You Can Take His Word For It
Subtitle: A Reminder From the Lord Jesus
Acts 20:35
I have shewed you all things,
how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words
of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.
Introduction:
This season is usually seen as one for giving of gifts,
but in reality there is no season that is not a season for giving in the
Christian life.
Outline:
I. Consider the Support (the Example) - A Coordinate
Blessing: “…to give…to receive”
II. Consider the Source - A Christian Blessing: “He said”
III. Consider the Statement - A Comparative Blessing:
“more”
Transition:
The seriousness
of this statement cannot be overemphasized, and its impact must not be missed,
since this conclusion to this unique sermon are Paul’s final words to the
elders from Ephesus.
I. Consider the Support (the Example) - A Coordinate
Blessing: “…to give…to receive”
I have shewed you all things, how that
so labouring ye ought to support the weak
1. The pattern
of Paul
2. The model for
ministry
1. The pattern of Paul
Acts 20:33-34
- 33 I have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or apparel. 34 Yea,
ye yourselves know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and
to them that were with me.
2 Corinthians
11:7-9 - 7 Have I committed an offence in abasing myself
that ye might be exalted, because I have preached to you the gospel of God
freely? 8 I robbed other churches, taking wages of them, to do you service. 9 And when I was present with you, and
wanted, I was chargeable to no man: for that which was lacking to me the
brethren which came from Macedonia supplied: and in all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, and so will I keep myself.
Ephesians 4:28 - Let
him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his
hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.
2. The model for ministry
Isaiah 1:23 - Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of
thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not
the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.
John 2:16 - And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father's house an house of
merchandise.
Luke 16:13-14 - 13
No
servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the
other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve
God and mammon. 14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these
things: and they derided him.
2 Peter 2:1-3 - 1 But
there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false
teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying
the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And
many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth
shall be evil spoken of. 3 And through covetousness shall they
with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time
lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
II. Consider the Source - A Christian Blessing: “He
said”
and to remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, how he said
1. The logos of the Lord
2. The acknowledgment of authority
1. The logos of the Lord
This is referred
to as an alogon or agrapha
“This is the only
direct quote from Jesus’ earthly ministry recorded outside the gospels.”
- MacArthur Study
Bible, pg. 1673.[1]
“… that's probably one of the most interesting little
quotes in all the Bible.”
- John MacArthur,
“A Charge to New Testament Church Leaders, Part 2” (Acts 20:29-38; preached 26 MAY 1974),
sermon 1780 on Grace to You at http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/1780/a-charge-to-new-testament-church-leaders-part-2 [accessed 19 DEC 2014].
Matthew 10:8 - Heal the sick, cleanse
the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely
give.
Luke 6:38 - Give, and it shall be given unto you; good
measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give
into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be
measured to you again. (cp. vv. 30-38)
(1 Cor. 7:10, 12, 25; 9:14; 1 Tim. 6:3)
John 21:25 - And
there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be
written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the
books that should be written. Amen.
2. The acknowledgment of authority
We sing: “It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died
for me!”
Ask yourself:
Is it enough for you that the Apostle spoke, and does he
speak to you?
Is it enough that it is written, written in the Word of
God, and does that settle it for you?
III. Consider the Statement - A Comparative Blessing:
“more”
It is more blessed to give than to
receive
1. The reality of
receiving
2. The godliness
of giving
1. The reality of receiving[2]
John 1:16 - And of his fulness have all we received, and
grace for grace.
1 Corinthians 4:7 - For who maketh thee to differ from
another? and what hast thou that thou didst not receive? now if thou didst
receive it, why dost thou glory, as if thou hadst not received it?
2 Corinthians 8:15 - As it is written, He that had gathered much had nothing
over; and he that had gathered little had no lack. (Exodus 16:18)
1 Peter 4:10 - As every man hath received the gift, even
so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace
of God.
This must not be divorced from verse 32 - And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of his
grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all
them which are sanctified.
