A Scriptural Response to:  Are Catholics 'saved'? by Thomas Smith, a Catholic Publication, Faith Matters.  1300 S. Steele St., Denver, Co. 80210.

The term "born again"--our culture has used it to describe everything from foods to fads:  "born again hot dogs", "born again careers", "born again workouts".  What does it mean?  The words of our Lord spoken to Nichodemus mean more that what the culture implies.  Like religious leaders of today, Nichodemus knew only legalism and tradition but he did not know the Lord Jesus, the only One who can save. 

Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee. Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God [John 3:3].
This is the reason I think he came to talk about the kingdom of God. I see no other reason why our Lord would almost abruptly interrupt him and say to him, “The thing is, you can’t even see the kingdom of God except you’ve been born again.” Now here is a man, a Pharisee, who is religious to his fingertips, and yet our Lord told him he couldn’t see the kingdom of God except he be born again. If this man came to talk about the kingdom and the establishing of it, which I think he did, then certainly this statement of our Lord detoured him. So now he drops the mask of the man of the Pharisees, but he is still a ruler of the Jews.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:383
3:3 born again. The phrase lit. means "born from above." Jesus answered a question that Nicodemus does not even ask. He read Nicodemus’ heart and came to the very core of his problem, i.e., the need for spiritual transformation or regeneration produced by the Holy Spirit. New birth is an act of God whereby eternal life is imparted to the believer (2 Cor. 5:17; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:3; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1, 4, 18). Chapter 1:12, 13 indicates that "born again" also carries the idea "to become children of God" through trust in the name of the incarnate Word. cannot see the kingdom of God. In context, this is primarily a reference to participation in the millennial kingdom at the end of the age, fervently anticipated by the Pharisees and other Jews. Since the Pharisees were supernaturalists, they naturally and eagerly expected the coming of the prophesied resurrection of the saints and institution of the messianic kingdom (Is. 11:1–16; Dan. 12:2). Their problem was that they thought that mere physical lineage and keeping of religious externals qualified them for entrance into the kingdom rather than the needed spiritual transformation which Jesus emphasized (cf. 8:33–39; Gal. 6:15). The coming of the kingdom at the end of the age can be described as the "regeneration" of the world (Matt. 19:28) but regeneration of the individual is required before the end of the world in order to enter the kingdom.
lit. literally
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Jn 3:3

 

3:3. But Jesus was not on the same level with Nicodemus. He is “from above” (anōthen; v. 31); therefore Nicodemus must be born “from above” (v. 3, niv marg.; anōthen). To be born again or born “from above” (anōthen has both meanings; e.g., “from above” in 19:11 and “again” in Gal. 4:9) is to have a spiritual transformation which takes a person out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God (cf. Col. 1:13). The kingdom is the sphere or realm of God’s authority and blessing which is now invisible but will be manifested on earth (Matt. 6:10).
v. verse
marg. margin, marginal reading
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:281
 

And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come [Matt. 24:14].

The gospel of the kingdom is what John the Baptist preached—“Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2). And the Lord Jesus began His ministry with that message—“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17). Also, He sent His apostles out with that message (see Matt. 10). But in Matthew 11:28, we saw that our Lord’s message changed to “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” And in Matthew 20:28 He said that He had come to give His life a ransom for many. But during the Tribulation Period the gospel of the kingdom will again be preached. It is not for our day, because we are to preach the gospel of the grace of God. Is the gospel of the kingdom another gospel? No, my friend, it is not. It is the same gospel with a different emphasis. We have no right to say that the kingdom of heaven is at hand because we don’t know. But when the Great Tribulation Period begins, the people will know that they are close to the end, although they will not know the day nor the hour. Therefore, the message will be, “Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Now let me answer our critics who say that we who hold the dispensational view of Scripture teach that there are two or more ways of being saved. No, God has never had more than one basis on which He saves men, and that basis is the cross of Christ. Every offering before Christ came looked forward to the cross of Christ, and every commemoration since He has come looks back to the cross of Christ.
To illustrate this, let’s go back to Genesis 4 and look at the offering which Abel brought to God. He brought a little lamb. If you had been there, you could have asked Abel, “Why are you bringing this little lamb? Do you think that a little lamb will take away your sins?” He would have said, “Of course not! I’m bringing this little lamb because God told me to do so. I am bringing it by faith.” Then you could have asked him, “Well, if it won’t take away your sins, why would He ask you to bring it?” Abel’s answer would have been something like this: “This little lamb is pointing to One who is coming later, the seed of the woman, my mother. That One will take away our sins. I bring this little lamb by faith, recognizing that I am a sinner and need a substitute.” You see, Abel was looking forward to the One who was coming.
John the Baptist not only said, “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 3:2), but he also said, “… Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). John identified Him. Before the coming of Christ everyone who had come to God on His terms was saved on credit. And they were forgiven on the basis of the death of Christ. In the Old Testament God never saved anyone by Law. At the heart of the Mosaic system was the sacrificial system. They brought a lamb to God because the Law revealed that they were lawbreakers, that they were not obeying God, and that they did need to have a substitute to pay the penalty of their sins. The Law was given “… that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God” (Rom. 3:19). My friend, you and I are lawbreakers, we are sinners needing a Savior. The thing to do is to receive Christ as your Savior before He comes as the Sovereign of this universe when He will be your Judge.
Now, going back to the verse we have been considering, “this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” This does not mean that while the church is here in the world the end can’t come until the gospel of the grace of God is preached worldwide. I know there are those who use this verse to promote their Bible-teaching programs. While it is laudable to want to get the gospel to the ends of the earth, this is not the verse to use to promote it. You see, my friend, it is important to interpret Scripture in its context. Remember that our Lord is answering the question, “What is the sign of the end of the age?” (see v. 3). He is speaking of that end time.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:127-128

 

24:14 preached in all the world. Despite all the tribulations that would come—the deception of false teachers, the wars, persecutions, natural disasters, defections from Christ, and all the obstacles to the spread of the gospel—the message ultimately penetrates every part of the globe. God is never without a witness, and He will proclaim the gospel from heaven itself if necessary (cf. Rev. 14:6). and then the end will come. “The end” refers to the final, excruciating birth pangs (see note on v. 8). This is how Christ characterizes the time of Great Tribulation described in the verses that follow.
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Mt 24:14

 

24:9-14 (Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-19). Jesus began His words (Matt. 24:9) with a time word, Then. At the middle point of the seven-year period preceding Christ’s second coming, great distress will begin to be experienced by Israel. The Antichrist, who will have risen to power in the world and will have made a protective treaty with Israel, will break his agreement at that time (Dan. 9:27). He will bring great persecution on Israel (Dan. 7:25) and even establish his own center of worship in the temple in Jerusalem (2 Thes. 2:3-4). This will result in the death of many Jews (Matt. 24:9) and many people departing from the faith. Believing Jews will be betrayed by nonbelievers (v. 10), and many will be deceived by rising false prophets (cf. v. 5; Rev. 13:11-15). Wickedness will increase, causing the love of most people (for the Lord) to grow cold.
Those who remain faithful to the Lord until the end of that period of time will be saved, that is, delivered (Matt. 24:13). This does not refer to a personal self-effort at endurance that results in one’s eternal salvation, but to physical deliverance of those who trust in the Savior during the Tribulation. They will enter the kingdom in physical bodies.
Also the gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world during this period as a testimony to all nations. Though this will be a terrible time of persecution, the Lord will have servants who will witness and spread the good news concerning Christ and His soon-coming kingdom. This message will be similar to that preached by John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel, but this message will clearly identify Jesus in His true character as the coming Messiah. This is not exactly the same message the church is proclaiming today. The message preached today in the Church Age and the message proclaimed in the Tribulation period calls for turning to the Savior for salvation. However, in the Tribulation the message will stress the coming kingdom, and those who then turn to the Savior for salvation will be allowed entrance into the kingdom. Apparently many will respond to that message (cf. Rev. 7:9-10).
v. verse
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:76

 

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved [Mark 13:13].
There will be worldwide anti-Semitism in that day. But when God puts His seal upon them in that day, they are going to make it through to the end.
And now we come to a very dramatic part.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:218

 

13:13 endures to the end shall be saved. See note on Matt. 24:13. This endurance does not produce salvation; it is Spirit-empowered perseverance and proof of the reality of salvation in the one who endures. Christ will eventually deliver such believers out of the present evil system into God’s eternal kingdom (cf. Matt. 10:22).
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Mk 13:13

 

13:12-13. Opposition will come through official channels (vv. 9, 11) and also through close personal relationships. It will be so severe that family members—brother versus brother, father versus child, and children versus parents—will betray (from paradidōmi; cf. vv. 9, 11) each other to hostile authorities, thereby causing Christian members to be put to death. Because of their allegiance to Jesus (lit., “on account of My name”; cf. v. 9), His disciples will be hated continually by all men, that is, all kinds of people, not just hostile authorities or family members (cf. Phil. 1:29; 3:11; Col. 1:24; 1 Peter 4:16). He who stands firm (lit., “he who has endured,” viewing one’s life as completed), who has remained loyal to Jesus Christ and the gospel (cf. Mark 8:35) to the end (eis telos, adverbial phrase; an idiom meaning “completely, to the limit”; cf. John 13:1; 1 Thes. 2:16) of his life on earth, will be saved (cf. Mark 8:35; 10:26-27). This “saved” one will experience God’s salvation in its final form—glorification (contrast usage in 13:20; cf. Heb. 9:27-28). Perseverance is a result and outward sign, not the basis, of spiritual genuineness (cf. Rom. 8:29-30; 1 John 2:19). A person genuinely saved by grace through faith (cf. Eph. 2:8-10) endures to the end and will experience the consummation of his salvation.
These words of warning were pertinent to Mark’s Roman readers who were threatened by persecution for their allegiance to Jesus. Such suffering could be more readily endured when viewed in the context of God’s plan for worldwide evangelism and vindication. (Cf. comments on Matt. 24:13.)
c.     Jesus’ portrayal of the coming crisis (13:14-23) (Matt. 24:15-28; Luke 21:20-24).
Jesus then answered the disciples’ second question (Mark 13:4b) positively (vv. 14-23).
Some interpreters limit the events of this section to the chaotic years preceding Jerusalem’s fall (a.d. 66-70). Others relate them exclusively to the Great Tribulation at the end of this Age. But the details suggest that both events are in view (cf. Matt. 24:15-16, 29-31; Luke 21:20-28). The conquest of Jerusalem is theologically (not chronologically) attached to the end-time events (cf. Dan. 9:26-27; Luke 21:24). The expression “the abomination that causes desolation” is the link between the historical and eschatological perspectives (cf. Dan. 11:31 with Dan. 9:27; 12:11). These “near” tribulations foreshadowed the “far” Tribulation of the end time.
vv. verses
cf. confer, compare
lit. literal, literally
v. verse
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:168
 

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble [James 2:19].

