Scofield Reference Bible Notes
Luke 11

Luk 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.

praying [See also Luk 11:2].

Bible prayers (N.T.). Luk 15:18-19. (Mat 6:9; Rev 22:20.)

teach us to pray

This is the central N.T. passage on prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount Christ had announced the new basis of prayer, viz.: relationship (Mat 6:9, 28-32). The believer is a child of God through the new birth. (Scofield John 3:3, note). The clear revelation of this fact at once establishes the reasonableness of prayer; a reasonableness against which the argument from the apparent uniformity of natural law shatters itself. God is more than a Creator, bringing a universe into being, and establishing laws for it; more than a decree-maker determining future events by an eternal fiat. Above all this is the divine family for whom the universe with its laws exists (Col 1:16-20; Heb 1:2; 2:10-11; Rom 8:17): "When ye pray, say, Our Father." What God habitually does in the material universe concerns the reverent investigator of that universe. What He may do in His own family concerns Him, and them, and is matter for divine promise and revelation. Science, which deals only with natural phenomena, cannot intrude there (1Co 2:9).

Christ's law of prayer may be thus summarized:

1. He grounds prayer upon relationship, and reveals God as freely charging himself with all the responsibilities, as His heart glows with all the affections of a Father toward all who believe on Jesus Christ (Mat 6:25-32; 7:9-11). Prayer, therefore, is a child's petition to an all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, Father-God.
2. In the so-called Lord's prayer Christ gives an incomparable model for all prayer. It teaches that right prayer begins with worship; puts the interest of the kingdom before merely personal interest; accepts beforehand the Father's will, whether to grant or withhold; and petitions for present need, leaving the future to the Father's care and love. Used as a form, the Lord's prayer is, dispensationally, upon legal, not church ground; it is not a prayer in the name of Christ (cf. Jhn 14:13-14; 16:24); and it makes human forgiveness, as under the law it must, the condition of divine forgiveness; an order which grace exactly reverses (cf. Eph 4:32).
3. Prayer is to be definite Luke 11:5-6; and,
4. importunate, that is undiscouraged by delayed answers.

Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Our Father which art in heaven

Mat 6:9.

Thy kingdom come

Scofield Matthew 3:2, note.

Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.

day by day

Or, for the day.

Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

forgive us

Scofield Matthew 6:12, note.

sins

Sin. Scofield Romans 3:23, note.

Luk 11:5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;

Which of you shall have a friend

Parables (N.T.). Luk 11:5-13, 33-36; Luk 12:16-21. (Mat 5:13-16; Luk 21:29-31).

Luk 11:8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

importunity [persistence]

Luk 18:1-8.

Luk 11:9 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.

Ask

Mat 7:7; 21:22; Jhn 15:7; Jas 1:5; 1Jo 3:22.

seek

Isa 55:6.

knock

Luk 13:25.

Luk 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?

give the Holy Spirit

It is evident that none of the disciples, with the possible exception of Mary of Bethany, asked for the Spirit in the faith of this promise. It was a new and staggering thing to a Jew that, in advance of the fulfilment of Joe 2:28-29, all might receive the Spirit. Mary alone of the disciples understood Christ's repeated declaration concerning His own death and resurrection (Jhn 12:3-7). Save Mary, not one of the disciples but Peter, and he only in the great confession (Mat 16:16-17), manifested a spark of spiritual intelligence till after the resurrection of Christ and the impartation of the Spirit (Jhn 20:22; Act 2:1-4). To go back to the promise of Luke 11:13, is to forget Pentecost, and to ignore the truth that now every believer has the indwelling Spirit (Rom 8:9, 15; 1Co 6:19; Gal 4:6; 1Jo 2:20, 27). See Scofield Acts 2:4, note.

Holy Spirit (N.T.). Luk 12:10, 12. (Mat 1:18; Act 2:4.)

Luk 11:14 And he was casting out a devil, and it was dumb. And it came to pass, when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake; and the people wondered.

devil

demon.

the dumb spake

Miracles (N.T.). Luk 13:11-13. (Mat 8:2-3; Act 28:8-9.)

Luk 11:15 But some of them said, He casteth out devils through Beelzebub the chief of the devils.

