Life Application Bible Commentary
I don't know if anyone else saw this but the LABC is on sale today only for 60% off. Anyone have any experience with this set? I own the LA Study Bible and like it very much.
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Mattillo said:
I don't know if anyone else saw this but the LABC is on sale today only for 60% off. Anyone have any experience with this set? I own the LA Study Bible and like it very much.
I find it helpful for application and illustration use for sermons
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Here is an example:
Acts 9SAUL’S CONVERSION / 9:1-19A
Acts 1:8 seems to be a concise outline for the entire book. Chapters 1–7 describe the gospel being preached in Jerusalem. Chapter 8 shows believers, under threat of persecution, taking the good news of Jesus to Judea and Samaria.
Chapter 9 records a monumental event in the history of the church—the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. Saul (later known as Paul) would be God’s apostle to the Gentiles (Galatians 2:8; Ephesians 3:8). He would lead the church in spreading Christianity “to the ends of the earth” (1:8). Therefore Paul, more than any other person, figures prominently in chapters 10–28.
No one was better suited to the task than Paul: a “real Jew if there ever was one” (Philippians 3:5 NLT; see also Galatians 1:14); a native of Tarsus thoroughly acquainted with Greek culture (17:22–31); a citizen of Rome (16:37); trained in a trade so that he could support himself (18:3) as he traveled and ministered.
Before Christ could use this highly gifted man, however, he first had to transform him. Little did Saul know what lay ahead for him on the road to Damascus!
(THIS SECTION IS UNDER A MAP) SAUL TRAVELS TO DAMASCUS
Many Christians fled Jerusalem when persecution began after Stephen’s death, seeking refuge in other cities and countries. Saul tracked them down, even traveling 150 miles to Damascus in Syria to bring Christians back in chains to Jerusalem. But as he neared the ancient city, he discovered that God had other plans for him.
9:1–2 Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath. He was eager to destroy the Lord’s followers, so he went to the high priest. He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking their cooperation in the arrest of any followers p 152 of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains. Saul (later called Paul, the equivalent of “Saul” in Greek), first mentioned as a participant in the stoning of Stephen (see 7:58; 8:1), was so zealous for his Jewish beliefs that he began a persecution campaign against all who believed in Christ, all who were followers of the Way (see Paul’s testimony in Philippians 3:6). This name implied “the way of the Lord” or “the way of salvation.” Christ had earlier claimed to be “the way” (John 14:6). This designation is found a number of times in Acts (19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22; see also 16:17; 18:25–26).
(THESE SECTIONS WITH A SPECIAL HEADING ARE BOXED OFF) GOD’S WAY
As Saul traveled to Damascus, pursuing Christians, he was confronted by the risen Christ and brought face-to-face with the truth of the gospel. Sometimes God breaks into a life in a spectacular manner, and sometimes conversion is a quiet experience. Beware of people who insist that you must have a particular type of conversion experience. The right way to come to faith in Jesus is whatever way God brings you.
Why would the Jews in Jerusalem want to persecute Christians as far away as Damascus? There are several possibilities: (1) to seize the Christians who had fled; (2) to prevent the spread of Christianity to other major cities; and (3) to keep the Christians from causing any trouble with Rome.
The letters requested by Saul would not only introduce him, but they would provide him with the high priest’s authorization to seize followers of Christ and bring them back to Jerusalem. Most synagogues in Syria probably recognized this right of extradition. Not only was Saul going to pursue them, he also was going to arrest both men and women and bring them back in chains.9:3 As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Damascus, a key commercial city, was located about 175 miles northeast of Jerusalem in the Roman province of Syria. Several trade routes linked Damascus to other cities throughout the Roman world. Damascus was one of the ten cities known as the Decapolis (see Mark 5:20; 7:31). Saul may have thought that by stamping out Christianity in Damascus, he could prevent its spread to other areas.
