Luke 18 Verses 1 to 8 Never Give Up October 30, 2022

Luke 18 Verses 1 to 8 Never Give Up October 30, 2022

Class Presentation Notes AAAA

Background Scripture: Psalm 55:16-17 “As for me, I shall call upon God, And the Lord will save me. Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.”

Main Idea: Don’t quit. Keep on praying till something happens

Question to Explore: Will God answer my prayers?

Create Interest:

· Now, why should you pray? Why should I pray? God said to. Is there a better reason for doing anything? As a matter of fact, not only does the Scripture say in Luke 18, verse 1, that men ought always to pray; and not only does the Bible teach that failure to pray is a sin; but, you know, the Bible also says very clearly that we’re to “be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” (Philippians 4:6). We are to virtually live by prayer.[1]

· At the crack of dawn of Luke chapter 18, we find a wee widow woman with wearying woes. She was faced with the trauma of dealing with a bully and the frustration of someone who had the power and authority to help her but didn’t care about her situation at all. Many have faced the same type of situation in their own personal lives. Jesus used this woman as a role model. We are given tips from this troubled widow on how to be victorious in our Christian lives. This parable teaches us about the importance of praying, persevering, and having powerful boldness. Let’s take a look at it.[2]

Lesson in Historical Context:

· The Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts clearly were written by the same individual (cf. 1:1–4; Acts 1:1). Although he never identified himself by name, it is clear from his use of “we” in many sections of Acts that he was a close companion of the apostle Paul (Acts 16:10–17; 20:5–15; 21:1–18; 27:1–28:16). Luke is the only person, among the colleagues Paul mentions in his own epistles (Col. 4:14; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24), who fits the profile of the author of these books. That accords perfectly with the earliest tradition of the church that unanimously attributed this Gospel to Luke.

· The Book of Acts ends with Paul still in Rome, which leads to the conclusion that Luke wrote these books from Rome during Paul’s imprisonment there (c. a.d. 60–62). Luke records Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of Jerusalem in a.d.70 (19:42–44; 21:20–24) but makes no mention of the fulfillment of that prophecy, either here or in Acts. Luke made it a point to record such prophetic fulfillments (cf. Acts 11:28); so, it is extremely unlikely he wrote these books after the Roman invasion of Jerusalem. Acts also includes no mention of the great persecution that began under Nero in a.d. 64. In addition, many scholars set the date of James’s martyrdom at a.d.62, and if that was before Luke completed his history, he certainly would have mentioned it. So, the most likely date for this Gospel is a.d.60 or 61.[3]

· Luke, the Third Gospel, was not the first written account of Jesus’ ministry. At least one of these earlier documents, the Gospel of Mark, appears in our New Testament and was used by Luke. He was not an eyewitness to Jesus’ ministry. But the information available to him was based on the testimony of eyewitnesses.

· Eyewitnesses and servants” (1:2) may have been the early teachers whose particular responsibility was to impart a knowledge of the gospel to new converts. The first of these teachers were people who had actually been with Jesus, witnessed his acts, and heard his teachings. The gospel account was first passed on orally in the relatively brief period of two or three decades before it was put into writing.

· Luke must have felt that his work met a need that other accounts had not filled. He wanted to present the gospel materials “in order”, that is, “to write an orderly account” (RSV). His contribution, therefore, was the bringing together of materials assembled from various sources both written and oral into one, orderly work.

