January 2024 Christian Commentaries

These commentaries are continued from December 2023 Christian Commentaries.

God, Jesus, and the Bible in the News

Newsmax. Daddy Yankee Quits Reggaeton, Will Devote Life to Christ.

Bounding Into Sports. ‘All Glory To God’: Michael Penix Jr. Gives Praise After Winning Action-Packed PAC-12 Championship.

Breitbart. Texans QB C.J. Stroud Talks Faith in God Following Playoffs Loss: ‘What I Lean on Through Thick and Thin’.

Breitbart. ‘The Kingdom Belongs to You, Lord’: Ravens’ John Harbaugh Opens Post-Game Presser by Reading Bible Verse.

It is good to hear mention of God, Jesus, and the Bible by notable figures in the news. Although, I am not sure how sincere their motivations are, if they are just trying to get attention or are genuinely praising the LORD. But still, it is heartwarming to hear.

“What then? Nevertheless, in every way, whether in pretense [or, with a false motive] or in truth [or, with a right motive], Christ is proclaimed, and in this I rejoice, indeed also I will rejoice” (Phil 1:18; ALT3).
1/23/24

Breitbart. Joe Biden Marks 51st Anniversary of Roe v. Wade by Promising to Fight for ‘Right’ to Kill the Unborn.

I love the way Breitbart words their headline. I wish all news outlets would be so honest as to what “Reproductive Rights” really mean.
1/23/24

New York Times. Francis Urges Ban on Surrogacy, Calling It ‘Despicable’.

The pope said that an unborn child must not be “turned into an object of trafficking,” expanding his condemnation of a practice already illegal in Italy and some other European countries.

I don’t agree with Pope Francis about much, but this is one area where we are in complete agreement. Surrogacy turns babies into products to be bought and sold like any other product. But babies are not products, they are bearers of the image of God and should be treated with dignity and respect. Yet, surrogacy only has the desires of the parents-to-be in mind. It ignores the dignity of the babies and their right to know both of their parents.

The problems with surrogacy are seen in the Biblical story of Abraham, Sarah, and Hagar. I expound at length on that narrative and its implications to surrogacy in my book God’s Sex Plan, Volume One: What the Old Testament Teaches About Human Sexuality.

#PopeFrancis #Surrogacy PopeFrancisSurrogacy
1/9/24

Do People Matter?

From an atheistic, evolutionary perspective, the answer is “No.” We are just accidents of nature who could just as well not exist as exist. In fact, the planet would be better off without us. As such, people have no intrinsic worth or value. That is what we have been teaching our young for decades, and we are seeing the fruits of it now in the form of the exploding mental health crisis.

From a Christian perspective, however, the answer is “Yes.” We have worth and value because we are created by God in His image, and we are known and loved by Him. We know He loves us, because He sent His Son to die for us. And by believing in Christ and His death on the cross for our sins, we can have a personal relationship with our Creator.

But God demonstrates His own love to [or, for] us, [in] that us still being sinful [people] [fig., while we were still sinners], Christ died on our behalf! (Romans 5:8; ALT3).

By this was the love of God revealed in us, because God has sent His only-begotten [or, unique] Son into the world, so that we should live through Him (1John 4:9; ALT3).

These commentaries are continued at: April 2024 Christian Commentaries.

Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament

The Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT3) is the only New Testament that is a literal translation of the second edition of the Byzantine Majority Greek Text, brings out nuances of the Greek text, and includes study aids within the text. ALT3 promotes understanding of what the New Testament writers originally wrote. The ALT Devotional Version is an easier to read version of ALT3.

Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Third Edition (ALT3)

Analytical-Literal Translation of the New Testament: Devotional Version (ALTD)