Recent commentaries

The Law is Not Contrary to The Promise

Galatians 3:23–3:29
Paul continues his logical argument by spilling out briefly and clearly the purpose of the Law. First of all he says that before Christ we were kept under the Law which gives the idea of being surrounded and protected by prison guards (v. 23). He goes on to explain how the Law did not give life to Israel but it regulated life. He used ... Read more

The Law Was Temporary

Galatians 3:15–3:22
The Judaizers thought they had Paul backed into a corner. If salvation does not involve the law, then why was the law given in the first place? Our faith is a logical faith and can be defended on rational grounds. The law cannot change the promise (vv. 15-18). The Judaizers had been saying that the law was given and this changed ... Read more

Salvation is by Faith and Not by Law-Keeping

Galatians 3:10–3:14
In today’s passage, Paul tells us three things about those who rely on the law for salvation & three things about those who rely on Jesus ... Read more

Freedom From The Law

Galatians 3:1–3:9
Paul rebukes these Galatian believers for backsliding into false teaching. They had turned from the Gospel of Grace and were following the path of legalism. The key to verses 1-5 is the word suffered (v. 4), which can be translated “experienced.” To begin the personal argument Paul asks, “Have you experienced so many things in ... Read more

Salvation is Not of The Law

Galatians 2:15–2:21
The basis of salvation is the issue in this passage. Is salvation through Christ alone or does it come through Christ and adherence to the law. If observing the Jewish laws cannot justify us, why should we still obey the ten commandments and other Old Testament laws? Paul says we are Jews by ... Read more

Paul Confronts Peter About Hyprocrisy.

Galatians 2:11–2:14
Apparently sometime after the conference described in the previous verses, Peter came from Jerusalem to Antioch (v. 11). At first, he mingled freely with the Gentiles, enjoying their fellowship. Then some men from Jerusalem arrived who were following strict Jewish traditions ... Read more

Paul Goes to Jerusalem

Galatians 2:1–2:10
False teachers seemed to follow Paul everywhere he went. No sooner had he given out the gospel and people believed, than false teachers tried to discredit Paul’s message and challenge his authority. Paul’s coworkers in the Gospel were Barnabas, a circumcised Jew who was a great ... Read more

Paul explains his conversion

Galatians 1:18–1:24
Three years after Paul’s conversion he went to Jerusalem and visits with Peter. This was his first visit to this city as a Christian. He stayed fifteen days and only saw Peter and James (vv. 18-20). The Apostles were suspicious of him, and he had a tough time getting into the church fellowship! ... Read more

Paul’s Personal Testimony

Galatians 1:11–1:17
It seems that the Judaizers had called into question Paul’s authority to teach spiritual truths. Paul begins with a testimony of his past conduct as an unconverted Jewish rabbi (vv. 13-17). He told how he loved reli¬gion but hated Christians and persecuted them. In fact, it was religion that kept ... Read more

Paul Explaines His Authority

Galatians 1:1–1:10
Paul was accused by some Jewish Christians of diluting Christianity to make it more appealing to the Gentiles. Paul’s authority came from the following sources ... Read more

Jacob’s Burial and Joseph’s Promise

Genesis 50:1–50:26
The Egyptians were a very demonstrative people. They tore their clothes, smote their breasts, threw dust and mud on their heads and chanted funeral songs with the accompaniment of the tambourine. It was an astonishing sight for the local people. After weeping over his father’s dead body Joseph ... Read more

Jacob Blesses His Sons

Genesis 49:1–49:33
Jacob called his sons to his bedside and revealed the future of their descendance (vv. 1-2). Reuben was a man of dignity and power, but he was also unstable and unfit for leadership. Reuben’s descendance would be among the first taken into captivity. Simeon and Levi (vv. 5-7) were men ... Read more

Jacob Blesses Ephraim And Manasseh

Genesis 48:1–48:22
The news came to Joseph one day that his father was very sick. He immediately took his two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, to see his father (v. 1). Jacob sat up in bed and when Joseph presented his two sons to him the aged patriarch pronounced his blessing on them and gave them the inheritance ... Read more

Joseph’s Family Settles in Goshen

Genesis 47:1–47:31
All the brothers with their families and flocks settled down in the land of Goshen. Joseph introduces them to Pharaoh (vv. 1-2). Pharaoh asked them what they did for a living, and they reply that they have been shepherds all their lives. They formally asked permission to live in ... Read more