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