“The last thing Paul is doing as he ends this message is
just what he said he was doing: he is committing them to the Word of grace.”
- John Piper, “I
Entrust You to God and to the Word of His Grace” (Acts 20:32-35; preached 30
APR 1989), on desiring God at http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/i-entrust-you-to-god-and-to-the-word-of-his-grace [19 DEC 2014].
“Paul
had begun his address by listing the qualities of his own ministry as an
example for the Ephesian leaders to follow. He concluded with a final quality
he had sought to model. Perhaps he held it off to the end because he saw it as
the most essential of all for a legitimate ministry.”
- John B. Polhill, Acts,
Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary,
gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers,
1992), pg. 430.
2. The godliness of giving
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
2 Corinthians 9:15 - Thanks be unto God for his
unspeakable gift.
James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from
above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness,
neither shadow of turning.
God is the Great Giver.
Luke 11:9-13 - 9 And I
say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock,
and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For
every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that
knocketh it shall be opened. 11 If a
son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone?
or if he ask a fish, will he for a
fish give him a serpent? 12 Or if
he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13 If ye then, being evil, know how to
give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
Romans
5:15-18 - 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the
offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace,
which is by one man, Jesus Christ,
hath abounded unto many. 16 And not as it was by one that sinned, so
is the gift: for the judgment was
by one to condemnation, but the free gift is
of many offences unto justification. 17 For if by one man's offence
death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of
the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) 18 Therefore
as by the offence of one judgment came
upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto
justification of life.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
No one has ever given like the Lord Jesus
Christ, the blessed Son of God.
John 4:10 - Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to
thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have
given thee living water.
2 Corinthians 8:9 -
For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet
for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.
Ephesians
4:7-8 - 7 But unto every one of us is given grace
according to the measure of the gift of Christ. 8 Wherefore
he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts
unto men.
Conclusion:
Luke 18:18-30 -
18 And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what
shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19 And Jesus said unto him, Why
callest thou me good? none is good,
save one, that is, God. 20 Thou
knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do
not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother. 21 And he
said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22 Now
when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing:
sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have
treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23 And when he heard this, he was
very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24 And
when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that
have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25 For it
is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to
enter into the kingdom of God. 26 And
they that heard it said, Who then can
be saved? 27 And he said, The things which
are impossible with men are possible with God. 28 Then Peter said, Lo, we have left all,
and followed thee. 29 And he
said unto them, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or
parents, or brethren, or wife, or children, for the kingdom of God's sake, 30 Who shall not receive manifold more in
this present time, and in the world to come life everlasting.
It is
more blessed to give than to receive
…remember
the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to
receive.
Not just this season, but as a way of life in Christ by
His grace.
Remember His words, and seek His blessing.
Complete outline:
I. Consider the Support (the Example) - A Coordinate
Blessing: “…to give…to receive”
1. The pattern of Paul
2. The model for ministry
II. Consider the Source - A Christian Blessing: “He said”
1. The logos of the Lord
2. The acknowledgment of
authority
III. Consider the Statement - A Comparative Blessing:
“more”
1. The reality of receiving
2. The godliness of giving
[Sermon preached 21
DEC 2014 by Pastor John T. “Jack” Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown,
PA.]
Appendix 1 - Non-canonical Sources for Comparison:
Sirach 4:31
- “Let not thine hand be stretched out to receive, and shut
when thou shouldest repay.”
“The Wisdom of Jesus the
Son of Sirach, or Ecclesiasticus,” in The
Apocrypha, according to the Authorized Version (Oxford: Oxford University
Press, n.d.), pp. 97-98, s.v. 4:31;
on The Official King James Bible Online
at http://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/Ecclesiasticus-Chapter-4/ [accessed 20 DEC 2014].
