ALL
Matthew
According to Drs. J. Walvoord and R.
Zuck, on page 18 of The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, “Matthew
obviously did not list every individual in the genealogy between Abraham and
David, between David and the Exile, and between the Exile and Jesus. Jewish
reckoning did not require every name to satisfy a genealogy. ” Or, as Dr. W.
Hendriksen states, on page 116 and 129 of New Testament Commentary – The
Gospel of Matthew,
“...on the assumption that no Messianic link has been omitted, it
would follow that Rahab, who lived at the time of Israel’s entrance into Canaan
(Joshua 2 and 6), was the great-great-grandmother of David for the sequence
presented here (1:5, 6) is Rahab, Boaz, Obed, Jesse,
David. This result would be very difficult to harmonize with 1 Kings 6:1,
where, even when the necessary subtractions are made, a considerably longer
period is implied for the span Rahab to David. Matthew evidently did not deem
it necessary to mention a representative of each passing generation. Neither
did other Bible writers (compare Ezra 7:3 with 1 Chron. 6:7-9). ” Also, in
Matt. 1:8, three names are omitted (Ahaziah, 2 Kings
Matthew 4:8 “the devil took Him to a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and their glory. ”
From no mountain in the world can a person see all the kingdoms of the world, either then or now. This is an example of a synecdoche, a figure of speech, where a more comprehensive or inclusive term is used for a less comprehensive or inclusive term, or where the whole is used for a part or vice versa (The Oxford Dictionary, 2nd edition; The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 3rd edition). In Dr. A. T. Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament, Vol. 1, p. 32, it states that “this wonderful panorama had to be partially mental and imaginative...”
Matthew
It is unlikely that every single
person from the entire
Matthew
Does this mean we should never call
upon God to witness to the truth of what we are going to say or intend to do
(e.g., as a witness in a court of law or in a marriage vow)? Both Jesus (Matt.
26:63, 64) and Paul (2 Cor.
Matthew
Did Jesus heal everyone in the world who was ill or just everyone who was brought to Him at this time? The context would make the latter the obvious meaning. Drs. Walvoord and Zuck on page 37 of their commentary agree.
Matthew
Would every single person in the whole world hate Jesus’ disciples? No! They were obviously loved, at least, by many fellow believers (e.g., Acts 1:13, 14; 2:37-47; 3:6-11; 4:4, 32-37; 10:24-27, 44-48). As Dr. Hendriksen, on page 465, states, “the words ‘by all’ must not be taken literally as if referring to every man, woman, and child on earth, or even by all those reached by the gospel. We understand that this is hyperbole, a perfectly legitimate figure of speech. The expression must mean ‘by men in general’, regardless of rank, station, race, nationality, sex, or age. ”
Matthew
Are mustard seeds really smaller than all other seeds in the world? No! As Dr. Hendriksen on page 565 states, “Among seeds sown in a garden, it was generally the smallest. ” Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown on page 927 of Commentary on the Whole Bible and Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible, Vol. 3, p. 110 both agree. Again, hyperbole is being used. Or, as John Broadus, on page 296 of Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, states, it was the popular language, and it was the intention of the speaker (Jesus) to communicate the fact that the mustard seed was “the smallest that His hearers were accustomed to sow”, or would be known as among the people of that day.
Matthew
Would Elijah restore everything (i.e., people, places, material objects, covenants, etc. ) that once existed? No! It’s a synecdoche, where a whole (“everything” or “all things” which will ultimately take place in the Millennium) is used for a part (i.e., “the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers”). Jesus is referring to Malachi 4:5, 6 where the restoration is of father to children and children to fathers, a spiritual restoration of families through John’s preaching of repentance and those families who so repented. Both Dr. Hendriksen on page 671 and Matthew Henry on page 141 of their respective commentaries agree.
Matthew
Is it possible for God to sin? No!
Since God is infinitely holy and righteous, it’s impossible for Him to sin,
like lying (Heb.
Matthew 23:3 “all that they (the scribes and Pharisees) tell you, do and observe, ...”
Were the people to do even the wrong
things that the Pharisees' taught, like that found in 15:3-6 and
Matthew 28:20 “teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...”
Does this mean that Jesus’ disciples
were to teach their disciples to obey such commands as found in 10:5-14;
Mk. 1:5 “And all the country of
Was every single man, woman, and
child from
Lk. 1:6 “walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. ”
Were Zacharias and Elizabeth sinless? No! Matthew Henry, on page 332, states that they were not sinless, but “living in such a way that no one could charge them with any open, scandalous sin”. Dr. L. Morris, on page 68 of his Tyndale New Testament Commentaries - The Gospel According to St. Luke, says that they were “living faithfully for God, but not sinlessly”. Dr. N. Geldenhuys, on page 62 of his The New International Commentary on the New Testament - The Gospel of Luke, states that they were “living a strictly religious and moral life… but weren’t sinless”. The word “all”, here, therefore is hyperbole, expressing how righteous they were.
Lk. 2:1 “a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ”
Did Caesar Augustus really take a
census of every person on all 7 continents? No! As Dr. Hendriksen, on page 138
of his NTC - The Gospel of Luke, states, Augustus ordered a census to be
taken of “the populated world as far as it was ruled by
Lk.
