Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.” – Acts 24:25
There is an interesting tract I came across. A tract is a concise presentation of the gospel and call to decision for Christ written or illustrated on a neat piece of paper. The one I am talking about has a simple but powerful and easily understandable message. On the face of the tract over a fiery background are the words “What to do to go to HELL.” Then when you open the tract, there’s nothing there, a blank page with no words. On the back page of the tract then is an explanation of how all humanity falls short of the glory of God and has sinned and if nothing is done, the penalty is hell, a place of eternal torment. The tract states:
NOTHING. That’s right. There’s nothing more we need to do to go to Hell. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).
But there is something we must do to go to Heaven. The Bible says, “He that believeth on the Son [Jesus Christ] hath everlasting life; and he that believes not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abides on him (John 3:36).
Hell is no joke. Jesus Himself warns that Hell is “a furnace of fire” where there will be “wailing and gnashing of teeth” – a real place where one will be just as aware of his surroundings as he was on earth (Matthew 13:42).
The good news is that God doesn’t want anyone to spend eternity separated from Him in the darkness of Hell. That’s why He sent His Son to suffer punishment for our sins.”
You can be sure of a place in Heaven someday if you will put your faith in Him. You can pray something like this: Lord, I know that I have sinned and deserve Your punishment. But I thank You for sending Your Son to take my place, then raising Him to life again,. I turn from my sins and invite Jesus to come into my life so that I can live with You in Heaven forever. [1]
The message is clear, Do nothing and you will go to hell. It’s a tract about the dangers of procrastination and indecision. The Bible tells us indecision is decision. If you put off trusting Jesus as Savior, you have made your decision. If you die before deciding to repent of your sins and trust Jesus as Savior, you die in your sins and your destiny is hell.
The word “procrastination” means the act of delaying or postponing something. It is putting off for tomorrow that which should be done today. People procrastinate for several reasons. Some people procrastinate because they are lazy. The Bible condemns laziness and encourages industriousness (cf. Proverbs 15:19; 18:9; 12:24; 13:4). The Christian should view all that they do as unto the Lord and therefore we should give our all and best effort for the one Who gave His all for us (Colossians 3:23).
Procrastination puts off decisions. Some put off making decisions because they fear the consequences of their decisions. Some put off trusting Christ as Savior because they fear how it will affect their life. They aren’t willing to “count the cost” of following Jesus. They aren’t willing to repent of their sins but prefer to embrace them and continue in them.
Procrastination can be damaging. When we put off reconciling with someone we’ve offended it can lead to bitterness, resentment, and relational damage. That is why Jesus commands us to reconcile to offended people with all immediacy (Matthew 5:23-24). We need to take care to settle disputes as soon as possible (Matthew 5:25). We aren’t to allow the sun to set on our arguments (Ephesians 4:26). When we procrastinate in such matters we give the devil leverage and a foothold in our lives (Ephesians 4:27)
Procrastination can be dangerous. When it comes to the opportunity to be forgiven and saved from our sins, we are only guaranteed “today” (2 Cor. 6:2). Putting off our decision to trust Jesus as our personal Savior risks getting to a point where it become too late to do so. Life is a “vapor”, and we don’t know its length or how many opportunities we must accept the Lord or share the gospel (James 4:13-14). Therefore, we are warned to not neglect the great salvation God has offered us in Christ because if the opportunity passes us by without us responding in faith to the gospel, our eternal destiny will be one of torment (Hebrews 3:12-13, 15; 9:27).
Procrastination can lead to damnation. When jesus spoke of sharing the gospel He said we should not waste time. In His parable of the Banquet Jesus spoke about urgency (Luke 14:21). Just as “today” is the day of salvation for the lost, “today” is the day for us to share the gospel with the lost. “Today” is the only time guaranteed by the Lord for the opportunity for salvation.
Procrastination is an indication of spiritual emptiness. In the parable of the Ten Virgins Jesus spoke of five who kept their lamps full of oil (a symbol of the Spirit – Zechariah 4), and five who did not, settling for empty lamps (Matthew 25:1-13). Procrastination is therefore a sign of spiritual lethargy or being empty rather than full of the Holy Spirit.
Procrastination, as we will see in this chapter, is a barrier to what the Spirit wants to do. That is true regarding those who need salvation. That is true for those who are saved, but who should be sharing the gospel with the lost.
