Let's discuss commentaries.
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Lambano
Well-Known Member
Our church library had a full set of William Barclay's commentaries. I found his commentary on John particularly helpful. Romans also.
I have a John MacArthur study Bible software, but I don't find Johnny Mac's comments helpful. I haven't fired that one up in years.
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As for those who reject commentaries... I may be a prideful S.O.B., but I'm not (yet) arrogant enough to say that I'm the only one who can interpret scripture and none of the brothers and sisters in Christ who came before me could possibly have studied the Bible enough or be wise enough or educated enough in the original languages and historical context or (God forbid!) be in touch with the Holy Spirit enough to teach me anything about The Word. But if I was, why should I listen to them either?
I have a John MacArthur study Bible software, but I don't find Johnny Mac's comments helpful. I haven't fired that one up in years.
...........................
As for those who reject commentaries... I may be a prideful S.O.B., but I'm not (yet) arrogant enough to say that I'm the only one who can interpret scripture and none of the brothers and sisters in Christ who came before me could possibly have studied the Bible enough or be wise enough or educated enough in the original languages and historical context or (God forbid!) be in touch with the Holy Spirit enough to teach me anything about The Word. But if I was, why should I listen to them either?
The review on Barcklay.....
His grasp of history is phenomenal. His discussion of the background of every NT passage is absolutely filled with interesting and applicable information. His use of Greek is also excellent, yet judicious. There is no need to know any Greek/Hebrew to understand his comments. Reading this commentary can help to unlock the literal, historical, grammatical meaning of the text.
However, his theology is - at best - inconsistent, and occasionally downright heretical. You can read this review of his theology if you’re interested.
Eat the chicken, spit out the sticks
Thanks brother
J.
No one born of God commits sin; for God's nature abides in
him, and he cannot sin because he is born of God.
Taken at its face value this means that it is impossible for the man who is born of God to sin. Now John has already said, "if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us"; and "if we say that we have not sinned, we make God a liar"; and he urges us to confess our sins (1Jn_1:8-10). He goes on to say, "if we do sin, we have an advocate with the Father in the person of Jesus Christ." On the face of it there is contradiction here. In the one place John is saying that man cannot be anything other than a sinner and that, there is an atonement for his sin. In the other place he is saying equally definitely that the man who is born of God cannot sin. What is the explanation?
(i) John thinks in Jewish categories because he could do no other. We have already seen that he knew and accepted the Jewish picture of the two ages, this present age and the age to come. We have also seen that it was John's belief that, whatever the world was like, Christians by virtue of the work of Christ had already entered into the new age. It was exactly one of the characteristics of the new age that those who lived in it would be free from sin. In Enoch we read: "Then too will wisdom be bestowed on the elect, and they will all live and never again sin, either through heedlessness or through pride" (Enoch 5: 8). If that is true of the new age, it ought to be true of Christians who are living in it. But, in fact, it is still not true because Christians have not even yet escaped from the power of sin. We might then say that in this passage John is setting down the ideal of what should be and in the other two passages he is facing the actuality of what is. We might put it that he knows the ideal and confronts men with it; but also faces the facts and sees the cure in Christ for them.
(ii) That may well be so but there is more to it. In the Greek there is a subtle difference in tenses which makes a very wide difference in meaning. In 1Jn_2:1 it is John's injunction that you may not sin. In that verse sin is in the aorist tense which indicates a particular and definite act. So what John is saying is quite clearly that Christians must not commit individual acts of sin; but if they do lapse into sin, they have in Christ an advocate to plead their cause and a sacrifice to atone. On the other hand, in our present passage in both cases sin is in the present tense and indicates habitual action.
Is this William Barclay?
(3) There was a third kind of Gnostic belief. The true Gnostic regarded himself as an altogether spiritual man, as having shed all the material things of life and released his spirit from the bondage of matter. Such Gnostics held that they were so spiritual that they were above and beyond sin and had reached spiritual perfection. It is to them that John refers when he speaks of those who deceive themselves by saying that they have no sin (1Jn_1:8-10).