_____________________________________________________________________________
Didache 1:5 - "Give
to everybody who begs from you, and ask for no return."480 For
the Father wants his own gifts to be universally shared. Happy is the man who
gives as the commandment bids him, for he is guiltless! But alas for the man
who receives! If he receives because he is in need, he will be guiltless. But
if he is not in need he will have to stand trial why he received and for what
purpose. He will be thrown into prison and have his action investigated;
and "he will not get out until he has paid back the last cent."481
Note 480: Ibid. (Lk. 6:30)
Note 481: Mt. 5:26.
“This whole section 5 should be compared with Hermas, Mand. 2:4–7, on which it
is apparently dependent.”
“The Teaching of the
Twelve Apostles, Commonly Called the Didache,” in Early Christian Fathers, trans. and ed. Cyril C. Richardson, Vol. 1
in The Library of Christian Classics, gen. eds. John Baillie, John T. McNeill,
and Henry P. Van Dusen (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1953), pp. 171-172,
s.v. 1:5; on Christian Classics Ethereal Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/richardson/fathers.viii.i.iii.html [accessed 20 DEC 2014].
Didache 4:5 - “Do not be one who
holds his hand out to take, but shuts it when it comes to giving.”
Op.
cit., pg. 173, s.v. 4:5.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Hermas,
Mandates 2:4-7 -
“4 But clothe
thyself in reverence, wherein is no evil stumbling-block, but all things are
smooth and gladsome. Work that which is good, and of thy labors, which God
giveth thee, give to all that are in want freely, not questioning to whom thou
shalt give, and to whom thou shalt not give. Give to all; for to all God desireth
that there should be given of His own bounties.
5 They then that
receive shall render an account to God why they received it, and to what end;
for they that receive in distress shall not be judged, but they that receive by
false pretence shall pay the penalty.
6 He then that
giveth is guiltless; for as he received from the Lord the ministration to
perform it, he hath performed it in sincerity, by making no distinction to whom
to give or not to give. This ministration then, when sincerely performed,
becomes glorious in the sight of God. He therefore that ministereth thus
sincerely shall live unto God.
7 Therefore keep
this commandment, as I have told thee, that thine own repentance and that of
thy household may be found to be sincere, and [thy] heart pure and undefiled.”
The Shepherd of Hermas,
trans. J. B. Lightfoot, s.v. Mandate
2:4-7; on Early Christian Writings at
http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/shepherd-lightfoot.html
[accessed 20 DEC 2014].
_____________________________________________________________________________
1 Clement 2:1 - “And ye were all lowly in mind and free from
arrogance, yielding rather than claiming submission, more glad to give
than to receive, and content with the provisions which God supplieth. And giving
heed unto His words, ye laid them up diligently in your hearts, and His
sufferings were before your eyes.”
“The First Epistle Of Clement To The
Corinthians,” trans. J.B. Lightfoot, s.v.
2:1; on Early Christian Writings at http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/text/1clement-lightfoot.html
[accessed 20 DEC 2014].
_____________________________________________________________________________
Thucydides, Peloponnesian
War, 2:97:4 - “For they had a custom, which also was
general to all Thrace contrary to that of the kingdom of Persia, to receive
rather than to give; and it was there a greater shame to be asked and deny than
to ask and go without. Nevertheless
they held this custom long by reason of their power, for without gifts there
was nothing to be gotten done amongst them. So
that this kingdom arrived thereby to great power.”
Thucydides, “The History of the Grecian War,” trans.
Thomas Hobbes, Part I, in The English
works of Thomas Hobbes of Malmesbury, 11 vols., ed. William Molesworth (London:
John Bohn, 1843), Vol. 8, pg. 261, s.v. 2:97; on the Online Library of Liberty at http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/771#lf0051-08_label_685
[accessed 20 DEC 2014].
_____________________________________________________________________________
“ARTAXERXES.
Artaxerxes, the
son of Xerxes, surnamed Longimanus (or Long-hand) because he had one hand
longer than the other, said, it was more princely to add than to take away.
He first gave
leave to those that hunted with him, if they would and saw occasion, to throw
their darts before him.