· The first four verses of chapter 1 are one sentence in the original Greek. They are written in refined, academic, classical style. But then, for the rest of the gospel, Luke didn’t use the language of scholars but of the common man, the language of the village and the street. Through this, Luke said to us, “This account has all the proper academic and scholarly credentials. But it is written for the man on the street.” Luke wrote so that people would understand Jesus, not so they would admire his brain and literary skill[4]

· Luke dedicated his work to Theophilus. He intended it, however, for a much wider audience. Perhaps he hoped that the dedication to Theophilus would secure a hearing for the gospel in certain important political and social circles.

o Theophilus means “friend of God.” He is not mentioned elsewhere except in Acts 1:1. It is generally thought that he was a Roman of noble rank with some influence in ruling circles. The title “most excellent” was appropriate for a person of such standing. Theophilus may have been a prospective Christian whom Luke hoped to bring to open faith in Jesus. More likely, however, he was an official who had a distorted, erroneous notion of the Christian faith. This idea is seen in Verse1:4: “That you may know the truth concerning the things of which you have been informed” (RSV). One of Luke’s purposes was to show that Christianity was not a political threat to Rome. Some of the ruling class, perhaps Theophilus among them, believed that it was.

· Truth for today.—Modern Christians can have confidence in the essential reliability of the Third Gospel. Luke had access to information coming from eyewitnesses. He wanted to present a faithful account of Christian beginnings. This written record serves the function today that the original eyewitnesses discharged in the first generation. It tells of the incarnate experience of Him who is the risen, living Lord of the church.[5]

· In our lesson today we will focus on a parable Luke shared from Jesus’ teachings on prayer. Perhaps this lesson and the “Insights on Prayer” on pages 11 to 13 will give you fresh thoughts on your prayer life😊.

Bible Study:

Luke 18:1 (NASB) 1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,

· The great duty of Christians is to persevere in prayer. Jesus was strong and forceful in stressing the believer’s duty to persevere in prayer.

o Always. At all times. That is, we must not neglect regular stated seasons of prayer; we must seize on occasions of remarkable providences—as afflictions or signal blessings—to seek God in prayer; we must always maintain a spirit of prayer or be in a proper frame to lift up our hearts to God for his blessing, and we must not grow weary though our prayer seems not to be answered.[6]

o This discussion follows the passage dealing with the return of Christ.

§ There is need for perseverance in prayer, for praying over a long period of time and not giving in and becoming discouraged. God’s people are to pray and keep on praying until Christ returns, no matter how long He may be delayed.

o The words to this end and ought (pros to dein) have the idea of necessity.

o The words not to lose heart (me egkakein) mean not to turn coward, or give up, or give in to evil[7]

Luke 18:2-5 (NASB) 2 saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 "There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Give me legal protection from my opponent.' 4 "For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, 'Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.'"

· Vs. 2: The setting for the Lord’s illustration is a certain fictitious city. Though the story is invented, the situation Jesus described was an all too familiar one to those listening, who had much experience with needy widows (Luke took a particular interest in widows [Luke 2:37; 4:25–26; 7:12; 20:47; 21:2–4; Acts 6:1; 9:39, 41]) and with unjust judges.

· The Lord characterized this judge as one who did not fear God and did not respect man. That description was used in ancient literature to describe the most wicked and rebellious people, who had no regard for what God commanded or people expected. This man was ultimately and consummately immoral. He was not moved by reverence or worship, or by compassion or sympathy. He had no interest in the first commandment, to love God, or the second commandment, to love his neighbor. Not only was he wicked, but he was also comfortable with his corruption, as his boast in verse 4, “I do not fear God nor respect man,” reveals. His confession is consistent with his reputation. Here was the most immoral kind of man in the most important position of moral responsibility; a judge whose disregard for God and man had far-reaching implications for all who came before his bench.

· The court over which he presided was not a religious court, but a civil one. He did not rule on the significant matters of the Old Testament law and the religious traditions, but on the application of the law to the affairs of everyday life (cf. Matt. 5:25; Luke 12:14). Nonetheless, he had a very serious duty before God to uphold the law with justice and demonstrate sympathy and compassion with wisdom.

· When Jehoshaphat appointed judges throughout Judah his charge to them included the admonition to “let the fear of the Lordbe upon you” (2 Chr 19:7); clearly this is an attribute not shared by the judge of this parable. Finally, even with appeals to divine and human impartiality dotting its pages (e.g., 2 Chron 19:4–7; Sir 35:15–16), the LXX gives no impression that the scales of divine justice are blind.[8]

· Based on the teaching of the Old Testament, the fictitious judge was obligated to do something to help this widow, if not on a legal basis (though she apparently had the law on her side, since she requested legal protection from her opponent), then purely on the basis of mercy. He, however, was utterly indifferent, unsympathetic, and without compassion toward her.

