The Wiersbe Bible Commentary: New Testament

1087 Pages·2007·7.14 MB·english

by  Warren W. Wiersbe

The Wiersbe Bible
Commentary

The Wiersbe Bible
Commentary
Warren
the complete
new testament
NT W.
in one volume
Wiersbe
THE WIERSBE BIBLE COMMENTARY: NEW TESTAMENT
Published by David C. Cook
4050 Lee Vance View
Colorado Springs, CO 80918 U.S.A.
David C. Cook Distribution Canada
55 Woodslee Avenue, Paris, Ontario, Canada N3L 3E5
David C. Cook U.K., Kingsway Communications
Eastbourne, East Sussex BN23 6NT, England
David C. Cook and the graphic circle C logo
are registered trademarks of Cook Communications Ministries.
All rights reserved. Except for brief excerpts for review purposes,
nopart of this book may be reproduced or used in any form
without written permission from the publisher.
LCCN 2007934009
ISBN 978-0-7814-4539-9
©2007 Warren W. Wiersbe
First edition titled The Bible Exposition Commentaryby Victor Books®,©2003 Cook Communications
Ministries, ISBNs 1-56476-031-6, 1-56476-030-8.
Cover Photo: © Jamie Grill/Corbis
Cover Design: Morris & Winrow
Printed in Italy
Second Edition 2007
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C
O N T E N T S
Matthew 2 Corinthians 1 Timothy 2 Peter
Mark Galatians 2 Timothy 1 John
Luke Ephesians Titus 2 John
John Philippians Philemon 3 John
Acts Colossians Hebrews Jude
Romans 1 Thessalonians James Revelation
1 Corinthians 2 Thessalonians 1 Peter
FOREWORD 7 2 THESSALONIANS 731
MATTHEW 9 1 TIMOTHY 747
MARK 89 2 TIMOTHY 771
LUKE 137 TITUS 787
JOHN 227 PHILEMON 797
ACTS 321 HEBREWS 801
ROMANS 409 JAMES 847
1 CORINTHIANS 453 1 PETER 891
2 CORINTHIANS 501 2 PETER 929
GALATIANS 545 1 JOHN 959
EPHESIANS 583 2 JOHN 1009
PHILIPPIANS 627 3 JOHN 1015
COLOSSIANS 657 JUDE 1021
1 THESSALONIANS 701 REVELATION 1035

