Commentaries
This overall section of commentaries will be under construction as long as this site exists. We have competed commentaries on the book of John, Acts, Romans and we are working on First Corinthians. Genesis is being developed as we have demand for it in our various studies. We expect to go on to 2nd Corinthians once 1st Corinthians is completed.
To go straight to one of these commentaries, click:
Genesis 1-3 John Acts Romans 1st Corinthians
2nd Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians
First Peter Second Peter Revelation
Our purpose is not to get into the great depth that can come when the bible is studied extensively. Rather, these commentaries are especially designed for those who are going through the New Testament and perhaps studying it for the first time and might need some help in certain areas. If they appear elementary to you, GREAT!!! Please move on to more advanced commentaries on other sites. Our main focus is the person who is studying the bible for the first time.
We urge you not to take the commentaries to be necessarily true. Being written by men they will contain errors. Read and consider only the bible as God's word. But we will do our best to anticipate issues you might have and address them so as to make your study easier. Click below for the book of interest (we will be adding to these in due time.
With only a few exceptions we are using the American Standard Version (completed and released in 1901) of the bible as the basis for our scriptural references. We urge those who see value in this version to acquire it -- there is no attempt here to circumvent your purchase of this version, although we have found recently that it is not as available as other more recent translations.
Translations. With regard to translations in general, this is not an endorsement of the American Standard Version (ASB) -- we have chosen it because of our 50 years of familiarity with it, and we know both its strength and its weaknesses. Also, the language used is fairly well understood by English-speaking people today (unlike, for example, the original King James version). However, we strongly urge you not to base your beliefs on any one version exclusively, but to consult and compare several version as part of your study. The bible teaches in several places (Matthew 5:17-18; 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16; Revelation 22:18-19) that God's divine providence has and will continue to assure that the truth can be ascertained from any valid translation. By valid we mean a translation which was objectively interpreted from the most ancient available manuscripts by a diverse team of objective Greek and Hebrew scholars. We discourage the use of paraphrases since they tend to bias the reader in favor of the writer's viewpoint; and the very fact that they are being promoted as legitimate versions of the bible is itself a gross error. In addition, it should be obvious that if an entire team of the translators have the same religious bias, of if the translation cannot be accepted by objective Greek and Hebrew scholars, it should be discarded as invalid. Since all translations are subject to the errors of men, no translation is perfect. However, our detailed study has shown that the truths essential to salvation can be ascertained from any valid translation, providing almost definitive verification of the scriptures referenced above. Further, we have never seen a doctrinal dispute that originated with a translation flaw, which is amazing within itself. One cannot legitimately criticize the fact that there are a large number of translations when, in fact, there has never been a major doctrinal division caused by a difference in a translation detail. (Of course, the one exception would be those who attempt to make an issue out of the King James Version being the only legitimate version that Christians should use today; since this seems to be their only doctrine that within itself should expose the erroneous nature of this viewpoint.)
Exceptions to the ASV. We have made changes in a few places in the biblical text to remedy some things that we feel the reader should readily accept. Just two things:
- The use of the word Jehovah for the name of God. We do not have any argument with those who wish to use this or Yahweh or any other name, if, in fact, you feel a name is essential. Our study has indicated that there is no way that we can today recreate the original sound that was uttered to be the name of God, and for that reason we should not attempt to do this, and certainly not to bind any such utterance. It is known historically that the Jews were so afraid of taking God's name in vain that they deleted the vowels in the name, thus preventing it or anything else from being pronounced. The King James Version and others that do not attempt to assert a pronounceable name use all caps LORD to indicate that the original manuscripts in fact contained the name of God in these positions. This rationale of the name Jehovah was to take the vowels out of the word LORD (which was used as the place holder), and insert them into the consonants to produce a pronounceable word. This seems to be an absurd way to recreate the word which some have bound to be the only legitimate name for God. The translation of God's name from Exodus is "I AM." We feel that those who have to have a name, this should be more than sufficient. But we will substitute the word LORD for Jehovah, since this seems to us to be a reasonable approach without implying that any given name should be bound.
- Paul's saying "God forbid." This is supposed to have occurred in his epistle to Romans, which is now completed on this site. Paul did not say this, and this can be verified by looking at any interlinear. No word that could be translated "God" appears. Our conclusion is that the ASV translators felt that this was the most definitive negative assertion that could be made, and for them that was "God forbid! despite the fact that Paul never asserted those words. Our problem with their translation is that this might be seen as Paul using God's name in vain. We do not want to imply that at all. Thus, we have changed "God forbid!" to "Absolutely not!" We feel that if anyone will do research on this you will come to this same conclusion.
We are open to any suggestions on the above, and if better alternatives can be produced, we will be glad to make the appropriate changes.
To go straight to one of these commentaries, click:
Genesis 1-3 John Acts Romans 1st Corinthians
2nd Corinthians Galatians Ephesians Philippians
General Notes on Revelation
