1 Peter 1
New American Bible (Revised Edition)
I. Address
Chapter 1
Greeting.[a] 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen sojourners of the dispersion[b] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,(A) 2 in the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification by the Spirit, for obedience and sprinkling with the blood of Jesus Christ: may grace and peace be yours in abundance.(B)
II. The Gift and Call of God in Baptism
Blessing. 3 [c]Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who in his great mercy gave us a new birth to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,(C) 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you(D) 5 who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. 6 [d]In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials,(E) 7 so that the genuineness of your faith, more precious than gold that is perishable even though tested by fire, may prove to be for praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.(F) 8 Although you have not seen him you love him; even though you do not see him now yet believe in him, you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy,(G) 9 as you attain the goal of [your] faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 [e]Concerning this salvation, prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and investigated it, 11 investigating the time and circumstances that the Spirit of Christ within them indicated when it testified in advance to the sufferings destined for Christ and the glories to follow them.(H) 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you with regard to the things that have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you [through] the holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels longed to look.
Obedience. 13 [f]Therefore, gird up the loins of your mind,[g] live soberly, and set your hopes completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 Like obedient children, do not act in compliance with the desires of your former ignorance[h] 15 but, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct,(I) 16 for it is written, “Be holy because I [am] holy.”(J)
Reverence. 17 Now if you invoke as Father him who judges impartially according to each one’s works, conduct yourselves with reverence during the time of your sojourning,(K) 18 realizing that you were ransomed from your futile conduct, handed on by your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold(L) 19 but with the precious blood of Christ(M) as of a spotless unblemished lamb.[i] 20 He was known before the foundation of the world but revealed in the final time for you, 21 who through him believe in God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.
Mutual Love.[j] 22 Since you have purified yourselves by obedience to the truth for sincere mutual love, love one another intensely from a [pure] heart.(N) 23 You have been born anew,(O) not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and abiding word of God,[k] 24 for:
“All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory like the flower of the field;
the grass withers,
and the flower wilts;(P)
25 but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
This is the word that has been proclaimed to you.
Footnotes
- 1:1–2 The introductory formula names Peter as the writer (but see Introduction). In his comments to the presbyters (1 Pt 5:1), the author calls himself a “fellow presbyter.” He addresses himself to the Gentile converts of Asia Minor. Their privileged status as a chosen and sanctified people makes them worthy of God’s grace and peace. In contrast is their actual existence as aliens and sojourners, scattered among pagans, far from their true country.
- 1:1 Dispersion: literally, diaspora; see Jas 1:1 and Introduction to that letter. Pontus…Bithynia: five provinces in Asia Minor, listed in clockwise order from the north, perhaps in the sequence in which a messenger might deliver the letter.
- 1:3–5 A prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God who bestows the gift of new life and hope in baptism (new birth, 1 Pt 1:3) through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. The new birth is a sign of an imperishable inheritance (1 Pt 1:4), of salvation that is still in the future (to be revealed in the final time, 1 Pt 1:5).
- 1:6–9 As the glory of Christ’s resurrection was preceded by his sufferings and death, the new life of faith that it bestows is to be subjected to many trials (1 Pt 1:6) while achieving its goal: the glory of the fullness of salvation (1 Pt 1:9) at the coming of Christ (1 Pt 1:7).
- 1:10–12 The Spirit of Christ (1 Pt 1:11) is here shown to have been present in the prophets, moving them to search, investigate, and prophesy about the grace of salvation that was to come (1 Pt 1:10), and in the apostles impelling them to preach the fulfillment of salvation in the message of Christ’s sufferings and glory (1 Pt 1:12).
- 1:13–25 These verses are concerned with the call of God’s people to holiness and to mutual love by reason of their redemption through the blood of Christ (1 Pt 1:18–21).
- 1:13 Gird up the loins of your mind: a figure reminiscent of the rite of Passover when the Israelites were in flight from their oppressors (Ex 12:11), and also suggesting the vigilance of the Christian people in expectation of the parousia of Christ (Lk 12:35).
- 1:14–16 The ignorance here referred to (1 Pt 1:14) was their former lack of knowledge of God, leading inevitably to godless conduct. Holiness (1 Pt 1:15–16), on the contrary, is the result of their call to the knowledge and love of God.
- 1:19 Christians have received the redemption prophesied by Isaiah (Is 52:3), through the blood (Jewish symbol of life) of the spotless lamb (Is 53:7, 10; Jn 1:29; Rom 3:24–25; cf. 1 Cor 6:20).
- 1:22–25 The new birth of Christians (1 Pt 1:23) derives from Christ, the imperishable seed or sowing that produces a new and lasting existence in those who accept the gospel (1 Pt 1:24–25), with the consequent duty of loving one another (1 Pt 1:22).
- 1:23 The living and abiding word of God: or, “the word of the living and abiding God.”
1 Peter 1
Expanded Bible
1 From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ. To God’s ·chosen [elect] people who are ·away from their homes [exiles; temporary residents; refugees; foreigners] ·and are scattered [L of the Diaspora/Dispersion; C an analogy to the Jewish people scattered around the known world since the Babylonian exile] all around Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia [C all located in Asia Minor, present-day Turkey]. 2 God the Father ·planned long ago to choose you [L chose you according to his foreknowledge] ·by making you his holy people, which is the Spirit’s work [or by the sanctifying/purifying work of the Spirit; or by setting you apart by means of the Spirit]. God wanted you to obey him and to be ·made clean [L sprinkled] by the blood of the death of Jesus Christ. [C In the OT blood from animal sacrifices was sprinkled on persons and objects to indicate purification or forgiveness of sins; Ex. 24:3–8.]
