Interpretive Study of 1Peter 1-2

Epistle theme: Use what God gave to you for a proper testimony during suffering

God's Way to Study His Word:

In 2Timothy 2:15 we read: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. The true definition of the word dividing is: 'a Mathematical function whereby we separate pre-defined units according to a precise procedure which produces a precise result'. However, while most people understand that 'there is one interpretation but many applications of the word of God', they fail to separate the procedures of each. And, as a result, they fail to separate the 'one interpretation of the word of God' from the 'many applications of the word of God'. This leads to many errors which people blame on the perfect word of God instead of their using the wrong procedure.

The result, of men using the wrong way, is that men claim that there are errors and conflicts in God's word. In Isaiah 28, God tells us how to understand His word. In addition, God preserved the message of His word; He preserves every word of His sentences; and God preserves every punctuation mark (jot and title) of His sentences. Therefore, God preserved what He wanted us to understand and God told us how to understand His word so that we have no errors and no conflicts. Unfortunately, for at least one hundred and fifty (150) yeare, men have been taught to use the wrong way to interpret God's word instead of using God's way.

In Isaiah 55:9 we are told For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. Thus, God warns us that our ways are wrong and that using God's way produces better results, which have no errors and no conflicts.

In addition, 1Corinthians 2:14 tells us: But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. Therefore, we can not properly understand the spiritual word of God using man's way. We must use God's way to understand God's preserved word of God. And, the basics of God's way is to understand His preserved word of God using the sentence format and true Biblical definitions for Bible words.

This Study follows the Biblical Way to understand God's Word. It applies precepts ('truths that never change for any circumstance'). It then goes through the epistle sentence-upon-sentence (line upon line [Isaiah 28 ]). This is different from the ways of men which use verse-upon-verse or some other method which generates errors. God's sentence-upon-sentence method also pays attention to what 'the word of God' tells us that God preserved, which are the true Biblical meanings of words and the Biblical usage of punctuation. (These two are the components of sentences and do not give us verses.) the 'the word of God' tells us that God preserved punctuation (one jot or one tittle) in Matthew 5:18 and Luke 16:17. And 'the word of God' tells us that God preserved every word when he wrote: Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3; Matthew 4:4 and Luke 4:4).

The summary of the epistle comes from the summary of each chapter and each chapter summary within that book. Every chapter summary comes from the summary of each sentence within that chapter. And, the sentence summaries come from analysis using the punctuation and true word definitions, as already explained. As a result, we have what God literally had written and see that there are no conflicts even when we consider the smallest part of a sentence compared to the entire Bible book. God is consistent from the start of a Bible book to the end and is consistent in His doctrines and word definitions across the entire Bible. What we have is an integrated whole (single) message, with no errors and no conflicts. This particular book Study is part of a detailed analysis of the entire New Testament which shows this truth.

Other than cults, all claims of errors and conflicts are based upon the New Testament. This Study is part of a series which interprets the preserved word of God using God's way and proving that there are no errors, nor any conflicts, if we obey God and use His way to interpret His word. And, this series concentrates on the New Testament, since that is the basis of these lies about the perfect word of God.

I have read, or at least skimmed, every book which has been written in the last hundred and fifty (150) years and which claims to teach people how to study and understand the word of God. In every case, they use a method which comes from man and do not use God's way (Isaiah 55:8) to study and understand the word of God. And, while there are variations from one man-written method to another man-written method, every one of them ends up with problems. The end result of those problems is that people blame God's perfect word for their own problems and either turn to a man-written 'bible' or skip verses. (By skipping the interpretation of certain verses, they can hide the conflict which their method has produced.)

Now, many people find that the Detail Studies to be overwhelming because they have everything required to prove that there are NO errors in the perfect word of God. This summary level is easier to understand for most people. At the same time, if someone has an argument with what is presented here, the matching Detail Study provides all of the proof required in order to show that what is here matches exactly what God wrote in His word. Again, this is not a matter of my opinion versus their opinion. I have over thirty (30) years’ experience as a professional Systems Analyst with an international reputation for accuracy in how to prove things. And, this series of books are the result of using recognized methods of analysis to prove what God actually wrote. This series does not present a religious opinion. Therefore, a religious opinion, which was arrived at from using wrong methods, is not superior to a true analysis of what God wrote.

People have looked for over twenty (20) years and failed to find any other work that covers everything this series cover. In addition, no one has found any other work which covers the level of detail found in the Detail Studies. Further, the Detail Studies literally have several million Bible references to support the interpretation provided and to show that the perfect word of God is consistent all across it for word definitions and doctrines. Again, no one has found any other work which has this quantity of Bible references supporting what is presented. I do not write this to brag but to inform the reader the depth of study which supports what is presented in this series.

Let any who disagree show their method and the results of their method and try to explain how their method, which produces errors, is greater that God's way which produces no errors and no conflicts.

Overview of 1Peter

Epistle theme: Use what God gave to you for a proper testimony during suffering

Click on the following links to jump to a chapter within this study: Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, God, our relationship with God.

Many people have written all kinds of commentaries on this epistle. You can find many disagreements between these commentaries. The commentaries that teach doctrinal error ignore the context as they try to justify their doctrine. Such action is motivated by devils and the resulting doctrinal error can bring the judgment of God upon His people instead of the blessings that God wants to give. 1John 4:1 tells us Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.. The commentaries which do base their comments upon what is actually written, with consideration of context and proper methods of interpretation, will agree on doctrine even while presenting different views of that doctrine.

Several places in this epistle Peter references prophecies which have been fulfilled or prophecies which will be fulfilled. Please see the Sections called Prophecies and Prophecies Fulfilled, in the Studies called Significant Gospel Events and Significant New Testament Events. In addition, the Significant New Testament Events has a section for the Promises from God which Peter tells us about in this epistle. The majority of prophecies have been fulfilled. The main lesson from them is that the God of the Bible is the most powerful being Who exists anywhere and that He always keeps His promises and His prophecies. All other beings, weather spiritual or physical, combined can not keep God from fulfilling His promises and His prophecies. Therefore, we are to have true Biblical faith that God can, and will, fulfill all of His unfulfilled promises and His prophecies. God will do it in His time and His way. However, we are to live our life as if those unfulfilled prophecies are as reliable as the laws of Mathematics and the law of gravity. This attitude is the basis for accepting what peter writes to us.

In addition to those Doctrinal Studies, please also reference the Studies called: False things according to the Bible; Fear of the Lord for references to this epistle and to where the same doctrines are found in other places of the Bible. Please also reference the Messages called: Basic doctrine of Baptism, Baptism Gets God's Mercy, Called to be Saints, Do the Will of God, and The Will of God for how those messages reference this epistle.

The general structure of Peter's epistle is like the Pauline Epistles. He has an opening salutation, states the purpose of his epistle, provides a general doctrinal basis for what he has to say, applies those doctrinal principles to the circumstances which he is dealing with, gives specific commands for how we are to act based upon the doctrine that he has presented and then closes his epistle with greetings and blessings from others.

The specific commands from Peter match closely with what Paul says in Ephesians and Colossians. However, the doctrinal basis, and the circumstances found within the Pauline Epistles are different from what Peter is dealing with. Thus, we can know that the most basic doctrine for saved people to follow when they are dealing with the circumstances of life is summarized in James 4:8, which tells, which tells us: Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. please note that part of Draw nigh to God is to 'Stop our sinning' (Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded). While Paul and Peter use different words, and their specific commands are different, the basic doctrine underlying their commands is the same basic doctrine which is found in James.

In Ephesians and Colossians, Paul is dealing with our relationship to God which is through Christ. He gives the Gospel of Christ and tells us that those saved people who are obedient will be blessed while those saved people who are disobedient will be cursed and punished by God. Peter is dealing with saved people who are in, or are going into, persecution. The world and the devil try to use persecution to get us to disobey. Like Paul, Peter warns us that those saved people who are disobedient will be cursed and punished by God. Paul, Peter and James all tell us to obey God in order to be blessed and in order to avoid being cursed and receiving punishment. While the details that each deal with is different, the basic doctrine is the same. Please note that: according to the Bible, true blessings are spiritual in nature and may actually accompany persecutions in the flesh. In fact, when we accept persecutions in the flesh, because we are serving God, we receive greater blessings in eternity than we would receive for our service which does not include persecutions in the flesh.

Returning to the specifics of our current epistle, we see that Peter told us that the purpose of his epistle was to tell us that God knew how to bring us to obedience and purification and spiritual healing through the blood of Christ before Jesus was born. God elected us to receive these through sanctification which is 'to be set aside from the way of the world and flesh, and to be made available for service to God, so that we have a different walk in the flesh than the world has'. Those saved people who obey are God's elect and they receive grace and multiplied peace. However, in order to receive these blessings, they must meet God's definition of God's elect, which requires them to have sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. He continues by saying, Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently.

Peter also warns of the coming judgment and tells us that our life is like the grass which does not last long. Therefore, we should concentrate on the everlasting spiritual instead of the short-lived physical. Peter finishes his chapter telling us: Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever...And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. Thus, we see that the word of God is supposed to change the way that we live so that our life brings glory to God regardless of the circumstances that we find ourselves in. Further, Peter starts his epistle by emphasizing the need for saved people to have the attitude that if we suffer in the flesh while in service to God's kingdom then we will receive greater reward in eternity. This is part of the message from the word of God and is part of the true gospel which Peter says is preached unto you.

Peter starts his second chapter with the word Wherefore which lets us know that this chapter is based upon the doctrine of the first chapter. A major source of doctrinal error is taking things out of context. Unfortunately, a lot of preachers are given so short time that they do not show God's people the foundation that is the basis of the scripture which they preach from.

This basis is important because in the second chapter, Peter makes the distinction between religious and truly saved people with the religious being disobedient and the truly saved being obedient. In addition, to the difference in how people obey the word, the obedient are given a different relationship with God and display a different testimony and receive mercy from God which the disobedient do not receive. Thus, we see that our obedience is a critical part of our relationship with God and is mandatory for receiving blessings from God. As part of that obedience, Peter gives specific commands about how the saved are to deal with people in authority within this world. Those commands are ones that no person would follow in their own flesh. Thus, we have a testimony that is based upon an observable difference of behaviour which strictly comes from obeying the command of God.

When we move into our third chapter, we see that our relationship with God is to be displayed through our relationship with other people, especially in how husbands and wives are to treat each other. In addition, the way that we are commanded to treat each other is different from the way that fleshly people act. Therefore, this difference in attitude and actions provides a testimony of true salvation. . What we are seeing with these commands from Peter is that the objectionable circumstances of life are necessary in order for us to have a true testimony of salvation which is different from how the lost world acts. Lost and saved people act in similar ways when things are going well. It is only how we react to bad circumstances which show who truly is using help from God and who is lying and only claiming a relationship which they do not truly live.

Our third chapter ended by telling us how Christ...hath once suffered for sins and how our acting the same way during suffering is our true testimony of salvation and an ongoing personal relationship with God through Christ. Now our fourth chapter tells us to arm yourselves likewise with the same mind so that we can cease from sin (and) no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. Peter goes on and talks about the saved having a changed life which no longer seeks the lists and sins which mark the life of lost people. After telling us this, Peter uses it to tell us the attitudes to have while dealing with other people in our personal life. He tells us that our basic attitude needs to be happy anytime that we can suffer and show the changes brought by Christ and for saved people to be ashamed and avoid acting like the worst of lost sinners. Peter ends the chapter by reminding us that judgment is coming and it includes severe punishment for the disobedient. We are to commit the keeping of (our) soul to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Basically, we are to do right in the worst of circumstances and trust God to reward our obedience after we get to the judgment seat of Christ.

People claim that this epistle is about suffering. And it does deal with that subject but deals with far more than that. What we actually see here is that God has given the saved things like His Holy Spirit and a mind which is different from what the lost have. God then allows a trial of our faith in order to give us a testimony of being different from lost people by how we react to that trial of faith. Peter also warns of judgment and that a proper response to our trial of faith will result in reward while a wrong response will result in punishment.

With that in mind, we enter Peter's last chapter where he instructs the elders to use proper methods when feeding the flock of God which is among you. Peter tells of their reward for doing so and then tells all saved to have a proper attitude so that we can be blessed and not punished. Peter gives a final warning about the devil and tells us to keep in mind why God lets us suffer so that we don't react wrong and loose our blessings. After this, Peter has his final blessings and encouragements from others. However, the thing to keep in mind is that this epistle is not just about suffering but is actually about the testimony of truly saved people and how that testimony is based upon their having a different response (from the response of other people) to suffering and the circumstances of this world. The sufferings are only allowed by God in order to let us build a testimony which will get us rewards at our judgment. However, part of Peter's message is also a warning that we will suffer at our judgment if we are disobedient and fain to build the testimony that God expects us to have. Peter tells us that God has given the saved people things like His Holy Spirit and a mind which is different from what the lost people have. God expects the saved to use what was given to them and to produce the expected testimony.

Chapter Outlines by sentence format.

Chapter 1
Chapter theme: God gives grace and multiplied peace to saved people who serve Him.

The theme of 1Peter Chapter 1 comes from 1:1-2. However, we must be elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. in this chapter, Peter tells us that God knew how to bring us to obedience and purification and spiritual healing through the blood of Christ before Jesus was born. God elected us to receive these through sanctification which is 'to be set aside from the way of the world and flesh, and to be made available for service to God, so that we have a different walk in the flesh than the world has'.

in this chapter Peter talks about the Spiritual versus physical. Peter tells us why we should obey the Spiritual while we are still in the physical. Look at 1:9 and realize that our soul is 'the long-term way we think, the way we make decisions with our will and the way that we react emotionally to the circumstances of life'. These are all involved with our current life and, in fact, control our current physical life. The salvation of your souls is 'the changing of the way that we use our mind, our will and our emotions from self-destructive promptings (which come from the world, our flesh or devils) to constructive promptings (which Christ teaches us)'.

The Spiritual promptings from Christ are designed to change our soul-driven actions in this present physical world. Also, look at 1:22-23, which has a colon in the middle and which makes the two verses equivalent. Many people treat 1:23 as an independent statement and claim that all who receive the word of God are positively saved. However, all throughout the Bible. God uses physical life as a type of spiritual life. No matter if you are talking about plant seed, animal seed or human seed, there is much seed which is planted and does not result in a 'birth' (Being born again). However, as James 3:11-12 points out, the type of fruit that is birthed is determined by the seed. Thus, truly Being born again requires the incorruptible...word of God. However, that does not guarantee that all planted seed (word of God) results in Being born again. What the colon in 1:22-23 tells us is that those people who are truly Being born again also have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit.

Thus, in several places of this chapter, Peter tells us that the physical life of people who are truly Being born again will show evidence of Spirit control from Christ, through their obedience to the word of God and the Holy Spirit of God.

Peter starts the chapter out saying that we are elect through sanctification of the spirit and concludes with For all flesh is as grass...But the word of the Lord endureth for ever because flesh is physical and the Word of the Lord is spiritual. Throughout Chapter 1, Peter compares and contrasts the physical and the spiritual. The physical falls far short and Peter tells us to concentrate on the spiritual in order to endure the trials of the physical.

Peter compares and contrasts the physical and spiritual in chapter 1. He tells us that we are saved by a spiritual Word, not by a physical religion. Please see the table below for a summary.

Verse	Spiritual	Physical
1-2	Elect, sprinkled of blood	obedience, grace and peace
3	begotten us, lively hope	resurrection of Jesus
4	inheritance reserved in heaven, Kept by God	through (our) faith
6	We rejoice in the spiritual	we are in heaviness through manifold temptations
7	more precious than of gold, praise...of Jesus	trial of your faith
8	we love Jesus and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory	(13) Wherefore gird...your mind...as obedient children
9	Receiving. The salvation of your souls	not former lusts, be ye holy
17-19	fear God, redeemed by blood	not redeemed with physical
22-23	purified your souls	love one another with a pure heart fervently
	Being born again. of incorruptible...word of God	corruptible (religion)
24	word of the Lord endureth for ever	all flesh is as grass

This chapter can be summarized as:

C1-S1 Who the epistle is fRomans for whom, along with the blessings received for obedience to the epistle.
1. The name of Peter identifies the author of this epistle.
2. The phrase an apostle of Jesus Christ tells us his authority to specify doctrine for God's children to believe and obey.
3. The phrase to the strangers tells us who Peter was writing to. This phrase means: 'to the non-Jews'. Many people claim that this phrase identified Jews. But, if you study how the word strangers is used in the Bible, you will see that the Biblical meaning of this word is non-Jews. In addition, please also see 1Peter 2:10, which tells us that the people that Peter is writing to: in time past were not a people. The Jews considered themselves to be a people. Therefore, that sentence is also telling us that this epistle is not written to Jews.
4. The phrase scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia identifies where these saved people lived.
5. The word elect means: 'They were saved and dealing with God God's way'. God does not elect people but elects a way for people to deal with God. The people who deal with God God's way are God's elect.
6. The phrase according to the foreknowledge of God the Father means: 'God the Father knew that anyone who came to Him His way would be His elect'.
7. The phrase through sanctification of the Spirit means: 'People can come to God His way (be His elect) only if God's Holy Spirit sanctifies them'.
8. The phrase unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ means: 'We become God's elect and sanctified by God's Holy Spirit only if we let God's Holy Spirit bring us unto obedience to God and spiritual cleansing (sprinkling) by the blood of Jesus Christ'.
9. The phrase Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied tells us the blessings which are available to us if the rest of this sentence is true in our life.
C1-S2 Recognize the blessings that we have and why we have them.
1. The phrase Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ tells us the main characteristic of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ which helps us in all of our trouble.
2. The phrase which according to his abundant mercy means: 'This is why God saves and blesses us'. The word abundant means: 'Plentiful; in great quantity; fully sufficient; as an abundant supply; abounding; having in great quantity; overflowing with'. God has enough mercy to save anyone and to forgive any sin done by His children.
3. Both, the words begotten and lively speak of spiritual life and all life moves. The phrase hath begotten us again unto a lively hope means: 'God has made the truly saved spiritually alive and that spiritual life causes them to act upon the hope that God gives to them'.
4. The phrase by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead means: 'The 'Church Age', and our having the indwelling Holy Spirit was made possible by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead'. Before He rose, these things were not available to man.
5. The phrase To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you tells us what we can receive when we get to Heaven. Please see the detail note for more on these words.
6. The phrase Who are kept by the power of God means: 'God is Who keeps us saved. True salvation is not dependent upon us, which is why we can not lose it'.
7. The phrase through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time means: 'God will reveal all that He gives to the saved during the 1,000-years reign of Christ'. Please notice that this is through faith and not by faith.
C1-S3 the testimony of the elect.
1. The phrase Wherein ye greatly rejoice means: 'Our rejoicing is to be in our salvation and in our lively hope'.
2. The phrase though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations means: 'No matter what we are going through in this physical life, we are to rejoice in what God has given us spiritually'.
3. The phrase That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth means: 'Each saved person will go through a trial of your faith and that trial is mpre precious than anything of this physical world because it produces everlasting results'.
4. The phrase though it be tried with fire means: 'It does not matter how fierce our personal trial is, we are to react to in in a Godly way'.
5. The phrase might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ means: 'If we react right then we will receive praise and honour when we die or are 'Rapture'd'.
6. The phrases Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing means: 'Each and every one of us personally (ye) are to love Jesus Christ, even though we have never seen Him, because we have true Biblical belief'.
7. The phrase ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory tells us how 'Each and every one of us personally (ye) are to rejoice while still in this physical world'.
8. The phrase Receiving the end of your faith means: 'This is the goal of our faith'.
9. The phrase even the salvation of your souls means: 'The goal is to have our long-term thinking, our emotional responses and our decisions of our will to be like Jesus Christ'.
C1-S4 the wonder of Old Testament prophets.
1. The phrase Of which salvation means: 'The salvation identified in the prior sentence. This salvation includes a God-caused change in the lifestyle of the saved and should include their rejoicing even in persecution.'.
2. The phrase the prophets have inquired and searched diligently means: 'The Old Testament prophets told people, and wrote down, the things that God showed them even though they did not fully understand what God told them to report.'. They inquired and searched diligently for understanding that they did not have. They are our example of true Biblical faith. They served and obeyed even with no, or little, understanding of what God was doing in their time.
3. The phrase who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you means: 'Even in the time of Jesus, the Jews and especially the religious leaders, did not understand God's plan'. Think about Peter and the other disciples denying the multiple prophecies, from Jesus, about His suffering and death. The doctrinal error, which the Jews believed, came from the religious leaders claiming to understand prophecies which they did not understand and which they gave a wrong understanding of. The same thing still happens today.
4. The phrase Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify means: 'The Old Testament prophets were searching for the answers which God did not give to them but hid from them. In particular, God hid the subjects of the next two phrases'.
5. The phrase when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ in particular, is what the Jews misunderstood and denied.
6. The phrase and the glory that should follow means: 'They did not understand about the 1,000-years reign of Christ and who would help Him to rule'. The religious leaders all taught that the Jews would go into the kingdom and rule over all other people of the Earth. That is why they were prejudiced and thought themselves to be greater than all other people. They did not understand that only saved and serving people would help Christ to rule this world.
C1-S5 God hides things so that we walk by faith.
1. The phrases Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things means: 'God showed the prophets that what they prophesied was not for them but was for us'. Even when they spoke of judgment coming on God's people, it was to teach us the consequence of living in sin and that our position among men does not protect us from the judgment of our own sin. In addition, God did not give them understanding but required them to report what they did not understand. This made them an example of living by faith.
2. The phrase which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you means: 'God gave understanding to His apostles and preachers after He fulfilled the prophecies'. However, just like in the Old Testament, God has not given full understanding of unfulfilled prophecies and we are expected to live by faith that God will fulfill His promises and His prophecies even when we do not understand how He will do it nor when He will do it.
3. The phrase with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven means: 'We now have the indwelling Holy Ghost to help us understand scripture. No one else had that (ongoing) help before the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And, one of the reasons that God gives us the indwelling Holy Ghost is to help us understand scripture (1Corinthians 2:14). People who try to understand scripture without the help of God's Holy Ghost are always led into doctrinal error'.
4. The phrase which things the angels desire to look into means that not even the angels understood prophecy before God revealed exactly how He would fulfill it.
C1-S6 the conclusion is that proper obedience is required.
1. The word Wherefore means: 'These actions are to be the results of the prior doctrine no matter what circumstances of life you experience'.
2. The phrase gird up the loins of your mind means: 'Turn your brain on and get it ready to work'. The phrase gird up the loins means: 'get it ready to work'. The Jews wore robes. When they had to go to work, they would pull the bottom of the back of their robe through their legs and tuck it under their belt in the front. And, they would pull the bottom of the front of their robe through their legs and tuck it under their belt in the back. (The belt was worn around their loins, which is how they arrived at this figure of speech.) And, Peter is telling us to get our mind ready to work because most people, most of the time, let their mind stay idle and what Peter is writing takes active thinking in order to understand it.
3. The phrase be sober means: 'Have your mind completely under control and don't let it wander nor let your emotions control your thinking'. Many people get emotional when it comes to religion. They even like to shout Amen. However, Peter is instructing us to put that aside and to think completely and truly analyze what he is writing to us.
4. The phrase and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ means: 'Learn the character of Jesus Christ. As more of His character is revealed to you, your hope for the grace should increase. You are to hold onto this hope to the end of your physical life.'.
5. The phrase As obedient children means: 'We claimed to be made children of God when we were saved. Therefore, in order to receive the mentioned hope, and other blessings, we must be obedient'.
6. The phrase not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance means: 'No longer let former lusts control your life. Also, Peter wrote that we are to gird up the loins of your mind, be sober. If we do this, we will not be ignorant and will understand the true results of each lifestyle '.
7. The phrase But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation means: 'All of our life is to show that we have been changed to be holy like Jesus Christ is holy'.
8. The phrase Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy tells us why we should obey the entire sentence. This quote comes from: Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 20:7 and Leviticus 20:26.
C1-S7 Judgment is based upon our response to our redemption.
1. The word and means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence'. After this And, we have a conditional (if) statement. This means that we must fulfill the commandment of the prior sentence and fulfill the conditional requirement if we wish to receive the specified result.
2. The phrase if ye call on the Father is a conditional statement that some people might better understand if the word if was changed to when. However, the problem with that is that too many people would believe that they can call on the Father without fulfilling God's requirements to receive what they ask for. In addition, the word ye means: 'each and every one of you personally'. Too many people believe that if they have some religious person pray for them, then they have no personal responsibilities such as personal prayer and personal obedience. All of these leads people to believe that God doesn't love them and God doesn't care when they don't do their part in an ongoing personal relationship with God.
3. The phrase who without respect of persons means: 'It does not matter what your position is in this world. Religion says that people like the prophet and priest have greater access to God and that women and children have less access. However, those claims are proven to be lies, as proven By this phrase'.
4. The phrase judgeth according to every man's work means: 'This is how you get more from God. Go to work in His kingdom and do things the way that God specifies'.
5. The phrase pass the time of your sojourning here in fear means: 'Our time of sojourning here id the length of our life. We are to not fear anything but the Lord but we are to fear the Lord'. The true Fear of the Lord is the knowledge that 'God will hurt us more than we can imagine if we refuse to obey'.
6. The phrase Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold means: 'Nothing in this physical world can pay for our spiritual salvation. Neither can any of those things pay for sins done after being spiritually saved'.
7. The phrase from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers means: 'The lifestyle that we were taught by our culture looked good on the outside but was spiritually dead (vain). All have sinned (Romans 3:23 and Romans 5:12 ').
8. The word redeemed means: 'bought back'. The phrase But (were redeemed) with the precious blood of Christ means: 'After we became children of God (were saved), we still sinned. Christ paid the cost for those sins done as children of God so that we can spend our time learning to belike God and spend our time serving God. We do not have to spend our time paying for sins done as children of God'.
9. The phrase as of a lamb without blemish and without spot means: 'Christ is our perfect sacrifice. We no longer have to bring animal sacrifices like they did in the Old Testament'.
10. The phrase Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you means: 'God planned for our salvation and sanctification before He created the world. God did not completely reveal His plan until the New Testament'.
11. The phrase Who by him do believe in God means: 'We receive belief in God by Christ'.
12. The phrase that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory means: 'God did this for Christ'.
13. The phrase that your faith and hope might be in God means: 'Here's why'. Our faith and hope is to be in God and not in religion.
C1-S8 the evidence of being truly born again.
1. The phrase Seeing ye have purified your souls tells us that Peter believes that his audience has already done this. He is not writing to the lost nor to the carnal saved.
2. The phrase in obeying the truth through the Spirit tells us how we each personally (ye) have Seeing ye have purified your souls the lost and the carnal saved have not personally done this.
3. The phrase unto unfeigned love of the brethren means: 'This is the true result of the prior phrases in our sentence'. Have you ever been to a church which preaches liberal doctrine or lies from devils like the Catholic Church? they do not make strangers welcome and extend God's love to people that they just met. If your church does not do this, then your church has a problem.
4. The phrase see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently means: 'Make this love very real in your personal life and in your church'.
5. The phrase Being born again is the start of a new verse but the middle of this sentence. Here we have an excellent example of how the verse format encourages people to take God's word out of context while the sentence format, which God tells us to use, does not do that. Now, our phrase is telling us that we can be sure that we are (the word being is: 'an ongoing verb of existence'), truly born again if the earlier phrases of this sentence (Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren), and of this chapter, are true in our personal life. If those things are not true in our personal life then we have a real problem with our assurance. Religion says that if you stand at a pulpit and beat on it while you scream 'I know that I know that I know', several times, then God has no choice but to give you the assurance that you demand. Our sentence, when considered as a whole single thought, tells us where true Biblical assurance comes from.
6. The phrase Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible is symbolic language which is explained in the next phrase and in the 'Parable of the Sower' (Matthew 13:2-23; Mark 4:1-20 and Luke 8:4-15).
7. The word of means: 'belongs to'. The phrase the word of God means: 'This is the preserved word which belongs to God and is the English KJV-1611. It is NOT referring to some man-written perversion nor is it referencing something that no longer exists such as 'the God breathed originals in the original languages (plural)''. The word by means: 'how you get from one place to another place'. The phrase the word of God means: 'Only the true the word of God will get you from being lost to being saved and from being carnal to being a true servant of God'.
8. The phrase which liveth and abideth for ever means: 'The word of God is spiritually alive and will live for ever'. No, it is not physically alive but, yes, it is spiritually alive.
C1-S9 Life is short. The word For means: 'This sentence, with the next sentence, tell us why the prior sentence is true'. Our physical life is very short and anything which we achieve in this life will quickly fade to nothing.
C1-S10 the contrast that we are to consider. This sentence continues the message of the prior sentence.
1. The phrase The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away symbolically tells us hat 'Our physical life will soon mean nothing and our achievements in this life will soon disappear and be forgotten'.
2. The phrase But the word of the Lord endureth for ever means: 'This is what will last and what we do in obedience to it will last because the Lord will make the record of our obedience last'.
C1-S11 this truth is the basis for the gospel is preached unto you. The word and means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence'. This sentence adds that the gospel is based upon the word of the Lord. Therefore, obeying the commandments of the gospel is haw we do works that will last.

Chapter 2
Chapter theme: Being religious versus being saved.

Our prior chapter explained that God gives grace to the saved and gives multiplied grace to the saved who are also devoting their life to the service of God. Part of that multiplied grace is having the indwelling Holy Ghost to help us understand scripture. Without His help, even the saved will be led into error. And, as shown throughout all of history, doctrinal error is pushed by lost people and saved, but carnal, people.

Those people who are truly saved are different than those people who are religious, which are the lost and the carnal. Basically, the religious are disobedient while the truly saved are obedient. The theme of 1Peter 2 is found in 2:7-10 which tell us the differences between disobedient people who stumble at the word and obedient people who find Jesus Christ to be precious. In addition to the difference in how people obey the word, the obedient are given a different relationship with God and display a different testimony and receive mercy from God which the disobedient do not receive. One simple evidence of this difference is that the disobedient are constantly asking people to pray about problems in this life and hardly ever ask for prayer about spiritual matters. They want people to pray for God to stop punishing them while they continue to live in sin.

This chapter can be summarized as:

C2-S1 How to act based upon the truth of the prior chapter.
1. The word Wherefore means: 'The actions, and results, of this sentence are to be the results of the prior doctrine no matter what circumstances of life you experience'.
2. The phrases laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings tell us the first thing that we need to do as soon as we are truly saved. Please see the detail note for more on these words.
3. The phrase As newborn babes means: 'We are to make these changes to our life as soon as we get truly Biblically saved'.
4. The phrase desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby means: 'Set your heart (desire) on the basic doctrines of the word of God (the sincere milk of the word) so that you personally (ye) can spiritually mature (grow thereby)'. People can not spiritually mature without reading, and getting some understanding of, the word of God.
5. The phrase If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious means: 'This is a conditional requirement'. If someone has not truly tasted that the Lord is gracious, then it is highly doubtful that that are truly saved. Most likely, they believed some religious claim and made a false profession.
C2-S2 Results of our coming to Christ.
1. The phrase To whom coming is referencing the Lord from the prior sentence. This phrase means: 'We must come with an attitude of being willing to obey and of believing whatever His word says'. In particular, we must be willing to give up any religious traditions which go against the true interpretation of the word of God.
2. The phrase as unto a living stone means: 'Recognizing that Christ is living and that we must accept an ongoing personal relationship with Him. In addition, our protection and stability must come from Him as our stone'. In every place that the Bible uses the word stone, it is making a direct or symbolic reference to the role of Christ.
3. The phrase disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious means: 'Men and religions disallow this ongoing personal relationship with Christ. However, this relationship is chosen of God, and precious because it is what changes us and makes us like God'. God kicked Satan and the other disobedient angels out of Heaven and called them devils. God does not want His personal home (Heaven) filled with a bunch of people who act like devils.
4. The phrase Ye also, as lively stones means: 'Each and every one of us personally (ye) are to be living examples of Christ (lively stones)'.
5. The phrase are built up a spiritual house means: 'We are to become the temple of God (1Corinthians 3:16-17; 1Corinthians 6:19; 2Corinthians 6:16; 2Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 3:12)'.
6. The phrase an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices means: 'Part of our job is to pray (sacrifices) for others'.
7. The phrase acceptable to God by Jesus Christ means: 'Only Jesus Christ can make our prayers acceptable to God'. Prayers offered by Mary or anyone else are not acceptable to God.
C2-S3 the scriptural basis for what Peter tells us.
1. The word Wherefore means: 'The actions, and results, of this sentence are to be the results of the prior doctrine no matter what circumstances of life you experience'.
2. The phrase also it is contained in the scripture means: 'This sentence is referencing references Isaiah 28:16 as the basis of the doctrine being taught'. Isaiah ends his verse with shall not make haste while Peter ends with: shall not be confounded. When people are hasty, and not willing to spend time getting to know their Lord, they end up being confounded because their prayers are not answered and they may even end up being punished. In context, Peter is telling us to take our time and build an ongoing personal relationship with God.
C2-S4 the results which are based upon what we believe about Jesus Christ.
1. The word therefore means: 'The results, found in this sentence, are the results of what came just before the word therefore'. The phrase Unto you therefore which believe he is precious means: 'Christ is precious to the people which believe because God promised answered prayers and understanding to those people who believe in Him'.
2. The phrase but unto them which be disobedient introduces the rest of this sentence. The rest tell us the different result which them which be disobedient receive.
3. The phrase the stone which the builders disallowed is a quote from Psalms 118:22 but it is also referenced in Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 57:14; Luke 20:17; Romans 9:32-33 and 1Corinthians 1:23. Please see the detailed note for much more on this sentence. This is directly speaking about an incident that happened during the building of the Temple. Symbolically, this phrase is speaking about Jesus Christ being rejected by the Jewish religious leaders.
4. The phrase the same is made the head of the corner means: 'Jesus Christ is our corner stone and is to be the most important part of the foundation of our life'.
5. The phrase And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence means: 'Jesus Christ still causes religions and religious leaders to stumble and take offence over God's requirement that we have an ongoing personal relationship with Him instead of following religious rules'.
6. The phrase even to them which stumble at the word means: 'Lost and carnal people have a hard time understanding the true meaning of the word of God. They blame the word of God for their own errors and conflicts'.
7. The phrase being disobedient means: 'This is why they stumble and are offended. They refuse to obey God and the word of God'.
8. The phrase whereunto also they were appointed means: 'God appointed the disobedient to stumble and be offended by the word of God'. This is exactly why Jesus spoke to the people in parables (Matthew 13:10-13).
C2-S5 God's change in the lives of obedient saved people.
1. The word But means: 'This sentence is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going a different direction'. And, the change in direction is because the saved and serving people had a different attitude and different actions than the lost and carnal people, who were identified in the prior sentence.
2. The phrase ye are a chosen generation means: 'God chose the people who live during the 'Church age' (a chosen generation) to personally (ye) have a relationship with God which was never given before this time'.
3. The phrase a royal priesthood means: 'We are to represent God to men and represent sinful men before God'. The Book of Hebrews explains that Jesus Christ is our high priest and that we are to serve God, in this function, under the direction of Jesus Christ.
4. The phrase an holy nation means: 'Our primary identification in the world should be that we are holy'.
5. The phrase a peculiar people means: 'The world should note that we live and act different from the people of the world'.
6. The phrase that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light is a symbolic statement of how our life is to be changed. The word light is used, symbolically, for: 'true spiritual understanding'. The word darkness is used, symbolically, for: 'lack of true spiritual understanding. Being lead by devils, the world and / or the lusts of the flesh'. Our phrase means: 'We are to have a life which proves that God changed our understanding about how we are to live. And, our changed life is to cause people to praise God'.
7. The phrase Which in time past were not a people means: 'Peter is addressing Gentiles (strangers) {see the first sentence of this epistle }'. The Jews considered themselves to be a people while refusing that recognition to any other people.
8. The phrase but are now the people of God means: 'Being saved made us part of the people of God'. And, our changed life is to distinguish us from other people just like the Jews have always been a separate people no matter where in the world they are.
9. The phrase which had not obtained mercy means: 'As lost people who were separated from God and the word of God, we had no chance for true salvation'. (Please see Ephesians 2:11-12).
10. The phrase but now have obtained mercy means: 'All truly saved people have received God's mercy. And, as explained By this sentence and elsewhere, that should cause a change in our life'.(Please see Ephesians 2:13-22).
C2-S6 the testimony that we are to maintain.
1. The phrase Dearly beloved means: 'Peter is representing God in this sentence and this epistle. He does not personally know all of his audience but he can know that they are Dearly beloved to God. And, since he is delivering a message from God, he identifies his audience the way that God considers them'.
2. The word beseech means: 'beg'. And, as we already saw, the word strangers means: 'non-Jew / Gentile'. The word pilgrim means: 'In Scripture, one that has only a temporary residence on earth. Heb.11'. The phrase I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims means: 'As God's representative, Peter is recognizing their background and current long-term circumstancesThey were not raised with the knowledge of scripture like Jews were. Therefore, there are a lot of true doctrinal lessons that they may not have been taught. In addition, as pilgrims their current culture and circumstances will, probably, not teach them what they need to know about God and true doctrine of how to live.
3. Our soul is: 'the long-term way that we think and make decisions of our will and react emotionally to the circumstances of this life'. And, all sins, including fleshly lusts, are addictive. The phrase abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul means: 'The fleshly lusts are going to turn all aspects of your soul against what Jesus Christ is trying to teach you'.
4. The phrase Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles means: 'This is how to avoid doing the prior phrase and how to learn what Jesus Christ is trying to teach you'.
5. The phrase that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers means: 'This is what the lost and carnal people say against what truly saved and serving people do'.
6. The phrase they may by your good works, which they shall behold means: 'This is the evidence3 which God will use when He judges them'.
7. The phrase glorify God in the day of visitation means: 'This is when they meet God and are judged. They will have to glorify and admit that God sent them the message of salvation, and of sanctification, which they personally chose to reject'.
C2-S7 Submit to God-appointed earthly rulers and laws.
1. The phrase Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man means: 'Do what the Law, and government officials, say and what the law, and government officials, mean in their statements so long as it does not directly violate the word of God. '. . .
2. The phrase for the Lord's sake means: 'This is so that you truly represent the Lord, who caused the government officials to have their positions'.
3. The phrase whether it be to the king, as supreme means: 'This identifies laws and leaders of the highest government body in the area where you live'.
4. The phrase Or unto governors means: 'This identifies laws and leaders of the all lower levels of government in the area where you live'.
5. The phrase as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers means: 'This is what they are supposed to do'. When government officials do not do this it is because the people desired evil government officials who would justify their sinful lifestyle s.
6. The phrase and for the praise of them that do well means: 'This is what they are supposed to do'. When government officials do not do this it is because the people desired evil government officials who would justify their sinful lifestyle s.
C2-S8 How and why we are to obey God-appointed worldly rulers.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true'.
2. The phrase so is the will of God means: 'This is why we are to obey the prior command. It does not matter what we think or feel, we can not argue with God'.
3. The phrase that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men means: 'Here is the reason why we are to obey the prior command'. Foolish men, in their ignorance, argue for rulers who support their sinful lifestyle . Then, they complain when those same rulers support someone else's sinful lifestyle which hurts them personally. That is when we are to remind them that God gave them the leaders whom they demanded.
4. The phrase As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness means: 'God freed you from the addiction of sin. Don't go back to a life of sin, and the addiction thereof, but use your liberty to serve God'.
5. The phrase but as the servants of God means: 'here is how you are to use your liberty'.
C2-S9 Command about all men, the sentence Honour all men is very clear.
C2-S10 Command about the brotherhood. The sentence Love the brotherhood is very clear. This is a command to love all saved, even those who are not a member of your local church.
C2-S11 Command about God. The sentence Fear God is very clear. The problem is that many people have been confused by all of the lies about the word fear. This is not the only place in the Bible where we are commanded to Fear God. However, we are also commanded to fear nothing and no one else. Devil-motivated liars claim that we should fear no one, including God.
C2-S12 Command about government. The sentence Honour the king is very clear. This commandment leaves no room whether he is good or evil. We are to Honour the king because of his position.
C2-S13 Command to servants. We see matching commandments in Colossians and Ephesians. Yes, this says to be subject to your masters with all fear, and an earlier note said to not fear anyone but God. However, since God put the servant under the authority of the master, this phrase is actually an extension of our command to fear God. The true applications of the commandment to fear God is to fear everyone that God puts in authority over you.
C2-S14 the first reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the commandments of the prior sentences are true'. This sentence answers the question about an evil master who punishes people for doing right.
2. The phrase This is thankworthy means: 'We are to thank God because this will make us like Jesus Christ and can, with the right attitude, increase our rewards in Heaven'.
3. The phrase if a man for conscience toward God endure grief means: 'This is the conditional requirement for receiving the blessings of God. When we endure grief for conscience toward God, we prove that we have faith that God will make up for all of our suffering'. Saved people who refuse to fulfill this requirement prove that they do not believe the promise of God and, in actions, prove that they believe that God lied when He made His promises.
4. The phrase suffering wrongfully means: 'We did nothing to cause this suffering. Such people are truly suffering for another reason and the reason Peter is presenting is their true service to God'.
C2-S15 the second reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentences are true'.
2. The phrase what glory is it means: 'Your life is not bringing glory to God when people say that you received what you deserve'.
3. The phrase if, when ye be buffeted for your faults specifies the conditional statement where God gets no glory and you get no reward.
4. The phrase ye shall take it patiently tells us that a right attitude, while receiving just punishment, does not earn a reward.
C2-S16 the third reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter. The word But means: 'This sentence is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going a different direction'. And, the change in direction is because the cause of punishment is different between the two sentences. Here, we see the condition which will bring glory to God and earn us a reward.
C2-S17 How Christ made us able to obey these commandments.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentences are true'.
2. The word even means: 'two things have equal weight just like the two items in a balancing scale have equal weight when the two sides are even'. The phrase even hereunto were ye called means: 'God called us to maintain the right attitude while we suffer so that our attitude displays the attitude of Christ to the world. And, our displaying the attitude of Christ is just as important (even) as His leaving us an example'. People can no longer see and hear Jesus Christ in His flesh but they can see and hear the God caused change in His true followers.
3. The phrase because Christ also suffered for us means: 'This is why we are to have a God caused changed life and a true testimony of following Christ. Many people like to call themselves Christians, but only those saved people who live like Him are true Christians'. Someone who is not willing to suffer as a testimony for God is not a true follower of Christ and they are not a true Biblical Christian.
4. The phrase leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps means: 'Here is why Christ suffered and left us an example'. If someone does not follow his steps, then they are not a true follower of Christ. They are not a true Biblical Christian.
5. The phrase Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth means: 'Even when Jesus Christ was wrongly treated and lied about, He did not react in the flesh but remained an example of following the commandments of God the Father'.
6. The phrase Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not means: 'Here is the example from Jesus Christ on how to react to suffering and wrong treatment'.
7. The phrase but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously means: 'Here is the right attitude of faith to maintain'. He is our example of living a testimony that we expect God to take vengeance on those people who treat us wrong and we expect God the reward us for acting right, with the right attitude, as ministers of God.
8. The phrase Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree means: 'reminds us of what Jesus Christ suffered and what is the example which we are to follow'.
9. The phrase that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness means: 'This is the true testimony that true Biblical Christians are to maintain'.
10. The phrase by whose stripes ye were healed means: 'This is how we receive all of our healing (emotional, mental, spiritual and physical'. Those who maintain the testimony presented in this sentence and this chapter can call on God for this blessing. Those people, even the saved, who do not maintain the testimony presented in this sentence and this chapter can not call on God for this blessing.
C2-S18 the fifth reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentences are true'.
2. The phrase ye were as sheep going astray means: 'We went into dangerous places without realizing what we were doing when we were lost and carnal'.
3. The phrase but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls means: 'Now we are following Jesus Christ Who protects us, as our Shepherd, And who teaches us correct doctrine, as our Bishop'.

