Beginning

Genuine faith and sure hope

1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus the Messiah, to God’s chosen ones who live as foreigners among the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, ² who have been set aside in advance by God the father, through the sanctification of the spirit, for obedience and for sprinkling with the blood of Jesus the Messiah. May grace and peace be poured out lavishly on you!

³ May God be blessed, God the father of our Lord Jesus the Messiah! His mercy is abundant, and so he has become our father in a second birth into a living hope through the resurrection from the dead of Jesus the Messiah. ⁴ This has brought us into an incorruptible inheritance, which nothing can stain or diminish. At the moment it is kept safe for you in the heavens, ⁵ while you are being kept safe by God’s power, through faith, for a rescue that is all ready and waiting to be revealed in the final time.

⁶ That is why you celebrate! Yes, it may well be necessary that, for a while, you may have to suffer trials and tests of all sorts. ⁷ But this is so that the true value of your faith may be discovered. It is worth more than gold, which is tested by fire even though it can be destroyed. The result will be praise, glory and honor when Jesus the Messiah is revealed. ⁸ You love him, even though you’ve never seen him. And even though you don’t see him, you believe in him, and celebrate with a glorified joy that goes beyond anything words can say, ⁹ since you are receiving the proper goal of your faith, namely, the rescue of your lives.

Ransomed by grace

¹⁰ The prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be given to you searched and inquired about this rescue. ¹¹ They asked what sort of time it would be, the time that the Messiah’s spirit within them was indicating when speaking of the Messiah’s sufferings and subsequent glory. ¹² It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they were ministering these things—things which have now been announced to you by the holy spirit who was sent from heaven, through those who preached the good news to you. The angels long to gaze on these things!

¹³ So fasten your belts—the belts of your minds! Keep yourselves under control. Set your hope completely on the grace that will be given you when Jesus the Messiah is revealed. ¹⁴ As children of obedience, don’t be squashed into the shape of the passions you used to indulge when you were still in ignorance. ¹⁵ Rather, just as the one who called you is holy, so be holy yourselves, in every aspect of behavior. ¹⁶ It is written, you see, “Be holy, for I am holy.” ¹⁷ If you call on God as “Father”—the God, that is, who judges everyone impartially according to their work—behave with holy fear throughout the time in which you are resident here.

¹⁸ You know, after all, that you were ransomed from the futile practices inherited from your ancestors, and that this ransom came not through perishable things like gold or silver, ¹⁹ but through the precious blood of the Messiah, like a lamb without spot or blemish. ²⁰ He was destined for this from before the foundation of the world, and appeared at the end of the times for your sake, ²¹ for you (that is) who through him believe in the God who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Newborn babies

²² Once your lives have been purified by obeying the truth, resulting in a sincere love for all your fellow believers, love one another eagerly, from a pure heart. ²³ You have been born again, not from seed which decays but from seed which does not—through the living and abiding word of God. ²⁴ Because, you see—

That is the word that was announced to you.

2 So put away all evil, all deceitful, hateful malice, and all ill-speaking. ² As newborn babies, long for the spiritual milk, the real stuff, not watered down. That is what will make you grow up to salvation— ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

The living stone

⁴ Come to him, to that living stone. Humans rejected him, but God chose him and values him very highly! ⁵ Like living stones yourselves, you are being built up into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that will be well pleasing to God through Jesus the Messiah.

⁶ That’s why it stands in scripture:

⁷ He is indeed precious for you believers. But when people don’t believe, “the stone which the builders rejected has become the head cornerstone,” ⁸ and “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble as they disobey the word, which indeed was their destiny. ⁹ But you are a “chosen race; a royal priesthood”; a holy nation; a people for God’s possession. Your purpose is to announce the virtuous deeds of the one who called you out of darkness into his amazing light. ¹⁰ Once you were “no people”; now you are “God’s people.” Once you had not received mercy; now you have received mercy.

Living in a pagan world

¹¹ My beloved ones, I beg you—strangers and resident aliens as you are—to hold back from the fleshly desires that wage war against your true lives. ¹² Keep up good conduct among the pagans, so that when they speak against you as evildoers they will observe your good deeds and praise God on the day of his royal arrival.

¹³ Be subject to every human institution, for the sake of the Lord: whether to the emperor as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors as sent by him to punish evildoers and praise those who do good. ¹⁵ This, you see, is God’s will. He wants you to behave well and so to silence foolish and ignorant people. ¹⁶ Live as free people (though don’t use your freedom as a veil to hide evil!), but as slaves of God. ¹⁷ Do honor to all people; love the family; reverence God; honor the emperor.

Suffering as the Messiah did

¹⁸ Let slaves obey their masters with all respect, not only the good and kind ones but also the unkind ones. ¹⁹ It is to your credit, you see, if because of a godly conscience you put up with unjust and painful suffering. ²⁰ After all, what credit is it if you do something wrong, are beaten for it, and take it patiently? But if you do what is right, suffer for it, and bear it patiently, this is to your credit before God.

²¹ This, after all, is what came with the terms of your call, because

Marriage and its challenges

3 In the same way, let me say a word to the women. You should be subject to your husbands, so that if there should be some who disobey the word, they may be won, without a word, through the behavior of their wives, ² as they notice you conducting yourselves with reverence and purity. ³ The beauty you should strive for ought not to be the external sort—elaborate hairdressing, gold trinkets, fine clothes! ⁴ Rather, true beauty is the secret beauty of the heart, of a sincere, gentle and quiet spirit. That is very precious to God. ⁵ That is how the holy women of old, who hoped in God, used to make themselves beautiful in submission to their husbands. ⁶ Take Sarah, for instance, who obeyed Abraham and called him “Master.” You are her children if you do good and have no fear of intimidation.

⁷ You men, in the same way, think out how to live with your wives. Yes, they are physically weaker than you, but they deserve full respect. They are heirs of the grace of life, just the same as you. That way nothing will obstruct your prayers.

The new way of life

⁸ The aim of this is for you all to be like-minded, sympathetic and loving to one another, tender-hearted and humble. ⁹ Don’t repay evil for evil, or slander for slander, but rather say a blessing. This is what you were called to, so that you may inherit a blessing.

¹³ Who is there, then, to harm you if you are eager to do what is right? ¹⁴ But if you do suffer because of your righteous behavior, God’s blessing is upon you! “Don’t fear what they fear; don’t be disturbed.” ¹⁵ Sanctify the Messiah as Lord in your hearts, and always be ready to make a reply to anyone who asks you to explain the hope that is in you. ¹⁶ Do it, though, with gentleness and respect. Hold on to a good conscience, so that when people revile your good behavior in the Messiah they may be ashamed.

Suffering for doing right

¹⁷ It’s better to suffer for good conduct (if God so wills it) than for bad. ¹⁸ For the Messiah, too, suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh, but made alive by the spirit. ¹⁹ In the spirit, too, he went and made the proclamation to the spirits in prison ²⁰ who had earlier on been disobedient during the days of Noah, when God waited in patience. Noah built the ark, in which a few people, eight in fact, were rescued through water. ²¹ That functions as a signpost for you, pointing to baptism, which now rescues you—not by washing away fleshly pollution, but by the appeal to God of a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus the Messiah. ²² He has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand, with angels, authorities and powers subject to him.

Transformed living

4 So, then, just as the Messiah suffered in the flesh, you too must equip yourselves with the same mental armor. Someone who suffers in the flesh has ceased from sin, ² so as to live the rest of their mortal life no longer according to human desires but according to God’s will. ³ Pagan ways of life have had quite enough of your time already, and you should put all that behind you for good—all that uncleanness, passion, drunkenness, excessive feasting, drinking-parties and lawless idolatry. ⁴ People are shocked that you don’t now join in with the same wild and reckless behavior, and so they call down curses on you. ⁵ But they will have to account for it before the one who is ready to judge the living and the dead. ⁶ That is why, you see, the gospel was preached even to the dead, so that, being judged in human fashion, in the flesh, they might live in God’s fashion, in the spirit.

⁷ The end of all things is upon us. You must keep sober, then, and self-disciplined for your prayers. ⁸ Above all, keep absolutely firm in your love for one another, because “love covers a multitude of sins.” ⁹ Be hospitable to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Just as each of you has received a gift, so you should use it for ministry one to another, as good stewards of God’s many-sided grace. ¹¹ If anyone speaks, they should do so as speaking God’s oracles. If anyone ministers, they should do it as in the strength which God grants, so that God may be glorified in all things through Jesus the Messiah, to whom be glory and power forever and ever. Amen.

Sharing the Messiah’s sufferings

¹² Beloved, don’t be surprised at the fiery ordeal which is coming upon you to test you, as though this were some strange thing that was happening to you. ¹³ Rather, celebrate! You are sharing the sufferings of the Messiah. Then, when his glory is revealed, you will celebrate with real, exuberant joy. ¹⁴ If you are abused because of the name of the Messiah, you are blessed by God, because the spirit of glory and of God is resting upon you. ¹⁵ None of you, of course, should suffer as a murderer or thief or evildoer, or even as a busybody. ¹⁶ But if you suffer as a Christian, don’t be ashamed; rather, give God the glory for that name! ¹⁷ The time has come, you see, for judgment to begin at God’s own household. And if it begins with us, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel? ¹⁸ And if the righteous person is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear? ¹⁹ So also those who suffer according to God’s will should entrust their whole lives to the faithful creator by doing what is good.

Humble shepherds

5 So, then, I appeal to the elders among you, as a fellow-elder and a witness of the sufferings of the Messiah, and as one who will share in the glory that is to be revealed. ² Do the proper work of a shepherd as you look after God’s flock which has been entrusted to you, not under compulsion, but gladly, as in God’s presence, not for shameful profit but eagerly. ³ You should not lord it over those for whom you are responsible, but rather be an example to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that won’t wither away. ⁵ In the same way, too, the younger men should submit to the elders. But let all of you clothe yourselves with humility towards one another. You see, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the lowly.” ⁶ Humble yourselves, then, under God’s powerful hand, so that he may lift you up at the right time. ⁷ Throw all your care upon him, because he cares about you.

Standing firm by God’s power

⁸ Stay in control of yourselves; stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is stalking around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, staying resolute in your faith, and knowing that other family members in the rest of the world are facing identical sufferings. ¹⁰ Then, after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who called you in Messiah Jesus to the glory of his new age, will himself put you in good order, and will establish and strengthen you and set you on firm foundations. ¹¹ To him be the power forever. Amen.

¹² I have written this briefly, and am sending it to you with Silvanus, whom I regard as a faithful brother. My main point is to urge and bear witness to you that you are indeed standing in the true grace of God. ¹³ Your chosen sister in Babylon sends you greetings; so does my son Mark. ¹⁴ Greet one another with a holy kiss.

Peace to you all in the Messiah.