He also first
ordained that punishment for his nobles who had offended, that they should be
stripped and their garments scourged instead of their bodies ; and whereas
then, hair should have been plucked out, that the same should be done to their
turbans.
When Satibarzanes,
his chamberlain, petitioned him in an unjust matter, and he understood he did
it to gain thirty thousand darics,
he ordered his treasurer to bring the said sum, and gave them
to him, saying: O Satibarzanes ! take it ; for when I have given you this, I
shall not be poorer, but it had been more unjust if I had granted your
petition.”
“PTOLEMAEUS. Ptolemaeus, the son of Lagus,
frequently supped with his friends and lay at their houses; and if at any time
he invited them to supper, he made use of their furniture, sending for vessels,
carpets, and tables; for he himself had only things that were of constant use
about him, saying it was more becoming a king to make others rich than to be
rich himself.”
Plutarch, “The Apophthegms or Remarkable Sayings of Kings
and Great Commanders” (Βασιλέων ἀποφθέγματα καὶ στρατηγών, Regum
et imperatorum apophthegmata), trans. E. Hinton, in
Plutarch’s Morals, 5 vols. trans. by
several hands, rev. William W. Goodwin (Boston: Little, Brown, and Co., 1878);
and Vol. 1, pp. 188, 203, on the Online
Library of Liberty at http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1211#Plutarch_0062-01_406
and http://oll.libertyfund.org/titles/1211#Plutarch_0062-01_431
respectively [accessed 20 DEC 2014]; also s.v.
173D (Artaxerxes I), and 181F (Ptolemy Son of Lagus), III:15 on Attalus at http://www.attalus.org/old/sayings1.html
[accessed 20 DEC 2014]
_____________________________________________________________________________
Seneca,
Moral Epistles, 81:17 - “To sum up,
the matter stands thus: the good man will be easy-going in striking a balance;
he will allow too much to be set against his credit. He will be unwilling to
pay a benefit by balancing the injury against it. The side towards which he
will lean, the tendency which he will exhibit, is the desire to be under
obligations for the favour, and the desire to make return therefor. For anyone
who receives a benefit more gladly than he repays it is mistaken. By as much as
he who pays is more light-hearted than he who borrows, by so much ought he to
be more joyful who unburdens himself of the greatest debt – a benefit received
– than he who incurs the greatest obligations.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca, Moral Epistles, trans. Richard M. Gummere, 3 vols., The Loeb Classical Library (Cambridge,
MA: Harvard University Press, 1917-1925), Vol. II, 81:17; on The Stoic
Legacy to the Renaissance at http://www.stoics.com/seneca_epistles_book_2.html#‘LXXXI1
[accessed 20 DEC 2014].
Note: This entire epistle of Seneca is relevant as
context for this paragraph.
_____________________________________________________________________________
For further information on these non-canonical sources
and their possible significance for this agrapha
of Christ see:
L. T. Johnson, The Acts of the Apostles, Sacra Pagina 5
(Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1992), pg. 365; referenced by Darrell
L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert W.
Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pg. 632,
note 3.
Kirsopp Lake and Henry J. Cadbury, The Acts of the Apostles: English Translation and Commentary, Vol.
4 in The Beginnings of Christianity,
Part I, 5 vols., eds. F. J. Foakes-Jackson and Kirsopp Lake (London: Macmillan,
1920-1933); referenced by F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text
with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1951, 1952), pg. 383.
B. Witherington III, The
Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (Grand Rapids:
Eerdmans, 1998), pg. 626, referenced by David G. Peterson, The Acts of the Apostles, in The
Pillar New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids:
William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), pg. 573, note 80.
Appendix 2 - Selected
Sermons:
S. Lewis Johnson,
“The Integrity of Paul’s Ministry: Part III” (Acts 20:32-38), on SLJ Institute at https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/sljinstitute/new_testament/Acts/46_SLJ_Acts.pdf [accessed 19 DEC 2014].
