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Someone has said, "Blessed is the preacher who can get airborne without taking too much runway." If this statement is true, John and Jude were certainly blessed preachers. Both knew how to say much in a few words. Though postcards in length, these epistles contain a weighty message that embraces truth and exposes error. This commentary explores these often forgotten New Testament books and applies their message to the church today.
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It’s one of the ugliest, most damaging skeletons to come out of the closet—the unaddressed “elephant in the room” in Christian circles. The ever-growing presence and accessibility of obscene viewing has added to the strangle hold it’s taken on many lives. For many people, the battle rages daily. With all the shame and addiction surrounding pornography, where can someone truly searching for help turn to? In the book, Pay-Per-View, Jeff Amsbaugh not only address the real threat of pornography to Christianity, but shows relevant steps to win this critical war. The stakes are high—this shadowed enemy has scarred families, ended marriages, and mentally altered thousands! Please, count the cost and arm yourself against this lethal weapon of Satan today.
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The book of Philippians is a missionary prayer letter, yet few theologians have commented on the missiological aspects of this epistle. In Keeping the Mission in the Missionary, Jeff Amsbaugh comments on the book of Philippines as a missionary prayer letter. In so doing, he provides a valuable tool for local churches to evaluate missionaries the are considering for support and for missionary candidates to evaluate the ministries before they go to the field.
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Because many have recoiled from the fact that God would write a book about human sexuality, the Song of Solomon has often been allegorized as a book written to describe Christ’s love for the church. Does this mean that the book had to lay dormant for 900 years until the church was birthed? And how are we to explain God using Solomon, one of the worst husbands in history, to typify God’s love? Why is it that many who abhor allegorical interpretation are willing to accept it with regard to this Biblical work? In this commentary, we will discover that the Song needs no alteration or “deeper significance” to justify its place in the canon. To the contrary, this book will defend the fact that the proper use of human sexuality can turn a shepherd into a prince while its misuse can turn the world’s most celebrated sovereign into a beast. Indeed, God wrote the book of love.
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However we interpret the marriage of Hosea, it was obviously the most important event in his life. This event shaped both the man and his message. It was out of this experience that Hosea would proclaim and demonstrate his understanding of God. Through his marriage, Hosea would understand our rejection of God, His discipline of us, and the cost of reconciliation. Despite our wickedness, God has eternally committed Himself to us. This commentary on Hosea explores these themes of a God who loves us till death and beyond.
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Micah’s name means “Who is like God?” And the prophet goes to great lengths to present God’s incomparability. There are three sections in the book each beginning with an admonition to hear (1:2, 3:1, 6:1). The first shows that there is nobody like God in identifying sin. The second shows that there is nobody like God in judging sin. And the third shows that there is nobody like God in forgiving sin. This commentary helps you explore the book of Micah and discover God’s uniqueness. Indeed, there’s nobody like Him.
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All too often, pastoral candidates are merely asked to preach a couple of sermons to a local assembly before the vote is taken to call them to lead a church. Indeed, we often refer to our pastors as “preachers.” But is there more to pastoral leadership than pulpit communication? What does God require of the man who would shepherd the flock? This commentary explores the books of I Timothy, II Timothy, and Titus to discover God’s plan for pastoral ministry.
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In previous ages, Christians lived in great anticipation of the Lord’s return. A belief in the imminent rapture of the church led many Christians to embrace holy living and aggressive evangelism. Times, however, have changed. Now, anyone who speaks of the Lord’s return is viewed as being on the same level as someone who claims to have seen Elvis in Burger King. Prophecy is seldom preached, and when it is, the preacher is viewed as a kook. The New Testament in general, and the books of I and II Thessalonians in particular, repeatedly emphasize, however, the fact that the King is coming. Our hope is that the pages of this commentary will help you live in light of that day.
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If you have been saved for any length of time, you have probably seen some rift over Calvinism. Perhaps you feel uncomfortable believing that your lost relatives are unsaved because somehow God has not chosen them to salvation. That all having been said, however, you are not quite sure how this fits with the election passages of the Bible. In The Great Rift, Jeff Amsbaugh explores the roots of Calvinism and attempts to explain the five points of Calvin in light of God’s Word in order to help you the next time a rift over Calvinism comes your way.
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Job’s belief in the sovereignty of God did not allow him the luxury of attributing his successive and severe calamities to secondary sources. It never occurred to him to blame natural disasters, human agents, or even the devil for his suffering. The Lord had given, and the Lord had taken away. Why did God grant the devil permission to afflict Job so severely seeing Job lived so righteously? Job seeks answers, and those provided by his friends are wholly inadequate. When God finally arrives on the scene, He does so, not to answer questions, but to question answers. For example, God asks Job, “Where were you when I made behemoth?” The behemoth, a massive land animal, serves no apparent reason for existence. And if a man tries to get ahold of it in order to analyze it, he only ends up injuring himself. The point is that suffering is a behemoth. We often don’t know why God allows it, and if we attempt to understand it more fully, we only end up injuring ourselves. We trust that this commentary will assist you in trusting God even when His ways are inexplicable.
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We often think that trials are inappropriate for the Christian, and therefore we respond with bitterness and retaliation when they come. The Bible is clear, however, that trials are not foreign to the Christian life but a necessary component of it. Therefore, trials should not only be embraced but enlisted to serve God more effectively. This commentary explores the book of I Peter and develops concepts to help you submit the next time your Christian life is under fire.