· Vs. 3: There was a widow.The widow represented the needy, helpless, poor, and oppressed. She was the kind of person spoken of in 20:47. In this instance her insignificance resulted in an injustice (18:5). Luke showed great concern for widows.

o Who kept coming. The widow’s only hope and weapon was her persistence (“kept coming” is an iterative imperfect) in coming to the judge. She would not stop until she was vindicated.

o Grant me justice. This verb (ekdikeō) can mean to avenge(cf. Rom 12:19), but in the present judicial context it means to render justice by upholding the innocent and punishing the guilty.

· Vs. 18:4 For a while he was unwilling. Speculation about why he refused (the judge was too lazy, or he did not want to side with the widow against her more influential opponent) is misguided, since this is a parable and not an actual incident. The judge refused because Jesus, the storyteller, wanted him to.

o Eventually her persistence wore down his resistance. Exasperated by her constant requests he said to himself, “Even though I do not fear God nor respect man; He affirmed, as noted above, his utter disdain for both God and men, thus disclaiming any noble motive for what he was about to do.

o Even though. “Even though” introduces a concessive clause, i.e., not because but despite the fact that. The repetition of 18:2b emphasizes the character of the judge as one that ignores the two basic commandments (10:27).

· Vs. 18:5 The reason for the judge’s granting justice to the widow is now given.

o So that she won’t eventually wear me out. Literally hit me under the eye. This must be interpreted metaphorically, for the widow would hardly have attacked the judge physically. There are two possible ways of interpreting the metaphor: she will wear me out (by her continual coming), or she will blacken my face, i.e., make me look bad by having ignored her and thus give me a bad reputation. The former is more likely since the judge did not care what other people thought (18:2, 4). Ultimately, however, the exact reason for the judge’s yielding to the widow’s request has no corresponding reality. What the parable seeks to teach is not why God will bring justice for his people (18:8) but that he will.[9]

Luke 18:6-8 (NASB) 6 And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 "I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"

Let’s see if we can get a grip on what we are to learn from this considering Jesus’ intention looking back at Chapter 18 verse 1, then the interpretation observed from verses 6 to 8 and finally the inquisition in Verse 8b.

The Intention:

Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart,(18:1)

· Before He related this parable, Luke gave its point. The Lord was telling His followers (17:22) that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart. This fictional story continues His discourse on the second coming that began in 17:22. Jesus’ point is that believers are to continually pray and not to lose heart as they wait for His return.

· The Lord knew that there would be a long (by human reckoning, not God’s; cf. 2 Peter 3:8) interval between His first and second comings, so far lasting for two millennia.

o During that time

§ Christ has been continually dishonored and denied His rightful place.

§ The Word of God has been unappreciated, assaulted, and denied.

§ Christians have faced rejection, hostility, persecution, and martyrdom at the hands of Satan and the evil world system.

📷 It is only natural that they should long for the Lord Jesus Christ to return and judge the ungodly, destroy sin, end the reign of Satan, and set up His earthly kingdom.

📷 But until the second coming, Christians must not lose heart (give up, become weary, or lose courage) and stop praying (cf. 21:36). This verse is not a call to unceasing prayer in general (cf. Eph. 6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17). As noted above, the context (see also v. 8) indicates that the prayer in view is specifically for Christ’s return (cf. 11:2; Matt. 6:10; Rev. 6:9–10). In fact, such prayer is part of the means of bringing about the second coming, since prayer is a means God uses to accomplish His work.

