Category: 1 Peter 1

1 Peter 1:22 – Purified Evidence

Posted on by Will

having purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly with a pure heart,

Truth to Learn

There should be evidence of our salvation if it is real.

 

Behind the Words

“Purified” is the translation of a form of hagnidzō, which means “to make clean” or “to purify.” Figuratively, it means “to set apart” or “to sanctify.” In this context it is a reference to our having cleansed our souls from sin. It is expressed here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect; we have been cleansed, therefore we are forever pure.

The word translated “obeying” is hupakoē, which is made up of hupo, meaning “under” and a form of akouō, meaning “to hear.” It refers to someone who not only hears instruction, but also submits to it and obeys it.

“Brotherly love” is from the Greek philadelphia, which is made up of a form of philos, meaning “a friend” and adelphos, meaning “a brother.” Hence, this word literally refers to brotherly friendship or brotherly love.

The word translated “sincere” is the Greek anupokritos, which literally means “without acting” or “without hypocrisy.”

The word “love” in the latter half of this verse is translated from the Greek, agapaō, which refers to Godly, self-sacrificing love. It is expressed here in the imperative mood, indicating that it is a command, not a suggestion.

 

 

Meaning Explained

A more literal translation of this verse might be, “Having purified your souls in obedience to the truth through the Spirit, resulting in sincere brotherly love, fervently love one another out of a pure heart.”

What Peter is saying is that one of the evidences of obedience to God’s truth is a purification of our souls. That is, when we submit to the knowledge that we are sinners, that God demands purity, and we accept the blood of Christ as payment for our sins, we are saved and we are spiritually purified. The evidence of that salvation is displayed by our brotherly love for others. Now that we have attained that level of purity, Peter commands us to take the next step by fervently loving other Christians self-sacrificingly, and to do so sincerely, out of a pure heart.

When asked which is the greatest commandment, Jesus responded to the questioning lawyer,

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39)

This is the same message Peter is trying to get across to us in today’s verse.

 

Application

Is your salvation evident by the way you treat others? Do your unsaved friends now see you as different? Kinder? Do you place the welfare of your brothers and sisters in Christ above your own?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:25 – Sowing the Eternal Gospel

Posted on by Will

But the word of the Lord endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was proclaimed to you.

Truth to Learn

Those who share the gospel message are sowing incorruptible seed, which produces eternal life.

 

Behind the Words

“Endures” is translated from the Greek word meno, which is the same word that was translated “abides” in verse 23. When we looked at that verse we learned that this word means, “to remain, to stay, to live, or to endure.”

The word “forever” is translated from the Greek phrase eis ton aiōna. We learned previously that eis means “into” or “unto,” ton is the definite article (the), and aiōna, literally means “age, i.e. an indefinitely long period of time.” Hence, this expression literally means “unto the age.” It is an idiomatic expression that means “forever.”

The expression, “by the gospel was proclaimed” is translated from the single Greek word, euangelisthen, which literally means, “was being good messaged”, or if it were transliterated it would say, “was evangelized.” In other words, This is the word which was evangelized to you. From this, we can see that someone who evangelizes is someone who proclaims or declares the good news (the gospel) about Jesus Christ.

 

Meaning Explained

Again, Peter is providing some additional explanation to what he said in verse 23. We were born again not of corruptible seed but by the word of the Lord. He told us in yesterday’s verse that our flesh is temporary and will pass away like flowers in the garden, but the word of the Lord (the source of our spiritual life) lasts forever. Since his word lasts forever and we were born through this word, our new birth will also last forever.

Now, lest his readers try to spiritualize the expression “the word of the Lord,” Peter tells us that this word is the very message that is contained in the gospel which was proclaimed to us when we were saved.

So what exactly is the gospel? Paul tells us precisely what it is in 1 Corinthians 15:1, 3-5:

And, brothers, I make known to you the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received and in which you stand … For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve.

This is the good news of the word of God. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived a perfect, sinless life then freely offered his life as payment for your sins and mine. He died in our place! And, He was buried as proof of His death. But He didn’t stay dead, He rose again from the dead and was seen as proof of His resurrection.

 

Application

Anyone who believes the gospel message has been born again through the word of God. He or she has eternal life. When we share the gospel message with others we are literally sowing the spiritual seed of our heavenly father. We carry the power of eternal life in what we say. Think about it!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:24 – Withered Blossom

Posted on by Will

because "All flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man like the flower of the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away,

Truth to Learn

Like flowers, our physical body will wither and die some day.

