Latest Commentaries

John 1:16 declares that all have received grace after grace through God and Jesus.

John 1:15 contains the testimony of John the Baptizer, who declares the preeminence of Jesus. By stating that Jesus "existed before me," despite Jesus being born after him, John the Baptizer emphasizes Jesus’s eternal nature and divine origin. This verse supports the central theme of John’s gospel: Jesus is not merely a great teacher or prophet but the eternal Word who surpasses all others.

John 1:18 concludes the prologue of John’s gospel by declaring that Jesus uniquely reveals God to humanity. As the only begotten Son who is in the closest relationship with the Father, Jesus makes the invisible God known. Through Jesus, the fullness of God’s nature and character is perfectly displayed, providing humanity a glimpse of God’s heart as a human.

John 1:17 demonstrates the surpassing greatness of Jesus Christ in relation to Moses and the Law. While the Law was delivered through Moses, its foundation of grace and truth originated with the Logos, Jesus Himself.

In Mark 6:12-13, the twelve traveled in pairs from place to place, preaching the message that people should repent and turn back to God. Through the authority Jesus gave them, they cast out many demons, anointed the sick with oil, and healed them.

In Mark 6:7-11, Jesus grants His twelve disciples the authority to cast out unclean spirits before sending them across the land. He provides them with instructions for their mission throughout Israel, including guidance on how to respond when a town does not receive them favorably.

In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus returns to Nazareth, His hometown, where He begins preaching and performing miracles. However, the people there refuse to believe that the one who grew up among them could be the Messiah. As a result, Jesus performs only a few miracles in their midst.

Mark 5:35-43 shows how, after the woman with the hemorrhage is healed, news arrives that the synagogue official’s daughter has died before Jesus could reach her. Those bringing the message believe Jesus’s help is no longer needed. However, Jesus reassures the grieving father, proceeds to the house, and dismisses everyone but three close disciples and the girl’s parents. Then Jesus miraculously raises the girl to life. The onlookers are astonished, but Jesus instructs them not to speak of what happened. Through this miracle, He powerfully reveals His authority over life and death.

In Mark 5:25-34, as Jesus makes His way to the home of Jairus to heal his dying daughter, a woman in the crowd who has endured a hemorrhage for twelve years quietly reaches out and touches His garment. Instantly, she is healed. Sensing that power has gone out from Him, Jesus asks who touched Him. The woman then steps forward and admits before everyone that she touched Him and has been healed. Jesus acknowledges her faith.

Mark 5:21-24 introduces Jairus, a man whose daughter is ill. After crossing the sea once more, Jesus was met by a large crowd that gathered around Him as He remained by the shore. A synagogue official named Jairus approached and fell at His feet, urgently pleading for Jesus to come heal his dying daughter. Moved by the man's faith and desperation, Jesus went with him through the pressing multitude.

Jeremiah 23:5-6 foretells of a time when a descendant from the lineage of King David will act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the earth. Jesus of Nazareth is this King and partially fulfilled this prophecy in His first coming. At the second coming of Christ, He will rule the earth in this fashion during the Messianic Era.

Psalm 89:35-37 shows God using the sun and the moon to illustrate that the Davidic kingship will endure beyond other earthly dynasties.

In 2 Corinthians 12:14-18, Paul prepares to visit the Corinthian church a third time. He declares that he will not ask for money from them or take from them. He views the Corinthians as spiritual children, and in the way that a good father does not take money from his children, but rather saves money for their future, Paul also wants to “spend” himself for the Corinthians, rather than extract. He defends his financial integrity, reminding them how a third party was sent to collect their charity for the Jerusalem church. Paul has never financially exploited the Corinthians.

In 2 Corinthians 12:19-21, Paul reveals how he has not really been defending himself to the Corinthians. When engaging in the “foolish boasting” to show his superiority to the false apostles, Paul was not boosting himself up. He was redirecting the Corinthians to the truth of Christ so that they might grow spiritually. Paul worries that when he visits, he will find the Corinthian believers engaged in all manner of sin. He fears that he will have to discipline those who have not repented of sin by the time he arrives.

2 Corinthians 12:11-13 shows Paul finishing his “boasting.” He reminds the Corinthians that through their immaturity and ignorance they forced him to detail how he is superior to the false apostles corrupting them. The Corinthians should have been able to discern that Paul is an authentic apostle of Christ based on their past experience with him. Paul performed miracles among them. Paul did not take any money from them. He sarcastically asks for their forgiveness for never exploiting them financially.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 details how, because of the incredible revelations Paul has seen, such as his visit to Paradise (which he is not allowed to talk about), God permitted Paul to suffer a chronic pain of some kind. Paul does not disclose what the pain is, but that he asked God three times to remove the pain, but God revealed that the point of this burden was to teach Paul to be satisfied in his weaknesses so that he can continually and humbly rely on the power of Christ. That is why Paul is happy to boast about his weaknesses and endure persecutions from other people, because it prompts him to rely on Christ.

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-6, Paul continues his “boasting” and turns to visions and revelations from the Lord. He recounts visiting the third heaven: Paradise, where he saw things he is not allowed to talk about. While this proves his superiority as an apostle, Paul wants the Corinthians to center themselves on Christ.

2 Corinthians 13:11-14 concludes Paul’s letter to the Corinthians. He exhorts them to live joyfully and complete in Christ. He desires unity among their number, and prays that they will feel God’s love for them, and will thus treat one another lovingly.

2 Corinthians 13:5-10 urges the Corinthians to evaluate how well they’re obeying God, or not. As believers, they need to self-reflect and determine whether or not they’re following the Spirit or their flesh. Believers can fail in this life by not living by the Spirit and overcoming the world. When we live out our sinfulness, rather than live out Christ within us, we are failing to meet God’s purpose for our life, and may lose rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ. Paul wishes for the Corinthians to examine themselves and repent of any sins before he arrives, so that he can encourage them rather than play the role of disciplinarian.

2 Corinthians 13:1-4 sets the stage for Paul’s third visit to Corinth. While he is coming in what the Corinthians regard as weakness, which is his humility and love for them, he is warning them that he is not afraid to come in power and authority, especially as it relates to sin.