· The doctrine of the second coming brings comfort, promotes holy living, and spurs evangelism.

o It has implications on how believers view everything they own, how they live their lives, and how they pray.

o Prevailing, persistent prayer for the Lord’s return drives the heart to leave the things of this passing world and to love Christ’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8; cf. Titus 2:13). That should be a defining characteristic of every Christian’s life.

The Interpretation

“And the Lord said, Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly’. (18:6–8a)

· The phrase the Lord said introduces Christ’s explanation of this story in the context of His return. He began by contrasting the unrighteous(dishonest, corrupt, unjust) fictional judgewith the true God, who is holy, just, and righteous. The judge was cruelly indifferent to the widow’s plight. Yet in the end, worn down by her persistent determination to force the justice due her, he finally gave in and did the right thing, albeit for purely selfish motives.

· In an argument contrasting the lesser with the greater, Jesus asked, “Will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”

o The elect, like the widow, are helpless, and at the mercy of God as their judge.

o But the corrupt, wicked judge was not at all like God. Yet even though he was indifferent to the demands of justice and mercy he finally, reluctantly, and for his own selfish interest, did what was right for a person for whom he had no feelings.

o How much more will God, who loves His own perfectly, do what is right for them, whom He chose from “before the foundation of the world” (Eph. 1:4), when they cry to Him day and nightbecause they “long to see one of the days of the Son of Man” (17:22; cf. 1 Thess. 1:10; Rev. 6:10)?

§ He is the one, in contrast to the unrighteous judge, “who judges righteously” (1 Peter 2:23);

§ who has said, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:19);

§ and whose “judgments are true and righteous” (Rev. 19:2).

§ Unlike the uncaring, merciless judge, God is “compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness” toward His people.

· The phrase delay long over them might better be translated “be patient over them.” The long interval between the first and second comings of Christ is a period in which God is exercising patience on behalf of His own.

o Delay long translates a form of the verb makrothumeō from makros, which in terms of time means “far distant,” or “remote,” and thumos, which refers to anger or wrath. Makrothumeōhere indicates that God has delayed for a long time His eschatological wrath in order to extend His mercy in gathering the elect.

o “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness,” wrote Peter, “but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9; cf. Rom. 2:4; 9:22; 1 Tim. 1:16; 1 Peter 3:20). God is bringing salvation to His elect; His patience is for their redemption (2 Peter 3:15).

o Note: Once all the elect have been gathered, He will both satisfy His justice and glorify them. When God does vindicate His elect, He will do so suddenly and quickly, as the Lord’s rhetorical question, Will He delay long over them?indicates.

The Inquisition

However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth? (18:8b)

· Jesus concluded this section by asking this pensive question. When He returns, will He find anyone faithfully praying in eagerness for the second coming? Any who have loved His appearing? Who cry out, “Maranatha” (“come Lord”) (1 Cor. 16:22)?

· Some think that eschatology, the doctrine of the last things, is mere sensationalistic speculation with little practical value. But as the Lord’s teaching in this passage indicates, nothing could be further from the truth.

· Paul’s dealings with the infant church at Thessalonica further emphasizes the importance and practical value of teaching on the end times. The apostle’s two epistles to them reveal that in the brief time he spent with them (cf. Acts 17:1–2), he taught them an amazingly comprehensive eschatology (2 Thess. 2:5).

· In the salutation to his first epistle Paul praised the Thessalonians for their “steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ” (1:3), which is “to wait for His Son from heaven” (v. 10). In 2:12 he exhorted them to “walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory,” while in verse 19 he referred to “the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming.” Paul prayed that God would “establish [their] hearts without blame in holiness before our God and Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all His saints” (3:13). In chapter 4 Paul gave them a detailed description of the rapture (vv. 13–18), while in chapter 5the apostle reminded them of what he had taught them regarding the Day of the Lord and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ (vv. 1–11, 23).

· In his second epistle to that Thessalonian congregation, Paul continued his detailed instruction regarding eschatology. In chapter 1 he described God’s judgment and the coming of the kingdom (vv. 5–10), and the eternal punishment of the wicked (v. 9). In the second chapter he gave them detailed teaching on the rise of Antichrist, the return of Christ, and the coming of the Day of the Lord.