Does this mean for every single
individual in the world? No! As Drs.
Walvoord and Zuck, on page 208, state, “These were specifically the people of
Lk.
Does “all” include such things as going to the bathroom? Hardly! The “all” that they had done refers to the work/ministry for which they were sent out (vv. 1-6), as Dr. Geldenhuys, on page 269, and Matthew Henry, on page 385, of their respective commentaries state.
Lk.
Is this all
the people of the world, of
Lk. 24:9 “and reported all these things to the eleven and to all the rest. ”
Was it to all the rest of the world,
of
Lk. 24:19 “who was a prophet mighty in deed and word in the sight of God and all the people, ”
Was it all the people of the world,
of
Jn.
Were all the people of the world, of
Jn.
Did Jesus tell her every single thing she had ever done her whole life? Obviously not! As Dr. Robertson, on page 68, and Dr. M. Vincent, on page 429 of Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 1, state, she “exaggerates” (hyperbole).
Jn.
Had the Galileans really seen every
single thing that Jesus had done day and night in public and private for that
entire week-long feast in
Jn. 10:8 “All who came before Me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not hear them. ”
Does “all” refer to all human beings from the time of Adam and Eve, or to all of whom?
Dr. Robertson, on page 176, states that it refers to “false Messiahs and self-appointed leaders who made havoc of the flock. ” Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 310, state that it refers to “those leaders who cared not for the spiritual good of the people but only for themselves. ” Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1049, state that it refers to “false prophets”.
Jn.
Does this mean every single person in the world? No! The chief priests and at least the majority of the Council did not believe in Jesus as the Messiah (v. 47), and the Romans wouldn’t, if they were going to take away the Jewish temple and nation. So, “all” must refer to the average or common Jew.
Jn.
Did the Holy Spirit teach Jesus’ disciples every single thing in the realm of information or knowledge that existed (i.e., in science, math, geography, business, politics, music, history, art)? No! We know for sure that they weren’t taught the day and hour of Christ’s second coming (Matt. 24:36). Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 324, state that “the context limits the ‘all things’ to the interpretation and significance of His (Jesus’) person and work”. Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1106, state that “these matters presumably would be based on the person and work of Christ...” Or, as Matthew Henry, on page 647, states, “He shall teach them all things necessary for them either to learn themselves or to teach others”.
Jn.
Would the Holy Spirit guide Jesus’ disciples into all the truth about every single issue that exists in the universe? Well, as Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 328, state, it refers to “the truth about Jesus and His work”. Or, as Dr. Hendriksen, on page 328, states, “into the whole body of redemptive revelation”. Or, as Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1110, state, “Not truth in every realm of knowledge, but truth in the things of God in the narrower sense, which we speak of as spiritual things”. Or, as Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1063, state, “what is given Him to communicate” (whatever He hears - v. 13).
Acts
Was the Holy Spirit poured upon
every single person in the world at that time, as Peter would have to mean if
he was taken literally (v. 16)?
Obviously not! The Holy Spirit was only poured forth upon the 120
believers that met together in one place there at Pentecost (
Acts
Were these believers sharing their
finances with every person in need in
Acts
Was it all the people of the world,
of
Acts
Who are all the people, here? According
to Dr. Bruce, on page 87, they were “the crowd of wondering spectators”,
eyewitnesses to the miracle who were in and around the temple in
Acts
The “all” refers to the congregation of those who believed (v. 32). Dr. Bruce, on page 108, Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 364, and Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1132 of their respective commentaries agree.
Acts
Was Elymas abounding in every single deceit and fraud possible? No! As Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 388, state, Elymas was into “all kinds of” deception ...and distortion of the truth”. This is different from every single act of deceit possible.
Acts
Did David do God’s will by committing adultery and murder (2 Sam. 11:4, 5, 15)? As Dr. Robertson, on page 189, states, “the commendation of David is not absolute, but as compared with the disobedient Saul, he was a man who did God’s will in spite of the gross sin of which he repented”. This is a type of synecdoche.
Acts
Does this mean a believer is freed from all his responsibilities to family and government here in this life? No! As Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1103, state, it’s from “all charges of the law”. That is, from all sin committed. As Matthew Henry, on page 815, states, it’s “from all the guilt and stain of sin”.
Acts
Does this mean every 2 and 3 year old kid did this too? Obviously not! As Dr. Vincent, on page 264, states, it refers to the “people collectively”. Not inclusively! A type of hyperbole or synecdoche.
Acts
Did every single person in all of
Acts
Had Paul preached to every single person in every single place in the world? No! This is hyperbole, as Matthew Henry, on page 879, says in so many words.
Acts
Did Paul ever do this to every single person in the world? No! Rather, it means to “all” kinds of people, both Jews and Gentiles, as Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 418, Dr. Vincent, on page 279, and Matthew Henry, on page 884, of their respective commentaries explain.
Acts 24:5 “a fellow who stirs up dissension among all the Jews throughout the world...”
Had Paul really done this to every single Jew? No! Hyperbole, again. Paul hadn’t even been throughout the world, let alone talked to every Jew in order to stir them up, as 28:16-21 shows. Dr. Bruce, on page 464, agrees.
