It is very easy in our day and age to find ourselves fascinated with anything new. It could be a new TV show, a new gadget, a new pet, or a new restaurant. With new things popping up everywhere, it is ever so easy to overlook or forget about the old.

This is also the case in the church. Pastors and elders must fight against the temptation of novelty for novelty’s sake. One of the things that makes the fight easier is by remembering the past. The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture is a resource that makes the old accessible. For those who live under the tyranny of the novel, this is a breath of fresh air.

The Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture series spans roughly the first thousand years of church history, from Clement of Rome (regn. 92–101?) to Theophylact of Ohrid (c. 1050-c. 1108). This series provides comments on Scripture from a multitude of church fathers from the pre-Reformation era. They ground their exegesis in the Scriptures and inform it through the developing tradition of the church, as well as their own experiences. Here are some of their comments on 1 Peter 1:3–9.

The Living Hope of those Who Have Been Born Again

“3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 who are kept by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

“6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, 8 whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls.” – 1 Peter 1:3-9

When God is the Giver—Andreas on 1 Peter 1:3

Andreas (c. seventh century) was a monk who collected commentary from earlier writers to form a catena on various biblical books.

“They have received immortality and the hope of eternal life. These good things in heaven are better than human things. For this reason they praise God the Father, who shows his great mercy in doing these things faithfully. When God is the giver, the things given are both better and certain to materialize. The statement also has relevance to the Old Testament, for in it God gave the land of the Canaanites to those who believed in him.”

His Mercy is Great Enough—Hilary of Arles on 1 Peter 1:3

Hilary (c. 401–449) was the Archbishop of Arles and leader of the Semi-Pelagian party. Hilary incurred the wrath of Pope Leo I when he removed a bishop from his see and appointed a new bishop. Leo demoted Arles from a metropolitan see to a bishopric to assert papal power over the church in Gaul.

“Peter means that God has acted to redeem us without any help from us. His mercy is great enough to be able to forgive every sin which has been committed in thought, word and deed, from the beginning to the end of the world.”

The Inheritance God Gives—Oecumenius on 1 Peter 1:3

Oecumenius (sixth century) was called the Rhetor or the Philosopher. Oecumenius wrote the earliest extant Greek commentary on Revelation. Scholia by Oecumenius on some of John Chrysostom’s commentaries on the Pauline Epistles are still extant.

“What exactly are the blessings which God has given us in Christ? First, there is hope, not the kind of hope which he gave to Moses, that the people would inherit a promised land in Canaan, for that hope was temporal and corruptible. Rather God gives us a living hope, which has come from the resurrection of Christ. Because of that, he has given all those who believe in Jesus the same resurrection. This is a living hope and an incorruptible inheritance, not stored up here on earth but in heaven, which is much greater.”

Rising With Him—Bede on 1 Peter 1:4

The Venerable Bede (c. 672/673–735) was born in Northumbria, at the age of seven he was put under the care of the Benedictine monks of Saints Peter and Paul at Jarrow and given a broad classical education in the monastic tradition. Considered one of the most learned men of his age, he is the author of An Ecclesiastical History of the English People.

“Peter offers praise to God the Father in such a way as to make it perfectly clear that our Lord and Savior is both God and man. He calls God the Father of our Lord precisely because he does not doubt that our Lord had always existed with him as his Son. It is right for us to bless God because although on the strength of our own merits we deserve nothing but death, he has regenerated us by his mercy to a new life. He has done this by the resurrection of his Son who loved our life so much that he gave himself up to death for our sake. When he overcame that death by his resurrection, he offered it to us as a model which might give us hope of rising again ourselves.”

An Inheritance Unfading—Didymus the Blind on 1 Peter 1:4

Didymus the Blind (c. 313–398) was an Alexandrian exegete who was much influenced by Origen and admired by Jerome.

