HELP A BROTHER OUT!

Bear (endure, carry) one another's burdens and troublesome moral faults, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ, the Messiah, and complete what is lacking [in your obedience to it]. (Read: Galatians 6:1-5).


6:2 The law of Christ referred to here is probably the summation of the law: "Love your neighbor" (see 5:14; Matt 22:39; John 13:34, 35). The term fulfill suggests that choosing to bear another Christian's burdens (or restore another Christian from burdensome sin, v. 1) is precisely what Christ expects of all believers. The Greek word for burdens refers to something beyond the normal capacity to carry, as opposed to a "load" (v. 5), which is what a person could be expected to carry.
[THE NKJV STUDY BIBLE Second Edition].


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GOD'S HOUSE IS NOT A SHOPPING MALL

On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, and would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple courts. And as he taught them, he said, "Is it not written, "MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER FOR ALL NATIONS'? But you have made it a DEN OF ROBBERS." (Read: Mark 11:15-19).


15-16 The cleansing of the temple, in fulfillment of Mal 3:1-3, was Jesus' next messianic act during the Passion Week after the Triumphal Entry. When he entered the temple area, the smell of the animals entered his nostrils; and the noise from the money changers' tables beat on his ears. Why were they there? For the convenience of pilgrims, the cattlemen and the money changers had set up business in the Court of the Gentiles. The animals were sold for sacrifices. It was far easier for a pilgrim coming to Jerusalem to purchase one that was guaranteed kosher than to bring an animal with him and have it inspected for meeting the kosher requirements. The Roman money the pilgrims brought to Jerusalem had to be changed into the Tyrian currency, since the annual temple tax had to be paid in that currency. Exorbitant prices were often charged for changing the currency. By overturning the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, Jesus was directly and forcefully challenging the authority of the high priest, because they were there by his authorization.
         Jesus also put a stop to casual use of the temple by those who used it as a shortcut between the city and the Mount of Olives (v.16).


17 The first passage quoted by Jesus is Isa 56:7, a prediction that non-Jews who worship God would be allowed to worship in the temple. By allowing the Court of the Gentiles, the only place in the temple area where Gentiles could worship God, to become a noisy, smelly public market, the Jewish religious leaders were preventing Gentiles from exercising the spiritual privilege promised them. How could a Gentile pray amid all that noisy stench? The second quotation (from Jer 7:11) emphasizes that instead allowing the temple to be what it was meant to be, a place of prayer, they had allowed it to become a robbers' den. This is to be understood both in terms of the Jews' dishonest dealing with the pilgrims and especially in terms of using all their merchandising activities to rob the Gentiles of their rightful claim to worship Israel's God.
    Jesus concern that Gentiles receive equal privileges with Jews to worship God would have been particularly meaningful for Mark's predominantly Gentile readers.
[NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Vol 2: New Testament].


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PUT ON THE WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. (Read: Ephesians 6:10-20).


10 Paul now begins his final instruction in this letter. His addressees are to let themselves be strengthened in Christ himself (Php 4:13). Even though victory is secure, it has to be won through battle. All the resources that the Christian soldier needs are drawn from Christ and "his mighty power." Three of the four words for power in Eph 1:19 are brought together again here. Paul's readers will recall that this is the same power that raised Jesus from the dead (1:20) and brought them to life when they were dead in trespasses and sins (2:1). Its adequacy cannot possibly be in doubt.


11 The call to "put on" God's armor recalls a similar appeal in 1 Thess 5:8. This accoutrement is provided by God and modeled on what he wears himself (Isa 11:5; 59:19). It is a complete outfit ("full armor"). The soldier must be protected from head to foot, and his armor is made up of all the various pieces, both defensive and offensive.
    "Stand" is a key word in this passage (cf. vv. 13-14). It is a military term for holding on to one's position. The equipment enables the soldier to ward off the attacks of the enemy and to make a stand against him. Before any offensive can be launched, one must first of all maintain his own ground. The fourfold use of "against" stresses the determined hostility confronting the Christian soldier. The commander-in-chief of the opposing forces is the devil himself, the sworn enemy of the church. He is the master of ingenious stratagems and his tactics must not be allowed to catch us unawares. These stratagems probably reflect his deliberate attempts to destroy the unity of Christ's body (3:14-21; 4:1-16). through the invasion of false doctrine and the fomenting of dissension (4:2, 21, 31-32; 5:6).


12 In military strategy one must never underestimate the strength of the enemy. Paul is certainly not guilty of such fatal misjudgment but gives a realistic report of its potential. The "struggle" (lit., "wrestling") is not merely against human foes but a war to the death against supernatural forces.
    Four aspects of the corporate menace are presented here. The particular terms used are in themselves morally neutral, though in Paul they invariably indicate something sinister (1:21; 3:10). "Rulers" are "cosmic powers." Until the end of this age these demonic forces, already defeated by Christ on the cross (4:8), exercise a certain limited authority (here "authorities") in temporarily opposing the purposes of God. The title "powers" denotes those who aspire to world control. It was attached to savior gods in the ethnic religions and identified with the sun. The expression "the spiritual forces of wickedness" suggests the heavenly bodies, which were regarded as the abode of demons who held human lives in their grip. Pagans had no option but to resign themselves to an unalterable destiny. But Christians can fight against such malign influences. "The heavenly realms" probably denotes the unseen world in general, including both good and evil forces.


