows God." Love is the greatest test.
Verses 8-13:"He who does not love has not known God, because God is love. In this the love of God was manifested among us, that God sent His only begotten Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him. Herein is love, not that we have loved God but that He loved us and sent His Son as a propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God has loved us in this way, we also ought to love one another. No one has beheld God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. In this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, that He has given to us of His Spirit."
Who is love? God.
Who has loved us? God.
What is love? God sending His Son as a propitiation.
Where is love manifested? In His sending of His Son into the world that we might have life and live through Him.
What does love inspire us to do? We should love one another.
How do we love God perfectly? Love one another.
Verse 25:"And as he was reasoning concerning righteousness and self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became afraid and answered, Go for the present, and when I have an opportunity, I will call for you." He was "afraid" and postponed the question of salvation to a later day, thus missing his chance! Now is the most convenient time. If now is not convenient, never will it be "convenient." It is either now or never.
Verse 26:"Hoping at the same time also that money would be given to him by Paul. Therefore he also sent for him more frequently and conversed with him." The other day he did not want to receive the word of the Lord, but this day he wanted money! Even if he did get Paul to come, his seeking heart for the word had died already.
Verse 4:"Festus therefore answered that Paul was being kept in custody in Caesarea, and that he himself was about to proceed there shortly." The way the Lord protected His servant was wonderful! Prior to this (23:12), the Jews plotted against him, and the nephew of Paul came and informed the people. Although this time no one knew their plan, the Lord caused Festus to refuse their suggestion. "All things work together for good" (Rom. 8:28).
Verse 2:"Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land of your habitations, which I am giving to you." The Lord was now rejecting the disobedient people and was casting them aside. He was now revealing to Moses how the Israelites who would go into Canaan should act. These ordinances were to have nothing to do with these hundreds of thousands of people!
Verse 5:"And when both Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul was constrained by the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ." Compare this verse with 17:16: "And while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he beheld that the city was full of idols." Wherever a believer is, among other believers or by himself, he should have the same earnestness for the salvation of others.
Verse 7:"And he left there and went into the house of one named Titius Justus, one who worshipped God, whose house was next to the synagogue." There are not many who worship God whose homes are close to the synagogue.
Verse 8:"And Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with his whole household; and many of the Corinthians, when they heard, believed and were baptized." Believe and be baptized.
Verse 2:"And he said to them, Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed? And they said to him, On the contrary, we did not even hear whether there is a Holy Spirit." This does not mean that they did not have the Holy Spirit, for as soon as they had believed, they had received the Holy Spirit already (see Rom. 8:9). This is saying that they had not received the Holy Spirit in the way that it was received on the day of Pentecost.
Verse 3:"For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome." Our faith has much to do with our conduct.
Verse 11:"For he who says to him, Rejoice, shares in his evil works." Christians should not have anything to do with those who preach heresy.
Verse 1:"After these things I saw, and behold, a door opened in heaven, and the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, Come up here, and I will show you the things that must take place after these things." Many people are no longer able to hear God's first voice to them. "The things that must take place after these things." Hence, all the things after chapter four are prophecies, and they are not yet fulfilled.
Verse 3:"And no one in heaven nor on the earth nor under the earth was able to open the scroll or look into it." The angels in heaven, the human beings on earth, and the demons under the earth have all been defeated! Only the Lamb is victorious as God in heaven, man on earth, and among the dead ones in Hades. He is worthy. He is Head over all things.
Verse 2:"This is the statute of the law which Jehovah has commanded, saying, Tell the sons of Israel to bring you a red heifer without blemish, in which there is no defect, and upon which a yoke has never come." The ashes of the red heifer signifies the cleansing away of the sins of those who have been saved. This signifies the aspect of the daily cleansing of the believers by the precious blood of the Lord.
Verse 13:"Whoever touches a dead person, the body of any man who has died, and does not purify himself, defiles the tabernacle of Jehovah, and that person shall be cut off from Israel; because the water for impurity was not sprinkled upon him, he shall be unclean; his uncleanness is still on him." The ashes (v. 9) for the purification denote the cross. The living water denotes the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit applies the work of the cross on the sinning believers.