John MacArthur, “A
Charge to New Testament Church Leaders, Part 2” (Acts 20:29-38; preached 26 MAY 1974), sermon 1780 on Grace to You at http://www.gty.org/resources/sermons/1780/a-charge-to-new-testament-church-leaders-part-2 [accessed 19 DEC 2014].
John Piper, “I
Entrust You to God and to the Word of His Grace” (Acts 20:32-35; preached 30
APR 1989), on desiring God at http://www.desiringgod.org/sermons/i-entrust-you-to-god-and-to-the-word-of-his-grace [19 DEC 2014].
Appendix 3 - Journal
Articles:
R. Balgarnie, “Acts xx.35,” Expository Times 19:11 (AUG 1908), ed. James Hastings (Edinburgh:
T. & T. Clark, n.d.), pp. 522-523; on Hathi
Trust Digital Library at http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015013750412;view=1up;seq=5
[accessed 20 DEC 2014].
Richard Roberts, “The Beatitude of Giving and Receiving,” Expository Times 48:10 (JUL 1937), pp. 438-441.
David Michael Stanley, “Pauline Allusions to the Sayings
of Jesus,” Catholic Biblical Quarterly
23:1 (JAN 1961), pp. 26-39.
R. V. G. Tasker, “St Paul and the Earthly Life of Jesus:
A Study in the Second Epistle to the Corinthians,” The Expository Times 46:12 (SEP 1935), pp. 557-562.
Appendix 4 - Resources on the Sermons in Acts:
F. F. Bruce, The
Speeches in the Acts of the Apostles (London: The Tyndale Press, 1942); on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/speeches_bruce.pdf
[accessed 8 FEB 2013].[3]
F.
F. Bruce, “The Speeches In Acts―Thirty Years After,” Robert Banks, ed., Reconciliation
and
Hope. New
Testament Essays on Atonement and Eschatology Presented to L.L. Morris on his
60th
Birthday (Carlisle:
The Paternoster Press, 1974), pp. 53-68; on Biblical Studies at http://www.biblicalstudies.org.uk/pdf/rh/acts_bruce.pdf
[accessed 8 FEB 2013].
Colin J. Hemer, “The Speeches of Acts,” Tyndale Bulletin 40:1 (NA 1989), pp.
77-85.
Simon J. Kistemaker, “The Speeches In Acts,” Criswell Theological Review 5:1 (1990),
pp. 31-41; on Theodore Hildebrandt’s “Biblical eSources,” on Gordon Faculty Online at https://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/ntesources/ntarticles/ctr-nt/kistemaker-speechesacts-ctr.pdf
[accessed 27 AUG 2014].
William L. Lane, "The
Speeches of the Book of Acts", in Jerusalem
and Athens: Critical Discussions on the Philosophy and Apologetics of Cornelius
Van Til, ed. E. R. Geehan (Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.,
1971), pp. 260-272, Ch. XIII, notes on pp. 473-477.
Appendix 5 - Resources
on Acts:
G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, eds., Commentary on the New Testament Use of
the Old Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pp. 513-606.
Paul Barnett, The
Birth of Christianity: The First Twenty Years, After Jesus, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 2005).
Darrell L. Bock, Acts,
Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament, eds. Robert W. Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids:
Baker Academic, 2007).
F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text
with Introduction and Commentary, 2nd ed. (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 1951, 1952).
Dennis E. Johnson, The Message of Acts in the History of
Redemption (Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1997).
I. Howard Marshall, Acts:
An Introduction And Commentary, Vol. 5 in Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. Leon Morris (Downers
Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1980; 2008 reprint).
David G. Peterson, The
Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar
New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009).
John B. Polhill, Acts,
Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary,
gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers,
1992).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts,
Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical
Commentary on the New Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2012).
W. C. van Unnik, “The ‘Book of Acts’ the Confirmation of
the Gospel,” in Novum Testamentum 4:1
(OCT 1960), pp. 26-59; reprinted in The
Composition of Luke’s Gospel: Selected Studies from Novum Testamentum,
compiled by David E. Orton, Vol. 1 of Brill’s
Readers in Biblical Studies (Leiden: Brill, 1999), pp. 184-218.