Chapter 3
Chapter theme: the relationship that we have with God through Christ.

Ephesians 5:32 explains that the relationship between a husband and wife is a picture of the relationship between Christ and the church. Peter starts this chapter by telling husbands and wives how to act in order to properly represent the relationship between Christ and the church. Then he tells us how to treat the other saved people and how to act in general so that we get the most of what is available to us through our own relationship with God. This is when Peter warns of judgment and the difference in what obedient and disobedient saved people receive. With that in mind, Peter deals with our being wrongly treated by others and tells us to be willing to suffer in the flesh in order to sanctify God in your heart and be a witness to men. This is part of our relationship whereby we are to display Christ in our life.

Christ suffered for us and our willingness to do the same is a witness that we have a true relationship with Christ. Peter ends his chapter with baptism and there is controversy about this last sentence because people ignore the context of the chapter when they deal with this sentence. Here, Peter is reminding us that we agreed to accept Christ as our personal Lord and to let him change our life so that we are saved from the judgment of God upon disobedient saved people who do evil (3:12). Our sentence tells us that this baptism is about having the answer of a good conscience toward God, which is only possible if we act properly within the relationship with Christ which started with our baptism.

This chapter can be summarized as:

C3-S1 Why wives are to be in subjection to (their) own husband.
1. The word likewise means: 'in the same manner'.
2. The phrase Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands means: wives, are to be in subjection to your own husbands, 'in the same manner' as the prior chapter told all saved to be in subjection to Christ. Thus, this first sentence can not be properly understood unless the prior chapter is properly understood.
3. The word that means: 'here is the desired result of the prior phrase'.
4. The phrase if any obey not the word means: 'If any saved wife has a lost or carnal husband'.
5. The phrase they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives means: 'The wife is to have a lifestyle (conversation) which draws the husband into true Biblical faith while she is not preaching / harping / persuading him to do as she wishes'.
6. The phrase While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear means: 'The wife is to display a chase lifestyle (conversation) coupled with true fear of the Lord'. Her true fear of the Lord is to be based upon the possible judgment of God, in this world and in the Heaven, that can come upon her children if she teaches them to be rebellious and they end up rebelling against God.
C3-S2 How a wife is to win their lost, or carnal, husband.
1. The word Whose is referencing the saved wife who was identified in the prior sentence.
2. The phrase adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel means: 'Don't rely on the way of the world nor on physical things such as our looks'.
3. The word But means: 'This phrase is continuing the subject of the prior phrase while going a different direction'. The phrase But let it be the hidden man of the heart means: 'Rely on having a Godly character inside'.
4. The phrase in that which is not corruptible means: 'Only a Godly character is not corruptible'.
5. The phrase even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit means: 'These are the two main characteristics that a Godly wife is to have'.
6. The phrase which is in the sight of God of great price means: 'This is how God values a Godly character'. Having this type of character shows true Biblical faith in God and in His rewarding obedience to Him.
C3-S3 How wives are to act like their Biblical examples.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true. Our sentence uses old time the holy women as an example of how wives receive blessings from God'.
2. The phrase after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God means: 'Peter is using Biblical examples of wives who trusted in God, and had their prayers answered, as examples for current wives to follow'.
3. The phrase adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands means: 'These woman did not rely upon outward adorning to be attractive to their husbands but used their inward character and their being in subjection to be attractive'. Please notice that this was unto their own husbands and not to all men, like some religions claim.
4. The phrase Even as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord means: 'Peter uses Sarah as an example and tells us that she called Abraham lord to show her level of subjection'. Remember that God gave her a son even after she was too old to get pregnant and then used that son as a type of Christ. Thus, as most mothers wish, her son was made very important and successful with God.
5. The phrase whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well. Here we see the qualification of: as long as ye do well. This phrase means: 'Women have to receive the submissive character of Sarah to be considered her daughters by God'.
6. The phrase and are not afraid with any amazement means: 'This is an additional character trait'. Yes, wives are to be afraid of upsetting their husbands. But, they should know their husband well enough that they are not amazed at what makes him angry.
C3-S4 How Husbands are to treat their wives.
1. The word likewise means: 'in the same manner'.
2. The phrase Likewise, ye husbands means: husbands are to be in subjection to their God-given authority as an example to their wife. A husband can not expect his wife to be in subjection when they live the opposite example to their wife.
3. The phrase dwell with them according to knowledge means that the husband needs to know how the word of God tells us how to deal with different circumstances of life which we must deal with.
4. The phrase giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel means: 'Even though many women get upset with hearing this truth, Eve was deceived and Adam was not. As a result, women, in general, inherited a weaker understanding of spiritual matters'. Often, women have a better understanding of physical matters, but Peter is writing to us about spiritual matters.
5. The phrase and as being heirs together of the grace of life means: 'The husband must treat his wife properly and lead her properly if he wants to receive the grace of life from God'. The husband and wife are considered to be one flesh by God and one can not inherit the grace of life, from God, without the other also inheriting at the same time.
6. The phrase that your prayers be not hindered means: 'When the husband keeps his wife upset because he is not treating her right, God stops listening to his prayers. And, the same is true for the prayers of the wife'.
C3-S5 Conclusion of all that Peter has said to this point.
1. The word Finally means: Peter is concluding what he has to write about this relationship with this sentence and the next two sentences. Then he has switched to a different but related subject.
2. The phrase be ye all of one mind means: 'Think the same way about the problems of life'. Thinking different ways about issues of life, such as money, divides the married couple and God says that they are to be one flesh. That means having the same goals for this physical life and being in agreement on how to achieve those goals.
3. The phrase having compassion one of another means: 'Consider the feelings of your mate and do all that you can, within the limits of the word of God, to avoid upsetting your mate'.
4. The phrase love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous tells us specific things to do in order to accomplish the prior phrase.
5. The phrase Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing tells us specific things to not do in order to accomplish having compassion one of another.
6. The phrase but contrariwise blessing means: 'Do all that you can to be a blessing to your mate, especially when the other is upset'.
7. The phrase knowing that ye are thereunto called means: 'Being a blessing and an encouragement is what God called us to be, especially when we get married'.
8. The phrase that ye should inherit a blessing means: 'Here's why we should obey all parts of this sentence and chapter'. God wants us to be a blessing before we receive a blessing. Our righteous attitude is the main reason why God gives us blessings.
C3-S6 Why obedience to the prior commands is important.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true'. This sentence is saying, with more detail, what I explained for the prior sentence. God wants us to be a blessing before we receive a blessing. Our righteous attitude is the main reason why God gives us blessings.
2. The phrase he that will love life, and see good days identifies the goal that we should all have in this life.
3. The phrase let him refrain his tongue from evil means: 'The first thing to do is to control your tongue'.
4. The phrase and his lips that they speak no guile. The word guile means: 'deceit or duplicity'. Jesus is the Truth and we are supposed to be witnesses of His character. God will not bless us for acting like Satan (the father of lies) while we claim to represent Jesus.
5. The phrase Let him eschew evil, and do good. The word eschew means: 'flee from'. In more than one place, within the Bible, we are told to stay far away from evil.
6. The phrase let him seek peace, and ensue it. The word ensue means: 'To follow; to pursue'. This is what we are to seek instead of seeking evil.
C3-S7 Judgment by the Lord.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior two sentences are true'.
2. The phrase the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous means: 'The Lord is watching over these people to protect them'. I've heard people ask: 'Why does God let bad things happen to good people?'. And, in most of those cases, the people do not meet God's definition of good because they are not righteous. If we want to have The Lord protect us then we need to fulfill God's definition of being righteous.
3. The phrase and his ears are open unto their prayers means: 'God is listening to their prayers'. People claim that God hears all prayers but the Bible warns us of the truth that there are times when God refuses to listen. If we want God to hear our prayers, we need to fulfill God's definition of being righteous.
4. The word but means: 'This phrase is continuing the subject of the prior phrase while changing direction'.
5. The phrase the face of the Lord is against them that do evil means: 'God turns His back to these people and refuses to even hear their prayers'.
C3-S8 Who can set aside the protection of the Lord?
1. The word And means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence'. Then, our next sentence gives us an exception to the general rule which is in this sentence. In addition, the two sentences after that start with the word For and tell us why this sentence, and the next sentence, are true. Therefore, we need to consider all of these sentences together.
2. The phrase who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? means: 'God is in control of everything that happens in the life of the believer. If something happens to a believer, which we think will cause harm, then God allowed it'. Anything that God allows into the life of a believer is for His glory and our good. So, if something happens, which we think of as bad in this physical life, then God allowed it with the intention that we receive greater spiritual good from it. However, we need to pay attention to the conditional phrase if ye be followers of that which is good. Saved people, who are not followers of that which is good, can not expect this same result. All throughout the Bible we see that God allows harm to happen to His disobedient children in order to encourage them to stop their sin. Therefore, the disobedient children of God should expect to receive the same today.
C3-S9 the right attitude about physical suffering.
1. The word But means: 'This sentence is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going a different direction'. And, the change in direction is because the cause of harm is different between the two sentences.
2. The phrase and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye means: 'This sentence not only changes direction from the prior sentence, but it is adding a conditional phrase to limit to whom the rest of the sentence can be applied to'. Thus, we must fulfill the first phrase before the second phrase applies to us. Thus, the only people who can honestly claim to be personally (ye) happy to suffer are those saved people who suffer for righteousness' sake. They are the only people to whom God promises greater spiritual rewards.
3. Peter writes the phrase and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled to saved people who fulfill the requirements of the prior phrase. This is because of the promised reward and because of the promise in 1Corinthians 10:13. As I have explained elsewhere on this web site, I have personal experience in this particular circumstance and base my writing upon personal experience.
4. The phrase But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts means: 'Set the Lord apart from other beings and do not expect Him to act like other beings'. And, we are told to do this in our heart ['The short term way we think (mind), the way we emotionally respond to circumstances (emotions) and the method we use to make decisions (will)']. As we deal with the circumstances of our every day life, we are commanded to consider that the Lord is different and He leads us differently from any other being.
5. The phrase and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear
  1. The word and means: 'This phrase is added to the prior phrase'. After we sanctify the Lord God in your heart, we are to always be ready to be His minister.
  2. The phrase be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you is where we get soul winning. That is: 'Always be ready to give out the Gospel and tell others about the love of God'.
  3. The phrase the hope that is in you is part of what you get from your ongoing personal relationship with God. Hope is an action verb just like faith is. However, where faith requires us to act based on a promise found in the word of God, hope requires us to act based on the person of God. We are to be ready to tell others about our personal relationship with God and how He blesses us personally. Then, we are to be ready to tell them how He motivates us to tell others so that they can also experience the personal love of God.
  4. The phrase with meekness and fear tells us the attitude we are to have while being a minister for God. The word meek means: 'Power under control'. This word is not like the word weak but it recognizes that we are to have God's power in us but, also. it is God Who is in control. In addition, the word fear speaks about knowing what God will do to us if we refuse to obey or if we misrepresent God.
6. The phrase Having a good conscience means: 'Listening to the inner part of us, that God gave to everyone, telling us that we are doing good and avoiding evil'.
7. The phrase that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers means: 'People in the world will tell lies about us because our message bothers them and devils motivate them to lie'. Lost people like to claim that saved, and serving, people are doing the things that they, themselves, are doing.
8. The phrase they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ means: 'This is what will happen to them when they are judged by God'.
C3-S10 the first reason (for) why we should be willing to suffer in this life. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true'. in this sentence, we are told that there are two main reasons why people suffer. And, we are told that one reason (ye suffer for well doing) is better than the other reason (ye suffer for evil doing) because the first brings a reward from God.
C3-S11 the second reason (for) why we should be willing to suffer in this life. When we claim to be Christians, we need to be willing to suffer like Christ did.
1. Please be careful with this sentence because lots of people preach a couple of doctrinal errors based on taking part of the sentence out of context.
2. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentences are true, especially the second prior sentence'.
3. The phrase Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust means: 'The Son of God suffered and died, as Christ, and God applies this sin payment differently than how God applies the payment that the Son of God did as Jesus. Our phrases say that He suffered for sins done by the unjust as Christ. The unjust are also called the lukewarm in Revelation 3:16. These are saved people who live a life of sin instead of letting God change their lives. (That is why they are unjust, their life does not justify God saving them.)' (Please see the detail note for the explanation of this truth.)
4. The phrase that he might bring us to God means: 'Christ presents those saved whom He has also spiritually cleansed to God'. This does not include the saved who refuse to stop their sin and who never serve God. Please consider the context of the entire chapter because, in this chapter, Peter is dealing with saved people who try to live right as opposed to saved people who refuse to live right.
5. The phrase being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit means: 'Even though Christ was put to death in the flesh, He was made spiritually alive (quickened) when He took back His power as Creator, which He set aside in order to be conceived, live and die as a weak literal human being'. Remember that Jesus Christ is the Resurrection (John 11:25). He could not die while holding onto His power as God / the Resurrection while He died. However, after He died and was taken to Hell by devils, He tool back His own power and bound Satan (Matthew 12:29; Mark 3:27). (Again, please see the detail note for the explanation of this truth.)
6. The phrase By which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison is a phrase that many people pervert in order to justify lies from devils. We are not told what Jesus Christ preached nor what was the result of what He preached. Some claim that He preached salvation to souls in Hell and use that to justify the Roman Catholic doctrine of Purgatory and praying souls out of Hell and into Heaven. The Mormons also use it to justify their doctrine of 'Baptizing the dead out of hell', and other religions justify other lies. Those are lies from a devil and the best we can do is to tell the truth, which we are not told more about this phrase. And, since anyone who tries to add to it teaches lies, we need to leave it alone until we get to Heaven and can ask Peter what he meant.
  
  In addition, 1Peter 4:6 tells us: For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. Again, men use that sentence to justify their doctrinal error. Old Testament saints (them that are dead), like Abraham, died knowing that God would raise up Christ. They did not know exactly Who he was until Jesus Christ identified himself to them and led them to Heaven (live according to God in the spirit). Other Old Testament people (them that are dead), like Esau (Romans 9:13), were left in Hell until they are judged according to men in the flesh at the great white throne judgment. (God will not judge alone but will also let men have their say against those who are put into the lake of fire.
7. The phrase Which sometime were disobedient tells us some things about them, but not enough to make a doctrine. These spirits in prison lived before there was a law and before there was a written word of God (in the days of Noah). Therefore, legal judgment of them can not be applied to people of today (Romans 7:8-9). Again, people try to justify doctrines from devils be adding to this phrase when we are not told enough to justify any doctrine, much less a doctrine from devils such as people being saved after they die.
8. The phrase when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water is another source of doctrinal error. The eight souls (who) were saved by water were saved physically but they were not saved spiritually. Using this phrase, with part of the next sentence, does not support the doctrinal error that water baptism is required for spiritual salvation. In addition, that doctrine totally ignores the contextual message of this chapter. (Again, please see the detail note for the explanation of this truth.)
C3-S12 Baptism symbolizes our changed life which Jesus Christ provided by His resurrection. Like the prior sentence, the meaning of this sentence is perverted to justify doctrinal error and doctrines from devils.
1. The phrase The like figure means: 'The prior sentence gives us a picture (figure) which is used in this sentence'. Just like a picture of you does not contain all that is you, so also does this picture not contain all that is in true spiritual salvation. As explained for the prior sentence, the picture is of physical salvation.
2. The phrase whereunto even baptism doth also now save us means: 'Baptism provides physical salvation to the newly saved by publicly identifying then with Jesus Christ'. In Mark 8:38 and Luke 9:26, we read that Jesus said: Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of means of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. When Satan goes into Heaven and accuses the saved of sin, those people who are not baptized are not defended by Jesus Christ and Satan is allowed to hurt them physically and in this world. However, when saved people are publicly identified with Jesus Christ, by baptism, He defends them in Heaven and they are protected from the hurt that Satan wants to give them in this physical reality.
3. The phrase (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God) means: 'The baptism, which Peter is writing about, ins not dunking people under water (the putting away of the filth of the flesh) but is the answer of a good conscience toward God, which comes from the God caused changed life'. And, our changed life starts with baptism and becoming a faithful member of the church.
4. The phrase by the resurrection of Jesus Christ means: Jesus Christ was raised again for our justification (Romans 4:25). That is: 'to blot out the legal record of our sins so that we are not spending our time paying for sins but can spend our time learning to be like Jesus Christ'.
5. The phrase Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God. As already explained for this sentence and the prior sentence, Jesus Christ is on the right hand of God and acting as the legal representative of saved and baptized and serving people. Satan is allowed to hurt the rest in order to give them an attitude adjustment about their disobedience.
6. The phrase angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him is a reference to prophecy and future rewards for saved and baptized and serving people. Right now, angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him in the spiritual reality. After the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, this will also be true in this physical reality. The saved and baptized and serving people will be allowed to return with Him and enjoy this changed physical reality.

Chapter 4
Chapter theme: Trust God while suffering.

The theme of Chapter 4 comes from 4:19 which tells us: Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. in this chapter, Peter is giving us detailed instruction on how to live within our relationship with God while the circumstances of life try to get us to act wrong. Our chapter tells us to let everything done in the flesh be according to the will of God as shown to us by the Holy Spirit. We are not to let the circumstances of life dictate how we live but are to trust God for our future rewards while live like Christ did in spite of the circumstances of life.

in this chapter, Peter explains how that Christ suffered to enable us to stop acting like we used to act before we were saved. Since He suffered to make us free from sin, we are to:

act like Christ and live according to God in the Spirit (4:6)
We are to be aware of the coming judgment (the end of all things is at hand [4:7 ])
each is to personally (ye) be sober (1:13; 4:7; 5:8)
each is to personally (ye) watch unto prayer (4:7)
have fervent charity among yourselves (4:8)
have hospitality one to another without grudging (4:9)
speak as the oracles of God (4:11)
minister as of the ability which God giveth (4:11)

This chapter can be summarized as:

C4-S1 Get prepared for a spiritual battle while living in the flesh.
1. The phrase Forasmuch then means: 'Considering how much (Forasmuch) was just mentioned, we should do what follows (then)'. That is: this sentence and chapter are based upon the doctrine found within the prior chapter.
2. The phrase as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh means: 'In the same manner (as), we should do as commanded in the rest of this sentence'.
3. The phrase arm yourselves likewise with the same mind means: 'The spiritual battle starts in the mind'. We are to receive the mind of Christ (1Corinthians 2:16) so that we think just like Him. This is the only way to win the spiritual battle.
4. The word For means: 'the following phrase tells us why the prior phrase is true'.
5. The phrase he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin implies that this suffering is because the person is serving God and devil motivated men object. Only saved people who have truly ceased from sin will have the tripe of testimony to cause the reaction which Peter is writing about.
6. The phrase That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men means: 'This is the reason why we should cease from sin'.
7. The phrase but to the will of God means: 'This should be what our life is devoted to'.
C4-S2 We need a testimony of a changed life.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true'.
2. The phrase the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles means: 'In the past, most people lived for the lusts of the flesh (the will of the Gentiles) and according to the rules of a corrupt society'.
3. The phrase when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries means: 'Here are several specific examples of the prior phrase'. Please see the detailed note for much more on this sentence.
4. The phrase Wherein they think it strange that ye run not with them to the same excess of riot means: 'Lost and carnal people can not understand a truly God caused changed life'.
5. The phrase speaking evil of you means: 'Lost and carnal people attack the saved and truly saved because they don't understand, and they are bothered by what they don't understand, and the changed life bothers their own conscience'.
6. The phrase Who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the quick and the dead means: 'Jesus Christ will judge all men and all men will be required to Jesus for the things done in their life'. In addition, Jesus Christ will be the judge for the saved (quick) and the lost (dead).
C4-S3 Why Christ preached to people who are now dead. As already mentioned in the prior chapter, many people add to what is here in order to justify doctrinal error and lies from devils. We need to consider the true meaning of this sentence by keeping in mind the context and by not going beyond what God has truly revealed in His word.
1. The first word For, in this sentence, means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true'. The phrase, from the second For through the word dead, is specifying a condition which tells us what and when the action was done but is not, directly, part of the reason why the prior sentence is true. Only the phrases that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit give us the reason why the prior sentence is true. The phrase For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead tells us why the rest of the sentence is true but should not be applied to the prior sentence.
2. The second word For, in this sentence, means: 'This is why the Christ preached the gospel as reported in 1Peter 3:18-20 '.
3. The phrase For this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead means: 'This is why the rest of the sentence is true. Jesus Christ did this phrase in order to enable the rest of the sentence to be done and for God to remain always righteous'.
4. The phrase that they might be judged according to men in the flesh means: 'God will not testify against men when He judges them but will have the angers present what is in the Heavenly legal record and then have men who lived through similar, or worse, circumstances testify and state what they believe is a righteous judgment'.
5. The phrase but live according to God in the spirit means: 'While those people who still have sins recorded on their Heavenly legal record are judged, those saved people who also fulfilled God's requirements to be justified (Have their Heavenly legal record blotted our), will but live according to God in the spirit'. And, those justified people are so because they also live according to God in the spirit while here in this physical life.
C4-S4 Consider our own future judgment.
1. The word But means: 'This sentence is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going a different direction'. And, the change in direction is from past events to future events.
2. The phrase the end of all things is at hand means: 'The 'Rapture' can happen at any time. There is nothing left which must precede it'.
3. The word therefore means: 'The results of what came just before the word therefore'. We are commanded here to act based upon the fact that 'The 'Rapture' can happen at any time'.
4. The phrase be ye sober means: 'Each and every one of you personally (ye are to control your emotions'. This is the main attitude we need to keep.
5. The word and adds this phrase to the prior phrase. The phrase and watch unto prayer means: 'Each and every one of you personally (ye are to devote your life to prayer'. This is the main action we need to do.
C4-S5 the most important action we are to do while we are in this life.
1. The word and means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence'. Our sentence is adding another action of which Peter writes is above all things.
2. The phrase above all things means: 'The command of this sentence is more spiritual (above) than the prior commands'.
3. The phrase have fervent charity among yourselves means: 'Show the love of God (charity) to all people, regardless of how you feel about them, and do it with a fervent spirit'. Please see 1Corinthians 13 about the word charity.
4. The word for means: 'Here's why we should obey the prior command'.
5. The phrase charity shall cover the multitude of sins means that each of us is still a sinner even though we are saved and that our sins must be covered or we will be judged for at the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10).
C4-S6 (Use hospitality one to another without grudging.) is a very simple and clear commandment. We should do all that we can to edify, help, and encourage each other in all that we can. In particular, if someone in the church has a need which we can meet, we should meet that need.
C4-S7 How to use our gift from God to help Hos church.
1. The phrase As every man hath received the gift means: 'God gave every saved person at least one spiritual gift. And, different people have different spiritual gifts'. The greatest spiritual gift is Jesus and salvation through Him (John 4:10). Different people also receive different spiritual gifts because they have a different job to do within the church. (Please see the notes of 1Corinthians 12:8-11, 1Corinthians 12:28; Romans 12:4-8 and Hebrews 2:4 about diversities of gifts.)
2. The word even means that 'the two sides have equal weight such as when the two sides of a balancing scale are even'. Thus, the phrase even so minister the same one to another means: 'Our using our spiritual gift to minister the same one to another is just as important as God giving us the spiritual gift'. If we do not use it to minister the same one to another, then we prove that God wasted His effort when he gave the spiritual gift to us.
3. The phrase as good stewards of the manifold grace of God means: 'God giving us a spiritual gift is grace. We are not a good steward if we do not use the spiritual gift that God intended to benefit His church'.
C4-S8 Our ministry as stewards of the manifold grace of God is to be based strictly on what God wants us to do.
1. The phrase If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God means: 'Everything that a preacher or teacher says is to be based upon the word of God or the testimony of God and not on his religion, his opinion nor on anything else which goes against the word of God'.
2. The phrase if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth means: 'God gives us the ability to do ministry'. Do what God gives you to do using the ability that God gives. Don't worry about someone having what appears to be a better ministry. Instead, use what God gives to serve God and believe that He will improve your ability the more you serve Him more.
3. The phrase that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ means: 'This is why we are to obey everything that is commanded in this sentence'.
4. The phrase to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever means: 'We are to recognize what God does in and through us (praise and we are to recognize His Lordship (dominion) and we are to do this for ever and ever'.
C4-S9 Amen means: 'This doubles the prior sentence and makes it part of the law of God which will be used to judge us'.
C4-S10 the proper way to react to God's test.
1. This sentence could appear to be disjointed and not related to what Peter wrote in the prior sentence. However, starting in 1Peter 4:7, Peter is writing specific commands about serving God. And, our current sentence is warning us about a common response that people, who are truly doing their God-given ministry from their heart, receive.
2. The word Beloved lets us know that Peter is addressing the saved and serving. God loves the saved and carnal but they are not Beloved because they are earning God's wrath with their disobedience. Ask any honest parent how they feel about a child who is deliberately throwing a fit in front of a crowd to try and manipulate the parent into doing what the child wants.
3. The phrase think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you means: 'These things are going to happen to the saved and serving'. God uses fiery trials to prove to everyone -- humans, angels, devils and especially ourselves -- that we have true Biblical faith. God also uses fiery trials to mature us spiritually while increasing our true Biblical faith.
4. The phrase as though some strange thing happened unto you means: 'These fiery trials are a common part of life, especially for the saved and serving'.
5. The phrase But rejoice means: 'Get the right attitude about the fiery trials'.
6. The phrase inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings means: 'We get to participate in the ministry of Christ in this current world and at this current time'.
7. The phrase that, when his glory shall be revealed means: 'Everyone will acknowledge the truth when Christ returns to rule this world for 1,000-years'.
8. The phrase ye may be glad also with exceeding joy means: 'This is how we will feel when we receive our reward and when we see Christ receive His reward'. The amount of reward that each saved and serving person receives is proportional to how much they participate in the ministry of Christ in this current world and at this current time.
C4-S11 the proper way to react to reproach.
1. The phrase If ye be reproached for the name of Christ means: 'This is the conditional phrase which determines which, of two, types of people you belong to'.
2. The phrase happy are ye means: 'This is the response which identifies the saved and serving'.
3. The phrase for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you means: 'This is why the saved and serving respond this way'.
4. The phrase on their part he is evil spoken of means: 'This is how the other type of people respond to Christ'.
5. The word but means: 'This phrase is continuing the subject of the prior phrase while changing directions. '. This phrase is contrasting the expressed relationship to Christ, which the saved and serving have, to the relationship that others have with Him.
6. The phrase but on your part he is glorified means: 'If Christ is not glorified by your life, then that indicates that you are not saved and serving'.
C4-S12 Exception to prior sentence. The word But means: 'This sentence is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going a different direction'. And, the change in direction is because the cause of harm is different between the two sentences. Where the prior sentence dealt with the saved and serving, this sentence deals with people who claim to be saved and carnal. Basically, we are told to not be that type of person. The phrases let none of you suffer as a murderer or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters identify several examples of people who may claim to be saved but, if they are, they are not serving Christ. Peter writes that we are to not be this type of person.
C4-S13 Extension to two prior sentences.
1. The word yet means: 'Nevertheless; notwithstanding; Beside; over and above; a kind of emphatical addition to a negative'. The prior sentences identified two types of people and some might mistakenly think that they are in the one group while they are actually in the other group. Therefore, Peter is adding this qualifying sentence in order to avoid such an error.
2. The phrase if any man suffer as a Christian means: 'This is the conditional phrase which identifies the people who are in this conditional group'. When Peter uses the word Christian, he is using the true Biblical definition for these people and not using one of the worldly wrong definitions. in this phrase, Peter is writing: 'If any of you live a life where everyone, especially the lost, say "I see Christ in your life", and you suffer because of that reason and for no other reason'.
3. The phrase let him not be ashamed means: 'Do not react this way'.
4. The phrase but let him glorify God on this behalf means: 'This is the right way to react to this circumstance in your life'. Reacting this way, to these circumstances, bring glory to God and everlasting rewards to the believer. So, while it is not fun to suffer in the flesh, we are to keep our eyes on the spiritual results and glorify God because of those spiritual results.
C4-S14 Why we suffer now.
1. The word For means: 'This sentence tells us why the prior sentence is true'.
2. The phrase the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God means: 'We will all be judged by God for how we live our life. The judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10) will happen before the great white throne judgment'. However, in addition to the time factor, the judgment of the saved is more important to God, than the judgment of the lost, because the saved belong to God while the lost belong to Satan.
3. The phrase and if it first begin at us means: 'This is the conditional phrase which we are to keep in mind as we consider the next phrase. It is added to the prior phrase in order to let us know why Peter wrote the prior phrase'.
4. The phrase what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? means: 'This phrase is the main point of the entire sentence. '. God wants us to consider how He truly judges everyone. And, this is written so that the saved, but carnal, will truly consider their own judgment even though they will be in Heaven. There will be saved people, in Heaven, who will spend more than 1,000-years in outer darkness, and crying their eyes out an average of more than twice a week for that entire time. God does not wipe away all tears until after the great white throne judgment.
C4-S15 Consider the fate of others.
1. The word and means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence'. This is a further consideration which is based upon the prior sentences.
2. The phrase if the righteous scarcely be saved means: 'This is the conditional phrase to consider when thinking about future judgment'. God is going to punish the saved and serving for unrepentant sins. Devils convince people that this truth is a lie so that people believe that they can spend their life sinning and still be blessed by God and only, possibly, lose some blessing. Peter is trying to get us to consider what the word of God truly says so that we will not be deceived.
3. The phrase where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? means: 'Consider the fate of others'. The word ungodly identifies: 'the saved, but carnal, person'. The word sinner identifies: 'the lost person'.
C4-S16 Conclusion of the chapter.
1. The word Wherefore means: 'The actions, and results, of this sentence are to be the results of the prior doctrine no matter what circumstances of life you experience'.
2. The phrase let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing means: 'This is the concluding doctrine, of this chapter, to the saved and serving'. We are to trust God for the future of our soul. We are to believe what the word of God tells us to believe. We are to do what the word of God tells us to do. We are to do both trusting the character of God for the fulfillment of His promises.
3. The phrase as unto a faithful Creator identifies the character of God which is the basis of what peter writes. God is not foolish and it would be foolish of God to create this reality, and us, only to destroy it with no good reason. God created you, He loves you, and He wants to bless you. Please use This link to see the 'Minor Titles of the Son of God' found within the Bible along with links to where the Bible uses those titles. This title is Creator.

Chapter 5
Chapter theme: watch that you don't slip into following the flesh and the devil.

The theme of Chapter 5 comes from 5:8-9. We are to keep following God's Spirit and know that we don't have it any worse than other saved people have had it. (Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.) in this chapter, Peter is giving commands to different people who have different roles within the church. This chapter is the practical application of the doctrine taught within earlier chapters. This follows the same format as most Pauline Epistles.