“In order to show how the inheritance of the blessed will continue forever, Peter calls it incorruptible and unfading. He demonstrates by this that it is a pure and divine inheritance which will remain uncontaminated in the eyes of those who care nothing for their present wealth. They know that they have something better and eternal waiting for them.”

The Saints Shine Like Refined Gold—Athanasius on 1 Peter 1:7

Athanasius (c. 295–373; fl. 325–373) was Bishop of Alexandria from 328, though often in exile. He wrote his classic polemics against the Arians while most of the eastern bishops were against him.

“Because the saints saw that the divine fire would cleanse them and benefit them, they did not shrink back from or get discouraged by the trials which they faced. What they went through did not hurt them. Instead, they grew refined, shining like gold that has been refined in a fire.”

Not All Suffer Now—Chrysostom on 1 Peter 1:7

John Chrysostom (344/354–407; fl. 386–407) was Bishop of Constantinople who stood out for his orthodoxy, his eloquence and his attacks on Christian laxity in high places.

“The righteous suffer so that they may be crowned with glory, but sinners suffer in order to bring judgment on their sins. But not all sinners pay the price of their sins in this life, but await the resurrection. And not all the righteous suffer now, lest you think to praise evil and you come to hate the good.”

Made Incorruptible by Grace—Clement of Alexandria on 1 Peter 1:9

Clement of Alexandria (c. 150–215) was a highly educated Christian convert from paganism, head of the catechetical school in Alexandria and pioneer of Christian scholarship. His major works, Protrepticus, Paedagogus and the Stromata, bring Christian doctrine face to face with the ideas and achievements of his time.

“It appears from this that the soul is not naturally incorruptible but is made so by the grace of God, through faith, righteousness and understanding.”

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What we know about the XBB.1.5 COVID subvariant so far
The XBB.1.5 COVID-19 subvariant — a new version of the Omicron variant — is sweeping through the United States right now amid a chaotic travel season and the early days of winter.
Why it matters: Cases tied to the new variant nearly doubled over the last week, according to estimates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And that’s stoked fears that more cases could be on the way nationwide.
XBB.1.5 COVID subvariant: What we know
The XBB.1.5 strain is responsible for 40.5% of confirmed U.S. cases for the week ending on Dec. 31, the CDC estimates show. That’s up about 20% from the week ending on Dec. 24.
The XBB.1.5 variant is responsible for about 75% of confirmed cases in the Northeast alone, which includes New England, New Jersey and New York, the CDC estimates.
What they’re saying: “We’re projecting that it’s going to be the dominant variant in the Northeast region of the country and that it’s going to increase in all regions of the country,” Dr. Barbara Mahon, director of the CDC’s proposed Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division, told CBS News.
Mahon told CBS that the CDC did not list the XBB.1.5 lineage in earlier projections because it did not meet a minimum threshold set by the agency.
Zoom out: Experts have become increasingly concerned about the XBB.1.5 and XBB variants — recombinants of the BA.2 subvariant — in recent weeks after it popped up in multiple Asian countries, per Reuters. And it’s spreading as China is seeing a massive surge of cases right now.
“Ironically, probably the worst variant that the world is facing right now is actually XBB,” Dr. Michael Osterholm, an infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, told Reuters.
XBB.1.5 is different than the XBB variant because it can attach itself better to cells, CNBC reports.
“The virus needs to bind tightly to cells to be more efficient at getting in and that could help the virus be a little bit more efficient at infecting people,” Andrew Pekosz, a virologist at Johns Hopkins University, told CNBC.
XBB.1.5 COVID variant: What we don’t know
It’s unclear where this version of the Omicron variant came from, but it is spreading quickly.
We also don’t know how fast and far it will spread. But John Moore, a professor of microbiology and immunology at Weill Cornell Medical College in New York, told Reuters he expects cases to peak in mid-January.
It’s also unclear if there are specific symptoms tied to the new variant.
Symptoms and the XBB.1.5 COVID subvariant
There do not appear to be any additional COVID-19 symptoms tied to XBB.1.5 that are different than normal symptoms.
“There’s no suggestion at this point that XBB.1.5 is more severe,” Mahon, of the CDC, told CBS News.
Yes, but: Scientists said the XBB.1.5 variant has mutations that could allow the virus to evade COVID-19 vaccine boosters and cause more breakthrough infections, CNBC reports.
In October, the XBB subvariant was deemed best suited to evade COVID-19 immunity, Axios’ Erin Doherty writes.
What’s next: “I think it is a really good time for people to do the things that we have been saying for quite a while are the best ways to protect themselves,” Mahon told CBS.
More from Axios:
U.S. to require negative COVID-19 test for air travelers from China
Most Americans don’t have peak protection against COVID
China sees more deaths as COVID “tsunami” takes hold