Whichever of these three ways Gnostic belief took, its ethical consequences were perilous in the extreme; and it is clear that its last two were to be found in the society to which John wrote.
(b) Further, this Gnosticism issued in an attitude to men which was the necessary destruction of Christian fellowship.
We have seen that the Gnostic aimed at the release of the spirit from the prison house of the evil body by means of an elaborate and esoteric knowledge. Clearly such a knowledge was not for every man. Ordinary people were too involved in the everyday life and work of the world ever to have time for the study and discipline necessary; and, even if they had had such time, many were intellectually incapable of grasping the involved speculations of Gnostic theosophy and philosophy so-called.
This produced an inevitable result. It divided men into two classes those who were capable of a really spiritual life and those who were not. The Gnostics had names for these two classes of men. The ancients commonly divided the being of man into three parts. There was the soma (G4983), the body, the physical part of man. There was the psuche (G5590), which we generally translate soul, but we must have a care for it does not mean what we mean by soul. To the Greeks the psuche (G5590) was the principle of physical life. Everything which had physical life had psuche (G5590). Psuche was that life principle which a man shared with all living creatures. There was the pneuma (G4151), the spirit; and it was the spirit which was possessed only by man and made him kin to God.
Is this from Barcley @Lambano?
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1stCenturyLady
Well-Known Member
There is only one I have found that doesn't agree with all the doctrines of demons, but only what the Bible actually means, and that is The Abingdon Bible Commentary. c. 1929
I looked this up and this commentary is very liberal.
Don't know if you are aware of this.
J.
Lambano
Well-Known Member
Interesting review. The reviewer is spot-on about Barclay's historical and lexical strengths. I didn't take note of Barclay's overall theology because at the time (many, many years ago) because I was specifically looking for insights for a group Bible Study I was involved in. In retrospect, I can see why the reviewer would get the impression that Barclay was inconsistent. I would instead attribute it to Barclay trying to avoid (as much as is possible) injecting his own personal theology and instead giving multiple perspectives.
I don't recognize it directly; the last time I read Barclay's commentary on John and the Johannine letters was two decades ago. (Library books do have to be returned.) The framing of 1 John in terms of a hypothetical conflict with the Gnostics is familiar and characteristic of Barclay. I also recognize the interpretation of the present tense in those key passages on sin we recently debated as being from Barclay. But I recall Barclay had a different interpretation of the Gnostic understanding of sin: That the body was unimportant, so any sins committed by the body were irrelevant because they did not affect the soul or the spirit. It makes me wonder if you've got a different book than the one I had. Or maybe I'm conflating Barclay with someone else. Twenty years is a long time.
That long ago? lol!
What are you using today?
Thought I'd share this video to the "spiritual giants"
I have a Matthew Henry's commentary and notes on Albert Barnes, Barcley is very good on the Jewish customs and manners, and so is Gill.
I have noticed the "voice of the Reformers" have been silenced by members, the majority of them, actually.
Your take?
Please listen to the clip brother, I am becoming very disheartened from what I read on this forum, the "fantasticals", Liberals, Gnosticism, sinless perfection, Reformed versus Arminian.
As you may have noticed, English is not my primary language.
J.
Bob Estey
Well-Known Member
The problem I have with commentaries is that I don't want someone else doing my thinking for me.
Oh, but I like the input. You don't have to believe, but sometimes others share thoughts we hadn't had before. This is why Bible studies are good.
Bob Estey
Well-Known Member
Yes, I can see how a commentary might be helpful on occasion, and I enjoy a good Bible study, but letting other people do our thinking for us can get us into trouble.
Bob Estey
Well-Known Member
1stCenturyLady
Well-Known Member
Just the opposite. Doctrines of demons are LIBERAL. This one is Weslyn and is the basis for HOLINESS, the opposite of LIBERAL.
What theology do you think is not liberal? What do you like? Reformed?
Your loss, no offense
J.
Here we go, Calvin versus Arminian.
J.