This chapter can be summarized as:

C5-S1 Peter exhorts elders to cause the church to grow spiritually (Feed the flock of God which is among you).
1. The word elder is given at least two wrong definitions by religious groups who wish to justify their wrong doctrine. The true Biblical definition, of the word elder is: 'An older saved person within the church who has Godly wisdom and is accepted as a leader in the church even if he has no formal position within the church'. in this sentence, Peter is telling these people how to do their ministry for Christ. He also writes what they are to do and what not to do.
2. The phrase The elders which are among you I exhort means: 'This tells whom Peter is addressing and why'. Peter wants to encourage The elders to do what is best for the church and what will get them the greatest blessing from God.
3. The phrase who am also an elder is the first, of three, qualifications, which Peter lists as the basis on he is able to give this advice. Having personal experience goes a long way towards understanding what someone is going through and the Bible requires people to have personal experience before the can be in certain offices.
4. The phrase and a witness of the sufferings of Christ relates not only to Peter living with Jesus for three and a half years. It not only speaks about his witnessing the crucifixion and things which happened afterward. But, Peter's use of the role of Christ recognizes the longsuffering of Christ when people refuse to spiritually mature. He recognizes how Christ must be the example of patience which a true elder needs to have while dealing with God's people.
5. The phrase and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed means: 'Peter is recognizing the promise of future rewards'. And, Peter is reminding the elders of what they need to keep in mind while dealing with God's people.
6. The phrase Feed the flock of God which is among you means: 'This is the primary job of elders'. They are to use their God-given wisdom to help younger people to mature spiritually.
7. The phrase taking the oversight thereof means: 'Watching for the purpose of protecting the young from the consequences of foolishness and of attacks by Satan and from other sources'.
8. The phrase not by constraint, but willingly means: 'An elder needs to keep the correct attitude'. They will be rewarded by God only if they are willing to serve God and not act like God's ministry is a burden.
9. The phrase not for filthy lucre means: 'They have their position as a ministry of God, not as a job to earn money'.
10. The phrase but of a ready mind means: 'They need to be ready to search the word of God for others in order to find how God wants them to deal with a problem'. In most cases, an elder is going to be more familiar with the word of God, and how to get answers from God, than the younger person is. Therefore, they need to be ready to help find required answers.
11. The phrase Neither as being lords over God's heritage means: 'Elders are not bosses. Their job is to advise, when asked, but to not take control from someone else'.
12. The phrase but being ensamples to the flock means: 'They are to live what they tell others to do'.
C5-S2 the reward for an elder who has faithful obedience with a Godly attitude.
1. The context, of this sentence and this chapter, is that Peter is only writing to the saved who are also serving and not to the saved but carnal. Therefore, the prophecy in this sentence is limited to the people that Peter is writing to. Please see the Section called Prophecies, in the Doctrinal Study called Significant New Testament Events, for other prophecies. Please also see the Section called Minor Titles of the Son of God, in the Doctrinal Study called Significant Gospel Events, for the title of Chief Shepherd, and links to other titles.
2. The word and means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence'.
3. The phrase when the chief Shepherd shall appear means: 'This will happen right after the 'Rapture''.
4. The phrase ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away means: 'This is the reward given to saved and serving people. According to the Parable of the Pounds (Luke 19:11-27) and the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30) this does not include the saved but carnal'.
C5-S3 After dealing with elders, Peter tells the rest of the people how to act. Our sentence (Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder means: 'In the exact same way as Elders are commanded to submit to the chief Shepherd, so also are others to personally(ye) submit to the elders'.
C5-S4 Attitude all are to have and why we are to have that attitude.
1. The word yea is: 'A very strongly expressed affirmative'.
2. The phrase all of you be subject one to another means: 'Everyone is to be willing to receive a message from God sent through anyone else. '.
3. The phrase and be clothed with humility means: 'Never show pride'.
4. The phrase for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble means: 'Here's why'. Only a fool wants God to resist them as a lifestyle (resisteth). And, the truly wise are willing to do whatever God requires (be clothed with humility) in order to receive God's grace.
C5-S5 How to get God to take care of our concerns.
1. The word therefore means: 'The results, found in this sentence, are the results of what came just before the word therefore'.
2. The phrase Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God means: 'This is what we are to do to ourselves in relationship to God and the word of God. This does not apply to religious rules'.
3. The phrase that he may exalt you in due time means: 'This is what God wants to do but we must fulfill God's requirements in order to receive this promise'. This promise requires true Biblical faith because we must be faithful and continue to do as we are told even while others get credit for what we do. Our faith must be that God will exalt us in due time, regardless of what men do.
4. The phrase Casting all your care upon him means: 'This is the second requirement for having God to exalt us'. Lots of people like to claim that they do this but if they are trying to tell God when and/or how to solve their problem, then they have not really done this.
5. The phrase for he careth for you means: 'Here's why we must do the rest of the sentence'. Again, we need to know our God personally and recognize this personal characteristic in order to use it for the hope which the prior phrases require.
C5-S6 How to deal with the devil.
1. The phrases Be sober, be vigilant are the main actions to take.
2. The phrases because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour means: 'This is why'.
3. The phrase Whom resist stedfast in the faith means: 'This is the secondary action to take'.
4. The phrase knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world means: 'This is the assurance that others suffer the same'. Therefore, God has a way that works for everyone when it comes to the devil. And, our next sentence explains God's plan.
5. Please see the Detailed Note for more in this sentence.
C5-S7 the different end result of what God does.
1. The word But means: 'This sentence is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going a different direction'. And, the change in direction is telling us the difference between Satan's plan for us and God's plan for us.
2. The phrase the God of all grace means: 'Only God gives everlasting grace. And, God gives all that we need'.
3. The phrase who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus means: 'Here is what God calls everyone into and how and what He promises if we fulfill His requirement'
  1. The phrase who hath called us means: 'God called everyone but only a few answer His call and are chosen to receive the reward'.
  2. The phrase unto his eternal glory means: 'We are to first give eternal glory to God in this physical world and, after that, we will receive eternal glory when we get to Heaven'.
  3. The phrase by Christ Jesus means: 'We are able to do this, and receive the resulting eternal glory, only if we are doing our part to maintain our ongoing personal relationship with God which is by Christ Jesus'. (Please see the Detailed Note, and especially the note in the Lord Jesus Christ Study, for more on this doctrine.)
4. The phrase after that ye have suffered a while means: 'This is the test. Will you remain faithful and serving as long as God chooses to let you suffer?' Our reward is proportional to how much we suffer. Therefore, greater and longer suffering in the flesh should not be avoided but should be taken as confidence by God that we can handle it. It is also as a promise of greater everlasting rewards in Heaven.
5. The phrases make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you tells us the end result of God's plan but it only comes after we pass God's test.
C5-S8 says, To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever and means: 'Praise God for what He does and Who He is'.
C5-S9 Amen means: 'This doubles the prior sentence and makes it part of the law of God which will be used to judge us'.
C5-S10 Peter used Silvanus as his scribe.
1. The phrase By Silvanus means: 'Silvanus acted as scribe for Peter'.
2. The phrase a faithful brother unto you means: 'Silvanus was faithful and an important partner to Paul when he went on missionary journeys to the Gentiles'.
3. The phrase as I suppose means: 'Peter was not there but he believed the reports'.
4. The phrase I have written briefly means: 'This is not a full fledged book but only an epistle'.
5. The phrase exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God means: 'This is what Peter was doing with this epistle'.
6. The phrase wherein ye stand means: 'Peter is, again, recognizing that his epistle is directed to the saved and serving. It was not written to the lost nor to the saved but to the carnal'. Only the saved and serving have a true testimony of standing in true Biblical faith and receiving the true grace of God.
C5-S11 Greetings from others.
1. The phrase The church that is at Babylon lets us know where Peter wrote this epistle from.
2. The phrase elected together with you means: 'They were saved and serving (elect) just like the audience of this epistle'.
3. The phrase saluteth you means: 'They were sending greetings as children of God with like faith'. This is what all true Biblical Christians are to do with other true Biblical Christians.
4. The phrase and so doth Marcus my son is something that we can not 'Take a stand on' but must allow others to keep a different opinion. Personally, I believe that this is referring to John Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark. And, I believe that Peter called him son because he received Peter's character in the faith, which is the true Biblical meaning of son.
C5-S12 says: Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity and commands us to express true Christian love to all people within the church. This is the same message as when Paul writes for saved to give one another an holy kiss.
C5-S13 Peace promised only to those saved people who are in Christ Jesus. The word that means: 'there are saved people who do not meet this qualification and do not receive this promise'. In addition, the phrase in Christ Jesus means: 'These people are doing their part to maintain this ongoing personal relationship with God which is in Christ Jesus'. Please see the detailed note for much more on this sentence.
C5-S14 Amen means: 'This doubles the prior sentence and makes it part of the law of God which will be used to judge us'.

Word Counts in 1Peter

The most often used non-prepositional words of 1Peter are: YE (43), GOD (31), YOUR (25), YOU (22), Christ (17), IF (16), GLORY (11), Let (11), JESUS (10), GOOD (9), MAN (9), TIME (9), EVIL (8), GRACE (8), FLESH (7), HOLY (7), LORD (7), CONVERSATION (6), DO (6), CALLED (5), DEAD (5).

While the rule of 'most used words' is not absolute, it usually points to what was important to the author when he wrote his epistle. When a word is used repeatedly by an author it is usually pretty important to the message. Here we see several words identifying people, several references to God and words related to our relationship with God. Our first sentence (1:1-2) also tells us that Peter's message is to people who are Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. (Please see the note for that sentence for more details.) then in the second sentence (1:3-5), we are told what God provides to the people described in the first sentence. Then the third sentence (1:6-9) we see the relationship described. Thus, we see the rule of 'most used words' does apply quite well to 1Peter.

The word ye is defined as: 'each and every one of you personally'. It is used to address a group of people in a personal way. However, the word you is defined as: 'an entire group addressed as a whole'. It is used to address a group of people in a non-personal way such as when the church is dealt with as a single unit. The word your is defined as: 'what belongs to the person or group that is being addressed'.

In addition, to addressing people, we see names for God (God, Christ, Jesus, Holy Ghost, and Lord). (More about these names is presented below.) then we also see words related to our relationship with God (glory ['Brightness; luster; splendor, Splendor; magnificence, Praise ascribed in adoration; honor, the divine perfections or excellence'], let ['a command verb with the power of creation behind it'], good ['what comes from God'], time('measurement of our existence within the physical reality'], evil [' Both the source and consequence of things which people consider to be really really bad. The source and / or result can be natural or spiritual or any combination thereof. However, even what seems to be a natural source can actually be caused by a devil, especially when the recipient is a child of God. In all cases the result is deliberately intended and caused, which is what separates evil from the accidental'], grace ['that which makes the giver look good. When the grace comes from God people say that it is God's Riches At Christ Expense'], holy ['an attribute of God which we are to make pare of our personal character'], conversation ['How we live that is seen by others'], called ['To cry for help, hence to pray (Ge 4:26). thus, men are said to "call upon the name of the Lord" (Ac 2:21; 7:59; 9:14; Ro 10:12; 1Co 1:2). (2.) God calls with respect to men when he designates them to some special office (Ex 31:2; Isa 22:20; Ac 13:2), and when he invites them to accept his offered grace'], and dead ['an ongoing process of corruption which starts at conception and continues until the body is completely destroyed. Physical death is used for the one-time point when the soul and spirit are forced to leave the corrupted body. Spiritual death is also used for the one-time point when the soul and spirit are forced to leave the presence of God. When the Bible uses death for these events, it assumes that the reader understands that the one-time-event is the pinnacle of an ongoing process. Within the Bible, death is to be understood to be an ongoing process, even while highlighting the ultimate point of victory for the process'].

While we have considered these relationship words in a general way, we also need to consider the various names for God because He is the other being within this relationship. Most of these names, and their usage within 1Peter, are dealt with in the Lord Jesus Christ Study. However, the usage of God is not there. God is used 36 times within 1Peter. Father is used 4 times within 1Peter. Spirit is used 6 times within 1Peter. That is 35 times that the Son of God is mentioned, 40 times that God the Father is mentioned and 6 times that the Spirit is mentioned. That's a lot of mentioning of God in this small epistle. However, most of those references also use the preposition of. If 1Peter was summarized into one sentence, it would be the things of God that are given to us and what we are to do because of them. See, the true God of the Bible is a God Who says 'put up or shut up'. As the Bible says, we are saved by faith like Abraham's which was a faith that acted and not one that sat still and talked a good game. Peter tells us, 'Here's all of the stuff of God that has given to you. Now act upon it'. When we look at the summary of 1Peter, presented below, we see the same thing as we find from these 'most used words'.

1Peter Chapter 1

links to sentences in this chapter:

C1-S1 (Verse 1-2), C1-S2 (Verse 3-5), C1-S3 (Verse 6-9), C1-S4 (Verse 10-11), C1-S5 (Verse 12), C1-S6 (Verse 13-16), C1-S7 (Verse 17-21), C1-S8 (Verse 22-23), C1-S9 (Verse 24), C1-S10 (Verse 24-25), C1-S11 (Verse 25)'.

Please see the Chapter Summary, at the start of this book Study, for an overview of this Chapter.

Chapter Summary from Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge

1-9	He blesses God for his manifold spiritual graces;
10-12	shewing that the salvation in Christ is no news, but a thing prophesied of old;
13-25	and exhorts them accordingly to a Godly conversation, forasmuch as they are now born anew by the word of God.

C1-S1 (Verse 1-2) - Who the epistle is fRomans who it is to along with the blessings received for obedience to the epistle.

Who the epistle is fRomans to.

Peter,
an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus,
Galatia,
Cappadocia,
Asia,
and Bithynia,
Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father,
through sanctification of the Spirit,
unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ :.

The results that this epistle is supposed to provide.

Grace unto you,
and peace,
be multiplied..

1Peter 1:1-2 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. The colon makes the two sections equivalent, which means that Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied are only offered to the saved who are also the Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. The equivalence means that both Equivalent Sections give the same message but say it different ways. That means that we can not get the promise in the Second Equivalent Section (Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied) unless we meet Gods requirements as stated in the First Second Equivalent Section (Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ).

Our sentence starts out by Peter identifying himself, his audience, and the theme of his message, which is: 'Saints are to use what God gave to them in order to produce a proper testimony'. We see what God gave to the saints by Peter's phrase of: Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father. We see the testimony that the saints are to produce by Peter's phrases of: through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ.

The phrases of our sentence can be interpreted as:

Peter: this is the name that Jesus gave him and is used in the Bible to signify when he is being spiritual. When he is acting fleshly, the Bible uses Simon. Here we are told that this epistle is coming from a spiritual apostle while he is being moved by the Holy Ghost (2Peter 1:21).
an apostle of Jesus Christ: (Please see the notes for this sentence within the Word Study on Apostle and the Lord Jesus Christ Study for more details.) As an apostle, Peter was a high level spokesman for Jesus Christ. He starts out by claiming that his message isn't from his own experience but from the one Who died to save them (Jesus) and Who keeps and helps them while they are in this world (Christ) by giving them the spiritual maturity which is required to obey what is in this epistle and is required to produce the testimony that God expects from saints. The notes in the Lord Jesus Christ Study tell us the doctrinal difference between Peter's use of Jesus Christ, within this sentence, and his use of Lord Jesus Christ within the next sentence. Basically, the Bile uses Jesus Christ when it is talking about how He deals with us in our ongoing personal relationship with God. That is he main thing which Peter is writing about. However, the Bile uses Lord Jesus Christ when it is talking about how our personal judgment at the judgment seat of Christ, where our obedience and disobedience to the personal commands will result in rewards and punishments. Since Peter also includes warning of our future judgment, and emphasizes it as a major control for our attitudes and actions when we deal with the manifold temptations of this life. Thus, we see once more that we need to pay attention to every word within the word of God.
to the strangers: Christians are not of this world and the world treats true Christians as strangers. The world denies Christians what are otherwise their legal rights as human beings and as citizens. Peter calls them strangers because he is writing to the non-Jewish believers and Peter is a Jew. links to places where the Bible uses the word Strangers are provided in this note within the Lord Jesus Christ Study and for the note for 1Timothy 5:9-10. Peter had been used of God to lead the first non-Jew to salvation (Cornelius [Acts 10 ]) and then had got involved in discrimination against non-Jews within the church. After he was openly rebuked by Paul (Galatians 2), Peter started treating them correctly and wrote this epistle. God's Holy Spirit used Paul to sanctify ('separate from the worldly religious crowd') Peter so that the blood of Jesus Christ could be applied to Peter and he could be restored to service to God. As this sentence says, there is a relationship between our election, the sanctification of the Spirit and the blood of Jesus Christ. The functional definition, of the word strangers, is: 'not a Jew'.
scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia: these were the lands of the Gentiles. Foe example: Pontus was where Paul met Aquila and Priscilla on his first missionary journey. We have the epistle to the Galatians for the churches in Galatia. Cappadocia and Bithynia are part of Asia Minor, where Paul was forbidden to go at first, and only mentioned in lists with other places where churches were. Asia had saved people who were noted for being constantly disobedient and were the source of ongoing problems for Paul including starting the riot in Jerusalem which got Paul arrested and, eventually, beheaded.
Elect: this word has a lot of doctrinal error taught about it. Please see the Word Study called Election. The functional definition for this word is: 'saved and living a life that is a testimony of the changes which the ministries Jesus Christ cause. In the Bible, this word is not used in the Bible to separate the lost from the saved, as is erroneously taught, but to separate saved people who are in God's way of obedience from saved people who are not in God's way of obedience'. Please also see the note for 1Timothy 4:10-LJC about the word predestine. God does not predestine anyone to Hell but predestines everyone to Heaven (1Timothy 2:4). However, since God gave everyone a free will, men can reject God's predestination and go to Hell. Those people who truly go to God must go God's way. God does not elect people but elects a way. Those people who go God's way, to God, are God's elect. Our sentence starts this epistle and tells us that God's goal in saving us is to make us His elect, which requires our spiritual growth after our initial profession. It requires us to do the things that Peter tells us to doo within this epistle. As the noted in the Study on Spirit, election is a required part of true Spirit sanctification and can not be a part of our initial salvation. Further, the note the Lord Jesus Christ Study has a lot of detail and other Bible references which explain election in relationship to the ministry of Jesus Christ. Please also see the note for 2:6 about how the Son of God is elect.
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father: God planned all to be saved (Ephesians 1:4) before He created the world. He decided that people would be saved through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). This is God's foreknowledge. However, God also gave us each a free will and does not force us to accept His salvation. Just because someone decides at a later date that they won't follow God's plan, and they die lost, their later decision doesn't set aside God's earlier plan. Election and Predestination in the Bible are always 'God planning people to be saved' and neverGod planning for them to be lost'. Only a doctrine out of Hell could claim that. People don't go to Hell because God planned that for their life but because they decided to exercise their free will and reject God's plan. Toclaim that God would over-rule our free will is to deny that we ever had one.
Please see the table for God which shows every place in this epistle which mentions God.
through sanctification of the Spirit: God planned our election to be through sanctification of the Spirit. Through means 'there is a barrier between us and our goal. We need to enter the barrier on one side and come out on the other side in order to reach our goal'. We must enter sanctification, and make it part of our life, before we can come out the other side and be God's elect. Sanctification means 'to be set aside from the way of the world and flesh, and to be made available for service to God, so that we have a different walk in the flesh than the world has'. We are set aside from our sinful flesh when we get saved and we are set aside from the judgment of this world (Revelation 20:15). However, we must also use our free will and choose to obey so that God can set us aside from the sins which we do after our initial salvation. As the note in the Study on Spirit explains, 'After our initial profession of salvation, the Spirit of our God washes us and makes us sanctified and justified'. That study also provides references to other verses which teach the same doctrine and it gives more details on sanctification of the Spirit. Please also see the note for 3:15 about how we are to sanctify the Lord God in your hearts.
unto obedience: We are to obey the Spirit, but obedience comes after receiving the Spirit (Romans 8:9), not before (Ephesians 2:8-11). As the noted in the Study on Spirit, this is a required part of true Spirit sanctification. Please note that our sentence tells us that God gave us what He did unto obedience. There is a popular doctrinal error which says that we can 'claim' the promises of God while we ignore God's requirements for receiving those promises. This is a lie from a devil. Our sentence tells us that we must obey in order to receive these promises.
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Sprinkling of the blood is a direct reference to Moses sprinkling the articles of the Old Testament religion (Exodus 24). Hebrews 9; 12:18-29 also deal with our sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ and show that it put into effect the New Testament. [The church was promised, and some preachers say that the church was put into effect, before the shedding of Christ's blood. However, Hebrews shows that the signing of the covenant occurred with the shedding of blood. There is an argument about when the church started. However, like all living things, there is a 'gestation' period between conception and birth. This time is ignored by the argument. The Biblical truth is that the church was conceived in the Gospels, under the ministry of Jesus, and birthed at Pentecost. The birth required the death of the testator and allowed the New Testament to be put into effect.] Since Peter is writing to strangers and they were excluded from the covenant of the Old Testament unless they became Jews, Peter is doctrinally telling them (us) that they (we) are included in the covenant of the New Testament, even though they (we) are not Jews. This is one of the differences between the two testaments and it is the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ which allows us in.
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Sprinkling of the blood is directly tied to sanctification throughout the Bible, including within our current sentence. In addition, our sentence says that it was the blood of Jesus Christ. Please see the note for Colossians 1:9-17 about the word blood. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians 10:16-LJC about Christ and blood. There is a lot of doctrine connected to the word blood, and a lot of doctrinal error which tries to deny the importance of this word. Hebrews 9:22 tells us: And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. the note for Colossians 1:9-17 explains the doctrinal difference between the blood of Jesus and the blood of Christ. Basically, the blood of Jesus is used in the great white throne Legal System to get us remission so that we can be initially saved. But, the blood of Christ. is used in the judgment seat of Christ Legal System to get us remission so that we are not spending all of out time paying for sins done after our initial profession. Instead, we can spend our time being sanctified.
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: the and means that the sprinkling of the blood is added to our obedience. We must obey before we receive the blessings which come from the sprinkling of the blood.
Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied: this blessing is not offered to everyone but to those who meet the conditions Peter already specified (saved, sanctified, obedient, strangers, etc). Peter was telling those who choose to suffer loss in this world rather than disobey their God that the first thing that God offered them was grace and peace and that the grace and peace would not be added to but would be multiplied the more they suffered for their God. We don't earn God's blessings (then the blessings wouldn't be grace) but God gives His blessings to those who obey Him in spite of their sins that the world sees.

Although the word testament does not appear in this epistle, Peter is telling us things which we have in the New Testament which were not available in the Old Testament. However, everything offered in the New Testament is based upon what was given in the Old Testament, as seen by Peter's references to things of the Old Testament, such as his reference to the sprinkling of the blood within our current sentence. Thus, as we go through this epistle, we need to understand that the New Testament only replaced the religious part of Moses' Law and not everything in what is now referred to as the Old Testament. Peter referred to the promised New Testament in Acts 2 and old the people that God's promised to put His Law into His People's heart had come (Joel 2:28-29, Psalms 37:28-31, Acts 10:45, Galatians 4:6). The ongoing ministry of the Holy Spirit is to provide the link which is used by the ministry of Christ to cause spiritual maturity. As the noted in the Study on Spirit, this is a required part of true Spirit sanctification.

Please also see the notes for Romans 8:9-11 and compare those notes to this sentence. That way we can see that election is according to the foreknowledge of God the an other, and through sanctification of the Spirit, and unto obedience. People who are in the flesh are not sanctified and obedient. People who refuse to act like Christ have not the Spirit of Christ. If Christ be in you, (then) the body is dead because of sin. Dead things don't respond to prompting from sin. No doctrine which allows an ongoing life of sin is according to the foreknowledge (plan) of God the Father. An ongoing life of sin is the exact opposite of a life of sanctification of the Spirit. A life of sin is not a life of obedience. Therefore, the blessings promised in 1Peter 1:1, and the rest of 1Peter, are not available to people who have not the Spirit of Christ in a way that matches the combination of these two sections of scripture.

Please be sure to follow the links that are within the sentence outline above to find notes related to those words and to find links to other places where that word is used. Where those links lead to another Study, please also go to the top of the Study (or section within the Lord Jesus Christ Study) to get the definition, the particular application of this verse, and links to other verses with the same application. In addition, many of the word definitions and related links were covered earlier within this note.

Please see the note for Galatians C2-S6 about the name of Peter.

Please see the notes for 1Peter 1:1-LJC and 1Timothy 5:9-10 about the word strangers. The functional definition is: 'This term was applied to any sojourning among the Israelites, who were not descendants of Israel. 2. Gentiles are also called 'strangers' from the covenants of promise (Eph 2:12), showing that the covenants made with Israel did in no wise embrace the Gentiles, though God's grace at all times extended to them. 3. those called strangers in 1Pe 1:1 were Jews away from their own land: sojourners of the dispersion'.

Please see the note for John 16:32 about the word scatter. The functional definition for this word is: 'To disperse; to dissipate; to separate or remove things to a distance from each other'.

We find forms of the word elect 2:6 and 5:13. And, Old Testament verses tell us that Jesus Christ is elect. Basically, someone whose life does not show the character of Jesus Christ is not elect even if they are saved and it does not matter what error their religion claims.

Please see the note for Galatians 1:1-5 for links to where the word Galatia is used.

Please see the note for 2Timothy C1S9 about the word Asia.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:1 about the word accord. The functional definition is: 'Agreeing; harmonizing when two notes are in a music chord, they move together, up or down, to the next note'. Please also see the note for Psalms 119:23 about the phrase according to works.

Please see the notes for Romans C10S25; 1Corinthians C1S11; Galatians C3-S9 and know in 1John about the word know. The functional definition is: 'A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; and the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement between various truths and acts. Within the Biblical usage is the knowledge that comes only from personal intimate experience'. Please see the notes for 2Peter 1:2-LJC; 2Peter 2:20-LJC and Philippians 1:9-11 about the word knowledge. Please see the note for Romans C11S4 about the word foreknow. Please see the note for Romans C6S5 about the phrase Know ye not. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C16S17 about the word acknowledge. We find forms of these words, within 1Peter in: 1:2; 1:18; 3:7; 3:9 and 5:9. There are different levels of knowledge which can vary based upon their source, how the knowledge is obtained and more. True Biblical knowledge includes the most intimate and personal type of knowledge which comes from personal experience.

Please see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word father. The functional definition is: 'The position and authority of the father as the head of the family are expressly assumed and sanctioned in Scripture, as a likeness of that of the Almighty over his creatures. It lies of course at the root of that so-called patriarchal government'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:2; 1:3 and 1:17-18.

Please see the note for Romans 15:15-16 which has links to every verse in the New Testament which uses a form of the word sanctified along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'set aside from the sins of this world and committed to use by God'. Please also see the note for 2Timothy and then use the browser FIND function to find the usage of the word sanctified. Please also see the notes for 2Thessalonians 2:13-LJC and Hebrews 12:2-LJC about the phrase salvation through sanctification. Please also see the note for John 8:30 about the phrase non-saving belief

Please use the link in the sentence above and see the notes for Romans C8S1; Galatians C6S8 and Hebrews 8:10-LJC about the word Spirit. The functional definition is: 'An intelligent being from the spiritual reality which is a super-set of the physical reality'. As seen in the summary part of the Study on Spirit, 'We are made spiritually alive when God's spirit quickens our spirit'. That study also provides links to many more verses which teach the same doctrine. Please use his link for links to every usage in the Bible where we find the phrase Spirit of the Lord. Please see the note for Romans C11S13 about the phrase spirit of slumber. Please see the note for Galatians 6:1 in Word Study on Spirit for links to every place where we find the word spiritual. Please see the notes for Romans C8S40; Ephesians C6S8 about the phrase spiritual powers. Please see the note for 1Peter C1S11 about the phrase spiritual verses physical. Please see the notes for Word Study on Spirit; Romans C14S20 and Colossians C3S5 about the phrase unclean spirits. Please see the note for please see the Word Study on Holy Ghost for links to every place in the Bible where we find the phrase Holy Ghost.

Please also see the note for Philippians 2:12 about the word obey. The functional definition is: 'To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited'. Please also see the notes for Romans C6S12; 2Corinthians C2S9 about the word obedience. We find forms of these words, in 1Peter, in: 1:2; 1:14; 1:22; 3:1; 3:6 and 4:17. Romans 6:12 which has links to where Romans talks about obedience and disobedience. Please also see the note for Colossians 3:8 about the children of disobedience. Please also see the note for Romans C1S16 about the word disobedient. Please also see the note for Romans C1S16 about the phrase disobedient to parents. Please also see the note for Romans C2S5 about the phrase obeying unrighteousness. Please also see the note for Romans C6S12 about the word disobedience. The functional definition is: 'Neglecting or refusing to obey; omitting to do what is commanded, or doing what is prohibited; refractory; not observant of duty or rules prescribed by authority'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 9:13-14 about the word sprinkle. Fausset's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Sprinkle, namely, with blood to atone for guilt, as the high priest did (Le 4:6; 16:14,19), or with water for purifying (Nu 19:18-21; Ac 2:33). So Messiah (Isa 52:15; Heb 9:13-14; 1Pe 1:2). Many were astonished at Him; so shall He sprinkle many nations, even kings shall shut their mouths in dumb awe (compare Ro 16:25-26, and Ro 15:21 with Isa 52:14-15)'. Our current sentence is the only place in the New Testament, outside of Hebrews, which uses this word. Every one of these references come from the Old Testament sacrifices which sanctified something for the service of God. Please also see the note for 9:13 about the word sprinkling. The functional definition is: 'a symbolic action signifying protection and purification when done with blood and purification and confirmation when done with water'. As already explained, this spiritual result is what we get when we are God's elect.

The word blood was dealt with earlier within this note.

Please see the notes for Romans C4S5; Romans C4S17; Galatians 1:1 and Ephesians C1S2 about the word grace. The word grace is usually presented as: 'God's riches at Christ Expense'. The functional definition is: 'that which makes the giver look good'. We see in the Bible that God gives us His grace so that we can use it to 'make God look good to this world'. If we don't do that then God is wasting His grace if He gives it to us.

Please see the notes for Romans C12S16 and Galatians C1-S1 about the word peace. Please also see the Gospel of Peace in the Word Study on Gospel. Please also see the Gospel of Peace in the Word Study on Gospel. The functional definition is: 'In a general sense, a state of quiet or tranquility; freedom from disturbance or agitation; applicable to society, to individuals, or to the temper of the mind'. Peace is one of the fruit of the Spirit (Ephesians 5:22). Please see the notes for Romans 10:15 and Hebrews 12:14-LJC about peace with God.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 9:8-11 about the word multiply. The functional definition of it is: 'To increase in number with multiple additions'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Peter. Mt 4:18; 10:2; Joh 1:41-42; 21:15-17 exp: 2Pe 1:1. The. 1Pe 2:11; Ac 2:5-11; Eph 2:12,19; Heb 11:13. scattered. Le 26:33; De 4:27; 28:64; 32:26; Es 3:8; Ps 44:11; Eze 6:8; Joh 7:35; 11:52; Ac 8:4; Jas 1:1. Pontus. Ac 2:5,9-10; 18:2. Galatia. Ac 16:6; 18:23; Ga 1:2. Cappadocia. Ac 2:9. Asia. Ac 6:9; 16:6; 19:10; 20:16-18; 1Co 16:19; 2Co 1:8; 2Ti 1:15; Re 1:11. Bithynia. Ac 16:7

Elect. 1Pe 2:9; De 7:6; Isa 65:9,22; Mt 24:22,24,31; Mr 13:20,22,27; Lu 18:7; Joh 15:16-19; Ro 8:29,33; 11:2,5-7,28; Eph 1:4-5; Col 3:12; 2Ti 2:10; Tit 1:1; 2Jo 1:1,13. The foreknowledge. Ac 2:23; 15:18; Ro 8:29-30; 9:23-24; 11:2. sanctification. Ac 20:32; Ro 15:16; 1Co 1:30; 6:11; 2Th 2:13. unto. 1Pe 1:22; Ro 1:5; 8:13; 16:19,26; 2Co 10:5; Heb 5:9. sprinkling. Heb 9:19-22; 11:28; 12:24. Grace. Ro 1:7; 2Co 13:14 exp: Col 1:2; 1Ti 1:2; 2Pe 1:2; Re 1:4. be. Isa 55:7 (margin) Da 4:1; 6:25; 2Pe 1:2; Jude 1:2. General references. exp: Ex 12:7; Le 14:17; Nu 6:23; 1Co 1:3; Php 1:2; Jude 1:2'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S2 (Verse 3-5) - Recognize the blessings that we have and why we have them.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
To an inheritance incorruptible,
and undefiled,
and that fadeth not away,
reserved in heaven for you,
Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time..

1Peter 1:3-5 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. It starts out with Peter telling us Blessed be the God...revealed in the last time. God is giving us blessings that we can't see yet because it isn't time for Him to reveal the blessings yet. What's more, it's reserved in heaven for you. So, don't be upset about not seeing the blessings yet.

The notes within the Lord Jesus Christ Study (use the links within the outline above to access them) are extensive and explain how God the Father is our Saviour, in addition to our Lord Jesus Christ and to the Holy Ghost being our Saviour. This is equivalent to our having more than one 'parent'. These notes also explain the difference between Peter's use of Lord Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ in this sentence.

The phrases of this sentence can be viewed as:

Blessed be: God's normal character is to bless those He knows and His children should recognize and state that He blesses them in spite of worldly persecutions and in spite of our sins. Please note that this Blessed be is applied to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. The doctrine of this truth was dealt with in the notes for this sentence within the Lord Jesus Christ Study. (Please use links in outline above to access those notes.)
which: (not' Who). This puts the emphasis on the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is a role of God. If the emphasis was on God then the Bible would use the word Who. However, the emphasis is on the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ because He is not only the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, but God also wants to be our Father (John 1:12-13). This means that He wants us to receive His character so that we not only are children of God but go on to become sons of God. This truth is also seen when we consider the entire phrase (all that is between commas) as a whole. However, words like which are often ignored by people but are critical for proper understanding. Therefore, I made a point of bring out this truth.
according to his abundant mercy: mercy is 'not getting what we deserve'. We are sinners ('we broke God's law'), we deserve Hell as a result (Romans 6:23), but God didn't give us the Hell we earned (He gave us mercy). Please see the note for Romans 12:1 for links to verses in the New Testament where mercy is in the same verse with God.
Please note the according to within our phrase. This gives us a measurement. The more we realize how much mercy that God gave us the more lively will be our resulting hope that is seen in this world.
begotten us again: means saved, born again, and all of the other Biblical phrases that mean we have spiritual life beyond our physical life. This is talking about a spiritual birth and anything that is born can be seen by other life. As Peter lets us know in this epistle, God's life in us changes us and if there is no change then we have believed in vain (1Corinthians 15:2) and are a 'two-fold child of Satan'.
unto a lively hope: lively = 'very active'. Hope = 'This is an action word like faith. However, where faith is based upon a promise found within the word of God, hope is based upon the character of God'. This means that we are expected to be 'very actively acting in obedience to what the Spirit of God and the word of God tell us is the character of God. Our obedience is to make the character of God part of our personal character'. Unto means 'up to and including'. Therefore, unto a lively hope means 'up to and including a life lived based upon the belief that each of us personally will be blessed by showing the character of God to a lost work'.
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead: No matter what happens to us here, we can act with full assurance that God will resurrect us like He resurrected Jesus (Romans 6). Since the resurrected Jesus is in heaven, we can expect Him to protect our reward in heaven and even death will not separate us from our reward (Romans 8:38-39). Please be sure to see the note for This phrase within the Lord Jesus Christ Study for more detail on the doctrine of this phrase. As explained there, His resurrection, as part of the gospel, means that we are to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
To an inheritance: please see the note for Galatians C3-S20 about the word inheritance. The functional definition is: 'An estate derived from an ancestor to an heir by succession or in course of law; or an estate which the law casts on a child or other person, as the representative of the deceased ancestor.' As that note explains, different heirs inherit different amounts and types of inheritance and what they receive depends upon their relationship with the person that they inherit from. Our sentence is telling us the type of inheritance that we will receive but does not say how much or what each person will receive because that will be determined on an individual basis at the judgment seat of Christ. Without a doubt, many people will be disappointed,, many saved people will receive the terror of the Lord for at least 1,000-years and while many will receive mansions, only those who did the most for the kingdom of God, while on this Earth, will receive a mansion.
To an inheritance incorruptible: this word means 'not able to be corrupted'. The functional definition of corrupt is: ' to change from a sound to a putrid or putrescent state; to separate the component parts of a body, as by a natural process, which accompanied by a fetid smell'. (Please see the note for 1Corinthians C9S36 about the word corrupt.) Everything in this life can be corrupted. One reason that our inheritance is in heaven is so that it will remain incorruptible. As 1Timothy 6:7 says: For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. that is because everything we receive here is corrupted and not allowed into a perfect heaven. Therefore, we should praise God that our inheritance is in heaven and is incorruptible.
To an inheritance...undefiled: please see the notes for 1Corinthians 3:17 and James 3:6 about the word defile. The functional definition is: 'To make unclean; to render foul or dirty; in a general sense'. God has not allowed this to happen to our inheritance and will not. In addition, since we will receive it from our Lord Jesus Christ, and He cleanses us, it is not possible for us to receive a defiled inheritance from Him.
To an inheritance...that fadeth not away: Here we are assured that our inheritance will last forever. Any inheritance that we receive in the physical reality will not last because of the corruption and other things which are part of the physical reality. Only what is in heaven will be eternal.
To an inheritance...reserved in heaven for you: this literally says that our true inheritance will not be received here. The spiritually immature look for blessings here but the spiritually mature are glad that their inheritance is reserved in heaven.
Who are kept by the power of God through faith: We are kept by God's power, not our own. God provides the faith to be saved and the faith to grow in the Lord. When we stop exercising God's faith, we grow weak, spiritually, but God never allows us to go so far that we loose our salvation. True saving faith is based upon God's character, not on our ability to hold on. God is reliable even when we choose to believe a lie about Him and think that He would break His own Word (Hebrews 13:5) and leave us.
Who are kept by the power of God through faith: God sends that power through the faith that He gives us, but when that faith is separated from the power of God, it is no more effective than a fire hose that's disconnected from the pump and water.
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time: We don't see everything that we have in salvation while we're on this world (1Corinthians 13:12) but will see it in heaven (in the last time). Job couldn't see all of the results of God testing his faith. He didn't know about God's challenge to Satan and he couldn't know about all of the people through all of the ages that would be encouraged by his testing. We won't see the final results of our lives until the final judgment of God.
unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time: Too many people believe the doctrinal error that we received everything when we first made our profession. Since our phrase lets us know that part of our salvation is not yet revealed, that doctrine shown to be the error that it is. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him (Isaiah 64:4; 1Corinthians 2:9).

