Help on Hard Verses

1 Samuel 3:1; 1 Samuel 3:19; Nehemiah 8:10; Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16; Matthew 7:1; Matthew 8:17; Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:13; Matthew 12:31; Matthew 13:44; Matthew 13:47; Matthew 24:40; Matthew 13:32; Luke 16:2; Luke 19:4; John 1:29; John 3:5; John:19,30; John 10:22; John 14:12; John 15:2,6; Acts 4:13; Acts 12:4; Acts 17:31; Romans 1:5; Romans 6:6; Romans 7:24; Romans 11:22; Romans 12:11; 1 Corinthians 9:27; 1 Corinthians 10:12; 1 Corinthians 11:28‑29; 1 Corinthians 14:2; 1 Corinthians 15:29; 1 Corinthians 15:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Corinthians 12:14; Galatians 5:4; Galatians 6:16; Ephesians 3:18; Ephesians 4:13; Philippians 2:12; Philippians 3:8‑9; Colossians 1:15; Colossians 1:23; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 2 Timothy 2:20‑21; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 2:1; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 5:8; Hebrews 6:6; Hebrews 10:29; Hebrews 12:2; James 2:20; 1 Peter 3:19; 2 Peter 2:1; 2 Peter 2:22; 2 Peter 3:17; 1 John 1:7; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 3:4; 1 John 2:3; 1 John 3:22; 1 John 5:3; John 14:15; John 15:10; Revelation 2:10; Revelation 3:5; Revelation 5:9‑10; Revelation 16:19  •  17 min. read  •  grade level: 8
 
1 Sam. 3:1. “The word of the Lord was precious in those days.” Had this been so, there would not have been such sad departure. God saw fit to rarely utter His word to them. Thus, “The word of the Lord was rare in those days.”
1 Sam. 3:19. “Did let none of his words fall to the ground.” “The Lord  .  .  .  did let none of his [Samuel’s] words fall to the ground.” “All that he [Samuel] saith cometh surely to pass” (ch. 9:6). “What Samuel had said happened” (ch. 4:1 JND).
Neh. 8:10. “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” It was not “their joy in the Lord” (Isa. 29:19), but His joy in a weak, obedient remnant gathered back to the place where He had chosen to place His name. This had been emphasized 21 times in the book of Deuteronomy.
Isa. 65:17; 66:22. “New heavens and a new earth.” In its context, this refers to the millennial scene of blessing.
Dan. 12:2. “Shall awake, some to everlasting life.” This is not resurrection but the restoration of some to kingdom blessings (Psa. 71:20 JND; Isa. 26:19; Ezek. 37; Hos. 6:2; Rom. 11:15). “Everlasting life” here and “life forevermore” (Psa. 133:3) are millennial and alluded to in Matthew 19:16,29; 25:46; Mark 10:17,30; Luke 10:25; 18:18. Now in Christianity, commencing with John 3:15, “eternal life” has a special character as being life enjoyed in communion with God and by the Holy Spirit given from Christ glorified, consequent upon His having completed the work of redemption.
Matt. 3:11; Luke 3:16. “Baptize with  .  .  .  fire.” This refers to future judgment on Christ’s enemies (Matt. 3:7,10,12; 2 Thess. 1:8). It is not mentioned in Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; 11:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13, nor does it refer to Acts 2:3, “cloven tongues like as of fire.”
Matt. 3:11. “Baptize .   .   . with the Holy Ghost” is used seven times: Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; Luke 3:16; John 1:33; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:16; 1 Corinthians 12:13. The church was thus formed on the day of Pentecost, once for all fulfilling the above scriptures. After this, individuals that believe the gospel are “sealed” (Eph. 1:13). They are not newly “baptized with the Holy Ghost,” although they are now included in that “one body” which once was. An apt illustration is that of men becoming incorporated into a business firm: Others might afterwards become members of that corporation.
Matt. 7:1. “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” Voluntarily blaming others is here condemned. “He that is spiritual judgeth all things” (1 Cor. 2:15) is commendable because it is spiritually discerning according to the Word. Judging is required in 1 Corinthians 5:12.