Lip service is not the evidence of saving faith—even the demons believe.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:651

 

2:19 You believe that there is one God. A clear reference to the passage most familiar to his Jewish readers: the Shema (Deut. 6:4,5), the most basic doctrine of the OT. demons believe. Even fallen angels affirm the oneness of God and tremble at its implications. Demons are essentially orthodox in their doctrine (cf. Matt. 8:29,30; Mark 5:7; Luke 4:41; Acts 19:15). But orthodox doctrine by itself is no proof of saving faith. They know the truth about God, Christ, and the Spirit, but hate it and them.
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Jas 2:19
2:19. It may be well to include even verse 19 as part of the respondent’s argument: You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder. If so, he may be a typical Gentile believer who attacked the creedal belief of monotheism accepted by all Jews. He was saying, to “believe” in one God may be good so far as it goes, but it does not go far enough. The demons do that. In fact not only do they believe (the same verb, pisteuō); they even “shudder,” or “bristle up” (phrissousin, an onomatopoeic verb used only here in the NT). The “belief” in one God may not be “trust” in that God. Unless it is “trust,” it is not true faith and will not be evidenced in good works.
In other words the respondent is saying, “Faith is not the key; what counts is works.” Thus the respondent has gone too far. James did not say that works are essential to faith, or that faith is unimportant. His argument was that works are evidence of faith.
Other writers understand this passage to mean that James (v. 18b) challenged the “someone” to show his faith without deeds—the point being that it cannot be done! James, however, said that faith can be demonstrated (only) by what one does (v. 18c). The demons’ “belief” in God is inadequate. Such a so-called but unreal faith is obviously unaccompanied by deeds on their parts.
NT New Testament
v. verse
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:826

 

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only [James 2:21–24].
Paul said that Abraham was justified by faith (see Rom. 4:3), and Genesis tells us that he was justified by faith (see Gen. 15:6; 22:1–14). Was Abraham justified when he offered his son Isaac? The question is: Did he offer his son Isaac? And the answer is: No, he didn’t. Then what was Abraham’s work of faith? How did works save him? His faith caused him to lift that knife to do a thing which he did not believe God would ever ask him to do. But since God had asked him, he was willing to do it. He believed that God would raise Isaac from the dead. Abraham never actually offered Isaac, because God provided a substitute, but he would have done it if God had not stopped him.
This is a choice illustration of the fact that you demonstrate your faith by your actions. The action of this man was that he believed God.
James uses a second illustration—
Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way? [James 2:25].
How was Rahab justified by works? She received the Israelite spies, concealed them from her own people, then told them how to escape without being detected (see Josh. 2). That woman living there in the city of Jericho jeopardized her life by turning her back on her old life and on her own people. What was gain to her became loss. She did not say to the Israelite spies, “I’ll just stand on the sidelines when you enter the city and sing, ‘Praise God from whom all blessings flow.’” She did not just say, “Jesus saves and keeps and satisfies.” She did not say, “Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!” She said to them, “I’m going to do something. I will hide you because I believe God is going to give the people of Israel this land. We have been hearing about you for forty years, and I believe God.” My friend, she believed God, and she became involved. She was justified before God by her faith: “By faith the harlot Rahab perished not with them that believed not, when she had received the spies with peace” (Heb. 11:31). However, before her own people and before the Israelites, she was justified by works.
Many years ago I went to a nursery and bought a bare root which was labeled “Santa Rosa plum.” It wasn’t even as big as a broom handle, and it looked no more alive than a broom handle. I was told to put it in the ground in a certain way, and I did that. I watched it, and the next spring it began to shoot out leaves. In three years them were blossoms on it, and then there was fruit. Do you know what kind of fruit was on that tree? Plums. The root of that tree was a plum root.
Faith is the root, and the root produces the kind of fruit that the root itself is. If you have a living faith, there is going to be fruit in your life. Paul says, “Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves …” (2 Cor. 13:5).
And James continues—
For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also [James 2:26].
Faith without works is like a dead body in a morgue. James said that; Paul said that, and Vernon McGee believes both of them because they are giving us God’s Word for it.

 

2:22 was made perfect. This refers to bringing something to its end, or to its fullness. Just as a fruit tree has not arrived at its goal until it bears fruit, faith has not reached its end until it demonstrates itself in a righteous life.
2:23 the Scripture … says. Quoted from Gen. 15:6; see notes on Rom. 4:1–5. friend of God. Abraham is so called in 2 Chr. 20:7 and Is. 41:8 because of his obedience (John 15:14,15).
2:24 justified by works, and not by faith only. See note on v. 21.
2:25 Rahab the harlot. The OT records the content of her faith, which was the basis of her justification before God (see note on Josh. 2:11). She demonstrated the reality of her saving faith when, at great personal risk she protected the messengers of God (Josh. 2:4,15; 6:17; cf. Heb. 11:31). James did not intend, however, for those words to be a commendation of her occupation or her lying. justified by works. See note on v. 21.
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Jas 2:22

 

2:22-24. James emphasized the joint role of faith and . . . actions . . . working together. Faith is the force behind the deed. The deed is the finality of the faith. The verb translated was made complete (eteleiōthē) means to “carry to the end.” Faith finds fulfillment in action. So it was with Abraham. James and Paul quoted the same passage—Genesis 15:6—to prove their points (cf. Rom. 4:3). Paul said that Abraham was justified by faith, and James said that Abraham was justified by faith evidenced by what he did.
2:25. In the same way (lit., “and likewise also”; homoiōs de kai) was not even Rahab declared righteous for her actions in welcoming the spies (angelous, “messengers”) and helping them escape? (Josh. 2; 6)
2:26. The conclusion is most clear. Faith and deeds are as essential to each other as the body and the spirit. Apart from (chōris) the spirit, or the “breath” (pneumatos) of life, the body is dead. Apart from (chōris) the evidence of works, faith may be deemed dead. It is not the real thing. True faith continually contributes to spiritual growth and development.
Not only is a believer to stand confidently on God’s Word even in the midst of trials and temptations (chap. 1), but also he must serve his brothers and sisters in Christ (chap. 2). He is to accept all members of God’s family without favoritism (vv. 1-13) and to aid the family with a working faith (vv. 14-26). To gain spiritual maturity a believer must be what God wants him to be and do what God wants him to do.
cf. confer, compare
lit. literal, literally
chap. chapter
vv. verses
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:826
 

For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision; but faith which worketh by love [Gal. 5:6].

No legal apparatus will produce a Christian life. The formula is simple: “faith which worketh by love.” As we advance in Galatians, Paul will give us the modus operandi, but let us remember that it is a simple formula: “Faith which worketh by love.” That is the way to live the Christian life. Faith will work by love. Love will be the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:185

5:6 neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything. Cf. 6:15. Nothing done or not done in the flesh, even religious ceremony, makes any difference in one’s relationship to God. What is external is immaterial and worthless, unless it reflects genuine internal righteousness (cf. Rom. 2:25–29). faith working through love. Saving faith proves its genuine character by works of love. The one who lives by faith is internally motivated by love for God and Christ (cf. Matt. 22:37–40), which supernaturally issues forth in reverent worship, genuine obedience, and self-sacrificing love for others.

MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Ga 5:6

 

5:6. For those in Christ Jesus, the true sphere of salvation, neither circumcision nor the lack of it is of any significance (cf. 3:28; 6:15). What matters is faith expressing itself through love (cf. 5:13). Though salvation is by faith apart from works, faith that is genuine does work itself out “through love” (cf. Eph. 2:10; James 2:14-18).
4.     turning to law hinders the progress of believers (5:7-10).
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:605

 

Then Peter said unto them. Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost [Acts 2:38].
This is for a people who had the Word of God, who had heard the message, who knew the prophecies. They had been going along in one direction, which was away from God, even though they had a God-given religion. They are told to repent. They are to turn around and come God’s way.
Peter says to them, “Repent, and be baptized.” Water baptism would be the evidence that they had repented, that they had come to Christ and had put their trust in Him.
Peter says to them, “Be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins. This will be an evidence that you have trusted Him for the remission of your sins—rather than bringing a sacrifice to be offered in the temple.” You see, their baptism would be a testimony to the fact that Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
“And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Anyone who believes, who puts his trust in Jesus Christ, will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:521

 

2:38 Repent. This refers to a change of mind and purpose that turns an individual from sin to God (1 Thess. 1:9). Such change involves more than fearing the consequences of God’s judgment. Genuine repentance knows that the evil of sin must be forsaken and the person and work of Christ totally and singularly embraced. Peter exhorted his hearers to repent, otherwise they would not experience true conversion (see note on Matt. 3:2; cf. 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 17:30; 20:21; 26:20; Matt. 4:17). be baptized. This Gr. word lit. means “be dipped or immersed” in water. Peter was obeying Christ’s command from Matt. 28:19 and urging the people who repented and turned to the Lord Christ for salvation to identify, through the waters of baptism, with His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. 19:5; Rom. 6:3, 4; 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; see notes on Matt. 3:2). This is the first time the apostles publicly enjoined people to obey that ceremony. Prior to this, many Jews had experienced the baptism of John the Baptist, (see notes on Matt. 3:1–3) and were also familiar with the baptism of Gentile converts to Judaism (proselytes). in the name of Jesus Christ. For the new believer, it was a crucial but costly identification to accept. for the remission of sins. This might better be translated “because of the remission of sins.” Baptism does not produce forgiveness and cleansing from sin. See notes on 1 Pet. 3:20, 21. The reality of forgiveness precedes the rite of baptism (v. 41). Genuine repentance brings from God the forgiveness (remission) of sins (cf. Eph. 1:7), and because of that the new believer was to be baptized. Baptism, however, was to be the ever-present act of obedience, so that it became synonymous with salvation. Thus to say one was baptized for forgiveness was the same as saying one was saved. See note on “one baptism” in Eph. 4:5. Every believer enjoys the complete remission of sins (Matt. 26:28; Luke 24:47; Eph. 1:7; Col. 2:13; 1 John 2:12). the gift of the Holy Spirit. See notes on 1:5, 8.
Gr. Greek
lit. literally
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Ac 2:38

 

2:38-39. Peter’s answer was forthright. First they were to repent. This verb (metanoēsate) means “change your outlook,” or “have a change of heart; reverse the direction of your life.” This obviously results in a change of conduct, but the emphasis is on the mind or outlook. The Jews had rejected Jesus; now they were to trust in Him. Repentance was repeatedly part of the apostles’ message in Acts (v. 38; 3:19; 5:31; 8:22; 11:18; 13:24; 17:30; 19:4; 20:21; 26:20).
A problem revolves around the command “be baptized” and its connection with the remainder of 2:38. There are several views: (1) One is that both repentance and baptism result in remission of sins. In this view, baptism is essential for salvation. The problem with this interpretation is that elsewhere in Scripture forgiveness of sins is based on faith alone (John 3:16, 36; Rom. 4:1-17; 11:6; Gal. 3:8-9; Eph. 2:8-9; etc.). Furthermore Peter, the same speaker, later promised forgiveness of sins on the basis of faith alone (Acts 5:31; 10:43; 13:38; 26:18).
(2) A second interpretation translates 2:38, “Be baptized . . . on the basis of the remission of your sins.” The preposition used here is eis which, with the accusative case, may mean “on account of, on the basis of.” It is used in this way in Matthew 3:11; 12:41; and Mark 1:4. Though it is possible for this construction to mean “on the basis of,” this is not its normal meaning; eis with the accusative case usually describes purpose or direction.
(3) A third view takes the clause and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ as parenthetical. Several factors support this interpretation: (a) The verb makes a distinction between singular and plural verbs and nouns. The verb “repent” is plural and so is the pronoun “your” in the clause so that your sins may be forgiven (lit., “unto the remission of your sins,” eis aphesin tōn hamartiōn hymōn). Therefore the verb “repent” must go with the purpose of forgiveness of sins. On the other hand the imperative “be baptized” is singular, setting it off from the rest of the sentence. (b) This concept fits with Peter’s proclamation in Acts 10:43 in which the same expression “sins may be forgiven” (aphesin hamartiōn) occurs. There it is granted on the basis of faith alone. (c) In Luke 24:47 and Acts 5:31 the same writer, Luke, indicates that repentance results in remission of sins.
The gift of the Holy Spirit is God’s promise (cf. 1:5, 8; 2:33) to those who turn to the Lord, including Jews and their descendants and those who are far off, that is, Gentiles (cf. Eph. 2:13, 17, 19). Acts 2:38-39 put together the human side of salvation (“repent”) and the divine side (call means “to elect”; cf. Rom. 8:28-30).
v. verse
lit. literal, literally
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:359
 

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new [2 Cor. 5:17].