William H. Willimon, Acts,
in Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for
Teaching and Preaching, series ed. James Luther Mays, New Testament ed.
Paul J. Achtemeier (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2010).
Appendix 6 - Resources on Paul:
Kenneth E. Bailey, Paul Through Mediterranean Eyes: Cultural
Studies in 1 Corinthians (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2011).
F. F. Bruce, Paul:
Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1977).
D. A. Carson, The
Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan,
1996), pp. 496-501.
W. J. Conybeare and J. S. Howson, The Life, Times and Travels of St. Paul, 2 vols. in 1, unabridged
American ed. (New York: E. B. Treat U Co., 1869); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=Bn1CAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Adolf Deissmann, Paul:
A Study in Social and Religious History, 2nd ed., trans. William E. Wilson
(New York: Harper Torchbooks, n.d.).
F. W. Farrar, The Life
and Work of St. Paul (New York: E. P. Dutton and Co., 1889); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=RB2KeCSM6KsC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Bruce N. Fisk, “Paul: Life and
Letters”, in The Face of New Testament
Studies: A Survey of Recent Research, ed. Scot McKnight and Grant R.
Osborne (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2004), pp. 283-325.
Richard B.Gaffin, Jr.,
"Acts and Paul", 46 lectures (MP3 format), WTS Resources Media Center
on Westminster Theological Seminary
at http://wts.edu/resources/media.html?paramType=audio&filterTopic=5&filterSpeaker=10&filterYear=2005 [accessed 20 MAR 2013].
Frank J. Goodwin, A
Harmony of the Life of the St. Paul According to the Acts of the Apostles and
the Pauline Epistles (New York: American Tract Society, 1895); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=YgpEAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 12 FEB 2013].
Richard N. Longenecker, The
Ministry And Message Of Paul (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1971).
Richard N. Longenecker, Paul,
Apostle Of Liberty (New York: Harper & Row, 1964).
Richard N. Longenecker, ed., The Road From Damascus : The Impact Of Paul's Conversion On His Life, Thought,
And Ministry (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997).
Richard N. Longenecker, Studies
In Paul, Exegetical And Theological (Sheffield : Sheffield Phoenix Press,
2004).
J. Gresham Machen, The
Origin of Paul's Religion: The James Sprunt Lectures Delivered at Union
Theological Seminary in Virginia (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1925).
Leon Morris, The
Apostolic Preaching of the Cross (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
Co., 1955).
John Pollock, The
Apostle: A Life of Paul, 3rd ed. (Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, 1969,
2012); also published as The Man Who
Shook the World (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1972; originally The Apostle: A Life of Paul, New York:
Doubleday, 1969).
Stanley E. Porter, Paul
in Acts, in Library of Pauline
Studies, gen. ed. Stanley E. Porter (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers,
Inc., 1999; 2001 reprint of The Paul of
Acts: Essays in Literary Criticism, Rhetoric and Theology, in Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen
Testament 115, by Mohr Siebeck, Tubingen).
W. M. Ramsay, The
Cities of St. Paul: Their Influence on his Life and Thought (New York: A.
C. Armstrong and Son; London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=JryEbmKool0C&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, Pauline
and Other Studies in Early Christian History (New York: A. C. Armstrong and
Son, 1906); on Google Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=-1ZJAAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, St. Paul
the Traveler and the Roman Citizen, 10th ed. (London: Hodder and Stoughton,
1907); on Christian Classics Ethereal
Library (CCEL) at http://www.ccel.org/ccel/ramsay/paul_roman.html
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
W. M. Ramsay, The
Teaching of Paul in terms of The Present Day: The Deems Lectures in New York
University (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914); on Internet Archive at http://ia600404.us.archive.org/2/items/teachingofpaulin00rams/teachingofpaulin00rams.pdf
[accessed 13 FEB 2013].