Matt. 8:17. “Himself took our infirmities, and bare our sicknesses.” These words are hastily misused to teach that the Lord Jesus bore our sicknesses in His own body on the tree. Alas! how gullible many have been to this lie of the devil. The truth is that we are here in Matthew 8 (and not in Matthew 27), in Capernaum (verse 5) and not in Jerusalem, about three years before He bore our sins on the tree. It is while He was going about in northern Galilee that He “fulfilled” this (Isa. 53:4). His heart of compassion and word of power healed all that were sick. “Bare” here, in the Greek, is bastazo, as it is also in Galatians 6:2, “bear ye one another’s burdens”; “bare” in 1 Peter 2:24 is anaphero, as it is in Hebrews 9:28, “bear the sins.” “Neither His flesh did see corruption” (Acts 2:31) utterly refutes this abominable invention.
Matt. 10:22; 24:13. “He that endureth to the end shall be saved.” The next verse in each case shows that this had to do, not with the Christian nor with the soul nor with this present age, but with the godly Jewish remnant in the coming tribulation of unparalleled trials.
Matt. 12:31. “Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost.” Hardened opposers claimed that the power of the Lord was of Satan.
Matt. 13:44. “Treasure hid in a field” is not Israel, on whom He has turned His back after they had rejected Him. He is now engaged with another treasure from among the Gentiles (Acts 15:14; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9). Matthew 13 is occupied with the present phase of the kingdom of heaven and then the outcome, without reference to the future prophetic things concerning Israel.
Matt. 13:47. “A net.” This also is the present gospel net.
Matt. 24:40. “One shall be taken, and the other left.” Here it is not the same as in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 — the saints “caught up” — but at the commencement of Christ’s kingdom when He comes in judgment “as a thief.”
Mark 13:32. “Of that day and that hour knoweth no man  .  .  .  neither the Son.” Jesus, as the subject servant in Mark’s Gospel, had nothing in the whole Old Testament Scriptures nor yet any special word from the Father specifying the date of His second coming. This is ever purposely withheld from us in the Word.
Luke 16:2. “Give an account of thy stewardship.” Here we have accountability according to the faithful use we make of all we possess since all is, in reality, Another’s. To lay up possessions on earth is hoarding, instead of using for Christ and for blessing to souls.
Luke 18:12. “I give tithes.” The tithe was for the old Jewish order and has no place in the Christian order. Rather, “as God hath prospered,” “not as got out of you,” “not grudgingly .    .    . for God loveth a cheerful giver,” “free-hearted liberality” and “faithful in that which is Another’s” are for our day.
Luke 19:4. “A sycamore tree.” All authorities agree that this is a fig tree with leaves resembling the sycamore. This is the only time that the Saviour found fruit in a fig tree. It was precious to His taste.
John 1:29. “Taketh away the sin of the world.” The verse is not about the work of the Lamb in bearing our sins, but His work as the basis for a world without sin wherein dwells everlasting righteousness (John 5:22,27; Rev. 5; 1 Cor. 15:25,28; Rev. 21:1,3).
John 1:39. “The tenth hour”; “the sixth hour” (ch. 4:6); “the seventh hour” (ch. 4:52); “the sixth hour” (ch. 19:14). Unlike the other gospels which use Jewish time, John always uses Roman time, the same as we do. This will be seen by comparing the last reference with Mark 15:25,33.
John 3:5. “Born of water.” Some believe the water refers to baptism. This is fatal heresy which deceives souls into thinking that new birth occurs when one is baptized. Christendom is full of baptized, lifeless profession, of which Simon Magus in Acts 8 is an outstanding example. The life of God is only imparted by the power of the Holy Spirit using the Word (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; Eph. 5:26).
John 5:19,30. “The Son can do nothing of Himself.” Here in manhood and perfect, humbled obedience, He, as ever, could do nothing in independence of the Father. Each in the Godhead does everything in full accord with the others.