Acts 25:24 “behold this man about whom all the
people of the Jews appealed to me, both at
Had every single Jew (man, woman, and child) appealed to Festus? Hardly! As Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1171, state, it refers to “the Jewish leaders” in these 2 cities.
Acts 26:4 “all Jews know my manner of life from my youth up...”
Did every single Jew
in the world (man, woman, and child) know Paul, let alone his manner of life
from his youth up? Hardly! As Dr. Bruce, on page 489, states, it refers to “his
contemporaries”. That is, the Jews in general living in
Rom.
Was and is mankind, apart from God, controlled by every single sin/evil there is? No! But he is controlled by every kind or form “of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, malice, as Dr. J. Murray states, on page 50 of The New International Commentary of the N. T. - The Epistle to the Romans, and as Dr. Hendriksen says, on page 80 of NTC - Romans. For example, man will envy one or more people, but he doesn’t necessarily envy every single person in the world.
Rom.
Does this include Jesus of Nazareth? Obviously not! The “all” refers to both Jews and Gentiles (v. 9) who are only human and not Divine as well, as Jesus was both man and God in one (Col. 2:9; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5).
Rom.
Did Jesus’ death on the cross (vv. 8, 9) result in every single person in the world being declared righteous before God, thus granting every person in the world eternal life in heaven? Obviously not!, as the following show: Jn. 3:18, 36; 2 Thes. 1:8, 9; Matt. 25:31-33, 41, 46; Rev. 20:11 -15. The “all men” refers to “all those who are Christ’s” (1 Cor. 15:22, 23), “those who belong to Him”, as Dr. Hendriksen states, on pages 182, 183; as Dr. Murray states, on page 203; and as Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown state, on page 1152 of their respective commentaries. Also, see Jn. 10:11, 15, 23; Eph. 5:25; 1:1, 4-7.
Rom.
Does this mean for every single
person in the world? No! It means for all time, never to die again (Heb.
Rom.
The “us all” refers to “saints”
(1:7) or believers, and not every single person inclusively in the world. See
note on
Rom.
What are the “all things”? Dr. Murray, on page 326, states that it refers to “the gifts and blessings of grace upon believers”, “salvation in its whole expanse”. It’s “an expression in universal terms used in a restrictive sense”. Or, as Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 474, state, “all other things pertaining to and leading to their ultimate sanctification (2 Pet. 1:3)”. Or, as Matthew Henry, on page 967, states, “all things that He sees to be needful and necessary for us”.
Rom.
The “all” refers to both Jews and
Gentiles as two races or categories of people, and not that every single Gentile
will receive salvation mercy. Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1173;
Drs. Pheiffer and
Rom.
Dr. Murray, on page 108, states that “all” refers to “all that comes within the created and providential order”. Dr. Robertson, on page 401, states that it refers to “the universe with all the phenomena concerning creation, redemption, and providence...” Dr. Hendriksen, on page 388, states that “all things” refers to everything related to man’s salvation. Matthew Henry, on page 984, states that it especially refers to this also.
Does “all things” include rocks and dirt? Obviously not! The contrast is between all kinds of food, including meat verses vegetables only (vv. 2, 21). Dr. Murray, on page 175; Dr. Hendriksen, on page 456; Dr. Robertson, on page 412; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 492; and Matthew Henry, on page 995 of their respective commentaries all agree.
Rom.
Does this include tools, homes,
dishes, boats, clothes, etc. ? No! This is talking
about food and possibly certain drinks (vv. 14-17, 21; Mk.
Rom.
Does this mean every single possible experience of joy and peace that there is? No! As Matthew Henry, on page 1004, states, it refers to “all sorts of true joy and peace”.
Rom.
Were these Christians at
Rom.
Does this mean to all the world, to all the churches in the world, or what? Dr. Murray, on page 236, says that it refers “to all the churches”. Or, to “believers everywhere”, as Dr. Hendriksen states, on page 511 of his commentary.
1 Cor. 1:5 “that in everything you were enriched in Him, in all speech and all knowledge. ”
Were they enriched in every single thing they spoke and knew? Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 508, state that it refers to the speaking and knowledge gifts such as tongues, prophecy, teaching, discernment of spirits, interpretation of tongues, etc. , “every kind and degree of religious knowledge” as Dr. C. Hodge puts it, on page 12 of I and 2 Corinthians and Ephesians, and as Dr. Robertson, on page 70, and Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1230 of their respective commentaries agree.
1 Cor.
Can a spiritual person accurately evaluate or judge the weight a bridge can hold or how high a building can be constructed without having any training in these areas? No, not unless God specifically revealed such information to such a person, but that’s not what this verse says. Rather, “all things” refers to that which is in addition to common sense, namely spiritual truth or that which the Spirit reveals. Dr. Hodge agrees, on page 33, as do Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 510, and Matthew Henry, on page 1020 of their respective commentaries
1 Cor.
Does this include sin? No! As Dr. Hodge, on page 64, states, it refers to the restrictions under the Jewish ceremonial laws, like avoiding unclean things, or to indifferent things, but not to immoral things. Dr. Robertson, on page 120, and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1199 of their respective commentaries agree.