Please see the notes for Galatians C3-S10 about the word bless. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines blessed as: 'pp. Made happy or prosperous; extolled; pronounced happy.
BLESS'ED, a. Happy; prosperous in worldly affairs; enjoying spiritual happiness and the favor of God; enjoying heavenly felicity.' However, we need to be careful about using this definition because some things that God says bless us don't make us happy. A better definition would be: 'receiving, or wishing another to receive, the spiritual good from God which produces spiritual joy even while it might make us less happy in the flesh'. An example is Paul's thorn in the flesh.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:25-26 about the word abundant. The functional definition is: ' Plentiful; in great quantity; fully sufficient; as an abundant supply. In scripture, abounding; having in great quantity; overflowing with'.

Please see the notes for Romans C12S1 and Colossians C3S8 about the word mercy. The functional definition is: 'not getting the punishment you deserve'. Please see the notes for Romans 14:8-LJC and 2Thessalonians 1:9-LJC about the phrase judgment without mercy.

Please see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word begotten. The functional definition is: 'fathered upon a woman'.

We find forms of the word life / live occurring 1035 times in 937 verses of the Bible, 338 times in 301 verses of the New Testament, and in 1Peter in: 1:3; 1:23; 2:4-5; 2:24; 3:7; 3:10; 4:2; 4:3 and 4:6. Please see the note for Philippians 1:19-20 about the word life. That note has the definition from Webster's 1828 and links from other commentators. Please also see the notes for Life in 1John about the word life. Please see the notes for Hebrews 1:8-LJC and Philippians 1:27-LJC about the phrase life everlasting. We find the phrase eternal life in: 6:12 and 6:19. Please see the note for Romans C10S15 about the phrase belief changes life.

Please see the notes for Romans C4S18; 1Corinthians C13S10 and Philippians 1:19-20 about the word hope. The functional definition is: 'This is an action word like faith. However, where faith is based upon a promise found within the word of God, hope is based upon the character of God'.

Please see the note for Mark 10:1 about the words arise / arose. The functional definition for the word arose. is: 'The past tense of the verb, to arise'. The functional definition for the word arise / arose. is: 'To ascend, mount up or move to a higher place; as, vapors arise from humid places'. Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C15S32 and John 6:39 about the word raise and see the note for 1Peter C1S2 about the word resurrection. The functional definition for this word is: 'Bringing dead people back to life as opposed to a belief in reincarnation which says that the same spirit is given a new physical body in this physical reality. This is one of the cardinal facts and doctrines of the Gospel. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain (1Co 15:14). In addition, there are times when this word is used for something being lifted higher physically, but even then the Bible reference often has a symbolic spiritual meaning in addition to the physical meaning.'. Please also see the Prophecies and Prophecy Fulfilled Sections for Bible references to resurrection. Please also see the note for John 20:2-LJC about the phrase risen Jesus is Lord. Please also see the note for 1Peter C1S2 about the word resurrection. Please also see the note for Romans C8S11 about the phrase resurrection of Christ. Please also see the note for Romans C8S11 about the phrase resurrection of Jesus. Please also see the Prophecies and Prophecy Fulfilled Sections for Bible references to resurrection. Please see the Appearances of Jesus Christ After the Resurrection Section within the Time Sequence of Gospel Events Study.

The definition, of the word resurrection, from the Morrish Bible Dictionary is: 'This is the great central fact on the testimony of which the structure of Christianity has been reared. If Christ be not risen, there is no salvation, since sin would still be reigning by death in universal sway. But Christ, who was made sin, is risen and is at God's right hand, a manifest proof that atonement has been made, and that God's righteousness has been vindicated. the result has been the sending of the Spirit from the Father. Abundant evidence was given to the disciples that Christ was risen from the dead. He appeared again and again, ate in their presence, and gave opportunity for identification. Evidence of the fact was also borne to the Jews by the apostles in the power and by the gifts of the Spirit, Ac 4:10, confirming what they had themselves seen and heard and the testimony of the scriptures. the resurrection of Christ is the keystone of the faith of the Christian; at the same time it is the assurance on the part of God that He has appointed a day when He is going to judge the world in righteousness. Hence it has a voice to all.

It has been asserted that the accounts given of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus in the gospels are discordant and irreconcilable. this is not the case: it has been overlooked that Lu 23:54-56 refers to Friday evening, before the sabbath, and Mt 28:1 refers to Saturday evening, after the sabbath: the women return after viewing the sepulcher and finish their preparations, according to Mr 16:1'.

The definition, of the word resurrection, from Easton's Bible Dictionary is: 'one of the cardinal facts and doctrines of the gospel. If Christ be not risen, our faith is vain (1Co 15:14). the whole of the New Testament revelation rests on this as an historical fact. On the day of Pentecost Peter argued the necessity of Christ's resurrection from the prediction in Ps 16 (Ac 2:24-28). In his own discourses, also, our Lord clearly intimates his resurrection (Mt 20:19; Mr 9:9; 14:28; Lu 18:33; Joh 2:19-22).

The evangelists give circumstantial accounts of the facts connected with that event, and the apostles, also, in their public teaching largely insist upon it. Ten different appearances of our risen Lord are recorded in the New Testament. they may be arranged as follows:

(1.) to Mary Magdalene at the sepulcher alone. this is recorded at length only by John (Joh 20:11-18), and alluded to by Mark (Mr 16:9-11).

(2.) to certain women, "the other Mary," Salome, Joanna, and others, as they returned from the sepulcher. Matthew (Mt 28:1-10) alone gives an account of this. (Comp. Mr 16:1-8; Lu 24:1-11.)

(3.) to Simon Peter alone on the day of the resurrection. (See Lu 24:34; 1Co 15:5.)

(4.) to the two disciples on the way to Emmaus on the day of the resurrection, recorded fully only by Luke (Lu 24:13-35. Comp. Mr 16:12-13).

(5.) to the ten disciples (Thomas being absent) and others "with them," at Jerusalem on the evening of the resurrection day. One of the evangelists gives an account of this appearance, John (Joh 20:19-24).

(6.) to the disciples again (Thomas being present) at Jerusalem (Mr 16:14-18; Lu 24:33-40; Joh 20:26-28. See also 1Co 15:5).

(7.) to the disciples when fishing at the Sea of Galilee. of this appearance also John (Joh 21:1-23) alone gives an account.

(8.) to the eleven, and above 500 brethren at once, at an appointed place in Galilee (1Co 15:6; comp. Mt 28:16-20).

(9.) to James, but under what circumstances we are not informed (1Co 15:7).

(10.) to the apostles immediately before the ascension. they accompanied him from Jerusalem to Mount Olivet, and there they saw him ascend "till a cloud received him out of their sight" (Mr 16:19; Lu 24:50-52; Ac 1:4-10).

It is worthy of note that it is distinctly related that on most of these occasions our Lord afforded his disciples the amplest opportunity of testing the fact of his resurrection. He conversed with them face to face. they touched him (Mt 28:9; Lu 24:39; Joh 20:27), and he ate bread with them (Lu 24:42-43; Joh 21:12-13).

(11.) In addition, to the above, mention might be made of Christ's manifestation of himself to Paul at Damascus, who speaks of it as an appearance of the risen Saviour (Ac 9:3-9,17; 1Co 15:8; 9:1).

It is implied in the words of Luke (Ac 1:3) that there may have been other appearances of which we have no record.

The resurrection is spoken of as the act (1) of God the Father (Ps 16:10; Ac 2:24; 3:15; Ro 8:11; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12; Heb 13:20); (2) of Christ himself (Joh 2:19; 10:18); and (3) of the Holy Spirit (1Pe 3:18).

The resurrection is a public testimony of Christ's release from his undertaking as surety, and an evidence of the Father's acceptance of his work of redemption. It is a victory over death and the grave for all his followers.

The importance of Christ's resurrection will be seen when we consider that if he rose the gospel is true, and if he rose not it is false. His resurrection from the dead makes it manifest that his sacrifice was accepted. Our justification was secured by his obedience to the death, and therefore he was raised from the dead (Ro 4:25). His resurrection is a proof that he made a full atonement for our sins, that his sacrifice was accepted as a satisfaction to divine justice, and his blood a ransom for sinners. It is also a pledge and an earnest of the resurrection of all believers (Ro 8:11; 1Co 6:14; 15:47-49; Php 3:21; 1Jo 3:2). As he lives, they shall live also.

It proved him to be the Son of God, inasmuch as it authenticated all his claims (Joh 2:19; 10:17). "If Christ did not rise, the whole scheme of redemption is a failure, and all the predictions and anticipations of its glorious results for time and for eternity, for men and for angels of every rank and order, are proved to be chimeras. 'But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first-fruits of them that slept.' therefore the Bible is true from Genesis to Revelation. the kingdom of darkness has been overthrown, Satan has fallen as lightning from heaven, and the triumph of truth over error, of good over evil, of happiness over misery is for ever secured." Hodge.

With reference to the report which the Roman soldiers were bribed (Mt 28:12-14) to circulate concerning Christ's resurrection, "his disciples came by night and stole him away while we slept," Matthew Henry in his "Commentary," under John 20:1-10, fittingly remarks, "The grave-clothes in which Christ had been buried were found in very good order, which serves for an evidence that his body was not 'stolen away while men slept.' Robbers of tombs have been known to take away 'the clothes' and leave the body; but none ever took away 'the body' and left the clothes, especially when they were 'fine linen' and new (Mr 15:46). Any one would rather choose to carry a dead body in its clothes than naked. Or if they that were supposed to have stolen it would have left the grave-clothes behind, yet it cannot be supposed they would find leisure to 'fold up the linen.'"'.

Thompson Chain Topics provides references for the word Resurrection as: '(Select Readings): Mt 28; Mr 16:1-14; Lu 24:1-46; Joh 11:1-44; 20; 1Co 15; 1Th 4:13-18. Promises Concerning: Ps 49:15; 71:20; Ho 13:14; Joh 5:25; 6:40; 11:25; Ac 24:15; 1Co 15:22; 2Co 4:14; 1Th 4:16. Doubts concerning, on the part of Worldly Men: Lu 20:27; Ac 17:18,32; 1Co 15:12; 2Ti 2:18. Examples of: Son of the widow of Zarephath: 1Ki 17:22. Son of the Shunammite: 2Ki 4:35. Dead man restored to life at touch of Elisha's bones: 2Ki 13:21. Jairus' daughter: Mt 9:25. Saints at the time of the crucifixion: Mt 27:52; Mr 5:42. Son of the widow of Nain: Lu 7:15. Lazarus of Bethany: Joh 11:44. Dorcas: Ac 9:40. Of Christ foretold: Ps 16:10; Mt 16:21; 20:19; 26:32; Mr 9:9; 14:28; Joh 2:19; Ac 26:22-23. Of Christ Announced by Angels: Mt 28:6; Mr 16:6; Lu 24:6. Some Infallible proofs of Christ's: Mt 27:66; Lu 24:39; Joh 20:20; Ac 1:3. Of Christ, a Central Truth of the Gospel: Ac 2:23-24; 3:14-15; 4:33; 10:39-41; 17:2-3; Ro 1:4. Of Christ, Emphasized in the Epistles: Ro 1:4; 4:25; 6:9; 10:9; 1Co 15:4,17; Eph 1:20; 1Th 4:14; 2Ti 2:8; 1Pe 1:3; 3:18. Christ Appears after His: to Mary Magdalene: Mr 16:9. Tothe other women: Mt 28:9. Totwo disciples: Lu 24:15. Tothe eleven disciples: Lu 24:36. (to Peter): 1Co 15:5. Tothe ten, thomas absent: Joh 20:19. Tothe eleven disciples: Joh 20:26. at the Sea of Galilee: Joh 21:1. Tofive hundred brethren: 1Co 15:6. Toeleven disciples in Galilee: Mt 28:17. ToJames: 1Co 15:7. at the time of his ascension: Lu 24:50. ToPaul at his conversion: Ac 9:5; 1Co 15:8. Of All Men: Da 12:2; Joh 5:28-29; Ac 24:15; Re 20:13'.

Nave's Topical Bible provides references for the word Resurrection as: 'General scriptures concerning: Job 14:12-15; 19:25-27; Ps 16:9-10; 17:15; 49:15; Isa 25:8; 26:19; Eze 37:1-14; Da 12:2-3,13; Ho 13:14; Mt 22:23-32; 24:31; 25:1-13; 27:52-53; Mr 12:18-27; Lu 14:14; 20:27-38; Joh 5:21,25,28-29; 6:39-40,44,54; 11:23-25; 14:19; Ac 2:26-31; 4:1-2; 17:18,32; 23:6,8; 24:14-15; 26:6-8; Ro 4:16-21; 8:10-11,19,21-23; 1Co 6:14; 15:12-32,35-57; 2Co 4:14; 5:1-5; Php 3:10-11,21; 1Th 4:14,16; 2Ti 1:10; 2:18; Heb 6:2; 11:19,35; Re 1:18; 20:4-6,13: Of regeneration. Ro 6:4; Eph 2:1,5-6; Col 2:12; 3:1. TYPIFIED: Isaac: Ge 22:13; Heb 11:19. Jonah: Jon 2:10; Mt 12:40. SYMBOLICAL: Re 11:11'.

Torrey's Topical Textbook provides links for the Resurrection of Christ as: 'Foretold by the prophets: Ps 16:10; Ac 13:34-35. Foretold by Himself: Mt 20:19; Mr 9:9; 14:28; Joh 2:19-22. WAS NECESSARY TO: the fulfillment of Scripture: Lu 24:45-46. Forgiveness of sins: 1Co 15:17. Justification: Ro 4:25; 8:34. Hope: 1Co 15:19. The efficacy of preaching: 1Co 15:14. The efficacy of faith: 1Co 15:14,17. A proof of His being the Son of God: Ps 2:7; Ac 13:33; Ro 1:4. EFFECTED BY: the power of God: Ac 2:24; 3:15; Ro 8:11; Eph 1:20; Col 2:12. His own power: Joh 2:19; 10:18. The power of the Holy Ghost: 1Pe 3:18. On the first day of the week: Mr 16:9. On the third day after His death: Lu 24:46; Ac 10:40; 1Co 15:4. ThE APOSTLES: At first did not understand the predictions respecting: Mr 9:10; Joh 20:9. Very slow to believe: Mr 16:13; Lu 24:9,11,37-38. Reproved for their unbelief of: Mr 16:14. HE APPEARED AFTER TO: Mary Magdalene: Mr 16:9; Joh 20:18. The women: Mt 28:9. Simon Peter: Lu 24:34. Two disciples: Lu 24:13-31. Apostles, except thomas: Joh 20:19,24. Apostles, thomas being present: Joh 20:26. Apostles at the sea of Tiberias: Joh 21:1. Apostles in Galilee: Mt 28:16-17. Above five hundred brethren: 1Co 15:6. James: 1Co 15:7. All the Apostles: Lu 24:51; Ac 1:9; 1Co 15:7. Paul: 1Co 15:8. Fraud impossible in: Mt 27:63-66. He gave many infallible proofs of: Lu 24:35,39,43. WAS ATTESTED BY: Angels: Mt 28:5-7; Lu 24:4-7,23. Apostles: Ac 1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 4:33. His enemies: Mt 28:11-15. Asserted and preached by the Apostles: Ac 25:19; 26:23. SAINTS: Begotten to a lively hope: 1Pe 1:3,21. Desire to know the power of: Php 3:10. Should keep, in remembrance: 2Ti 2:8. Shall rise in the likeness of: Ro 6:5; 1Co 15:49; Php 3:21. Is an emblem of the new birth: Ro 6:4; Col 2:12. The first-fruits of our resurrection: Ac 26:23; 1Co 15:20,23. The truth of the gospel involved in: 1Co 15:14-15. Followed by His exaltation: Ac 4:10-11. An assurance of the judgment: Ac 17:31. Typified: Isaac, Ge 22:13; Heb 11:19. Jonah, Jon 2:10; Mt 12:40'.

We find forms of the words die /dead /death in 1Peter in: 1:3; 1:21; 2:4; 3:18; 4:5 and 4:6. Please see the note for Romans C6S4; 1Corinthians C15S20; Philippians 1:19-20 about the word death. Please see the note for Romans C6S4 about the word die. We find this exact phrase of sin unto death: in 1John 5:16; Romans 6:16. We see this doctrine dealt with in: Acts 5; Romans 5; 1Corinthians 8:11-LJC and Galatians C3-S26. Please see the note for Romans C8S38 about the phrase dying because of the truth. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C11S34 about the phrase sleep is physically dead but spiritually alive. There is a lot of confusion about this word because men insist upon defining an ongoing process as a one-time event and can not even agree when that one-time event is supposed to have happened because every test that they make proves to be wrong at some time. We keep having people who were declared to be dead to later prove that they were actually still alive. The note for Romans C6S4 has a considerable discussion on this subject and explains why all human definitions, including those accepted by fundamental Bible believers, do not match the actual Biblical definition of this ongoing process.

The words inheritance and incorruptible were dealt with earlier within this note.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians 3:17 and James 3:6 about the word defile. 1Corinthians explains the use of this word within the New Testament. James has links to every place in the New Testament where we find any form of this word. The functional definition is: 'To make impure'. Please also see the note for Psalms 119:1 for links to every place in the Bible that uses the word undefiled, along with providing further info on this word. Please also see the note for Romans 6:23 which is another witness that eternal life is by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. If we are claiming any salvation that is not through Jesus Christ our Lord, then we do not have His resurrection...from the dead active in our life and we do not have any of the other blessings that Peter promises us.

We find forms of the word reserve in: Genesis 27:36; Numbers 18:9; Judges 21:22; Ruth 2:18; 2Samuel 8:4; 1Chronicles 18:4; Job 21:30; Job 38:23; Jeremiah 3:5; Jeremiah 5:24; Jeremiah 50:20; Nahum 1:2; Acts 25:21; Romans 11:4; 1Peter 1:4; 2Peter 2:4; 2Peter 2:17; 2Peter 3:7; Jude 1:6; Jude 1:13. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.t. rezerv'. L. reservo; re and servo, to keep. 1. to keep in store for future or other use; to withhold from present use for another purpose. the farmer sells his corn, reserving only what is necessary for his family. Hast thou seen the treasures of hail, which I have reserved against the day of trouble? Job 38. 2. to keep; to hold; to retain. Will he reserve his anger for ever? Jer. 3. 3. to lay up and keep for a future time. 2Peter 2. Reserve your kind looks and language for private hours.
RESERVE, n. rezerv'. 1. that which is kept for other or future use; that which is retained from present use or disposal. The virgins, besides the oil in their lamps, carried likewise a reserve in some other vessel for a continual supply. 2. Something in the mind withheld from disclosure. However any one may concur in the general scheme, it is still with certain reserves and deviations. 3. Exception; something withheld. Is knowledge so despis'd? or envy, or what reserve forbids to taste? 4. Exception in favor. Each has some darling lust, which pleads for a reserve. 5. Restraint of freedom in words or actions; backwardness; caution in personal behavior. Reserve may proceed from modesty, bashfulness, prudence, prudery or sullenness. My soul surpris'd, and from her sex disjoin'd, left all reserve, and all the sex behind. 6. In law, reservation. In reserve, in store; in keeping for other or future use. He has large quantities of wheat in reserve. He has evidence or arguments in reserve. Body of reserve, in military affairs, the third or last line of an army drawn up for battle, reserved to sustain the other lines as occasion may require; a body of troops kept for an exigency'.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:9-11 about the word heaven. The functional definition is: 'The phrase "heaven and earth" is used to indicate the whole universe (Ge 1:1; Jer 23:24; Ac 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens, (a) the firmament, as "fowls of the heaven" (Ge 2:19; 7:3,23; Ps 8:8, etc.), "the eagles of heaven" (La 4:19), etc. (b) the starry heavens (De 17:3; Jer 8:2; Mt 24:29). (c) "The heaven of heavens," or "the third heaven" (De 10:14; 1Ki 8:27; Ps 115:16; 148:4; 2Co 12:2)'. Please also see the note for 1Peter 1:2-LJC about things in heaven. Please also see the note for Matthew 3:2 about the kingdom of heaven. Please also see the note for Hebrews 12:2-LJC about treasure in heaven. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:4; 1:12 and 3:22.

Please also see the note for 1Timothy 5:22 about the word keep. The functional definition for this word is: 'To hold; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose or part with; as, to keep a house or a farm; to keep anything in the memory, mind or heart. 2. to have in custody for security or preservation'. Please see the note for 1John about the phrase keep his commandments. The functional definition is: 'To hold; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose or part with; as, to keep a house or a farm; to keep anything in the memory, mind or heart. 2. to have in custody for security or preservation'. Please see the note for Matthew 28:3-4 about the word keeper. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'of anything. 1. One who retains in custody; one who has the care of a prison and the custody of prisoners. 2. One who has the care of a park or other inclosure, or the custody of beasts; as the keeper of a park, a pound, or of sheep. 3. One who has the care, custody or superintendence of anything. In Great Britain, the keeper of the great seal, is a lord by his office, and one of the privy council. All royal grants, commissions and charters pass through his hands. He is constituted lord-keeper by the delivery of the great seal. the keeper of the privy seal is also a lord by his office, and a member of the privy council.'.

Please see the note for Romans C13S2 about the word power. The functional definition is: 'The primary sense of the verb is to strain, to exert force. 1. In a philosophical sense, the faculty of doing or performing anything; the faculty of moving or of producing a change in something; ability or strength. Power might be physical, spiritual, emotional, moral, religious or of some other nature'.

Please see the notes for Romans C3S25; 1Corinthians C1S3; 2Corinthians C1S17; Galatians C3S27; Ephesians 6:23-LJC; Philippians 1:25-26 and 2Timothy C1S2 about the word faith. The functional definition is: 'an action word that is based upon a belief in a promise found within the Bible with the action dictated by the Bible and the understanding that our action does not force God to act nor determines when or how God acts but proves that of our own free will we are giving God permission to act in and through our life to do what He promised within His Word'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:5; 1:6-9; 1:21; 4:19; 5:9 and 5:12. Please also see the notes for Colossians 1:1 and Titus 1:1 about the word faithful. The functional definition is: 'Firm in adherence to the truth and to the duties of religion. Full of faith, trustful, and not simply trustworthy. being true to oneself, to one's nature, to any promise given, and to any trust committed'. Please also see the note for Hebrews 3:1-LJC about Christ Jesus is faithful. Please also see the notes for Romans 4 and James 2:21-LJC about Abraham's faith. Please also see the note for 2Timothy C1S2 about the phrase faith: unfeigned. Please also see the note for 2Peter 2:3 about the word feign. Please also see the note for Romans C10S12 about the phrase faith makes us not ashamed. Please also see the note for Ephesians C1S2 about the phrase just shall live by faith. Please also see the note for Romans C11S6 about the phrase just shall live by his faith. Please also see the note for Romans C3S29 about the phrase justification by faith. Please also see the note for Romans C3S25 about Law and faith. Please also see the note for Romans C9S28 about live / walk by faith.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:19-20 for links to every place in that epistle where we find the word salvation along with definitions from three different dictionaries and links from other commentators. Please see the note for Main Menu item for Salvation about the word save. The functional definition is: 'to exclude. When used spiritually, it means to exclude from the damned by having God's life in you. When used physically, it means to exclude from what is endangering physical life' . We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:5; 1:9; 1:10; 3:20; 3:21 and 4:18.

Please see the note for Galatians C1-S10 about the word reveal. Please also see the note for Romans 16:25-27 for links to every place in Romans where forms of the word reveal are used, along with the definition from Webster's 1828 and several links provided by other commentators. As that note says, forms of the word reveal occur 66 times in 65 verses of the Bible and 43 times in the New Testament. The first occurrence of this word actually gives is a basic definition when it says The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law. God does not tell us everything but He expects us to obey what He reveals and teach others to do the same. We find forms of the word reveal in 1Peter in: 1:5; 1:12; 4:13 and 5:1. Our sentence tells us that there are things about our salvation which have not yet been revealed.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Blessed. 1Ki 8:15; 1Ch 29:10-13,20; Ps 41:13; 72:18-19; 2Co 1:3; Eph 1:3,17; 3:20 exp: Ge 14:20; 1Ki 1:48; 1Ch 16:36; 2Ch 31:8; Ne 8:6; Mt 16:17; Lu 1:68; Tit 2:13. which. Ex 34:6; Ps 86:5,15; Jon 4:2; Ro 5:15-21; Eph 1:7; 2:4,7-10; 1Ti 1:14; Tit 3:4-6. abundant. Gr. much. hath. 1Pe 1:23; 2:2; Joh 1:13; 3:3-8; Jas 1:18; 1Jo 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18. unto. Ro 5:4-5; 8:24; 12:12; 15:13; 1Co 13:13; Col 1:23,27; 1Th 1:3; Tit 2:13; Heb 3:6; 6:18-19; 1Jo 3:3. by. 1Pe 3:21; Isa 26:19; Ro 4:25; 5:10; 8:11; 1Co 15:20; Eph 2:6; 1Th 4:13. General references. exp: Ex 18:10; De 12:9; Lu 24:26,46; 1Co 15:13.

an. 1Pe 3:9; Mt 25:34; Ac 20:32; 26:18; Ga 3:18; Eph 1:11,14,18; Col 1:12; Heb 9:15 exp: 2Co 5:1. incorruptible. 1Co 9:25; 15:52-54. undefiled. Re 21:27. fadeth. 1Pe 5:4; Isa 40:7-8; Eze 47:12; Jas 1:11. reserved. Ps 31:19; Col 1:5; 3:3-4; 2Ti 4:8. Foryou. or, for us.

kept. 1Sa 2:9; Ps 37:23-24,28; 103:17-18; 125:1-2; Pr 2:8; Isa 54:17; Jer 32:40; Joh 4:14; 5:24; 10:28-30; 17:11-12,15; Ro 8:31-39; Php 1:6; Jude 1:1,24. Through. Ro 11:20; 2Co 1:24; Ga 2:20; Eph 2:8; 3:17; 2Ti 3:15; Heb 6:12 exp: Php 4:7; 2Th 2:13. unto. Isa 45:17; 51:6; 1Th 1:3-4; 2Th 2:13-14; Heb 9:28. ready. 1Pe 1:13; 1Ti 6:14-15; Tit 2:13; 1Jo 3:2. in. Job 19:25; Joh 12:48'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S3 (Verse 6-9) the testimony of the elect.

Equivalent Section: the personal testimony of the elect stands up to temptation.

Wherein ye greatly rejoice,
though now for a season,
if need be,
ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:.

Equivalent Section: the personal testimony of the elect stands up to time.

That the trial of your faith,
being much more precious than of gold that perisheth,
though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ :.

Equivalent Section: the personal testimony of the elect is based upon faith.

First Step: they each personally believe and love a Jesus Christ whom they have not seen.

Whom having not seen,
ye love;.

Second Step: they each personally rejoice in a way that is only possible with true faith.

in whom,
though now ye see him not,
yet believing,
ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:.

Equivalent Section: the personal testimony of the elect assures them of their salvation.

Receiving the end of your faith,
even the salvation of your souls..

Our sentence has four Equivalent Sections which tell us the same message but with four different views of 'The testimony of the elect'. In our First Equivalent Section we see the testimony of the elect is that they each personally greatly rejoice even through manifold temptations because of the ministry of Jesus Christ in their personal lives. In our Second Equivalent Section we see that the testimony of the elect is that it will stand up to being tried with fire and that it might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. In our third Equivalent Section we see that the testimony of the elect is that they each personally love a Jesus Christ whom they have not seen and which causes them to rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. In our Fourth Equivalent Section we see that the personal testimony of the elect assures them of their salvation.

Our sentence starts out with Peter telling us to rejoice in the spiritual while you go through terrible things in the physical. It ends by telling us that the testimony of the elect is that they each personally believe they will receive the salvation of their soul because they believe in a Jesus Christ whom they have not seen. It is important to keep in mind that everything within this sentence is a single thought because it is a single sentence. Lots of people like to preach on phrases of this sentence which they take out of context to support a doctrine which does not match this sentence. For example, people like to preach about ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory but tie it to physical things and not to heaviness through manifold temptations or the trial of your faith. They also like to preach about ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory but claim that this is possible to people who do not have assurance of salvation (Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls). Thus, we see how people teach doctrinal error based upon the verses of this sentence by following the example of the devil who quoted scripture but perverted it by leaving out an important part of the context.

It is also important to keep in mind the context of this sentence within this chapter. In particular, we need to consider the basis of this sentence which Peter provided within the first two sentences. Peter opens his epistle by telling them that they are to be the elect...through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. In his second sentence Peter tells us that our current relationship with God is a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, which is to get us to live a changed life, and that we are promised an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you with the value of that inheritance being dependent upon our obedience in fulfilling the desire of God. Now our current sentence tells us that God's desire includes manifold temptations and may even include a trial of...fire. However, we are also told that we can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. However, the context makes it clear that we can only do this if we have the type of relationship with God that Peter talked about in the first two sentences. That's why lots of people like to talk about joy unspeakable and full of glory, but few people display it in their lives. As the saying goes: 'Talk is cheap but the real value is in doing'.

Moving on, we also see that it is important to keep in mind how Peter uses the various roles of the Son of God and how what our sentence says matches with how the Bible uses Jesus Christ all throughout the New Testament. Basically, the appearing of Jesus Christ is when we will personally meet him at the 'Rapture' or at our personal physical death. Peter tells us that at that meeting the results of the trial of your faith..might be found unto praise and honour and glory. This result is not guaranteed and is dependent upon the level of obedience that we personally did for the personal commands from Jesus Christ. Please use the link in the outline above to see the significant note within the Lord Jesus Christ Study which covers this important consideration with more detail.

The main message of our sentence is that we should rejoice in what we have in heaven even (especially) while we are going through terrible circumstances in this world. We may have to live in a corrupt world, but we can rejoice in the fact that we're getting out some day through the salvation mentioned in verse 5. People can put up with terrible circumstances so long as they believe that they'll get out of them some day. This is especially true when they know that they will receive a greater reward later for greater suffering now (verse 4). Hebrews 12:10 says, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. As Jesus accepted suffering for later reward, so should we.

Our sentence outline shows is that our sentence is divided into four Sections by colons and the start of our note gave the general message of each Section so that we can see that all sections give the same message but do so from different perspectives. That is how equivalent works within the structure of Bible sentences. Therefore, (in our current sentence) heaviness through manifold temptations is equivalent to trial of your faith. unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ is equivalent to Whom having not seen, ye love. rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory is equivalent to Receiving the end of your faith is equivalent to the salvation of your souls the word even means that 'the two sides have equal weight such as when the two sides of a balancing scale are even'. Thus, we can see that the salvation of your souls 'has equal weight' to the other Equivalent Sections, which also shows our definition of how a colon is used is correct.

Please also notice that our third Equivalent Section has two Steps. We must love Jesus Christ, as the Bible tells us t, before we can personally (ye) be believing and before we can personally (ye) rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. We are told the Biblical way to love by Jesus in John 14:15 when He said: If ye love me, keep my commandments. (Please also see John 14:21; John 15:10; 1John 5:2-3; 2John 1:6.)

We are to rejoice at the trial of our faith because those trials are what make us more Christ like and give us greater treasure in heaven but our trials also give us something to rejoice in if we might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:. Might means that the trial might not be onto glory, etc. The results of the trial are completely dependent upon our attitude while going through it. If we act in a way that brings praise to Jesus, we will be rewarded. If we act in a way that brings shame to Jesus, we will reap likewise.

In John 20:29 Jesus tld thomas blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Just as we love the Lord by faith, we have God's blessings and joy through that same faith. The results that we are promised, for our obedience, is that we personally can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Joy and glory are all spiritual things. We have these from the Spirit of God when we connect to His Spirit and rejoice in the spirit. Those that don't have joy, peace and glory are not rejoicing in the spirit. The joy now is part of our assurance that we will go to heaven (be saved) when we die (Verse 9). We are to receive (make real in our lives now) the salvation of our souls. The change due to salvation is not something that happens in the future but is to be received now so that we personally can rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Our sentence tells us that with full assurance of ending up in heaven, we can go on and serve God now regardless of present circumstances.

Please see the notes for Romans C12S8; Galatians C4-S24 and Philippians 4:4-LJC about the word rejoice. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines rejoice as: 'v.ti to experience joy and gladness in a high degree; to be exhilarated with lively and pleasurable sensations; to exult. When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. Prov. 29. I will rejoice in thy salvation. Ps. 9.
v.t. rejois'. to make joyful; to gladden; to animate with lively pleasurable sensations; to exhilarate. Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father. Prov. 29. While she, great saint, rejoices heaven'.

Please see the note for Mark 12:2 about the word season. The functional definition for this word is: 'A fit or suitable time; the convenient time; the usual or appointed time; as, the messenger arrived in season; in good season'.

Please also see the note for Romans 9:1, which has links to every verse in the Bible which uses the word Heaviness along with the definition from Webster's 1828 Dictionary. The functional definition is: 'Weight; ponderousness; gravity; the quality of being heavy; as the heaviness of a body. Also: Sadness; sorrow; dejection of mind; depression of spirits'.

Please see the note for Luke 18:30 about the word manifold. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'many and fold. Of divers kinds; many in number; numerous; multiplied. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! Ps.104. I know your manifold transgressions. Amos.5. 1. Exhibited or appearing at divers times or in various ways; applied to words in the singular number; as the manifold wisdom of God, or his manifold grace. Eph.3. 1 Pet.4''.

Please see the note for Galatians C4-S11 about the word temptation. The functional definition is: ' Ordinarily, the word means solicitation to that which is evil'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C10S6 about the word tempt.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 8:1 for links to every place in the Bible where we find the word trial along with further explanation and links from other commentators. The functional definition is: 'Any effort or exertion of strength for the purpose of ascertaining its effect, or what can be done'.

Please see the note for 1:5 about the word faith. The functional definition is: 'an action word that is based upon a belief in a promise found within the Bible with the action dictated by the Bible and the understanding that our action does not force God to act nor determines when or how God acts but proves that of our own free will we are giving God permission to act in and through our life to do what He promised within His Word'.

We find forms of the word precious occurring 76 times in 72 verses of the Bible and, in the New Testament, in: Matthew 26:7; Mark 14:3; 1Corinthians 3:12; James 5:7; 1Peter 1:7; 1Peter 1:19; 1Peter 2:4; 1Peter 2:6; 1Peter 2:7; 2Peter 1:1-4; Revelation 17:4; Revelation 18:12; Revelation 18:16; Revelation 21:11; Revelation 21:19. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'Of great price; costly; as a precious stone. 2. Of great value or worth; very valuable. She is more precious than rubies. Prov.3. 3. Highly valued; much esteemed. The word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 1 Sam.3. 4. Worthless; in irony and contempt. Precious metals, gold and silver, so called on account of their value'. One preacher made a message on the things which Peter calls precious which are:

(1Peter 1:7) the trial of your faith
(1Peter 1:19) blood of Christ
(1Peter 2:4) Son of God as Lord
(1Peter 2:6) the chief corner stone
(1Peter 2:7) the chief corner stone
(2Peter 1:1) faith
(2Peter 1:4) promises

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the word gold. The functional definition is: 'A precious metal of a bright yellow color, and the most ductile and malleable of all the metals. It is the heaviest metal except platina; and being a very dense, fixed substance, and not liable to be injured by air, it is well fitted to be used as coin, or a representative of commodities in commerce'.

Please see the notes for 2Corinthians 2:15-16 and 2Corinthians 4:16 about the word perish. The functional definition is: 'To waste away'. Please note the th in the word perisheth of our sentence. This means that it 'keeps on keeping on wasting away' please see the commands from Jesus in Matthew 6:19-21.

Please see the note for 1Thessalonians 2:4 about the words trieth / try. The functional definition for this word is: ' '.

Please see the note for James 3:6 about the word fire. The functional definition is: 'For sacred purposes. the sacrifices were consumed by fire'. Peter is using this word symbolically for the things which God allows Hos people to experience in order to purify them and 'burn out' any desire for the things of this world or our flesh. Please also see the note for Romans C12S18 about the phrase coals of fire.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C11S2 about the word praise. The functional definition is: 'Commendation bestowed on a person for his personal virtues or worthy actions, on meritorious actions themselves, or on anything valuable; approbation expressed in words or song'. Please also see the note for Romans C15S9 about the phrase praise the Lord.

Please see the notes for Romans C15S14; 1Corinthians C15S36; Ephesians C1S2; 2Corinthians 10:14-LJC and Colossians C1S6 about the word glory. The functional definition is: 'Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour, dignity of God; of the mind or heart; Splendour, brightness, majesty of Jehovah , the infinite perfections of God'. Please also see the note for Matthew 17:1 about the phrase Jesus Christ return in glory. Think about the 'Mount of transfiguration'. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines glory as: '(Heb kabhod; Gr. doxa). (1.) Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour (Ps 49:12); glory (Ge 31:1; Mt 4:8; Re 21:24,26). (2.) Honour, dignity (1Ki 3:13; Heb 2:7; 1Pe 1:24); of God (Ps 19:1; 29:1); of the mind or heart (Ge 49:6; Ps 7:5; Ac 2:46).

(3.) Splendour, brightness, majesty (Ge 45:13; Isa 4:5; Ac 22:11; 2Co 3:7); of Jehovah (Isa 59:19; 60:1; 2Th 1:9).