John 10:22. “The feast of the dedication.” After Antiochus Epiphanes captured Jerusalem in 170 B.C., he slew 80,000 Jews and defiled the temple by offering up swine (Dan. 11:31; 8:914). Judas Maccabeus (165 B.C.) conquered him and restored temple worship on the twenty-fifth of the month Chisleu (answering to December), “and it was winter.” The Jews voluntarily instituted this traditional feast at the same time of the pagan feast of Saturnalia. Christendom likewise arbitrarily adopted the date, calling it the birthday of Christ.
John 14:12. “Greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My Father.” “Therefore .  .  . having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, He hath shed forth this.” “He shall testify of Me.” “Then they that .   .   . received His word were .   .   . about three thousand souls.”
John 15:2,6. “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away.” Although privileged, mere profession never bears fruit, but every real Christian bears fruit (Gal. 5:22).
Acts 4:13. “Took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.” That is, they recognized them as former companions of Christ (Luke 22:56,59).
Acts 12:4. “Intending after Easter to bring him.” The Greek pashcha is “passover” and not Easter. The latter is from Astarte and Ashtoreth, the Phoenician name of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, the worship of which was corruption deified. Religious flesh loves to celebrate man-made traditions.
Acts 17:31. “A day, in the which He will judge the world.” Instead of referring to the great white throne, it refers to the Lord judging the habitable world at His coming as well as throughout the thousand years of His kingdom (Psa. 9:8; 72:2; 96:13; 98:9; Isa. 11:35; 32:1).
Rom. 1:5. “Obedience to the faith” refers not to practice but to believing the gospel. “Obeyed the gospel” (ch. 10:16). “The obedience of faith” (ch. 16:26). “Obey not the gospel” (2 Thess. 1:8). “Obedient to the faith” (Acts 5:32; 6:7).
Rom. 6:6. “Our old man is crucified.” This truth points back to Christ having been made sin for us and cut off in death once forever. All that I was as a sinful child of Adam’s race has been forever put out of God’s sight (Eph. 4:22 JND; Col. 2:11; 3:9; Gal. 5:24). Galatians 2:20 declares the Apostle’s stand in contrast to the Galatians returning to law-keeping. Nevertheless, our old fleshly nature remains (John 3:6; Rom. 7:25; Gal. 5:16; 1 Peter 2:11).
Rom. 7:24. “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me?” Verses 1424, strictly speaking, do not describe one who is a Christian but rather a merely quickened soul struggling in its own strength to keep the law until it gives up in utter despair.
Rom. 11:22. “If thou continue  .  .  .  otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.” Due to slighting present privileges to Gentiles, heartless Laodicean Christendom is about to be spued out (Rev. 3:16).
Rom. 12:11. “Not slothful in business” is a misleading translation, as it really does not refer to man’s business. Rather, it pertains in general to all of our Christian opportunities for serving the Lord. See the J. N. Darby (JND) translation of this verse.
1 Cor. 9:27. “Lest .   .   . I myself should be a castaway.” That is, “reprobate” — worthless refuse, as Jeremiah 6:30; 2 Corinthians 13:57; 2 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:16. Not merely one’s service rejected and thus one set aside, but unconverted preachers like Judas will, in the end, be exposed, to their everlasting shame. Many baptized never reached Canaan in the following twelve verses. Counterfeits never were genuine.
1 Cor. 10:12. “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” warns against trusting in privileges instead of Christ (Heb. 3:174:2). It is not presumption for real believers to be certain of their salvation (Phil. 1:6; 2 Tim. 1:9,12; 1 John 3:2; 5:1013).
1 Cor. 11:2829. “Let a man examine himself.” “Eateth and drinketh unworthily.” This does not refer to newcomers intruding themselves but to those already breaking bread whose manner of life might be lacking in self-judgment consistent with the death of Christ.
1 Cor. 14. “Unknown tongue” conveys the wrong thought, as those of another tongue could understand their own language.
1 Cor. 15:29. “Baptized for the dead” is filling in the Christian ranks by new recruits being baptized who took the place of those who had died.
1 Cor. 15:31. “I die daily” is not an inward application of death to oneself. The Apostle outwardly risked his life. “In deaths oft” (2 Cor. 11:23). “Killed all the day long” (Rom. 8:36).
