God's New Bible

The First Epistle General of Peter

⭑ Berean Study Bible :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞

- Chapter 1 -

(2 Peter 1:1–2)
1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the elect who are exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen (a)
2
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.

A Living Hope

3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! By His great mercy He has given us new birth (b) into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4
and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you,
5
who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
6
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials
7
so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
8
Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and rejoice with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
9
now that you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10
Concerning this salvation, the prophets who foretold the grace to come to you searched and investigated carefully,
11
trying to determine the time and setting to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow.
12
It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, when they foretold the things now announced by those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.

A Call to Holiness

(Hebrews 12:14–17)
13
Therefore prepare your minds for action.(c) Be sober-minded. Set your hope fully on the grace to be given you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14
As obedient children, do not conform to the passions of your former ignorance.
15
But just as He who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do,
16
for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”(d)
17
Since you call on a Father who judges each one’s work impartially, conduct yourselves in reverent fear during your stay as foreigners.
18
For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life you inherited from your forefathers,
19
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or spot.
20
He was known before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in the last times for your sake.
21
Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God.

The Enduring Word

(Isaiah 40:6–8)
22
Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.(e)
23
For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall,
25
but the word of the Lord stands forever.”(f) And this is the word that was proclaimed to you.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 Literally To the elect sojourners of the Diaspora of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. These provinces were located in what is now Turkey.
(b)1:3 Or has caused us to be born again or has begotten us again
(c)1:13 Literally Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind
(d)1:16 Leviticus 11:44–45; Leviticus 19:2
(e)1:22 SBL, NE, and WH from the heart
(f)1:25 Isaiah 40:6–8
(2 Peter 1:1–2)
1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,(a) to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied.

A Living Hope

3
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4
to an incorruptible and undefiled inheritance that doesn’t fade away, reserved in Heaven for you,
5
who by the power of God are guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved in various trials,
7
that the proof of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
8
whom, not having known, you love. In him, though now you don’t see him, yet believing, you rejoice greatly with joy that is unspeakable and full of glory,
9
receiving the result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10
Concerning this salvation, the prophets sought and searched diligently. They prophesied of the grace that would come to you,
11
searching for who or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them pointed to when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow them.
12
To them it was revealed that they served not themselves, but you, in these things, which now have been announced to you through those who preached the Good News to you by the Holy Spirit sent out from heaven; which things angels desire to look into.

A Call to Holiness

(Hebrews 12:14–17)
13
Therefore prepare your minds for action.(b) Be sober, and set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ—
14
as children of obedience, not conforming yourselves according to your former lusts as in your ignorance,
15
but just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior,
16
because it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”(c)
17
If you call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judges according to each man’s work, pass the time of your living as foreigners here in reverent fear,
18
knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
19
but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ,
20
who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake,
21
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope might be in God.

The Enduring Word

(Isaiah 40:6–8)
22
Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently,
23
having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
24
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;
25
but the Lord’s word endures forever.”(d) This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.

Footnotes

(a)1:1 “Christ” means “Anointed One”.
(b)1:13 literally, “gird up the waist of your mind” or “put on the belt of the waist of your mind”
(c)1:16 ℘ Leviticus 11:44-45
(d)1:25 ℘ Isaiah 40:6-8
⮜ Back | Contents | Next ⮞