As we enter Acts 24 we see Paul before Governor Felix being abused with several false accusations (Acts 24:1-9). Who was this Governor Felix? He grew up as a slave and because of befriending the Roman aristocracy and several fortuitous circumstances, he was appointed by Claudius Caesar to the position of governor.
Felix was a baric, corrupt, and ruthless ruler. He was immoral and had three marriages to politically influential families. He married first to the granddaughter of Anthony and Cleopatra and the third was to Drusilla, the daughter of king Agrippa. [2] We catch a glimpse of his corrupt nature at the end of the chapter when it states he had hoped for Paul to pay him for a favorable decision. Paul of course would have done no such thing.
What were the charges brought against Paul? Paul was accused of:
- Being a plague or infection – 24:5
- Creator of dissension – 24:5
- Ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes – 24:5
- Profaner of the Temple – 24:6
What must Paul have been thinking as these things were being said about him? Even when you are in the right, it is no fun to be accused, attacked, or spoken harshly against, especially in a public forum. Yet Paul stayed the course and pressed on to fulfill the mission God had for him and that God had comforted him about. Such faith flows from an assurance one is in the center of the will of God and walking in the Spirit.
In the Spirit Paul makes his defense (Acts 24:10-21). When you look at the chapter, notice, Paul only speaks about his own circumstances in as concise a way as possible. He wastes no time in trying to direct his listeners to Jesus Christ and His resurrection power (24:15,21). There may be times when we must defend ourselves or discuss our circumstances, but our goal, objective and aim should always be to bring the conversation and defense around to a consideration of Jesus. The resurrection is God’s imprimatur on Christ and the gospel and is a demonstration of God’s power over death. Since every human being fears death or at least questions it as an enigma outside of God’s word, Paul’s reference to it was a powerful point in the Spirit.
Paul was inspired to write in one of his letters:
Philippians 3:7-11 – “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ.8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death,11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.”
Paul knew the centrality and power of the resurrection in the gospel of Christ. The resurrection of Jesus had been foretold in the Psalms (Psalm 16:10; Acts 13:34-35), the prophets (Isaiah 53:10-12; 1 Corinthians 15:4), taught and foretold by Jesus (Mark 9:9-10; John 2:19-22), and proclaimed in the Spirit by the apostles (Acts 2:32; 3:15). The resurrection of Jesus was a manifestation and demonstration of the power of the Triune Godhead (the Father – Acts 2:24; The Son Jesus – John 10:18; and the Holy Spirit – Romans 1:4; 8:11). The undeniable proof of the resurrection of Jesus was right there close by in Jerusalem; the tomb was still empty, and the body of Christ was nowhere to be found (because He was in heaven; Matthew 28:11-15; John 20:1-9,19-20,27; Acts 1:3,22; 4:33; 1 Corinthians 16:2). The resurrection of Jesus fulfilled scripture (Luke 24:45-46) and was the basis for the forgiveness of sin (1 Corinthians 15:7). It is the resurrection which makes our faith real (1 Corinthians 15:14-17) and gives us hope (1 Corinthians 15:18-19, 20,23). The resurrection was no mere myth or fallacy concocted by followers of a religious figure. The resurrection of Jesus was verified by over 500 witnesses (Matthew 28:9; Mark 16:9; Luke 24:34; 1 Corinthians 15:6), all the apostles (Matthew 28:16-17; Luke 24:34, 51; John 20:19,24,26; 21:1; Acts 1:9), including James (1 Corinthians 15:7) and Paul (1 Corinthians 15:8).
Now pause a moment and put yourself in the shoes of the apostle Paul. Here he was back in Jerusalem with an opportunity to preach to his fellow countrymen. Paul wastes no time in sharing his testimony. But instead of welcoming Paul and his message with open arms, he is mobbed by people who are so angry with him that they are seeking to tear him limb from limb. He is rescued by soldiers who literally must carry him to safety. This threat of bodily harm would have deterred a man with lesser calling, but not Paul. He seized the opportunity provided by the Spirit even during a riot and shared the gospel.
Again Paul is immediate in sharing his testimony further. But as a result, things don’t get better, they get worse. A riot erupts. The Romans are perplexed and wonder what Paul might be saying that so riles up the crowd. The soldiers react by preparing to use scourging to get the information out of Paul. Just when Paul is about to receive the thrashing, he reminds the soldiers he is a Romans citizen who cannot be whipped without due process of law. Paul then gets another chance to share the gospel, this time before the Sanhedrin.