1stCenturyLady
Well-Known Member
I use Bible Hub, and for any help from commentaries Matthew Henry and John Gill are generally sound (though they hold to Reformed Theology). Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown also help.
Your commentary is very liberal, check the reviews sister, don't allow your stephanos laurel to slip...since, in your holiness, you have already recieved your crowns.....
There are five heavenly crowns mentioned in the New Testament that will be awarded to believers. They are the imperishable crown, the crown of rejoicing, the crown of righteousness, the crown of glory, and the crown of life. The Greek word translated “crown” is stephanos (the source for the name Stephen the martyr) and means “a badge of royalty, a prize in the public games or a symbol of honor generally.” Used during the ancient Greek games, it referred to a wreath or garland of leaves placed on a victor’s head as a reward for winning an athletic contest. As such, this word is used figuratively in the New Testament of the rewards of heaven God promises those who are faithful. Paul’s passage in 1 Corinthians 9:24-25 best defines for us how these crowns are awarded.
1) The Imperishable Crown – (1 Corinthians 9:24-25) “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate [disciplined] in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown” (NKJV). All things on this earth are subject to decay and will perish. Jesus urges us to not store our treasures on earth “where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal” (Matthew 6:19). This is analogous to what Paul was saying about that wreath of leaves that was soon to turn brittle and fall apart. But not so the heavenly crown; faithful endurance wins a heavenly reward which is “an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:4).
2) The Crown of Rejoicing – (1 Thessalonians 2:19) “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” The apostle Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4 to “rejoice always in the Lord” for all the bountiful blessings our gracious God has showered upon us. As Christians we have more in this life to rejoice about than anyone else. Luke tells us there is rejoicing even now in heaven (Luke 15:7). The crown of rejoicing will be our reward where “God will wipe away every tear . . . there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).
3) The Crown of Righteousness – (2 Timothy 4:8) “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” We inherit this crown through the righteousness of Christ which is what gives us a right to it, and without which it cannot be obtained. Because it is obtained and possessed in a righteous way, and not by force and deceit as earthly crowns sometimes are, it is an everlasting crown, promised to all who love the Lord and eagerly wait for His return. Through our enduring discouragements, persecutions, sufferings, or even death, we know assuredly our reward is with Christ in eternity (Philippians 3:20). This crown is not for those who depend upon their own sense of righteousness or of their own works. Such an attitude breeds only arrogance and pride, not a longing, a fervent desire to be with the Lord.
4) The Crown of Glory – (1 Peter 5:4) “And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” Though Peter is addressing the elders, we must also remember that the crown will be awarded to all those who long for or love His appearing. This word “glory” is an interesting word referring to the very nature of God and His actions. It entails His great splendor and brightness. Recall Stephen who, while being stoned to death, was able to look into the heavens and see the glory of God (Acts 7:55-56). This word also means that the praise and honor we bestow to God alone is due Him because of who He is (Isaiah 42:8, 48:11; Galatians 1:5). It also recognizes that believers are incredibly blessed to enter into the kingdom, into the very likeness of Christ Himself. For as Paul so eloquently put it, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18 NKJV).
5) The Crown of Life – (Revelation 2:10) “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” This crown is for all believers, but is especially dear to those who endure sufferings, who bravely confront persecution for Jesus, even to the point of death. In Scripture the word “life” is often used to show a relationship that is right with God. It was Jesus who said, “I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). Just as things such as air, food, and water are vital for our physical lives, Jesus provides us what is required for our spiritual lives. He is the One who provides “living water.” He is the “bread of life” (John 4:10, 6:35). We know that our earthly lives will end. But we have the amazing promise that comes only to those who come to God through Jesus: “And this is the promise that He has promised us—eternal life” (1 John 2:25).
James tells us that this crown of life is for all those who love God (James 1:12). The question then is how do we demonstrate our love for God? The apostle John answers this for us: “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome” (1 John 5:3). As His children we must keep His commandments, obeying Him, always remaining faithful. So, as we endure the inevitable trials, pains, heartaches, and tribulations—as long as we live—may we ever move forward, always “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2) and receive the crown of life that awaits us.
J.