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Life is filled with warnings. Various household products have warnings on their labels. We constantly have traffic warnings and weather warnings. Life would be dangerous indeed if we were never alerted to danger. It is not surprising, therefore, that the Bible contains very specific warnings. This is especially true in the books of Joel and Amos. Joel sounds the trumpet, and Amos roars like lion. Both are designed to alert us to the dangers ahead. This commentary is offered to help you understand the warnings of God and recognize when it is time to sound the alarm.
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Isaiah ends his great prophecy by telling us about a new heaven and new earth. He does not leave us in the dark, however, about how this new universe will come to be. The entire focus of the book is on the Messiah, Jesus Christ. The prophet tells us of Christ’s birth, Christ’s cross, and Christ’s return. Jesus is the Servant of the Lord who accomplishes the very salvation of God. Indeed, He is God’s salvation. And it is no halfway salvation. It is salvation that helps us in this life and in the life to come. Those who embrace Christ are saved to the uttermost. We trust that you will arrive at a greater appreciation of this great salvation through this study of Isaiah
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Though there are many different interpretations to the book of the Revelation, and good men disagree about minor points of exegesis, the thrust of the book is obvious. It is the Revelation of Jesus Christ. The book is about Jesus and how He emerges victorious over Satanic and despotic government. And because believers are affiliated with Jesus, they too are winners. No matter how much tribulation we have in this world, we can be of good cheer, for Christ has overcome the world. In the end, the saints win. We trust that as a result of this study of Revelation, you will rest and rejoice in the victory that is yours through Jesus Christ our Lord.
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Though Nehemiah was privileged to live in the lap of luxury while serving as cupbearer to a Persian king, he left it all for the seemingly impossible task of rebuilding the city walls of Jerusalem. Obviously, he needed the help of God to mobilize a task force of Jewish workers. This commentary examines the prayer life, management skills, and tenacity of one of the Old Testament's greatest leaders.
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Jeremiah was nearly twenty years old when he began his ministry in 627 BC and immediately began to address a nation that was rapidly approaching the judgment of God. Because Jeremiah prophesied in the final years of Judah before the Babylonian exile, his overwhelming theme is judgment. Indeed, the first forty-five chapters of the book focus on God’s judgment of Judah. Ironical- ly, however, there is an element of grace throughout the book, and significantly, Jeremiah’s prophesy provides the most vivid treatment of the New Covenant whereby God will remember Judah’s sins and iniquities no more. Indeed, God was pulling down in order to build. We trust that this commentary on Jeremiah will help you accept the grace of God even when life is falling apart.
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God promised Joshua that the entire land of Canaan was available, but he and the Israelites must go forward and possess their possessions. Sadly, in the New Testament era, Christians many times allow the promises of God to be nothing more than unclaimed freight. Paul, in the book of Ephesians, outlines for us the glorious inheritance that we have in Christ and then encourages us to advance and claim it. May this study in Ephesians incentivize you to possess your possessions.
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This commentary examines the three major tests or evidences of salvation delineated by the Apostle John. These things are the doctrinal test, the social test, and the moral test. Do I believe the right things? Do I love my brother? Is my life characterized by righteousness? In short, does my life give evidence that I have been born again? Do I pass the tests?
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Christians have often been criticized for majoring on the minors. We must remember, however, that the devil is in the details. The last twelve books of the Bible are often called the minor prophets, but the messages of these prophets are of major importance. This commentary explores the messages of Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, and Haggai to assist you in your Christian walk. We trust these studies will help you to major on the minors.
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Often we feel that a powerful apologetic is necessary to confront false religions and that courses in comparative religion are vital to evangelizing those from different faiths. When Paul, however, sought to rescue the Colossians from the Gnostic heresy that was pervading their town, he simply chose to exalt Christ. When Jesus is seen in all His glory, other faiths of necessity fade into the background. No competing system of thought can adequately replace the splendor of Jesus. Nothing can trump Christianity when Christ is in all things preeminent. We trust that this study of Colossians will help you see Jesus in all of His magnificence.
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Many have seen a parallel between the five books of the Psalter and the five books of the Pentateuch. Indeed, the first book of the Psalter (Psalms 1-41), which mirrors the book of Genesis, speaks graphi- cally of the heavens that declare the glory of God and also of man’s ruination of the created environ- ment through his fall into sin. Many hymns, such as “How Great Thou Art,” speak of God’s excellence that can be observed in the created order. This is very much in keeping with God’s inspired hymn- book where you and I are invited to sing about the mighty power of God.
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The modern-day church is becoming increasingly weak in its doctrine. Teaching doctrine is not favorable and practicing doctrine is not popular. In fact, many churches have decided to abandon doctrine altogether because of its divisive nature. Today’s Christian must be properly equipped with Biblical doctrine to combat the heresies that dominate modern thought. Every Christian must know what they believe about core truths and why they believe them. This commentary trains you to be a heresy hunter. You will learn how to recognize the subtle differences in false teaching and how to avoid being trapped in unscriptural error.
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When a person accepts Jesus Christ as his personal Saviour, he is immediately justified in the eyes of God. But how is a person justified in the eyes of men? This commentary takes you through the book of James and explains the defining hallmarks of Christianity. Here you will find practical tips on how to stay right in a world that is constantly drifting left.
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Many people love proverbs from whatever the source because they provide memorable advice in a short, pithy fashion. The book of Proverbs in Scripture, however, is not just good advice from wise people; it is infallible advice from the all-wise God. Proverbs provide the instruction that is necessary to live life wisely and godly. Numerous leaders have found success by reading, studying, and applying the truths from this book of the Bible. What about you? Got Wisdom? We trust that as a result of studying the Proverbs through this commentary you will become a wise guy in the best sense of that term.