Here we have a tremendous statement. Allow me to change the word creature to the word creation. “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation.” We hear this verse often at testimony meetings. People will quote this verse and tell about their conversion. They say they no longer indulge in certain bad habits that they had before their conversion, and they consider this change in their habits to be a fulfillment of this verse.
If you and I are a new creation in Christ Jesus, what are the old things that have passed away? Remember that we have talked about all mankind living at the bottom of the hill where all of us are sinners. Now that we have trusted Christ, those old relationships have passed away. We are no longer identified with Adam. We are no longer identified with the world system. We are now identified with Christ. We have been baptized into the body of believers and we belong to Him. The old things have passed away, and the new thing is this new relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ. We are now in a relationship with the glorified Christ.
Let’s be very practical about this. You may ask, “I know that is a wonderful verse, but how may I know absolutely that I am a new creation in Christ?” Listen to what the Lord Jesus said: “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life” (John 5:24). Have you believed in the Lord Jesus Christ? Do you trust Him? If you do, He assures you that you have eternal life and will not come into judgment; you have passed from death unto life. This makes you a new creation, no longer subject to judgment and death. You have passed into life.
Do not try to base your confidence on experience. You are a new creation because Jesus says so. The basis is the Word of God. You no longer belong to the old creation that fell in Adam. The new creation stands in Christ Jesus, and you are in Him if you are putting your trust in Him. You and I stand in the place of danger and temptation; we may fail in many, many ways, but the wonderful truth is that the Lord Jesus Christ has redeemed us and we are a new creation in Him.
Now Paul is going on to talk about that.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:112
 

5:17 in Christ. These two words comprise a brief but most profound statement of the inexhaustible significance of the believer’s redemption, which includes the following: 1) the believer’s security in Christ, who bore in His body God’s judgment against sin; 2) the believer’s acceptance in Him with whom God alone is well pleased; 3) the believer’s future assurance in Him who is the resurrection to eternal life and the sole guarantor of the believer’s inheritance in heaven; and 4) the believer’s participation in the divine nature of Christ, the everlasting Word (cf. 2 Pet. 1:4). new creation. This describes something that is created at a qualitatively new level of excellence. It refers to regeneration or the new birth (cf. John 3:3; Eph. 2:1–3; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 John 2:29; 3:9; 5:4). This expression encompasses the Christian’s forgiveness of sins paid for in Christ’s substitutionary death (cf. Gal. 6:15; Eph. 4:24). old things have passed away. After a person is regenerate, old value systems, priorities, beliefs, loves, and plans are gone. Evil and sin are still present, but the believer sees them in a new perspective (see note on v. 16), and they no longer control him. all things … new. The Gr. grammar indicates that this newness is a continuing condition of fact. The believer’s new spiritual perception of everything is a constant reality for him, and he now lives for eternity, not temporal things. James identifies this transformation as the faith that produces works (see notes on Eph. 2:10; James 2:14–26).

Gr. Greek
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 2 Co 5:17
 

5:17. No one was more able to reflect on that transformation than Paul who switched from a persecutor of Christ to a proclaimer of Christ (Acts 9:5, 20-22). He was in Christ (a phrase Paul used repeatedly in his epistles to speak of a believer’s spiritual relationship to Christ) because he believed the message of the gospel and was identified by faith with Christ (2 Cor. 5:14-15; cf. Rom. 6:3-4; Gal. 2:20; 6:14). To be in Christ is to be a new creation (cf. Gal. 5615). This new creation is brought about by the Holy Spirit, the Agent of regeneration (Titus 3:5) and the Giver of divine birth (John 3:3, 6-8). God’s new creative work, begun in each one who believes in Christ, will one day be consummated on a universal scale (Rev. 21:4-5). The old life of slavery to self and sin has gone (2 Cor. 5:16; cf. Rom. 6:6-14; Eph. 4:22; Col. 3:9). The new life of devotion to Christ means that one has new attitudes and actions (cf. 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Rom. 6:4; Eph. 4:23-5:2).

cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:567
Christ Witnesses to Nicodemus
3     There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. 2 aThis man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for bno one can do these signs that You do unless cGod is with him.”
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, dunless one is born 1again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”
5 Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, eunless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is fflesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 gThe wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
a John 7:50; 19:39
b John 9:16, 33; Acts 2:22
c [Acts 10:38]
d [John 1:13; Gal. 6:15; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 John 3:9]
1 Or from above
e Mark 16:16; [Acts 2:38]
f John 1:13; 1 Cor. 15:50
g Ps. 135:7; Eccl. 11:5; Ezek. 37:9; 1 Cor. 2:11
The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Jn 3:1-8

 

3:1–21 The story of Jesus and Nicodemus reinforces John’s themes that Jesus is the Messiah and Son of God (apologetic) and that he came to offer salvation to men (evangelistic). John 2:23, 24 actually serves as the introduction to Nicodemus’ story, since chap. 3 constitutes tangible evidence of Jesus’ ability to know men’s hearts and thereby also demonstrates Jesus’ deity. Jesus also presented God’s plan of salvation to Nicodemus, showing that He was God’s messenger, whose redemptive work brings about the promised salvation to His people (v. 14). The chapter may be divided into two sections: 1) Jesus’ dialogue with Nicodemus (vv. 1–10); and 2) Jesus’ discourse on God’s plan of salvation (vv. 11–21).
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Jn 3:1

 

3:1. Nicodemus represented the best in the nation. He was a teacher (v. 10), a Pharisee, and a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish ruling council. The Sanhedrin had 70 members who were responsible for religious decisions and also, under the Romans, for civil rule. Two Sanhedrin members who appear in a favorable light in the New Testament are Joseph of Arimathea (19:38) and the Rabbi Gamaliel (Acts 5:34-39; 22:3). The Sanhedrin put Jesus on trial (Luke 22:66). Nicodemus later rebuked the Pharisees for condemning Jesus without hearing Him (John 7:50-51), and he helped Joseph of Arimathea bury Jesus (19:39-40).
3:2. Why did Nicodemus go to Jesus at night? Because of fear? Because it was the normal time for visits? Because he wanted a time of uninterrupted conversation without the distractions of the ever-present crowds? John did not say why. And yet nighttime has a sinister tone in the Fourth Gospel (cf. 9:4; 11:10; 13:30; 19:39). Nicodemus began, Rabbi, we know You are a Teacher who has come from God. “We” probably means the favorable ones on the council. The titles “Rabbi” and “Teacher” are polite and flattering on one hand, but they showed Nicodemus’ inadequate comprehension of who Jesus is. The words “from God” are in an emphatic position in the Greek. The signs had pointed out Jesus as God’s Man (God was with Him), and Nicodemus wanted to talk to Him as one Rabbi to another.
3:3. But Jesus was not on the same level with Nicodemus. He is “from above” (anōthen; v. 31); therefore Nicodemus must be born “from above” (v. 3, niv marg.; anōthen). To be born again or born “from above” (anōthen has both meanings; e.g., “from above” in 19:11 and “again” in Gal. 4:9) is to have a spiritual transformation which takes a person out of the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God (cf. Col. 1:13). The kingdom is the sphere or realm of God’s authority and blessing which is now invisible but will be manifested on earth (Matt. 6:10).
3:4. Nicodemus was certain Jesus did not mean something absurd (such as a reincarnation or a second physical birth), but yet he did not grasp the nature of regeneration.
3:5. Various views are given to explain Jesus’ words about being born of water and the Spirit: (1) The “water” refers to the natural birth, and the “Spirit” to the birth from above. (2) The “water” refers to the Word of God (Eph. 5:26). (3) The “water” refers to baptism as an essential part of regeneration. (This view contradicts other Bible verses that make it clear that salvation is by faith alone; e.g., John 3:16, 36; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5.) (4) The “water” is a symbol of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39). (5) The “water” refers to the repentance ministry of John the Baptist, and the “Spirit” refers to the application by the Holy Spirit of Christ to an individual.
The fifth view has the merit of historical propriety as well as theological acceptability. John the Baptist had stirred the nation by his ministry and stress on repentance (Matt. 3:1-6). “Water” would remind Nicodemus of the Baptist’s emphasis. So Jesus was saying that Nicodemus, in order to enter the kingdom, needed to turn to Him (repent) in order to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit.
v. verse
cf. confer, compare
marg. margin, marginal reading
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:280
John the Baptist Witnesses Concerning Christ
22 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them wand baptized. 23 Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near xSalim, because there was much water there. yAnd they came and were baptized. 24 For zJohn had not yet been thrown into prison.
w John 4:1, 2
x 1 Sam. 9:4
y Matt. 3:5, 6
z Matt. 4:12; 14:3; Mark 6:17; Luke 3:20
The New King James Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1982, S. Jn 3:22-24

 

3:22–36 This section constitutes John the Baptist’s last testimony in this gospel regarding Christ. As his ministry faded away, Jesus’ ministry moved to the forefront. In spite of the fact that John the Baptist received widespread fame in Israel and was generally accepted by the common people of the land as well as those who were social outcasts, his testimony regarding Jesus was rejected, especially by the leaders of Israel (cf. Matt. 3:5–10; Luke 7:29).
3:22 into the land of Judea. While the previous episode with Nicodemus took place in Jerusalem (2:23), which was part of Judea, the phrase here means that Jesus went out into the rural areas of that region. baptized. Chapter 4:2 specifically says that Jesus did not personally baptize but that His disciples carried on this work.
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Jn 3:22
3:22-24. For a short time the ministry of John the Baptist overlapped Jesus’ ministry. Thus the Judean countryside must have been alive with the teaching of both these great preachers of repentance and God’s kingdom. Both John and Jesus had disciples, large crowds followed both of them, and both baptized. The statement that Jesus “baptized” (vv. 22, 26) probably means He was overseeing the baptizing done by His disciples (4:2). The site of Aenon near Salim is unknown today but a likely location is about midway between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea (and about three miles east of Shechem). Both groups were baptizing and thus two “reform” movements were popular. This was before John was put in prison (3:24). This statement reveals how the Fourth Gospel supplements the Synoptics. It implies that readers knew about John’s imprisonment from reading the other Gospels (Matt. 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-29; Luke 3:19-20) or from common church tradition.
vv. verses
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:282
 

He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned [Mark 16:16].