(4.) the glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God (Isa 40:5; Ac 7:2; Ro 1:23; 9:23; Eph 1:12). Jesus is the "brightness of the Father's glory" (Heb 1:3; Joh 1:14; 2:11).

(5.) the bliss of heaven (Ro 2:7,10; 5:2; 8:18; Heb 2:10; 1Pe 5:1,10).

(6.) the phrase "Give glory to God" (Jos 7:19; Jer 13:16) is a Hebrew idiom meaning, "Confess your sins." the words of the Jews to the blind man, "Give God the praise" (Joh 9:24), are an adjuration to confess. they are equivalent to, "Confess that you are an impostor," "Give God the glory by speaking the truth;" for they denied that a miracle had been wrought'. The note in Romans provides the full definition from Webster's 1828 along with links from other commentators. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:7-8; 1:11; 1:21; 1:24; 2:20; 4:13; 4:14; 5:1; 5:4; 5:10 and 5:11.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:10 about the word appear. The functional definition is: 'o come or be in sight; to be in view; to be visible'. This phrase is peaking about when we die or are 'Rapture'd'.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C13S9; 2Corinthians 2:17 and Colossians C1S6 about the word see / sight. The functional definition is: 'The act of seeing; perception of objects by the eye; view. This word is often used symbolically for spiritual understanding'. Please also see the note for John 6:40-LJC about the phrase see the Son. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:8; 1:22; 3:4 and 3:10.

Please see the notes for Romans 8:39-LJC; Galatians C5-S14; Philippians 1:9-11; love in 1John and 2John 1:3-LJC about the word love. Please also see the note for Revelation 8:35-LJC for a table which divides the various roles of God and gives Bible references for how God loves us through each of His roles. Please also see the note for 1John C3S26 about the phrase love one another. Please see the note for 1John C4S13 about the phrase perfect love. Please see the note for Romans C9S23 about the word beloved. Please also see the note for Matthew 17:5 for links to every place where the phrase beloved Son is applied to Jesus. We find forms of the word love occurring in 1Peter in: 1:8; 1:22; 2:11; 2:17; 3:8; 3:10 and 4:12.

Please see the note for Romans C10S15 about the phrase belief changes life. Please see the notes for Romans 3:26-LJC and John 20:31-LJC about the phrase believe in Jesus / Christ. Please see the note for Romans C4S21 about the phrase belief requires us to do. Please see the notes for Romans C3S4 and Romans C3S5 about the word unbelief. The definition from Webster's 1828 is: 'Incredulity; the withholding of belief; as, unbelief is blind. 2. Infidelity; disbelief of divine revelation. 3. In the New Testament, disbelief of the truth of the gospel, rejection of Christ as the Savior of men, and of the doctrines he taught; distrust of God's promises and faithfulness, etc. Matt. 13. Mark 16. Heb. 3. Rom. 4. 4. Weak faith. Mark 9'. The word unbelief does not occur in 1Peter. We find the word belief occurring in 1Peter in: 1:21; 1:22; 2:6 and 2:.

Please also see the notes for Romans C14S23 and 1John C1S2 about the word joy. The functional definition is: 'a spiritually based sense that we will be blessed by God for enduring current circumstances in a way that brings God glory'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 9:15 about the word unspeakable. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines unspeakable as: 'That cannot be uttered; that cannot be expressed; unutterable; as unspeakable grief or rage. 2Cor. 12. Joy unspeakable and full of glory. 1Peter 1.' please see the note for Romans C15S15 and 2Corinthians 2:17 about the word speak / spoken. The functional definition is: 'To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts by words'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:8; 2:1; 2:12; 3:10; 3:16; 4:4 and 4:11. Please also see the note for Ephesians C4S15 about the phrase evil speaking.

Please see the note for Philippians 4:18 about the word full. Please also see the note for Colossians 2:9 about the word fullness. The functional definition is: ' Replete; having within its limits all that it can contain'. Please also see the note for Colossians 2S6 about the word fullness.

Please see the note for 1:7-8 about the word glory. The functional definition is: 'Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour, dignity of God; of the mind or heart; Splendour, brightness, majesty of Jehovah , the infinite perfections of God'. Please also see the note for Matthew 17:1 about the phrase Jesus Christ return in glory. Think about the 'Mount of transfiguration'. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines glory as: '(Heb kabhod; Gr. doxa). (1.) Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour (Ps 49:12); glory (Ge 31:1; Mt 4:8; Re 21:24,26). (2.) Honour, dignity (1Ki 3:13; Heb 2:7; 1Pe 1:24); of God (Ps 19:1; 29:1); of the mind or heart (Ge 49:6; Ps 7:5; Ac 2:46).

(3.) Splendour, brightness, majesty (Ge 45:13; Isa 4:5; Ac 22:11; 2Co 3:7); of Jehovah (Isa 59:19; 60:1; 2Th 1:9).

(4.) the glorious moral attributes, the infinite perfections of God (Isa 40:5; Ac 7:2; Ro 1:23; 9:23; Eph 1:12). Jesus is the "brightness of the Father's glory" (Heb 1:3; Joh 1:14; 2:11).

(5.) the bliss of heaven (Ro 2:7,10; 5:2; 8:18; Heb 2:10; 1Pe 5:1,10).

(6.) the phrase "Give glory to God" (Jos 7:19; Jer 13:16) is a Hebrew idiom meaning, "Confess your sins." the words of the Jews to the blind man, "Give God the praise" (Joh 9:24), are an adjuration to confess. they are equivalent to, "Confess that you are an impostor," "Give God the glory by speaking the truth;" for they denied that a miracle had been wrought'. The note in Romans provides the full definition from Webster's 1828 along with links from other commentators.

Please see the notes for Romans C14S1; 1Corinthians C15S1 and Colossians 2:6-7 about the word receive. The functional definition is: 'To take, as a thing offered or sent; to accept'. In addition, please see the note for Matthew 10:41, which explains that in order to truly receive a person, we must receive their character as our own.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:15 about the word end. The functional definition is: 'outcome'.

Please see the note for Romans C13S1 about the word soul. The functional definition is: 'The long-term result of the short-term actions of our heart in deciding how we will think, how we will act emotionally to circumstances of life and how we will decide the issues of life'. Please see the note for James 1:21 about the phrase save your soul.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'ye greatly. 1Pe 1:8; 4:13; 1Sa 2:1; Ps 9:14; 35:10; 95:1; Isa 12:2-3; 61:3,10; Mt 5:12; Lu 1:47; 2:10; 10:20; Joh 16:22; Ro 5:2,11; 12:12; 2Co 6:10; 12:9-10; Ga 5:22; Php 3:3; 4:4; 1Th 1:6; Jas 1:2,9. For. 1Pe 4:7; 5:10; 2Co 4:17. if. 1Pe 1:7; Ps 119:75; La 3:32-33; Heb 12:7-11. ye are. Job 9:27-28; Ps 69:20; 119:28; Isa 61:3; Mt 11:28; 26:37; Ro 9:2; Php 2:26; Heb 12:11; Jas 4:9. manifold. Ps 34:19; Joh 16:33; Ac 14:22; 1Co 4:9-13; 2Co 4:7-11; 11:23-27; Heb 11:35-38; Jas 1:2

the trial. 1Pe 4:12; Job 23:10; Ps 66:10-12; Pr 17:3; Isa 48:10; Jer 9:7; Zec 13:9; Mal 3:3; Ro 5:3-4; Jas 1:3-4,12; Re 2:10; 3:10. precious. 1Pe 2:4,7; Pr 3:13-15; 8:19; 16:16; 2Pe 1:1,4. That. Ec 5:14; Jer 48:36; Lu 12:20-21,33; Ac 8:20; Jas 5:2-3; 2Pe 3:10-12; Re 18:16-17. tried. 1Pe 4:12; Job 23:10; Ps 66:10; Pr 17:3; Isa 48:10; Zec 13:9; 1Co 3:13; Re 3:18. might. 1Sa 2:30; Mt 19:28; 25:21,23; Joh 5:44; 12:26; Ro 2:7,29; 1Co 4:5; 2Th 1:7-12; Jude 1:24. at. 1Pe 1:5; Re 1:7 exp: 2Ti 4:1. General references. exp: Ps 94:19; Pr 17:3; 25:4.

having. Joh 20:29; 2Co 4:18; 5:7; Heb 11:1,27; 1Jo 4:20. ye love. 1Pe 2:7; Song 1:7; 5:9,16; Mt 10:37; 25:35-40; Joh 8:42; 14:15,21,24; 21:15-17; 1Co 16:22; 2Co 5:14-15; Ga 5:6; Eph 6:24; 1Jo 4:19. believing. 1Pe 1:6; Hab 3:17-18; Ac 16:34; Ro 14:17; 15:13; Php 1:25; 3:3; 4:4. unspeakable. Joh 16:22; 2Co 9:15; 12:4. full. 1Pe 5:4; 2Co 1:22; Ga 5:22; Eph 1:13-14. General references. exp: Ps 94:19; Lu 1:46; Joh 14:15; 2Co 5:7.

General references. Ro 6:22; Heb 11:13; Jas 1:21'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S4 (Verse 10-11) the wonder of Old Testament prophets.

Equivalent Section: God hid this truth in the Old Testament.

Of which salvation the prophets have inquired and searched diligently,
who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you:.

Equivalent Section: the doctrine that was hid.

Searching what,
or what manner of time the Spirit of a Christ which was in them did signify,
when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ,
and the glory that should follow..

1Peter 1:10-11 form a single sentence, which makes it one thought. It starts out with Peter telling us that the prophets of old have inquired and searched diligently trying to understand something that God told them about but that they didn't understand. In our First Equivalent Section we are told that the prophets were not allowed to understand the prophecy that they were told to provide for us (Daniel 12:8-9. In our Second Equivalent Section we are told that the sufferings of Christ and the glory that should follow (under Christ in us during the Church Age) was also hid in the Old Testament. With this we see that God hides certain truths until He determines that it is the perfect time to reveal them.

We have a relationship with God that was not available until the New Testament and after the death of Jesus Christ. The sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow is explained in Hebrews 12:10. The prophets of old couldn't understand how Christ enduring the cross would bring Him more joy and glory. They didn't understand how our suffering shame for Christ should give us more joy and glory. While they did understand some things from the Spirit of God, they did not understand all the prophecy which they spoke. In particular, while they personally suffered a little that Christ suffered (because of the Spirit of Christ which was in them did) they did not understand how this suffering fit into prophecy. As the note in the Study on Spirit explains, 'There is a Spirit of Christ that is similar to the Spirit of the LORD but is also as different as the Son of God is different from God the Father'. This difference caused different levels of understanding about different things that they experienced. Please also see the note in the Lord Jesus Christ Study which has an extensive explanation of the phrase Spirit of Christ.

Peter wants us to understand that it is possible for God's prophets to speak God's Word without understanding what God told them to speak. He also wants us to understand that people can understand that they are suffering for God's glory without understanding 'why me' or understanding how their suffering can bring God glory. In spite of that, Peter wants to encourage us to strive for what God wants to give us through our seeking the shame of the cross which is the ONLY way to get the particular joy and glory that Peter is talking about. Think of a master athlete, like a black-belt in martial arts. They can't teach their body to automatically respond without conscious thought unless they put in many hours of painful boring repeated exercise. They won't get the joy and glory of a championship without that suffering. Even so, we can't get the joy and glory of a spiritual championship without hours of spiritual exercise. Since the spirit wars against the flesh (Romans 8, 1Corinthians 5, 2Corinthians 7, Galatians 3-6), we can't exercise the spirit without suffering the defeat of the flesh.

Please see the notes for Romans C12S5; 1Corinthians C11S4 and 1Thessalonians 5:20 about the words prophecy / prophesy. The functional definition is: 'a person who tells us what God actually says, which is usually different from what religion says. In Old Testament times, a prophet of God was verified by his telling a true prediction of future events. In New Testament times, a prophet of God is verified by comparing his doctrine to what the word of God literally says'. Please note that 1Corinthians 14:3 tells us: But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. This is what the word of God tells us is the true job of a true prophet of God. It is not 'foretelling the future'. Please note that 1Corinthians 14:3 tells us: But he that prophesieth speaketh unto men to edification, and exhortation, and comfort. This is what the word of God tells us is the true job of a true prophet of God. It is not 'foretelling the future'. Please also see the Prophecies and Prophecy Fulfilled Sections for Bible references to resurrection. Please also see the notes for Romans C16S33; Romans C12S5; Jude and false prophets about the word prophet.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 8:23 about the word inquire. The functional definition for this word is: 'To ask about; to seek by asking; to seek for truth or information by asking questions'.

Please see the note for Romans 11:33 for links to every place in the New Testament where the word search is used, along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: ' to look over or through for the purpose of finding something; to explore; to examine by inspection'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 8:7 about the word diligence. The functional definition for this word is: 'to love earnestly; to choose. 1. Steady application in business of any kind; constant effort to accomplish what is undertaken; exertion of body or mind without unnecessary delay or sloth; due attention; industry; assiduity. Diligence is the philosophers stone that turns every thing to gold. Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure. 2 Peter 1. 2. Care; heed; heedfulness. Keep thy heart with all diligence. Proverbs 4'.

The word manner (singular) occurs 196 times in 185 times within the Bible, 59 times in 56 times of the New Testament and, in 1Peter, in: 1:11; 1:15 and 3:5. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C15S30 about the word manners. That definition is different from the word manner (singular), even though it is derived from the singular. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines the word manner as: 'form; method; way of performing or executing. Find thou the manner, and the means prepare. 2. Custom; habitual practice. Show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. this will be the manner of the king. 1 Sam.8. Paul, as his manner was--Acts 17. 3. Sort; kind. Ye tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs. Luke 11. They shall say all manner of evil against you falsely--Matt.5. in this application, manner has the sense of a plural word; all sorts or kinds. 4. Certain degree or measure. It is in a manner done already. The bread is in a manner common. 1 Sam.21. This use may also be sometimes defined by sort or fashion; as we say, a thing is done after a sort or fashion, that is, not well, fully or perfectly. Augustinus does in a manner confess the charge. 5. Mien; cast of look; mode. Air and manner are more expressive than words. 6. Peculiar way or carriage; distinct mode. It can hardly be imagined how great a difference was in the humor, disposition and manner of the army under Essex and that under Waller. A man's company may be known by his manner of expressing himself. 7. Way; mode; of things. The temptations of prosperity insinuate themselves after a gentle, but very powerful manner. 8. Way of service or worship. The nations which thou hast removed and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the god of the land--2 Kings 7. 9. In painting, the particular habit of a painter in managing colors, lights and shades'.

The Spirit of Christ is also found in Romans 8:9. The spirit of antichrist is found in 1John 4:3.

Please see the note for Hebrews 9:7-10 about the word signify. The functional definition is: 'To make known something, either by signs or words; to express or communicate to another any idea, thought, wish, a hod, wink'.

Please see the note for Galatians 5:3 about the word testify. The functional definition for this word is: 'To make a statement which is intended to be used in a court of law if necessary'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C11S29 about the word testament. Please also see the note for Hebrews 9:15 about the words new testament. Please also see the note for Psalms 119 about the words testimony / testimonies. The functional definition is: 'statements that are used in a court of law to judge the legality of someone's actions'. Please also see the Study called the Testimony of God Please also see the note for Matthew 19:21 about the phrase testimonies of the LORD.

Please see the notes for Romans C8S17 and 1Corinthians C4S13 about the word suffer the functional definition is: 'To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind; to undergo'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:11; 2:19; 2:20; 2:21-24; 3:14; 3:17; 3:18-20; 4:1; 4:13; 4:15; 4:16; 4:19; 5:1 and 5:10. Please also see the Study called Significant Gospel Events, for references to verses related to the suffering of Jesus Christ. Please also see the note for Romans 9:22 about the word longsuffering.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C4S16 about the word follow. The functional definition is: 'To go after or behind; to walk, ride or move behind, but in the same direction'. Please also see the note for Romans C14S25 about the phrase follow after. Please also see the note for Mark 2:14 about the phrase follow me.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'which. Ge 49:10; Da 2:44; Hag 2:7; Zec 6:12; Mt 13:17; Lu 10:24; 24:25-27,44; Ac 3:22-24; 7:52; 10:43; 13:27-29; 28:23; 2Pe 1:19-21 exp: Ro 16:25; 2Ti 3:15. and. 1Pe 1:11; Pr 2:4; Da 9:3; Joh 5:39; 7:52; Ac 17:11. The grace. Heb 11:13,40 exp: Tit 2:11. General references. exp: Jer 33:14; 1Co 13:9.

the Spirit. 1Pe 3:18-19; Ro 8:9; Ga 4:6; 2Pe 1:21; Re 19:10 exp: Php 1:19. The sufferings. Ps 22:1-21; 69:1-21; 88; Isa 52:13-14; 53:1-10; Da 9:24-26; Zec 13:7; Lu 24:25-27,44. The glory. Ge 3:15; 49:10; Ps 22:22-31; 69:30-36; 110:1-6; Isa 9:6-7; 49:6; 53:11-12; Da 2:34-35,44; 7:13-14; Zec 8:18-21; 14:9; Joh 12:41; Ac 26:22-23. General references. exp: Lu 9:22; 24:26; 1Co 13:9; Heb 10:15'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S5 (Verse 12) - God hides things so that we walk by faith.

First Step: God hid things from the Old Testament prophets even while using them to tell us about what He gave us.

Unto whom it was revealed,
that not unto themselves,
but unto us they did minister the things,
which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven;.

Second Step: God hid things even from the angels.

which things the angels desire to look into..

1Peter 1:21 tells us that the prophets were told that the things that they had been shown weren't for them but were for a future generation. Even the angels didn't understand what God was doing not why. All beings that deal with God must walk by faith (Romans C9S28). Angels weren't told why Christ had to suffer. Angels are still trying to figure out God's love for sinful man and all that God did for our salvation. Peter is telling us this truth because he wants us to know that God is not picking on us but treating us like God treats all beings. All beings who deal with God must do so by faith. Peter tell us this at the start of his epistle because he is going to explain certain things which God allows but which require faith in order to accept these truths.

In another consideration, we know that Satan is a fallen angel. He did not understand that Jesus Christ had to suffer and die as a man (for the sins of all men), and that by his participation he was letting Christ into his house by his own free will, and that after Jesus Christ was in Satan's 'house', Jesus Christ would take back all of His power as Lord (which He set aside to become a weak human man), and that as Lord, He would defeat Satan and all of Satan's devils within Satan's 'house' and take the keys of hell and of death (Revelation 1:17-18).

The gospel that Peter is talking about is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Word Study on Gospel explains that this particular gospel is an application of the gospel of God. The gospel of the kingdom was another application of the gospel of God and that was the only gospel that anyone knew about until God revealed the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is a mystery which was hid until God started the dispensation of grace. Paul explains this mystery. We see Peter deal with this same mystery but not go into the details of it because he wants us to concentrate on how true Biblical faith works and he wants to help us overcome natural upset when God requires us to walk by faith.

Within the First Step of our sentence we see that God used the prophets even while God refused to explain things that they wanted to look into. In the Second Step of our sentence we see that God used the angels the same way. Therefore, we should expect God to do the same with us.

With this in mind, we see two groups of people within the First Step: the prophets and them that have preached the gospel unto you. We also see that both groups did their God-given job with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. Thus, it should be no surprise that we can do our own God-given job only if we use the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven. This is part of a true walk by faith.

In all cases; the Old Testament prophets, preachers of today, and ourselves; God requires obedience even while refusing to explain everything that people what to know before they obey. Of course, if God explained everything, faith would not be required. In addition, people could believe that they had to right to demand that God explained everything to their satisfaction before they had to obey. This would raise us above God, which God will not allow.

Please see the notes for Romans 16:25-27 and Galatians C1-S10 about the word reveal. The functional definition is: 'The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law'. God does not tell us everything but He expects us to obey what He reveals and teach others to do the same. Our sentence tells us that there were things which are now revealed but which were hidden to angels and prophets in the past.

Please see the notes for Romans C13S6; 1Corinthians C3S5 and 2Corinthians 3:3 about the word minister. The functional definition is: ' a chief servant; hence, an agent appointed to transact or manage business under the authority of another; in which sense, it is a word of very extensive application'. Please also see the notes for Proverbs Study; Ephesians C4S7 about the word minister.

Please see the note for Hebrews 11:2 about the word report. The functional definition is: 'To bear or bring back an answer, or to relate what has been discovered by a person sent to examine, explore or investigate; as, a messenger reports to his employer what he has seen or ascertained'.

Please see the notes for Romans C16S33; 1Corinthians C15S1; Galatians C1-S4 and 2Timothy 4:1-LJC about the word preach. The functional definition is: 'This is often used in the N.T. for 'announcing, or making known,' without the idea of preaching in a formal way, as the word is now understood. When there was persecution in the church at Jerusalem, they were all scattered, except the apostles, and they went everywhere 'preaching the word.' Ac 8:1-4'. Please also see the note for Romans C10S17 about the word preacher.

Please see the note in the Word Study on Gospel for more details and links related to the word gospel. The different gospels are also explained there. In addition, the note for This verse (in Word Study on Gospel) list links to several notes which explain how that the mystery of the New Testament, which Paul revealed, was the new application of the gospel of God, which is the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Please see the note for about the word holy. The functional definition is: 'properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions'. In addition, since holy is pronounced the same as 'wholly', we can say that a holy being is complete, singular and faithful to his character in all of his attitudes and actions. We are to adopt these characteristics of God in order to be holy ourselves.

Please see the Word Study on Holy Ghost for links to every place in the Bible where we find the phrase Holy Ghost. There is a Biblical doctrinal difference between the use of the phrase Holy Ghost and God's Holy Spirit, but I can not specify what that doctrinal difference is at this time. Both are identifiers of the third Person within the Trinity. Please see the link for God's Holy Spirit for links to the various applications where this other identifier of the third Person is used. The phrase Holy Ghost only occurs within the New Testament.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C13S1; Significant Gospel Events and Significant New Testament Events about the word angel. The functional definition is: 'Literally, a messenger; one employed to communicate news or information from one person to another at a distance. But appropriately, A spirit, or a spiritual intelligent being employed by God to communicate his will to man. Hence angels are ministers of God, and ministering spirits'. Please also see the note for Jude 1:7 about the word archangel.

Please see the notes for Romans C10S1; 2Corinthians 5:2-3; Galatians 4:19-20 and Philippians 1:23-24 about the word desire. The functional definition is: 'An emotion or excitement of the mind, directed to the attainment or possession of an object from which pleasure, sensual, intellectual or spiritual, is expected; a passion excited by the love of an object, or uneasiness at the want of it, and directed to its attainment or possession'.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:4 about the word look. The functional definition is: 'to look for is to seek. to direct the eye towards an object, with the intention of seeing it'. Please also see the note for Galatians C6S6 about the phrase LORD looketh on the heart.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'it. Isa 53:1; Da 2:19,22,28-29,47; 10:1; Am 3:7; Mt 11:25,27; 16:17; Lu 2:26; Ro 1:17; 1Co 2:10; Ga 1:12,16 exp: Ac 15:28; Heb 2:10. That not. Da 9:24; 12:9,13; Heb 11:13,39-40. That have. Mr 16:15; Lu 9:6; Ac 8:25; 16:10; Ro 1:15; 10:15; 15:19; 1Th 2:9; Heb 4:2. with. Joh 15:26; 16:7-15; Ac 2:4,33; 4:8,31; 10:44; 2Co 1:22; 6:6; 1Th 1:5-6; Heb 2:4. sent. Pr 1:23; Isa 11:2-6; 32:15; 44:3-5; Joe 2:28; Zec 12:10; Joh 15:26; Ac 2:17-18exp: Zec 7:12; Heb 1:14. which things. Ex 25:20; Da 8:13; 12:5-6; Lu 15:10; Eph 3:10; Re 5:11. General references. exp: 1Co 13:9; Heb 10:15; 11:39'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S6 (Verse 13-16) - the conclusion is that proper obedience is required.

Learn how to be obedient children of God and act on the hope for the grace.

Put your mind to controlled work and act on the hope for the grace.

Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind,
be sober,
and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;.

Learn how to be obedient children of God and don't keep acting according to the former lusts.

As obedient children,
not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:.

Learn how the Bible teaches that God is holy and act the same way.

Act holy like God is holy.

But as he which hath called you is holy,
so be ye holy in all manner of conversation;.

Act like you were taught in the Bible.

Because it is written,
Be ye holy;.

Why.

for I am holy..

Our sentence has two Equivalent Sections which tell us the same message two different ways. In it Peter tells us that we need to be ye holy ('each and every one of you personally are to be holy') based upon all that Peter said before this sentence (Wherefore) in this epistle. In addition, Peter says it is written to let us know that his command is based upon scripture. Finally Peter tells us to do this in all manner of conversation ('in every part of our daily life').

In the First Equivalent Section Peter tells us how to be holy. He tells us t:

put our mind to work: gird up the loins of your mind
fix our attitude: be sober
fix our goal in life: hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ
fix our ongoing actions: As obedient children
fix our testimony to show a changed life: not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance

Further, in addition to our sentence having two Equivalent Sections, we find equivalency within the phrases of the two Sections. We find the equivalency between as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance and be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. Someone who claims to be an obedient child of God and isn't holy in all manner of conversation or is still fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance is either a liar or is spiritually immature and still learning, but is trying to do as Peter tells us to do. When our sentence says Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind...at the revelation of Jesus Christ, we can see that it is equivalent to be ye holy in all manner of conversation. The first phrase of this sentence tells us how to be holy in all manner of conversation ('our lifestyle '). Peter tells us that because God has done wonderful things for us that are beyond the comprehension of holy men and of angels, we are to gird up the loins of your mind. That means that we are to 'strap down stray thoughts and pay attention'. This is equivalent to for I am holy because God is always paying attention and does not let His mind wander. Be sober means to 'think clearly', which is another attribute of God's holy ('singular') thinking. and hope to the end means to 'keep acting in the service of God expecting a blessing because that is God's character'. This is equivalent to for I am holy because a holy God would not demand our service and suffering without providing a matching reward. When we prepare our minds to be controlled by a holy God, we will conclude that we need to be holy in this life. Further, we see equivalency between not...former lusts and be ye holy. We can't be holy and pursue lusts at the same time. This equivalency is explained in more detail in the note for this verse within the Lord Jesus Christ Study.

With this in mind, we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

Wherefore: this tells us that our sentence is a conclusion that is based upon what was already said. Therefore, we must also consider the context of our sentence. We also see this need to consider context by the next sentence starting with the word And, which adds it to this sentence.

When Peter says gird up the loins of your mind he is using a phrase understood in a culture where workmen wear robes. When they go to work in an environment where their robe will interfere with movement, they pull up the back of their robe between their legs and tuck it into their belt and tuck the bottom front of their robe into their belt behind then so that the robe becomes a form of knee length pants. They also might put a belt around their waist, like workers wear today. This preparation for labor was called girding up the loins. So, with this phrase, Peter is saying to get your mind prepared to work. This isn't just read a verse or two every day because that doesn't require preparation for heavy labor nor does it produce the results (Be ye holy; for I am holy) that Peter says we are to have.

In addition, to preparing, Peter says to be sober. This matches Ephesians 5:17-21 where we read And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit . Any time that we seriously seek the mind of Christ, we need to pray first and be filled with the Spirit. 'The Spirit of God uses the word of God to show the child of God what is the will of God.' We are to first think soberly about what God did for us, then act on the hope that God will apply grace to our lives based upon His character, which rewards right actions.

True Biblical hope is an action verb just as much as faith is an action verb. The difference is that faith is based upon a promise of God (found in His Word) while hope is based upon the character of God (as found in His Word). This sentence shows us this relationship by adding (and) hope to the labor of study (gird up the loins of your mind) coupled with being filled with the Spirit (be sober). We are not going to get this grace that Peter talks about until we Please him (God) by trusting His character and proving that trust by serving Him even when we do not have a specific promise of reward. Peter tells us that the end result of the grace that is to be brought unto you starts with hope which causes us to diligently seek him in order to learn what He is like and then act like He does. When we do that, God gives us the grace that is to be brought unto you. Peter does say that this grace that is to be brought unto you happens at the revelation of Jesus Christ and many will claim that this means at the return of Jesus Christ to rule and reign on this Earth. That is true. However, the Bible also teaches that true Biblical Christians (Peter calls us the elect) have Jesus Christ revealed to them in this life and they allow Jesus Christ to be revealed to a lost and dying world through their life. This is only possible when we learn His character and make that our own personal character. Our change of character, from a lost sinner to displaying the character of Jesus Christ, is the result of true Biblical hope.

Moving on, please notice that these three items (gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope) are joined together by the word and. I can say 'an apple and an apple and an apple make three apples'. However, I no longer have my conclusion ('three apples') if I take away any of the apples that are input to the conclusion. Likewise, I can not have Peter's conclusion (obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance and so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy) if I take away any of the three input ingredients (listed at the start of this point).

Lots of people try to be obedient and holy but only read their Bible instead of preparing their mind for the serious labor of study. Others try to be obedient and holy but neglect proper prayer and getting filled with the Spirit. Still others do both of those things but don't do the action meant by the Biblical use of hope. While each might fake it for a while, all will fail if they neglect any of these three requirements.

After preparing our mind for the serious labor of study and getting filled with the Spirit, Peter tells us to hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you. Grace is usually defined as: 'unmerited favor or God's riches at Christ's expense'. While that is the main application of the word grace the Bible tells us that men give grace and Christ certainly did not pay for that grace. The true Biblical definition is: 'that which is given to make the giver look good'. God gives us grace so that we can make Him look good to a lost person and, after we do our part, God blesses us. No one is going to get either of these definitions while they sit on their blessed assurance and talk without doing.

to the end this phrase tells us to NEVER give up on seeing God's grace work in our lives so long as we are on this earth. For example, when we obey God and live clean lives and pray daily for the salvation of our family members regardless of how many years it takes and we believe that God will do everything possible short of taking away their free will, that's Biblical hope to the end. We are to keep seeking the revelation of Jesus Christ and applying that revelation in our lives with the hope of God rewarding us with further grace such as saving our loved ones.

for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ: We received some grace when we first meet Jesus Christ and were initially saved. However, we can also receive further grace now every time that Jesus Christ is revealed in and through our lives, such as when we lead a soul to salvation or we mature spiritually. Please see the note for this verse within the Lord Jesus Christ Study for more details on this phrase.

As obedient children: Children normally don't worry about getting necessary food, clothing and shelter. They worry about pleasing their parents so that the parents will give them mercy and grace. We are to worry about pleasing God so that we can get His mercy and grace. Please note that the children of wrath / children of disobedience (Colossians 3:8) are the children of God (Romans C8S14; God in Romans : Romans C4S12; 1Peter 2:3-LJC) who are disobedient. The Bible does not call lost people children.

not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts: Peter is telling us that the way to please God and get God's grace is to stop pursuing former lusts and to start revealing Jesus Christ and to live holy lives. If we are not doing these things then we are not obedient children. The word fashion is defined as: The make or form of anything; the state of anything with regard to its external appearance; shape'. Thus, a carnal child of God has God's Holy Spirit on the inside but has the outward fashion of a lost person. Our phrase is telling us to not be this way.

in your ignorance: ignorance is defined as 'lack of knowledge'. Peter is telling us that, when we were lost, we were fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts because we 'lacked knowledge' of how God tells us to live. However, when we received true spiritual salvation (God's life in you'), we were expected to find the knowledge of God and eliminate our ignorance as part of our spiritual growth. The first three chapters of 1Corinthians explain how the wisdom of God is the opposite of the wisdom of man / this world. Thus, Peter is letting us know that while we could claim ignorance of the wisdom of God in the past, that is no longer true and our life is supposed to be changed to show the difference in the wisdom which we are following.

But as he which hath called you is holy: the he of this phrase is obviously God. Not only is this obvious within our sentence but Romans 3:11 tells us There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God and Ephesians 4:4 which says There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling. Therefore, since we do not seek God while we are lost and since other places within the Bible tell us that it is God who calls us, we see this claim supported by other scripture. Continuing with our phrase, the Bible defined holy as: 'Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions'. In addition, since holy is pronounced the same as 'wholly', we can say that a holy being is complete, singular and faithful to his character in all of his attitudes and actions. Peter is pointing out these characteristics of God and telling us to adopt them.

so be ye holy in all manner of conversation. The Bible uses the word conversation to mean 'Your way of life. How we live speaks louder that what comes out of our mouth and if the two disagree, we prove ourselves to be a liar'. ye means 'each and every one of you personally'. Thus, we are each given a personal command to have the same attitudes and actions as God would have and to have them in every circumstance of life.

Because it is written: .Here we see Peter reference scripture to show us that he is not giving this command by his own authority but is basing it upon the word of God. We read this in the Old Testament in: Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 20:7; Leviticus 20:26; Leviticus 21:8; Leviticus 22:32; Psalms 86:2; Isaiah 43:3; Isaiah 43:15; Isaiah 48:17; Ezekiel 39:7; Hosea 11:9 and Zechariah 8:3. With these many references it should be obvious that this is a very important point within the Bible.

Be ye holy; for I am holy: this is the simple and clear command which was written for us to obey. The meaning of holy was covered earlier within this note. This quote comes from: Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2; Leviticus 20:7 and Leviticus 20:26.

Please see the note in the Romans intro about the word wherefore. The functional definition is: 'what follows the wherefore is a future result that is based upon what came before the wherefore and seen wherever you look'.

Please see the note for Luke 12:35-36 about the word gird. The American Tract Society Dictionary defines this word as: 'The Orientals commonly dress in loose robes, flowing down around the feet; so that when they wish to run, or fight, or apply themselves to any business, they are obliged to bind their garments close around them with a sash or girdle. Hence, "to have the loins girded," is to be prepared for action or service, 2Ki 4:29; Ac 12:8; to be waiting for the call or coming of one's master or Lord, Lu 12:35. A tightened girdle was also thought to increase the power of endurance, and the simile is used in exhortations to Christian courage and fortitude, Job 38:3; Jer 1:17; Eph 6:14; 1Pe 1:13. to have the girdle loosed, is to be unnerved and unprepared for action, Isa 5:27. Girdles of leather were worn by the common people; and also by prophets, 2Ki 1:8; Mt 3:4. they were likewise made of cotton or linen, Jer 13:1; also of silk, sometimes embroidered. they were often wide and long; and were folded lengthwise, and passed several times around the body. the girdle, moreover, answered the purpose of a purse or pouch, to carry money and other things; see Mt 10:9; Mr 6:8, where the word purse in the English is put for girdle according to the original Greek. the Arabs and other Orientals wear girdles in the same manner at the present day; they also carry a knife or dagger stuck in them; as was also the custom of the Hebrews, 1Sa 25:13; 2Sa 20:8. Clerks carried their inkhorns, carpenters their rules, etc., in the same way, Eze 9:2.'.

Please see the note for Mark 1:6-7 about the word loins. The functional definition for this word is: 'The part of man that is used to prefigure the seat of strength'.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:5-8 for links to every place in the Bible where we find the words mind and Jesus used together. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians 2:16 about the mind of Christ. Please see the notes for Romans C11-S37; Romans C12-S2 and 2Corinthians C1S9 about the word mind. The functional definition is: 'Mind signifies properly intention, a reaching or inclining forward to an object, from the primary sense of extending, stretching or inclining, or advancing eagerly, pushing or setting forward, whence the Greek sense of the word includes intention; purpose; design'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:13; 3:8; 4:1 and 5:2. Please also see the notes for Romans 11:20; 1Timothy 6:17 and 2Timothy 3:4 about not being highminded.

Please see the note for Romans 12:3 for links to verses in the Bible that use forms of the word sober along with a small note on each usage and with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'Without intemperance. 2. Without enthusiasm. 3. Without intemperate passion; coolly; calmly; moderately. 4. Gravely; seriously'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:13; 4:7 and 5:8.

Please see the note for 1:3 about the word hope. The functional definition is: 'This is an action word like faith. However, where faith is based upon a promise found within the word of God, hope is based upon the character of God'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:15 about the word end. The functional definition is: 'outcome'.

Please see the note for 1:2 about the word grace. The word grace is usually presented as: 'God's riches at Christ Expense'. The functional definition is: 'that which makes the giver look good'. We see in the Bible that God gives us His grace so that we can use it to 'make God look good to this world'. If we don't do that then God is wasting His grace if He gives it to us.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 12:1 which has links to everywhere that the Bible uses any form of the word revelation. The functional definition of it is: 'an uncovering, a bringing to light of that which had been previously wholly hidden or only obscurely seen'. Biblical prophecy is one of the most often used doctrines of the Bible that is perverted in order to try and justify doctrinal error. Please also see the note for Romans 16:25 which has links to where the word reveal is used in Romans along with links from other commentators.

Please see the note for 1:1-2 about obey / obedience. The functional definition is: 'To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited'.