Verse 20:"But the man who is unclean and does not purify himself, that person shall be cut off from the midst of the congregation, for he has defiled the sanctuary of Jehovah. The water for impurity has not been sprinkled upon him; he is unclean." Believers should not sin. If unfortunately they do sin, they should confess their sins and ask for the cleansing of the Lord's precious blood (1 John 1:7-9). Otherwise, they "shall be cut off from the midst of the congregation." This does not mean eternal perdition because the effect of the blood of the Passover lamb is still with them. This only means that they will be removed from the midst of the congregation of God's holy people. The eternal life which they have received through grace still remains, but they have lost their fellowship with God, their communion with the saints, and their reward as God's people.
Verse 28:"A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly." Such an act is forbidden even if it is done in the name of the Lord.
Verse 9:"He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor." May all the parents always practice this verse!
Verses 2-3:"Thus says Jehovah, Stand in the court of the house of Jehovah and speak to all the cities of Judah, who come to worship in the house of Jehovah, all the words which I command you to speak to them, and do not take away a word. Perhaps they will listen and turn, every one from his evil way, that I may repent of the evil which I intend to do to them because of the evil of their deeds." "Perhaps" --this is a hope. Only by preaching faithfully the whole counsel of God can we hope to save others.
Verse 14:"As for me, behold, I am in your hands; do with me as is good and right in your eyes." How faithful are the words in verses 12 and 13. "As for me" --if it pleases God that everyone repents, His mission is fulfilled, and it is all right even if I die. This is indeed the "testimony" of those who "loved not their soul-life even unto death" (Rev. 12:11).
Verse 15:"Only know for certain that if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood upon yourselves and upon this city and upon her inhabitants; for truly Jehovah has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears." This is not his self-pitying, but a concern for the future of those who tried to take his life. What a love this is! This is not a threat of anger which says, "Kill me..and you will see...."
Verses 23-24:"And they brought Uriah out of Egypt and brought him to King Jehoiakim, and he struck him with the sword and threw his corpse into the graves of the common people. Nevertheless the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, so that he was not given into the hands of the people to put him to death." To the Lord, the testimony of the martyr and that of the living prophets are equally precious.
Verse 1:"And when He came down from the mountain, great crowds followed Him." Many were those who followed, but few were there who were true worshippers of the Lord! In fact there was only one.
Verses 8-10:"But the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not fit for You to enter under my roof; but only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, Go, and he goes; and to another, Come, and he comes; and to my slave, Do this, and he does it. Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who followed, Truly I say to you, With no one in Israel have I found such great faith." Faith is not what we see. The Lord's word does not depend on human feelings. Faith is to care for nothing else and to take the Lord's word as real.
Verses 31-34:"And the demons entreated Him, saying, If You cast us out, send us into the herd of hogs. And He said to them, Go! And they came out and went into the hogs. And behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep slope into the sea, and they died in the waters. And those who were feeding them fled and went away into the city and reported everything, including what had happened to those possessed by demons. And behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus; and when they saw Him, they entreated Him to depart from their borders." Here are two entreaties: the demons entreated that they be allowed to enter the hogs, and men entreated that the Savior leave them.
Verses 20-24:"Then He began to reproach the cities in which most of His works of power took place, because they did not repent: Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the works of power which took place in you had taken place in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say to you, It will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, who have been exalted to heaven, to Hades you will be brought down. For if the works of power which took place in you had taken place in Sodom, it would have remained until today. But I say to you that it will be more tolerable for the land of Sodom in the day of judgment than for you." The Lord is showing us clearly here the vanity of the result of social services. Who can serve more powerfully than Christ did? Yet what was the result? He had to rebuke the ones whom He served! The Lord's commandment at present is not to do social service, but to preach the gospel to all nations.
Verses 21, 28:"From that time Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and on the third day be raised." "Truly I say to you, There are some of those standing here who shall by no means taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom." The cross is related to the kingdom. Verse 21 is a prophecy, whereas verse 28 is a revelation.
Verse 27:"For the Son of Man is to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will repay each man according to his doings." "Doings" refers to the act of saving one's soul-life or losing one's soul-life in verse 25.