Nearing his destination, at about noon, when the sun was at its full height (see 22:6; 26:13), Saul suddenly found himself awash in a brilliant heavenly light. Though the text does not overtly state that Saul saw Christ, that fact is implied, since seeing the p 153 resurrected Lord was a requirement of New Testament apostleship (see 1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8). Also, the testimonies of Ananias (9:17) and Barnabas (9:27) confirm an eyewitness encounter.9:4–5 He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” He asked, “Who are you, Lord?” The reply came, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Not only did Saul witness the brilliant glory of the Lord, but he also heard the voice of Jesus Christ. (For the rest of what Jesus said, see 22:8, 10, 17, 21; 26:15–18.) Saul thought he was pursuing heretics, but according to the voice, his actions were tantamount to attacking Jesus himself—I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. Anyone who persecutes believers today is also guilty of persecuting Jesus (see Matthew 25:40, 45) because believers are the body of Christ on earth. This is a powerful statement about the union that exists between Christ and his church.
As he lay there in the dust, Saul must have been reeling from the realization that Jesus, the crucified founder of this detested sect, had been resurrected by God and exalted in divine glory. Saul was not serving God, as he had thought, but opposing him!Whoever sees Christ as a mirror of the Father’s heart, actually walks through the world with new eyes.
Martin Luther
RELIGION VS. RELATIONSHIP
Paul referred to his encounter on the road to Damascus as the start of his new life in Christ (1 Corinthians 9:1; 15:8; Galatians 1:15–16). At the center of this wonderful experience was Jesus Christ. Paul did not see a vision; he saw the risen Christ himself (9:17). Paul did not “get religion” (he was already a very religious man!); he found a relationship with Jesus. Paul acknowledged Jesus as Lord, confessed his own sin, surrendered his life to Christ, and resolved to obey him. True conversion comes from a personal encounter with Jesus Christ and leads to a new life in relationship with him.9:6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you are to do.” According to Paul’s own testimony in 26:16–18, Christ gave him, at this moment, a brief preview of his future as an apostle to the Gentiles. Further details would come once he made his way into the city of Damascus.
9:7 The men with Saul stood speechless with surprise, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice, but they saw no one! Those accompanying Saul heard the sound of someone’s voice and saw some kind of light (see 22:9), but they didn’t understand the p 154 full significance of this encounter. They saw no one, nor had they heard the specific words spoken to Saul (26:14).
9:8–9 As Saul picked himself up off the ground, he found that he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days. And all that time he went without food and water. Saul was temporarily blinded by this revelation (an event with Old Testament precedence—see Genesis 19:11; 2 Kings 6:17–20), so his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. Saul’s subsequent fast (going without food and water) was most likely motivated by shock as he tried to ponder the full significance of his experience. Typically, fasting indicated a period of mourning or repentance.
If you have to be reasoned into Christianity, some wise fellow can reason you out of it. But if you come to Christ by a flash of the Holy Ghost … no one can ever reason you out of it.
A. W. Tozer
A CHANGED LIFE
Saul’s conversion was undeniable:
• He went storming out of Jerusalem in a huff; he came stumbling into Damascus in humility (9:8–9).
• He went to arrest Christians; he ended up being arrested by Christ (9:1–5).
• He began the trip determined to wipe out the message of Christ; he ended the trip devoted to the cause of taking that message to the ends of the earth (9:19–22).
• He went from being a persecutor to being a persecuted one (9:23–25).
In short, Saul’s whole mind-set and belief system were turned upside down. He realized that Christ was not dead, but alive. Christ was not merely a Nazarene rabble-rouser; he was the Messiah, the Son of God.
Saul certainly had a lot to think about during those three days. He realized that despite his zeal for God, his recent activity of arresting Christians had been in direct opposition to God—otherwise, he would not have received this rebuke. The voice from heaven had told him that in persecuting the Christians, he was persecuting this one named Jesus, who, Saul realized, was associated with God, because of the heavenly light and glory he had seen. Saul then would have been forced to realize that Jesus was indeed the Messiah for whom the Jews were still waiting—the Messiah who had come and gone, murdered by Saul’s own contemporaries. Saul probably would have begun to think about the p 155 many prophecies that he had studied in his training as a Pharisee, prophecies that spoke of the coming Messiah. He would have been forced to conclude that Jesus had indeed met the requirements and fulfilled the prophecies. These Christians, whom Saul had been chasing, believed that Jesus had risen from the dead—and Saul had just seen the risen Christ in his glory. Suddenly, all that Saul had believed was being torn down and replaced with a new truth—the very truth that he had been seeking to extinguish. As Saul was thinking about all this, he was also praying (9:11).9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.” He answered, “Here I am, Lord.” As Saul waited for further directions, the Lord began speaking to Ananias, “a godly man in his devotion to the law [who] was well thought of by all the Jews of Damascus” (22:12 NLT). Ananias, a Jew, had become a believer in Christ—a disciple. Ananias responded to the call of God with the same words of submission uttered by his forefathers, Abraham (Genesis 22:1), Jacob (Genesis 31:11), Moses (Exodus 3:10), and Samuel (1 Samuel 3:10): “Here I am, Lord.”
GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE
Given Saul’s selection as a key person in the vast program of God, we might think that Peter or one of the other apostles should have been chosen to minister to this important new convert. Not so. God called an unknown disciple named Ananias for this task. This has been true throughout church history. Consider this list of “nobodies”:
• John Staupitz: The man who helped lead Martin Luther to Christ.
• John Egglen: Instrumental in the conversion of C. H. Spurgeon.
• Edward Kimball: Just a shoe salesman … who happened to be D. L. Moody’s spiritual mentor.
• Mordecai Ham: A little-known evangelist who preached the night that Billy Graham yielded his life to Christ.
We never know how God might use us to touch a life that will, in turn, touch millions. Yield yourself to the purposes of God, and be faithful when he calls.9:11–12 The Lord said, “Go over to Straight Street, to the house of Judas. When you arrive, ask for Saul of Tarsus. He is praying to me right now. I have shown him a vision of a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him so that he can see again.” The meeting between p 156 Saul and Ananias was divinely arranged. The Lord gave specific instructions to Ananias about where to go and for whom to look; in a separate vision, he told Saul to expect Ananias’s arrival. Such divine revelation with separate individuals having similar visions would be repeated again in 10:1–23.
Straight Street was and still is one of the main thoroughfares of Damascus. Ananias was directed to the street and to the house of Judas. Somehow God had led those in Paul’s entourage to take him to this particular house; then God prepared his other servant to meet Saul. Ananias had been chosen to be the instrument of healing and help to the new convert.Prayer is the autograph of the Holy Ghost upon the renewed heart.
Charles H. Spurgeon
9:13–14 “But Lord,” exclaimed Ananias, “I’ve heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem! And we hear that he is authorized by the leading priests to arrest every believer in Damascus.” Ananias was understandably shaken by the Lord’s command to go and find Saul of Tarsus. Christians wanted to stay far away from Saul. His reputation as an enemy of the church was well documented, and the intent of this particular mission to Damascus was widely known. Ananias knew that Saul had been authorized by the leading priests to arrest every believer in Damascus. Fearful of what might happen, Ananias began to protest, “But Lord … I’ve heard about the terrible things this man has done to the believers in Jerusalem!” The ultimate measure of faith is how believers respond to commands that seem illogical (see Exodus 14:16; 1 Kings 17:3–14; 2 Kings 5:10; John 9:1–11). Despite his protests, however, Ananias was up to the task.
MISSION “IMPOSSIBLE”
“Not him, Lord; that’s impossible. Saul would never become a Christian!” In essence, that’s what Ananias said when God told him of Saul’s conversion. After all, Saul was persecuting believers to their deaths. Despite these understandable feelings, Ananias obeyed God and ministered to Saul. We must not limit God—he can do anything. Nothing is too hard for him (Genesis 18:14). We must obey and follow God’s leading, even when he leads us to difficult people and places.
Barton, B. B., & Osborne, G. R. (1999). Acts (pp. 151–156). Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House.Disclaimer: I hate using messaging, texting, and email for real communication. If anything that I type to you seems like anything other than humble and respectful, then I have not done a good job typing my thoughts.
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Thanks for that example, Joseph. A big help.
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I used to have the deadtree version, I stopped using it years ago and got rid of it. I found that it was very simple, and the application was slightly more than the obvious. I would think the NIVAC would suit you better if you are looking for something like it. And its on sale now too.
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I love the Life Application Commentaries!!
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Daniel Bender said:Mattillo said:
I don't know if anyone else saw this but the LABC is on sale today only for 60% off. Anyone have any experience with this set? I own the LA Study Bible and like it very much.