Before the Sanhedrin Paul continued to be diligent in his ministry. But another riot starts and again Paul is grabbed at by his accusers who want to tear him limb from limb. A conspiracy to kill Paul by some fanatics is thwarted by the Spirit. Paul is brought before Governor Felix for further review. It would have been intimidating for any person to go through all that Paul did and then finally to be brought before the governor. But Paul is not any person. Paul is being led and empowered by the Spirit and sees each of these trials as a crucial opportunity to share the gospel. There is an urgency in Paul birthed by the Holy Spirit.
How about you, would you be as ready to share the gospel in such circumstances? Earlier to the Ephesian elders, Paul said, “None of these things move me” (Acts 20:24). Move him from what? Move him from laziness or indecision to serve the Lord. Move him from the mission God had called him to. Do we have such a sense of urgency, purpose, and mission from God that nothing in this world would move us from it?
Procrastination and the delay of convenience. Felix listens to Paul until he starts to get into the meat of th gospel message. Then it states:
Acts 24:22-27 – “But when Felix heard these things, having more accurate knowledge of the Way, he adjourned the proceedings and said, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will make a decision on your case.”23 So he commanded the centurion to keep Paul and to let him have liberty, and told him not to forbid any of his friends to provide for or visit him.24 And after some days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ.25 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, “Go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you.”26 Meanwhile he also hoped that money would be given him by Paul, that he might release him. Therefore he sent for him more often and conversed with him.27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to do the Jews a favor, left Paul bound.”
The word “convenient” means fitting in with a person’s needs, activities, or plans. Felix the sinner was, as most sinners are, self-centered. Felix just didn’t have time for what Paul was saying and so, he brushed off the inconvenient truths of the gospel.
Felix is a picture of the sinner who perhaps knows that the gospel is true but procrastinates on it rather than decides to receive Jesus as their Savior. This is a precarious position to rest upon. Felix and his wife are curious, but not yet ready or willing to be committed to the truth of the gospel.
How would Felix have a “more accurate knowledge of the Way”? (24:22). It could be that by word of mouth the message of the gospel of Christ had reached even into the higher stations of life. Felix and his wife Drusilla arranged to have Paul come and speak “concerning his faith in Christ” (24:24).
What was the substance of Paul’s message? When Paul reasoned with them the content of his message was:
- Righteousness (24:25a) – Felix certainly was not righteous or right before God. Here we see Paul using the Law of God to bring conviction of sin on the sinner (1 Timothy 1:8-11; See also Psalm 11:7; 45:7; Proverbs 16:12; Jeremiah 22:3; Daniel 4:27; Amos 5:24; John 16:8-11; Titus 2:11-15; 1 John 3:7,10).
- Self-Control (24:25b) – Self-control is something the world inevitably lacks. Felix was not different. His marriage to Drusilla was his third marriage and in order to marry her, he broke up another marriage. One commentator states, “His regime was marked by injustices that contrasted with the righteousness of God. And he was a man grossly lacking in self-control.” [3] – (See Daniel 5:1-4; Mark 6:18-24; Galatians 5:23).
- The Judgment to Come (24:25c) – The wages of sin is death and judgment before Holy God. Paul was speaking the truth in love to Felix and that truth included the consequences awaiting Felix if he did not act on the revelation he had received and repented before God. Psalm 50:3-4; Romans 2:16; 6:23; 14:12; 2 Thessalonians 1:3-12; Hebrew 9:27; Revelation 20:11-15
Felix’s true motives are exposed in Luke’s comment that he was really seeking some kind of bribe (24:26-27). Those who procrastinate are usually hiding some sin or selfish desire.
Even when the Spirit acts, people often procrastinate to make a decision for Christ. Felix said, “go away for now; when I have a convenient time I will call for you” (24:25). Procrastination is the way many respond to the gospel thinking they have plenty of time to make their decision. But they need to realize that indecision is a decision AGAINST the gospel! What does the Bible say about procrastination?
First, the Bible tells us to seek God while we have the opportunity because another opportunity is not guaranteed. In Isaiah it states:
Isaiah 55:6-7 – “Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.7 Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.”
When the gospel is shared it is a very serious and sobering thing to realize that if the sinner does not respond with repentance and seek forgiveness of their sin through faith in Christ, they are in a position to face eternal hell should they die in their sin. When the sinner walks away from the Lord’s outstretched hand of salvation, there are no guarantees there will be another opportunity to take God up on His gracious offer. Their life may end before another opportunity to be saved comes.