 

Behind the Words

The word “flesh” is translated from sarx, which specifically refers to “the flesh of a living animal.” This word is often used as an expression for our earthly body, as opposed to the spiritual body which we will receive at the resurrection.

The Greek word translated “grass” is chortos, which literally means “a courtyard” or “a garden,” but the common usage is in reference to any vegetation, particularly a meadow or field.

“Flower” is translated from anthos, which refers to “the blossom of a flowering plant.”

The verb “withers” is from zērainō, which means “to dry up.”

The word translated “falls away” is ekpiptō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” or “out of” and piptō, meaning “to fall.”

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Peter taught us that our new birth, that is our spiritual birth, is not by conception from corruptible seed but through the word of God. He now goes on to explain a little more about the corruptible seed. His simile equates the corruptible seed (humanity) with a field full of vegetation. This is the same simile that James used in teaching that riches and rich people are fleeting and temporary.

because like a flower of the garden he will pass away. For the sun rose with a burning heat and the garden withered; its flower fell, and the beauty of its appearance completely perished. (James 1:10b, 11a)

The reference in both of these verses is to Isaiah 40:6-8:

The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field: The grass withers, the flower fades: because the spirit of the LORD blows upon it: surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades: but the word of our God stands forever.

This fleshly life that we live is temporary and passing. It is often referred to as our time of wandering or “sojourning” and it will come to an end. The spiritual life that we get from the new birth, however, is eternal. If we have truly been born again, we have everlasting life with our heavenly father, and it does not begin when we get to heaven; it has already begun!

Using this same analogy regarding physical birth and spiritual birth, let me ask you, “Can we become unborn in our physical life, and did we have any part in making it happen?” Then how can we think that we have some part in our spiritual birth, and how can we believe that we could become spiritually unborn?

 

Application

Like a flower, we all must die physically some day, but we don’t have to die the second death (spiritually). God has given us eternal spiritual life through His Word. Let’s take a fresh, new look at this new birth which we have and recognize how truly priceless it is! Thank you, Heavenly Father!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:23 – Born Again Forever

Posted on by Will

having been born again, not of perishable seed but imperishable, through the word of God which lives and remains,

Truth to Learn

The source of our spiritual life, the word of God, is eternal.

 

Behind the Words

The expression, “having been born again” is translated from the Greek word anagennaō. This is a compound word made up of ana, meaning “again” and gennaō, which refers to the generation of offspring, that is, to give birth. The word is expressed here as a present, passive participle, so it could be expressed as “being a born again one.”

The word “of” is translated from the Greek word ek, which literally means “out of.”

“Perishable” is from phthartos, which refers to something that is perishable or subject to corruption and decay.

“Seed” is translated from the Greek word sporas, which refers to the “sowing of seed.”

“Remains” is the translation of the Greek word menō, which means “to remain, to stay, to live, or to endure.”

Some translations include the word “forever” at the end of this verse. This is translated from the Greek, eis ton aiona, meaning “unto the ages” or “forever.” However, the best Greek manuscripts do not include this Greek phrase.

 

Meaning Explained

The term ‘born again’ is used in only two places in the Bible, in John 3 where Jesus is talking to Nicodemus and here.

Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Nicodemus said to Him, "How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.” (John 3:3-6)

In the John 3 passage “born again” is translated from the Greek genao anothen, which literally means “born from above,” which Nicodemus clearly understood to mean “born again,” else he wouldn’t have asked the question he did.

Clearly, Peter is writing his letter to Christians, and he is telling us something about the spiritual life (salvation) that we have. He tells us that the process of being born again is not from a perishable sowing of seed. Our first birth, our physical birth, is from the sowing of perishable seed. The seed of our fathers that produced us would have eventually died and perished if it had not fertilized our mothers’ ovum. But our spiritual birth is the result of an imperishable seed.

This physical life, which was produced out of a perishable seed, is a perishable life. However, the spiritual life, the life we have as a result of the new birth, is produced by imperishable seed. As a result, this new life that we have is not perishable. It will abide … remain … endure!

