Latest Commentaries

James greets his intended recipients, the Jewish believers who are scattered throughout the world.

The Thessalonians should remember God’s love for them, how He chose them to be saved from sin and death, and to become Christlike through obedience and faith. As believers in Christ, they are His children, and brothers of Paul. But they will share in Jesus’s glory as rulers over earth when He returns only if they stand firm and stick to Paul’s teaching.

For now, something holds the antichrist back from rising to power. This superior power that restrains him will eventually be removed from the earth and the antichrist will take over the world. But God will slay him and judge the people who did not believe in Jesus.

Paul counters false teaching that has confused the Thessalonians, namely that the Day of the Lord had come already and that they had missed Jesus’s return. Paul reminds them of what he taught when he was with them: the ultimate enemy of God—the antichrist—will first declare himself to be God and seat himself in the temple in Jerusalem before Jesus returns to earth and the Day of the Lord occurs.

Paul prays for the Thessalonians to continue to endure through suffering, so that God will count them worthy of the coming Kingdom, and reward them accordingly. They should persist in faithful obedience and bring honor to Christ by living out the goodness and favor of God, because this is the path to their greatest fulfillment as God’s creations.

The Thessalonians should bear in mind that God will properly repay those who are attacking them. Eventually, there will be relief and peace for believers when Jesus comes back to earth and deals out judgement: rewards to the faithful and recompense to unbelievers.

Paul greets the Thessalonians, telling them how much thanks he gives to God for their growing faith and love. They are persevering so well against persecution that Paul boasts of their example to other churches. He points to God’s approval of their faithfulness, that they are suffering for the coming Kingdom and will be found worthy due to their endurance.

Paul describes his reason for writing the letter to the Colossians, revealing his desire for both his life/ministry and all of God’s people.

Paul further reflects on his own status as a disciple/apostle of Christ and how that affects his message for the Colossians.

Paul describes the cosmic path of reconciliation and encourages the Colossian believers to stay faithful to it.

Paul lays out the far-reaching supremacy of Christ. From beginning to end, in life and death, Jesus is preeminent in all things.

Paul expresses his hope for the Colossian church (and all believers) and shows how the acts of Jesus paved the way for those desires to become realities.

The unifying power of the gospel brings believers together, from Paul to Colossae to the ends of the earth.

Paul and Timothy set the stage for the book of Colossians by establishing their authority and celebrating their recipients.

Sincerest praise is the appropriate response to the Lord’s activity in creation from all of God’s people in all corners of the earth. By so acknowledging the Lord’s special love for every person, each of whom He has created for an everlasting purpose, we honor God’s historic and salvific deeds among us. We also find freedom in the reality of who God is. His love for every person unshackles us to be all God intended. This psalm is part of "The Hallel" (praise) which consists of Psalm 113-118.

Jesus encounters two blind men at Jericho as He passes through the town on His way to Jerusalem. The blind men call Him the Son of David. He invites them to come to Him and asks them what they want from Him. When they answer that they want to see, Jesus is moved with compassion and opens their eyes.

The disciples become upset and embittered at James and John for getting their mother to ask Jesus to give them what they wanted for themselves. Jesus takes this occasion to remind all His disciples that greatness in His kingdom is not lording it over others. It is serving them as the Messiah came to serve — even unto death.

The mother of James and John approaches Jesus with a special favor for her sons. She asks that He grant them the place of honor on His right and left when He is in His kingdom. Jesus tells her and her sons that they don’t know what they are asking for and asks if they are prepared to drink the cup. They say they are able. He tells them that they will drink the cup but it is Jesus’s Father who will determine where people sit in the Kingdom.

As Jesus and His disciples are about to go to Jerusalem, He pulls them aside to remind them about His arrest, trial, crucifixion, and resurrection which will take place soon after they arrive.

Jesus finishes the second half of the parable of the Vineyard laborers. He describes how the landowner generously pays the late arriving workers a denarius, but when he pays the agreed upon denarius to the full-day workers, they are envious and bitter. Jesus reminds the disciples that the last shall be first and the first shall be last.