Or, Add to us faith.

See note Mark 1:40^1a.

This was their believing and obeying. Hence, they were cleansed.

Lit., saved.

See note Luke 4:43².

Indicating that the kingdom of God is not material but spiritual. It is the Savior in His first coming (vv. 21-22), in His second coming (vv. 23-30), in the rapture of His overcoming believers (vv. 31-36), and in His destroying of the Antichrist (v. 37) to recover the whole earth for His reign there (Rev. 11:15).

Verses 22-24 prove that the kingdom of God is the Savior Himself, who was among the Pharisees when He was questioned by them. Wherever the Savior is, there the kingdom of God is. The kingdom of God is with Him, and He brings it to His disciples (v. 22). He is the seed of the kingdom of God to be sown into God's chosen people to develop into God's ruling realm (see note Luke 4:43²). Since His resurrection He has been within His believers (John 14:20; Rom. 8:10). Hence, the kingdom of God is within the church today (Rom. 14:17).

Referring to the questioning Pharisees (v. 20). The Savior as the kingdom of God was not within them but only in the midst of them.

This indicates the Savior's absence. During His absence, the world, having rejected Him, will be an evil generation, living in the indulgence of lust (vv. 23-30), and an opponent of His followers, persecuting them because of their testimony concerning Him (Luke 18:1-8). Hence, His followers need to overcome the stupefying effect of the world's indulgent living by losing their soul-life in this age (vv. 31-33). Also, they need to deal with the world's persecution by being long-suffering and praying persistently in faith (Luke 18:7-8), that they may be raptured as overcomers and enter into the enjoyment of the kingdom of God at the Savior's coming back (vv. 34-37).

See note Matt. 24:27¹.

Lit., under.

For vv. 26-27, see notes in Matt. 24:37-39.

The conditions of evil living that stupefied the generation of Noah before the deluge and the generation of Lot before the destruction of Sodom portray the perilous condition of man's living before the Lord's parousia (presence, coming) and the great tribulation (Matt. 24:3, 21). To participate in the overcomers' rapture that we may enjoy the Lord's parousia and escape the great tribulation, we must overcome the stupefying effect of man's living today.

To linger in the earthly and material things will cause us to miss the overcomers' rapture revealed in vv. 34-36.

Lot's wife became a pillar of salt because she took a lingering look backward at Sodom, indicating that she loved and treasured the evil world that God was going to judge and utterly destroy. She was rescued from Sodom, but she did not reach the safe place that Lot reached (Gen. 19:15-30). She did not perish; neither was she fully saved. Like the salt that becomes tasteless (Luke 14:34-35 and note Luke 14:34²) she was left in a place of shame. This is a solemn warning to the world-loving believers.

See note Matt. 10:39¹. Preserving our soul-life is related to lingering in the earthly and material things, as mentioned in v. 31. We linger in the earthly things because we care for our soul's enjoyment in this age. This will cause us to lose our soul; that is, our soul will suffer the loss of its enjoyment in the coming kingdom age.

For vv. 34-36, see notes in Matt. 24:40-41. In these verses the rapture of the overcoming believers is revealed. It will occur secretly and unexpectedly, at night for certain believers who are sleeping, and in the daytime for certain sisters grinding at home and certain brothers working in the field. They are chosen because they have overcome the stupefying effect of the age. In Luke 14:25-35 the Savior charges us to pay the price, insofar as we are able, that we may follow Him. In Luke 16:1-13 He charges us to overcome mammon that we may serve Him prudently as faithful stewards. In vv. 22-37 of this chapter, He charges us to overcome the stupefying effect of self-indulgent living in this age that we may be raptured into the enjoyment of His parousia (presence, coming). All these charges are related to the believers' overcoming in their practical living.

This is the rapture of the overcomers (see note Luke 21:36²), who do not preserve their soul-life by loving the worldly things of this age (vv. 26-32).

I.e., corpse. See note Matt. 24:28^1a.

Some MSS omit this verse.