CUT FROM THE LOAF THE HOLY SPIRIT IN DOCTRINE AND LIFE THE TEACHING AND PREACHING THAT COUNTS MY FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST STEPS ON THE LADDER OF FAITH SYNTHETIC BIBLE STUDIES CHRISTIAN WORKERS' COMMENTARY PRIMERS OF THE FAITH BIBLE PROBLEMS EXPLAINED SATAN AND THE SAINT GREAT EPOCHS OF SACRED HISTORY SPIRITISM AND THE FALLEN ANGELS Commentary ON THE Old and New Testaments Arranged in Sections with Questions for Use at Family Altars and By JAMES M. GRAY, D.D. Minister in the Reformed Episcopal Church; Dean of the Moody Bible Institute FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY ANDOVER-HARVARD New York: 158 Fifth Avenue THE AUTHOR'S EXPLANATION "Whoever attempts it will find it far easier to write a long commentary than a brief one," said a famous commentator. This we believe. The Christian Workers' Commentary represents the labor of eight years in the use of such spare hours as could be found in an otherwise well-filled life, but had the plan permitted its expansion into a series of volumes instead of one, it might have been completed earlier. HOW TO UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE. Fundamental to any first-hand knowledge of the Bible is the reading of the Holy Book itself, and all the commentaries in the world can not be substituted for it. Moreover this Commentary is planned on the supposition that such reading will be done in connection with it. And it should be done in an orderly and scientific way. One of the greatest marvels and most convincing evidences of the Divinity of the Bible is its unity. Although composed of sixty-six different books, and written by different authors at widely different times, yet it has a single plan and purpose in all its history, prophecy and doctrine both in the Old Testament and the New, and it is vital to its understanding that this be recognized in our approach to it. In other words the serious student should not "start in anywhere" to read the Bible, unless it be as a member of a class whose teacher is capable of filling in the gaps. The Divine Author should be treated at least with the respect of a human author, and given an opportunity to interpret and explain Himself in the practical and orderly unveiling of his thought. No one would begin a volume on science, history or philosophy in the middle of it or towards the close, and still hope to be deeply interested in or clearly understand it, and why act on a different principle in coming to the Word of God? THE PLAN OF THE COMMENTARY. Begin where the Holy Spirit has indicated to begin, at Genesis, and follow the order of the books. As tallying with this, the reader or student of this Commentary will find that it does not usually refer a second time to subjects which it has already touched upon, and that the comments do not repeat themselves to any appreciable extent. One should examine the marginal references in his Bible as he proceeds, and then turn back to the first instance where the subject or event is treated to find the comment on it. For example in the case of the Psalms, when one has become acquainted with their general character and the method of arriving at their contents as illustrated in the treatment of a few at the beginning, he may be expected to be capable of analyzing most of the remainder for himself. After that the more difficult, some of the more familiar and popular, and those distinctively Messianic or Millennial are treated more at length, but others are omitted. 5 |