13 Because the warfare in which Christians are engaged is on the scale described in v.12. the command to take advantage of the "full armor of God" is reiterated from v.11. The verb, though translated "put on," is a different one from that in v.11; here it means 'take up, assume". Thus, when the battle is at its fiercest, the soldiers of Christ will still be able to hold their line even against the most determined attack (i.e., "the day of evil"). When the emergency is over, it will be found that not an inch of territory has been yielded. Christians will "have done everything," not only in preparing for the conflict but also in pursuing it.
[NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].


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RU A LETTER?

Do we begin again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some others, epistles of commendation to you or letters of commendation from you? You are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read by all men; clearly you are an epistle of Christ , ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tables of stone but on tables of flesh, that is, of the heart. (2 Corinthians 3:1-3). 


3:1 Having again declared his sincerity (2:17), Paul asked if he needed a letter of commendation to back him up, as some others did. The language implies that false apostles mentioned later in this letter (11:13) had tried to gain acceptance by using such references.


3:2 You are ... written in our hearts: The Corinthians were Paul's letter of recommendation. These verses do not mean that letters of recommendation should not be used. Paul himself used such letters before his conversion (see Acts 9:1, 2) and after (see 8:22; Rom 16:1; 1 Cor 16:10; Col 4:10). In this case Paul did not need one because he already had one: the believing Corinthians and his ministry among them. Paul's love for the Corinthians was known to all who were acquainted with his ministry. One of the qualifications for ministry is love for people, both God's people and the lost.


3:3 an Epistle of Christ: Paul appealed to the Corinthians themselves for proof of his ministry's authenticity. God had changed them-an obvious matter of public record.
[THE NKJV STUDY BIBLE Second Edition].


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YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SAY; SO SPEAK WORDS OF LIFE!

Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they who indulge (love) it will eat the fruit of it [for death or life]. (Proverbs 18:21). 


 What people say can lead to life or death. This proverb affirms this point and then explains it: "those who love it will eat its fruit." The referent of who "it" must be "the tongue," i.e., what the tongue says. So those who enjoy talking must bear its fruit, whether good or bad. We should be warned by this proverb, especially if we love to talk. 
[NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 1: Old Testament]. 


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PRAISE IS WHAT I DO!

Through Him therefore let us constantly and at all times offer up to God a sacrifice of praise, which is the fruit of our lips that thankfully acknowledges and confess and glorify His name. 
(Read: Hebrews 13:9-16)


15 The verse begins with an emphatic "through him." It is through Jesus and not the Jewish priests (or any other priests) that people "offer" to God acceptable sacrifices. "Offer" is a technical word for the offering of sacrifices of animals and the like. The author uses it of the only sacrifices Christians offer-spiritual sacrifices (cf. Rom 12:1; Jam 1:27). So he urges them to offer "a sacrifice of praise," i.e. a sacrifice consisting of praise. This sacrifice is to be offered "continually." In systems like Judaism sacrifices were offered at set times, but for Christians praise goes up all the time. Since a loving God is working out his purposes all the time (Rom 8:28), there are no circumstances in which praise should not be offered (1 Thess 5:18). The sacrifice is further explained in an expression from Hosea 14:2 (Prov 18:20), "the fruit of lips that confess his name." In light of the Cross, there is no room for sacrifices such as those the Jews offered. Now believers offer the sacrifice of praise and acknowledge Christ. 
[NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament]. 


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DON'T JUST TELL ME YOU LOVE ME, SHOW ME YOU LOVE ME!

17 But if any one has this world's goods-resources for sustaining life-and sees his brother and fellow believer in need, yet closes his heart of compassion against him, how can the love of God live and remain in him?
18 Little children, let us not love [merely] in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth-in practice and in sincerity. (Read: 1 John 3:16-24).


17 Again John's penchant for providing practical "tests" of the validity of one's faith comes to the fore. How can we know whether we would sacrifice our life for a fellow believer? We can know by being compassionate toward such a one in his or her present need. If we are unable or unwilling to sacrifice material advantage for the sake of our fellow believers, we know that the love of God is not in us. What are the conditions for our involvement? If we are in a position to see with our own eyes someone's need (as, for example, the good Samaritan did, Lk 10:29-37) and can offer help, then we cannot do otherwise than act. To withhold help in such a situation is to shut off compassionate action and to deny the presence of God's love in our own heart.


18 Turning back to "little children", John admonishes with the tone of a spiritual father pleading for the heartfelt response of his children. Love requires more than idle talk or exalted theology. It demands simple acts, which anyone can see, in order to meet the needs of brothers and sisters in distress. Any expression of love that fails here is not only empty but blasphemous (cf. Jam 2:15-16; 1 Cor 13:1-3).
[NIV BIBLE COMMENTARY Volume 2: New Testament].


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JESUS IS LORD.