Latest Commentaries

Luke makes the observation that it was Jesus’s practice to often slip away to the wilderness so He could spend time by Himself with God, praying.

A leper comes to Jesus, asking to be made clean. Jesus touches and miraculously heals the leper instantly. Jesus commands the man to tell no one and to show himself to the priest to make an offering for his cleansing.

Jesus begins to recruit His disciples. As Jesus walks along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, He sees two sets of brothers who are fishermen: Simon and Andrew, and James and John. After He finishes His teaching, Jesus tells Simon to cast off from shore and let down his nets to fish. Simon obeys and they catch two boats full of fish. Simon recognizes that Jesus is the Christ and He tells him that from now on Simon will be catching men instead. After returning to shore, the four men leave everything and follow Jesus.

Lemuel’s mother implores her son to seek, recognize, and be worthy of partnering with an excellent wife.

The virtue of the excellent wife impacts her husband. She is clothed in honor and speaks with the wisdom central to the overall message of Proverbs.

The excellent wife serves both her household and the community.

The excellent wife works hard to gather resources and steward them toward production.

Lemuel’s mother introduces her son to the virtues of a noble wife.

A king recounts what he learned from his mother. She begins to tell her son what it takes to be a person of good character and a noble king.

The LORD promises to transform the fasts of His covenant people into joyful festivals and elevate them so high that other nations will go to Jerusalem to seek God willingly and entreat His favor.

The Suzerain (Ruler) God promises to restore the fortunes of the people of Judah. But He expects them to dispense true justice in the community and refrain from evil and dishonest practices.

The LORD encourages the remnant of the post-exilic community of Judah to be strong as they rebuild the temple because He will give them peace from their adversaries and bless them beyond measure.

The Suzerain (Ruler) God promises to restore Mount Zion and reside amid Jerusalem, causing the Judeans to live in a vibrant and peaceful environment. At that time, He will deliver His people from all their enemies and be their God in truth and righteousness.

Having described the complete destruction of Jerusalem and the temple in the previous verses, Micah now revealed information about the Messiah’s future kingdom.

The Gentiles Believe in Jesus and Receive the Holy Spirit. The Gentile Roman audience to Peter’s gospel message believe in Jesus. Immediately the Holy Spirit enters their hearts. They begin praising God in various languages, like at Pentecost. The Jewish believers who escorted Peter to this house are dumbfounded to see Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit. But Peter declares that the Gentiles should be water baptized in Jesus’s name, because they had received the same Spirit as the Jews. God’s deliverance was for all people groups. No one was to be considered unclean or unholy.

Peter Shares the Message of Salvation to Gentiles Peter preaches the good news of Jesus Christ to Cornelius and his friends and family. He tells them that everything they had heard about Jesus of Nazareth was true, that He is Lord of all and He came to earth to preach peace throughout Israel. He was crucified and raised back to life by God. Peter informs them that he was an eyewitness to Jesus’s miracles, as well as His resurrection from the dead. He concludes by explaining that Jesus will one day judge all people, and that everyone who believes in Him will be forgiven.

Cornelius Asks Peter About God’s Message Cornelius recounts the moment where the angel visited him, telling him that God had heard his prayers, and that he should summon a man named Simon Peter from Joppa to come to him, that God had commanded Simon Peter to give a message to Cornelius.

Peter Tells the Gentiles that He, a Jew, No Longer Sees Gentiles as Unclean. Peter arrives at Cornelius’s house. Cornelius has gathered his friends and family to hear Peter speak. Peter points out that it is unlawful for a Jew to become friends with or visit a Gentile’s house, but that God had recently taught him to never again consider non—Jewish people as uncommon or unclean. This was the meaning of the vision of the animals. He asks Cornelius why he was summoned to his house.

The Holy Spirit Tells Peter to Go with Cornelius’s Servants. Peter wonders what the vision meant. The men from Cornelius arrive at the house where he is staying, and the Spirit prompts him to go away with these men to wherever they will take him; to trust them, because they were sent by the Spirit. Peter obeys. He greets the men, hears how their master was visited by an angel, who told Cornelius to find Peter in Joppa. Peter invites them to stay for the night before they leave. The next morning Peter and a few other Jews head to Caesarea with Cornelius’s servants.

Peter Sees a Vision of Unclean Animals While Cornelius’s servants are arriving at Joppa, Peter is on the roof of his host’s house praying. He sees a bizarre vision of unclean animals being lowered down from heaven on a blanket. The voice of the Lord tells him to eat the unclean animals, but Peter refuses to eat anything "unholy." The Lord tells Peter to no longer consider what God Himself has cleansed to be "unholy."