Motley Crew Bible Study

Columbia Cottage – Hartselle, Alabama

February 23, 2011

Happy Birthday to Pastor Eddie and, next Monday, to Ms. Betty!

Matthew 24:15-27

The Questions

Read Matthew 24:15-25

1. What is the abomination that causes desolation?

2. To which mountains are they to flee?

3. What not on the Sabbath?

4. Does it make any difference that Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes the destruction of Jerusalem with almost the exact same language of Matthew?

5. Who are the elect?

6. What is our promise?

Read Matthew 24:26-27

7. Do we need to worry about that Day?

8. What do we need to do?

9. How do we know we are ready?

10. Will we know when it happens?

All citations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Version, used with permission.

Motley Crew Bible Study

Columbia Cottage – Hartselle, Alabama

February 23, 2011

Happy Birthday to Pastor Eddie and, next Monday, to Ms. Betty!

Matthew 24:15-27

Some Suggested Answers

We had the great pleasure to conduct our weekly Bible study at Columbia Cottage in Hartselle, AL, the new home of Ms. Betty, who was one of the founding members of the Motley Crew. As noted previously, it was a comment by Betty that gave this group its name. While discussing a name for the group, she is said to have quipped: “We certainly are a motley bunch,” in that we were then – and now – a group with great diversity of people, ages, backgrounds, etc. In addition to Ms. Betty, several other residents of Columbia College joined us in our Bible study this week.

We opened with prayer.

Read Matthew 24:15-25

15 “So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation,’[a] spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— 16 then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. 18 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 19 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 20 Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again.

22 “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. 23 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you ahead of time.

All citations from the Holy Bible are from the New International Version, used with permission.

1. What is the abomination that causes desolation?

The presence of the invading Roman Army under the leadership of General Titan, who raised a shrine on the former site of the Temple, and worshipped pagan gods there.

The abomination of desolation - This is a Hebrew expression, meaning an abominable or hateful destroyer. The Gentiles were all held in abomination by the Jews, Acts 10:28. The abomination of desolation means the Roman army, and is so explained by Luke 21:20. The Roman army is further called the "abomination" on account of the images of the emperor, and the eagles, carried in front of the legions, and regarded by the Romans with divine honors. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Spoken of by Daniel the prophet - Daniel 9:26-27; Daniel 11:31; Daniel 12:11, see the notes at those passages. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Daniel 9:26-27 After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed. He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

Daniel 11:31 “His armed forces will rise up to desecrate the temple fortress and will abolish the daily sacrifice. Then they will set up the abomination that causes desolation.

Daniel 12:11 “From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days.

Note: 1,290 days is just over 3 years, 6 months, which is also the approximate time from when Roman General Vespasian landed at Acre (April 67) till the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of General Titus (September 70).

Standing in the holy place - Mark says, standing where it ought not," meaning the same thing. All Jerusalem was esteemed "holy," Matthew 4:5. The meaning of this is, when you see the Roman armies standing in the holy city or encamped around the temple, or the Roman ensigns or standards in the temple. Josephus relates that when the city was taken, the Romans brought their idols into the temple, and placed them over the eastern gate, and sacrificed to them there, "Jewish Wars," book 6 chapter 6, section 1. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

1. AND now the Romans, upon the flight of the seditious into the city, and upon the burning of the holy house itself, and of all the buildings round about it, brought their ensigns to the temple and set them over against its eastern gate; and there did they offer sacrifices to them, and there did they make Titus imperator with the greatest acclamations of joy. Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, Book 6.6.1.

