The word expresses the complete change in life of a pagan who has turned to Christ. By the word of God - See the note at James 1:18; "Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures." All men, as born of corruptible seed, are frail, mortal, and perishing; they spring up like grass, and look beautiful for a while, but are very weak and tender, and in a little time they are cut down by death, and wither away; and while they live, are, in a good measure, nothing but grass in another form; the substance of their life is greatly by it; what is the flesh ⦠Don't have an account? 2. Rev., having been begotten again. The word here rendered "seed" - σπορά spora - occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. He was born into the human race and named JESUS - God is Salvation, for your sake and for mine, so that by grace through faith in Him we might be forgiven of our sins and have life everlasting. But of incorruptible - By truth, communicating a living principle to the soul which can never decay. not of the seed of Abraham, but of the seed of God. James 5 1 Peter 1:23 1 Peter 2. The epithets serve to prepare the way for the quotation. Compare 1 Peter 1:25, and Peter's words, Acts 10:36. by the Word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever; for the incorruptible seed, and the ever living and abiding word, are two distinct things; though interpreters generally confound them: and by "the word of God" is either meant the essential Word, the Lord Jesus Christ; who is concerned in regeneration as well as the Father and the Spirit; by whose resurrection, and in consequence of it, the elect of God are begotten again; and who, as the Word, is able to build up all the sanctified ones, and give them the inheritance they are born heirs unto: or the Gospel, the word of truth, which is made use of as a means of begetting souls again; and the rather, since it seems to be so interpreted, 1 Peter 1:25 the phrases, "which liveth and abideth forever", may be either read in connection only with "God", and as descriptive of him, who is the living God, is from everlasting to everlasting, in distinction from idols; and here added, to show that he can give power and efficacy to his word, to regenerate and quicken, and will continue to preserve and make it useful to all his saving purposes; so Jarchi explains the passage in Isaiah 40:8 after referred to, "the word of our God shall stand for ever". The incorruptible Word of God abides forever, and is able to discern the inner heart and motives of every man - even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit. It is in this sense that this is spoken of as, "corruptible seed," because it results in decay and death. Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. This sinks into the heart and is living; yea, it is God Himself. (k) Pirke Abot, c. 3. sect. By the word of God.—“Seed,” in the beginning of the clause, is more literally the act of sowing, or engendering, which sowing is carried on “through the living and abiding word of God,” this “word of God” being the actual seed sown. "The Gospel bears incorruptible fruits, not dead works, because it is itself incorruptible" [Bengel]. Trust in God, through Christ, again means something for us in the here and now â something which means a great deal in 1 Peter. Although gennao can technically mean "begotten," the weight of Scripture is heavily on it meaning "born" rather than "begotten," even in scriptural areas far removed from the John 3 controversy.. Not of corruptible seed.—That is, not of the seed of Abraham, but of the seed of God. The gospel of Christ. Favoriting is a great way to keep a list of sermons, programs, and ministry resources in your account. ν á¼ÎºÏÎµÎ½á¿¶Ï possible, also demands it. However, the incorruptible, spiritual seed is the living Word of God. [10] Ibid., p. 75. 3:21; [1 Cor. 1 Peter 1:23. I. As he begins his first epistle, we recognise that the reverential awe and wonder that Peter must have felt, when he met with his resurrected Lord, and receive His commission, to 'feed my sheep'. It seems to me, however, that the more natural construction of the Greek is to refer it to God, as ever-living or enduring; and this interpretation agrees well with the connection. We have been clothed in the righteousness of Christ, and there are numerous other eternal privileges and promises, that have been given to us, as a free gift of God's grace - by faith in Him. God was not phased as a result of Adam's fall for Christ was the Lamb, slain from the foundation of the world. He recalls the great mercy and protective power of God towards His blood-bought children, and the incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that is ours in Christ. 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To Godâs elect, exiles scattered throughout the provinces of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2 who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, to ⦠Primarily, the sowing of seed. The heavens declare the glory and perfection of God, and man's conscience declares him imperfect and guilty. Love; genuine, mutual, deep, from the heart. Compare 1 John 3:9; "His seed remaineth in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.". Christ was no afterthought as a result of man's sin - He was foreknown before the world was made. It works everywhere you sign in, even with the mobile app! | Expand chapter. The incorruptible Word of God is able to discern the very thoughts and motivations of the heart, and we should listen to all that it says. Also, Ephesians 1:13; Colossians 1:5; James 1:18. Similarly, as the born-again, spiritual seed of the living, eternal Word of God, we are being conformed into the image of Christ, and will be transformed into His very likeness, for He is the living Word of God - and when we see Him, we will be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. We can relate the weakness in all of us to Peter's weakness and restoration. fol. Critics are about equally divided in the interpretation. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and new birth happens when the truth of God's Word is translated from intellectual, head knowledge into confident, heart faith - through the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit of God. We all love to think of the apostle Peter as the blustery young fisherman, whose energy and enthusiasm often caused him to make rash promises, which too often brought him crashing down into the traumatic reality of his own inability, sinfulness and pride. The Peter, before the baptism of the Holy Ghost denied Jesus as the Christ 3 times. Compare the notes at John 1:13. not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible; referring not to seed cast into the earth, which first corrupts and dies, and then is quickened, and rises, and brings forth fruit; but to human seed, and which the Jews call , "the filthy drop" (k); which is in itself corrupt, and is corrupted, and whereby the corruption of human nature is propagated; for whatsoever is born of the flesh is carnal and corrupt; and so the apostle has reference to the first birth, or natural generation of men, in which they are polluted and depraved, and confirms what the evangelist says, John 1:13 that regenerate persons are not "born of blood"; or become new creatures, and holy men, by their natural descent, or first birth, be it from whom it will; for all men are of one blood originally, and that is tainted with sin; nor by the will of fallen creatures, of corruptible men, themselves or others; but of water, and of the Spirit, of the grace of the Spirit of God, which is seed pure and incorruptible, having no mixture or taint of sin, nor any degree of pollution in it, and which remains so; nor can it be corrupted by all the wickedness there is in man's heart; nor by all the pollutions of the world, or temptations of Satan; and this seed is conveyed into the heart by the Spirit of God, in regeneration, and it contains all grace in it. which liveth and abideth for ever—It is because the Spirit of God accompanies it that the word carries in it the germ of life. They who are so born again live and abide for ever, in contrast to those who sow to the flesh. All flesh; all men as born of the flesh, and in their natural state, in opposition to regenerate men, 1 Peter 1:23. 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. By means of the word the man receives the incorruptible seed of the Holy Spirit, and so becomes one "born again": Joh 3:3-5, "born of water and the Spirit": as there is but one Greek article to the two nouns, the close connection of the sign and the grace, or new birth signified is implied. Heaven is their real home. The Peter after the baptism, historians tell us, was pleased to be crucified like his Lord. The change is so great that former friends cannot understand the new life (4:4). 1 Peter 1:1-25. "The Gospel shall never cease, though its ministry shall" [Calovius]. Christ is the Word which lives; in him, as such, is life; he has life in himself as God, as man, and as Mediator; and is the author of life, natural, spiritual, and, eternal; and abides for ever in his person, without any change; and in his offices and grace, and righteousness; he abides a priest continually, has an unchangeable priesthood, and ever lives to make intercession, and of his kingdom there is no end: the same is said of the "Memra", or Word of God, in the Chaldee paraphrase on Hosea 11:9 "I am God", "my word abideth for ever": compare John 12:34. The grass withers, And its flower falls awayââ because. Peter, before the baptism of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and Peter after the baptism. 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