From :
The Geneva Bible
New Testament ,
The Holy Gospel Of Jesus Christ,
According To Luke Chapter 12
1 The leaven of the Pharisees.
5 Who is to be feared.
8 To confess Christ.
17 The parable of the rich man
whose land was very fertile.
21 Not to care for earthly things.
31 But to seek the kingdom of God.
39 The thief in the night.
51 Debate for the Gospel's sake.
1 In (*) (1) the meantime, there were gathered
together (a) an innumerable multitude of people,
so that they trode one upon another, and he
began to say unto his disciples first, Take heed
to yourselves of the leaven of the Pharisees,
which is hypocrisy.
(*) Matthew 16:5; Mark 8:14 .
(1) The faithful teachers of God's word, which
are appointed by him for his people, must both
take good heed of them, which corrupt the
purity of doctrine with goodly glozes, and also
take paints through the help of God, to set forth
sincere doctrine, openly and without fear.
(a) Word for word, ten thousands of people,
a certain number for an uncertain.
2 (*) For there is nothing covered, that shall
not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be
known.
(*) Matthew 10:26; Mark 4:22 .
3 Wherefore whatsoever ye have spoken in
darkness, it shall be heard in the light, and that
which ye have spoken in the ear, in secret
places, shall be preached on the (*) houses.
(*) Openly that all men may hear.
4 (*) (2) And I say unto you, my friends, be not
afraid of them that kill the body, and after that
are not able to do anymore.
(*) Matthew 10:28 .
(2) Although hypocrites have princes to
execute their cruelty, yet there is no cause why
we could be afraid of them, the least jot that
may be, feeling they can do nothing, but what
pleaseth God, and God will not have that which
may be against the salvation of his elect.
5 But I will (b) forewarn you, who ye shall fear;
fear him which after he hath killed, hath power
to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, him fear.
(b) He warneth them of danger that presently
hang over their heads, for those that come upon
the sudden, do make the greater wound.
6 Are not five sparrows bought for two
farthings, and yet not one of them is forgotten
before God?
7 (*) Yea, and all the hairs of your head are
numbered; fear not therefore, for ye are more
of value than many sparrows.
(*) 1 Samuel 14:45; Acts 27:34 .
8 (*) (3) Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall
confess me before men, him shall the Son of
man confess also before the Angels of God.
(*) Luke 9:26; Matthew 10:32; Mark 8:38;
2 Timothy 1:12 .
(3) Great is the reward of a constant confession,
and horrible is the punishment of the denying of
Christ, yea impossible to be called back again
shall the punishment be, if upon set purpose, both
with mouth and heart we blaspheme a known
truth.
9 But he that shall deny me before men, shall be
denied before the Angels of God.
10 (*) And whosoever shall speak a word
against the Son of man, it shall be forgiven him;
but unto him that () shall blaspheme the holy
Ghost, it shall not be forgiven.
(*) Matthew 12:31; Mark 3:28 .
() He that shall resist against the word of God
purposely, and against his conscience.
11 (*) (4) And when they shall bring you unto
the Synagogues, and unto the rulers and
princes, take no () thought how, or what thing
ye shall answer, or what ye shall speak.
(*) Matthew 10:19; Mark 13:11 .
(4) It is a great and hard conflict to confess the
truth, yet he that can do all things, and is
almighty, will not be wanting to the weakest
which strive and contend in his appointed time.
() Be not so doubtful that you should be
discouraged or distrust.
12 For the holy Ghost shall teach you in the
same (*) hour, what ye ought to say.
(*) Or, moment.
13 (5) And one of the company said unto him,
Master, bid my brother divide the inheritance
with me.
(5) Christ would not for three causes be a judge
to divide an inheritance. First, for that he would
not foster up and cherish the fleshly opinion that
the Jews had of Messiah; Secondly for that he
would distinguish the civil governance, from the
Ecclesiastical; Thirdly, to teach us to beware of
them which abuse the shew of the Gospel, and
also the name of ministers, to their own private
commodities.
14 And he said unto him, Man, who made me a
(*) judge, or a divider over you?
(*) Christ chiefly came to be judged and not to
judge, not withstanding he willeth the Christians
to be judges and decide controversies between
their brethren,
1 Corinthians 6:1 .
15 Wherefore he said unto them, Take heed, and
beware of (c) covetousness; (*) for though a man
have abundance, yet his (d) life standeth not in his
riches.
(c) By covetousness is meant, that greedy desire
to get, commonly with other men's hurt.
(*) Christ condemneth the arrogancy of the rich
worldlings, who as though they had God locked
up in their coffers, and barns, set their whole
felicity in their goods, not considering that God
gave them life and also can take it away when he
will.
(d) God is the author and preserver of man's life,
goods are not.
16 (6) And he put forth a parable unto them,
saying, The (e) (*) ground of a certain rich man
brought forth fruits plenteously.
(6) There are none more mad, than rich men
which hang upon their riches.
(e) Or rather country, for here is set forth a man
that possesseth not a piece of ground only, but a
whole country, as they do, which join house to
house, and field to field;
Isaiah 5:8 .
(*) Or, country.
17 Therefore he (f) thought with himself, saying,
What shall I do, because, I have no room where
I may lay up my fruits?
(f) Made his reckoning within himself, which is
the property of covetous churls that spend their
life in those trifles.
18 And he said, This will I do, I will pull down my
barns, and build greater, and therein will I gather
all my fruits, and my goods.
19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast
much goods laid up for many years; live at ease,
eat, drink and (g) take thy pastime.
(g) Be merry and make good cheer.
20 But God said unto him, O fool, this night will
they fetch away thy soul from thee; then whose
shall those things be which thou hast provided?
21 So is he that gathereth riches (h) to himself,
and is not rich in (*) God.
(h) Caring for no man but for himself, and
minding to trust in himself.
(*) To depend only on his providence knowing
that he hath enough for all.
22 (7) And he spake unto his disciples,
Therefore I say unto you, (*) Take no thought for
your life, what ye shall eat; neither for your body,
what ye shall put on.
(7) The earnest thinking upon the providence of
God, is a present remedy against the most
foolish and pining carefulness of men for this
life.
(*) Matthew 6:25; 1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22 .
23 The life is more than meat, and the body more
than the raiment.
24 (*) Consider the ravens, for they neither sow
nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn,
and yet God feedeth them; how much more are
ye better than fowls?
(*) He exhorteth us to cast our care on God, and
to submit ourselves to his providence.
25 And which of you with taking thought, can
add to his stature one cubit?
26 If ye then be not able to do the least thing,
why take ye thought for the remnant?
27 (*) Consider the lilies how they grow: they
labor not, neither spin they; yet I say unto you,
that Solomon himself in all his royalty was not
clothed like one of these.
(*) The liberality of God which shineth in the
herbs and flowers, surmounteth all that man can
do by his riches or force.
28 If then God so clothe the grass which is today
in the field, and tomorrow is cast into the oven,
how much more will he clothe you, O ye of little
faith?
29 Therefore ask not what ye shall eat, or what
ye shall drink, neither (i) (*) stand in doubt.
(i) A metaphor taken of things that hang in the
air, for they that are careful for this worldly life,
and hang upon the arm of man, have always
wavering and doubtful minds, swaying
sometimes this way, and sometimes that way.
(*) Or, make discourses in the air.
30 For all such things the people of the world
seek for; and your Father knoweth that ye have
need of these things.
31 (8) But rather seek ye after the kingdom of
God, (*) and all these things shall be cast upon
you.
(8) They shall lack nothing, which are careful
for the kingdom of heaven.
(*) Which are but accessories, and are common
as well to the wicked men as to the godly.
32 (9) Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's
pleasure to give you the (*) kingdom.
(9) It is a foolish thing not to look for small
things, at the hands, which giveth us freely
and which giveth the greatest things.
(*) Which is the chiefest thing that can be
given, and therefore you cannot want those
things which are of less importance.
33 ¶ (*) (10) Sell that ye have, and give (k) alms;
make you bags which wax not old, a treasure
that can never fail in heaven, where no thief
cometh neither moth corrupteth.
(*) Matthew 6:20 .
(10) A godly bountifulness is a ready way to get
true riches.
(k) This is the figure Metonymy, for by this
word, Alms, is meant that compassion and
friendliness of a heart that tendereth the misery
and poor estate of man, and sheweth forth itself
by some gift, and hath the name given it in the
Greek tongue, of mercy and compassion; and
therefore he is said to give alms, who parteth
with something to another, and giveth to the
poor, shewing thereby, that he pitieth their poor
estate.
34 For where your treasure is, there will your
heart be also.
35 ¶ (*) (11) Let your loins be () gird about, and
your lights burning.
(*) 1 Peter 1:13 .
(11) The life of the faithful servants of God, in
this world is certain watchful peregrination,
having the light of the word going before it.
() Be in a readiness to execute the charge which
is committed unto you.
36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for
their master, when he will return from the
wedding, that when he cometh and knocketh,
they may open unto him immediately.
37 Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord
when he cometh shall find waking; verily I say
unto you, he will (*) gird himself about, and make
them to sit down at table, and will come forth, and
serve them.
(*) Because they did use long garments, the
manner was to gird or truss them up when they
went about any business.
38 And if he come in the second watch, or come
in the third watch, and shall find them so, blessed
are those servants.
39 (*) Now understand this, that if the good man
of the house had known at what hour the thief
would have come, he would have watched, and
would not have suffered his house to be dug
through.
(*) Matthew 24:43; Revelation 16:15;
Revelation 3:3 .
40 (12) Be ye also prepared therefore; for the
Son of man will come at an hour when ye think
not.
(12) None have more need to watch, than they
that have some degree of honor in the household
of God.
41 Then Peter said unto him, Master, tellest thou
this parable unto us, or even to all?
42 And the Lord said, Who is a faithful steward
and wise, whom the master shall make ruler over
his household, to give them their (l) (*) portion of
meat in season?
(l) That is, every month such measure of corn as
was appointed them.
(*) The portion of servants every month was four
pecks of corn, as Donatus writeth in Phormio.
43 Blessed is that servant, whom his master
when he cometh, shall find so doing.
44 Of a truth, I say unto you, that he will make
him ruler over all that he hath.
45 But if that servant say in his heart, My
master doth defer his coming, and begin to
smite the servants, and maidens, and to eat and
drink, and to be drunken,
46 The master of that servant will come in a
day when he thinketh not, and at an hour when
he is not aware of, and will cut him off, and give
him his portion with the unbelievers.
47 ¶ And that servant that knew his master's
will, and prepared not himself, neither did
according to his will, shall be beaten with many
stripes.
48 But he that knew it not, and yet did commit
things (*) worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with
few stripes; for unto whomsoever () much is
given, of him shall be much required, and to
whom men much commit, (m) the more of him
will they ask.
(*) Therefore ignorance is inexcusable.
() To whom God hath given many graces.
(m) More than of him to whom so much was not
given.
49 ¶ (13) I am come to put (*) fire on the earth,
and what is my desire, if it be () already kindled?
(13) The Gospel is the only cause of peace
between the goodly, and so it is the occasion of
great trouble among the wicked.
(*) The Gospel is as a burning fire most
vehement, which maketh a change of things
through all the world.
() If there be great troubles and alterations upon
the earth, which things come not by the propriety
of the Gospel, but through the wickedness of
man.
50 Notwithstanding I must be (*) baptized with a
baptism, and how am I grieved till it be ended?
(*) He compareth his death to baptism.
51 (*) Think ye that I am come to give peace on
earth? I tell you, nay, but rather debate.
(*) Matthew 10:34 .
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one
house divided, three against two, and two against
three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and
the son against the father, the mother against the
daughter, and the daughter against the mother,
the mother in law against her daughter in law,
and the daughter in law against her mother in
law.
54 ¶ (*) (14) Then said he to the people, When
ye see a cloud (n) rise out of the West,
straightway ye say, A shower cometh, and so it
is.
(*) Matthew 16:2 .
(14) Men which are very quick of sight in earthly
things, are blind in those things which pertain to
the heavenly life, and that through their own
malice.
(n) Which appeareth, and gathereth itself
together in that part of the air.
55 And when ye see the South wind blow, ye
say, that it will be hot, and it cometh to pass.
56 Hypocrites, ye can discern the face of the
earth, and of the sky, but why discern ye not this
time?
57 (15) Yea, and why judge ye not of yourselves
what is right?
(15) Men that are blinded with the love of
themselves, and therefore are detestable and
stubborn, shall bear the reward of their folly.
58 ¶ (*) While thou goest with thine adversary to
the ruler, as thou art in the way, give diligence in
the way, that thou mayest be () delivered from
him, lest he draw thee to the judge, and the judge
deliver thee to the (o) jailer, and the jailer cast
thee into prison.
(*) Matthew 5:25 .
() Though it be to thy loss and hindrance.
(o) To him that has to demand and gather
amercements, which they were condemned unto
that had wrongly troubled men; moreover, the
magistrate's officers make them which are
condemned, pay that which they owe, yea, and
often times if they be obstinate, they do not only
take the cost and charges of them, but also
imprison them.
59 I tell thee, thou shalt not depart thence, till thou
hast paid the utmost mite.
Gospel of Luke with Footnotes :
http://www.genevabible.org/files/Geneva_Bible/New_Testament/Luke_F.pdf
Geneva Bible With Footnotes
http://www.genevabible.org/Geneva.html
Calvin
http://www.reformed.org/books/institutes/entire.html
