Matthew Henry

He is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

“While we have but one God to trust to, we have but one God to be governed by, and this should keep us even and steady. He that is unstable as water shall not excel.”

The brother in humble circumstances should exult in his high position.

“Those of low degree are to be looked upon as brethren: Let the brother of low degree, &c. Poverty does not destroy the relation among Christians. Good Christians may be rich in the world,”

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love…

“This blessedness, involved in a crown of life, is a promised thing to the righteous sufferer. It is therefore what we may most surely depend upon: for, when heaven and earth shall pass away, this word of God shall not fail of being fulfilled.”

When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He tempt anyone.

“It is very bad to sin; but is much worse, when we have done amiss, to charge it upon God, and say it was owing to him.”

But each one is tempted when by his own evil desires he is lured away and enticed.

“The method of sin in its proceeding. First it draws away, then entices. As holiness consists of two parts--forsaking that which is evil and cleaving to that which is good, so these two things, reversed, are the two parts of sin.”

Then after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

“Stop the beginnings of sin therefore, or else all the evils it produces must be wholly charged upon us. The final issue of sin, and how it ends: Sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change…

“Let corrupt men run into what notions they will, the truth, as it is in Jesus, stands thus: That God is not, cannot be, the author and patronizer of any thing that is evil; but must be acknowledged as the cause and spring of every…”

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, with whom there is no change or shifting shadow.

“The Father of lights, with whom there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. What the sun is in nature, God is in grace, providence, and glory; aye, and infinitely more.”

He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of His creation.

“(3.) The means whereby this is affected are pointed out: the word of truth, that is, the gospel, as Paul expresses it more plainly, 1 Cor. iv. 15 , I have begotten you in Jesus Christ through the gospel.”

My beloved brothers, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger,

“When Moses's spirit was provoked, he spoke unadvisedly with his lips. If we would be slow to speak, we must be slow to wrath. A very good reason is given for suppressing: For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God,”

for man’s anger does not bring about the righteousness that God desires.

“It is as if the apostle had said, "Whereas men often pretend zeal for God and his glory, in their heat and passion, let them know that God needs not the passions of any man; his cause is better served by mildness and meekness than…”

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

“It is the design of the word of God to make us wise to salvation; and those who propose any meaner or lower ends to themselves in attending upon it dishonour the gospel and disappoint their souls.”

Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and every expression of evil, and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save your souls.

“Hereby we are taught, as Christians, to watch against, and lay aside, not only those more gross and fleshly dispositions and affections which denominate a person filthy, but all the disorders of a corrupt heart, which would prejudice it against the word and ways of…”

Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.

“"There must be inward practice by meditation, and outward practice in true obedience." Baxter. It is not enough to remember what we hear, and to be able to repeat it, and to give testimony to it, and commend it, and write it, and preserve what…”

For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after observing himself goes away…

“As a looking-glass shows us the spots and defilements upon our faces, that they may be remedied and washed off, so the word of God shows us our sins, that we may repent of them and get them pardoned; it shows us what is amiss…”

If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not bridle his tongue, he deceives his heart and his religion is worthless.

“Censuring is a pleasing sin, extremely complaint with nature, and therefore evinces a man's being in a natural state.”

Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in.

“Assembly here is meant of those meetings which were appointed for deciding matters of difference among the members of the church, or for determining when censures should be passed upon any, and what those censures should be; therefore the Greek word here used, synagoge, signifies…”

If you really fulfill the royal law stated in Scripture, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well.

“It is not great men, nor worldly wealth, nor corrupt practices among professors themselves, that must guide us, but the scriptures of truth.”

But if you show favoritism, you sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors.

“15 , Thou shalt do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor nor the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt though judge thy neighbour.”

Whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

“Not that all sins are equal, but that all carry the same contempt of the authority of the Lawgiver, and so bind over to such punishment as is threatened on the breach of that law.”

For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

“The apostle is here reproving a very corrupt practice. He shows how much mischief there is in the sin of prosopolepsia -- respect of persons, which seemed to be a very growing evil in the churches of Christ even in those early ages, and which…”

For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a lawbreaker.

“Thus, if you look to the law of the old, you stand condemned; for cursed is every that continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law to do them, Gal. iii.”

Speak and act as those who are going to be judged by the law that gives freedom.

“The gospel is called a law. It has all the requisites of a law: precepts with rewards and punishments annexed; it prescribes duty, as well as administers comfort; and Christ is a king to rule us as well as a prophet to teach us, and…”

What good is it, my brothers, if someone claims to have faith, but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?

“He exposes the error and folly of those who boast of faith without works, telling us that this is but a dead faith, and such a faith as devils have, not the faith of Abraham, or of Rahab,”

So too, faith by itself, if it does not result in action, is dead.

“We are too apt to rest in a bare profession of faith, and to think that this will save us; it is a cheap and easy religion to say, "We believe the articles of the Christian faith;" but it is a great delusion to imagine…”