The abomination that causes desolation. The detestable thing causing the desolation of the holy place. The primary reference in Daniel was to 168 B.C., when Antiochus Epiphanes erected a pagan altqar to Zeus on the sacred altar in the Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus now warns his disciples that a similar desecration will precede the fall of Jerusalem. Some see the fulfillment of this warning in the attempt of the Roman emperor Caligula (A.D. 37-41) to have set up in the temple at Jerusalem a statue of himself (as deified) – an order that fortunately was never carried out. A nearer reference is the presence of pagan aries surrounding Jerusalem as foretokening “that its desolation is near” (Luke 21:20). Roman emperors, who claimed for themselves divine honors, are to be God's instrument in turning the splendor of the temple into a desolate state. Concordia Self-Study Bible.

3. What not on the Sabbath?

Jewish law prohibited traveling more than 1/2 mile on the Sabbath. Thus, if the “abomination of desolation” occurs on the Sabbath, devout Jews would be unable to escape the destruction of the city. Only Matthew includes this note, because he was writing to the Jews; Mark's Gospel was addressed to the Romans, while Luke's Gospel was aimed at the Greeks.

“Bear in mind that the Lord has given you the Sabbath; that is why on the sixth day he gives you bread for two days. Everyone is to stay where he is on the seventh day; no one is to go out.” Exodus 16:29

And the reason why our Lord put them on praying, that their flight might not be on the sabbath day, was, because he knew not only that the Jews, who believed not in him, would not suffer them to travel on a sabbath day more than two thousand cubits; which, according to their traditions, was a sabbath day's journey.... Gill's Exposition of the Entire Bible

4. Does it make any difference that Josephus, the Jewish historian, describes the destruction of Jerusalem with almost the exact same language of Matthew?

Josephus is one of only a few non-Biblical texts that verify the truth of the Bible, the truth of the prophecies of Daniel, and the truth of the prophecies of Jesus.

The account given by Josephus, the Jewish historian who witnessed and recorded the war, is almost an echo of the predictions of Christ. Women ate their own children from starvation; the Jews within the city fought each other as well as the Roman army; on August 10, A.D. 70, the city was stormed and there was a universal massacre; 1,100,00 persons perished, and 100,000 survivors were sold into slavery. People's New Testament

Josephus was originally a member of the Jewish revolt, but changed sides and traveled with the Romans in that time. He was an eyewitness to the destruction of the Temple and the city of Jerusalem by the Roman Army. Because he was a “turncoat,” he was despised by devout Jews, just as were tax collectors like Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-9.

It should be remembered that Zacchaeus repented of his sin, and as a result, “Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.'”

5. Who are the elect?

The People of God, including those who believe in Jesus. And that includes us, too!

But for the elect's sake - The "elect" here doubtless means "Christians." See 1 Peter 1:2; Romans 1:7; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:4. The word "elect" means "to choose." It is given to Christians because they are "chosen to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth," 1 Peter 1:2. Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Pastor Eddie referred us to 1 Peter 1:1, where Peter wrote: “To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia....” Here we see the believers, scattered throughout the Middle East. His believers continue to be scattered, now throughout the world. The Lutheran Study Bible mentioned that the “elect” were those chosen by God's grace to belong to Him, citing Eph. 1:4; Col. 3:12; and 2 Thess. 2:13. Concerning the reference to the exiles who were scattered, Peter is referring to the diaspora, the dispersion of both Jewish and Gentile Christians scattered beyond the land of Israel, including Asia Minor.

6. What is our promise?

That for our sake, the days of desolation will be shortened. Further, because of our belief in Jesus, we have been redeemed from the slavery of sin. This salvation gives believers eternal life with the Triune God.

“If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Verse 22

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

What our Lord is trying to do is to give us advance warning of the tribulations that will occur just before the Second Coming. He wants us to be ready for these troubles, and especially He wants to warn us against the false prophets that will appear during these times.

The Lutheran Study Bible observed that “When things turn desperate, people instinctively recognize the need for a spiritual answer. Under such wretched conditions, it is no wonder that false teachers would attract so many followers. God's people, however, will not fall for charlatans. The power of God's Spirit helps believers in Jesus to remain true.” LSB, p. 1636, note 24:23-24.

