Barnes Albert – Commentary
by Albert Barnes
This is an excellent Bible commentary by the Presbyterian minister Albert Barnes.
Albert Barnes (1798-1870)
Albert Barnes was a Presbyterian minister who produced a number of valuable commentaries on the Bible. He wrote Old Testament commentaries on Job, Psalms, Isaiah, and Daniel, and a complete set on the New Testament. These works have been extremely popular in both Europe and the U.S., selling into the millions of copies, though his Old Testament productions are generally considered to be superior to the New Testament works — which were written mostly for Sunday school teachers.
Educated at Princeton seminary, Barnes was a dedicated student. He arose early in the morning and studied by lamplight — which sustained practice almost cost him his eyesight. For forty years he maintained an association with the First Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia.
Barnes had a strong sense of morality and was much opposed to the practice of slavery. In 1846, he wrote a book, An Inquiry into the Scriptural Views of Slavery.He also preached against the use of alcoholic beverages, urging total abstinence.
In 1868, Barnes was invited to deliver a series of ten lectures on “Christian Evidences” in New York. These were subsequently incorporated into a book and constitute a masterful defense of the Christian religion.
Though a Presbyterian, Barnes argued that man possesses freewill; he urged his auditors exercise their power of choice, and to respond to God’s offer of salvation. These views brought him into serious conflict with strict Calvinists. After the publication of his commentary on Romans, Barnes was charged with doctrinal heresy, and put on trial (1835) by his presbytery. Ultimately, the church’s general assembly acquitted him, though with some censure. His teaching on “unlimited atonement” (contra Calvin) helped generate a split in the Presbyterian Church in 1837. Unfortunately, the celebrated commentator was unable to divest himself of all his Calvinistic baggage.
Albert Barnes nurtured some unusual ideas. It is reported that he would not fish with a baited hook inasmuch as he considered that practice to be a form of deception (yet see Mt. 17:27).
Moreover, in his commentary on Job, when discussing the ostrich (39:13ff), he speculated that this curious creature was “the connecting link between quadrupeds and fowls.” Not even this generally conservative scholar was immune to the influence of evolutionism — though his work on Job was published a dozen years before Darwin’sThe Origin of Species came from the press. Too, under the influence of Thomas Chalmers (1780-1847), a Scottish church leader, he subscribed to the “Gap Theory,” which, he conceded, was “designed to solve some of the growing difficulties from the new science of geology.” He was intimidated by the assertions of the “scientism” of his day, hence, in weakness, compromised the biblical view of creation.
In December of 1868, at the age of 70, he delivered an address in Philadelphia titled, “Life at Threescore and Ten,” which contained his reflections on things he had learned, and had come to appreciate over the years. At the conclusion of his presentation, he cited these lines:
May some disease, not tardy to perform
Its destined office, yet with gentle stroke,
Dismiss me weary to safe retreat
Beneath the turf that I have often trod.
He hoped to die a quick death, rather than one of lingering agony. Coincidentally, two years later to the month, he died instantly while making a call of condolence at the home of a friend.
It is a sad footnote to history that Barnes has largely been ignored in the biographical sketches of influential theological writers. In the New International Dictionary of the Christian Church, he merits only a half-dozen sentences, while the infamous Karl Barth is granted an entire page. In the Oxford Dictionary of the Christian Church he is mentioned not at all.
Article taken from Christian Courier
Barnes Albert – Commentary
pc10 Sexual Purityis an exhortation to purity in sexual matters for the Christian. We look at various aspects of the issue.
Topics: It is not an impossible fight! | The Biblical Model | Homosexuality and Prostitution | Nudity and the Mind | Self-Stimulation | Resisting the Temptation.
Excerpts: Job 31:1 I made a covenant with mine eyes; why then should I think upon a maid? Job understood that sexual sin begins with the sight, and the seeing before desiring. Job made a covenant with himself, a commitment that he would not look on young women to desire them or to let his imagination run wild with them even their image or in his thoughts. Equally, Jesus taught us in Mat. 5:28 that even thinking sinful thoughts without doing them is as sinful as actually doing them. This is an amplification of Exo 20:17 “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife”. David saw before taking (2Sam 11:2).
Fasting is to teach us that the body does not control over us, and this is exactly what is necessary for people with this problem. This sin is pinned to the thoughts, “for as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” Pro 23:7. “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” Phil 4:13.
Read the Tract: pc10 Sexual Purity.
MySwordmodules is a website dedicate to the MySword Bible Program for Androird devices. We host MySword Modules.
Give a Cup of Water in my Name Matthew 10:42 And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.
Christians who give even a small cup of water will not lose their reward for doing this. God will not overlook their effort to help others in the work of the Lord. To help others is rewarded by God, especially when you are helping the weak, the small young ones (think new believers), the helpless like widows in the Bible, those who cannot provide for themselves. So, my websites are for these kinds of people. I am providing material that is good sound doctrinal material, fundamentalist, conservative, biblical material.
But what I am doing is in the name of the Lord. I am not trying to get rich, but I am just trying to pay my bills from this ministry. My wife and I have personally supported our internet sites with my sermons, tracts, books, etc. and other good solid works for some 20 years now, paying for everything from our living expenses. We have had donations from some few people, about 3 or 4 a year, mostly under $30. That doesn't even begin to address the hundreds of dollars we pay hosting companies to maintain this ministry. While our downloads from these sites reach 40 gigabytes per month, donations don't seem to be in people's minds.
So even a small $5 donation to help us out will allow you to participate with me in this ministry, and you will receive rewards in eternity also. May God bless you richly in heaven for your generosity in promoting God's work. If you cannot donate anything, that is alright, just say a prayer for this ministry and email me saying that you prayed for us so that we can give thanks for you before the throne of grace. Thank you.
Donate any amount: paypal.com/paypalme/davidcoxmex.