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A.F.W.I.S.: Gods Plan for Salvation updated 3.3.2014: “THE WAY BACK or Before the Fall” Step 1 to this Discovery is recognizing GOD'S DESIGN ABUNDANT LIFE  God loves you...

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2 Corinthians 2 - Geneva Study Bible

2 Corinthians 2 - Geneva Study Bible
Chapter 2
2:1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in ^a heaviness.

(a) Causing grief among you, which he would have done if he had come to them before they had repented.

2:3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having ^b confidence in you all, that my joy is [the joy] of you all.

(b) For I trusted that you would immediately take that out of the way which you knew I was discontented with, considering how you are persuaded that my joy is your joy.

2:5 ¹ But if any have caused grief, he hath not ^c grieved me, but ^d in part: that I may not ^e overcharge you all.

(1) He passes to another part of this epistle: which nonetheless is put among the first, and to which he returns afterwards: and he handles the releasing and unloosing of the incestuous person, because he seemed to have been given sufficient testimony of his repentance. And this shows the true use of excommunication, that is, that it proceeds not from hatred, but from love, and so end, lest if we keep it up, we serve Satan the devil.
(c) As if he said, "All that sorrow is so completely wiped away, that I have never felt it."
(d) As for me, says Paul, I have no more to do with him.
(e) Lest I should overcharge him who is burdened enough as it is, which burden I would be glad if it were taken from him.

2:7 So that contrariwise ye [ought] rather to ^f forgive [him], and comfort [him], lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.

(f) That whereas before you punished him sharply, you should now forgive him.

2:8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would ^g confirm [your] love toward him.

(g) That at my entreaty you would declare by the consent of the whole church, that you take him again as a brother.

2:10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I [forgive] also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave [it], for your sakes [forgave I it] in the ^h person of Christ;

(h) Truly, and from the heart.

2:11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his ⁱ devices.

(i) Of his mischievous counsel and devilish will.

2:12 ² Furthermore, when I came to Troas to [preach] Christs gospel, and a door was opened unto me of the Lord,

(2) He returns to the confirmation of his apostleship, and brings forth both the testimonies of his labours, and also of Gods blessing.

2:14 Now thanks [be] unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the ^k savour of his knowledge by us in every place.

(k) He alludes to the anointing of the priests, and the incense of the sacrifices.

2:15 ³ For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish:

(3) He denies that anything should be taken away from the dignity of his apostleship, because they saw that it was not received with like success in every place. But rather very many rejected and detested him, seeing that he preached Christ not only as a saviour of those that believe, but also as a judge of those that condemn him.

2:16 To the one [we are] the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. ⁴ And who [is] sufficient for these things?

(4) Again, he dismisses all suspicion of arrogance, attributing all things that he did to the power of God, whom he serves sincerely, and with honest affection. And he makes them witnesses of this, even to the sixth verse of the next chapter ( 2 Corinthians 2:17 ; 2 Corinthians 3:6 ).

2:17 For we are not as many, which ^l corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.

(l) We do not handle it craftily and covetously, or less sincerely than we ought. And he uses a metaphor, which is taken from hucksters, who used to play the false harlot with whatever came into their hands.

Romans 3 (NIV Audio)

     

Chapter 3 - Geneva Study Bible - Text
3:1 What ¹ advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit [is there] of circumcision?

(1) The first address to the Jews, or the first anticipating of an objection by the Jews: what then, are the Jews preferred no more than the Gentiles? Indeed, they are, says the apostle, by the doing of God, for he committed the tables of the covenant to them, so that the unbelief of a few cannot cause the whole nation without exception to be cast away by God, who is true, and who also uses their unworthiness to commend and set forth his goodness.

3:2 Much every way: ^a chiefly, because that unto them were committed the ^b oracles of God.

(a) The Jews state and condition was of principal importance.
(b) Words.

3:3 For what if some did not ^c believe? shall their unbelief make the ^d faith of God without effect?

(c) Break the covenant.
(d) The faith that God gave.

3:4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be ^e justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome ^f when thou art judged.

(e) That your justice might be plainly seen.
(f) Seeing that you showed forth an true token of your righteousness, steadfastness and faith, by preserving him who had broken his covenant.

3:5 ² But if our ^g unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? [Is] God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as ^h a man)

(2) Another objection resulting from the former answer: that the justice of God is commended and set forth by our unrighteousness in such a way that God does not therefore forget that he is the judge of the world, and therefore a most severe avenger of unrighteousness.
(g) Treachery, and all the fruits of it.
(h) Therefore I do not speak these words of my own accord, as though this is what I thought, but this is the talk of mans wisdom, which is not subject to the will of God.

3:7 ³ For if the ⁱ truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner?

(3) A third objection, which adds somewhat to the former: if sins turn out to the glory of God, they are not only not to be punished, but we ought rather to give ourselves to them: and this blasphemy Paul, as he fights to curse and detest it, pronounces it to be a just punishment against such blasphemers.
(i) The truth and unchangingness.

3:9 ⁴ What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all ^k under sin;

(4) Another answer to the first objection: that the Jews, if they are considered in themselves, are no better than other men are: as it has been long since pronounced by the mouth of the Prophets.
(k) Are guilty of sin.

