The Enduring Word

²² Since you ^(A)have purified your souls in obeying the truth ^[a]through the Spirit in ^[b]sincere ^(B)love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, ^23 (C)having been born again, not of ^[c]corruptible seed but ^[d]incorruptible, ^(D)through the word of God which lives and abides ^[e]forever, ²⁴ because

^(G)Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Our Inheritance Through Christ’s Blood

2 Therefore, ^(H)laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ^2 (I)as newborn babes, desire the pure ^(J)milk of the word, that you may grow ^[h]thereby, ³ if indeed you have ^(K)tasted that the Lord is gracious.

⁷ that ^(A)the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though ^(B)it is tested by fire, ^(C)may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

¹⁸ knowing that you were not redeemed with ^[a]corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers,

^18 (A)Of His own will He brought us forth by the ^(B)word of truth, ^(C)that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.

Israel Rejects the Gospel

¹⁴ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear ^(A)without a preacher?

³² And they said to one another, “Did not our heart burn within us while He talked with us on the road, and while He opened the Scriptures to us?”