with The New International Version VOLUMES • John: Merrill C. Tenney Acts: Richard N. Longenecker 1HE EXPOSI1DRS BIBLE COMMENfARY The Expositor's Bible Commentary is a major contri bution to the study and understanding of the Scrip tures. Its seventy-eight contributors come from the United States, Canada, England, Scotland, Australia, and New Zealand, and from many denominations, including Anglican, Baptist, Brethren, Methodist, Naz arene, Presbyterian, and Reformed. They represent the best in evangelical scholarship committed to the divine inspiration, complete trustworthiness, and full author ity of the Bible. This reference work provides pastors and other Bible students with a comprehensive and scholarly tool for the exposition of the Scriptures and the teaching and proclamation of their message. The English text used in The Expositor's Bible Commentary is the NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (North American Edition), though contributors refer to other translations and to the original languages. Each book of the Bible has, in addition to its exposition, an introduction, outline, and bibliography. Notes on tex tual questions and special problems are correlated with the expository units; transliteration and translation of Semitic and Greek words make the more technical notes accessible to readers unacquainted with the biblical languages. In matters where marked differ ences of opinion exist, commentators, while stating their own convictions, deal fairly and irenically with opposing views. THE EDITORS: The late Frank E. Gaebelein served as General Editor of the Expositor's Bible Commentary. For many years he held the position of Headmaster of The Stony Brook School. On his retirement in 1963 until 1966 he was coeditor of Christianity Today. Until his death in 1983 he devoted himself to editing, writing, and speaking. Dr. Gaebelein was a graduate of New York University and Harvard University and received three honorary degrees. The position of Associate Editor was first held by Dr. J. D. Douglas of St. Andrews, Fife, Scotland. In 1983 Richard P. Polcyn, who, as manuscript editor, had worked closely with Dr. Gaebelein for a number of years, assumed this position. Consulting Editors for the Old Testament are Dr. Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., Professor of Old Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School; Dr. Bruce K. Waltke, Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theo logical Seminary (consulting editor 1972-1984); and Dr. Ralph H. Alexander, Professor of Hebrew Scripture, Western Seminary, Portland, Oregon (1984-); and for the New Testament, Dr. James Montgomery Boice, Pastor of Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the late Dr. Merrill C. Tenney, Professor of Bible and Theology, Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois. Articles In Volume 1 GENERAL The Authority and Inspiration of the Bible - Carl F. H. Henry The Transmission and Translation of the Bible - F. F. Bruce The Interpretation of the Bible -Geoffrey W. Bromiley The Geographical Setting of the Bible - James M. Houston The Eschatology of the Bible-Robert L. Saucy The Bible as Literature- Calvin D. Linton Christianity and the World's Religions - Sir Norman Anderson The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha -Bruce M. Metzger Between the Testaments- Harold W. Hoehner OLD TESTA MENT The Language of the Old Testament -G. Douglas Young The Textual Criticism of the Old Testament -Bruce K. Waltke The Historical and Literary Criticism of the Old Testament- R. K. Harrison Old Testament History-f. A. Motyer The Theology of the Old Testament -Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Archaeology and the Old Testament -Donald J. Wiseman The Relation of the Old Testament to Ancient Cultures- G. Herbert Livingston The Chronology and Metrology of the Old Testament - Gleason L. Archer, Jr. The Canon of the Old Testament- Milton C. Fisher The Dead Sea Scrolls- William Sanford LaSor NEW TESTAMENT The Language of the New Testament - J. Harold Greenlee The Textual Criticism of the New Testament - Gordon D. Fee The Historical and Literary Criticism of the New Testament- Donald Guthrie The Theology of the New Testament - Samuel J. Mikolaski The Cultural and Political Setting of the New Testament-Arthur A. Rupprecht The Synoptic Gospels-f. Julius Scott, Jr. Jesus in the Gospels- !. Howard Marshall The Epistolary Literature-Edward M. Blaiklock The Life and Ministry of Paul- H. Alan Cole The Apostolic ChurchA. Skevington Wood The Chronology and Metrology of the New Testament -Lewis A. Foster The Old Testament in the New Testament - Roger Nicole The Canon of the New Testament-Andrew F. Walls Archaeology and the New Testament -Edwin Yamauchi - - EXPOSilDRS BIBLE COMMENfARY mE A Completely New Commentary Series on the Whole Bible PROJECTED VOLUMES AND CONTRIBUTORS Volume 1 Introductory Articles: General, Jonah: H. L. Ellison Old Testament, New Testament Micah: Thomas E. McComiskey Nahum, Habakkuk: Carl E. Armerding Volume 2* Zephaniah: Larry Walker Genesis: John H. Sailhamer Haggai: Robert L. Alden Exodus: Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. Zechariah: Kenneth L. Barker Leviticus: R. Laird Harris Malachi: Robert L. Alden Numbers: Ronald B. Allen Volume 8 Volume 3~ Matthew:D.A.Ca~on Deuteronomy: Earl S. Kalland Mark: Walter W. Wessel Joshua: Donald H. Madvig Luke: Walter L. Liefeld Judges: Herbert Wolf Ruth: F. B. Huey, Jr. Volume 9 1, 2 Samuel: Ronald F. Youngblood John: Merrill C. Tenney Acts: Richard N. Longenecker Volume 4* 1, 2 Kings: R. D. Patterson Volume 10 1 and Hermann J. Austel Romans: Everett F. Harrison 1, 2 Chronicles: J. Barton Payne 1 Corinthians: W. Harold Mare 1 Ezra, Nehemiah: Edwin Yamauchi 2 Corinthians: Murray J. Harris ' Esther: F. B. Huey, Jr. Galatians: James Montgomery Boice Job: Elmer B. Smick Volume 11 Volume 5* Ephesians: A. Skevington Wood Psalms: Willem A. VanGemeren Philippians: Homer A. Kent, Jr. Proverbs: Allen P. Ross Colossians: Curtis Vaughan Ecclesiastes: J. Stafford Wright 1, 2 Thessalonians: Robert L. Thomas Song of Songs: Dennis F. Kinlaw 1, 2 Timothy: Ralph Earle Titus: D. Edmond Hiebert Volume 6* Phi~emon: Arthur A. Rupprecht Isaiah: Geoffrey W. Grogan Jeremiah: Charles L. Feinberg Volume 12 Lamentations: H. L. Ellison Hebrews: Leon Morris Ezekiel: Ralph H. Alexander James: Donald W. Burdick 1, 2 Peter: Edwin A. Blum Volume 7 1, 2, 3 John: Glenn W. Barker Daniel: Gleason L. Archer, Jr. Jude: Edwin A. Blum Hosea: Leon J. Wood Revelation: Allen F. Johnson Joel: Richard D. Patterson Amos: Thomas E. McComiskey Obadiah: Carl E. Armerding * Not yet published as of this printing 0 a ZONdE~VaN PUBliCaTION 11178 REGENCY REFERENCE LIBRARY COMMENTARY 25986 36510 ISBN 0-310-36510-4 1HE EXPOSITORS .. BIBLE COMMENrARY General Editor: FRANK E. GAEBELEIN Former Headmaster, Stony Brook School; Former Coeditor, Christianity Today Associate Editor: J. D. DOUGLAS Editor, The New International Dictionary of the Christian Church Consulting Editors, Old Testament: WALTER C. KAISER, JR. Professor of Semitic Languages and Old Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School BRUCE K. WALTKE Professor of Old Testament, Regent College Consulting Editors, New Testament: JAMES MONTGOMERY BOICE Pastor, Tenth Presbyterian Church, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania MERRILL C. TENNEY Professor of Bible and Theology, Emeritus, Wheaton College Manuscript Editor: RICHARD P. POLCYN Zondervan Publishing House -- - - ----- ----- ~~~~~~E~~~~ EXPOSITORS BIBLE COMMENfARY with The New International Version of The Holy Bible IN TWELVE VOLUMES VOLUME 9 (JOHN-ACTS) R Regency Reference library Zondervan Publishing House Grand Rapids, Michigan THE ExPOSITOR'S BIBLE CoMMENTARY, VoLUME 9 Copyright© 1981 by The Zondervan Corporation Grand Rapids, Michigan Regency Reference Library is an imprint ofZondervan Publishing House, 1415 Lake Drive, S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49506 Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data (Revised) Main entry under title: The Expositor's Bible Commentary. Includes bibliographies. CONTENTS: v. 1. Introductory articles.-[etc.]-v. 9 v. 10. Romans-Galatians. John-Acts.-v. 10 Romans-Galatians.- v. 11. Ephesians-Philemon. 1. Bible-Commentaries. I. Gaebelein, Frank Ely, 1899- II. Douglas, James Dixon. III. Bible. English. New international. 1976. BS491.2.E96 220.7'7 76-41334 ISBN 0-310-36510-4 (v. 9) All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photo copy, recording, or otherwise-without the prior permission of the copyright owner. The Bible translation used in this commentary is the HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (North Ameri clm Edition). Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by The Interna tional Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible P4hlishers. Printed in the United States ofA merica 86 87 88 89 90 I 14 13 12 11 10 CONTENTS Contributors to Volume 9 . . . .. . .. .. . . . . . .. . . .. .. . .. . .. vi Preface . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Abbreviations . . ... . . ... . .. . . . . . . .. . . . ............ .. . ... . .. ix Transliterations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv The Gospel of John .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 3 The Acts of the Apostles .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 207 CONTRIBUTORS TO VOLUME 9 The Gospel of John: Merrill C. Tenney Th.B., Gordon College; A.M., Boston University; Ph.D. Harvard University Professor of Bible and Theology, Emeritus, Wheaton College The Acts of the Apostles: Richard N. Longenecker A.B., Wheaton College; A.M., Wheaton Graduate School; Ph.D., University of Edinburgh (New College) Professor of New Testament, Wycliffe College, University of Toronto vi