1 Peter 1

Greeting

1 Peter,  * 1:1 Lk 6:14; Ac 10:32 an apostle of Jesus Christ:

To those chosen, living as exiles  * 1:1 Gn 23:4; Ps 39:12; Heb 11:9,13; 1Pt 2:11 dispersed  * 1:1 Jn 7:35; Jms 1:1 abroad in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,  * 1:1 Ac 2:9; 6:9; 16:6–7; Gl 1:2 chosen  * 1:1 Mt 22:14; 24:22; Ti 1:12 according to the foreknowledge  * 1:2 Rm 8:29; 1Pt 1:20 of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit,  * 1:2 2Th 2:13 to be obedient  * 1:2 1Pt 1:14,22 and to be sprinkled with the blood  * 1:2 Heb 9:12; 10:22; 12:24 of Jesus Christ.

May grace and peace be multiplied to you.

A Living Hope

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.  * 1:3 2Co 1:3; Eph 1:3 Because of his great mercy  * 1:3 Gl 6:16; Ti 3:5 he has given us new birth  * 1:3 Jn 1:13; 3:3,7; Jms 1:18; 1Pt 1:23 into a living hope  * 1:3 Ac 23:6; 1Th 1:3 through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead  * 1:3 1Co 15:20; 1Pt 3:214 and into an inheritance that is imperishable,  * 1:4 Ac 20:32; Rm 8:17; Col 3:24 undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven  * 1:4 2Tm 4:8 for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power  * 1:5 Jn 10:28; Php 4:7 through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.  * 1:5 Rm 8:18; 2Co 4:17; Heb 12:11; 1Pt 4:13; 5:1,10; Rv 15:1; 21:96 You rejoice in this,  * 1:6 Or In this fact rejoice even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials  * 1:6 Jms 1:2; 1Pt 4:127 so that the proven character of your faith  * 1:7 Jms 1:3  — more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire  * 1:7 Is 48:10; Zch 13:9; Mal 3:3; 1Co 3:13  — may result  * 1:7 2Co 5:3; Php 3:9; Rv 14:5 in praise, glory, and honor  * 1:7 Rm 2:7,10,29; 1Co 4:5 at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  * 1:7 Lk 17:308 Though you have not seen  * 1:8 Ex 33:20; Rm 8:24 him, you love him;  * 1:8 1Jn 4:20 though not seeing him now, you believe in him, and you rejoice  * 1:8 Jn 15:11; 2Co 6:10 with inexpressible and glorious joy, 9 because you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets,  * 1:10 Lk 1:70; 10:24; 16:16,29; 18:31; 24:25,27,44 who prophesied about the grace that would come to you, searched and carefully investigated. 11 They inquired into what time or what circumstances the Spirit of Christ  * 1:11 Rm 8:9 within them was indicating when he testified in advance  * 1:11 Mt 26:24 to the sufferings of Christ  * 1:11 Mk 8:31; Lk 24:26; Php 3:10 and the glories  * 1:11 Lk 24:26 that would follow.  * 1:11 Or the glories after that12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you. These things have now been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you  * 1:12 Mk 16:15; 1Co 9:14; 2Co 10:16 by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven  * 1:12 Jn 14:26; 15:26; Ac 1:8; 2:2–4; 13:4  — angels long to catch a glimpse of these things.

A Call to Holy Living

13 Therefore, with your minds ready for action,  * 1:13 Ex 12:11 be sober-minded  * 1:13 1Pt 5:8 and set your hope  * 1:13 Mt 12:21; Rm 8:24; 1Th 1:3 completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation  * 1:13 1Pt 4:13; 5:4 of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children,  * 1:14 Heb 2:13 do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. 15 But as the one who called you  * 1:15 Gl 1:6; 5:8; 1Th 2:12; 5:24; 1Pt 5:10 is holy,  * 1:15 Lk 1:49; 1Co 7:14 you also are to be holy in all your conduct; 16 for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy.* 1:16 Lv 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:7,* 1:16 Lv 11:44–45; 19:2; 20:717 If you appeal to the Father who judges impartially  * 1:17 Ac 10:34; Rm 2:11; Gl 2:6; Eph 6:9 according to each one’s work,  * 1:17 1Co 3:12 you are to conduct yourselves in reverence  * 1:17 Ac 9:31; Rm 3:18; 2Co 5:11; 7:1; Eph 5:21; Php 2:12 during your time living as strangers. 18 For you know that you were redeemed from your empty way of life  * 1:18 2Pt 3:11 inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold,  * 1:18 Is 52:3; 1Co 6:20; Ti 2:14; Heb 9:1219 but with the precious blood of Christ,  * 1:19 Jn 6:53; Ac 20:28; 1Co 10:16; Eph 2:13; Heb 10:19 like that of an unblemished and spotless lamb.  * 1:19 Ex 12:5; Lv 4:32; Is 53:7; Jn 1:2920 He was foreknown  * 1:20 Ac 2:23; Eph 1:4; 1Pt 1:2; Rv 13:8 before the foundation of the world but was revealed in these last times  * 1:20 2Pt 3:3; Jd 18 for you. 21 Through him you believe in God,  * 1:21 Ac 10:45; Rm 4:24; 10:9; Eph 1:1; 1Tm 4:12; 6:2 who raised him from the dead  * 1:21 Ac 2:24; Rm 10:9 and gave him glory,  * 1:21 Jn 17:5,24; 1Tm 3:16; Heb 2:9 so that your faith and hope are in God.

22 Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth,  * 1:22 Other mss add through the Spirit so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other,  * 1:22 Zch 7:9; Jn 13:34; Rm 12:10; 1Th 4:9; 1Jn 4:7 from a pure  * 1:22 Other mss omit pure heart love one another constantly,  * 1:22 Or fervently,* 1:22 1Tm 1:523 because you have been born again  * 1:23 1Pt 1:3  — not of perishable seed  * 1:23 1Jn 3:9 but of imperishable — through the living and enduring word of God.  * 1:23 Lk 8:21; Heb 4:1224 For

All flesh is like grass,

and all its glory* 1:24 1Pt 5:4like a flower of the grass.

The grass withers, and the flower falls,

25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.* 1:24–25 Is 40:6–8,* 1:24–25 Is 40:6–8; Lk 21:33; Jms 1:10–11; 1Jn 2:17

And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.