2 Cor. 5:10. “The judgment seat of Christ.” The term is inclusive of all judgment, as the next verse indicates. To Christ is committed all “judgment” (John 5:22,27). “Samuel .   .   . went from year to year in circuit .   .   . and judged Israel in all those places” (1 Sam. 7:1516). Christians in their glorified bodies will witness a review of all their past (1 Cor. 3:815; 4:5; 2 Tim. 4:8).
2 Cor. 12:14. “The children ought not to lay up for the parents, but the parents for the children.” This verse is often misused by insurance salesmen’s worldly point of view. This well-known principle the Apostle here shows to be his own parental (1 Cor. 4:15) loving care for them, gladly spending his all for their spiritual good.
Gal. 5:4. “Ye are fallen from grace.” “Whosoever of you are justified by the law.” These saints had become bewitched by Judaizing teachers who taught that grace alone was not sufficient; “you must do your part to keep saved” (ch. 1:6; 2:16; 3:3; 5:1; Acts 15:1,11,24; Rom. 6:1415; 11:6; Eph. 2:89).
Gal. 6:16. “The Israel of God” refers to the present “remnant according to the election of grace” (Rom. 11:5; 1 Peter 1:2) from among the Jews.
Eph. 3:18. “What is the breadth and length, and depth and height.” This cannot refer to that which immediately follows and is distinctly additional —“and to know the love of Christ.” They therefore must combine in “the fullness of God.” The Holy Spirit alone can enable us to breathe in this atmosphere of heaven — “the vast universe of bliss,” God’s presence, light, love and glory, in all its infinitude. In richness, can anything in God’s Word be found to equal this?
Eph. 4:13. “Till we all come in the unity of the faith.” Instead of pointing to some specific time, the context shows that it refers to the purpose of ministry—until every one of us may grow up in His love and truth, realizing that we are fellow-members of His body — “members one of another” (vs. 25). See Colossians 1:28; 2:2.
Phil. 2:12. “Work out your own salvation.” This has nothing to do with saving a sinner but what was needful for “saints in Christ Jesus” (ch. 1:1,6) who were undergoing difficulties en route to the heavenly goal.
Phil. 3:89. “That I may win Christ, and be found in Him  .  .  .  having  .  .  .  the righteousness which is of God.” The Apostle, already “justified by faith,” who became “God’s righteousness in Him,” is here pressing on to what was yet future — obtaining Christ where He is in resurrection glory. For one already righteous, “the hope of righteousness” is to be found in the final state of righteousness in Christ in glory.
Col. 1:15. “The firstborn of every creature.” Literally, “Firstborn of all creation.” Unhallowed false teachers would here reduce the Creator to being a creature. Instead of referring to mere order of birth, “firstborn” in Scripture emphasizes title, preeminence and first place, and it ever points on to Christ (John 1:13; 8:58; 18:6; Rom. 8:29; Col. 1:1617; Heb. 1:2,6,8; 1 John 1:2; 5:20; Rev. 1:8).
Col. 1:23. “If ye continue in the faith.” These saints would not be spoiled by vain philosophy or ritualism (ch. 2:4,78) if they did thus continue.
1 Thess. 1:10. “Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come” should read, “Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath.” It is not here what He has done but what He will yet do. How? By coming for us before the wrath comes (ch. 5:9; Rom. 5:9).
2 Tim. 2:2021. “Some to honor, and some to dishonor.” This is not the coming out from among unbelievers as in 2 Corinthians 6:17, but the departing from iniquity — from vessels that dishonor the Lord.
Titus 3:5. “Regeneration.” Verses 37 show what we were until God in mercy saved us by bringing us out of our old status into the eternally new (Eph. 2:810; 2 Tim. 1:9; 2 Cor. 5:1718; Col. 1:13; 2:1213; 3:1,3). Then, in addition to this, the Holy Spirit renews us day by day.
Heb. 1:3. “Himself purged our sins.” Although this included our sins, it is not the point here. “Our” has been added by the translators. The chapter is magnifying the majesty of the person and various work of the Son.
Heb. 2:1. “Lest at any time we should let them slip” (KJV) is not the thought. “Lest in any way we should slip away” (JND). There was real danger of some of the Hebrew professed Christians apostatizing (ch. 10:3839).