3:17 And the ^l way of peace have they not known:

(l) An innocent and peaceable life.

3:19 ⁵ Now we know that what things soever the ^m law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that ⁶ every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become ⁿ guilty before God.

(5) He proves that this grievous accusation which is uttered by David and Isaiah correctly refers to the Jews.
(m) The Law of Moses. (6) A conclusion of all the former discussions, from ( Romans 1:18 ) on. "Therefore", says the apostle, "no man can hope to be justified by any law, whether it be that general law, or the particular law of Moses, and therefore to be saved: seeing it appears (as we have already proved) by comparing the law and mans life together, that all men are sinners, and therefore worthy of condemnation in the sight of God."
(n) Be found guilty before God.

3:20 Therefore by the ^o deeds of the law there shall no ^p flesh be ^q justified in his ^r sight: for by the law [is] the knowledge of sin.

(o) By those deeds by which the law can be done by us.
(p) Flesh is here taken for man, as in many other places, and furthermore has greater force here: for it is given to show the contrast between God and man: as if one would say, "Man, who is nothing else but a piece of flesh defiled with sin, and God, who is most pure and most perfect in himself."
(q) Absolved before the judgment seat of God.
(r) Paul has in mind a contrasting of the righteousness of before men, be they ever so just, against the justice which can stand before God: now there is no righteousness that can stand before God, except the righteousness of Christ alone.

3:21 ⁷ But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;

(7) "Therefore", says the apostle, "so that men would not perish, God now exhibits that which he promised from ancient time, that is to say, a way by which we may be instituted and saved before him without the law."

3:22 ⁸ Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of ^s Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

(8) The matter, as it were, of this righteousness is Christ Jesus apprehended by faith, and for the sake of righteousness Christ is offered to all people, as without him all people are shut out from the kingdom of God.
(s) Which we give to Jesus Christ, or which rests upon him.

3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the ^t glory of God;

(t) By the "glory of God" is meant that mark which we all aim for, that is, everlasting life, which consists in our being made partakers of the glory of God.

3:24 ⁹ Being justified ^u freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ:

(9) Therefore this righteousness which we gain is altogether freely given, for its foundation is upon those things which we have not done ourselves, but rather those things which Christ has suffered for our sakes, to deliver us from sin.
(u) By his free gift, and liberality.

3:25 ¹⁰ Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his ^x blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that ^y are past, through the ^z forbearance of God;

(10) God then is the author of that free justification, because it pleased him: and Christ is he who suffered punishment for our sins, and in whom we have remission of them: and the means by which we apprehend Christ is faith. In short, the result is the setting forth of the goodness of God, that by this means it may appear that he is indeed merciful, and faithful in his promises, as he that freely, and of grace alone, justifies the believers.
(x) The name of blood reminds us of the symbol of the old sacrifices, and that the truth and substance of these sacrifices is in Christ.
(y) Of those sins which we committed when we were his enemies.
(z) Through his patience, and his enduring nature.

3:26 To declare, [I say], ^a at this time his righteousness: that he might be ^b just, and the ^c justifier of him which ^d believeth in Jesus.

(a) That is, when Paul wrote this.
(b) That he might be found exceedingly truth and faithful.
(c) Making him just and without blame, but putting Christs righteousness to him.
(d) Of the number of those who by faith lay hold upon Christ: contrary to whom are those who seek to be saved by circumcision, that is by the law.

3:27 ¹¹ Where [is] boasting then? It is excluded. By what ^e law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith.

(11) An argument to prove this conclusion, that we are justified by faith without works, taken from the result of justification. The result of justification is the glory of God alone: therefore we are justified by faith without works: for if we were justified either by our own works alone, or partly by faith and partly by works, the glory of this justification would not be wholly given to God.
(e) By what doctrine? Now the doctrine of works has this condition attached to it, that is, "if you do", and the doctrine of faith has this condition, that is, "if you believe".

3:29 ¹² [Is he] the God of the ^f Jews only? [is he] not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:

(12) Another absurd argument: if justification depended upon the law of Moses, then God would be a Saviour to the Jews only. Again, if he would save the Jews after one manner, and the Gentiles after another, he would not be consistent. Therefore he will justify both of them after the very same manner, that is to say, by faith. Moreover, this argument must be joined to that which follows next, so that his conclusion may be firm and evident.
(f) God is said to be their God, after the manner of the scripture, whom he loves and cares for.

3:30 Seeing [it is] one God, which shall justify ^g the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.

(g) The circumcised.

3:31 ¹³ Do we then make ^h void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we ⁱ establish the law.

(13) The taking away of an objection: yet the law is not therefore taken away, but is rather established, as it will be declared in its proper place.
(h) Vain, void, to no purpose, and of no power.
(i) We make the law effectual and strong.

Psalm 141 (NIV)

Psalm 141 (New International Version)

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

1 O LORD, I call to you; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.

4 Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.

5 Let a righteous man [a] strike me—it is a kindness; let him rebuke me—it is oil on my head. My head will not refuse it. Yet my prayer is ever against the deeds of evildoers;

6 their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs, and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.

7 They will say, "As one plows and breaks up the earth, so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of the grave. [b] "

8 But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign LORD; in you I take refuge—do not give me over to death.

9 Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers.

10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

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