Beelzebub

Beelzebul; also Luk 11:18-19.

Luk 11:16 And others, tempting him, sought of him a sign from heaven.

tempting

Temptation. Luk 22:28. (Gen 3:1; Jas 1:14.)

Luk 11:18 If Satan also be divided against himself, how shall his kingdom stand? because ye say that I cast out devils through Beelzebub.

Satan

Satan. Luk 13:16. (Gen 3:1; Rev 20:10.)

Luk 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

the kingdom of God

Mat 3:2.

Luk 11:22 But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

stronger than he

Isa 53:12; Col 2:15; Heb 2:14-15; Rev 20:2-3.

Luk 11:23 He that is not with me is against me: and he that gathereth not with me scattereth.

He that is not with me is against me

Mat 6:24.

Luk 11:24 When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he saith, I will return unto my house whence I came out.

When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man

See Scofield Matthew 12:43.

Luk 11:25 And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished.

swept and garnished

1Co 3:16; Eph 3:16-17; Eph 5:18.

Luk 11:26 Then goeth he, and taketh to him seven other spirits more wicked than himself; and they enter in, and dwell there: and the last state of that man is worse than the first.

is worse than the first

Heb 6:4, 8; Heb 10:26, 29; 2Pe 2:20.

Luk 11:27 And it came to pass, as he spake these things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him, Blessed is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which thou hast sucked.

Blessed is the womb

Luk 1:28, 48.

Luk 11:28 But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

hear the word of God, and keep it

Luk 8:21; Psa 119:1-2; Mat 7:21.

Luk 11:29 And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation: they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.

there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas

Mat 12:40; Mar 8:11.

Luk 11:30 For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

Jonas was a sign

Jon 1:17.

the Son of man

Scofield Matthew 8:20, note.

Luk 11:32 The men of Nineve shall rise up in the judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and, behold, a greater than Jonas is here.

in the judgment

Day of Judgment. Luk 11:31-32; Jhn 5:22, 27, 30. (Mat 10:15; Rev 20:11).

repented

Repentance. Luk 13:3. (Mat 3:2; Act 17:30.)

Luk 11:33 No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.

lighted a candle

Cf. Luk 8:16; Mat 5:15; Mar 4:21.

Luk 11:34 The light of the body is the eye: therefore when thine eye is single, thy whole body also is full of light; but when thine eye is evil, thy body also is full of darkness.

The light of the body is the eye

Mat 6:22-23.

Luk 11:36 If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.

the bright shining of a candle

Pro 4:18; 20:27.

Luk 11:38 And when the Pharisee saw it, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner.

he marvelled that he had not first washed

Mar 7:3.

Luk 11:42 But woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass over judgment and the love of God: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

woe unto you, Pharisees!

Mat 23:23.

pass over judgment and the love of God

Mic 6:7-8.

Luk 11:43 Woe unto you, Pharisees! for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets.

love the uppermost seats…and greetings in the markets

Mat 23:6; Mar 12:38.

Luk 11:44 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them are not aware of them.

ye are as graves

Psa 5:9.

Luk 11:45 Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

lawyers

Scofield Matthew 22:35, note.

Luk 11:46 And he said, Woe unto you also, ye lawyers! for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens with one of your fingers.

lade men with burdens grievous

Mar 7:7-8.

Luk 11:48 Truly ye bear witness that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they indeed killed them, and ye build their sepulchres.

they indeed killed them

Heb 11:35.

Luk 11:50 That the blood of all the prophets, which was shed from the foundation of the world, may be required of this generation;

world

i.e. earth.

required of this generation

Exo 20:5; Jer 51:56.

Luk 11:51 From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, which perished between the altar and the temple: verily I say unto you, It shall be required of this generation.

the blood of Abel

Gen 4:8.

the blood of Zacharias

2Ch 24:20-21.

between the altar and the temple

Inspiration. Luk 11:49-51; Luk 16:29-31. (Exo 4:15; Rev 22:19.)

Luk 11:52 Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

ye entered not in yourselves

Mal 2:7; Mar 7:13.

Luk 11:53 And as he said these things unto them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to urge him vehemently, and to provoke him to speak of many things:

provoke him to speak of many things

1Co 13:5.