Grace and peace be ·yours more and more [L multiplied to you].
We Have a Living Hope
3 ·Praise be to [L Blessed be] the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. In God’s ·great [abundant] mercy he has caused us to be born ·again [anew; John 3:5–8] into a living hope, ·because Jesus Christ rose [or by means of the resurrection of Jesus Christ] from the dead. 4 ·Now we hope for [or This new birth provides us with] ·the blessings God has for his children [L an inheritance]. ·These blessings [or This inheritance], which cannot be destroyed or be ·spoiled [corrupted; defiled] or lose their beauty, ·are [is] kept in heaven for you [Matt. 6:19–21; Luke 12:33]. 5 God’s power protects you through your faith until ·salvation is shown to you [or the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed] ·at the end of [in the last] time. 6 ·This makes you very happy [or Rejoice in this], even though now for a short time ·different kinds of troubles may make you sad [you have had to suffer various kinds of trials/testings]. 7 These ·troubles [trials; testings] come ·to prove that your faith is pure [to test and prove the authenticity of your faith; C a test that proves the genuineness of a valuable metal]. This ·purity of faith [or tested and proven authenticity] is ·worth more [more precious; more valuable] than gold, which can be ·proved to be pure [tested and proven authentic] by fire [Ps. 66:10; Prov. 17:3; 27:21; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:3] but ·can [or will] be destroyed. But the ·purity [tested and proven authenticity] of your faith will bring you praise and glory and honor ·when Jesus Christ is shown to you [L at the revelation of Jesus Christ]. 8 You have not seen ·Christ [L him], but still you love him. You cannot see him now, but you believe in him. So you ·are filled [rejoice] with ·a joy that cannot be explained, a joy full of glory [an inexpressible and glorious joy]. 9 ·And you are receiving [or …because you are receiving] the ·goal [outcome; purpose] of your faith—the salvation of your souls.
10 The prophets [C of the Old Testament] searched carefully and ·tried to learn [diligently inquired/investigated] about this salvation. They prophesied about the grace that was coming to you. 11 The Spirit of Christ was in the prophets, ·telling [witnessing; testifying] in advance about the sufferings of Christ and about the glory that would follow those sufferings [Luke 24:25–27, 45–49]. The prophets ·tried to learn [inquired; investigated] about what the Spirit was showing them, ·when those things would happen, and what the world would be like at that time [about the circumstances and time; or about the person and time]. 12 It was ·shown [revealed to] them that their service was not for themselves but for you, when they ·told about [announced] the truths [L things] you have now heard. Those who preached the ·Good News [Gospel] to you ·told you [announced] those things with the help of the Holy Spirit who was sent from heaven—things into which angels desire to look.
A Call to Holy Living
13 ·So [Therefore; For this reason] ·prepare your minds for service [prepare your minds for action; or, be alert; L gird the loins of your mind] and ·have self-control [be disciplined]. ·All your hope should be for [Focus all your hope on] the gift of grace that will be ·yours [brought/given to you] ·when Jesus Christ is shown to you [L at the revelation of Jesus Christ]. 14 ·Now that you are [As; or Like] obedient ·children of God [L children] ·do not live as you did in the past. You did not understand, so you did the evil things you wanted [L do not be shaped by the desires/lusts of your former ignorance]. 15 But be holy in all ·you do [your behavior/conduct], just as ·God, the One [L the One] who called you, is holy. 16 [L For; Because] It is written in the Scriptures: “You must be holy, because I am holy [Lev. 11:45; 19:2; 20:7].”
17 ·You pray to God and call him Father, and he [L Since you address as Father the one who] judges each person’s ·work [deeds] ·equally [impartially; without prejudice]. So while you are ·here on earth [living as exiles/strangers/sojourners], you should live with ·respect [fear] for God [Prov. 1:7]. 18 [L For] You know that in the past you were living in a ·worthless [meaningless; futile; vain; Eccl. 1:2] way, a way passed down from ·the people who lived before you [your ancestors]. But you were saved [ransomed; redeemed] from that useless life. You were ·bought [ransomed; redeemed; C like a slave whose freedom was purchased by a payment], not with something that ·ruins [perishes; spoils] like silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ [Is. 52:3], who was like ·a pure and perfect lamb [a lamb without defect or blemish; Lev. 1:3]. 20 Christ was ·chosen [destined; L foreknown] before ·the world was made [L the foundation/creation of the world], but he was ·shown to the world [revealed] in these last times for your sake. 21 Through Christ you ·believe [have faith/trust] in God, who raised Christ from the dead and gave him glory. So your faith and your hope are in God.
22 Now that your obedience to the truth has purified your ·souls [or lives], you can have ·true [genuine; sincere] love for your Christian brothers and sisters. So love each other ·deeply [earnestly] ·with all your [L from the] heart.[a] 23 You have been born ·again [or anew], and this new life did not come from ·something that dies [L a perishable seed], but from ·something that cannot die [L an imperishable seed]. You were born ·again [or anew] through ·God’s living message that continues forever [L the living and abiding/enduring word of God]. 24 ·The Scripture says [L For; Therefore],
“All ·people are [T flesh is] like the grass,
and all their glory is like the flowers of the ·field [L grass].
The grass ·dies [withers] and the flowers ·fall [drop off],
25 but the word of the Lord ·will live [remains; abides; endures] forever [Is. 40:6–8].”
And this is the word that was ·preached [or proclaimed as Good News/Gospel] to you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 1:22 with all your heart Some Greek copies read “with a pure heart.”
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.
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