F
O R E W O R D
T
he Wiersbe Bible Commentaryhad a modest beginning in 1972 when Victor Books pub-
lished my commentary on 1 John and called it Be Real.Nobody remembers who named
the book, but for me it was the beginning of three decades of intensive Bible study as I
wrote additional commentaries, all of them falling under the new “Be” series. It took twenty-
three books to cover the New Testament, and they were published in two bound volumes in
1989. Then I started the Old Testament “Be” series; and Be Obedient,on the life of Abraham,
was published in 1991. There are now forty-two books available in the entire series, and com-
piled together to create the Wiersbe Bible Commentary, this publication represents the
culmination of over thirty years of joyful work. During this time I was writing books for sev-
eral publishers, but writing the next “Be” book was always at the top of my agenda.
I owe a great debt of gratitude to the editorial staff for their encouragement and coopera-
tion these many years, including Mark Sweeney, Jim Adair, Lloyd Cory, and Greg Clouse.
Greg was always faithful to “shepherd” me through book after book, and I appreciate his
friendship and ministrymoreand morewith each passing year.Every author should be as for-
tunate as I’ve been to work with such dedicated, skillful people who always take a personal
interest in their authors. To the best of my knowledge, during these years we’ve ministered
together, we’ve never had a cross word or a serious misunderstanding.
Iespecially want to thank the Lord for His kindness and mercy in allowing me to minister
in this way through the printed page. I can think of many of my friends who could have done
a far better job than I in this series, but the Lord graciously gave the privilege to me. He also
gave me the wisdom and strength to get each book written on time—and sometimes ahead of
time—in the midst of a very busy life as a husband and father, a pastor, a radio Bible teacher,
a seminary instructor, and a conference speaker.
This leads me to say that I couldn’t have done it without the loving care of my wife, Betty.
She manages our household affairs so well and takes such good care of me that I’ve always had
the time needed for studying and writing. When I started this series, our four children were
all at home. Now they’re all married, and my wife and I have many wonderful grandchildren!
Time flies when you’re checking proofs!
The numerous readers of the “Be” series have been a great source of encouragement to me,
even when they have written to disagree with me! I have received letters from many parts of
the world, written bypeople in various walks of life, and they havegladdened my heart. Unless
a writer hears from readers, the writing becomes a one-way street; and he or she never knows
if that writing did anybody any good. I want to thank the pastors, missionaries, Sunday school
Foreword
teachers, and other students of the Word, who have been kind enough to write. We could
compile a book of letters telling what God has done in the lives of people who have studied
the “Be” series. To God be the glory!
As I close, there are some other people whom ought to be thanked: Dr. Donald Burdick
taught me New Testament at Northern Baptist Seminary and showed me how to study the
Word of God. Dr. Lloyd Perry and the late Dr. Charles W. Koller both taught me how to
“unlock” a Scripture passage and organize an exposition that was understandable and practi-
cal. I recommend their books on preaching to any preacher or teacher who wants to organize
material better.
For ten happy years, I was privileged to pastor the Calvary Baptist Church in Covington,
Kentucky, just across the river from Cincinnati. One of my happy duties was writing Bible
study notes for “The Whole Bible Study Course,” which was developed by the late Dr. D. B.
Eastep, who pastured the church for thirty-five fruitful years. I can’t think of a church that has
a greater love for the Bible or a deeper hunger for spiritual truth than the dear people of
Calvary Baptist. The “Be” series is, in many respects, a by-product of Dr. Eastep’s kindness in
sharing his ministry with me, and the church’s love and encouragement while I was their pas-
tor. I honor his memory and thank God for their continued friendship and prayer support.
Now, to you who study God’s Word with me, “I commend you to God, and to the word
of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you and inheritance among all them
who are sanctified” (Acts 20:32).
—Warren W.Wiersbe
8
M
A T T H E W
Matthew 2 Corinthians 1 Timothy 2 Peter
Mark Galatians 2 Timothy 1 John
Luke Ephesians Titus 2 John
John Philippians Philemon 3 John
Acts Colossians Hebrews Jude
Romans 1 Thessalonians James Revelation
1 Corinthians 2 Thessalonians 1 Peter
OUTLINE CONTENTS
Key theme:The King and His kingdom Here’sGood News!
Key verses:Matthew 2:2; 4:17
Matthew 1—2 12
The King’s Birth
I. THE REVELATION OF THE KING (1—10)
A.His person—1—4 Matthew 3—4 15
B. His principles—5—7 The King’s Credentials
C.His power—8—10 Matthew 5 18
The King’s Principles: True Righteousness
II. THE REBELLION AGAINST THE KING (11—13)
Matthew 6 21
A.His messenger rejected—11:1–19
The King’s Principles: True Worship
B. His works denied—11:20–30
C.His principles refused—12:1–21 Matthew 7 24
D. His person attacked—12:22–50 The King’sPrinciples: True Judgment