Second, the Bible says NOW is the right time to accept the Lord Jesus as Savior. The Bible says:
2 Corinthians 6:2 – “For He says: 1 “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Tomorrow, next week, next month, next year are never the right times to accept the Lord as Savior. It is never right to say, “Wait awhile.” NOW! is the time to be saved, right now. When you are presented with the gracious offer of God’s free salvation from sin through faith in Christ, it is such a good offer, such an incredibly and awesome offer of salvation, it is too good to pass up and there really is nothing to think about.
Third, The Bible says there is no escape for those who procrastinate away their opportunity of salvation. The Bible says:
Jeremiah 7:13-15 – “And now, because you have done all these works,” says the Lord, “and I spoke to you, rising up early and speaking, but you did not hear, and I called you, but you did not answer,14 “therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, and to this place which I gave to you and your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh.15 “And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren—the whole posterity of Ephraim.”
Jeremiah 13:16-17 – “Give glory to the Lord your God Before He causes darkness, And before your feet stumble On the dark mountains, And while you are looking for light, He turns it into the shadow of death And makes it dense darkness.17 But if you will not hear it, My soul will weep in secret for your pride; My eyes will weep bitterly And run down with tears, Because the Lord’s flock has been taken captive.”
Hebrews 2:3 – “how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him,”
There is no escape for those who procrastinate away the many gracious chances God provides to the sinner to come to their senses and be saved. When you come before the bar of the Lord’s judgment seat to be judged for not having accepted Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be clearly and undeniably guilty before the Holy Judge of the universe, and you will be without excuse.
Fourth, procrastination is not neutral but serves to harden the heart AGAINST accepting the Lord. We see this in the following verses:
Proverbs 29:1 – “He who is often rebuked, and hardens his neck, 1 Will suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Hebrews 3:7-19 – “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: 1 “Today, if you will hear His voice,8 Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, In the day of trial in the wilderness,9 Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, And saw My works forty years.10 Therefore I was angry with that generation, And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they have not known My ways.’11 So I swore in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”12 Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God;13 but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.14 For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end,15 while it is said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”16 For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?17 Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?18 And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey?19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.”
Every time a person hears the gospel and refuses to accept Jesus as their Savior, their heart is hardened and becomes less sensitive, less open, less tender to the gospel for the next time it is preached to them. Each time the Spirit rubs up against your heart to move you toward the Lord, if you resist, you become a little more callous and insensitive to the Spirit’s call (Galatians 6:7-9).
Fifth, there is no excuse good enough for not accepting Jesus as your Savior NOW! This is seen in the following verses:
Luke 14:16-24 – “Then He said to him, “A certain man gave a great supper and invited many,17 “and sent his servant at supper time to say to those who were invited, ‘Come, for all things are now ready.’18 “But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’19 “And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’20 “Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’21 “So that servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house, being angry, said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in here the poor and the maimed and the lame and the blind.’22 “And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.’23 “Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.24 ‘For I say to you that none of those men who were invited shall taste my supper.’ ”
The gospel is just too good to pass up. God is so gracious and loving in His offer of salvation that it supersedes any questioning or hesitation. God’s offer blows us away and to refuse it is the utmost disrespect to God.
Sixth, there are no second chances after death. This is seen in Jesus’ words:
Luke 16:19-31 – “There was a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptuously every day.20 “But there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate,21 “desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man’s table. Moreover the dogs came and licked his sores.22 “So it was that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried.23 “And being in torments in Hades, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.24 “Then he cried and said, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me’”and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.’25 “But Abraham said, ‘Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted and you are tormented.26 ‘And besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us.’27 “Then he said, ‘I beg you therefore, father, that you would send him to my father’s house,28 ‘for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment.’29 “Abraham said to him, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them.’30 “And he said, ‘No, father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’31 “But he said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.’ ”
There is no such place as purgatory. That is an unscriptural and anti-scriptural fallacy that causes much procrastination. If your thinking is, “Well, even if I don’t accept Jesus as my Savior now, I can make up for it in purgatory,” if that is your mindset, you are in for a rude awakening and reality check. If that is what you believe, you may just breathe your last breath and wake up in the same eternal predicament as “a certain rich man.” It is appointed for all people to die once and then judgment comes (Hebrews 9:27). Scripture does not support any second chances after death. We are given many opportunities in this life to turn to God for forgiveness of our sin through faith in Jesus His only Son. God’s grace is super-abundant in being patient with us now. But once we die, our opportunities to be saved die too.
