Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,

Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls.

10 Of which salvation the prophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:

11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow.

12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into.

13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:

15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;

16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;

19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

22 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:

25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

耶稣基督的使徒彼得,写信给那分散在本都加拉太加帕多家亚细亚庇推尼寄居的, 就是照父神的先见被拣选,借着圣灵得成圣洁,以致顺服耶稣基督,又蒙他血所洒的人。愿恩惠、平安多多地加给你们!

可以得着不朽坏不衰残的基业

愿颂赞归于我们主耶稣基督的父神!他曾照自己的大怜悯,借着耶稣基督从死里复活,重生了我们,叫我们有活泼的盼望, 可以得着不能朽坏、不能玷污、不能衰残、为你们存留在天上的基业。 你们这因信蒙神能力保守的人,必能得着所预备、到末世要显现的救恩。 因此,你们是大有喜乐;但如今在百般的试炼中暂时忧愁, 叫你们的信心既被试验,就比那被火试验仍然能坏的金子更显宝贵,可以在耶稣基督显现的时候得着称赞、荣耀、尊贵。

未见基督却是爱他

你们虽然没有见过他,却是爱他;如今虽不得看见,却因信他就有说不出来、满有荣光的大喜乐, 并且得着你们信心的果效,就是灵魂的救恩。 10 论到这救恩,那预先说你们要得恩典的众先知早已详细地寻求考察, 11 就是考察在他们心里基督的灵,预先证明基督受苦难、后来得荣耀是指着什么时候,并怎样的时候。 12 他们得了启示,知道他们所传讲[a]的一切事,不是为自己,乃是为你们。那靠着从天上差来的圣灵传福音给你们的人,现在将这些事报给你们;天使也愿意详细察看这些事。

应当圣洁因主是圣洁的

13 所以要约束你们的心[b],谨慎自守,专心盼望耶稣基督显现的时候所带来给你们的恩。 14 你们既做顺命的儿女,就不要效法从前蒙昧无知的时候那放纵私欲的样子。 15 那召你们的既是圣洁,你们在一切所行的事上也要圣洁。 16 因为经上记着说:“你们要圣洁,因为我是圣洁的。” 17 你们既称那不偏待人、按各人行为审判人的主为父,就当存敬畏的心度你们在世寄居的日子, 18 知道你们得赎,脱去你们祖宗所传流虚妄的行为,不是凭着能坏的金银等物, 19 乃是凭着基督的宝血,如同无瑕疵、无玷污的羔羊之血。 20 基督在创世以前是预先被神知道的,却在这末世才为你们显现。 21 你们也因着他,信那叫他从死里复活,又给他荣耀的神,叫你们的信心和盼望都在于神。

借着神的道得重生

22 你们既因顺从真理洁净了自己的心,以致爱弟兄没有虚假,就当从心里[c]彼此切实相爱。 23 你们蒙了重生,不是由于能坏的种子,乃是由于不能坏的种子,是借着神活泼常存的道。 24 因为,“凡有血气的尽都如草,他的美荣都像草上的花。草必枯干,花必凋谢, 25 唯有主的道是永存的。”所传给你们的福音就是这道。

Footnotes

  1. 彼得前书 1:12 “传讲”原文作“服侍”。
  2. 彼得前书 1:13 原文作:束上你们心中的腰。
  3. 彼得前书 1:22 “从心里”有古卷作“从清洁的心”。

I. Address

Chapter 1

Greeting.[a] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen sojourners of the dispersion[b] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,(A) 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. [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) to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you(D) who by the power of God are safeguarded through faith, to a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the final time. [d]In this you rejoice, although now for a little while you may have to suffer through various trials,(E) 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) 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) 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. 1:1–2 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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).
  4. 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).
  5. 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).
  6. 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).
  7. 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).
  8. 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.
  9. 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).
  10. 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).
  11. 1:23 The living and abiding word of God: or, “the word of the living and abiding God.”