1 Cor. 7:7 “Yet I wish that all men were even as I myself am. ”
The “all men” refers to Christian people, as Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 518, state.
1 Cor. 8:6 “one God, the Father, from whom are all things...”
Is direct temptation of believers to sin from God? No! See James 1:13. The “all things” refers to all of God’s creations, as Dr. Hodge, on page 86; Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1242; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown of their respective commentaries state.
1 Cor.
Did they endure every possible thing that could take place? As Dr. Hodge, on page 94, states, they “endured all kinds of privations”. But that’s different from every single possible thing. Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1205, agrees.
1 Cor.
Was Paul a slave to every single person in the world? Obviously not! As Matthew Henry, on page 1041, states, “He (Paul) accommodated himself to all sorts of people” as seen in vv. 20-22. “All sorts” and “everyone inclusively” are two different things.
1 Cor.
Did Paul become a Hindu, Buddhist, thief, liar, immoral person to every Hindu, Buddhist, thief, liar, and immoral person he met or tried to reach? Obviously not! As Dr. Hodge, on page 98, states, “It was not to this or that class of men that he was thus conciliatory, but to all classes, and as to all matters of indifference. Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 524, of their commentary, agree.
Paul adapted to all kinds of customs and scruples that were amoral. Dr. L. Morris, on page 138 of Tyndale N. T. Commentaries - The First Epistle of Paul to the Corinthians, says, “This does not, of course, mean that his conduct was unprincipled. But where no principle was at stake, he was prepared to go to extreme lengths to meet people. ” Dr. Robertson, on page 148, agrees.
1 Cor.
Does this mean that Paul was willing to lie or deceive people in order to convert them? No! As Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1206, state, Paul “conformed himself to the feelings of each in the several classes” to win some converts. It refers to all legitimate means; Paul wouldn’t sin in order to convert someone, as Matthew Henry states on page 1041. Paul adapted to people in amoral issues in order to reach them for Christ.
1 Cor.
See notes under
1 Cor.
Did Paul really please every single person in the world in every single issue/area/thing? No! Even he said he didn’t in Gal. 1:10. As Dr. Hodge, on page 117, states, “all things” refers to “all things allowable. ” Not in sinful things, but in all kinds of indifferent or amoral things. Matthew Henry, on page 1046, agrees.
1 Cor.
Did sin originate or have its source
from/out of God? Not directly! The “all things”, in context, refers to man and
woman. Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 529; Dr. Hodge, on page 122; and Drs.
Pheiffer and
1 Cor. 12:6 “God who works all things in all (persons). ”
Does God work every single thing, including sin, in every single person of the world? No! As Dr. Hodge, on page 138, states, God “works all these effects (of the spiritual gifts exercised upon or to people) in the minds of men. ” Or, as Dr. Robertson, on page 168, says, the “all things” refers to the “results as a whole” from the use of believers’ spiritual gifts. Dr. Vincent, on page 791, agrees, as do Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1215 of their respective commentaries. “In all” refers to the recipients upon whom the effects of the spiritual gifts are granted by God.
1 Cor. 13:7 “believes all things...”
Does love believe every single
thing? No! Though we are told to love everyone (Matt.
1 Cor.
Did everyone have the gift of
prophecy? No!, not according to
1 Cor.
Does this mean everything inclusively that anyone does anywhere? No! In context, it refers to all things in their “worship” service, as Dr. Hodge, on page 172; Dr. Robertson, on page 185; Dr. Morris, on page 203; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 541; and Matthew Henry, on page 1060, of their respective commentaries agree.
1 Cor.
“All” refers to all believers, those who are Christ’s. See note under Rom. 5:18.
1 Cor.
Does this include God the Father being put under Jesus’ feet? No!, as the end of v. 27 states that “it is evident that He (God the Father, v. 24) is excepted who put all things in subjection to Him (Christ). ” Dr. Hodge, on page 185; Dr. Robertson, on page 192; and Dr. Morris, on page 217, of their respective commentaries agree.
1 Cor.
Does this mean every single believer
inclusively in the world? No! It refers to the brethren in
2 Cor. 3:2 “You are our letter ...known and read by all men;”
Were these Corinthian believers known and read by every single person in the world? Hardly! This is a hyperbole, meaning that they were Paul’s “public” authentication of his ministry - Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1267.
2 Cor.
Was every single thing in the universe for them? Not in this context! Instead, it’s limited to all the things Paul had been speaking about, such as his suffering, constancy, and deliverance (vv. 8-14), as Dr. Hodge, on page 259; Dr. P. Hughes, on page 151 of The New International Commentary on the N. T. - Commentary on the Second Epistle to the Corinthians; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 564; Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1238; and Matthew Henry, on page 1080, all agree.
2 Cor.
Dr. Hodge, on page 278, states that
“all” in both phrases refers to “all the subjects of redemption”, all
God’s/Christ’s people, all believers, and not to every single human and/or
angel inclusively in the world or universe. When Christ died, all Christ’s
people died with Him at the point at which they believed on Him as Savior (Rom.
6:8; Gal. 2:20; 2 Tim. 2:11). The “all died” refers to the same people as the
“died for all” people, namely believers, Christ’s people, Christ’s sheep (Jn.