We are not guaranteed an opportunity to receive Jesus as Savior other than the one we receive now. If you have not received Jesus as your Savior, this may be the only or last chance you get. Don’t procrastinate, prostrate yourself humbly before God and repent of your sin, put your trust in Jesus as Savior and Lord and be saved. Do it now!
Believer beware of procrastination! Now if you’re a believer in Jesus Christ, you too need to guard against procrastination. We are told to be good stewards of the time God gives us, to redeem the time (Ephesians 5:16). When the Spirit homes in on an area of our lives that is not Christlike and that He desires to change, do we rationalize away the focus of His light, do we put off His work in us, and do we make excuses for ourselves? If we do we are guilty of procrastination and that compounds our sin before Him. Furthermore, just like the sinner who procrastinates and puts off deciding to accept Jesus, a callousness, hardness, and spiritual insensitivity where the Spirit wants to work is created in that area of our lives. We begin to have blind spots. That can be a dangerous pattern and often leads to backsliding.
Someone sent me a story that illustrates the peril of disregarding the conviction of the Spirit in our lives and I’d like to share it with you. Two cars were waiting at a stoplight. The light turned green, but the man at the front of the line of cars didn’t notice it. The woman in the car behind him watches as traffic passes around them. The woman begins pounding on her steering wheel and yelling at the man to move. The man doesn’t move. The woman is going ballistic inside her car, ranting, and raving at the man, pounding on her steering wheel and dashboard. The light turns yellow, and the woman begins to blow the car horn, flips him off, (a profane gesture) and screams profanity and curses at the man. The man, looks up, sees the yellow light, and accelerates through the intersection just as the light turns red. The woman is left to wait for the light again.
This causes the woman to be beside herself, screaming in frustration as she misses her chance to get through the intersection. As she is still in mid-rant she hears a tap on her window and looks up into the barrel of a gun held by a very serious looking policeman. The policeman tells her to shut off her car while keeping both hands in sight (always remember this when pulled over by law enforcement). She complies, speechless at what is happening. After she shuts off the engine, the policeman orders her to exit her car with her hands up. She gets out of the car, and he orders her to turn and place her hands on her car. She turns, places her hands on the car roof and quickly is cuffed and hustled into the patrol car.
She is too bewildered by the chain of events to ask any questions and is driven to the police station where she is fingerprinted, photographed, searched, booked, and placed in a cell. After a couple of hours, a policeman approaches the cell and opens the door for her. She is escorted back to the booking desk where the original officer is waiting with her personal effects. He hands her the bag containing her things, and says, “I’m really sorry for this mistake. But you see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping the guy off in front of you, and cussing a blue streak at him. Then I noticed the: “Choose Life” license plate holder, the “What Would Jesus Do” bumper sticker, the “Follow Me to Sunday School” bumper sticker, and the chrome plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk. So, naturally… I assumed you had stolen the car.”
Now I ask you, how many times, I wonder, did the Holy Spirit convict this woman beforehand about her temper, foul mouth, and impatience? Probably many times. She probably simply ignored the Spirit’s conviction and voice and rationalized away her sin. But the Spirit is willing, if need be, to use more shocking means to get our attention, (such as this traffic light scenario). This woman was embarrassed and shocked at what her fleshly works got her. The message here is don’t ignore the Spirit, don’t let your sin go so far as to put you in an embarrassing situation.
Don’t put off to tomorrow what can be done today. Today is the day of salvation. Today is the day to reconcile with that enemy. Today is the day to deal with the sin the Holy Spirit has been convicting you about. Today is the day to stand up for Jesus. Today, today, today, today, is the day to obey the Lord! When pondering your next procrastinating situation, ask yourself, “If not today, when?” Your answer could impact your eternal destiny.
[1] What do I have to do to go to Hell? Good News Publishers, 1300 Crescent Street, Wheaton, IL 60187
[2]Jerry Falwell, executive editor; Edward E. Hinson and Michael Kroll Woodrow, general editors, KJV Bible commentary [computer file], electronic ed., Logos Library System, (Nashville: Thomas Nelson) 1997, c1994.
[3]Walvoord, John F., and Zuck, Roy B., The Bible Knowledge Commentary, (Wheaton, Illinois: Scripture Press Publications, Inc.) 1983, 1985.