Please see the notes for Galatians C4-S1 about the word child. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines child as: 'This word has considerable latitude of meaning in Scripture. thus, Joseph is called a child at the time when he was probably about sixteen years of age (Ge 37:3); and Benjamin is so called when he was above thirty years (Ge 44:20). Solomon called himself a little child when he came to the kingdom (1Ki 3:7). the descendants of a man, however remote, are called his children; as, "the children of Edom," "the children of Moab," "the children of Israel." In the earliest times mothers did not wean their children till they were from thirty months to three years old; and the day on which they were weaned was kept as a festival day (Ge 21:8; Ex 2:7,9; 1Sa 1:22-24; Mt 21:16). At the age of five, children began to learn the arts and duties of life under the care of their fathers (De 6:20-25; 11:19). to have a numerous family was regarded as a mark of divine favour (Ge 11:30; 30:1; 1Sa 2:5; 2Sa 6:23; Ps 127:3; 128:3). Figuratively the name is used for those who are ignorant or narrow-minded (Mt 11:16; Lu 7:32; 1Co 13:11). "When I was a child, I spake as a child." "Brethren, be not children in understanding" (1Co 14:20). "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro" (Eph 4:14). Children are also spoken of as representing simplicity and humility (Mt 19:13-15; Mr 10:13-16; Lu 18:15-17). Believers are "children of light" (Lu 16:8; 1Th 5:5) and "children of obedience" (1Pe 1:14)'. The Note in Galatians has links to every place where that epistle uses forms of this word along with links from other commentators. Please also see the note for Galatians C3S9 about the children of Abraham. Please also see the notes for Romans C8S14; God in Romans : Romans C4S12 and 1Peter 2:3-LJC about the children of God. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 3:7-8 about the children of Israel. Please also see the note for Galatians C4-S17 about the phrase My little children.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:5-8 for links to every verse in the New Testament that uses forms of the word fashion. The word fashion is defined as: The make or form of anything; the state of anything with regard to its external appearance; shape'.

Please see the note for Acts 1:1 about the word former. The functional definition for this word is: 'having previously filled a particular role or been a particular thing'.

Please see the notes for Romans C13S17; Galatians C5-S18 about the word lust. The functional definition is: 'Longing desire; eagerness to possess or enjoy'. While this word is normally used for a sin, as it is in our current sentence, it is not always a sin, especially when it is done by the Spirit of God. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:14; 2:11; 4:2 and 4:3.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C14S42 and 2Corinthians 2:10-11 about the word ignorant. The functional definition is: 'lacking knowledge'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C1S3 about the word call. That note has links to notes in every New Testament book where there are links to every place where the particular book uses this word. The functional definition is: 'To command another to help or to cry for help, hence to pray (Ge 4:26)'. We find forms of the word call occurring in 1Peter in: 1:15; 1:17; 2:9; 2:21; 3:6; 3:9 and 5:10. Please also see the note for Romans 10:13; 2Thessalonians 3:1-LJC; Ephesians 5:8-LJC and 1John 4:14-LJC about the phrase call upon the Lord. The note for Romans 10:13 has links to every place in the Bible where we find the words call and Lord used together, along with a small note on each reference.

Please see the notes for Romans C7S16; 1Corinthians C3S17; Philippians 1:3-7 and Colossians C1S6 about the word holy. The functional definition is: 'properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions'. In addition, since holy is pronounced the same as 'wholly', we can say that a holy being is complete, singular and faithful to his character in all of his attitudes and actions. We are to adopt these characteristics of God in order to be holy ourselves. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:12; 1:13-16; 2:5; 2:9 and 3:5.

Please see the note for 1:11 about the word manner. The functional definition is: 'way of performing or executing'.

Please also see the note for Galatians 1:13-14 for links to place in the Bible where the word conversation is used along with the definition from Webster's 1828 and links from other commentators. The functional definition is: 'Your way of life. How we live speaks louder that what comes out of our mouth and if the two disagree, we prove ourselves to be a liar'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:15; 1:18; 2:12; 3:1-2 and 3:16.

Please see the note for Romans C1S10 about the word because. The functional definition is: 'provides a effect where the effect and effect are both in the past'.

Please see the notes for Romans C15S13; 2Corinthians 1:13-14; Galatians C3-S12 and John 20:31-LJC about the word write. The functional definition is: 'To form by a pen on paper or other material, or by a graver on wood or stone; as, to write the characters called letters; to write figures'. Please also see the note for Romans 4:23-25 about the word written. In addition, please see the note for John 6:45 for links to where we find the phrases It is written or have ye not read.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'gird. Ex 12:11; 1Ki 18:46; 2Ki 4:29; Job 38:3; 40:7; Isa 11:5; Jer 1:17; Lu 12:35; 17:8; Eph 6:14. be sober. 1Pe 4:7; 5:8; Lu 21:34-35; Ro 13:13; 1Th 5:6-7. hope. 1Pe 1:3-5; 3:15; Ro 15:4-13; 1Co 13:13; 1Th 5:8; Heb 3:6; 6:19; 1Jo 3:3 exp: La 3:26. Tothe end. Gr. perfectly. The grace. 1Pe 1:4-9; Lu 17:30; 1Co 1:7; 2Th 1:7; 2Ti 4:8; Tit 2:11-13; Heb 9:28; 10:35. General references. exp: Lu 17:30.

obedient. Eph 2:2; 5:6 (Gr). not. 1Pe 4:2-3; Ro 6:4; 12:2; Eph 4:18-22; Col 3:5-7. in. Ac 17:30; 1Th 4:5; Tit 3:3-5. General references. exp: Le 10:10; 14:14; De 27:10; Lu 1:75; 18:17.

as. 1Pe 2:9; 5:10; Ro 8:28-30; 9:24; Php 3:14; 1Th 2:12; 4:7; 2Ti 1:9; 2Pe 1:3,10. is. Isa 6:3; Re 3:7; 4:8; 6:10. so. Mt 5:48; Lu 1:74-75; 2Co 7:1; Eph 5:1-2; Php 1:27; 2:15-16; 1Th 4:3-7; Tit 2:11-14; 3:8,14; Heb 12:14; 2Pe 1:4-10. in. 1Pe 2:12; 3:16; Php 3:20; 1Ti 4:12; Heb 13:5; Jas 3:13; 2Pe 3:11-14. General references. exp: Le 10:10; 14:14; 20:7; De 27:10; Lu 1:75; 6:36.

General references. Le 11:44; 19:2; 20:7; Am 3:3 exp: Le 10:10; De 27:10; Lu 1:75; 6:36'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S7 (Verse 17-21) Judgment is based upon our response to our redemption.

Equivalent Section: the standard of our judgment.

And if ye call on the Father,
who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work,
pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:.

Equivalent Section: the basis of our judgment.

First Step: Religion and things of this world are rejected.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold,
from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;.

Second Step: Only the precious blood of Christ can redeem us.

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

Equivalent Section: the inevitability of our judgment

First Step; the plan of our judgment.

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world,
but was manifest in these last times for you,
Who by him do believe in God,
that raised him up from the dead,
and gave him glory;.

Second Step: the purpose of judgment.

that your faith and hope might be in God..

1Peter 1:17-21 is a single sentence, which makes all of it one thought. Here we see that judgment is part of God's basic plan of salvation. In our sentence Peter starts out with And if ye call on the Father and ends with that your faith and hope might be in God. the thought of this sentence is that when we called upon the Father, He responded by giving us what we needed to live a changed life and that our changed life requires us to have faith and hope in God. The if at the start of this sentence makes it a conditional. We must continue to call upon the Father in order to have ongoing power to live the changed life. Our eternal judgment by God will be based upon how much, and how well, we lived the changed life which results from our having faith and hope in God. In addition, please also pay attention to the word might within the last Step of the Last Equivalent Section. God makes it possible for us to have faith and hope in God, but the word might makes it clear that God does not force this changed life upon us. It is by our own free will that we decide how much faith and hope in God our life will have. Our sentence makes it clear that our free will choices are the basis of our eternal judgment.

With this overall message in mind, we can see that our sentence also tells us that God had Christ pay for our sins and will judge us for not responding correctly. Since Christ only deals with the saved after their initial profession, Peter is warning us about judgment for things which we do after our initial profession, which is at the judgment seat of Christ. This matches with what we have seen is the message of the entire epistle with our current sentence providing more detail.

In our First Equivalent Section we see the standard of our judgment. God the Father will judge us like He judges everyone else so we are to live afraid that our work won't meet God's standard. In our Second Equivalent Section we see a two Step process which tells us that corruptible things can not save us for an incorruptible heaven so we were redeemed with the precious blood of Christ. The First Step tells us that neither religion, nor things of this world, nor anything that is corruptible can not save us. The Second Step tells us that we were saved by the precious blood of Christ which is perfect and has no corruption. Thus, we are first told what will not redeem us then told what will. In our third Equivalent Section we also see a two Step process which lets us know that judgment is part of our salvation. In the First Step we see that God's plan of salvation was foreordained before the foundation of the world and was executed by God. However, what many people fail to realize, is that judgment is included within God's plan of salvation. Because of this inclusion, all who reject God's plan are punished forever in the lake of fire. Also included within God's plan is that Christ would show us how to the changed life, which was already explained within this note. In addition, God's plan also includes that Christ will show us how to serve God. Therefore, judgment of how well we follow Christ is also included within God's plan. In our Second Step Section we see the purpose of God's plan. Since faith and hope go against our basic sin nature, and since they are basic to our life of service to God, God included judgment to motivate us to go against our basic sin nature and to learn to live by faith and hope.

The chapter context of this sentence is that Peter started out saying that we are in the circumstances that God planned for us. Then he said that we have salvation in heaven and should think on the spiritual instead of the physical problems we're going through. Then he said that holy prophets and angels couldn't understand what God had planned for us. Now he says that since the church has something unique in God's dealing with created beings, we need to use the faith and hope, which is included, in order to get the grace which is unique to this age. With this context in mind, we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

And: the And adds the thought of this sentence to the prior sentence and makes it clear that keeping this sentence within the context is important. In the prior sentence we were given a conclusion based upon what was said before it within this chapter. Thus, we see that all which has been said so far in important and needs to be considered. Further, the prior sentence told us how to act, in general terms, and those commandments go against our basic sin nature. Therefore, the warning of judgment, which is based upon our obedience as demonstrated by a changed life, is added to the commandments which were already given.

if ye call on the Father: please notice that the if makes this conditional. The word call is speaking about 'seeking the power and authority'. Thus, we see our conditional in that many people fail to 'seek the power and authority' of the Father for initial salvation and many saved people fail to 'seek the power and authority' of the Father for spiritual growth after their initial profession. Peter is not dealing with those people who refuse to call upon the Father because he would be wasting his time. People muse seek the power of God before it can change their life. Yes, that is an important message to give to people but it also is dealing with a different problem than Peter is dealing with. Thus, we see that the remainder of Peter's message is aimed at people who do call on the Father.

Please notice that our First Equivalent Section says who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work. This is a direct reference to the judgment Seat of Christ (Romans C14S16; 2Corinthians 5:10). (Please see the word definitions later in this note for more about judgment.) there is a popular doctrinal error which claims 'God will understand' and uses that to excuse sin. Yes, 'God does understand' and our sentence tells us to pass the time of your sojourning here in fear, along with other things to consider about that future judgment. In addition, 3:7 warns us: For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. Therefore, the belief that 'God will understand' does not excuse sin and does not protect us from bad consequences (2Corinthians 5:10-11) at the judgment Seat of Christ. Peter also gives us other warnings with the message being that any doctrine which excuses sin is against the true message of the Bible.

pass the time of your sojourning here in fear. Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines sojourn as: 'To dwell for a time; to dwell or live in a place as a temporary resident, or as a stranger, not considering the place as his permanent habitation. So Abram sojourned in Egypt. Gen. 12.' thus, we see Peter's emphasis on the temporary condition of our physical life. In addition, the Bible teaches that we are to not fear any being except our Lord. Our phrase disputes the doctrinal error which claims that 'we should not fear God'.

Several places in the Bible we are told that God blesses obedience and curses disobedience. The true Fear of the Lord is the knowledge that 'God will hurt us more than we can imagine if we refuse to obey'. Please note that this is only for God's children. God leaves the lost alone to provide a contrast to the testimony of His children who are truly living a changed life. Also, the lost will suffer forever in the lake of fire, so there is no need for God to punish them now. Therefore, it is error to expect God to treat His children and the children of the devil the same way.

Many preachers make the mistake of correcting God's word, even when they are one of the preachers who criticize others for correcting God's word. Many of them say that God meant respect for fear. But the Bible translators had access to, and used, the word respect. If they meant respect, they would have said respect. Peter said fear. Paul said Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord (2Corinthians 5:11) when he was in the Romans an jail heading for execution. Both Peter and Paul were referring to the judgment seat of Christ, and not some 'Bema Seat'.

Many preachers warn that some will suffer loss in the context of you will have rewards, just not as many as others. Many Christians believe the song book that says no tears in heaven but Revelation 21:4 says, that God doesn't wipe away our tears until AFTER the 1000 year reign of Christ and God can't wipe away tears that don't exist. Plainly, this and other places in the Bible warn Christians that many of them will have tears after they die. I believe Peter uses fear and Paul uses terror of the Lord because of their concern for those tears which many saved people will have but which they want God's children to avoid.

Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold: this word starts our Second Equivalent Section. Therefore, we are starting phrases which say the same message as those which we just covered only saying them another way. In addition, our Second Equivalent Section has two Steps, which means the First Step must be done before the Second Step can be started. In the Bible the word know includes the personal intimate knowledge that only comes from personal experience. Before we each get saved we try different things, like being religious or doing good works' or giving money to charity. But all truly saved had the Holy Spirit working on their heart to let them know that their efforts were not sufficient. 1Corinthians 13:3 says, And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. While that chapter is talking about having charity after we get saved, this truth applies even more so to basic salvation.

The word definitions below has more about being redeemed but the functional definition is: 'Ransoming; procuring deliverance from captivity, capture, bondage, sin, distress or liability to suffer, by the payment of an equivalent'. God is going to replace this world (Revelation 21). Aside from the issue of the corruption of everything in this world, which make those things not fit for redemption, God would be foolish to accept payment from the things which He is going to destroy. Therefore, nothing belonging to this world can be used to redeem us.

Having just said that, we also see that our phrase points out the corruption of corruptible things. While there is more in the word definitions below, one important discussion of this doctrine in in 1Corinthians 15 which explains that anything which has corruption is not allowed inn heaven or near God. Therefore, something which can not get near God certainly can not be used to redeem us.

The last part of our phrase is as silver and gold. Peter uses these things as an example because people think they are the most precious things that belong to this world. Peter wants to be sure that people understand that even what they think is most precious is not sufficient.

from your vain conversation: the functional definition of the word vain is: 'Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. The outside looks good but it is all show with not internal value. Jesus used whited sepulchers (Matthew 23:27) as an illustration of this word'. The functional definition of the word conversation is: 'Your way of life. How we live speaks louder that what comes out of our mouth and if the two disagree, we prove ourselves to be a liar'. Thus, what we have here is the description of a religious person who has a nice outward show of morals but no inner substance to their show because they do not have God's life within them to make the show true. Since our phrase starts with the word from, and the prior phrase said that it was corruptible things which came from, we know that our vain conversation only produces corruptible things. In addition, this phrase combined with the prior tells us that we personally (ye) were not redeemed by our vain conversation.

received by tradition from your fathers: Within context this phrase is talking about our religious traditions. Romans 2 tells us to not be a hypocrite because when we condemn others, we prove that we know that their behaviour is wrong. Then when we do the same behaviour, we can not claim ignorance like the others can and we receive greater condemnation. With that said, Galatians 2 tells us about Peter being personally corrected before the church for doing this very thing. Therefore, he has personal knowledge of the consequences from doing what he warns us against. I have personally seen God remove three pastors from their ministry because of this exact error. Basically, there are a lot of 'Good Godly fundamental Bible believing KJV only preachers' who hold onto 'old time Baptist doctrine' even after being shown that it goes against the Bible. It is 'old time' in that it is 100 years or more old but it is not Biblical in that doctrinal error was accepted into 'old time Baptist doctrine' between when the Bible was written and oday. Peter is warning us against the vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers and not only is telling us the consequences based upon scripture but he is also speaking from personal experience.

But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: there are two notes within the Lord Jesus Christ Study for this phrase. One deals with the word Christ and the other deals with the word lamb. Those two notes have the details related to this phrase but the basic concept is that the precious blood of Christ paid for the sins which we do after our initial profession so that we are not spending our saved life paying for those sins but can devote our life to showing a lost world that our faith and hope (is) in God.

The word But starts our Second Step, which can only be done after our First Step is completed. In addition, we see a change in direction from the First Step. Our First Step told us that we must know religious traditions will not work before we are willing to change direction and put our faith and hope in Christ. Too many people fail because they refuse to finish the First Step, and abandon the religious traditions ( vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers) before they try to add on a relationship with Christ.

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you, Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory: this is the start of our third Equivalent Section. Therefore, we are starting phrases which say the same message as those which we just covered only saying them another way. As in the Second Equivalent Section, we see another Two Step process. However, where the Second Equivalent Section talked about what can be perceived in our current life, the third Equivalent Section tells us about God's plan which can only be understood from scripture. While the links provided by the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (below) show many of the Old Testament prophecies about Christ, there are many more. Peter only uses a general reference to such and I do not have a better set of references available, but there are other commentators with books available who do provide those references.

The important thing found in our First Step is that we have five phrases describing events in the lives of saved people and the order in which they occur. These are:

Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world: An ordinance can be seen only where it is written down. However, it is backed by the power of the government which created the ordinance. in this case the power backing the ordinance is God and He had what He ordained written in scripture. The fore of the word foreordained means that God had it written down before He did it. God did this to give all of His enemies every chance to stop Him and, when He still did exactly as He foreordained, He proved that His power was greater than all of His enemies combined. It is this demonstration of power which is the basis for our doing the Second Step.
but was manifest in these last times for you: Our second phrase starts with the word but, which lets us know that Peter is still talking about prophecy but changed direction from speaking about what could only be read in the Old Testament to what was manifest ('revealed in every way possible') during the time of the Gospels and the early church. Where we did have the revealed word of God which was given indirectly, we now have first-hand witness accounts.
Who by him do believe in God: Now Peter is advancing to today and our current physical lives. The word do is a present-tense action verb. According to the Bible, all true belief results in action based upon that belief. Thus, we see that this matches the rest of our sentence and the rest of our chapter by requiring present action on our belief.
that raised him up from the dead: the word raised is past-tense but has a future-tense consequence in that it speaks of our justification when we face God at the 'Rapture' or our personal death. We see this truth in Romans 4:22-25. It is only those people who have their sin record blotted out (Acts 3:19; Colossians 2:14) by the blood of Jesus Christ who will be justified and allowed into heaven.
and gave him glory: this is true to a limited amount today in as much as we allow Him to work in and through our present life. However, the real realization of this truth is in the far future when every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God (Isaiah 45:23; Romans 14:11). Satan has not yet done this but will eventually do so.

that your faith and hope might be in God: this is the Second Step of our Last Equivalent Section. We must realize all that was in the First Step before we can properly do this Second Step. Back in 1:17 Peter told us: who (God) without respect of persons. This is the basis of our trust that God will do for us as He did for others. If God had respect of persons (like most men do), then we couldn't be sure that God didn't do things for them because they were special. We could hope, but not have unwavering faith and trust in God providing the reward if God had respect of persons.

Since Jesus Christ is God and is the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever (Hebrews 13:8), 'we can trust God to treat us the same as He treated others who acted in faith like we are called to do'. Jesus Christ was the most faithful man to live and received the greatest glory. Satan was the most unfaithful creature and received the greatest condemnation. Men vary in their faithfulness between these two extremes and have / will receive glory or condemnation in relationship to their faithfulness to God. God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, and had Him seen by the saints, strictly to give us proof of God keeping His promises and to give our faith a basis. God doesn't demand blind faith in that we have NO evidence but God provides evidence when He shows us others that received the reward for faith and obedience. God doesn't provide the direct connection between the act and the reward, because at that level it wouldn't be faith any more but would be sight. However, God also doesn't ask us to believe with absolutely no proof either.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C1S3 about the word call. That note has links to notes in every New Testament book where there are links to every place where the particular book uses this word. The functional definition is: 'To command another to help or to cry for help, hence to pray (Ge 4:26)'. Please also see the note for Romans 10:13; 2Thessalonians 3:1-LJC; Ephesians 5:8-LJC and 1John 4:14-LJC about the phrase call upon the Lord. The note for Romans 10:13 has links to every place in the Bible where we find the words call and Lord used together, along with a small note on each reference.

Please see the note for Philippians 4:6 about the word respect. That note has links to every place in the New Testament where We find this word along with a definition and links from other commentators. The functional definition is: 'To regard; to have regard to in design or purpose'. Please also see the notes for Acts 10:34; Romans 2:11; Ephesians 6:9; Colossians 3:25 and 2:1. Also explained in the notes for Romans 14:10-LJC; Romans C7S3 and Romans C10S13 about the phrase no respecter of persons.

Please see earlier in this note about the word respect and how we are not to show it to persons. Please see the note for Philippians 4:11 about the word respect. The functional definition for this word is: 'To regard; to have regard to in design or purpose'.

Please see the note for Mark 12:14 about the word person. The functional definition for this word is: 'An individual human being consisting of body, soul and spirit'.

Please see the notes for Romans C2S2 and Philippians 1:9-11 about the word judgment. Please also see the notes for Romans C14S16 and 2Corinthians 5:10 about the judgment Seat of Christ (Romans 14:10; 2Corinthians 5:10-11). Please also see the notes for Romans 8:1-LJC; 1Corinthians 1:10 and Revelation 19:2-LJC about the word judge. Please also see the notes for Romans 14:8-LJC and 2Thessalonians 1:9-LJC about the phrase judgment without mercy. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C4S5 about the phrase we are to judge. Please also see the notes for Romans 8:1-LJC; Galatians C5-S6 and Revelation 19:2-LJC about the phrase judged by works. Please also see the note for Ephesians C5S6 about the phrase judgment by us. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:17; 2:23; 4:5 and 4:6. The th in the word judgeth means that God 'keeps on keeping on' judging. Everything that saved people do is judged by God.

Please see the notes for Romans C9S8; 1Corinthians C3S13; Galatians C2-S10 and Philippians 1:1 about the word works. Please see the note for Romans C3S27 about the phrase law of works. Please see the note for Philippians 3:2 about the phrase evil workers. Please see the note for Romans C11S10 about the phrase works are seen of men. Please see the notes for Romans 8:1-LJC; Galatians C5-S6 and Revelation 19:2-LJC about the phrase judged by works. The basic Biblical definition of work is: 'to move, or to labor'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 11:9 about the word sojourn. The functional definition is: 'To dwell for a time; to dwell or live in a place as a temporary resident, or as a stranger, not considering the place as his permanent habitation'.

Please see the notes for Romans C11S25; Philippians 1:12-14 and the Study called Fear the Lord about the word fear. The Bible teaches us that we are to not fear anything nor any being but our Lord. The true Biblical definition of Godly fear is: 'an absolute knowledge that God will hurt me if I deliberately disobey His command'. Please also see the note for John 6:19 about the word afraid. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:17; 2:17; 2:18; 3:2 and 3:15.

Please see the note for 1:2 about the word know. There are different levels of knowledge which can vary based upon their source, how the knowledge is obtained and more. True Biblical knowledge includes the most intimate and personal type of knowledge which comes from personal experience.

Please see the note for Romans C8S21 for links to every place in the Bible where the word redemption is used along with a short note about the use of the word within each verse. Please also see the note for Ephesians 5:15-16 which discusses the doctrine and what the Bible says is included in our redemption. Please see the note for Colossians 4:5 for links to every verse within the New Testament which uses forms of the word redeem. There are a couple of dictionary definitions and links from other commentators. The functional definition is: 'Ransoming; procuring deliverance from captivity, capture, bondage, sin, distress or liability to suffer, by the payment of an equivalent'.

We find forms of the word uncorruptible in: Romans 1:23; Titus 2:7. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'a. that cannot be corrupted. But incorruptible is the word now used.'. We find forms of the word incorruptible in: 1Corinthians 9:25; 1Corinthians 15:42; 1Corinthians 15:50; 1Corinthians 15:52; 1Corinthians 15:53; 1Corinthians 15:54; 1Peter 1:4; 1Peter 1:23. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'a. 1. that cannot corrupt or decay; not admitting of corruption. thus gold, glass, mercury, etc., are incorruptible. Spirits are supposed to be incorruptible. Our bodies shall be changed into incorruptible and immortal substances. 2. that cannot be bribed; inflexibly just and upright'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C9S36 about the word corrupt. The functional definition is: 'To change from a sound to a putrid or putrescent state; to separate the component parts of a body, as by a natural process, which accompanied by a fetid smell'. It should be obvious that the word uncorruptness means the opposite and doing all that is possible to avoid any part of the word corrupt.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the word silver. The functional definition is: 'Money; coin made of silver'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the word gold. The functional definition is: 'A precious metal of a bright yellow color, and the most ductile and malleable of all the metals. It is the heaviest metal except patina; and being a very dense, fixed substance, and not liable to be injured by air, it is well fitted to be used as coin, or a representative of commodities in commerce'.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C15S1 and Galatians C2-S16 about the word vain. The functional definition is: 'Empty; worthless; having no substance, value or importance. The outside looks good but it is all show with not internal value. Jesus used whited sepulchers (Matthew 23:27) as an illustration of this word.'

Please see the note for Galatians 1:13-14 for links to every place in the Bible where the word tradition is used along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'The delivery of opinions, doctrines, practices, rites and customs from father to son, or from ancestors to posterity; the transmission of any opinions or practice from forefathers to descendants by oral communication, without written memorials'.

Please see the note for 1Peter 1:7 about the word precious. The functional definition is: 'Of great price; costly; Of great value or worth; very valuable'. This is added (and) to the phrase but chosen of God to let us know just how precious Jesus Christ really is. What some people think is precious is considered to be common by other people. However, what God considers to be precious will never be common.

Please see the note for Colossians 1:9-17 about the word blood. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians 10:16-LJC about Christ and blood. There is a lot of doctrine connected to the word blood, and a lot of doctrinal error which tries to deny the importance of this word. Hebrews 9:22 tells us: And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. the note for Colossians 1:9-17 explains the doctrinal difference between the blood of Jesus and the blood of Christ. Basically, the blood of Jesus is used in the great white throne Legal System to get us remission so that we can be initially saved. But, the blood of Christ. is used in the judgment seat of Christ Legal System to get us remission so that we are not spending all of out time paying for sins done after our initial profession. Instead, we can spend our time being sanctified.

Please see the note for Ephesians 5:27 about the word blemish. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'imperfection or bodily deformity excluding men from the priesthood, and rendering animals unfit to be offered in sacrifice (Le 21:17-23; 22:19-25). the Christian church, as justified in Christ, is "without blemish" (Eph 5:27). Christ offered himself a sacrifice "without blemish," acceptable to God (1Pe 1:19)'.

Please see the note for James 1:27 about the word spot. It has links to every place in the Bible where we find any form of this word. Most of those verses are part of the Mosaic Law dealing with leprosy. All of the New Testament references are symbolic of spiritual leprosy.

Please see the note for Matthew 16:28 about the word verily and for the phrase verily, verily. When Jesus, or another Bible author, say or write the word verily, they are saying that they have verified the truth of what they are saying and they are also telling the listener / reader to also verify the truth of what they say or write. When we see the word verily used twice in a row the sentence is fulfilling the legal requirement which is necessary to present something which everyone must believe. Thus, every place, where we see the phrase verily, verily, is a precept and is something which God will use as His law when He judges us.

Please see the notes for Romans C7S14; Romans C13S3 and 1Corinthians C7S20 about the word ordain / ordinance. The functional definition is: ' from order, order. 1. Properly, to set; to establish in a particular office or order; hence, to invest with a ministerial function or sacerdotal power; to introduce and establish or settle in the pastoral office with the customary forms and solemnities; as, to ordain a minister of the gospel'. Please also see the note for Colossians 2S3 about the word order.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S12 about the word foundation. The functional definition is: 'The basis or ground work, or anything; that on which anything stands, and by which it is supported'.

Please see the notes for Romans C16S33; 1Corinthians C1S19; 2Timothy C1S5 and World in 1John about the word world. The functional definition is: 'The world is not the earth but is all of the people in the earth and often is used for the majority opinion / thought process. That opinion / thought process is the result of lost people thinking that they know better than God does and believe Satan's lie'.

Please see the notes for Romans C16S33; 1John-Manifest about the word manifest. The functional definition is: 'made available for extensive examination that uses multiple means to accomplish the examination' or, as Webster's 1828 dictionary defines it: ' revealed in every possible way; apparent; not obscure or difficult to be seen or understood'. Please also see the note for Romans C3S20 about the word manifested.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C15S32 about the word raise / resurrection. Please also see the Prophecies and Prophecy Fulfilled Sections for Bible references to resurrection. Please see the note for Romans C8S11 about the resurrection of Christ. Please see the note for Romans C8S11 about the resurrection of Jesus.

Please see the note for 1:3-5 about the words die /dead / death. That note has several links to other notes where We find this word used within the Bible. There is a lot of error that is believed about this word and the reader should thoroughly study what the Bible actually says. The functional definition is: 'an ongoing process of corruption which starts at conception and continues after the soul and spirit leave the body in physical death. It is eternal separation from God, and the eternal corruption which results, in spiritual (second) death'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'call. Zep 3:9; Mt 6:9; 7:7-11; 2Co 1:2; Eph 1:17; 3:14. who. De 10:17; 2Ch 19:7; Job 34:19; Mt 22:16; Ac 10:34-35; Ro 2:10-11; Ga 2:6; Eph 6:9; Col 3:25. pass. Ge 47:9; 1Ch 29:15; Ps 39:12; Heb 11:13-16. in fear. 1Pe 2:11; Pr 14:16; 28:14; Ro 11:20; 2Co 5:6; 7:1,11; Php 2:12; Heb 4:1; 12:28. General references. exp: Ac 5:11; Ro 2:11.

ye. Ps 49:7-8; 1Co 6:20; 7:23. corruptible. 1Pe 1:7. vain. Ps 39:6; 62:10; Jer 4:11; Ro 1:21; 1Co 3:20. received. 1Pe 4:3; Jer 9:14; 16:19; 44:17; Eze 20:18; Am 2:4; Zec 1:4-6; Mt 15:2-3; Ac 7:51-52; 19:34-35; Ga 1:4. General references. exp: Le 15:27; Nu 3:50; 7:15; Isa 52:3; Mr 8:37; Lu 24:21.

with. 1Pe 2:22-24; 3:18; Da 9:24; Zec 13:7; Mt 20:28; 26:28; Ac 20:28; Eph 1:7; Col 1:14; Heb 9:12-14; 1Jo 1:7; 2:2; Re 1:5; 5:9. as. Ex 12:5; Isa 53:7; Joh 1:29,36; Ac 8:32-35; 1Co 5:7-8; Re 5:6; 7:14; 14:1. General references. exp: Ge 22:8; Le 15:27; 22:19; 23:12; Nu 7:15,39; Mr 8:37; Lu 24:21.

verily. Ge 3:15; Pr 8:23; Mic 5:2; Ro 3:25; 16:25-26; Eph 1:4; 3:9,11; Col 1:26; 2Ti 1:9-10; Tit 1:2-3; Re 13:8exp: Heb 2:16. but. Ac 3:25-26; Col 1:26; 1Jo 1:2; 3:5,8; 4:9-10. in. Ga 4:4; Eph 1:10; Heb 1:2; 9:26. General references. exp: Ge 22:8; Ac 15:18.

by. Joh 5:24; 12:44; 14:6; Heb 6:1; 7:25 exp: Ac 2:33. That raised. Ac 2:24,32; 3:15; 4:10. gave. 1Pe 1:11; 3:22; Mt 28:18; Joh 3:34; 5:22-23; 13:31-32; 17:1; Ac 2:33; 3:13; Eph 1:20-23; Php 2:9-11; Heb 2:9. your. Ps 42:5; 146:3-5; Jer 17:7; Joh 14:1; Eph 1:12-13 (margin) Eph 1:15; Col 1:27; 1Ti 1:1. General references. exp: Ac 10:40'.

Home Start of Chapter

C1-S8 (Verse 22-23) the evidence of being truly born again.

The actions of a truly saved person.

Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren,
see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:.

What makes us truly saved.

Being born again,
not of corruptible seed,
but of incorruptible,
by the word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever..

Our sentence has two Equivalent Sections and two verses, with one verse per Equivalent Section. Here we see a perfect example of the type of doctrinal error which results from using the verse format. It is very common for people to use the second half (verse 1:23) when teaching or preaching. However, rarely do people include the first half of this sentence even though a sentence is a single thought according to all rules of grammar. When the devil tempted Jesus he quoted scripture. There was no problem with what he quoted but the doctrinal error was introduced by his leaving out part of the scripture which he quoted. By leaving out part of the scripture, he perverted the message from God's Word. Therefore, when preachers do the same to this sentence, they are following the example of the devil and perverting God's Word.

Lots of people want to preach about Being born again. Many will even preach that it requires using the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Some will even proclaim that true Biblical salvation is not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. However, few also preach that truly Biblically Being born again requires the truly Biblically saved to have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. That is because this goes directly against the doctrinal error which is called 'Easy Believism' and because 'good Godly Bible believing fundamental KJV only preachers' have been taught the wrong way to interpret God's Word. Proper Biblical interpretation requires us to pay attention to the punctuation (jot and tittle [Matthew 5:18 and Luke 16:17 ]). Therefore, the colon makes these two verses equivalent and that means that they both give the same message but from different views. Any so-called 'interpretation' which goes against the First Equivalent Section (first verse) of this sentence, or even simply ignores the message from it, is doctrinal error.

Having said that, we can doctrinally say that our personally (ye) having purified your souls is a requirement of being truly Biblical Being born again. This is why God saved us and if we were not willing to let Him do this in our current physical life then He refuses to save us no matter what prayer we say or what religious act we do.

In the Bible God uses many forms of life to illustrate spiritual 'life'. All through life and all throughout the Bible we see seed planted which does not result in a birth or in life. Therefore, we see that the ground 'receives' the seed without any life resulting from that action. Likewise we see the same thing with animals and hum and mating. The female 'receives' the seed without any life resulting from that action. We see this truth all around us and yet many people teach the doctrinal error that everyone who 'receives' the word of God is Biblically saved and going to heaven. Jesus did not say 'ye must receive the word of God' but He said ye must be born again (John 3:7). This doctrinal error is the result of people 'interpreting by verse' and ignoring God's instructions to interpret by sentence. (Please see the papers under the Hermeneutics page.) the colon in this verse provides equivalency which proves that only those who have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren are truly born again. Those who do not have this God caused change in their life may have 'received the word of God' (seed) but they have not been born again.

The context of our sentence is that all throughout this chapter Peter has been talking about changes that true salvation causes in the lives of the saved after their initial profession. Our sentence is essentially telling us that these changes are NOT optional but are mandatory for true Biblical salvation. In addition, our next sentence starts with For and tells us why this change is important. Peter uses an illustration of grass to show that physical life is fleeting and can not produce the eternal spiritual life, which our sentence tells us comes from the word of God. With this contrast Peter is emphasizing the difference and making it clear that if we truly do have eternal spiritual life, then we will also have the evidence of such. Without such evidence all that we have is a lie which will send us to the lake of fire for eternity.

With the context in mind we can now look at the equivalency found within our sentence. Peter is saying that purified souls followed by unfeigned love is equivalent to being born again. That is: people who are being born again will have a purified souls from the action of God and they will respond to such with unfeigned love for the brethren. We also see, within the equivalency, that in order to be born again...by the word of God, we must have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit. With the word Spirit being capitalized we know that this is speaking about God's Holy Spirit. 'The Spirit of God uses the word of God to show the child of God what is the will of God'. The Spirit of God always uses the word of God to show us truth and the Spirit of God never goes against the word of God. In addition, as shown in the Word Study on Truth, truth is defined as: 'Truth is defined by God. Truth is what God says is truth for this physical reality, the spiritual reality and everything else that is, even if we don't know about it. Truth is personified in Jesus Christ and anything less than 'absolute truth' is a lie.' Something that is true matches what God reveals in His unchanging Word'. Thus, in order to obey Jesus Christ as our personal Lord, which we agreed to do if we were truly Biblically saved, we must obey the truth through the Spirit since Truth is personified in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ uses the indwelling Holy Spirit to deliver personalized commands to the truly Biblically saved people. The Bible teaches that some people have believed in vain and these are people who do not do the military use of the action word of stand (1Corinthians 15:1-2). Thus, we also see this doctrine taught other places within the Bible.

In addition, we can see further equivalency between unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently and the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. Please note that our sentence says that the word of God is alive and liveth and abideth for ever. That means that the word of God does living things such as getting us to do unto unfeigned love of the brethren and getting us to personally (ye) continue to love one another with a pure heart fervently. If this is not happening then we have stopped responding to the living the word of God. If it never happens then we never responded to the living the word of God and we were never Biblically born again. This ties in with Jesus saying By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35). Something that's alive (born again) has the motions of life. Peter's warning us to keep our spiritual motions in line with the word of God, since that is what got us saved to start with.

After considering these equivalencies, we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

Seeing ye have purified your souls: Our soul is 'the long-term way we think, the way we make decisions with our will and the way that we react emotionally to the circumstances of life'. We already discussed the salvation of your souls back in the note for 1:9 and saw that it involved an ongoing change. The word pure is defined as: '100%'. Thus, this phrase means that 'we have attempted to make '100%' of the changes to our soul that God's Holy Spirit told us to do'. No, we have not reached 'sinless perfection' but Peter assumes that we have made a '100%' attempt at obedience. Please note that the obedience is specified within the next phrase.

in obeying the truth means that salvation comes from doing what God said (Jesus said I am the truth), not from doing some religious activity that is specified by another authority. This follows verses 1:17-21 which speak about God the Father's part in salvation and Christ's part in salvation. Please see earlier within this note about obeying the truth. Please also see the note for Study on Truth for more details related to this doctrine. As it says there, 'Men of truth conform their lives to the facts of reality (as presented by God) even when the consequences do not provide the greatest personal comfort or pleasure'. That study also provides links to many more verses which teach the same doctrine.

through the Spirit means that salvation is a spiritual work, not physical. Please see the note for Study on Spirit for more details related to this phrase. As it says there, 'Saved are to live by following the Spirit of our God (which gives us sanctification) and not by obeying religion'. That study also provides links to many more verses which teach the same doctrine.

unto unfeigned love of the brethren: the word unto means 'up to and including'. We do not have unfeigned love of the brethren when we first get saved but the changes brought by salvation are to move us in that direction until it is true that we have unfeigned love of the brethren.

see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: While the prior phrase might not yet be true in our personal life, Peter gives us this command which will help us get there. A pure heart means that the attitudes and actions of our heart are to be '100%' towards this type of love. The word fervently means that we are not to be lackadaisical about it but to put as much effort as possible into producing this love.