He does not say that if you are not baptized you will be damned. He is not saying that baptism is necessary to salvation, but that the person who is saved will be baptized. It is the rejection of Christ which brings eternal damnation. “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:236

 

16:15, 16 Similar to Matthew’s account of the Great Commission, with the added contrast of those who have been baptized (believers) with those who refuse to believe and are condemned. Even if v. 16 is a genuine part of Mark’s gospel, it does not teach that baptism saves, since the lost are condemned for unbelief, not for not being baptized (see note on Acts 2:38).
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Mk 16:15
 

16:16. In response to the preaching of the gospel, whoever believes and is baptized, a baptized believer (lit., “the one who believed and was baptized”), will be saved (sōthēsetai; cf. comments on 13:13) by God (implied) from spiritual death, the penalty of sin. A single Greek article governs both substantival participles, linking them together in describing the inward, efficacious reception of the gospel by faith (believing) and the outward, public expression of that faith in water baptism.

Though the New Testament writers generally assume that under normal circumstances each believer will be baptized, 16:16 does not mean that baptism is a necessary requirement for personal salvation. The second half of the verse indicates by contrast that one who does not believe the gospel will be condemned by God (implied) in the day of final judgment (cf. 9:43-48). The basis for condemnation is unbelief, not the lack of any ritual observance. Baptism is not mentioned because unbelief precludes one’s giving a confession of faith while being baptized by water. Thus the only requirement for personally appropriating God’s salvation is faith in Him (cf. Rom. 3:21-28; Eph. 2:8-10).
lit. literal, literally
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:195
 

For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit [1 Pet. 3:18].

It is important for us to see that Jesus Christ became a human being, and it was in His humanity that He died on the cross. He died on the cross, and it was the Holy Spirit who raised Him from the dead.
By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison [1 Pet. 3:19].
This has been a most misunderstood passage of Scripture. The key word to this entire passage is in verse 20; it is the little word when—
Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water [1 Pet. 3:20].
When did Christ preach to the spirits in prison? “When once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah.” In Christ’s day, the spirits of those men to whom Noah had preached were in prison, for they had rejected the message of Noah. They had gone into sheol. They were waiting for judgment; they were lost. But Christ did not go down and preach to them after He died on the cross. He preached through Noah “when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah.” For 120 years Noah had preached the Word of God. He saved his family but no one else. It was the Spirit of Christ who spoke through Noah in Noah’s day. In Christ’s day, those who rejected Noah’s message were in prison. The thought is that Christ’s death meant nothing to them just as it means nothing to a great many people today who, as a result, will also come into judgment.
The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ [1 Pet. 3:21].
“The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us.” To what baptism does this refer? It is not water baptism but the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is real baptism, and water baptism is ritual baptism. Now I believe in water baptism, and I believe immersion is the proper mode. However, the important thing here is to see that it is the baptism of the Holy Spirit which puts you into the body of believers.
“Not the putting away of the filth of the flesh”—it is not just by water, for that will not put away the filth of the flesh. “But the answer of a good conscience toward God, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ”—that is, a faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ which brought the work of the Holy Spirit into your life and regenerated you.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:701-702

 

3:18 For Christ also suffered. Peter wished to encourage his readers in their suffering by again reminding them that even Christ suffered unjustly because it was God’s will (v. 11). Ultimately, however, Christ was marvelously triumphant to the point of being exalted to the right hand of God while all of those demon beings who were behind His suffering were made forever subject to Him (v. 22). God also caused Peter’s suffering readers to triumph. once for sins. Under the Old Covenant, the Jewish people offered sacrifice after sacrifice, and then repeated it all the next year, especially at the Passover. But Christ’s one sacrifice for sins was of such perpetual validity that it was sufficient for all and would never need to be repeated (see notes on Heb. 7:27; 9:26–28). the just for the unjust. This is another statement of the sinlessness of Jesus (cf. Heb. 7:26) and of His substitutionary and vicarious atonement. He, who personally never sinned and had no sin nature, took the place of sinners (cf. 2:24; 2 Cor. 5:21). In so doing, Christ satisfied God’s just penalty for sin required by the law and opened the way to God for all who repentantly believe (cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12). bring us to God. In this life spiritually, and in the next life, wholly (cf. Mark 15:38). put to death in the flesh. A violent physical execution that terminated His earthly life (cf. Heb. 5:7). alive by the Spirit. This is not a reference to the Holy Spirit, but to Jesus’ true inner life, His own spirit. Contrasted with His flesh (humanness) which was dead for 3 days, His spirit (deity) was alive, lit. “in spirit” (cf. Luke 23:46).
3:19 preached. Between Christ’s death and resurrection, His living spirit went to the demon spirits bound in the abyss and proclaimed that, in spite of His death, He had triumphed over them (see notes on Col. 2:14,15). spirits in prison. This refers to fallen angels (demons), who were permanently bound because of heinous wickedness. The demons who are not so bound resist such a sentence (cf. Luke 8:31). In the end, they will all be sent to the eternal lake of fire (Matt. 25:41; Rev. 20:10).
3:20 disobedient … in the days of Noah. Peter further explains that the abyss is inhabited by bound demons who have been there since the time of Noah, and who were sent there because they severely overstepped the bounds of God’s tolerance with their wickedness. The demons of Noah’s day were running riot through the earth, filling the world with their wicked, vile, anti-God activity, including sexual sin, so that even 120 years of Noah’s preaching, while the ark was being built, could not convince any of the human race beyond the 8 people in Noah’s family to believe in God (see notes on 2 Pet. 2:4,5; Jude 6,7; cf. Gen. 6:1–8). Thus God bound these demons permanently in the abyss until their final sentencing. saved through water. They had been rescued in spite of the water not because of the water. Here, water was the agent of God’s judgment not the means of salvation (see note on Acts 2:38).
3:21 an antitype which now saves us. In the NT, an antitype is an earthly expression of a spiritual reality. It indicates a symbol, picture, or pattern of some spiritual truth. Peter is teaching that the fact that 8 people were in an ark and went through the whole judgment, and yet were unharmed, is analogous to the Christian’s experience in salvation by being in Christ, the ark of one’s salvation. baptism… through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Peter is not at all referring to water baptism here, but rather a figurative immersion into union with Christ as an ark of safety from the judgment of God. The resurrection of Christ demonstrates God’s acceptance of Christ’s substitutionary death for the sins of those who believe (Acts 2:30,31; Rom. 1:4). Judgment fell on Christ just as the judgment of the flood waters fell on the ark. The believer who is in Christ is thus in the ark of safety that will sail over the waters of judgment into eternal glory (cf. Rom. 6:1–4). not the removal of the filth of the flesh. To be sure he is not misunderstood, Peter clearly says he is not speaking of water baptism. In Noah’s flood, they were kept out of the water while those who went into the water were destroyed. Being in the ark and thus saved from God’s judgment on the world prefigures being in Christ and thus saved from eternal damnation. the answer of a good conscience toward God. The word for “answer” has the idea of a pledge, agreeing to certain conditions of a covenant (the New Covenant) with God. What saves a person plagued by sin and a guilty conscience is not some external rite, but the agreement with God to get in the ark of safety, the Lord Jesus, by faith in His death and resurrection (cf. Rom. 10:9,10; Heb. 9:14; 10:22).
lit. literally
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 1 Pe 3:18

 

3:18. In verses 18-22 Peter illustrated the principles given in verses 13-17. Once again Christ provided the perfect example. He suffered for doing what was right (2:14). His sinless life provoked the unjust hostilities of evil men. However, He did not fear men but trusted Himself to God. Christ clearly stated His purpose and committed Himself to a course of action. He died in mankind’s place, keeping His conscience clear (cf. 2:23). As a result He received tremendous blessing and reward in His own resurrection and exultation.
J.M.E. Ross wrote that verse 18 is “one of the shortest and simplest, and yet one of the richest summaries given in the New Testament of the meaning of the Cross of Jesus” (“The First Epistle of Peter,” in A Devotional Commentary. London: Religious Tract Society, n.d., pp. 151-52). Christ died for sins (cf. 2:21, 24). The phrase “for sins” (peri hamartiōn) is used in the Septuagint in regard to the sin offering for atonement. However, once for all (cf. Rom. 6:10; Heb. 9:26, 28; 10:10) is clearly a contrast with the Old Testament yearly sacrifice on the Day of Atonement and declares the complete sufficiency of Christ’s death. The substitutionary nature of Christ’s death is indicated by the phrase the righteous for the unrighteous (dikaios hyper adikōn). Christ, the “righteous One” (dikaios), uniquely qualified to die as the substitute for (hyper, “for,” “in place of,” or “instead of”) the “unrighteous ones” (adikōn). The divine purpose for Christ’s sacrificial death was man’s reconciliation, to bring people to God.
Peter concluded his summary of Christ’s redemptive work by referring to His resurrection. Though Christ was put to death in the body (sarki, “flesh”), He was made alive by the Spirit. “By the Spirit” translates one word, pneumati, which could refer to the third Person of the Trinity as the agent of Christ’s resurrection. Or it may refer to Christ’s human spirit in contrast with His human body (cf. 1 Peter 4:6).
3:19-20. Through whom . . . He . . . preached to the spirits in prison has been subject to many interpretations. Some believe Peter here referred to the descent of Christ’s Spirit into hades between His death and resurrection to offer people who lived before the Flood a second chance for salvation. However, this interpretation has no scriptural support.
Others have said this passage refers to Christ’s descent into hell after His crucifixion to proclaim His victory to the imprisoned fallen angels referred to in 2 Peter 2:4-5, equating them with “the sons of God” Moses wrote about (Gen. 6:1-2). Though much commends this view as a possible interpretation, the context seems more likely to be referring to humans rather than angels.
The “spirits” (pneumasin, a term usually applied to supernatural beings but also used at least once to refer to human “spirits”; cf. Heb. 12:23) are described in 1 Peter 3:20 as those who were disobedient when God waited patiently for Noah to finish building the ark. They had rebelled against the message of God during the 120 years the ark was being built. God declared He would not tolerate people’s wickedness forever, but would extend His patience for only 120 more years (Gen. 6:3). Since the entire human race except Noah (Gen. 6:5-9) was evil, God determined to “wipe mankind . . . from the face of the earth.” The “spirits” referred to in 1 Peter 3:20 are probably the souls of the evil human race that existed in the days of Noah. Those “spirits” are now “in prison” awaiting the final judgment of God at the end of the Age.
The problem remains as to when Christ preached to these “spirits.” Peter’s explanation of the resurrection of Christ (3:18) “by the Spirit” brought to mind that the preincarnate Christ was actually in Noah, ministering through him, by means of the Holy Spirit. Peter (1:11) referred to the “Spirit of Christ” in the Old Testament prophets. Later he described Noah as “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5). The Spirit of Christ preached through Noah to the ungodly humans who, at the time of Peter’s writing, were “spirits in prison” awaiting final judgment.
This interpretation seems to fit the general theme of this section (1 Peter 3:13-22)—keeping a good conscience in unjust persecution. Noah is presented as an example of one who committed himself to a course of action for the sake of a clear conscience before God, though it meant enduring harsh ridicule. Noah did not fear men but obeyed God and proclaimed His message. Noah’s reward for keeping a clear conscience in unjust suffering was the salvation of himself and his family, who were saved through water, being brought safely through the Flood.
3:21. And this (ho, relative pronoun—“water” is the understood antecedent) water symbolizes baptism (baptisma). Baptism represents a complete break with one’s past life. As the Flood wiped away the old sinful world, so baptism pictures one’s break from his old sinful life and his entrance into new life in Christ. Peter now applied to his readers the principle he set forth in verses 13-17 and illustrated in verses 18-20. He exhorted them to have the courage to commit themselves to a course of action by taking a public stand for Christ through baptism. The act of public baptism would “save” them from the temptation to sacrifice their good consciences in order to avoid persecution. For a first-century Christian, baptism meant he was following through on his commitment to Christ, regardless of the consequences.
Baptism does not save from sin, but from a bad conscience. Peter clearly taught that baptism was not merely a ceremonial act of physical purification, but (alla, making a strong contrast) the pledge (eperōtēma, also trans. “appeal”; cf. nasb) of a good conscience (syneidēseōs; cf. v. 16) toward God. Baptism is the symbol of what has already occurred in the heart and life of one who has trusted Christ as Savior (cf. Rom. 6:3-5; Gal. 3:27; Col. 2:12). To make the source of salvation perfectly clear Peter added, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Peter 1:3).
cf. confer, compare
n.d. no date
pp. pages
trans. translation, translator, translated
v. verse
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:850

 

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that endureth to the end shall be saved [Matt. 10:22].
This refers to the fact that the Lord will be able to keep His own for the three-year period of His ministry. Similarly, Matthew 24:13 means that the Lord will be able to keep His own during the Great Tribulation period, as we shall see when we come to chapter 24.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:59

10:22 he who endures … end. See note on 24:13:

24:13 endures to the end … be saved. Cf. 10:22. The ones who persevere are the same ones who are saved—not the ones whose love grows cold (v. 12). This does not suggest that our perseverance secures our salvation. Scripture everywhere teaches precisely the opposite: God, as part of His saving work, secures our perseverance. True believers are “are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation” (1 Pet. 1:5). The guarantee of our perseverance is built into the New Covenant promise. God says: “I will put My fear in their hearts so that they will not depart from Me” (Jer. 32:40). Those who do fall away from Christ give conclusive proof that they were never truly believers to begin with (1 John 2:19). To say that God secures our perseverance is not to say that we are passive in the process, however. He keeps us “through faith” (1 Pet. 1:5)—our faith. Scripture sometimes calls us to hold fast to our faith (Heb. 10:23; Rev. 3:11) or warns us against falling away (Heb. 10:26–29). Such admonitions do not negate the many promises that true believers will persevere (John 10:28, 29; Rom. 8:38, 39; 1 Cor. 1:8, 9; Phil. 1:6). Rather, the warnings and pleas are among the means God uses to secure our perseverance in the faith. Notice that the warnings and the promises often appear side by side. For example, when Jude urges believers, “keep yourselves in the love of God” (Jude 21), he immediately points them to God, “who is able to keep you from stumbling” (Jude 24).
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Mt 24:13
10:16-23. The Lord’s words to the apostles concerning the response to their ministry were not encouraging. Their task would be difficult for they would be like sheep among wolves (cf. 7:15, where false prophets are spoken of as “ferocious wolves”). It would be essential for them to be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves, that is, wise in avoiding danger but harmless in not forcibly opposing the enemy. “Innocent” translates akeraioi (lit., “unmixed, pure”). It is used only twice elsewhere in the New Testament: Romans 16:19 and Philippians 2:15. In carrying out their ministries the apostles would be taken before their own Jewish leaders and flogged (cf. Acts 5:40) and be brought before Roman governors and Herodian kings. But the messengers need not worry, for the Holy Spirit, called here the Spirit of your Father, would give them words to say that would free them from arrest.
Even if the persecutions went to the point of betrayal of family members (Matt. 10:21) and extreme hatred (v. 22), Jesus promised them ultimate deliverance. The apostles were to continue their ministries, moving from place to place. But even though they moved out for the Lord, they would not be able to reach all the cities of Israel before the Son of Man would come.
These words of the Lord probably had an application beyond His own lifetime. What was proclaimed here was more fully demonstrated in the apostles’ lives after the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) in the spread of the gospel in the church (e.g., Acts 4:1-13; 5:17-18, 40; 7:54-60). But these words will find their fullest manifestation in the days of the Tribulation when the gospel will be carried throughout the entire world before Jesus Christ returns in power and glory to establish His kingdom on the earth (Matt. 24:14).
4.     the workers comforted (10:24-33) (luke 12:2-9).
cf. confer, compare
lit. literal, literally
v. verse
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:42

 

And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved [Mark 13:13].
There will be worldwide anti-Semitism in that day. But when God puts His seal upon them in that day, they are going to make it through to the end.
And now we come to a very dramatic part.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:218

 

13:13 endures to the end shall be saved. See note on Matt. 24:13. This endurance does not produce salvation; it is Spirit-empowered perseverance and proof of the reality of salvation in the one who endures. Christ will eventually deliver such believers out of the present evil system into God’s eternal kingdom (cf. Matt. 10:22).
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Mk 13:13
13:12-13. Opposition will come through official channels (vv. 9, 11) and also through close personal relationships. It will be so severe that family members—brother versus brother, father versus child, and children versus parents—will betray (from paradidōmi; cf. vv. 9, 11) each other to hostile authorities, thereby causing Christian members to be put to death. Because of their allegiance to Jesus (lit., “on account of My name”; cf. v. 9), His disciples will be hated continually by all men, that is, all kinds of people, not just hostile authorities or family members (cf. Phil. 1:29; 3:11; Col. 1:24; 1 Peter 4:16). He who stands firm (lit., “he who has endured,” viewing one’s life as completed), who has remained loyal to Jesus Christ and the gospel (cf. Mark 8:35) to the end (eis telos, adverbial phrase; an idiom meaning “completely, to the limit”; cf. John 13:1; 1 Thes. 2:16) of his life on earth, will be saved (cf. Mark 8:35; 10:26-27). This “saved” one will experience God’s salvation in its final form—glorification (contrast usage in 13:20; cf. Heb. 9:27-28). Perseverance is a result and outward sign, not the basis, of spiritual genuineness (cf. Rom. 8:29-30; 1 John 2:19). A person genuinely saved by grace through faith (cf. Eph. 2:8-10) endures to the end and will experience the consummation of his salvation.
These words of warning were pertinent to Mark’s Roman readers who were threatened by persecution for their allegiance to Jesus. Such suffering could be more readily endured when viewed in the context of God’s plan for worldwide evangelism and vindication. (Cf. comments on Matt. 24:13.)
c.     Jesus’ portrayal of the coming crisis (13:14-23) (Matt. 24:15-28; Luke 21:20-24).
Jesus then answered the disciples’ second question (Mark 13:4b) positively (vv. 14-23).
Some interpreters limit the events of this section to the chaotic years preceding Jerusalem’s fall (a.d. 66-70). Others relate them exclusively to the Great Tribulation at the end of this Age. But the details suggest that both events are in view (cf. Matt. 24:15-16, 29-31; Luke 21:20-28). The conquest of Jerusalem is theologically (not chronologically) attached to the end-time events (cf. Dan. 9:26-27; Luke 21:24). The expression “the abomination that causes desolation” is the link between the historical and eschatological perspectives (cf. Dan. 11:31 with Dan. 9:27; 12:11). These “near” tribulations foreshadowed the “far” Tribulation of the end time.
vv. verses
cf. confer, compare
lit. literal, literally
v. verse
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:168

 

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off [Rom. 11:22].
These are stern words. Paul calls upon the Gentiles to behold two examples. Rejected Israel reveals the severity of God, but to the Gentiles who have turned to God, the benevolent goodness of God is revealed. These two sides of God need to be revealed today: the judgment of God against the rejection of Christ and against sin, and the grace of God to those that will trust Christ.
Paul did not have the complete picture of the severity of God toward Israel. The history of Israel in the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d. 70 and all that succeeded it is a terrifying story. My friend, let’s not trifle with the grace of God. It is grace which has brought us into the family of God and granted us so many privileges. After over nineteen hundred years the gentile church is as much a failure, if not more so, than Israel.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:725

 

11:22 consider the goodness and severity. All of God’s attributes work in harmony; there is no conflict between His goodness and love, and His justice and wrath. Those who accept His gracious offer of salvation experience His goodness (2:4); those who reject it experience His severity (2:5). those who fell. The unbelieving Jews described in vv. 12–21. “Fell” translates a Gr. word meaning “to fall so as to be completely ruined.” Those who reject God’s offer of salvation bring upon themselves utter spiritual ruin. if you continue. Genuine saving faith always perseveres (cf. John 8:31; 15:5, 6; Col. 1:22, 23; Heb. 3:12–14; 4:11; 1 John 2:19). cut off. From the same Gr. root word translated “severity” earlier in the verse. God will deal swiftly and severely with those who reject Him.
Gr. Greek
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Ro 11:22

 

11:22-24. In these verses Paul summarized his whole discussion of God’s sovereign choice in temporarily putting Israel aside corporately and proclaiming righteousness by faith to all mankind. Consider (ide, “see, behold”) therefore the kindness (chrēstotēta, “benevolence in action”; also used of God in 2:4; Eph. 2:7; Titus 3:4) and sternness of God. “Sternness” translates apotomian, used only here in the New Testament (cf. the adverb apotomōs in 2 Cor. 13:10 [“be harsh”] and Titus 1:13 [“sharply”]). God’s sovereign choice involved severity toward the Jews who stumbled (fell; cf. Rom. 11:11) in unbelief and were hardened (v. 25), but that same decision displayed the goodness of God toward individual Gentiles. God’s continuing His goodness to the Gentiles depends on their continuing in His kindness. If Gentiles do not continue in God’s kindness, they also will be cut off. This does not suggest that a Christian can lose his salvation; it refers to Gentiles as a whole (suggested by the sing. you) turning from the gospel much as Israel as a nation had done.
Conversely for the people of Israel, if they do not persist (lit., “continue”) in unbelief, they will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. At issue is not God’s ability but God’s decision. God sovereignly chose to put Israel aside corporately because of unbelief and to extend righteousness by faith to everyone. This demonstrates His decision to graft Gentiles into the spiritual stock of Abraham (cf. 4:12, 16-17; Gal. 3:14).
Obviously, therefore, if the unbelief which caused Israel’s rejection by God is removed, God is able and will graft the people of Israel (the natural branches) back into the spiritual stock to which they belong (their own olive tree). After all, as Paul wrote earlier, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13).
The “olive tree” is not the church; it is the spiritual stock of Abraham. Believing Gentiles are included in that sphere of blessing so that in the Church Age both Jews and Gentiles are in Christ’s body (Eph. 2:11-22; 3:6). Yet someday Israel as a whole will turn to Christ (as Paul discussed in Rom. 11:25-27). This passage does not teach that the national promises to Israel have been abrogated and are now being fulfilled by the church. This idea, taught by amillenarians, is foreign to Paul’s point, for he said Israel’s fall is temporary. While believing Gentiles share in the blessings of the Abrahamic Covenant (Gen. 12:3b) as Abraham’s spiritual children (Gal. 3:8-9), they do not permanently replace Israel as the heirs of God’s promises (Gen. 12:2-3; 15:18-21; 17:19-21; 22:15-18).
3.     in israel’s salvation (11:25-32).
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
sing. singular
lit. literal, literally
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:485