· The extensive eschatological teaching Paul gave this young church reveals that such doctrine is critical, foundational, and highly useful to living a godly life (2 Peter 3:11, 14; 1 John 3:1–3).

· Knowing the end of the story encourages Christians to “be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that [their] toil is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58).

· True Christians live in hope, waiting expectantly for the promise of Christ’s return to be fulfilled. To that end they pray for His glory and honor to be revealed. Such prayer is life changing.[10]

· Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?(HCSB)In view of the teaching of the parable, faith ought to be easy. Yet in spite of the fact that Christians have every reason to have an unshakable faith in God, it is often difficult to believe. Jesus’ question was not to be answered. It cannot be answered now by anyone but God. It was given as a warning lest the apparent delay of the return of the Lord should be made an occasion for doubt. The ultimate answer will be given by Christians. The answer can be, “Yes, there will be faith,” if we determine to resist Satan’s suggestions of doubt. We can stay close enough to our Lord so that faith becomes the natural result of our intimate relationship with Him.[11]

Thoughts to Soak On

· The appearance of v. 8b here provides a significant literary link to Luke 17:20–37, but it is surely secondary to the original form of the Parable of Widow and the Judge.

· With its presence at this point a new application has been assigned the parable. Not only does the parable illustrate the need for persistence in prayer in general, but now the parable is made to illustrate the need to persist until Jesus (the Son of Man) returns.

· The implication is that when He returns He will find little faith on the earth. How does faith relate to prayer, the point of the parable in the first place (v. 1)?

o The implication is that persistent prayer is needed in order to maintain a healthy faith.

§ This idea should work two ways: faith promptsprayer, while prayer strengthens faith. Thus, v. 8b also serves as a warning to the disciple to be persistent in prayer so that when his Lord returns he will be found faithful.[12]

· Vindication will be done speedily, but we should understand this in terms of God’s time (in which one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day, 2 Pet. 3:8).

o Jesus is speaking of the certainty of speedy action when the time comes.

o When he asks whether the Son of man will find faith on earth, he is not suggesting that there will be no believers. He is saying that the characteristic of the world’s people at that time will not be faith.

o People of the world never recognize the ways of God and they will not see his vindication of his elect.[13]

· I submit the following is what we should emulate and share with others.

o Christian moral convictions are part of the Christian mind-set. Christians have basic moral convictions based on God’s Word; the world has either self-righteous pride or worldly sins. The Christian hope is eternal life based on Christ’s victory over death (see Rom. 8:9–11). Because of this confident hope of victory over death, they have life and peace. Life in the Spirit is abundant and eternal. Peace is a new relation with God, replacing the old hostility or indifference. It also is peace of mind and peaceful relations with others.

o Love for others is a part of the Christian mind-set. The non-Christian mind-set is self-centered. Church is another area of difference between the mind-sets. The church matters little to many non-Christians; the church is crucial to the Christian mind-set.

o Based on Romans 8:5–8, certain questions might be asked to help people recognize their own mind-set. What is your view of God? How do you determine right and wrong? What place does the church play in your life? Are you afraid to die?[14]

As we are focusing on prayer, I thought this work from Rod Matoon would be a great insight and follow up on this lesson

**Insights on Prayer in the Gospel of Luke**

1. The Avengement of God

* Luke 18:7—And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bears long with them?

God has a way of dealing with those who afflict us. Vengeance belongs to Him. Paul said, “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord” (Romans 12:19).

2. The Aversion or Escape from Judgment to Come

* Luke 21:36—Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

3. Our Appearance or Countenance is Changed

* Luke 9:29—And as he prayed, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his raiment was white and glistering.

When you walk with God in prayer, it will change your attitude and disposition. Therefore we are instructed to pray for our enemies in the New Testament. Prayer helps us to keep from destroying ourselves with bitterness and hate.