Being born again: the word being is 'an ongoing current verb of existence'. This is not a one-time event in our life. The significance of the phrase born again has already been discussed in this note and in the notes attached to this sentence.

not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God: there are too many possible messages based upon this phrase to cover everything involved. Simply put, our phrase says that the true word of God can not be corrupted. The word of means 'belongs to'. There are a lot of so-called bibles which do notbelong to' God. The notes, format and other additions can be copyrighted but the word of God itself can not be copyrighted because it 'belongs to' God and not some men. While I could write more I will limit this note to warning against so-called bibles which do notbelong to' God.

which liveth and abideth for ever: this phrase is applied to the word of God. Only life begets life. the word of God must have spiritual life in order to beget spiritual life in us. Since the spiritual life in the word of God liveth and abideth for ever, that is the type of spiritual life which is given to us. This phrase assures us of eternal security from the lake of fire in heaven but it does not remove the consequences of sin. It also tells us that the word of God will continue to change our life as it liveth and abideth within us.

Please see the notes for 1:8 about the word see / sight. The functional definition is: 'The act of seeing; perception of objects by the eye; view. This word is often used symbolically for spiritual understanding'.

Please see the note for Romans 14:20 for links to all of the verses in the New Testament where pure is used along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: '100%'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 6:3-10 about the word unfeigned that note has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines unfeigned as: 'Not feigned; not counterfeit; not hypocritical; real; sincere; as unfeigned piety to God; unfeigned love to man.'

Please see the notes for Romans C10S6 and 2Corinthians C2S4 about the word heart. Each of the verses within Romans has to do with our having righteousness or unrighteousness because of our decisions, our attitudes, our thoughts and our actions are determined by our heart. In addition, to these verses, please see the note for Galatians C6-S6 for 'The LORD looketh on the heart' and the note for Ephesians C4-S8 for links to verses which deal with a 'wicked heart'. Please also see the note for Psalms 119:2 for links to where that Psalm deals with our heart and for some additional links from other commentators. Please see the note for Philippians C1S21 for links to where heart is used in Philippians along with a definition and links from other commentators. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 2:4 about the word heart. It has definitions from 3 Bible dictionaries. The functional definition is: 'Our heart controls the same things as our soul only where the soul deals with the long term the heart deals with the short term and we control our heart directly while the soul is the accumulated actions of our heart. Both are the way we think (mind), the way we emotionally respond to circumstances (emotions) and the method we use to make decisions (will).'

Please see the note for Romans 12:10-13 for links to every verse in the Bible where forms of the word fervent are used, along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'Hot; boiling; Ardent; very warm; earnest; excited; animated; glowing'.

Please see the note for Matthew 1:16 about the word born. The functional definition for this word is: 'Concieved life is brought into the world'. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'pp. of bear. baurn. Brought forth, as an animal. A very useful distinction is observed by good authors, who, in the sense of produced or brought forth, write this word born; but in the sense of carried, write it borne. this difference of orthography renders obvious the difference of pronunciation. 1. to be born, is to be produced or brought into life. "Man is born to trouble." A man born a prince or a beggar. It is followed by of, before the mother or ancestors. Man that is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. Job.14. 2. to be born, or born again, is to be regenerated and renewed; to receive spiritual life. John 3'. Please also see the note for 1John 3:9 about the phrase born of God. Please also see the note for Colossians 1:15 about the word firstborn. Please also see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word begotten. The functional definition is: 'Procreated; generated'. Please also see the note for Galatians C4-S17 about the words birth / birthright / birthday.

Please see the note for Galatians C3-S17 about the word seed. The functional definition is: 'The substance, animal or vegetable, which nature prepares for the reproduction and conservation of the species'. Our sentence literally says that this seed is the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever. That means that the word of God is spiritually alive and provides God's life to us.

We find forms of the word word in 1Peter in: 1:23; 1:25; 1:25; 2:2; 2:8 and 3:1.

Please see the note for Colossians 2S2 about the word word. The functional definition is: 'a single component part of human speech or language'. However, the word of God is the holy scriptures and in the English language, it is only the KJV-1611. Please also see the notes for Romans C10S22 and Word in 1John about the phrase word of God. Please also see the note for John 1:1 for an extensive note explaining the differences, and similarities, between the capitalized and the non-capitalized word word. When a Bible reference uses an uppercase word, it is referring to Jesus Christ. The uppercase makes this a formal name of the Son of God. However, while the exact definition is different, the properties are spiritually similar to the lowercase word. Please also see the note for 1Thessalonians 1:8 about the phrase word of the Lord. Please note that the word of the Lord is a sub-set of the word of God. the word of God contains all of God's written truth including recording the lies of Satan. The word of the Lord is that part of the word of God which will be used to judge us. The lies from Satan are not included within the word of the Lord.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:19-20 about the word life. That note has the definition from Webster's 1828 and links from other commentators. Please also see the notes for Life in 1John about the word life. Please see the notes for Hebrews 1:8-LJC and Philippians 1:27-LJC about the phrase life everlasting. We find the phrase eternal life in: 6:12 and 6:19. Please see the note for Romans C10S15 about the phrase belief changes life. Please note that our sentence tells us that the word of God...liveth...for ever. The th on the word means that it 'keep on keeping on living' and never stops.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C7S9 about the word abide. The functional definition is: 'To continue; to be; to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely'. Please note that our sentence tells us that the word of God...abideth for ever. The th on the word means that it 'keep on keeping on abiding' and never stops.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'ye have. Joh 15:3; 17:17,19; Ac 15:9; Ro 6:16-17; 2Th 2:13; Jas 4:8. in. 1Pe 3:1; 4:17; Ac 6:7; Ro 1:5; 2:8; Ga 3:1; 5:7; Heb 5:9; 11:8. Through. Ro 8:13; Ga 5:5; 2Ti 1:14; Heb 9:14. unto. 1Pe 2:17; 3:8; 4:8; Joh 13:34-35; 15:17; Ro 12:9-10; 2Co 6:6; Eph 4:3; 1Th 4:8-9; 1Ti 1:5; Heb 6:10; 13:1; Jas 2:15-16; 2Pe 1:7; 1Jo 3:11,14-19,23; 4:7,12,20-21; 5:1-2 exp: Heb 5:9; 1Pe 1:2. see. Php 1:9; 1Th 3:12; 2Th 1:3; Re 2:4 exp: 2Co 8:7; Eph 5:15; 1Th 5:15; Heb 12:25. a pure. 1Ti 1:3; 4:12; 5:2 exp: 1Ti 1:5. General references. exp: Joh 15:3,12; Col 1:8; Heb 13:1.

born. 1Pe 1:3; Joh 1:3; 3:5. not. Mal 2:3; Ro 1:23; 1Co 15:53-54. but. 1Jo 3:9; 5:18exp: Pr 21:8. by. 1Pe 1:25; Jer 23:28; Mt 24:35; Joh 6:63; Heb 4:12; Jas 1:18exp: Eph 5:26'.

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C1-S9 (Verse 24) Grass used as an illustration.

For all flesh is as grass,
and all the glory of man as the flower of grass..

This sentence starts with the word For and tells us why we must be living a life of obeying the truth through the Spirit, as the prior sentence told us to do and as the note above explained in great detail. In addition, the next sentence provides an explanation of why Peter included this example. It has two Equivalent Sections with the word but following the colon. That means that the two Equivalent Sections are polar opposites and are used to show us the contrast between a short physical life and an eternal spiritual life. (Please see the note below for more details.)

Our current sentence is warning us that our current physical glory will not last. This is contrasted to the word of the Lord (which) endureth for ever. Therefore, we would be foolish to reject the eternal life which comes from the word of the Lord in order to seek temporary glory in this physical life.

This sentence references the teaching found in Matthew 6:30 and Luke 12:28 and James 1:9-11. In each case, grass is used to illustrate a pretty existence but one that is short lived. Compared to eternity, that is how our life is.

Please see the notes for Romans C8S1; 2Corinthians C1S7; Galatians C6S8; Philippians 1:22 and Colossians C1S6 about the word flesh. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'in the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of the body of man and animals (Ge 2:21; 41:2; Ps 102:5, marg.); (2) the whole body (Ps 16:9); (3) all living things having flesh, and particularly humanity as a whole (Ge 6:12-13); (4) mutability and weakness (2Ch 32:8; comp. Isa 31:3; Ps 78:39). As suggesting the idea of softness it is used in the expression "heart of flesh" (Eze 11:19). the expression "my flesh and bone" (Jg 9:2; Isa 58:7) denotes relationship. In the New Testament, besides these it is also used to denote the sinful element of human nature as opposed to the "Spirit" (Ro 6:19; Mt 16:17). Being "in the flesh" means being unrenewed (Ro 7:5; 8:8-9), and to live "according to the flesh" is to live and act sinfully (Ro 8:4-5,7,12). this word also denotes the human nature of Christ (Joh 1:14, "The Word was made flesh." Comp. also 1Ti 3:16; Ro 1:3)'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:24; 2:11; 3:18; 3:21; 4:1-2 and 4:6. Please also see the note for Romans C8S7 about the phrase after the flesh. Please also see the note for Romans C8S7 about the phrase in the flesh. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 12:7 about the phrase thorn in the flesh. Please also see the note for Matthew 7:16 about the phrase thistles and thorns.

Please see the note for James 1:9-10 about the word flower. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Very few species of flowers are mentioned in the Bible although they abounded in Palestine. It has been calculated that in Western Syria and Palestine from two thousand to two thousand five hundred plants are found, of which about five hundred probably are British wild-flowers. their beauty is often alluded to (Song 2:12; Mt 6:28). they are referred to as affording an emblem of the transitory nature of human life (Job 14:2; Ps 103:15; Isa 28:1; 40:6; Jas 1:10). Gardens containing flowers and fragrant herbs are spoken of (Song 4:16; 6:2)'.

Please see the note for Matthew 6:30 about the word grass. The functional definition for this word is: ' As the herbage rapidly fades under the scorching sun, it is used as an image of the brevity of human life (Isa 40:6-7; Ps 90:5)'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 6:15 about the word endure. The functional definition is: 'To last; to continue in the same state without perishing; to remain; to abide'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'For. or, forthat. exp: 1Co 7:31. all flesh. 2Ki 19:26; Ps 37:2; 90:5; 92:7; 102:4; 103:15; 129:6; Isa 40:6-8; Jas 1:10-11; 4:14; 1Jo 2:17. General references. exp: Job 8:12; Ps 37:2'.

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C1-S10 (Verse 24-25)' the contrast that we are to consider.

First Equivalent Section: Shortness of life

The grass withereth
and the flower thereof falleth away:.

Second Equivalent Section: the opposite life span of the eternal word of the Lord

But the word of the Lord endureth for ever..

Please see the note for this sentence within the Lord Jesus Christ Study. it is extensive and does a quick review of the chapter and shows how the various things mentioned within this chapter are related to the word of the Lord. It also deals with the difference between the word of God and the word of the Lord. In addition, it explains how the last three sentences of this chapter provide the summary of the chapter. The verse format divides these sentences into two verses with our current sentence divided into two parts with each part attached to the sentence before / after this one so that people will easily miss the equivalence of this sentence and miss the contrast that Peter is giving us.

Our sentence has two Equivalent Sections with the Second Equivalent Section starting with the word but. That makes the two Sections polar opposites with Peter pointing out the shortness of physical life that is opposite of eternal spiritual life. Please notice the th in the words withereth falleth and endureth. The word withereth means that the grass 'keeps on keeping on fading, wasting; and pining away'. Combined with the symbolism we see that Peter is saying that 'physical life is corrupt and keeps on getting more corrupt and heading towards final destruction and death'. The word falleth means that 'keeps on keeping on dropping from a higher place'. Combined with the symbolism we see that Peter is saying that 'physical life keeps on moving us more towards Satan and sin and away from God'. The word endureth, which is in the opposite Equivalent Section, means that the word of the Lord 'keeps on keeping on Lasting; continuing without perishing; bearing; sustaining; supporting with patience, or without opposition or yielding'. Nothing can end the spiritual life nor the existence of the word of the Lord.

With the contrast found within the structure of our sentence, Peter is pointing out the difference in the value of physical things, like pleasure, as opposed to the value of the same things in our eternal spiritual life. The eternal rewards come from our judgment which is based upon the word of the Lord. Our lesson is that if we must suffer in the physical in order to gain in the spiritual then it is a profitable trade for us to do.

Please see the note for Mark 3:1 about the word withered. The functional definition for this word is: 'Faded; dried; shrunk'.

Please see the notes for 1Timothy 3:6 about the word fall. The functional definition is: 'To drop from a higher place'.

Please see the note for 1Thessalonians 1:8 about the word of the Lord. It is a subset of the word of God, as explained in that note which has links every place in the New Testament where we find this phrase.

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C1-S11 (Verse 25) And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

1Peter 1:24-25 is three sentence with the middle one split between the verses. I personally believe this was deliberately done to lead God's people into doctrinal error by causing them to miss the contrast that is in the prior sentence and that contrast is explained above. These three sentences are joined the summary of this chapter with our current sentence being added (by starting with an And) to the contract of the prior sentence. The start of this sentence makes the context, especially the true contrast of the prior sentence, very important to getting the correct interpretation of this sentence,

Please note that the wording of our sentence makes the gospel (which) is preached unto you based upon This is the word. The word which Peter is referring to is the word of the Lord which was identified in the prior sentence. As explained in the notes for the prior two sentences, Peter is contrasting the word of the Lord to the things which our flesh and this world offer. The chapter which these three sentences are summarizing make it clear that part of our getting the eternal spiritual rewards, which are promised in the word of the Lord, is our enduring temptations and even suffering in this physical world. Thus, the gospel which Peter is speaking about is based upon a foundation of our obedience to the word of the Lord and our enduring temptations and even suffering in this physical world. As explained in the note for this sentence within the Word Study on Gospel, this is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That gospel includes the judgment for how we live our life in this physical world.

Returning to the message of our sentence, we see that the last three sentences of this chapter give us the conclusion of chapter 1. In addition, to being a conclusion, these sentences hold important doctrine. Peter ended up preaching doctrinal error and was withstood him to the face, because he was to be blamed (Galatians 2:11). Peter learned his lesson, which is why he tells us the word of the Lord...is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you. The true Biblical gospel can be backed from the Bible in any and all parts of that gospel. If anyone preaches a gospel where they can not back their claims from the Bible, then don't believe them. It may be great sounding religious traditions, like what got Peter in trouble, but learn from Peter and reject anything that is not directly taken from the word of the Lord.

Further, Peter tells us that the word of the Lord endureth for ever. If someone has a 'gospel' that does not match what was given by Jesus and the apostles, reject their 'gospel' as false. The third thing in these sentences is that Peter warns us that all the glory of man as the flower of grass. People believe a religion's doctrine because they have fancy ceremonies (glory). Peter warns that that stuff won't last. Ignore the glory of man and stick with the word of the Lord (which) endureth for ever.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'the word. 1Pe 1:23; Ps 102:12,26; 119:89; Isa 40:8; Mt 5:18; Lu 16:17 exp: Mr 4:14. This. 1Pe 1:12; 2:2; Joh 1:1,14; 1Co 1:21-24; 2:2; 15:1-4; Eph 2:17; 3:8; Tit 1:3; 2Pe 1:19; 1Jo 1:1,3. General references. exp: Lu 21:33'.

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1Peter Chapter 2

links to sentences in this chapter:

C2-S1 (Verse 1-3), C2-S2 (Verse 4-5), C2-S3 (Verse 6), C2-S4 (Verse 7-8), C2-S5 (Verse 9-10), C2-S6 (Verse 11-12), C2-S7 (Verse 13-14), C2-S8 (Verse 15-16), C2-S9 (Verse 17), C2-S10 (Verse 17), C2-S11 (Verse 17), C2-S12 (Verse 17), C2-S13 (Verse 18), C2-S14 (Verse 19), C2-S15 (Verse 20), C2-S16 (Verse 20), C2-S17 (Verse 21-24), C2-S18 (Verse 25)'.

Please see the Chapter Summary, at the start of this book Study, for an overview of this Chapter.

Chapter Summary from Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge

1-3	He exhorts them from the breach of charity;
4-10	shewing that Christ is the foundation whereupon they are built
11-12	He beseeches them also to abstain from fleshly lusts
13-17	to be obedient to magistrates;
18-19	and teaches servants how to obey their masters;
20-25	patiently suffering for well doing, after the example of Christ.

C2-S1 (Verse 1-3) - How to act based upon the truth of the prior chapter.

How to act based upon the truths of the prior chapter.

Wherefore laying aside all malice,
and all guile,
and hypocrisies,
and envies,
and all evil speakings,
As newborn babes,
desire the sincere milk of the word,
that ye may grow thereby:.

The attitude to have based upon the truths of the prior chapter.

If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious..

In the First Equivalent Section of this sentence, Peter tells us things that we should lay aside while we desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby. Notice that Peter says as newborn babes, which means that we are to all act as newborn babes and not that only newborn babes are to do these things. This doctrine matches what Jesus taught in Matthew 19:14, Mark 10:14 and Luke 18:16 where He said Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. In addition, Matthew 18:3 says, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. The actions found within the First Equivalent Section match the actions of little children. In addition, Peter tells us to be as newborn babes within this section. Therefore, the reader should understand the connection to the teaching of Jesus within the Gospels.

As has been commonly preached, we need to seek the kingdom of God as little children and not in the pride of adults because compared to God, we are all children. We are told about God's children and the kingdom of God in: Matthew 5:9, Matthew 5:45; Matthew 7:11; Matthew 8:12; Matthew 9:15; Matthew 11:19; Matthew 14:21; Matthew 15:26; Matthew 17:25-26; Matthew 18:3; Matthew 19:13-14; Matthew 20:20; Matthew 23:31, Matthew 23:37; Matthew 27:9, Matthew 27:25, Matthew 27:56; Mark 2:19; 7:27, 28; 9:37; 10:13, 14, 24; Luke 1:16, 17; 3:8; 5:34; 6:35; 13:34; 16:8; 18:16; 19:44; 23:28; John 4:12; 8:39; 11:52; 12:36; 13:33; 21:5; Acts 2:39; 3:25; 5:21; 7:19, 23, 37; 9:15; 10:36; 13:26, 33; Romans 8:16-17, 21; 9:7-8, 11, 26, 27; 1Corinthians 7:14; 14:20; 2Corinthians 3:7, 13; 6:13; 12:14; Galatians 3:7, 26; 4:3, 19, 25, 27, 28, 31; Ephesians 1:5; 2:2, 3; 4:14; 5:1, 6, 8; Colossians 3:6; 1Thessalonians 2:7, 11; 1Timothy 5:5; 5:4, 10; Hebrews 2:13, 14; 11:22; 12:5; 1Peter 1:14; 3:6; 2Peter 2:14; 1John 2:1, 12, 13, 18, 28; 3:7, 10, 18; 4:4; 5:2, 21; 2John 1:1, 4, 13; 3John 1:4; Revelation 2:14, 23; 7:4; 21:12.

This sentence starts with Wherefore, which means it is based upon the truths told to us in the prior chapter. We saw in the note for 1:25 that the basis of this sentence required spiritual maturity beyond the level of newborn babes. However, in this sentence, Peter is reminding us to never get proud and try to receive the things of God any way except as newborn babes no matter how spiritually mature we may get. Peter tells us to have this attitude this is that ye may grow thereby. No matter how spiritually mature we may get, we still need to grow more spiritually mature.

Notice that all of the things that Peter tells us to lay aside are sins of the tongue. Peter tells us that Christ is our example of controlling the tongue in 2:21-24 James also warned us about the tongue in James 3.

In the Second Equivalent Section of this sentence, Peter says If so be. Peter uses the word if because some people have not tasted this truth. They are like a starving person who has a good meal given to them and they just stare at it in unbelief. Obviously, we should taste that the Lord is gracious because if we don't do the if we won't going to get the results some other way. If we think of this as being Since you have tasted the graciousness of the Lord since He saved you, do the things stated in this sentence. And in fact, as James tells us, we can not tame the tongue unless we recognize the graciousness of the Lord about our sins. As Jesus taught in Matthew 18:21-35, we will forgive our brothers if we recognize the graciousness of the Lord about our sins. When we do not forgive our brothers for their sins against us, it is because we have not recognized the graciousness of the Lord about our sins.

The first three verses of this chapter is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. It is the way of Satan to take a single verse, which is only part of a sentence, and treat it as if there is no context to control the 'interpretation' we put upon it.

in this sentence Peter tells us how to apply what he said in chapter 1. We see this by Peter starting the sentence with Wherefore. This means that what Peter is starting to talk about in chapter 2 is based upon what he already said in chapter 1. In particular, Peter was clear that only those people who have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit are truly born again. He also tells us that this is based upon the incorruptible...word of God which endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.. That incorruptible...word of God is what teaches each and every one of us personally (ye) that he is gracious. The structure of our sentence, with the equivalency found within it, makes it clear that the attitude (that the Lord is gracious) of our Second Equivalent Section is based upon the truths of the First chapter because this sentence starts with the word Wherefore. When people use just the verse format and ignore or do not know about what the sentence structure (punctuation) is telling them, they miss a lot of these doctrinal truths.

Having dealt with the context of our sentence we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings: We already dealt with the Wherefore. The phrase lay aside is easily understood by most people and the things which we are to lay aside are dealt with in the word definitions below. The important thing to pay attention to here is that we need to lay aside these things in order to taste that the Lord is gracious. Our Bible always tells us the get the sin out before God adds in blessings. In addition, this is an action which we need to do ourselves. Many people believe the doctrinal error that we received all blessings at our initial profession and that God requires nothing more from us. However, our sentence tells us that we must personally do this action in order to have the blessing is tasting that the Lord is gracious.

Peter is telling us to lay aside certain things so that we will desire the word and grow spiritually. When someone doesn't want the Word, they're probably having trouble with one of these things that they didn't lay aside: (malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies (and/or) evil speakings).
As newborn babes: this phrase was dealt with earlier within our note. As pointed out, life starts at conception but there is no evidence of that life when it first starts. However, once a baby is born the entire world has undeniable evidence of the life. If someone doubts, the mother can put the baby in their face and tell them: 'You feed him! You change his diaper! You make him stop fussing and then tell me how he isn't alive!' With this phrase we see that Peter is talking to saved people who also have a testimony within the world that can not be denied. That testimony is that God's life is in them and that they are truly Biblically saved.
desire the sincere milk of the word: Milk is the most basic of foods. Sometimes people get so caught up in 'deep theology' that they forget the basics. This is what led to the doctrine of the Nicolaitans (Revelation 2:15) and similar doctrines where men declare that they can correct the word of God. Any time that a doctrine leaves the foundations found within the Bible it is wrong. With this phrase we are told to constantly renew the basic doctrines within our mind so that we will not leave them. So long as we keep the basics in mind as we grow spiritually we will be OK. However, when our 'deeper theology' leads us against the basic doctrines then we are no longer growing but are heading for judgment.
that ye may grow thereby: When a newborn baby doesn't want mother's milk, it's because the baby is dead, full or sick. It's the parent's (church's) responsibility to find out what's making a baby sick and fix it. In addition, Peter tells us to that our attitude when approaching the sincere milk of the word is the attitude that newborn babes have. Newborn babes are the smallest of children and are totally dependent upon their parents for everything in life. When a parent sticks milk in their mouth they (usually) don't question but eat. In fact, providing milk is often the best way to make a baby stop fussing.
If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious: this phrase was dealt with earlier within this note and in the note for this sentence within the Lord Jesus Christ Study. Please see those notes for the details.

We see the same instructions from Paul only he uses put off instead of laying aside. Please see the notes for Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians C3S7 about the phrase put off.

Please see the note for Luke 9:10 about the word aside. The functional definition for this word is: 'Distinct from others, privately, to withdraw' In this sentence, we are cammanded to separate ourselves from these specific sinful lifestyles.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C5S7 and Colossians C3S6 about the word malice. The functional definition is: 'Extreme enmity of heart, or malevolence; a disposition to injure others without cause, from mere personal gratification or from a spirit of revenge; unprovoked malignity or spite. Deliberate ill-will, by its derivation means badness, or wickedness'. Please also see the note for Romans C1S16 about the word maliciousness.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 12:16 about the word guile. It has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word along with the full definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition of it is: 'Craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense'. We can think of guile is misdirection in our dealing with others such as we expect from a used car salesman. Eve was beguiled by Satan (Genesis 3:13). Please also see the note for Colossians 2S2 about the word beguile.

Please see the note for 1Timothy 4:1 about the word hypocrisy / hypocrite. The main message of Romans 2 is: 'Don't be a hypocrite'. The functional definition is: 'Simulation; a feigning to be what one is not; or dissimulation, a concealment of one's real character or motives'. Hypocrisy is play-acting: pretending to be something we aren't.

Please also see the notes for Romans 13:13 and Galatians C5S20 about the word envy. The note in Romans has links to every verse in the Bible which uses a form of the word envy along with links from other commentators. Both notes have the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account'. Envy is wishing we had what another possesses.

Please see the note for Ephesians C4S15 about the phrase Evil speaking. That note has links to several places within the Bible where we find this doctrine dealt with. In addition, Peter deals with this doctrine in: 2:1; 2:12; 3:10-11; 3:12; 4:4 and 4:14. Evil speaking is saying things to hurt another, even if those sayings are true.

Please see the note for Romans 7:19 about the word evil. The functional definition is: 'Both the source and consequence of things which people consider to be really really bad. The source and / or result can be natural or spiritual or any combination thereof. However, even what seems to be a natural source can actually be caused by a devil, especially when the recipient is a child of God. In all cases the result is deliberately intended and caused, which is what separates evil from the accidental'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 2:1; 2:12; 2:14; 3:9; 3:10-11; 3:12; 3:16; 3:17; 4:4 and 4:14; 4:15. Please see the note for Philippians 3:2 about the phrase evil workers. Please also see the note for Ephesians C4S15 about the phrase evil speaking. Please also see the note for 1Peter 4:15 about the word evildoer. Please also note the conincidence between the Devil and the word evil since the Devil is the source of much evil. That note has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word. The functional definition is: 'one who does evil things'.

Please see the note for Galatians C4-S17 about the word birth / birthright / birthday. The functional definition, for the word birth, is: 'Life coming into the world. This is different from conception, which is when life starts. The Bible also makes the distinction n between physical birth and spiritual birth'. The functional definition, for the word birthday, is: 'The day that birth occurs'. The functional definition, for the word birthright, is: 'The rights received at the point of birth. These are distinguished from rights received later in life'.

Please see the note for Luke 1:41-42 about the word babe. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'used of children generally (Mt 11:25; 21:16; Lu 10:21; Ro 2:20). It is used also of those who are weak in Christian faith and knowledge (1Co 3:1; Heb 5:13; 1Pe 2:2). In Isa 3:4 the word "babes" refers to a succession of weak and wicked princes who reigned over Judah from the death of Josiah downward to the destruction of Jerusalem. '.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C5S7 and 2Corinthians 2:17 about the word sincerity. The functional definition is: 'Honesty of mind or intention; freedom from simulation or hypocrisy. We may question a man's prudence, when we cannot question his sincerity. Freedom from hypocrisy, disguise or false pretense; as the sincerity of a declaration or of love'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S2 about the word milk. That note has links to every place in the new Testament where this word is found and a small note about each reference telling us the doctrine of each reference. The functional definition is: ' Milk is used figuratively as a sign of abundance (Ge 49:12; Eze 25:4; Joe 3:18). It is also a symbol of the rudiments of doctrine'.

Please see the note for Mark 4:26-27 about the word grow. The functional definition for this word is: 'To enlarge in bulk or stature, by a natural, imperceptible addition of matter, through ducts and secreting organs, as animal and vegetable bodies; to vegetate as plants, or to be augmented by natural process, as animals'.

Please see the note for Colossians 2S11 about the word taste. The functional definition is: 'To perceive by means of the tongue; to have a certain sensation in consequence of something applied to the tongue'. This is the sense which deals with food and Peter is talking about our spiritual food. Thus, Peter is talking about our spiritually sensing our spiritual food.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Wherefore. 1Pe 1:18-25. laying. 1Pe 4:2; Isa 2:20; 30:22; Eze 18:31-32; Ro 13:12; Eph 4:22-25; Col 3:5-8; Heb 12:1; Jas 1:21; 5:9. malice. 1Pe 2:16; 1Co 5:8; 14:20; Eph 4:31; Tit 3:3-5. guile. 1Pe 2:22; 3:10; Ps 32:2; 34:13; Joh 1:47; 1Th 2:3; Re 14:5. hypocrisies. Job 36:13; Mt 7:5; 15:7; 23:28; 24:51; Mr 12:15; Lu 6:42; 11:44; 12:1; Jas 3:17. envies. 1Sa 18:8-9; Ps 37:1; 73:3; Pr 3:31; 14:30; 24:1,19; Ro 1:29; 13:13; 1Co 3:2-3; 2Co 12:20; Ga 5:21-26; Jas 3:14,16; 4:5. all evil. 1Pe 4:4; Eph 4:31; Col 3:8; 1Ti 3:11; Tit 2:3; Jas 4:11. General references. exp: Joh 10:5.

new-born. 1Pe 1:23; Mt 18:3; Mr 10:15; Ro 6:4; 1Co 3:1; 14:20. The sincere. Ps 19:7-10; 1Co 3:2; Heb 5:12-13. grow. 2Sa 23:5; Job 17:9; Pr 4:18; Ho 6:3; 14:5,7; Mal 4:2; Eph 2:21; 4:15; 2Th 1:3; 2Pe 3:18. General references. exp: Joh 10:5.

General references. Ps 9:10; 24:8; 63:5; Song 2:3; Zec 9:17; Heb 6:5-6 exp: Joh 10:5'.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S2 (Verse 4-5) Results of our coming to .

To whom coming,
as unto a living stone,
disallowed indeed of men,
but chosen of God,
and precious,
Ye also,
as lively stones,
are built up a spiritual house,
an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices,
acceptable to God by Jesus Christ..

1Peter 2:4-5 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. It starts out with Peter saying To whom coming, with the whom, being the Lord (God the Father) of the prior sentence. Peter then details the job we are given by Jesus Christ as a result of our coming to the Lord (God the Father). Our next sentence is also connected to this one by starting with the word Wherefore and it gives us the scriptural basis for what Peter is telling us. After that Peter goes into more details about the job which the Lord (God the Father) gives to us when we come to Him.

Peter starts the sentence with To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious. In 2:6 Peter says Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Also, in 2:8, Peter says And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. Thus, we see Peter using the stone (Jesus Christ) as the common theme throughout these sentences. This is something that the reader needs to pay attention to in order to properly get the doctrine that Peter is teaching.

Also, please notice that Peter directly links our finding this chief corner stone to be elect, precious to our not be confounded (by the Word) and directly links our finding this chief corner stone to be a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence to our stumbling at the word, being disobedient. This is a reference to all of Isaiah 28 where God makes a distinction between those that He teaches and the disobedient religious leaders who should understand the Word but stumble at it because of drunken lustful disobedience. (Please see the documents accessed from the Hermey web page for more about Isaiah 28.) In particular, Isaiah 28:9 and Isaiah 28:13 is in a section where God says He shall he teach knowledge and make to understand doctrine. In Isaiah 28:16 God tells us that His doing this is based upon His laying in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.

God contrasts His knowledge and understanding to that taught by religious priests that God says are overcome with wine and that He tells your covenant with death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand. With these and many other words God tells His children that the teaching of false religious leaders leads to destruction and death while teaching that comes from a personal relationship with His chief corner stone (Jesus Christ) is from God and leads to life. In our current sentence Jesus Christ is called a living stone and we are called lively stones Because we become like Jesus Christ (a living stone) when we let Him live through us (Galatians 2:20).

God builds with living things, not dead. Peter is also continuing to preach from the concepts in Isaiah 28 when he said what he did about the word of God in 1:22-25, which he made the basis of this sentence when he started this chapter with the word Wherefore and continued that thought in this sentence by starting our current sentence with To whom coming. There is a whole separate study about God's use of buildings in the Bible that I won't go into here but more is said along this line in the note for Ephesians 2:20. Ephesians 2:20 also tells us that the chief corner stone is Jesus Christ. Please see that verse and associated note.

In Acts 4:10-12 Peter preached to the high priest and council that Jesus Christ was the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. In Isaiah, here and other places in the Bible God contrasts those who stumble at the Word, and God curses to those who are taught through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. God curses the religious because they follow religious traditions which go against the personal relationship and the teaching of God Himself. Peter himself tells us about this difference in the judgment of God in 2:7-10 (the sentence after the next).

Many people ignore the second half of 1John 5:13 which tells us These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. After our initial profession, God wants us to have an ongoing, ever increasing believe (obedient walk) on the name of the Son of God. One of the main reasons that God wants us to be ever increasing in our knowledge and understanding and belief and obedience to His Word is so that He can use us as a spiritual house, an holy priesthood that can offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. These priests in Isaiah 28 offered up sacrifices but they were not acceptable to God and instead of bringing God's blessings upon the people they brought God's curses.

Hebrews 5:4 tells us And no man taketh this honour unto himself, speaking about being a high priest, but it also is true for any priest. There are many self-made or religion-made so-called priests of God, but they are not approved of the God of the Bible and their sacrifices are not acceptable to God unless they meet the requirements from God as He had Peter write. Peter tells us that sacrifices which are acceptable to God must first be spiritual. The religious non-spiritual are rejected by the God of the Bible, as we saw in Isaiah 28. In order to offer spiritual sacrifices we have to have God's spiritual life that comes from Jesus Christ, as Peter tells us in our current sentence. Also, please keep in mind, that in the Old Testament God killed His priest when the priest brought an unacceptable sacrifice or brought it the wrong way. Tobe acceptable, our sacrifices must come through Christ, as Hebrews teaches us.

There is much more about sacrifices and priesthood than I can cover here. Simply put, Peter tells us that our sacrifices are acceptable to God only is they are spiritual and if they are by Jesus Christ. That means we must give them to Jesus Christ and He presents them to God (John 14:6). In our verse, Peter is building upon the preaching of Isaiah 28 when he says Ye also. an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Look at the next few verses in this chapter and you will find that they all deal with this priesthood, even though I will not go into further detail about that doctrine at this time.

In summary, we can say that God doesn't want formal religion (See Galatians and associated notes) and He doesn't want His priests to represent a formal religion but He wants a personal relationship and priests that will personally represent Him (Hebrews 2:17; 3:1; 4:14, 15; 5:1, 5, 6, 10; 6:20; 7:1, 3, 11, 15, 17, 20, 21, 26; 8:1, 3, 4; 9:7, 11, 25; 10:11, 21; 13:11). We are to be an holy priesthood built as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house upon the chief corner stone, elect, precious which is Jesus Christ. God says we start when we believeth on him (Jesus Christ) and continues as we are made to be like Christ so that we fit into God's priesthood and temple.

Every use of rock in the New Testament is a type or direct reference to Christ (1Corinthians 10:4). We are to be made like Christ / rock as we become the lively stones of God's living temple. In our prior sentence we were reminded that the Lord is gracious. This is continuing that thought in that the Lord is the role of God that we direct worship towards and priest and temple are part of worship. However, while the results of our being made a priest and part of God's living temple is worship directed at the Lord, we are given those positions by Jesus Christ. That is, our receiving this position is part of our personal relationship with the Son of God. Most of God's children (the Jews) were not qualified to become priests. Even after they were one they could become disqualified. Likewise, not all saved are given this position be Jesus Christ because they are not qualified and even the saved can become disqualified. Please see the note for this sentence within the Lord Jesus Christ Study for more details on how the roles of Jesus Christ are involved in our receiving this position as a priest.

With this context in mind, we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

To whom coming: As already explained, this is a reference to the Lord (God the Father) Who was named in the prior sentence. in this sentence Peter deliberately switched from using Lord (God the Father) in the immediately prior sentence to using Jesus Christ in this sentence. God the Father, as Lord, created the position of priest but the Son of God, as Jesus Christ, determines who receives this role. How Jesus Christ acts in this sentence is totally different from how our Lord is said to act in the prior sentence.

as unto a living stone: this phrase has already been explained in the note above. The living stone is Jesus Christ, as stated in our sentence. In the Bible, a Rock is just Christ or a type of Christ. Jesus Christ is a living stone because He is living and personally affecting our personal lives as we become like Him and become other lively stones in the temple of God.

disallowed indeed of men: this is a reference to Psalms 118:22 where the psalmist leads in a praise service recognizing a personal savior that was rejected by religion. It also refers to Isaiah 28 where God says that he won't speak to the drunken priest but the saved individual that's weaned from the milk. God goes on to make clear that our foundation is Christ, not religion. In Matthew, Mark and Luke, we are told how Jesus tld the religious that their religion was rejected and that He was God's chief corner stone. Again in Acts, Peter referees to these verses when being tried by the temple leaders for preaching Jesus. Peter goes on to say Neither is there salvation in any other. Paul also refers to this concept in Ephesians 2:20. Since Peter was personally tried and beat by the religious leaders for his rejecting formal religion for a personal relationship with Christ, and since he refereed to these verses, we know that this is the concept Peter is referring to here.

but chosen of God: the but continues the thought of the prior phrase while going in a different direction. While men disallowed a personal relationship with God into their religion and worship, God choose that personal relationship which comes through Jesus Christ. Further, God made that personal relationship the cornerstone of all spiritual sacrifices (which are) acceptable to God.

and precious: please see the note for 1Peter 1:7 about the word precious. The functional definition is: 'Of great price; costly; Of great value or worth; very valuable'. This is added (and) to the phrase but chosen of God to let us know just how precious Jesus Christ really is. What some people think is precious is considered to be common by other people. However, what God considers to be precious will never be common.