 

But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway [1 Cor. 9:27].
The translation “castaway” is unfortunate. The Greek word is adokimos, which means “not approved.” Paul is thinking of the judgment seat of Christ where the rewards are given. In his Second Epistle to the Corinthians he will talk about the fact that we shall all appear before the judgment seat of Christ where awards are given. Paul says that he is out on that racetrack trying to run so that he will get a reward. That is the reason he preaches the gospel as he does. Paul has liberty. This is the choice that he has made.
I think every Christian ought to work for a reward. We do not work for salvation; that is a gift given by the grace of God. My friend, if you are going to get a reward, you will have to work for it. If you are going to get a reward, then you had better get out on the racetrack and start moving.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:43
9:27 discipline. From a term lit. meaning to hit under the eye. He knocked out the bodily impulses to keep them from preventing him from his mission of winning souls to Christ. disqualified. Another metaphor from the athletic games. A contestant who failed to meet basic training requirements could not participate at all, much less have an opportunity to win. Paul may be especially referring to such fleshly sins that disqualify a man from preaching and leading the church, particularly being blameless and above reproach in the sexual area, since such sin is a disqualification (see notes on Ps. 101:6; Prov. 6:33; 1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:6).
lit. literally
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 1 Co 9:27
9:26-27. Paul’s dictum of becoming “all things to all men” (v. 22) could have been construed as the aimless capitulation of an unprincipled man. But it was just the opposite! Every move made in the course of his race was calculated to further his pursuit of the prize (cf. Phil. 3:13-14). Every blow struck was meant to land squarely on his opponent and send him reeling from the contest (cf. Eph. 6:12; James 4:7). To achieve this, Paul would not let his body master him (cf. 1 Cor. 6:12); sometimes he denied even its demand for rightful privileges and pleasures (8:9) for a greater good (10:33).
Paul was competing well himself and had called many to join him (the word preached is kēryxas, the noun form of which signified a herald who summoned contestants to a race), but that did not guarantee him a victorious finish. He held out the possibility that even he could be disqualified for the prize. The single Greek word translated by that phrase (adokimos) literally means “unapproved.” In other contexts it was applied to the unsaved (e.g., Rom. 1:28; Titus 1:16). Here Paul was not addressing the issue of salvation, nor for that matter was even the prize specifically in mind. Rather, he seemed concerned with continuance in the race. Like the brother who had indulged in immorality (1 Cor. 5:1-5), Paul’s life could be cut short by the disciplinary disapproval of God. God had disciplined in the past (10:6-10), was disciplining in the present (11:30-32), and would discipline in the immediate future (5:5). Paul was concerned that some might not be able to say with him one day, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race” (2 Tim. 4:7), but would find themselves cut off in the midst of the contest by the disciplinary action of God.
(2) The negative example of Israel (10:1-13). 10:1. So that the Corinthians might not think God’s discipline would be an unlikely eventuality for a people so blessed as they (1:5), Paul cited the illustration of another group of people who were greatly blessed by God but yet experienced His severe discipline. Israel of old was reckless and unrestrained after her physical and spiritual freedom from tyranny in Egypt. As a result God meted out severe discipline by cutting short the lives of many Israelites. They were all in the “race” (9:24), but almost all were disqualified (9:27) in spite of their advantages.
Five advantages were enjoyed by Israel. First, all the liberated Israelites enjoyed the supernatural guidance (Ex. 13:21) and protection (Ex. 14:19-20) of the pillar of cloud in their Exodus from Egypt. The Corinthians had similarly experienced God’s guidance (cf. Luke 1:79) and protection (cf. 1 Peter 1:5). Second, all Israelites passed through the sea and experienced a miraculous deliverance from those who sought to take their lives (Ex. 14:21-28). So too had the Corinthians experienced a miraculous deliverance—salvation (cf. Heb. 2:14-15; Gal. 1:4).
v. verse
cf. confer, compare
e.g. exempli gratia, for example
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:525
Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall [1 Cor. 10:12].
It makes no difference who you are, you could fall today. It would be very easy for any one of us to blunder and stumble and fall. One can be a mature Christian, a real saint, and still fall. Therefore, you and I need to be very careful that we stay in the realm of the will of God where we are not quenching the Spirit of God in our lives.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:45

 

10:12 Cf. Prov. 16:18. The Bible is filled with examples of overconfidence (see Esth. 3–5; Is. 37:36–38; Luke 22:33, 34, 54–62; Rev. 3:1–3, 17).
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 1 Co 10:12
 

10:12. If the Corinthians believed their standing in Christ and corresponding freedom could be exercised in sin with impunity, they were wrong, possibly dead wrong.

Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:527

 

Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling [Phil. 2:12].
“Salvation” in this verse is used, I believe, in a general sense. Paul is talking about working out their problems which they had in the church and working out the problems in their own Christian lives. He is not there to help them and is not sure that he ever will be there again because he is in a Roman prison. So he tells them to work out their “own salvation with fear and trembling.”
A preacher was reading this verse of Scripture in the morning service. A little girl whispered to her mother, “Mother, you can’t work out salvation unless it has first been worked in, can you?” Now that is a very good question. The next verse answers it.
For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure [Phil. 2:13].
So God works out that which He had worked in. If God has saved you, He has saved you by faith—plus nothing. God is not accepting any kind of good works for salvation. But after you are saved, God talks to you about your works. The salvation that He worked in by faith is a salvation He will work out also.
Calvin expressed it this way: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.” James states it like this: “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works” (James 2:17–18). Only God can see the heart; He knows our true condition. He knows if I have saving faith; He knows if you have saving faith. But your neighbor can’t see your faith. The only thing he can see is the works of faith. True faith will work itself out so that the people around us will be able to tell that we are different, that we are Christians. We don’t need to wear a placard or some sort of symbol to identify ourselves as Christians.
Paul will talk about that faith which will work itself out in the lives of the Philippian believers.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:306
2:12 obeyed. Their faithful response to the divine commands Paul had taught them (cf. Rom. 1:5; 15:18; 2 Cor. 10:5, 6). work out your own salvation. The Gr. verb rendered “work out” means “to continually work to bring something to fulfillment or completion.” It cannot refer to salvation by works (cf. Rom. 3:21–24; Eph. 2:8, 9), but it does refer to the believer’s responsibility for active pursuit of obedience in the process of sanctification (see notes on 3:13, 14; Rom. 6:19; cf. 1 Cor. 9:24–27; 15:58; 2 Cor. 7:1; Gal. 6:7–9; Eph. 4:1; Col. 3:1–17; Heb. 6:10, 11; 12:1, 2; 2 Pet. 1:5–11). fear and trembling. The attitude with which Christians are to pursue their sanctification. It involves a healthy fear of offending God and a righteous awe and respect for Him (cf. Prov. 1:7; 9:10; Is. 66:1, 2).
2:13 God who works in you. Although the believer is responsible to work (v. 12), the Lord actually produces the good works and spiritual fruit in the lives of believers (John 15:5; 1 Cor. 12:6). This is accomplished because He works through us by His indwelling Spirit (Acts 1:8: 1 Cor. 3:16, 17; 6:19, 20; cf. Gal. 3:3). to will and to do. God energizes both the believer’s desires and his actions. The Gr. word for “will” indicates that He is not focusing on mere desires or whimsical emotions but on the studied intent to fulfill a planned purpose. God’s power makes His church willing to live godly lives (cf. Ps. 110:3). good pleasure. God wants Christians to do what satisfies Him. Cf. Eph. 1:5, 9; 2 Thess. 1:11.
Gr. Greek
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Php 2:12
 

2:12-13. Therefore connects these verses with what immediately precedes them. Christ obeyed the Father and carried out His plan even to death on the cross (v. 8). The Philippian Christians needed to obey, to follow Paul’s instruction which was drawn from Christ’s example.

The exhortation was direct and pointed, but tempered with love, for he called the believers my dear friends. This tender expression doubtless reminded them of the experiences they shared with the apostle and Silas when they first came to Christ and established their church (Acts 16:19-40). When Paul was with them, they followed his instructions willingly and quickly. He reminded them of this before he asked them to do the same at the present time, even though he was far from them. He had earlier spoken of his absence (Phil. 1:27).
The special request he had for them, in view of their needs and in view of the example of Christ, is stated forcefully— continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.
It is commonly understood that this exhortation relates to the personal salvation of the saints at Philippi. They were told to “work out,” to put into practice in their daily living, what God had worked in them by His Spirit. They were not told to work for their salvation but to work out the salvation God had already given them. In view of the apparent problems of disunity and pride among those believers this interpretation seems correct. Some were not doing their work selflessly and with the interests of others ahead of their own (cf. 2:3-4).
Some writers understand Paul’s challenge to refer to the corporate life of the whole assembly in Philippi. Those who hold this view find support in the immediate context where Paul argued against their looking exclusively to their own needs (cf. v. 4). In this view “salvation” refers to the whole assembly’s deliverance from disunity, pride, and selfishness.
Perhaps it is best to see both the outworking of personal salvation and the corporate salvation or deliverance of the whole assembly from whatever held them back from experiencing God’s best.
This outworking was to be done “with fear and trembling,” with a complete trust in God and not in themselves.
The only way this could be realized was through God who would enable them to do it (v. 13). Paul told the Philippian saints that God worked in them so that they could do His good pleasure and accomplish His good purpose. Both divine enablement and human responsibility are involved in getting God’s work done. Believers are partners with God, laboring together with Him. The verb works (v. 13) means “energizes” or “provides enablement.” God makes His own both willing and desirous to do His work.
v. verse
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:655
This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare [1 Tim. 1:18].
“This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy.” Although his letter to Timothy is very practical and has to do with the local church and Timothy’s responsibilities in it, it also reveals something of the wonderful personal relationship that must have existed between the apostle Paul and Timothy. This is Paul’s personal charge to Timothy as a young man in the ministry.
“Son Timothy”—he was Paul’s spiritual son; Paul had led him to Christ.
“According to the prophecies which went before on thee.” Paul had real spiritual discernment, and evidently God had directed him to take this young man along with him and allow him to have the position which he held in the early church.
“That thou by them mightest war a good warfare.” You ought never to fight a war unless your heart is in it, unless you are fighting for a real cause and intend to get the victory. As a Christian, Timothy had a real enemy. He was involved in a spiritual warfare. Paul wanted him to fight a good fight and not to make shipwreck of the faith—as others were doing.
Holding faith, and a good conscience; which some having put away concerning faith have made shipwreck [1 Tim. 1:19].
Living the Christian life is not as simple as some would like us to believe. It is more complex than walking when the light is green and not walking when the light turns red. We have intricate personalities, and Paul is saying there is real danger for us in our human inconsistencies and failures. I assume you are not living in some ivory tower somewhere. Some Christians feel they are, that they are above the landscape and the smog and are way up yonder. But for those of us today who are walking on the sidewalks of our cities and rubbing shoulders with rough humanity and the problems of the world, we find that there are inconsistencies and failures in our lives. The danger we face is that of accommodating our faith to our failure.
A man I knew came home from the mission field and got a job doing something rather ordinary. He said, “The Lord led me to do this.” He had trained about nine years to be a missionary, and now he said the Lord had led him back home to take a job that just wasn’t very important. I asked him if he really felt that that was the way the Lord leads, and he insisted it was. He repeats this so frequently that I am afraid what actually happened was that he accommodated his faith to his human failure on the mission field. That is a grave danger for all of us. My friend, when you and I fail—when there is inconsistency in our lives—we ought to go to Him and tell Him that we have fallen short, that we haven’t measured up. As we will read shortly in 1 Timothy, the Lord Jesus is a wonderful mediator between God and man. We need not be afraid to go to Him.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:435
 