4. The Aspirations of Others to Learn to Pray

* Luke 11:1—And it came to pass, that, as He was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto Him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

Our prayer life can be a challenge and encouragement to others to learn to pray and spend time with God. Praying does not come naturally to people. That is why we may need someone to teach us how to pray.

5. Amazing Answers to Prayer

* Luke 1:13—But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

The birth of John the Baptist was a miracle because of the great age of Zacharias and Elizabeth. With God, however, nothing is impossible. Never underestimate what He can do. I like what Jeremiah said, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” (Jeremiah 33:3).

6. Aids Us in Remaining Dedicated to Christ

Prayer strengthens us to in our service for Christ. Anna is a great example of a woman of God who was consistent in her service to the Lord. Her prayer life played a huge role in her dedication.

* Luke 2:36–37 … And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with a husband seven years from her virginity; 37 And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.

* Luke 11:13—If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Our heavenly Father gives both heavenly gifts and earthly gifts. When a person puts their faith in Christ, they are given eternal life. We are also given another gift. It is the presence of the Holy Spirit who indwells every Christian, beginning at the moment of salvation.

Believers today are not to pray for the Holy Spirit today because this prayer of the disciples (for the Holy Spirit) was answered at Pentecost. Paul said in Romans 8:9, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.”

7. The Attainment of Your Goal or Desires

* Luke 11:9–10 … And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Prayer helps us to reach the desired goals that the Lord has impressed upon our hearts.[15]

Conclusion

· Now, dear friend, what is the force of prayer? The force of prayer is this: Prayer can do anything God can do. What is the course of prayer? We must pray through Jesus Christ. But what is the source of prayer? The source of prayer is the Holy Spirit finding a desire in the heart of the Father, putting that desire in our hearts, and sending it to heaven in the power of the cross.

· Let us pray: Father in heaven, teach us to pray in the Spirit, through the Son, to the Father. In Jesus’ name. Amen.[16]

Grace and peace you!

[1]Adrian Rogers, “Prayer: Its Force, Its Course, and Its Source,”in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive (Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Lk 18:1. [2] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Luke, vol. 5, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2011), 2. [3] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Bible Commentary (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2005), Lk. [4]David Guzik, Luke, David Guzik’s Commentaries on the Bible (Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik, 2013), Lk 1:1–4. [5]Malcolm O. Tolbert, “Luke,” in The Teacher’s Bible Commentary, ed. H. Franklin Paschall and Herschel H. Hobbs (Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers, 1972), 635. [6]Albert Barnes, Notes on the New Testament: Luke & John, ed. Robert Frew (London: Blackie & Son, 1884–1885), 125. [7]Leadership Ministries Worldwide, The Gospel according to Luke, The Preacher’s Outline & Sermon Bible (Chattanooga, TN: Leadership Ministries Worldwide, 1996), 352. [8] Joel B. Green, The Gospel of Luke, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1997), 639. [9]Robert H. Stein, Luke, vol. 24, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1992), 444–445. [10]John MacArthur, Luke 18–24, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 7–10. [11]Charles L. Childers, “The Gospel according to St. Luke,” in Matthew, Mark, Luke, Beacon Bible Commentary (Beacon Hill Press, 1964), Lk 18:1–8. [12]Craig A. Evans, Luke, Understanding the Bible Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1990), 267. [13]Leon Morris, Luke: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 3, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988), 281. [14]Robert J. Dean, Bible Studies for Life, Winter 2009-10, Herschel Hobbs Commentary (LifeWay Christian Resources, n.d.), 100–101. [15] Rod Mattoon, Treasures from Luke, vol. 5, Treasures from Scripture Series (Springfield, IL: Rod Mattoon, 2011), 26–28. [16]Adrian Rogers, “Prayer: Its Force, Its Course, and Its Source,”in Adrian Rogers Sermon Archive(Signal Hill, CA: Rogers Family Trust, 2017), Lk 18:1.