A. T. Robertson, Epochs
in the Life of Paul: A Study of Development in Paul's Character (Grand
Rapids: Baker Book House, 1974).
Eckhard J. Schnabel, Paul The Missionary: Realities, Strategies
And Methods (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic,
2008).
Udo Schnelle, Apostle
Paul: His Life and Theology, trans. M. Eugene Boring (Grand Rapids: Baker
Academic, 2003; trans. from Paulus: Leben
und Denken, Berlin: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., n.d.).
Thomas R. Schreiner, Paul,
Apostle of God's Glory in Christ: A Pauline Theology (Downers Grove, IL:
IVP Academic, 2001).
James Stalker, The
Life of St. Paul, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1885; rev. ed. 2010 by
Kessinger Publishing from 1912 ed.); on Google
Books at http://books.google.com/books?id=vT0HAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false
[accessed 7 FEB 2013].
James Ironside Still, St.
Paul on Trial (London: Student Christian Movement, 1923).
End Notes:
[1] See also the following for
recognition of the uniqueness of this quote:
“This is one of the few
places outside the Gospels where Jesus is directly quoted.”
“Suggestions that an
outside saying has been put into Jesus’s mouth ignore the fact that the
emphasis is on not only the origin of what is said but also the affirmation of
its content, which is what Paul is pointing to here.” Darrell L. Bock, Acts, Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, eds. Robert W.
Yarbrough and Robert H. Stein (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007), pg. 632.
“…this saying is not recorded in any of the
Gospels…” David G. Peterson, The Acts of
the Apostles, in The Pillar New Testament
Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans
Publishing Co., 2009), pg. 573, note 80.
“Paul quotes a word of Jesus not found in the
gospel tradition, but a word that they know and must remember…” Eckhard J.
Schnabel, Acts, Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New
Testament, gen. ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), pg.
852.
“It is striking that this logion is not
included among Jesus’ sayings in the four Gospels.” John B. Polhill, Acts,
Vol. 26 in The New American Commentary,
gen. ed. David S. Dockery (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, Publishers,
1992), pg. 429, note 94.
“Interestingly, these exact words are not
found in the gospels. Paul must have known of this saying from some other source.” NET Bible on Lumina at https://lumina.bible.org/bible/Acts+20
[accessed 15 DEC 2014].
“… it has no parallel in
the Gospels.” Colin J. Hemer, “The Speeches of Acts,” Tyndale Bulletin 40:1 (NA 1989), pp. 82-83 (pp. 77-85).
“…not recorded in the
Gospels” ESV Study Bible, pg. 2130,
note.
[2] “The logic of the comparative translated as “more” (mãllon) must not be pressed.107”
Note
107: “Both the exclusive interpretation (giving is blessed, not receiving) and
the strictly logical comparative interpretation (those who give are more
blessed than those who receive) are hardly correct. The saying addresses those
for whom both giving and receiving is an option, and they are told that they
will be more content when they give than when they receive; cf. Barrett, Acts, 983. The saying does not assert
that people who have no choice but to receive do not receive God’s blessing.”
“Paul’s reminder of Jesus’
word about giving breaks the cycle of the Greco-Roman principle of reciprocity,
which describes the practice of voluntary requital.” Eckhard J. Schnabel, Acts, Vol. 5 in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, gen. ed.
Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2012), pg. 852.
“…this saying is not
recorded in any of the Gospels….this saying, together with Paul’s example,
challenged the principle of reciprocity which was so prevalent in the
Greco-Roman world: here was a challenge to serve and help those who could give
nothing in return.” David G. Peterson, The
Acts of the Apostles, in The Pillar
New Testament Commentaries, gen. ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids: William B.
Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2009), pg. 573, note 80.
[3] “This was delivered as The Tyndale New Testament Lecture 19 DEC
1942 at a Conference of graduate and theological student members of the
Inter-Varsity Fellowship in Wadham College, Oxford.”