1:18 Timothy. See Introduction: Title. prophecies previously made concerning you. The Gr. word for “previously made” lit. means “leading the way to,” implying that a series of prophecies had been given about Timothy in connection with his receiving his spiritual gift (see note on 4:14). These prophecies specifically and supernaturally called Timothy into God’s service. wage the good warfare. Paul urged Timothy to fight the battle against the enemies of Christ and the gospel. Cf. 2 Cor. 10:3–5; 2 Tim. 2:3,4; 4:7.

1:19 faith … faith. The first is subjective and means continuing to believe the truth. The second is objective, referring to the content of the Christian gospel. a good conscience. See note on v. 5. shipwreck. A good conscience serves as the rudder that steers the believer through the rocks and reefs of sin and error. The false teachers ignored their consciences and the truth, and as a result, suffered shipwreck of the Christian faith (the true doctrine of the gospel), which implies severe spiritual catastrophe. This does not imply loss of salvation of a true believer (see notes on Rom. 8:31–39), but likely indicates the tragic loss that comes to the apostate. They had been in the church, heard the gospel and rejected it in favor of the false doctrine defined in vv. 3–7. Apostasy is a turning away from the gospel, having once known it. See notes on Heb. 2:3,4; 3:12–15; 6:1–8; 10:26–31.
Gr. Greek
lit. literally
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 1 Ti 1:18
1:18. Returning from his brief personal digression (vv. 12-17), Paul got back to the specific matters before Timothy in Ephesus, resuming the charge begun in verse 3. This instruction (the same word parangelian is translated “command” in v. 5) refers to the teaching about the false teachers mentioned in verse 3. Such instructions were in accord with the prophecies . . . made earlier concerning Timothy’s call and fitness for service in Ephesus. When and by whom these prophecies were made can only be guessed. It is known that the prophecies reinforced Paul’s conviction that Timothy was a fit soldier to conduct the battle against error in the Ephesian church (cf. 6:12; 2 Tim. 4:7 for an athletic rather than military metaphor). Timothy was to remember these prophecies and be inspired by them in the struggle.
1:19. Whereas in Ephesians 6:10-17 Paul spelled out in detail to that church the Christian’s equipment for spiritual warfare, here he listed only two items: faith and a good conscience. These two always seem to travel together (cf. 1 Tim. 1:5; 3:9). Strength in the one is always combined with strength in the other. So also is failure in the one correlated with failure in the other. Thus some who have rejected (apōtheō, “a strong, deliberate thrusting away”; used elsewhere in the NT only in Acts 7:27; Rom. 11:1-2) a good conscience have also found their faith destroyed (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1; 6:10). Theological error is often rooted in moral failure.
vv. verses
v. verse
cf. confer, compare
NT New Testament
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:733

 

If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us [2 Tim. 2:12].
“If we suffer, we shall also reign with him.” I personally believe that not all believers are going to reign with Him. I believe that this verse narrows it down to those who have suffered for Him. I’d be embarrassed if I were put on the same par with the apostle Paul in heaven, because I haven’t suffered as he did. I would be apologizing to him constantly for being placed beside him. I believe this verse is referring to a definite group of Christians who have really suffered for Christ. In the Roman world of Paul’s day there were many Christians who were martyred—five million of them, according to Fox—because they refused to deny Christ.
“If we deny him, he also will deny us.” This is very strong language. It reveals, however, that Paul believes that faith without works is dead (see James 2:17). You see, Paul and James never contradict each other. James is talking about the works of faith, and Paul is saying that genuine faith will produce works. Calvin put it like this: “Faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone.”
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:466

2:12 endure. Believers who persevere give evidence of the genuineness of their faith (see note on Matt. 10:22; cf. 24:13; John 8:31; Rom. 2:7; Col. 1:23). reign with Him. In His future eternal kingdom (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:4,6). If we deny Him, He also will deny us. Speaks of a final, permanent denial, such as that of an apostate (see note on 1 Tim. 1:19), not the temporary failure of a true believer like Peter (Matt. 26:69–75). Those who so deny Christ give evidence that they never truly belonged to Him (1 John 2:19) and face the fearful reality of one day being denied by Him (Matt. 10:33).

MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. 2 Ti 2:12
2:11-13. Once more Paul used the trustworthy-saying formula, so common in the Pastorals (cf. 1 Tim. 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; Titus 3:8), to introduce a quotation. The formula serves to place Paul’s stamp of approval on the content of the quotation, which may have been part of a baptismal ceremony. The quotation sets forth four couplets, the first two of which are positive: (1) If we died with Him, we will also live with Him expresses the idea so powerfully portrayed in the rite of baptism and explained in Romans 6:2-23. The reference is not to martyrdom for Christ, but rather to a believer’s mystical identification with the death and life of Christ (cf. Col. 3:3). (2) If we endure (hypomenomen; cf. 2 Tim. 2:10), we will also reign with Him furthers the believer’s identification with Christ. In the previous couplet the focus is on the contrast between death and life; here the parallel contrast is between suffering and glorification (Rom. 8:17). Christ endured and will one day reign (1 Cor. 15:25), and those saints who endure will one day reign with Him (Rev. 3:21). The last two couplets are negative: (3) If we disown Him, He will also disown us speaks of the possibility of apostasy (cf. 1 Tim. 4:1; Heb. 10:38-39; 2 John 9) and the Lord’s ultimate rejection of those who professed Christ only temporarily (cf. Matt. 10:33). Instead of identifying with Christ, the apostate finally dissociates himself with Christ. (4) If we are faithless, He will remain faithful speaks not of the apostate, but of a true child of God who nevertheless proves unfaithful (cf. 2 Tim. 1:15). Christ cannot disown Himself; therefore He will not deny even unprofitable members of His own body. True children of God cannot become something other than children, even when disobedient and weak. Christ’s faithfulness to Christians is not contingent on their faithfulness to Him. The significance of these couplets could hardly have been lost on Timothy.
cf. confer, compare
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:753

 

For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end [Heb. 3:14].
“We are made partakers of Christ.” Just think of that! We are in Christ. He belongs to us.
“If we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end” is the same argument he used in verse 6. We prove that we are members of Christ’s house, that we belong to Him, “if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.”
Now in this section the emphasis is upon the rest which is ours if we trust Christ. Scripture presents a fivefold rest: (1) creation rest; (2) entrance into Canaan; (3) the rest of salvation; (4) the rest of consecration; and (5) heaven. Here the writer is talking about the rest of fully trusting God, not only for salvation but for daily living.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 5:529

3:14 The exhortation is similar to that in v. 6. It repeats the theme of perseverance.

MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Heb 3:14
3:14. The statement, we have come to share in Christ might be more literally rendered, “we are partners with the Christ.” The word “the” found in the original probably gives to “Christ” the sense of “the Messiah.” In the word “partners” the reader meets again the Greek metochoi, used in 1:9 and 3:1 of the “companions” of the messianic King. Once again, the writer reverted to the supreme privilege of being among the “many sons” whom God is bringing to the glory of shared dominion over the created order which Christ is destined to rule. But again too, like the privilege of serving in the priestly house (v. 6), this role is contingent on continuing fidelity: if we hold firmly to the end the confidence we had at first. In this connection, Revelation 2:26-27 comes readily to mind: “To him who overcomes and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations—he will rule them with an iron scepter.”
v. verse
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:787
NEW PURPOSE
We come now to the new purpose of God. If Romans is the greatest book of the Bible, and chapter 8 is the high-water mark, then verse 28 is the pinnacle. God’s purpose guarantees the salvation of sinners, and the next three verses give the “ascending process of salvation,” as William Sanday calls it.
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose [Rom. 8:28].
I have translated it this way: But we know (with divine knowledge) that for those who love God, all things are working together for good, even to them who are called-ones according to His purpose.
The late Dr. Reuben A. Torrey (I had the privilege of being pastor for twenty-one years of the church that he founded) was a great man of God, greatly abused and misunderstood. He knew the meaning of this verse, and he called it a soft pillow for a tired heart. Many of us have pillowed our heads on Romans 8:28. We know the whole creation is groaning, but we also know something else: all things are working together for good—even the groanings.
“We know” is used five times in Romans, and “know” is used thirteen times. It refers to that which is the common knowledge of the Christian, that is, that which the Holy Spirit makes real. “Knowledge puffeth up, but love edifieth” (see 1 Cor. 8:1), and this is the knowledge that only the Spirit of God can make real to our hearts. Charles Spurgeon used to say, “I do not need anyone to tell me how honey tastes; I know.” And I can say, my friend, that I know God loves me. I don’t need to argue that point; I know it.
“For those who love God” is the fraternity pin of the believer. “For in Jesus Christ neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision [that is, there is no badge]; but faith which worketh by love” (Gal. 5:6). Love is the mark. The apostle John put it like this: “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation [the mercy seat] for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. No man hath seen God at any time. If we love one another, God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfected in us. Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:10–16). My friend, you are going to have trouble believing that God loves you, and you will have difficulty loving God, if you are hating other Christians. “We love him, because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). And the apostle Peter said: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). The thing that will bring joy and brightness into your life is the sincere love of God.
“All things”—good and bad; bright and dark; sweet and bitter; easy and hard; happy and sad; prosperity and poverty; health and sickness; calm and storm; comfort and suffering; life and death.
“Are working together for good” is causative and means that God is working all things—there are no accidents. You remember that Joseph could look back over his life, a life that had been filled with vicissitudes, disappointments, and sufferings, yet he could say to his brethren—who were responsible for his misfortune—“… ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good …” (Gen. 50:20). And I am confident that we as children of God will be able to look back over our lives someday and say, “All of this worked out for good.” Job could say, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him … ” (Job 13:15). That is the kind of faith in God we need, friend. We know that He is going to make things work out for good because He’s the One who is motivating it. He’s the One who is energizing it.
However, we often cry out, as Jeremiah did, “Why did you let me see trouble?” (see Jer. 11:14). It was during the San Francisco earthquake many years ago that a saint of God walked out into the scene of destruction and debris and actually smiled. A friend asked her, “How can you smile at a time like this?” Her reply was, “I rejoice that I have a God who can shake the world!” How wonderful to be able to face life—and death—unafraid. I think of Paul who could face the future without flinching. He said to his friends, “… What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13). Many of us would like to come to that place of total commitment to Him.
Now notice that all things are working together for good for them “who are the called” ones, and it is “according to his purpose.” This is something that is hard for a great many people to swallow. “The called” are those who not only have received an invitation, they have accepted it. And they were born from above. They know experimentally the love of God. Paul describes three groups of people, and I think they are the three groups that are in the world today: “But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God” (1 Cor. 1:23–24). (1) The Jews trusted in religion, rite and ritual. To them the cross was a stumblingblock. (2) The Greeks (the Gentiles) trusted in philosophy and human wisdom. To them the cross was foolishness. (3) “The called” were a group out of both Jews and Greeks who were chosen not because of their religion or wisdom. God called them. To them the cross was the dynamite of God unto salvation. “The called” heard God’s call. That is important.
Let me go back to my illustration of the turtles. Suppose you go down to a swamp, and there are ten turtles. You say to the turtles, “I’d like to teach you to fly.” Nine of them say, “We’re not interested. We like it down here; we feel comfortable in this environment.” One turtle says, “Yes, I’d like to fly.” That is the one which is called, and that is the one which is taught to fly. Now that doesn’t have anything in the world to do with the other turtles. They are turtles because they are turtles. My friend, the lost are lost because they want it that way. There is not a person on topside of this world that is being forced to be lost. They are lost because they have chosen to be lost.
A boy down in my southland years ago wanted to join a church. So the deacons were examining him. They asked, “How did you get saved?” His answer was, “God did His part, and I did my part.” They thought there was something wrong with his doctrine, so they questioned further. “What was God’s part and what was your part?” His explanation was a good one. He said, “God’s part was the saving, and my part was the sinning. I done run from Him as fast as my sinful heart and rebellious legs could take me. He done took out after me till he run me down.” My friend, that is the way I got saved also.
This does not destroy or disturb the fact that “whosoever will may come” and “whosoever believeth.” Henry Ward Beecher quaintly put it, “The elect are the whosoever wills and the non-elect are the whosoever won’ts.” And it is all according to His purpose. And, my friend, if you have not yet got your mind reconciled to God’s purpose and to God’s will, it is time you are doing that, because this is His universe. He made it. I don’t know why He made a round earth instead of a square one—He didn’t ask me how I wanted it—He made it round because He wanted it round. My friend, His purpose is going to be carried out, and He has the wisdom and the power to carry it out. Whatever God does is right. Don’t you criticize God and say He has no right to save whoever wants to be saved. He has the right to do it. He is just and He is loving, and anything my God does is right.
There was a great theologian in the past by the name of Simeon. In his sermons on Romans 8 he said there were three reasons why he preached on the doctrine of election: It laid the axe at the root of pride, presumption, and despair. I like that. My friend, there is no place for human pride in the doctrine of election. It is God’s work, His wisdom, and His purpose that is being carried out. The will of God comes down out of eternity past like a great steamroller. Don’t think you can stop it. In fact, you had better get on and ride.
For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified [Rom. 8:29–30].
“For” refers back to verse 28 to remind us that he is not talking about anybody being elected to be lost, but he is speaking of “the called,” the predestined ones. Predestination never has any reference to the lost. You will never find it used in connection with them. If you ever hear someone talk about being predestined to be lost, you know he is not being scriptural.
Predestination means that, when God saves you, He is going to see you through. Whom He foreknew, He predestinated, and whom He predestinated, He called, and whom He called, He justified, and whom He justified, He glorified. In other words, this amazing section is on sanctification—yet Paul does not even mention being sanctified. Why? Because sanctification is the work of God in the heart and life of the believer. This is God’s eternal purpose. It just simply means this: When the Lord—who is the Great Shepherd of the Sheep, the Good Shepherd of the Sheep, and Chief Shepherd of the Sheep—starts out with one hundred sheep, He’s going to come home with one hundred sheep; He will not lose one of them. You may remember that our Lord gave a parable about this, recorded in Luke 15. There was a shepherd, a good shepherd, who represents the Lord Jesus. One little old sheep got lost, got away. You would think He might say, “Well, let him go. We’ve got ninety-nine of them safe in the fold. That’s a good percentage.” Anyone raising sheep knows that if you get to market with a little over fifty percent of those that are born, you’re doing well. But this is an unusual shepherd. He is not satisfied with ninety-nine. If He justifies one hundred sheep, He’s going to glorify one hundred sheep. I’ll make this rather personal. Someday He will be counting them in—“One, two, three, four, five … ninety-seven, ninety-eight, ninety-nine—where in the world is Vernon McGee? Well, it looks like he didn’t make it. We’ll let him go because a great many people didn’t think he was going to make it anyway.” My friend, thank God He won’t let him go. That shepherd is going after him. The doctrine of election means that the Lord will be coming home with one hundred sheep! This is not a frightful doctrine; it is a wonderful doctrine. It means that Vernon McGee’s going to be there; and it means you are going to be there, my friend, if you have trusted Christ. This is a most comforting doctrine in these uncertain days in which we live.
McGee, J. Vernon: Thru the Bible Commentary. electronic ed. Nashville : Thomas Nelson, 1997, c1981, S. 4:703-706

 

8:28 The best manuscript evidence records this verse as, “we know that God causes all things....” good. In His providence, God orchestrates every event in life—even suffering, temptation, and sin—to accomplish both our temporal and eternal benefit (cf. Deut. 8:15, 16). called. Cf. v. 30; see note on 1:7. As always, in the NT epistles, this call is God’s effectual calling of His elect that brings them to salvation.
8:29 foreknew. Not a reference simply to God’s omniscience—that in eternity past He knew who would come to Christ. Rather, it speaks of a predetermined choice to set His love on us and established an intimate relationship—or His election (cf. Acts 2:23—an inviolable rule of Gr. grammar, called the Granville Sharp rule, equates “predestinated” and “foreknowledge;” see notes on 1 Pet. 1:1, 2, and cf. with 1:20—the term must be interpreted the same in both verses). See notes on election in 9:10–24. predestined. Lit. “to mark out, appoint, or determine beforehand.” Those God chooses, He destines for His chosen end—that is, likeness to His Son (see notes on Eph. 1:4, 5, 11). conformed to the image of His Son. The goal of God’s predestined purpose for His own is that they would be made like Jesus Christ. This is the “prize of the upward call” (Phil. 3:14); cf. Eph. 4:13; Col. 1:28; Phil. 3:20, 21; 1 John 3:2). firstborn. The preeminent one, the only one who is the rightful heir (cf. Ps. 89:27; Col. 1:15–18; Rev. 1:5). Jesus Christ is the most notable one among those who have become “brethren” by being made like Him.
8:30 predestined. See note on v. 29. called. See note on 1:7. justified. See note on 3:24. glorified. Paul uses the past tense for a future event to stress its certainty (cf. vv. 18, 21; 2 Tim. 2:10).
Gr. Greek
MacArthur, John Jr: The MacArthur Study Bible. electronic ed. Nashville : Word Pub., 1997, c1997, S. Ro 8:28

 

8:28. Believers, Paul began, know of sanctification’s certainty, and that knowledge is gained by spiritual perception. Christians know intuitively (oidamen)—though they may not always fully understand and sense it experientially—that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him (lit., “to the ones who love God He works all things together unto good”). The things themselves may not be good, but God harmonizes them together for believers’ ultimate good, because His goal is to bring them to perfection in His presence (cf. Eph. 1:4; 5:27; Col. 1:22; Jude 24). Even adversities and afflictions contribute to that end. The active voice present tense of the verb synergei (“He works together”) emphasizes that this is a continuing activity of God. And His working is on behalf of “those who love Him,” who are further identified as the ones who have been called according to His purpose. It is significant that a believer’s love for God follows God’s calling of him and is undoubtedly the product of the indwelling Holy Spirit (cf. Rom. 5:5; 1 John 4:19). The word for “purpose” is prothesin, God’s plan (Paul used the same word in Rom. 9:11; Eph. 1:11; 3:11). “Called” means more than being invited to receive Christ; it means to be summoned to and given salvation (cf. Rom. 1:6; 8:30).
8:29-30. These verses give Paul’s explanation of what it means to be one who has “been called according to His purpose” and why God keeps on working all their experiences together to their benefit (v. 28). Believers are those God foreknew. This does not mean simply that God foreknows what believers will do, but that God foreknows them. Nor does divine foreknowledge merely mean an awareness of or acquaintance with an individual. Instead it means a meaningful relationship with a person based on God’s choice (cf. Jer. 1:4-5; Amos 3:2) in eternity before Creation. “He chose us in Him before the Creation of the world” (Eph. 1:4).
This eternal choice and foreknowledge involves more than establishing a relationship between God and believers. It also involves the goal or end of that relationship: Those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son (cf. 1 John 3:2). The entire group that is brought into relationship with God in His eternal plan by divine foreknowledge and choice is predestined (proōrisen, “predetermined”; cf. Eph. 1:5, 11). God determined beforehand the believers’ destiny, namely, conformity to the image of Jesus Christ. By all saints being made like Christ (ultimate and complete sanctification), Christ will be exalted as the Firstborn among many brothers. The resurrected and glorified Lord Jesus Christ will become the Head of a new race of humanity purified from all contact with sin and prepared to live eternally in His presence (cf. 1 Cor. 15:42-49). As the “Firstborn” He is in the highest position among others (cf. Col. 1:18).
Between the start and finish of God’s plan are three steps: being called (cf. Rom. 1:6; 8:28), being justified (cf. 3:24, 28; 4:2; 5:1, 9), and being glorified (cf. 8:17; Col. 1:27; 3:4), and in the process not a single person is lost. God completes His plan without slippage. “Glorified” is in the past tense because this final step is so certain that in God’s eyes it is as good as done. To be glorified is another way of saying that God’s children will be “conformed” to His Son; and that is God’s ultimate “purpose.” No longer will they “fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23).
lit. literal, literally
cf. confer, compare
v. verse
Walvoord, John F. ; Zuck, Roy B. ; Dallas Theological Seminary: The Bible Knowledge Commentary : An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL : Victor Books, 1983-c1985, S. 2:473