2 Cor.
Same meaning as above.
2 Cor.
In context, this is not referring to everything inclusively in the universe, including sin, as proceeding from God; rather it’s referring to the entire change discussed in vv. 15-17, the new creation, as Dr. Hodge, on page 281; Dr. Hughes, on page 204; Dr. Vincent, on page 824; Drs. Walvoord, on page 568; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1241, of their respective commentaries agree.
2 Cor. 8:7 “you abound in ...all earnestness...”
Here, the “all” means “every kind of” rather than “all inclusively”, as Dr. Hughes states on page 296 of his commentary.
2 Cor.
As Dr. Hodge, on page 326; Dr. Hughes, on page 340; and Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1277, of their respective commentaries state, “all” refers to all believers, that is, all believers who they gave to. It doesn’t mean everyone in the world inclusively.
2 Cor. 11:6 “in every way we have made this evident to you in all things. ”
Dr. Hughes, on page 382; Dr. Vincent, on page 258; and Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1278, of their respective commentaries, state that “in all things” means “among all men” or “publicly”. Dr. Hodge, on the other hand, on page 342, states that it means “in all things pertaining to the apostolic office. ” In either interpretation, inclusiveness is omitted so that it’s used in a restrictive sense.
2 Cor.
Every believer in
the world? Hardly! As Dr. Hodge, on page 371; Dr. Hughes, on page 488;
and Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 585, state, “all” refers to all the
believers in
Gal.
The “all”, in context, refers to all
the believers in
Gal. 6:6 “share all good things with him who teaches. ”
As Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1276, state, “all” refers to “every kind of”. It’s not referring to every single good thing inclusively, necessarily.
Gal.
As Dr. Hendriksen, on page 238 of NTC - Galatians, states, “all” refers to “eeverybody regardless of race, nationality, class, religion, sex, or anything else” when an occasion presents itself and we have the opportunity to do good. It’s really impossible for us to do good to everyone inclusively in the whole world. It includes doing good only to the extent that we are “capable” and to the extent that others have “need of us” - Matthew Henry, page 1117.
Eph. 3:9 “God, who created all things;”
Did God create sin? No! “All”, in
context, refers to the universe, as Dr. Hodge states on page 60 of Ephesians,
and as Drs. Walvoord and Zuck state on page 630 of their commentary. Both the
material and spiritual things in it, state Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown,
page 1287; Matthew Henry, page 1127; and Drs. Pheiffer and
Eph.
Does this mean we will become God? No! “All” refers to all of God’s communicable attributes and not His incommunicable attributes, as His being all-powerful, sovereign, infinite - Dr. Hendriksen, page 174 of NTC - Ephesians. It’s a goal that Paul prays for these believers (vv. 14-19).
Eph.
Again, the “all” refers to Christ’s communicable attributes, like His love, etc. - Matthew Henry, page 1131.
Eph.
Does “all things” include electrons, protons, and neutrons? No! In context, it’s talking about “wicked practices” or “secret sins” exposed by believers/light (vv. 8, 11). Dr. Hendriksen, page 234; Dr. Vincent, page 863; Dr. Robertson, page 543; Dr. Hodge, page 102; and Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 639, of their respective commentaries.
Phil.
As Dr. Hendriksen on page 124 of NTC - Philippians states, “all things” refeers to “all the dictates of God’s will. ” Or, as Matthew Henry says on page 1148 of his commentary, “all things” refers to “God’s commands. ” Dr. Jac Muller on page 93 of The New International Commentary on the N. T. - The Epistles of Paul to the Philippians, agrees.
Phil.
Does the “they all” refer to all non-Christians, all Christians, all Paul’s disciples, or whom? The context, would imply that it refers to all those Paul had at his disposal, of those who would naturally be selected for such an assignment, except for Timothy - Dr. Vincent, page 883; Dr. Hendriksen, page 135; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 657; Dr. Muller, page 98; Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1326; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1307, of their respective commentaries.
Phil.
“All joy” is a hyperbole, meaning “a most joyful welcome” - Dr. Hendriksen, page 143, or “heartfelt joy” - Dr. Muller, page 102.
Phil. 4:5 “Let your forbearing (spirit) be known to all men. ”
Is it our responsibility to make sure everyone in the world knows this about us? Hardly? It’s referring to every one we interact with, who sees us, whether Christian or not - Dr. Hendriksen, page 193, and Matthew Henry, page 1154 of their respective commentaries.
Phil.
In context (vv. 11, 12), Paul is saying that through the strength Christ gives him, he can “meet any circumstance of life which may arise. ” Paul could adapt to poverty, hunger, abundance, etc. - Dr. Muller, page 147. It’s not dealing with Samson-like feats of strength.
Phil.
“All” refers to all the believers in Rome from where Paul is writing this letter - Dr. Muller, page 154; Dr. Hendriksen, page 211; and Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 665, of their respective commentaries.
Did the gospel really go into every
single part of the world by this time? Hardly! Rather, it refers to the
“leading parts of the then known world”, as Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown,
on page 1314, states. Dr. Vincent calls it hyperbole, on page 895, as do Drs.