I find it helpful for application and illustration use for sermons
Paul Caneparo said:Wouldn't normally buy this but a great price today - only:
https://www.logos.com/product/5762/the-life-application-bible-commentary
Thanks for all the reminders! I saw this earlier but didn't go for it. After seeing forum posts on how useful it was for sermon illustrations, also remembered a Christmas gift & went for it. Thank you all & thank you FL.
Grace & Peace,
Bill
MSI GF63 8RD, I-7 8850H, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD, 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GTX 1050Max
iPhone 12 Pro Max 512Gb
iPad 9th Gen iOS 15.6, 256GB0 -
Everett Headley said:
I used to have the deadtree version, I stopped using it years ago and got rid of it. I found that it was very simple, and the application was slightly more than the obvious. I would think the NIVAC would suit you better if you are looking for something like it. And its on sale now too.
I have to agree. This set has been on my wishlist for YEARS, ever since I ran into a single-volume Life Application Bible Commentary at Barnes & Noble. At the time, my study "library" consisted of a Bible and a hardback Strong's concordance. I didn't have any exposure to commentaries, so this was the coolest thing I'd ever seen.
Anyway, I picked it up this morning since it was on sale. I was expecting something similar to Wiersbe, Courson, Guzik, Tozer, NIVAC, etc. (all of which I have and LOVE). Unfortunately, this is pretty basic. I'd describe it as an expanded Study Bible. It may be great for a layperson that is just starting to learn their Bible, but there isn't a whole lot of "meat" to it. And very little application or illustration. I'm probably going to end up returning it.
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Ron said:
Anyway, I picked it up this morning since it was on sale. I was expecting something similar to Wiersbe, Courson, Guzik, Tozer, NIVAC, etc. (all of which I have and LOVE). Unfortunately, this is pretty basic. I'd describe it as an expanded Study Bible. It may be great for a layperson that is just starting to learn their Bible, but there isn't a whole lot of "meat" to it. And very little application or illustration. I'm probably going to end up returning it.
I bought a paper copy of the volume on Luke a few years ago and was similarly "impressed". It is really basic and the applications are few and weak. (Really few considering the title of the series.) Probably best to let it go out of print in my opinion.
Many of the NIVAC volumes would be much better to own. Not all are good, but many of them are and they are all better than the Life Application Bible Commentary and they approach the issue of contemporary application in a solid way.
As you point out there is the 30 day money-back guarantee. If you are on the fence, try it out for 30 days.
Pastor, North Park Baptist Church
Bridgeport, CT USA
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Basic series, but still helpful for small group quick lessons. Maybe is too basic, that's why they're having a sale on it. Seems like NIVAC is heading in the same direction. I hope they lower the price on it permanently, as I think NIVAC is overpriced for what it has to offer. I also hope they finish the last 2 volumes it's missing. My goal is to one day complete PNTC and BECNT and just get NICOT/NT and then stop there and buy books only as needed. This year's resolution is to spend more wisely and use more and more what I already have. I've started a new series on Christian Ethics and June Hunt has come in handy along with other hidden gems in my library. I still bought 2 books, but did so only because they added new things to the subject. I highly recommend Christian Ethics in Plain Language (sorry no link, I'm on my phone typing this).
DAL
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DAL said:
This year's resolution is to spend more wisely and use more and more what I already have.
DAL said:I highly recommend Christian Ethics in Plain Language
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Robert Harner said:DAL said:
This year's resolution is to spend more wisely and use more and more what I already have.
DAL said:I highly recommend Christian Ethics in Plain Language
Thank you Robert!
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Does anyone know how I can get a life application commentary that includes the Old Testament Life application commentary? The hard copy (physical) includes commentary in the old testament and would love to have that version of commentary. (I know e-sword carries it, but trying to find it in logos, please help if you know!)
Thanks,
Tommy
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Thomas Warren said:
Does anyone know how I can get a life application commentary that includes the Old Testament Life application commentary? The hard copy (physical) includes commentary in the old testament and would love to have that version of commentary. (I know e-sword carries it, but trying to find it in logos, please help if you know!)
Thanks,
Tommy
See this thread for a recent discussion - https://community.logos.com/forums/t/187382.aspx
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[Y] Thank you
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Thank a lot for a great offer. It is good for me
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