E. Result: the “mysteries of the kingdom”—13 Matthew 8—9 27
The King’s Power
III. THE RETIREMENT OF THE KING (14—20)
Matthew 10 30
(The Lordseeks to leavetheultitudes to be
The King’s Ambassadors
alone with His disciples.)
A.Before Peter’s confession—14:1—16:12 Matthew 11—12 33
The King’sConflicts
B. Peter’s confession—16:13–28
(First mention of the cross—16:21) Matthew 13 37
C. After Peter’s confession—17:1—20:34 The King’s Secrets
(Second mention of the cross—17:22)
Matthew 14 40
(Third mention of the cross—20:17–19)
The King’s Withdrawal
IV. THE REJECTION OF THE KING (21—27) Matthew 15 43
The King’s Concern
(“The kingdom of God shall be taken from
you,” 21:43.) Matthew 16 46
A.His public presentation as King—21:1–16 The King’s Surprise
B. His conflict with the rulers—21:17—23:39
Matthew 17 49
C.His prophetic message—24—25 The King’s Glory
D.His suffering and death—26—27
Matthew 18 52
The King’sRebuke
V. THE RESURRECTION OF THE KING (28)
Matthew 19:1–15 56
The King’s Instructions
Matthew
Matthew 19:16—20:34 59 Matthew 24:45—25:46 73
The King’s Demands The King’s Return—Part 2
Matthew 21:1—22:14 62 Matthew 26:1–56 76
The King’s Judgments The King’s Preparation
Matthew 22:15–46 65 Matthew 26:57—27:26 79
The King’s Defense The King’s Trial
Matthew 23 67 Matthew 27:27–66 82
The King’s Denunciation The King’s Suffering and Death
Matthew 24:1–44 70 Matthew 28 84
The King’s Return—Part I The King’s Victory
CHAPTER ONE ners. But by a choice of faith, we can be born into the
generation of Jesus Christ and become the children of
HERE’S GOOD NEWS!
God!
When you read the genealogy in Genesis 5, the
Twenty or thirty years after Jesus had gone back to repeated phrase and he diedsounds like the tolling of a
heaven, a Jewish disciple named Matthew was funeral bell. The Old Testament illustrates the truth
inspired by the Spirit of God to write a book. The that “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). But when
finished product is what we know today as “The you turn to the New Testament, that first genealogy
Gospel According to Matthew.” emphasizes birth and not death! The message of the
Nowhere in the four gospels do we find a single NewTestament is that “the gift of God is eternal life
recorded word that Matthew spoke. Yet in his gospel, through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23).
he gives us the words and works of Jesus Christ, “the The Old Testament is a book of promise, while the
Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matt. 1:1). New Testament is a book of fulfillment. (To be sure,
Matthew did not write to tell us about himself. But let’s there are many precious promises in the New
get acquainted with him and the book he wrote. Then Testament, but I am referring to the emphasis of each
0) we can learn all that he wanted us to know about Jesus half of the Bible.) Beginning with Genesis 3:15, God
—1 Christ. promised a Redeemer; and Jesus Christ fulfilled that
1 The Holy Spirit used Matthew to accomplish three promise. Fulfilled is one of the key words in the gospel
(
G important tasks in the writing of his gospel. of Matthew, used about fifteen times.
N
KI One purpose of this gospel is to show that Jesus
E The Bridge-Builder: He Introduced a New Book Christ fulfilled the Old Testament promises concerning
H
T That book was the New Testament. If a Bible reader the Messiah. His birth at Bethlehem fulfilled Isaiah
OF were to jump from Malachi into Mark, or Acts, or 7:14 (Matt. 1:22–23). Jesus was taken to Egypt for
N Romans, he would be bewildered. Matthew’s gospel is safety, and this fulfilled Hosea 11:1 (Matt. 2:14–15).
O
TI the bridge that leads us out of the Old Testament and When Joseph and the family returned and decided to
LA into the New Testament. settle in Nazareth, this fulfilled several Old Testament
VE Thetheme of the Old Testament is given in Genesis prophecies (Matt. 2:22–23). Matthewused at least 129
RE—45:1: “This is the book of the generations of Adam.” quotations or allusions to the Old Testament in this
HE—1The Old Testament gives the history of “the Adam gospel. He wrote primarily for Jewish readers to show
Tonfamily,” and it is a sad history indeed. God created man them that Jesus Christ was indeed their promised
ersin His own image, but man sinned—thus defiling and Messiah.
p
Hisdeforming that image. Then man brought forth chil-
I.A.dren “in his own likeness, after his image”(Gen. 5:3). The Biographer: He Introduced a New King
These children proved themselves to be sinners like None of the four gospels is a biography in the modern
their parents. No matter where you read in the Old sense of the word. In fact, the apostle John doubted
Testament, you meet sin and sinners. that a complete biography of Jesus could ever be writ-
But the New Testament is “The book of the gener- ten (John 21:25). There are many details about the
ation of Jesus Christ” (Matt. 1:1). Jesus is the last earthly life of Jesus that are not given in any of the
Adam (1 Cor. 15:45), and He came to earth to save the Gospels.
“generations of Adam.” (This includes you and me, by Each of the four gospels has its own emphasis.
the way.) Through no choice of our own, wewere born Matthew’s book is called, “the gospel of the King.” It
into the generations of Adam, and this made us sin- was written primarily for Jewish readers. Mark’s book,
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