Walvoord and Zuck, on page 670, and Dr. Robertson, on page 474, of their
respective commentaries. Dr. Robertson adds that it refers to the
Col. 1:16 “For by Him all things were created, ”
Does this include cars, computers, and sin? No!, not in a direct sense. “All” refers to the entire universe of material and immaterial things, people, or angels, as the rest of the verse explains - Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 673; Dr. Robertson, page 478; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1316, of their respective commentaries. It’s referring to God’s original creating fiats, and excludes those things which humans and/or angels do, make, or engineer.
Col. 1:19 “for all the fulness to dwell in Him. ”
All the fulness of what? Everything material? No! It’s referring to “the sum-total of the divine powers and attributes” (2:9), as Dr. Vincent, on page 899; Dr. Hendriksen, on page 79 of NTC - Colossians; Dr. Robertson, on page 4880; Dr. J. Lightfoot, on page 159 of St. Paul’s Epistles to the Colossians; Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, on page 1339; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 674; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1317, of their respective commentaries agree.
Col. 1:20 “and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, ”
Does this include demons and the
eternally lost in hell? No! As Dr. K. Wuest, on page
188 of Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek N.T., Vol. 1, “Colossians”,
states, “all” includes “the material universe” (Rom. 8:19-22) and “the
believing sinner”, but not “the lost in eternity”. Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on
page 674, agree that “all things” has this limited meaning. Also, note that the
last part of
Col. 1:23 “the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven...”
Was it, literally? See note under 1:6. Again, it’s hyperbole, here - Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 675; Dr. Robertson, page 483; and Dr. Hendriksen, page 85, of their respective commentaries.
Col. 1:28 “admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom...”
Were Paul and Timothy all-wise? No! “All”, here, means “in every kind or form of”, as Dr. Wuest, page 194, and Dr. Vincent, page 903, state in their respective commentaries.
Col. 2:1 “and for all those who have not personally seen my face. ”
Does Paul mean every person in the world, every Christian in the world, or what? The context implies that it’s the churches of the Lycus Valley (e.g., Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis - 4:13) - Dr. Hendriksen, page 102; Dr. Robbertson, page 487; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 676; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1319, of their respective commentaries.
Col. 3:11 “Christ is all, and in all. ”
Is this saying that Christ is all people and things, similar to pantheism, and that He is in all things? No! Paul, in context, is saying that Christ “is all that matters” and “indwells all believers”, as Dr. Hendriksen, page 154, and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1325, state.
Col. 3:16 “with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another...”
See the note under
Does this include committing sin if parents tell their children to do so? No! The “all things” is limited to lawful commands which do not violate the rest of God’s Word and will, similarly to Acts 5:29 - Dr. Hendriksen, page 171; Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1344; and Matthew Henry, page 1167, of their respective commentaries.
Same as the note
under
1 Thes.
“All men”, in the context of v. 16, refers to the Gentiles - Dr. Robertson, page 22; Dr. D. Hiebert, page 117 of The Thessalonian Epistles; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1333 of their respective commentaries.
1 Thes.
Every Christian in the world? No!, but to all the believers at the church in Thessalonica (1:1), as Dr. Robertson, page 39; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 710; and Dr. Hiebert, page 258, state.
2 Thes. 2:9 “with all power and signs and false wonders, ”
“All”, here, means “every kind of” or “all kinds of” or “supernatural”, rather than absolute, infinite power since Satan is not all-powerful, like God - Dr. Hiebert, page 317; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 720; and Dr. Vincent, page 954.
2 Thes.
Every single deception there is? Hardly!, but “every kind of” deceit - Dr. Hiebert, p. 317.
1 Tim. 2:1 “prayers ...be made on behalf of all men, ”
Does this mean we should pray for every single person in the entire world individually? No!, it would be impossible! The context implies that the “all men” means various categories or classes or groups of people, without distinction of race, nationality, or social position, such as: kings (v. 2), those in positions of authority (v. 2), Gentiles (v. 7), etc., “all kinds of” people - Dr. Hendriksen, on pages 93, 94 of NTC - 1 and 2 Timothy and Titus, and Dr. Robertson, p. 567 agree.
1 Tim. 2:2 “for kings and all who are in authority, ”
Again, the “all” wouldn’t mean everyone around the whole world because (especially at the time of this writing) doing so wouldn’t affect the reason Paul tells these Christians to pray for this, that being, in order for these Christians to live a tranquil and quiet life. Rather, the “all” refers to anyone in authority over them who could affect these believers’ peaceful lifestyle and easy spread of the gospel (v. 4).
1 Tim. 2:4 “who desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. ”
Does God want every single person in
the world saved? No! If He did, then He would do it (Isa. 46:10;
1 Tim. 2:6 “who gave Himself as a ransom for all, ”
Did Christ die to ransom every
single person in the world? No! Christ died only to ransom His
sheep/chosen/elect/predestined ones (Jn.
