Gen 18:13-15 The Lord said to Abraham, “Why did Sarah laugh and say, ʻWill I really have a child when I am old?ʼ Is anything impossible for the Lord? I will return to you when the season comes round again and Sarah will have a son.” Then Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” because she was afraid. But the Lord said, “No! You did laugh.”
Note: (in regard to "impossible") The Hebrew verb פָּלָא (pala') means "to be wonderful, to be extraordinary, to be surpassing, to be amazing."
(in regard to "Sarah will have a son") 18:14 b sn Sarah will have a son. The passage brings God's promise into clear focus. As long as it was a promise for the future, it really could be believed without much involvement. But now, when it seemed so impossible from the human standpoint, when the Lord fixed an exact date for the birth of the child, the promise became rather overwhelming to Abraham and Sarah. But then this was the Lord of creation, the one they had come to trust. The point of these narratives is that the creation of Abraham's offspring, which eventually became Israel, is no less a miraculous work of creation than the creation of the world itself.
Gen 18:20-21 So the Lord said, “The outcry against Sodom and Gomorrah is so great and their sin so blatant that I must go down and see if they are as wicked as the outcry suggests. If not, I want to know.”
Note: I must go down. The descent to "see" Sodom is a bold anthropomorphism, stressing the careful judgment of God. The language is reminiscent of the Lord going down to see the Tower of Babel in Gen 11:1-9.
18:21 b tn Heb "[if] according to the outcry that has come to me they have done completely." Even the Lord, who is well aware of the human capacity to sin, finds it hard to believe that anyone could be as bad as the "outcry" against Sodom and Gomorrah suggests.
Gen 18:22 The two men turned and headed toward Sodom, but Abraham was still standing before the Lord.
Note: Heb "And the men turned from there." The word "two" is not in the Hebrew text, but is supplied here for clarity. Gen 19:1 mentions only two individuals (described as "angels"), while Abraham had entertained three visitors (18:2). The implication is that the Lord was the third visitor, who remained behind with Abraham here.
Matt 17:16-20 I brought him to your disciples, but they were not able to heal him.” Jesus answered, “You unbelieving and perverse generation! How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I endure you? Bring him here to me.” Then Jesus rebuked the demon and it came out of him, and the boy was healed from that moment. Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why couldnʼt we cast it out?” He told them, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ʻMove from here to there,ʼ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.”
Note: The pronouns you you are plural, indicating that Jesus is speaking to a group rather than an individual
Me: It seems that Jesus is speaking to the inadequacy of the disciples both in referring to them as an "unbelieving and perverse generation"(?), but for sure in answering that if they only had the tiniest bit of faith they could have been effective, since faith the size of a mustard seed would be sufficient to move mountains. Almost like telling someone that if they had used a single brain cell they would not have made such a stupid decision.
Acts 17:5-9 But the Jews became jealous, and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, they formed a mob and set the city in an uproar. They attacked Jasonʼs house, trying to find Paul and Silas to bring them out to the assembly. When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too, and Jason has welcomed them as guests! They are all acting against Caesarʼs decrees, saying there is another king named Jesus!” They caused confusion among the crowd and the city officials who heard these things. After the city officials had received bail from Jason and the others, they released them.
Note: The attack took place at Jason's house because this was probably the location of the new house church.
Me: Jason and other church members putting themselves on the line, even posting bail and then sending Paul and Silas out of town (i.e., presumably losing the money they posted for bail and incurring any related troubles this might cause).