 

Application

Can you imagine losing your life and trying to be physically born again? You simply can’t do it. Once this corruptible physical life is gone, it’s gone. But our spiritual life is different. We can’t lose our spiritual life because it is eternal. Do you see that? You can’t lose your salvation … ever … period!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:20 – Determined Ahead of Time

Posted on by Will

He indeed was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times because of you

Truth to Learn

Before the creation of the heavens and the earth, God determined that Christ would die for your sins and mine.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “foreknown” is proegnosmenou, which is a compound of pro, meaning “before” and a form of ginoskō, meaning “to know.” This word means “to know beforehand” or “to determine beforehand.”

The expression “before the foundation of the world” comes from the Greek, pro katabolēs kosmou. The word pro, as we just learned means “before,” katabolēs literally means “to throw down” which refers to “laying a foundation,” and kosmou is our familiar friend “cosmos” or “world system. “

 

Meaning Explained

It’s interesting to look at all three verses in the Bible that contain the expression pro katabolēs kosmou.

Father, I will that they also, whom you have given me, be with me where I am; … for you loved me before the foundation of the world. (John 17:24)

According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: (Ephesians 1:4)

who in fact was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times because of you (1 Peter 1:20)

These verses tell us three things that happened at what is referred to as “the council of God,” which occurred before time began: 1) the three persons of the Godhead had love for one another, 2) we were chosen for salvation and given by the Father to the Son, and 3) the sacrificial death of the Lamb of God (Jesus, the Son) was determined (ordained). God didn’t just create things and then “let it happen.” He has a plan for the ages and everything is being worked out exactly as He planned.

The last part of today’s verse tells us that, although the prophets didn’t understand the messages they were delivering because it was not yet revealed, the reality and significance of the death of Jesus Christ has been made known in these last days (the time in God’s plan in which you and I are living.)

 

Application

God has revealed the plan of salvation to us today in a way and to a degree never before experienced by mankind. How can we ignore that which He has put so much effort into revealing to us. There are more copies of the Holy Scriptures available in more languages and more translations than at any other time since the creation of the world! There is more preaching, there are more radio messages, and there are more television broadcasts about the Bible than ever before!

And yet, 2 Timothy 4:3 says:

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires …

What are you doing with God’s Word today?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:21 – Eternal Hope

Posted on by Will

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.

Truth to Learn

It is through Christ that we believe unto salvation, and our hope for eternity rests with God and God alone.

 

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “through” is dia which can refer to motion “through” something or it can refer to instrumentality. In this case it is the latter.

The word “believe” is from the Greek pisteuō, which means “to have faith in” or “to believe in.”

“Raised” is translated from egeirō, which means “to rouse from sleep.”  It also implies the idea of rising up from the posture of sleep. Hence, it is also used of raising someone from death.

The word translated “glory” is doxa. The root of this word is the word dokeō, which means “to think or suppose.” Hence, the word doxa principally refers to thought or opinion, especially favorable opinion. By extension it also means praise, honor, or splendor.

 

Meaning Explained

This verse must be connected with the previous verse to make complete sense. Together these two verses read:

He indeed was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times because of you  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.

Now we can clearly see that the “who” that begins the current verse refers to “you” which ended the last verse. In other words, those of us to whom Christ was manifest (made known) in these last days are saved through believing in Him. Throughout time, faith has been the key to being declared righteous by God. In Noah’s case it was belief that God was going to bring a flood. In Abraham’s case it was believing God’s promise that his descendents would be as innumerable as the stars in the sky. In the case of the Old Testament Jews, it was the belief that the Messiah was coming. In our case it is the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that his sacrificial death on the cross paid the ransom for our sins.

It is through Christ that we believe in God because Jesus Christ in his incarnation showed God the Father to us. And, it is God the father who raised Christ from the dead to prove Christ’s deity. Also, it is God the Father who placed Christ at his own right hand and returned to Him the glory He had in eternity past. Therefore, it is through Christ, and in God the Father, that our saving faith and hope for eternity rests.

Peter makes it very clear in this verse that our hope for eternity is in God. This is clearly contrary to the belief of some that our hope for eternity is in the good works that we perform while we are here in this life.

 

Application

If you believe that it is your actions or good deeds that ensure your place in heaven, then Peter says you are wrong. He declares to us here that our faith is in Him (through Christ) and that our hope is in Him as well. Our hope is in God the Father, not in our own deeds. Think about that!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:19 – The Price of Peace

Posted on by Will

but with the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Truth to Learn

The price of our salvation is exceedingly great!

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “precious” is the Greek word timiō, meaning “costly,” “honored,” or “of great value.”

“Without blemish” is translated from amōmos, a compound word made up of the privative a, meaning “not” or “without” and mōmos, meaning “a spot” or “a blemish.”

