Free Use Bible API: Bible verses, translations and commentaries (bible.helloao.org)

{
  "book": {
    "english_name": "Romans",
    "id": "ROM",
    "name": "Romans"
  },
  "book_introduction": null,
  "chapter": 8,
  "chapter_introduction": "The apostle, having fully explained the doctrine of justification, and pressed the necessity of sanctification, in this chapter applies himself to the consolation of the Lord's people. Ministers are helpers of the joy of the saints. \"Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,\" so runs our commission, Isa 40:1. It is the will of God that his people should be a comforted people. And we have here such a draught of the gospel charter, such a display of the unspeakable privileges of true believers, as may furnish us with abundant matter for joy and peace in believing, that by all these immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation. Many of the people of God have, accordingly, found this chapter a well-spring of comfort to their souls, living and dying, and have sucked and been satisfied from these breasts of consolation, and with joy drawn water out of these wells of salvation. There are three things in this chapter: I. The particular instances of Christians' privileges (v. 1-28). II. The ground thereof laid in predestination (Rom 8:29, Rom 8:30). III. The apostle's triumph herein, in the name of all the saints (Rom 8:31 to the end).",
  "commentary": {
    "authors": [
      "Matthew Henry (1662-1714)"
    ],
    "english_name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary",
    "id": "matthew-henry",
    "language": "eng",
    "license": {
      "notes": null,
      "notice": null,
      "url": "https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/"
    },
    "name": "Matthew Henry Bible Commentary",
    "note": "Exposition of the Old and New Testaments. Henry completed it through Acts; Romans to Revelation were written after his death in 1714 by thirteen Nonconformist ministers.",
    "number_of_books": 65,
    "published": "1708-1710",
    "scope": "Old and New Testaments",
    "total_chapters": 1167,
    "tradition": "English Nonconformist (Presbyterian), Reformed",
    "website": "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Henry"
  },
  "entries": [
    {
      "reference": "Romans 8:26-28",
      "text": "The apostle here suggests two privileges more to which true Christians are entitled: - \nI. The help of the Spirit in prayer. While we are in this world, hoping and waiting for what we see not, we must be praying. Hope supposes desire, and that desire offered up to God is prayer; we groan. Now observe,\n1. Our weakness in prayer: We know not what we should pray for as we ought. (1.) As to the matter of our requests, we know not what to ask. We are not competent judges of our own condition. Who knows what is good for a man in this life? Ecc 6:12. We are short-sighted, and very much biassed in favour of the flesh, and apt to separate the end from the way. You know not what you ask, Mat 20:22. We are like foolish children, that are ready to cry for fruit before it is ripe and fit for them; see Luk 9:54, Luk 9:55. (2.) As to the manner, we know not how to pray as we ought. It is not enough that we do that which is good, but we must do it well, seek in a due order; and here we are often at a loss - graces are weak, affections cold, thoughts wandering, and it is not always easy to find the heart to pray, Sa2 7:27. The apostle speaks of this in the first person: We know not. He puts himself among the rest. Folly, and weakness, and distraction in prayer, are what all the saints are complaining of. If so great a saint as Paul knew not what to pray for, what little reason have we to go forth about that duty in our own strength!\n2. The assistances which the Spirit gives us in that duty. He helps our infirmities, meant especially of our praying infirmities, which most easily beset us in that duty, against which the Spirit helps. The Spirit in the world helps; many rules and promises there are in the word for our help. The Spirit in the heart helps, dwelling in us, working in us, as a Spirit of grace and supplication, especially with respect to the infirmities we are under when we are in a suffering state, when our faith is most apt to fail; for this end the Holy Ghost was poured … [5,883 more characters]",
      "verse_end": 28,
      "verse_start": 26
    }
  ],
  "observed_at_ms": 1793154064437,
  "reference": "Romans 8:28",
  "source_url": "https://bible.helloao.org/api/c/matthew-henry/ROM/8.json"
}