1 Tim.
Does this mean that everyone in the world is going to be spiritually and eternally saved and go to heaven? No!, since other Bible passages teach otherwise (e.g., 2 Thes. 1:8, 9; Rev. 20:11-15)
God is the Savior/Deliverer of all people in general (not every single person) in a physical sense, in that He delivers many people from physical harm or privation (e.g., Ex. 18:4, 8; Judges 8:34; Jer. 20:13; Dan. 6:27; I Sam. 17:37; Isa. 63:8-10; Psa. 36:6; 145:9, 14-16; Jonah 4:11; Matt. 5:45; Lk. 6:35). But God is the Savior of believers in a special sense, that being, spiritually unto eternal life (Titus 3:4-7) - Dr. Hendriksen, pages 154-156; and Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1376.
1 Tim.
Everyone in the entire world? No!, but to all Timothy’s observers (Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 741), especially those in his church - Dr. Hendriksen, page 160.
1 Tim.
All the world? No!, rather in the presence of all the believers in this elder’s church - Dr. Hendriksen, page 183; Drs. Walvoord aand Zuck, page 744; Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1367 of their respective commentaries.
1 Tim.
Not “all” evil (every single evil there is), as the King James Version translates the Greek word “panton”, but “all sorts/kinds of” evil, as it can have that meaning as well - Dr. Hendriksen, page 200; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 746; and Dr. Robertson, page 593 of their respective commentaries.
1 Tim.
Had God richly supplied Paul and Timothy with every single thing in the world to enjoy? Not according to 1 Cor. 4:11 and 2 Cor. 11:27. A form of the same Greek word is used here as is used in 1 Tim. 6:10 above (“panta”), and should have the same meaning as there, “all kinds of”.
2 Tim.
Does “all” mean “every person”,
“every Christian”, “every Christian leader”, “every traveling companion”, or
what? Most probably, it means “every Christian leader of some sort” - Dr.
Hendriksen, page 238, and Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 751 of their
commentaries. Or, it could mean “all who are now in
2 Tim. 3:9 “for their folly will be obvious to all...”
To every single person in the world? No! In context, it’s referring to “all of God’s true children” (Dr. Hendriksen, page 289) who observe these religious errorists (Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 756).
2 Tim.
As Drs. Walvoord and Zuck on page
759 and Matthew Henry on page 1218 of their respective commentaries state,
“all” refers to the Christians at
2 Tim.
Not every single Gentile in the
entire world, but those in
2 Tim.
Drs. Walvoord and Zuck on page 760
state that “all” refers to the Christians in
Titus
Does this include pornography? No! Dr. Hendriksen, on page 356, states that “all things” refers to
“everything that was created by God for consumption as food” (1 Tim. 5:3-5;
Acts
Titus
To every single individual in the entire world? No! “All”, here, refers to all classes or various groups of people, regardless of age, sex, or social standing - Dr. Hendriksen, page 371, and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1387 of their respective commentaries.
Titus 3:2 “showing every consideration for all men. ”
“All men” refers to the people they met or interacted with rather than to every person in the world whom they knew nothing about. Drs. Walvoord and Zuck agree when they say, on page 766, that, it refers to “people in the community”.
Philemon 1:5 “love...toward all the saints;”
As Dr. J. Muller, on page 177 of The New International Commentary on the N. T. - The Epistle of Paul to the Philippians and Philemon, states, the love is “toward our neighbors”. It’s the believers we meet, know about, or interact with rather than those who we know nothing about.
Heb.
Does this include being born with a sin nature or in sin (Psa. 51:5)? No! As Dr. H. Kent, on page 61 of The Epistle to the Hebrews; Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown on page 1402; and Dr. Robertson, on page 350 of Word Pictures in the N.T., Vol. 5, state, Jesus became a man in all respects (apart from sin, being born in sin - 1 Jn. 3:5, or yielding to it - Heb. 4:15).
Heb. 3:4 “but the builder of all things is God. ”
Does God build cars, airplanes, etc. ? Not directly! “All things” refers to Creation (1:2, 10) - Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 786.
Heb. 4:4 “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works. ”
Did God stop all activity
completely, including that of holding all the universe
together once it was created (Heb. 1:3; Col. 1:17)? No! As Dr.
Heb.
Was Jesus tempted in every single
thing, like stealing bread, drink, clothes, tools, animals, furniture,
kitchenware, transportation equipment, writing utensils, scrolls, money,
personal items, etc. Hardly! Rather, He was tempted in
all “respects” or kinds of things or areas - Dr.
Heb. 7:2 “to whom Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all, ”
“All” Abraham owned, had access to, or what? “All” refers, here, to “all his spoils of war” - Dr. Kent, page 124; Dr. Robertson, page 380; Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1413; Matthew Henry, page 1257; and Dr. Wuest, page 126 of Wuest’s Word Studies of the Greek N. T, Vol. 2, “Hebrews”.
Heb.
“Once for all
people”, “once for all sins”, or “once for all time”? As Dr.
Heb.
It means the same as that in
Heb.
All the people of
the world? No!, but to all the people of
Heb.
“All” is a synecdoche, where a whole represents a part of the people, as it isn’t logical that Moses would have enough blood to go around to sprinkle nearly 2 million people if he used half of it on the alter (Ex. 24:58) and the other half on the people. Also, if he did have enough blood to sprinkle on that many people, then the other half of the blood would have flooded the alter and the area around it because there would have been so much blood, which also wouldn’t be logical. Also, Ex. 24:8 doesn’t use the word “all”, just “the people”, which could be a few, as a token of the rest.