Because Jesus has given us this advance warning, we can be ready to rebuff the false prophets, ignore the false rumors (“Look, he is in the wilderness!”), and readily identify the true coming: “for as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” His coming will be so clear that there will be no mistaking it. Every voice will proclaim that He is the Son of God, and every knee will bow. Philippians 2:9-11.

We should continue look to other writings in the New Testament for guidance. For example, in Acts 1:11, it is written that “Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

Likewise, it is again helpful to look at Paul's letter to the Thessalonians:

For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17.

Read Matthew 24:26-27

26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

7. Do we need to worry about that Day?

No. “Come, Lord Jesus!” Pastor Eddie asked us to turn to Matthew 6:25, where it is written “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” We do not have to be anxious. The Father's love will sustain us; He will be with us both now and in the end times. In Matthew 6:26-7, we read “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?” And the answer is, of course, no!

8. What do we need to do?

Watch and Pray! Stand Firm! Be Prepared! Be ever vigilant, even in the middle of the night.

“ … the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matt. 24:13

“Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.” Mark 13:33

In short, “Pray hard and hold on for the ride!” (where have I heard that before?)

9. How do we know we are ready?

Contentedness is one sign. The peace that comes only from God will be a sign. Our faith tells us that we will be saved because we believe that Jesus is our Messiah, the Christ of the Lord God, promised by God through the Prophets. And as we have seen, our God is a God that keeps His promises!

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-7.

Pastor Eddie quoted one of our members who said something like “I'm not ready, but I am prepared.”

10. Will we know when it happens?

There will be no mistaking when Jesus comes in His Glory. Verse 27 makes this clear: “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” Likewise from Luke's Gospel: “For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. “ Luke 17:24.

Dr. Lenski wrote at p. 945:

The Parousia of the Son of man, his Return and Presence when he returns as he has promised, will be absolutely different. He will not be hidden away in the wilderness nor in some guarded and secret room in a building. His coming and his presence will be like a flash of lightning which illuminates the sky from the east or sunrise to the west or sunset. The whole world will see him in the brilliance of his heavenly glory. No man will then cry: “Lo, come and see!” or, “Lo, I know where he is, believe me!” Sham Christs have always been poor shams. The glory of the real Christ is beyond imitation.

“Christians may be sometimes led far astray; they may be in doubt about some great doctrines of religion; they may be perplexed by the cavils and cunning craftiness of those who do not love the truth, but they cannot be entirely deceived and seduced from the Saviour.” Barnes' Notes on the Bible

And, in closing, we remembered Philippians 2:8-11.

8 And being found in appearance as a man,
   he humbled himself
   by becoming obedient to death—
      even death on a cross!

 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
   and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
   in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
   to the glory of God the Father.

We closed with prayer.

Josephus, The War of the Jews

Links are to the Christian Classics Ethereal Library ( CCEL) web site, http://www.ccel.org/

Preface to the War of the Jews

Book I -- From the Taking of Jerusalem by Antiochus Epiphanes to the Death of Herod the Great

Book II -- From the Death of Herod till Vespasian was sent to subdue the Jews by Nero

Book III -- From Vespasian's coming to Subdue the Jews to the Taking of Gamala

Book IV -- From the Siege of Gamala to the Coming of Titus to besiege Jerusalem

Book V -- From the Coming of Titus to besiege Jerusalem to the Great Extremity to which the Jews were reduced

Book VI -- From the Great Extremity to which the Jews were reduced to the taking of Jerusalem by Titus

Book VII -- From the Taking of Jerusalem by Titus to the Sedition of the Jews at Cyrene

Parallel Verses

Harmony of the Gospels @ Blue Letter Bible

Mark 13:1-37

The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

1 As Jesus was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher! What massive stones! What magnificent buildings!”

2 “Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

3 As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about to be fulfilled?”

5 Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 6 Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. 7 When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 8 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be earthquakes in various places, and famines. These are the beginning of birth pains.

9 “You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them. 10 And the gospel must first be preached to all nations. 11 Whenever you are arrested and brought to trial, do not worry beforehand about what to say. Just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.

12 “Brother will betray brother to death, and a father his child. Children will rebel against their parents and have them put to death. 13 Everyone will hate you because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

14 “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’[a] standing where it[b] does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 15 Let no one on the housetop go down or enter the house to take anything out. 16 Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. 17 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! 18 Pray that this will not take place in winter, 19 because those will be days of distress unequaled from the beginning, when God created the world, until now—and never to be equaled again.

20 “If the Lord had not cut short those days, no one would survive. But for the sake of the elect, whom he has chosen, he has shortened them. 21 At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Look, there he is!’ do not believe it. 22 For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.

24 “But in those days, following that distress,

"‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
25 the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’[c]

26 “At that time people will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory. 27 And he will send his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the ends of the earth to the ends of the heavens.

28 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 29 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it[d] is near, right at the door. 30 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 31 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The Day and Hour Unknown

32 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard! Be alert[e]! You do not know when that time will come. 34 It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.

35 “Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back—whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn. 36 If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping. 37 What I say to you, I say to everyone: ‘Watch!’”

Footnotes:

1. Mark 13:14 Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11

2. Mark 13:14 Or he

3. Mark 13:25 Isaiah 13:10; 34:4

4. Mark 13:29 Or he

5. Mark 13:33 Some manuscripts alert and pray

Luke 13:34-35. Jesus' Lament Over Jerusalem.

   34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’

Luke 19:41-44. The Destruction of Jerusalem

41 As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it 42 and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. 43 The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. 44 They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.”

Luke 21:5-36. The Destruction of the Temple and Signs of the End Times

5 Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 6 “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.”

10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me. 14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. 19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

32 “Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you suddenly like a trap. 35 For it will come on all those who live on the face of the whole earth. 36 Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.”

For Additional Study

Online Resources

Book of Concord in PDF Format, The Lutheran Church — Missouri Synod <http://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/LCMS/TrigBOC.pdf> (2MB file)

These texts are in the public domain and may be copied and distributed freely. The source of these translations is Triglot Concordia: The Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921).

A number of important Lutheran texts can be found in the Belief and Practice section of the website of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod: http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=112

John S. C. Abbott and Jacob Abbott, Illustrated New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/ain/

Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/bnn/

Harold F. Buls
http://www.pericope.org/buls-notes/index.html and
http://www.iclnet.org/pub/resources/text/wittenberg/wittenberg-bul.html
Adapted from Exegetical Notes, Series A, Festival Season Sundays, Gospel Texts, by Harold H. Buls, Concordia Theological Seminary Press: Ft Wayne IN, 1980

The Adam Clarke Commentary
http://www.studylight.org/com/acc/

Burton Coffman, Commentary on the Whole Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/bcc/

John Darby, Synopsis of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/darby/matthew1.htm

The Greek Interlinear Bible,
http://www.scripture4all.org/OnlineInterlinear/Greek_Index.htm
Based on NA26/27. A word-by-word translation of the Greek New Testament.

David Guzik, Commentaries on the Bible
http://www.studylight.org/com/guz/

The Geneva Study Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/geneva/matthew1.htm

John Gill, Exposition of the Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/gill/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Complete)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mh/matthew1.htm

Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible (Concise)
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/mhc/matthew1.htm

Jamieson, Faussett and Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/jfb/matthew1.htm

B.W. Johnson, People's New Testament
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/johnson/matthew1.htm

John Lightfoot, Bible Commentary
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/light/matthew1.htm

Martin Luther, Commentary on Galatians
http://www.studylight.org/com/mlg/

J. W. McGarvey, Original Commentary on Acts
http://www.studylight.org/com/oca/

J. W. McGarvey and Philip Y. Pendleton, The Fourfold Gospel (also known as "Harmony Of the Four Gospels")
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/four/matthew1.htm

Alexander Maclaren's commentaries on the books of the Bible (various titles)
http://www.gutenberg.org/browse/authors/m#a2330

The NET Bible. <http://bible.org/netbible/> A completely new translation of the Bible with 60,932 translators’ notes. It was completed by more than 25 scholars – experts in the original biblical languages – who worked directly from the best currently available Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek texts. Excellent notes, citing both the Greek and Hebrew, as needed. Greek and Hebrew fonts available without cost.

A.T. Robertson, Word Pictures of the New Testament
http://www.studylight.org/com/rwp/

C. I. Scofield, The Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)
http://www.studylight.org/com/srn/

Charles H. Spurgeon, The Treasury of David
http://www.studylight.org/com/tod/

R.A. Torrey, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
http://www.studylight.org/com/tsk/

W.E. Vine, Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words
http://www.antioch.com.sg/bible/vines/

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes on the Whole Bible
http://www.ewordtoday.com/comments/matthew/wesley/matthew1.htm

Other Additional Resources:
http://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/SPLC/Motley%20Crew%20Research%20Resources.html

Other Resources

Barker, Kenneth L., ed., TNIV Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006)

Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions. Readers Edition. (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006)

Davies, Benjamin, ed., Baker's Pocket Harmony of the Gospels (Baker Book House, 1975). Formerly printed as Harmony of the Four Gospels.

Goodrick, Edward W. and John R. Kohlenberger III, eds., The Strongest NIV Exhaustive Concordance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999). This is the second edition, originally published as the Zondervan NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It was originally published as The NIV Exhaustive Concordance. It should be distinguished from The NIV Complete Concordance by the same authors.

Green, Jay P., ed., The Interlinear Greek-English New Testament. Vol. IV. Second Edition. (Hendrickson Publishers, 1985)

Halley, Henry H., Halley's Bible Handbook. New Revised Edition (24^th Edition). (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1965)

Hickie, W.J., Greek-English Lexicon to the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1977). This is a reprint of an older edition, originally published by Macmillan, August. 1893. A contemporary review described this as "A handy little volume, compiled on sound principles from trustworthy authorities." The 1911 edition is available online and for download at http://openlibrary.org/b/OL17866849M/Greek-English_lexicon_to_the_New_Testament

Hoerber, Robert G., ed., Concordia Self-Study Bible. NIV (Great Rapids, Zondervan: 1973, 1984).

Lenski, R.C.H., The Interpretation of St. Matthew's Gospel (Minneapolis: Augsburg Publishing House, 1943, reprinted 1964)

The Lutheran Study Bible (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2009).

Nave, Orville J., ed., Nave's Topical Bible (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1979)

New Bible Dictionary. Second Edition. (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1962)

Nicoll, W. Robertson, The Greek Expositor's Testament. Vol. 1. Five Volumes. (New York: George H. Doran Co., ca. 1910). Excellent notes on the Greek text and summaries of commentators. Available at Google Books ( www.books.google.com ) and the Internet Archive ( www.archive.org - easier to find here than at Google Books).

NIV Archeological Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005)

Alexander Maclaren, Expositions of Holy Scripture (Text from Project Gutenberg)

Robertson, A.T., Word Pictures in the New Testament (Nashville: Holman Reference, 2000). This “Concise Edition” is derived from the six-volume work by Robertson published in 1933. Robertson was also the author of 45 books, including numerous commentaries, a Harmony of the Gospels, etc. Also available online

Rogers, Cleon L. Jr., and Cleon L. Rogers III, eds., The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1998). This is the second edition of the excellent work by Fritz Rienecker, A Linguistic Key to the Greek New Testament, translated and edited by Cleon L. Rogers, Jr.

Strong, James, ed., The New Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1990)

Vine, W.E., Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words: A Comprehensive Dictionary of the Original Greek Words with their Precise Meanings for English Readers (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, no date). Originally published circa 1940.