Heb. 3:6. “If we hold fast  .  .  .  unto the end.” Those who have not faith cannot stand the testing “ifs” (ch. 2:3; 3:12; 6:1112).
Heb. 6:6. “If they shall fall away” refers to Jews who had nominally embraced Christianity but gave it all up — apostates (ch. 10:26,39; 1 John 2:19).
Heb. 5:8. “Learned He obedience.” The eternal Son, Creator and Commander became also the lowly, suffering, obedient Man, an experience new to Him.
Heb. 10:29. “Hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing.” In verse 14 the one offering of Christ, in contrast to the oft-repeated Jewish sacrifices, perfected forever the sanctified. However, in this epistle sanctification is positional. Only those who have faith enter into the eternal glory. All others, although once in this privileged position, not having a renewed heart, apostatize — “sin willfully” — despise the Spirit of grace.
Heb. 12:2. “The author and finisher of our faith.” This has nothing to do with “our” faith but solely that of our perfect Exemplar in His entire course down here.
James 2:20. “Faith without works is dead.” This is the pretention to having faith. “Though a man say he hath faith” (vs. 14), “if it hath not works, is dead” (vs. 17). The evidences of having faith are totally lacking, even though “dead works” may be making a fair show. Works are never the means of salvation (Rom. 3:28; 4:45; 11:6; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:89; 2 Tim. 1:9; Isa. 64:6; Titus 3:8).
1 Peter 3:19. “He went and preached unto the spirits in prison.” When? “When once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was a preparing.” The Holy Spirit used Noah as “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) to these now-disembodied spirits who had been “disobedient” and whose bodies perished in the flood.
2 Peter 1:10. “Make your calling and election sure.” Instead of being slothful, be diligent (Prov. 13:4; 19:15; 24:3033).
2 Peter 2:1. “Denying the Lord that bought them.” The ransom price purchased all (Matt. 13:44,38) but only those having faith benefit (1 Tim. 2:6; Rom. 3:22).
2 Peter 2:22. “The sow that was washed” was never a sheep.
2 Peter 3:17. “Beware lest ye  .  .  .  fall from your own steadfastness.” This is a warning to avoid the errors of false teachers (Acts 20:2930; Eph. 4:14; 2 Tim. 3:1314).
1 John 1:7. “If we walk in the light” is not a question of how we walk but where, in contrast to verse 6. See 1 John 2:910; Colossians 1:13; 1 Peter 2:9. The light of the revelation of God is in contrast to the darkness of fallen man.
1 John 2:2. “Also for the sins of the whole world.” The translators added the three words “the sins of” without warrant. The Scriptures are always guarded against saying that the sins of unbelievers have had settlement made. Faith alone can appropriate such special truth. God has been propitiated, vindicated, yea glorified in spite of all sin. Leviticus 16:1516 gives this in type, while verses 2022 present substitution for sins of His people (1 Peter 2:24).
1 John 3:4. “Sin is the transgression of the law” should read, “Sin is lawlessness.” Lawlessness existed long before the law was ever given. See Romans 5:1314.
1 John 2:3; 3:22; 5:3; John 14:15; 15:10. “Keep His commandments.” Christ’s commandments are for guiding the new life of the Christian and are in contrast to the ten commandments that condemned sinful man.
Rev. 2:10. “Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” To those already having life eternal (1 John 5:13) and facing martyrdom, the Lord encourages faithfulness by promising them a rich compensation.
Rev. 3:5. “Not blot out his name out of the book of life.” The believer is here assured that such cannot be in his case, but the dead professor’s name will not be there in the end.
Rev. 5:910. “Redeemed us to God,” “made us” and “we shall reign” should read, “Redeemed to God,” “made them” and “they shall reign.” The glorified saints are here singing praises to the Lamb who had been slain and who had bought the suffering remnant that will be slain and eventually reign with the heavenly saints over the earth (ch. 20:45 JND).
Rev. 16:19. “Great Babylon” in this verse refers to the last form of the world empire at the time of its demolition (Dan. 2:3435,4445; 4:30; Isa. 14:422).