Heb.
“All” has the same meaning as that
found in the note under
Heb. 12:8 “of which all have become partakers, ”
Does “all” mean everyone inclusively in the world? No! It means “all of God’s true children” are called upon to be partakers of suffering/discipline at some time or other - Dr. Kent, page 263; Dr. Vincent, page 1165; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 810; Dr. Wuest, page 219; Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1424; and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1438 of their respective commentaries.
Heb.
“All”, here, means “all believers” as the context (vv. 12, 13, 16) warrants - Dr. Wuest, page 223; Dr. Kent, page 266; and Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1424. “All” believers you know of or meet or interact with, in particular.
Heb. 13:4 “Let marriage be held in honor among all, ”
All people inclusively? Not in this context (see v. 1). Rather, it refers to all the readers of this letter (i.e., believers who get this letter) - Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1426, and Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 811 of their respective commentaries.
Heb.
“All” the saints
in the world? No! As Dr.
James 1:2 “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, ”
Does this mean that the only joy there is is in trials, that, all joy is to be found only in trials? No! As Dr. D. Hiebert, on page 71 of The Epistle of James, states, “all” means “unmixed or “pure”. Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 820; Dr. A. Robertson, page 35 of Studies in the Epistle of James; and Dr. Vincent, on page 344 of Word Studies in the New Testament, Vol. 1, agree that “all” means “wholly”, “without admixture of sorrow”.
James 1:5 “God, who gives to all men generously...”
Does this mean everybody inclusively
in the world? According to the context, and as Dr. Hiebert, on page 81, states, “all” is “not limited to a
favored few, but is available to all who ask”, all believers, as God doesn’t
hear the sinner/unbeliever (Jn.
1 Pet. 3:8 “To sum up, let all be harmonious, sympathetic, brotherly, kindhearted...”
Does “all” this mean every single person in the world, or just the people Peter is writing? As Dr. A. Stibbs, on page 128 of Tyndale N. T. Commentaries - The First Epistle General of Peter, states, “all” refers to “Christians”. This is obvious from the context (vv. 7, 9). Or, as Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, on page 849, state, “Peter now addressed all his readers” (1:1).
1 Pet.
For all people, all sins, or all time? As Dr. Robertson, on page 116 of Word Pictures in the N.T., Vol. 6, shows, “all” refers to time (Heb. 9:28). Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 851, and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1477 of their respective commentaries agree. It’s a once for all time, never to be repeated event/act.
1 Pet. 4:7 “The end of all things is at hand;”
Everything inclusively? No! It refers to our earthly lives and to this present age, which is to end at Christ’s second coming and His accompanying judgment (James 5:8; 1 Pet. 4:5). Dr. Stibbs, page 153, and Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, on page 1479 agree.
2 Pet. 1:5 “applying all diligence...”
As Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1487, state, “all” means “all possible”.
2 Pet. 3:4 “For(ever) since the fathers fell asleep, all continues as it was from the beginning of creation.”
“All”, here, means “all things in the natural world”, as Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1492; Drs. Walvoord and Zuck, page 875; and Dr. M. Green, on page 127 of Tyndale N. T. Commentaries - The Second Epistle of Peter and the Epistle of Jude, state.
2 Pet. 3:9 “is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to...”
All people in the world inclusively
or all God’s chosen? As Matthew Henry, on page 1338, states, “all” refers to
God’s “own people whom He has chosen before the foundation of the world, many
of whom are not as yet converted. ” This makes sense
in light of the context (“you” in v. 9 refers to the believers Peter wrote,
1:1, as does “beloved” in vv. 1, 8, and the “second letter, 3:1, refers to the
people in the first letter, which are God’s chosen, 1 Pet. 1:1). Also, see 1
Thes.
1 Jn.
“All” obviously doesn’t mean every single thing in the world, nor to any material thing in the world, but rather refers to 3 areas of mankind’s sinful actions or attitudes, as the rest of the verse describes/explains.
1 Jn.
Would the Holy Spirit teach these
believers all there was to know about math, science, music, art, etc. ? No! “All things” refers to “all things essential to
salvation, which is the point under discussion (
3 Jn. 1:2 “Beloved, I pray in all things/respects you may prosper and be in good health, ”
Does this include in sinning? Obviously not! “All things/respects” refers to Gaius’ “public and social work” (Dr. B. Westcott, page 236, The Epistles of John) or his “business” (Dr. R. Ward, page 69, The Epistles of John and Jude).
Jude 1:3 “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. ”
“All” refers to time, once for all time, final, “fixed, non-repeatable” faith or doctrines of Christianity - Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1488; Drs. Jamieson, Faussett, and Brown, page 1518; and Dr. Vincent, page 338 of Vol. 1 of their respective commentaries.
Jude 1:5 “though you know all things once for all, ”
“All things” refers to the Christian faith or Gospel (Drs. Pheiffer and Harrison, page 1488) that Jude’s readers knew. Or, it refers to “the context in which Jude is speaking” - Dr. Wuest, page 239 of Vol. 4, “Jude”.
Jude