 

Meaning Explained

Remember the previous verse, ‘…you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, like silver or gold …” As much as we might like to think of these as having lasting value, as I said several days ago, these will pass away, they will wear out, they will disappear because they are corruptible things. We were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. To a Christian there can be nothing more valuable and precious than the blood of Christ. It is with this blood that complete and sufficient payment was made for all our sins. Hallelujah!

The reason that this blood was sufficient is because He perfectly fulfilled the requirement of the law that the paschal lamb was to be without blemish and without spot. He was (and is) sinless and perfect. His was the only sacrifice that could satisfy God’s righteous judgment, and it was applied to your sins and mine!

When Moses was about to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, God told him to instruct the Israelites about the Passover. On the tenth day of the month, they were to select a year-old lamb that was without defect. The word translated “without defect” is the Hebrew word tamiym, which means “completely whole, not lacking anything, completely righteous, pure, or perfect.” They were to watch this lamb for four days, and on the fourteenth day of the month, they were to sacrifice the lamb and sprinkle its blood on the sides and top of the doorway leading into their homes. The presence of this blood would indicate to the death angel to “pass over” the house and not kill the firstborn within that house.

Years later, after the children of Israel had built a temple in the Promised Land; they observed this “Passover” celebration every year. On the tenth day of the first month, a Passover lamb was selected and was lead through the sheep gate on its way to the temple. When it entered the temple, the people waved palm branches in all four directions and sang “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord” and then laid the palm branches before the lamb. The lamb was kept under close observation for four days to determine its purity. Then, on the 14th of Nisan, the lamb was declared to be pure. It was to be placed on the altar from the third hour until the ninth hour when the high priest would kill it and declare, “It is finished.”

These Passover observations were a picture of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ was to make to pay the penalty for our sins.

 

Application

Jesus Christ perfectly fulfilled the Law and met all the requirements for the Passover Lamb. The Son of God was sacrificed for your sins and mine. Do you realize how valuable that makes your salvation?

How are you showing your appreciation to God for this priceless gift?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:18 – Incorruptible Ransom

Posted on by Will

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

Truth to Learn

The price of our salvation was of great worth and is eternal.

 

Behind the Words

The word translated “redeemed” is a form of lutroō. This word means “to pay a ransom for another’s freedom.” It carries the idea of a person being held without the ability to escape and released only when a sufficient ransom price was paid.

“Aimless” is translated from mataios, meaning “to no purpose” or “fruitless.” It is a picture of someone wandering through this life without any purpose or destination in mind.

The phrase “received by tradition from your fathers” is translated from the Greek word patroparadotos. This is made up of pater, meaning “father” and a form of paradidōmi, meaning “to deliver.” It refers to something handed down by tradition from father to son. It is used here in reference to our aimless manner of living.

 

Meaning Explained

Before coming to faith in Christ, we were captured and in bondage to sin. The only payment that could set us free was life itself. But God, in His infinite mercy, offered the life of His only begotten Son in exchange for our life, as the acceptable ransom payment to set us free.

Peter here reminds us that the price of our salvation, the ransom for deliverance from the punishment of sin, has already been paid. But it was not paid with those things which we consider valuable like gold and silver. In fact, as we saw in verse seven, Peter refers to gold and silver as perishable things because they have no lasting value. But the blood of the sinless Lamb of God has eternal value.

He also tells us here that the life we were living before salvation, living under the bondage of sin, was characterized by wandering without purpose. But now that the ransom has been paid and applied to our account, we can choose to live for God (even though we don’t always do it). We now have a purpose in life!

Peter is telling us that we should do good works, works with lasting value, because we were redeemed with something of lasting value. He goes on further to say that the manner of life we had before we were saved was vain, that is, worthless or empty. We were delivered from a worthless life by something very precious, therefore we should be holy and make our new life worth something by putting works of value into the remainder of our life.

 

Application

Before salvation we were not free to live as we choose. We were slaves to sin and had no choice but to live for self. Now that we have been ransomed with the blood of Christ, we can choose to live for self or to live for God.

Who do you choose to live for?

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:17 – Impartial Judgment

Posted on by Will

And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one's work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay here on earth;

Truth to Learn

The way we live reflects how we really feel about God.

 

Behind the Words

“Without partiality” comes from aprosōpolēptos, which is a compound of three words meaning “not,” “appearance,” and “accept”. Hence, this word means that He does not take a person’s appearance into account, and it has come to mean “impartially.”