Verse 8:"And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one except Jesus Himself alone." Do not say too quickly, "Hear Him," for this hearing may refer to 16:21.
Verses 1-2:"And Jesus came out from the temple and was going away, and His disciples came to Him to show Him the buildings of the temple. But He answered and said to them, Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone, which shall not be thrown down." How cold is our Lord toward the world! The temple can be compared to the world. He passed through this world without giving heed to it. The disciples, on the other hand, were drawn to the beauty and attractive things of the world. There is a reason for the Lord's coldness; He knew that the world would be destroyed. "Since all these things are to be thus dissolved, what kind of persons ought you to be in holy manner of life and godliness" (2 Pet. 3:11). Men love the world because they think that the world will last forever. Little do they realize that the heaven and the earth will be annulled. Blessed are those who understand 1 John 2:17!
Verse 3:"For the foolish, when they took their lamps, did not take oil with them." The foolish ones are foolish not because they have not prepared the oil. The failure to prepare the oil is only a manifestation of their foolishness.
Verse 4:"But the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps." How troublesome it is to have another extra vessel! The world's tone is always, "Why bother to serve the Lord so seriously?"
Verses 69-75:"Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him and said, You also were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied it before all, saying, I do not know what you are talking about! And after he had gone out to the porch, another girl saw him and said to those who were there, This man was with Jesus the Nazarene. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man! And after a little while those who were standing there came to Peter and said, Surely you also are one of them, for your speech also makes it clear that you are. Then he began to curse and to swear: I do not know the man! And immediately a rooster crowed. And Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said, Before a rooster crows, you will deny Me three times. And he went out and wept bitterly." Perhaps Peter thought that it was better to deny the Lord and save his life for future use, rather than confess the Lord and lose his life then! Little did he realize that this was a mournful act (v. 75).
Verse 4:"Saying, I have sinned in betraying innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? You see to that yourself!" Judas knew his sins but would not trust in the Lord's grace. This made him a "son of perdition."
Verse 18:"For he knew that it was because of envy that they had delivered Him up." The sin of Pilate!
Verses 13-14:"Foods are for the stomach, and the stomach for foods; but God will bring to nought both it and them. But the body is not for fornication but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God has both raised up the Lord and will raise us up through His power." Food and the stomach --both will perish. The Lord and the body --both have gone through or will go through resurrection.
Verse 15:"Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Absolutely not!" Food and the stomach are joined as one. In the same way our body and the Lord are also joined as one; we are the members of His Body.
Verse 16:"Or do you not know that he who is joined to a prostitute is one body? For He says, `The two shall be one flesh.'" Those who are joined to a prostitute, like food joined to the stomach, will become one body with her.
Verses 1-2:"Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. If anyone thinks that he knows anything, he has not yet come to know as he ought to know." Knowledge is versus love. Man has nothing to boast of concerning what he knows, for he still does not know what he ought to know. However, knowledge always puffs up, whereas love builds up. When there is love, one does not care for what he knows; rather, he takes care of others' ignorance and will not cause others to stumble through his own liberty.
Verse 3:"But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him." The greatest love is the love to God, and the greatest knowledge is to be known by God.
Verse 12:"And sinning in this way against the brothers and wounding their weak conscience, you sin against Christ." Those who wound others have wounded Christ. To put it another way, those who love others love God. Those who love God have the real knowledge (v. 3). Hence, those who have caused others to stumble through their knowledge are not loving others; they do not love God, and they are void of knowledge.
Verses 9-10:"For in the law of Moses it is written: `You shall not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain.' Is it for oxen that God cares? Or does He say it altogether for our sake? Yes, for our sake it was written because the plowman should plow in hope, and he who threshes, in hope of partaking." This is the way to interpret the Old Testament.
Verse 19:"For though I am free from all, I have enslaved myself to all that I might gain the more." All those who truly love the Lord have such experience.
Verse 4:"And all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of a spiritual rock which followed them, and the rock was Christ." "Followed them." Where God's people are, there is God's Christ also. Although they were wandering in the wilderness, He had not forsaken them. What grace this is!