Everyone has a day when they were born, it is the most important day to remember next to when you get married, and when you get saved. Everyday someone is born, and everyday someone passes away. When those things happen, we want to remember those special days and cherish every moment with that person and celebrate them. We want to always tell someone just how much we love them. We want to settle any differences we have with someone while we can, because one day it could be too late.

I am talking about this because I am remembering my grandmother. Today is her 98th birthday. She is celebrating her birthday in heaven with Jesus and all of our family whose already there. Today was hard for me because I wanted to call her and tell her happy birthday, but I couldn’t. I wanted to sing to her but I couldn’t and I still can’t because of the lump in my throat. I spent today by myself in my room just thinking and crying. I was thinking about all of the things she taught me when I was growing up. I was thinking about how we went to church together, and sometimes we would walk. It has been eleven months now since she has been gone, but everyday seems just like it happened yesterday. I don’t know if I will ever get over it. She was a special kind of lady. When God created her, He broke the mold.

Birthdays are something that we will always remember if we never forget them. I think I was the one who always remember everyone’s birthday in my family. I always wrote them down, and I still do to this day. Even though we lose those we love, never forget to celebrate their birthday, because guess what, they would want us to. Lord knows that I wish I could hug her right now and tell her how much I love her. I would tell her how much I appreciated her teaching me the things she taught me how to do, and know about. She taught me how to fish; therefore, she taught me how to survive. Loss hurts, but the memories last forever.

If you haven’t told those that you love how much they mean to you, and how much you love them, stop and do that. It won’t take but a second to send an email, text, or make quick call, or even send them a card in the mail. No one really ever know how much you love, care, and appreciate them until you tell them. Don’t wait until the last minute, because you just may not have the chance to do it.

Tomorrow is another day that the sun may or may not shine, so enjoy the sun when it shines, and take out some time to smell the roses and give some to those you love. I love you Madea, Rest in Heaven.

Sending these roses to my grandmother in the spirit. XOXO.

Jesus describes two groups of people, and he gives each assurance of the end they can expect for their current course of life.

Jesus has commissioned his disciples to go into all the world, preaching the gospel. Those who believe the good news of Jesus Christ and publicly profess their faith are given assurance of their salvation.

This was not a new revelation, because Jesus had been affirming the same truth throughout his ministry. He had already declared “that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:15), and “he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life” (3:36), and “he that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life” (5:24).

Likewise, Jesus had emphasized the seriousness of persistently rejecting his message, saying, “He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:18), also “he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (3:36), and “if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins” (8:24).

However, the astute observer may notice that there is another group whom Jesus seems to leave unaddressed in Mark 16:16 — those who believe but are not baptized. What of the “secret” believer, who joyfully receives the gospel but never publicly follows Christ?

It seems Jesus purposefully leaves them wondering what their end will be, and perhaps that is the way we should leave them as well.

What about you? Does Jesus’ description of those who will be saved describe you?

I found this on Instagram. I thought it was a good example of how faith works.

I am guided, guarded, and protected.

https://youaffirmations.app/share

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www.bible.com/en/reading-plans/21692

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