The word translated “judges” is from the Greek word krinō, which means “to distinguish or decide based on the facts.”

“Conduct” is translated from the verb form of the word anastrophē, meaning “our manner of living.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood indicating a call to action.

 

Meaning Explained

Today’s verse seems to talk about a works based salvation since it says that God judges according to every man’s work. Taken in isolation from the numerous Biblical verses that talk about salvation being of grace by faith alone, some people have even said that this verse proves that our salvation is based on works. But what does the verse really say?

God judges us based on what we do, not to earn righteousness (salvation), but as a result of the righteousness (salvation) that has already been given to us. Our righteousness is imputed (given) to us when we believe (see Romans 4:22-24).

Now, regarding the works of the unsaved, the description of the Great White Throne Judgment in Revelation 20:11-15 makes it very clear that the unsaved will be judged according to their works and then will all be condemned to the lake of fire.

But Christians will not appear before the White Throne Judgment. Instead, we will appear before the Bema Seat Judgment, about which the Apostle Paul said:

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad. (2 Corinthians 5:10)

This judgment seat of Christ is the bematos, or Bema Seat of Christ. In the first century, the Bema seat was the platform upon which the judge of athletic games sat. It was at this seat that the winners were each given a wreath “crown” as a reward for their victory. Our Bema seat judgment is for believers (winners) only and occurs after the rapture when we have already become like Christ, hence we are blameless. This is where we will receive rewards for the work we have done for Him. And in 1 Corinthians 3:8-15 we learn that our works will be judged as having been done either for the glory of God or for ourselves. Therefore, Peter admonishes us in today’s verse to pass the time of our wandering here on this earth in fear. Not fear of losing our salvation, but fear that we won’t do everything we can to show God how grateful we are.

 

Application

I have often wondered how a person who is saved by God’s grace can then live the remainder of his or her life focusing on self. When we realize the value of God’s sacrifice to pay the price of our sins, we begin to understand how precious salvation really is. Now, what are we doing to show how much we appreciate His sacrifice? Christ died for us; therefore, we should live for Him!

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved

1 Peter 1:16 – Total Submission

Posted on by Will

for it is written, "Be holy, because I am holy."

Truth to Learn

God wants us to be completely set-apart to Him.

 

Behind the Words

“For” is from the Greek word dioti, which is made up of dia, meaning “through” or “for” and hoti, meaning “that.” So literally it means “for that reason.”

The word translated “written” is a form of graphō, which means “to engrave” or “to write.” The word is used here in the perfect tense indicating past completed action with an ongoing effect where the emphasis is on the effect. That is, it was written and therefore is now written down for all to see.

 

Meaning Explained

In the previous two verses we were admonished to not be conformed to our former lusts which we followed in our ignorance, but instead to be holy (set-apart and pure) in our behavior because it is the Holy One who called us. Now, in order to explain why we need to be set-apart, Peter quotes from the Old Testament, where God said:

For I am the LORD your God: ye shall consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy; for I am holy  (Leviticus 11:44)

The word translated “consecrate” is the verb form of the same word that is translated “holy” in this Old Testament passage. As we mentioned in the previous verse, one of the key elements of sanctification, or holiness, is the notion of being “set-apart.” A sanctified vessel is one that is set-apart for service in worshipping God. To sanctify oneself, therefore, also carries with it the notion of setting oneself apart. But how do we do that?

In Romans 12:1,2 the Apostle Paul put it this way:

Therefore, brothers, I call on you through the compassions of God to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, in order to prove what is the good and pleasing and perfect will of God.

According to this passage, the way we are to become a holy, living sacrifice is to present our bodies to God. Our body becomes a sacrifice because we give up control over the use of it and commit to letting God choose how we use it. Then, Paul says we are to set ourselves apart from the world system. In other words, instead of allowing ourselves to be controlled by the world system; instead of learning to think and act like we are constantly being pressured to think and act, we need to allow our minds to be renewed by God. And the only way that can happen is by reading and studying the Bible.

Let me repeat that: the only way we can renew our mind and become set-apart to God is by reading and studying the Bible.

 

Application

On a scale of one to ten, where one is not at all set-apart and ten is completely devoted and committed to God, where are you right now? (Hint: God wants you to be a ten. Anything less means you have more submitting to do.)

In God's service, for His glory,

Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved