Scriptures used:
Proverbs 17:9; Proverbs 10:12; 1 Peter 4:8; Ephesians 4:7;
Rom 12:3-4; John 1:16
Proverbs 17:9
(KJV)
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that
repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
(MSG)
Overlook an offense and bond a friendship; fasten on to a
slight and—good-bye, friend!
(AMP)
He who covers and forgives an offense seeks love, but he who
repeats or harps on a matter separates even close friends.
Proverbs 10:12 (KJV)
Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.
1 Peter 4:8 (AMP)
Above all things have intense and unfailing love for one
another, for love covers a multitude of sins [forgives and disregards the
offenses of others].
Ephesians 4:3-6 (AMP)
3 Be eager and strive earnestly to guard and keep the
harmony and oneness of [and produced by] the Spirit in the binding power of
peace.
4 [There is] one body and one Spirit—just as there is
also one hope [that belongs] to the calling you received— 5 [There is] one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of [us]
all, Who is above all [Sovereign over all], pervading all and [living] in [us]
all.
Rom 12:3 (KJV)
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that
is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but
to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of
faith.
Rom 12:4 (KJV) For as we have many members in one body, and
all members have not the same office:
John 1:16 And of his fullness have all we received, and
grace for grace.
Ephesians 4:7
(Barnes)
But unto every one of
us:
- Every Christian.
Is given grace:
- The favor of God; meaning here that God had bestowed upon
each sincere Christian the means of living as he ought to do, and had in his
gospel made ample provision that they might walk worthy of their vocation. What
“are” the endowments thus given, the apostle states in the following verses.
The “grace” referred to here, most probably means “the gracious influences of
the Holy Spirit,” or his operations on the heart in connection with the use of
the means which God has appointed.
According to the
measure of the gift of Christ:
- Grace is bestowed upon all true Christians, and all have
enough to enable them to live a life of holiness. Yet we are taught
here:
(1) That it is a “gift.” It is “bestowed” on us. It is not
what is originated by ourselves.
(2) it is by a certain “measure.” It is not unlimited, and
without rule. There is a wise adaptation; an imparting it by a certain rule.
The same grace is not given to all, but to all is given enough to enable them
to live as they ought to live.
(3) that measure is the gift of Christ, or what is given in
Christ. It comes through him. It is what he has purchased; what he has obtained
by his merits. All have enough for the purposes for which God has called them
into his kingdom, but there are not the same endowments conferred on all. Some
have grace given them to qualify them for the ministry;
Some to be apostles; some to be martyrs; some to make them
eminent as public benefactors. All this has been obtained by Christ; and one
Should not complain that another has more distinguished endowments than he has;
Compare Rom_12:3 and Joh_1:16 notes.
Rom 12:3 (Barnes)
Through the grace - Through the favor, or in virtue of the
favor of the apostolic office. By the authority that is conferred on me to
declare the will of God as an apostle; see the note at Rom_1:5; see also
Gal_1:6, Gal_1:15; Gal_2:9; Eph_3:8; 1Ti_1:14.
The measure of faith - The word “faith” here is evidently
put for religion, or Christianity. Faith is a main thing in religion. It
constitutes its first demand, and the Christian religion, therefore, is characterized
by its faith, or its confidence, in God; see Mar_16:17; compare Heb. 11; Rom.
4. We are not, therefore, to be elated in our view of ourselves;
We are not to judge of our own characters by wealth, or
talent, or learning, but
by our attachment to God, and by the influence of faith on our minds.
The meaning is, judge yourselves, or
estimate yourselves, by your piety. The propriety of this rule is apparent:
(1) Because no other standard is a correct one, or one of
value. Our talent, learning, rank, or wealth, is a very improper rule by which
to estimate ourselves. All may be wholly unconnected with moral worth; and the
worst as well as the best people may possess them.
(2) God
will judge us in the day of judgment by our attachment to Christ and his cause
Matt. 25; and that is the true standard by which to estimate ourselves here.
(3) nothing else will secure and promote humility but this.
All other things may produce or promote pride, but this will effectually secure
humility. The fact that God has given all that we have; the fact that the poor
and obscure may have as true an elevation of character as ourselves; the
consciousness of our own imperfections and short-comings in the Christian
faith;
And the certainty that we are soon to be arraigned to try
this great question, whether
we have evidence that we are the friends of God; will all tend to
promote humbleness of mind and to bring down our usual inordinate
self-estimation.
If all Christians judged themselves in this way, it would
remove at once no small part of the pride of station and of life from the world,
and would produce deep attachment for those who are blessed with the faith of
the gospel, though they may be unadorned by any of the wealth or trappings
which now promote pride and distinctions among men.
John 1:16 (Barnes)
Grace for grace - Many interpretations of this phrase have
been proposed. The chief are briefly the following:
1. “We have received under the gospel, grace or favor,
‘instead of’ those granted under the law; and God has added by the gospel important
favors to those which he gave under the law.” This was first proposed by
Chrysostom.
2. “We, Christians, have received grace ‘answering to,’ or
corresponding to that which is in Jesus Christ. We are ‘like’ him in meekness,
humility,” etc.
3. “We have received grace ‘as grace’ - that is, freely. We
have not purchased it nor deserved it, but God has conferred it on us ‘freely’”
(Grotius).
4. The meaning is, probably, simply that we have received
through him “abundance” of grace or favor. The Hebrews, in expressing the
superlative degree of comparison, used simply to repeat the word - thus, “pits,
pits,” meaning many pits (Hebrew in Gen_14:10). So here grace for grace may
mean “much” grace; superlative favors bestowed on man; favors superior to all that
had been under the law - superior to all other things that God can confer on
men. These favors consist in pardon, redemption, protection, sanctification,
peace here, and heaven hereafter.
References:
Translations are retrieved
from http://www.biblegateway.com/ BibleGateway.com © Copyright 1995-2010 Gospel
Communications International
King James Version
(KJV)—Public Domain/ 1604, King James I of England
The Message Bible
(MSG)—Copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995 by Eugene H. Peterson
Amplified Bible
(AMP)—Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Barnes' Notes on the New
Testament (Barnes) by Albert Barnes Published in Philadelphia, August 25th,
1832. Retrieved from e-Sword www.e-sword.net
—Copyright © 2000-2012 Rick Meyers All
Rights Reserved Worldwide