Ye also, as lively stones Since our foundation isn't supposed to be formal religion but is based on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and the teaching of the Apostles (New Testament), we are to represent sinful men to God in a way that they can't get from formal religion. verses 2:1-3 spoke of our salvation. These verses speak of our next step, doing the work of a personal priest.

are built up a spiritual house: that which is spiritual is: 'applied to physical things which are, or should be, controlled by the spiritual reality. these things are almost always controlled by God and used to teach us lessons about the spiritual reality'. (Please see the note for Galatians 6:1 in the Word Study on Spirit for notes and links to other verses which deal with the Biblical definition of spiritual.) Each saved person is the personal abode of God's Holy Spirit. As He lives in us He cle and up our life and makes our life acceptable to God. Often, this requires us to make personal sacrifices, as we see in a couple of more phrases. Please notice the words built up. This type of action takes time and effort. The time and effort involved speak of our ongoing personal relationship with God which comes after our initial profession.

an holy priesthood: in this sentence, Jesus Christ is showing us how to act like a priest. Hebrews 5:1-3 says, that, as priests, we ought to have compassion on others that we represent because of our own problems with sin. Rather than getting mad at those who wrong us, we should understand their lost condition. Understand that they don't have the help from the Spirit of God. Understand that they are motivated by the world, flesh and devil and seek their salvation and repentance. (Please see the Book Study on Hebrews for more details on our priesthood and how Jesus Christ is our high priest.)

to offer up spiritual sacrifices: Here we see one of the reasons that God left us here after our initial profession. I can't remember hearing anyone preach on this phrase. As already mentioned, people must have a certain level of maturity and can not be marred in order to be a priest. One of the reasons that we need to grow up spiritually is so that we can minister to others. A parent makes many sacrifices for their children. Likewise, the more mature saved members of the church are to makes many sacrifices for God's children, especially those within their own local church.

acceptable to God by Jesus Christ: this phrase is dealt with in the note for this verse within the Lord Jesus Christ Study. Jesus Christ makes us acceptable to begin with. He makes our attempts, which fall short, acceptable. He also improves our attempts to make them more acceptable before He does any correction. The other part of this phrase is to God. Galatians 1:10 says, For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ. that verse matches exactly with this phrase, especially when we consider it within the context that Peter gives it in.

We find forms of the word stone occurring 395 times in 338 verses of the Bible, 80 times in 77 verses of the New Testament and, in 1Peter in: 2:4-5; 2:6; 2:7 and 2:8. Please notice that all of these references are within our current chapter and related to the doctrine of our chapter. In addition, this word is part of other words, such as brimstone another 37 times in 30 more verses of the Bible. The functional definition is: 'The same composition as a rock or a pebble but with a size between the two'. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Stones were commonly used for buildings, also as memorials of important events (Ge 28:18; Jos 24:26-27; 1Sa 7:12, etc.). they were gathered out of cultivated fields (Isa 5:2; comp. 2Ki 3:19). this word is also used figuratively of believers (1Pe 2:4-5), and of the Messiah (Ps 118:22; Isa 28:16; Mt 21:42; Ac 4:11, etc.). In Da 2:45 it refers also to the Messiah. He is there described as "cut out of the mountain." (See Rock.)

A "heart of stone" denotes great insensibility (1Sa 25:37).

Stones were set up to commemorate remarkable events, as by Jacob at Bethel (Ge 28:18), at Padan-aram (Ge 35:4), and on the occasion of parting with Laban (Ge 31:45-47); by Joshua at the place on the banks of the Jordan where the people first "lodged" after crossing the river (Jos 6:8), and also in "the midst of Jordan," where he erected another set of twelve stones (Jos 4:1-9); and by Samuel at "Ebenezer" (1Sa 7:12)'. In addition, Smith's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Besides the ordinary uses to which stones were applied, we may mention that large stones were set up to commemorate any remarkable event: (Ge 28:18; 35:14; 31:45; Jos 4:9; 1Sa 7:12). Such stones were occasionally consecrated By anointing: ( Ge 28:18). Heaps of stones were piled up on various occasions, as in token of a treaty: (Ge 31:47). or over the grave of some notorious offender: (Jos 7:26; 8:29; 2Sa 18:17). The "white stone" noticed in: (Re 2:17). has been variously regarded as referring to the pebble of acquittal used in the Greek courts; to the lot cast in elections in Greece to both these combined; to the stones in the high priest's breastplate; to the tickets presented to the victor at the public games; or, lastly, to the custom of writing on stones. the notice in: (Zec 12:3). of the "burdensome stone" is referred by Jerome to the custom of lifting stones as an exercise of strength, comp. Ecclus. 6:21; but it may equally well be explained of a large corner-stone as a symbol of strength: ( Isa 28:16). Stones are used metaphorically to denote hardness or insensibility,: (1Sa 25:37; Eze 11:19; 36:26). as well as firmness or strength: ( Ge 49:24). The members of the Church are called "living stones," as contributing to rear that living temple in which Christ, himself "a living stone," is the chief or head of the corner: ( Eph 2:20-22; 1Pe 2:4-8'.

Nave's Topical Bible provides references for the word stone as: 'Commandments engraved upon: Ex 24:12; 31:18; 34:1-4; De 4:13; 5:22; 9:9-11; 10:1-3. The law of Moses written upon: Jos 8:32. Houses built of: Isa 9:10; Am 5:11. Temple built of: 1Ki 5:17-18; 7:9-12; Mt 24:2; Lu 19:44; 21:5-6. Prepared in the quarries: 1Ki 6:7. Hewn (cut): Ex 34:1; De 10:1; 1Ki 5:17; 6:36; 7:9; 2Ki 12:12; 22:6; 1Ch 22:2; 2Ch 34:11; La 3:9. Sawed: 1Ki 7:9. Hewers (stone-cutters) of: 1Ki 5:18; 2Ki 12:12; 1Ch 22:15. City walls built of: Ne 4:3. Memorial pillars of: Ge 28:18-22; 31:45-52; Jos 4:2-9,20-24; 24:25; 1Sa 7:12. Great, as landmarks (Some Hebrew mss. have "Abel"): 1Sa 6:18. Ezel: 1Sa 20:19. Zoheleth: 1Ki 1:9. Thrown upon accursed ground: 2Ki 3:19,25. Used: In building altars: Jos 8:31. Forweighing (margin): Le 19:36. Forclosing graves: Mt 27:60; Mr 15:46; 16:3. Tombs hewn in: Mt 27:60; Mr 15:46; 16:3. Idols made of: De 4:28; 28:36,64; 29:17; 2Ki 19:18; Isa 37:19; Eze 20:32. Great, in Solomon's temple: 1Ki 5:17-18; 7:9-12. Magnificent, in Herod the Great's temple: Mr 13:1. Skill in throwing: Jg 20:16; 1Ch 12:2. FIGURATIVE: Ge 49:24; Zec 3:9. Of temptation, "Stone of Stumbling,": Isa 8:14; Ro 9:33; 1Pe 2:8. Of Christ, "a Tested Stone," "a Precious Stone," "a Sure Foundation,": Isa 28:16. Of Christ's rejection, the rejected Conerstone: Ps 118:22; Mt 21:42-44; Mr 12:10; Lu 20:17-18; Ac 4:11; 1Pe 2:4. The True Foundation: Isa 28:16; Mt 16:18; 1Co 3:11; Eph 2:20; Re 21:14. Of Christ, the Water of Life: 1Co 10:4. Of the impenitent heart: Eze 36:26. Of the witness of the Spirit, the white stone: Re 2:17. SYMBOLICAL: Of the kingdom of Christ: Da 2:34,45. PRECIOUS: In the breastplate and ephod: Ex 28:9-21; 39:6-14. Voluntary offerings of, by the Israelites for the breastplate and ephod: Ex 35:27. Exported from Sheba: 1Ki 10:2,10; 2Ch 9:9-10; Eze 27:22. Ophir: 1Ki 10:11. Partial catalogue of: Eze 28:13. Seen in the foundation of the New Jerusalem in John's apocalyptic vision: Re 21:19-20. In the crowns of kings: 2Sa 12:30; 1Ch 20:2. FIGURATIVE: Isa 54:11-12'.

We find forms of the word disallow in: Numbers 30:5; Numbers 30:8; Numbers 30:11; 1Peter 2:4; 1Peter 2:7. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'pp. Not granted, permitted or admitted; disapproved; rejected'. Please also see the note for Romans 7:15 about the word allow.

Please see the note for Luke 3:11 about the word indeed. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'adv. in and deed. In reality; in truth; in fact. The carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Rom.8. Indeed is usually emphatical, but in some cases more so than in others; as, this is true; it is indeed. I were a beast indeed to do you wrong. Some sons indeed; some very few we see, Who keep themselves from this infection free. There is indeed no greater pleasure in visiting these magazines of war-- It is used to note concession or admission; as, ships not so large indeed, but better manned. Indeed is used as an expression of surprise, or for the purpose of obtaining confirmation of a fact stated. Indeed! is it possible? is it so in fact?'.

Please see the note for 2Timothy 2:4 about the word chosen. The functional definition is: 'Past-tense form of choose'. Please see the note for Philippians 1:22 about the word choose. The functional definition for it is: 'To pick out; to select; to take by way of preference from two or more things offered; to make choice of'.

Please see the note for 1Peter 1:7 about the word precious. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'Of great price; costly; as a precious stone. 2. Of great value or worth; very valuable. She is more precious than rubies. Prov.3. 3. Highly valued; much esteemed. the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision. 1 Sam.3. 4. Worthless; in irony and contempt. Precious metals, gold and silver, so called on account of their value'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the phrase precious stones.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:1 about the word house. The functional definition is: 'In a general sense, a building or shed intended or used as a habitation or shelter for animals of any kind; but appropriately, a building or edifice for the habitation of man; a dwelling place, mansion or abode for any of the human species'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 4:14 about the word priest. The functional definition for this word is: 'One who represents men before God'. Please also see the note for Mark 14:63 about the phrase high priest.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C10S16 about the word sacrifice. The functional definition is: 'To offer to God in homage or worship in a manner which results in personal loss'.

Please see the note for Romans C12S1 about the word acceptable. The functional definition is: 'that may be received with pleasure; hence pleasing to a receiver; gratifying; as an acceptable present. 2. Agreeable or pleasing in person; as, a man makes himself acceptable by his services or civilities'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 5:9 about the word accept.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'To. Isa 55:3; Jer 3:22; Mt 11:28; Joh 5:40; 6:37. a living. Joh 5:26; 6:57; 11:25-26; 14:6,19; Ro 5:10; Col 3:4. stone. Isa 28:16; Da 2:34,45; Zec 3:9; 4:7. disallowed. Ps 118:22-23; Isa 8:14-15; Mt 21:42; Mr 12:10-11; Lu 20:17-18; Ac 4:11-12. chosen. Isa 42:1; Mt 12:18. precious. 1Pe 2:7; 1:7,19; 2Pe 1:1,4. General references. exp: Mt 12:6.

also. 1Co 3:16; 6:19; 2Co 6:16; Eph 2:20-22; Heb 3:6; Re 3:12. are built. or, be ye built. an holy. 1Pe 2:9; Isa 61:6; 66:21; Re 1:6; 5:10; 20:6. spiritual. Ps 50:14,23; 141:2; Ho 14:2; Mal 1:11; Joh 4:22-24; Ro 12:1; Php 2:17; 4:18; Heb 13:15-16. acceptable. 1Pe 4:11; Php 1:11; 4:18; Col 3:17 exp: Ro 12:1; Eph 5:10. General references. exp: Ex 37:25; Le 14:14; 22:29; 1Ki 7:11; Ps 118:3; Isa 66:21; Jer 33:18; Mt 12:6'.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S3 (Verse 6) the scriptural basis for what Peter tells us.

God the Father laid our chief corner stone.

Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture,
Behold,
I lay in Sion a chief corner stone,
elect,
precious:.

Why God did it

and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded..

1Peter 2:6, Peter refers to scripture within the Bible (Isaiah 28:16, Romans 9:32-33, Romans 10:11) and reminds us that Jesus Christ is elect and precious. Peter quotes the scripture that says he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. According to Webster's 1812, confounded is to 'mingle or blend so that natures cannot be distinguished, to throw into disorder, to perplex; to disturb the apprehension by indistinctness of ideas or words, to abash; to cast down; to make ashamed'. If we follow Jesus Christ, we won't be confounded but if we follow religion, we'll be confounded when religion can't answer the circumstances of life.

It is often preached that there are only two kinds of people in the world: the saved and the lost. However, that is not true because the Bible names three groups. The three Biblical groups are called the hot, cold, and lukewarm in Revelation 3:15-16. They are also called the Godly (2Corinthians 11:2), the ungodly (Romans C1S10), and the unjust (2Peter 2:9-LJC). The hot / Godly group are saved and live a life which has that testimony within the world. The cold / ungodly group are lost and live a life which has that testimony within the world. The lukewarm / unjust group claim to be saved but live a life, within the world, which testifies that they are liars because they live like the lost. Their life does not justify God saving them. (Please see the note for Romans 3:20 about the word justify). God justifies us when we first get saved but then He expects us to live a life which justifies His saving us when He did not save another who heard the same message. Satan uses the unjust to accuse God for saving one person while refusing to save another when they both live the same type of life. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ told this third group: So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Please realize that this group was in Heaven. Therefore, they are saved.

Now, there is a lot of doctrinal error taught, and a lot of religious argument, because people are trying to fit this third group into one of the other two. The lukewarm / unjust group claim to be saved but live a life, within the world, which testifies that they are liars because they live like the lost. Their life does not justify God saving them. However, many religious people have been taught to deny their existence. Based upon that error, some people insist that they must be saved since they made a profession. Another group insists that they must be lost based upon their lifestyle . However, the 'Parable of the Wheat and Tares' (Matthew 13:24-30 and Matthew 13:36-43) makes it clear that we can not know their true salvation status until after they die. Only God knows the truth and God has the angels separate them at death.

When we look at the definition of confounded (above) and look at this third group of people (the lukewarm / unjust) we see a match. This group has some who are lost and some who are saved but they have been 'mingle or blend so that natures cannot be distinguished', and all the rest of this definition also applies to this group. We can not separate the saved from the lost within this group, and we are told to not try, but God's reapers will separate them at the harvest according to the parable in Matthew 13:24-30.

The main message of this sentence, and of all of this doctrine, is that the truly saved believe on Jesus Christ and that they shall not be confounded because their ongoing personal relationship with Him prevents it. The lukewarm / unjust might technically be saved, but no one can be sure of that, not even that person. Tobe positive of our salvation, and have the benefits such as our sentence names, a person must obey and become hot / Godly.

This sentence isn't dealing with belief unto salvation but belief for the saint's walk after salvation. The only way to have peace while living here is to walk by faith. We must first get knowledge and understanding of Christ, through the sincere milk of the Word (1:23), then purify our souls with love (1:22), then obey the Word to get our heart right (2:1) and we are finally ready for service (2:5).

Notice that Peter also quotes a verse that tells us that Jesus Christ is our chief corner stone. That is, He is the primary stone of the 'foundation' of our salvation and the guide for all of the rest of that 'foundation', which includes the teaching of the apostles and prophets (Ephesians 2:20).

In 1Corinthians 3:10-11 Paul tells us that he laid the foundation, which is Jesus Christ and other foundation can no man lay than that is laid. But Ephesians 2:19-22 we are told that our foundation is the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. These are not in conflict. Peter already spoke about the Spirit of Christ that was in the prophets (1:11). We also know that the Spirit of Christ was in the apostles (Romans 8:9). Basically, the Son of God showed us how to live in the flesh through the power of the Holy Ghost while He was on this earth as the physical man named Jesus. Then, as Christ, He worked through the apostles and prophets to explain how we were to interpret (understand) and apply (knowledge and wisdom) the lessons taught by Jesus. Therefore, it was Jesus Christ (2Peter 1:21) to write the epistles which, along with the Gospels, is our New Testament.

When we search the New Testament for foundation, we find the verses already mentioned, the foundation of the world, the foundation of the earth, a good foundation, the foundation of repentance from dead works, the foundation of God, the foundation of the temple in Revelation, and the foundation of a building which is used as an analogy of our life. The verses which use the foundation of the world and the foundation of the earth are speaking about the time of creation. All other verses are speaking about the things that we build our life upon. As the parable of Luke 6:47-49 teaches, those who do not obey the teaching of Jesus Christ have built their life upon the foundation of religion, which He calls earth. Yes, God laid the foundation of the earth but He does not want us to build our life upon the creation but upon the Creator.

We find forms of the word contain in: 1Kings 7:26; 1Kings 7:38; 1Kings 8:27; 1Kings 18:32; 2Chronicles 2:6; 2Chronicles 6:18; Ezekiel 23:32; Ezekiel 45:11; John 2:6; John 21:25; Romans 2:14; 1Corinthians 7:9; Ephesians 2:15; 1Peter 2:6. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to hold. See Tenet, Tenure. 1. to hold, as a vessel; as, the vessel contains a gallon. Hence, to have capacity; to be able to hold; applied to an empty vessel. 2. to comprehend; to hold within specified limits. Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee. 1 Kings 8. 3. to comprehend; to comprise. the history of Livy contains a hundred and forty books. 4. to hold within limits prescribed; to restrain; to withhold from trespass or disorder. The Kings person contains the unruly people from evil occasions. Fear not, my Lord, we can contain ourselves. 5. to include. this article is not contained in the account. this number does not contain the article specified. 6. to inclose; as, this cover or envelop contains a letter.
CONTAIN, v.i. to live in continence or chastity. Arbuthnot and Pope. 1 Corinthians 7'. The functional definition for this word is: 'To hold, as a vessel contains a gallon. Hence, to have capacity; to be able to hold; applied to an empty vessel'.

The phrase it is contained in the scripture means that Peter is quoting scripture. We saw those references above. Please see the notes for Romans C16S33; Galatians C3-S10 and 2Timothy C3S10 about the word scripture. The functional definition is: 'invariably in the New Testament denotes that definite collection of sacred books, regarded as given by inspiration of God, which we usually call the Old Testament (2Ti 3:15-16; Joh 20:9; Ga 3:22; 2Pe 1:20). It was God's purpose thus to perpetuate his revealed will. From time to time he raised up men to commit to writing in an infallible record the revelation he gave'.

Please see the note for Colossians C2S3 about the word behold. The functional definition is: 'To fix the eyes upon; to see with attention; to observe with care'.

Please see the note for John 12:14-15 about the words Sion / Zion. The functional definition for this word is: 'This was in reality a part of Jerusalem, being one of the mountains on which Jerusalem was built. Zion is often called 'the city of David,' it was where he dwelt. 2Sa 5:7; 1Ch 11:5; Mic 3:10,12'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest'.

Please see the note for Ephesians 2:20 about the words corner stone. The functional definition is: 'One of the designations of Christ'. Please also see the note for Mark 12:10-11 about the word corner. The functional definition for this word is: 'The angle of a house (Job 1:19) or a street (Pr 7:8)'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the phrase precious stones. . Please also see the note for Mark 12:10-11 about the word corner. The functional definition for this word is: 'The angle of a house (Job 1:19) or a street (Pr 7:8)'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the phrase precious stones. Please also see the note for 1Peter 2:4-5 about the word stone. The functional definition is: 'The same composition as a rock or a pebble but with a size between the two'. Please use This link to see the 'Minor Titles of the Son of God' found within the Bible along with links to where the Bible uses those titles. This title is stone.

Please also see the note for 1:1-2 about election. That note has a lot of info about this word which has a lot of doctrinal error taught about it. There are Old Testament verses which tell us that Jesus Christ is elect. Basically, someone whose life does not show the character of Jesus Christ is not elect even if they are saved and it does not matter what error their religion claims.

Please see the Word Study called Election. The functional definition for this word is: 'saved and living a life that is a testimony of the changes which the ministries Jesus Christ cause. In the Bible, this word is not used in the Bible to separate the lost from the saved, as is erroneously taught, but to separate saved people who are in God's way of obedience from saved people who are not in God's way of obedience'. Please also see the note for 1Timothy 4:10-LJC about the word predestine. God does not predestine anyone to Hell but predestines everyone to Heaven (1Timothy 2:4). However, since God gave everyone a free will, men can reject God's predestination and go to Hell. Those people who truly go to God must go God's way. God does not elect people but elects a way. Those people who go God's way, to God, are God's elect.

We find forms of the word confound occurring 55 times in 51 verses of the Bible and, in the New Testament, in: Acts 2:6; Acts 9:22; 1Corinthians 1:27 and 1Peter 2:6. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'to pour out. Literally, to pour or throw together. 1. to mingle and blend different things, so that their forms or natures cannot be distinguished; to mix in a mass or crowd, so that individuals cannot be distinguished. 2. to throw into disorder. Let us go down, and there confound their language. Genesis 11. 3. to mix or blend, so as to occasion a mistake of one thing for another. A fluid body and a wetting liquor, because they agree in manythings, are wont to be confounded. Men may confound ideas with words. 4. to perplex; to disturb the apprehension by indistinctness of ideas or words. Men may confound each other by unintelligible terms or wrong application of words. 5. to abash; to throw the mind into disorder; to cast down; to make ashamed. Be thou confounde and ber thy shame. Ezekiel 16. Saul confounded the Jews at Damascus. Acts 9. 6. to perplex with terror; to terrify; to dismay; to astonish; to throw into consternation; to stupify with amazement. So spake the Son of God; and Satan stood a while as mute confounded what to say. The multitude came together and were confounded. Acts 2. 7. to destroy; to overthrow. So deep a malice to confound the race of mankind in one root'. Wright's Bible Word-Book defines this word as: 'v. t. (Jer 1:17). From Lat. confundere, lit. to pour together, and hence, to mix in disorder, to throw into confusion (e.g. Athan. Creed). In old writers the word was used in a much stronger sense than at present, and was almost synonymous with 'destroy,' which is the rendering in both the Geneva and Bishops' Bibles of the word here translated 'confound.' In the passage above quoted from Jeremiah, the marginal reading is 'break to pieces,' and this usage is illustrated by the following from Hall (Hen. IV. fol. 11 a); fordiuerse lordes which wer kyng Rychardes frendes, outwardly dissimuled that whyche they inwardly conspired and determined, to confounde this kynge Henry. The more common sense of the word in our version is 'to put to deep shame;' as Latimer (Serm. p. 258) speaking of notable offenders; forno man is able to devise a better way than God hath done, which is excommunication, to put them from the congregation till they be confounded'. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines this word as: 'The physical origin of spiritual terms is well illustrated by the principal Hebrew words for "confounded" (rendered also "ashamed," etc.); bosh, is "to become pale" (2Ki 19:26; Job 6:20; Ps 83:17; 129:5 the King James Version; Isa 19:9, etc.); chapher, "to become red" (Ps 35:4; Isa 1:29; 24:23, "the moon shall be confounded," Mic 3:7); yabhash, "to be dried up" (Jer 46:24 the King James Version; Jer 48:1,20 the King James Version; Jer 50:2 the King James Version; Zec 10:5); kalam, "to blush" (Ps 69:6 the King James Version; Isa 41:11, etc.). In Ge 11:7,9, of the confusion of tongues, the word is balal, "to mix," "mingle." In Jer 1:17 the King James Version it is chathath, "to bring or put down." In New Testament, kataischuno, "to put to shame" (1Co 1:27 the King James Version; 1Pe 2:6 the King James Version); and sugchuno, "to pour together," "bewilder' " (Ac 2:6; 9:22). the Revised Version (British and American) frequently gives "ashamed" and "put to shame" instead of "confounded."'. The functional definition is: 'mingle or blend so that natures cannot be distinguished, to throw into disorder, to perplex; to make ashamed'

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'it. Da 10:21; Mr 12:10; Joh 7:38; Ac 1:16; 2Ti 3:16; 2Pe 1:20; 3:16. Behold. 1Pe 2:4; Isa 28:16; Zec 10:4; Ro 9:32-33; Eph 2:20. elect. Ps 89:19; Isa 42:1; Mt 12:18; Lu 23:35; Eph 1:4. shall. Ps 40:14; Isa 41:11; 45:16-17; 50:7; 54:4. General references. exp: 1Co 3:11'.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S4 (Verse 7-8) - the results which are based upon what we believe about Jesus Christ.

First Equivalent Section: Results to true believers

Unto you therefore which believe he is precious:.

Second Equivalent Section: Results to those who rejected God's Saviour.

but unto them which be disobedient,
the stone which the builders disallowed,
the same is made the head of the corner,
And a stone of stumbling,
and a rock of offence,
even to them which stumble at the word,
being disobedient:.

Third Equivalent Section: Conclusion based upon results

whereunto also they were appointed..

1Peter 2:7-8 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. In it Peter now shows us there are two different reactions to Jesus Christ.

For the saved, He is precious but He is disallowed by the religious.
Saved obey God's Word but the religious disobey and pervert God's Word.
Saved understand the God's Word but the religious stumble at the word.
Saved worship God but the religious are offended by true worship
To the saved, He is head of the corner: the basis upon which all belief, salvation, sanctity, and service rests. Tothe religious He is just a name that they claim in order to teach their own beliefs.

With this in mind, we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

Unto you therefore which believe: Here we see the distinction which Peter is making. However, he is not including all saved but those saved people who act upon their belief. Please notice the word therefore which makes this a result of the prior sentence. That sentence dealt with the different Biblical categories of people, based upon their belief, and identified as: the hot / Godly (saved who live a life which has that testimony within the world); and the cold / ungodly (who are lost and live a life which has that testimony within the world); and the lukewarm / unjust (who claim to be saved but live a life, within the world, which testifies that they are liars because they live like the lost). Notice that our First Equivalent Section says that to the people which Peter identifies, he (Jesus Christ) is precious. This is only the people whom the Bible identifies as hot / Godly. Our Second Equivalent Section identifies all other people (the cold / ungodly and the lukewarm / unjust) and says what happens to them. Then our third Equivalent Section tells us that God appointed them to these results. However, God did not appoint individuals to these results but appointed all people who refused to be hot / Godly and to consider Jesus Christ to be precious.

he is precious: the he is Jesus Christ, as already said and as identified in the second prior sentence, which started this section. The word precious was dealt with earlier within this Study and the links are provided below in the word definition section of this note.

but unto them which be disobedient: this phrase starts the Second Equivalent Section and the rest of this sentence deals with these people. In addition, to this phrase, Peter adds another phrase with the word disobedient. Peter says this twice to establish a doctrine which all have to believe. Peter tells us that being disobedient causes people to stumble on the stone (stumble at being personally led to change to be like God), and to be offended by the rock (be offended by how Christ works in their personal life), and to stumble at the Word (Bible).

the stone which the builders disallowed: Here we see the identification of what caused the problem. This is a quote of Psalms 118:22 but it is also referenced in: Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 57:14; Luke 2:34; Romans 9:32-33 and 1Corinthians 1:23. The story is that when Solomon had his temple built he did not want the sound of stone cutting at the building site. Therefore, all stones were cut and shaped at the quarry and then shipped to the building site. However, the builders could not figure out where one stone went and, after stumbling over it several times, they moved it out of the way. Only later did they discover that it was the chief corner stone. Likewise, religious people stumble over the personal relationship with God that is in Christ. They try to put Him out of the way until they find out He is necessary and then they try to fit Him into the religion that already established instead of starting over and basing everything off of Him. Please notice that the builders, in our phrase were God's people who were doing their duty to God while ignoring personal direction from Him. They are a type of the lukewarm / unjust person.

the same is made the head of the corner: In a building the head of the corner is to be the first stone set and all of the rest of the foundation and building are to be set in relationship to it. Symbolically, we are being told that God expects us to throw away all of our prior religious efforts and start with a personal relationship with Christ and base all of our life off that relationship.

And a stone of stumbling: Here we see that the builders (lukewarm / unjust person) stumbles over the stone, which is showing us the character of God that we are supposed to be shaping our personal life like. However, no matter how well we do, we keep getting evidence of our religious failure, which is what is meant by stumble within our phrase. Our religious efforts can not make us like God. Only Christ can do that and then only through an ongoing personal relationship.

and a rock of offence: As already mentioned, every place that the Bible uses the word rock it is a direct or indirect (symbolic) reference to Christ. When someone has put great effort into something, like religious people do, they are offended by the person pointing out their failures. Christ does that so that we will give up on our own efforts and put our faith in Him.

even to them which stumble at the word: the word even means 'having the same weight'. Think of a balancing scale. When the two sides are even, what is in each side of the scale 'has the same weight'. Thus, stumbling at the word 'has the same weight' as stumbling at your personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, children just learning to walk stumble, but the context of this sentence makes the people who stumble to be those who should know what they are doing. What we have here is Peter giving us a way of measuring someone's actual spiritual maturity and relationship with Jesus Christ. The people who claim that 'there are problem verses in the Bible' or that some verse is an 'unfortunate interpretation' or that 'there are conflicts in the Bible' or anything else which blames the Bible for their own stumble at the word prove that they are not as spiritually mature as they claim.

Being disobedient: this phrase was dealt with earlier within this note. Peter says this twice to establish a doctrine which all have to believe. What Peter tells us about the disobedient is doctrine from God which must be accepted and we will be judged for how well we believe this doctrine.

whereunto also they were appointed. God doesn't appoint any single individual to hell or destruction (1Thessalonians 5:9). What God appoints are ways for men to go, but God does not appoint men to follow a particular path. After God appointed the way, we choose to follow it in spite of God's warning. God appointed one way for men to be saved (Acts 4:2). God says that other ways lead to death (Proverbs 14:12; Proverbs 16:25). God will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth (1Timothy 2:4). However, God gave us a free will and allows us to choose to go to Hell. God does not appoint people to destruction, God appoints the way and we as individuals choose to follow the way that God warns us will lead to destruction. Therefore, they were appointed to receive the problems and death that they received because they choose to be disobedient. Please also see the note for Colossians 3:8 about the phrase children of disobedience. The functional definition is: 'Saved people who live a life of disobedience to God' and about the phrase children of wrath.

Please see the note in the Romans intro about the word therefore. The functional definition is: 'what follows the therefore is a future result that is based upon what came before the therefore and only seen there'.

Please see the note for 1:2 about the word disobedience. The functional definition is: 'Neglecting or refusing to obey; omitting to do what is commanded, or doing what is prohibited; refractory; not observant of duty or rules prescribed by authority'.

Please see the note for Ephesians 2:20 about the words corner stone. The functional definition is: 'One of the designations of Christ'. Please also see the note for Mark 12:10-11 about the word corner. The functional definition for this word is: 'The angle of a house (Job 1:19) or a street (Pr 7:8)'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C3S13 about the phrase precious stones. . Please also see the note for 1Peter 2:4-5 about the word stone. The functional definition is: 'The same composition as a rock or a pebble but with a size between the two'. Please use This link to see the 'Minor Titles of the Son of God' found within the Bible along with links to where the Bible uses those titles. This title is corner stone.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S10 about the word builder. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'One who builds; one whose occupation is to build; an architect, a ship-wright, a mason, etc. 1. A creator. Whose builder and maker is God. Heb.11'. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'As early as Ge 4:17 we read of Cain building a city and calling it after his son's name; since which time building houses has become general; whereas Abraham looked for a city whose Builder is God. It is used as symbolical of raising up a spiritual edifice to God, of which Christ is the Builder. Mt 16:18; 1Co 3:9; Eph 2:21; 1Pe 2:5. As instruments, others also are builders. Paul calls himself 'a wise master builder,' or rather 'architect' as having well laid the foundation of the assembly, which is Christ. 1Co 3:10. the labourers are cautioned as to the material they use in building up a house for God: improper materials will not stand the test of the fire, and the builders will suffer loss by seeing their work burned up and by losing their reward. 1Co 3:10-14. Whereas all that Christ builds, though by the instrumentality of His servants, will surely stand for ever. Under another similitude Christ is the chief corner stone, or head of the corner, which 'the builders,' the heads of the Jewish nation, refused, but which God exalted. Ps 118:22; Mt 21:42; Ac 4:11; Eph 2:20; 1Pe 2:7'. We find forms of this word in the Bible in: 1Kings 5:18; 2Kings 12:11; 2Kings 22:6; 2Chronicles 34:11; Ezra 3:10; Nehemiah 4:5, 18; Psalms 118:22; Ezekiel 27:4; Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; 1Corinthians C3S10; Hebrews 11:10; 1Peter 2:7-8. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C3S9 about the word building. The functional definition for this word is: 'the work and the final product of a work to make something from basic materials'. Please also see the note for Matthew 7:24 about the words build / built. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'pp. Framed and raised; constructed.
BUILT, n. bilt. form; shape; general figure of a structure; as the built of a ship. Species of building'. The word build is the present-tense form of the words built.

Please see the note for Colossians C1S4 about the word head. The functional definition is: ' A chief; a principal person; a leader; a commander; one who has the first rank or place, and to whom others are subordinate'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians 11:3-LJC about the phrase Christ: the head of.

Please see the note for Romans 9:32-33 which has links to every verse, in Romans, which uses any form of the word stumble along with the Webster's 1828 definition. Please also see the note for 1John 2:10 which provides additional notes. The functional definition is: 'o trip in walking or moving in any way upon the legs; to strike the foot so as to fall, or to endanger a fall'.

Please see the note for Luke 6:47-48 about the word rock. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines this word as: 'Having a spiritual significance: supernatural, manifesting the power of the Divine Spirit; allegorically applied to Christ as fulfilling the type in the smitten rock in the desert, from which water miraculously burst forth to nourish the Israelites. A tradition current among the Jews affirms that this rock followed the people in their journeyings and gave forth a living stream for their supply. Paul made this ever-flowing rock a beautiful and accurate symbol of Christ: "The rock was Christ" (1Co 10:4).

Without the characterizing word "spiritual," this figurative term, with the same significance, is common to the Scriptures; applied (1) to Yahweh, God: "Rock of his salvation," "their rock is not as our Rock" (De 32:15,31); "Yahweh is my rock" (Ps 18:2; compare Isa 26:4; 32:2; 1Sa 2:2; 2Sa 22:2); (2) to the foundation-stone of Christian confession and testimony (Mt 16:18; compare Eph 2:20; 1Co 3:11; 1Pe 2:6-8), and thus to Christ Himself; (3) in Christian hymnology to Jesus crucified and spear-pierced: "Rock of ages, cleft for me."'. Please also see the note for John 1:42-LJC about the phrase Rock is Christ. The Roman Catholic Church likes to claim that this word refers to Peter. However, that goes against the Old Testament usage of it for God and directly opposes 1Corinthians 10:4, which says: that Rock was Christ. Please also see the Minor Titles of the Son of God Section in the Significant Gospel Events Study for links to places in the Bible where we find references to this truth.

Please use This link to see the 'Minor Titles of the Son of God' found within the Bible along with links to where the Bible uses those titles. This title is Rock.

Please see the note for Romans C14S27 about the word offence. The functional definition is: 'a violation or breach of a law, custom, rule, etc. a. any public wrong or crime b. a nonindictable crime punishable on summary conviction 3. annoyance, displeasure, or resentment'.

Please see the note for Luke 3:13 about the word appoint. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to fix; to settle; to establish; to make fast. When he appointed the foundations of the earth. Prov. 8. 2. to constitute, ordain, or fix by decree, order or decision. Let Pharaoh appoint officers over the land. Gen. 41. He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. Act. 17. 3. to allot, assign or designate. Aaron and his sons shall appoint every one to his service. Num 4. These cities were appointed for all the children of Israel. Josh. 20. 4. to purpose or resolve; to fix the intention. Forso he had appointed. Acts 20. 5. to ordain, command or order. Thy servants are ready to do whatever my Lord the King shall appoint. 2Sam. 15. 6. to settle; to fix, name or determine by agreement; as, they appointed a time and place for the meeting'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'you. 1Pe 1:8; Song 5:9-16; Hag 2:7; Mt 13:44-46; Joh 4:42; 6:68-69; Php 3:7-10. precious. or, an honour. Isa 28:5; Lu 2:32 exp: 1Pe 1:7; 2:4. which be. 1Pe 2:8; Ac 26:19; Ro 10:21; 15:31 (margin) Tit 3:3; Heb 4:11; 11:31 (margin). The stone. Ps 118:22-23; Mt 21:42; Mr 12:10-11; Lu 20:17; Ac 4:11-12 exp: Ge 49:24; Zec 3:9. The head. Zec 4:7; Col 2:10. General references. exp: Ps 2:3; Lu 7:23; 1Co 3:11.

a stone. Isa 8:14; 57:14; Lu 2:34; Ro 9:32-33; 1Co 1:23; 2Co 2:16. being. 1Pe 2:7 exp: Ac 2:23. whereunto. Ex 9:16; Ro 9:22; 1Th 5:9; 2Pe 2:3; Jude 1:4. General references. exp: Ps 2:3; Pr 21:30; Lu 7:23; Joh 16:1; 1Co 3:11. See also on exp: Ge 49:24; Ps 118:22; Zec 3:9; Mt 21:42; Mr 12:10; Lu 20:17; Ac 4:11 the stone'.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S5 (Verse 9-10) - God's change in the lives of obedient saved people.

Equivalent Section: Why God changed our position.

First Step: Our position from God.

But ye are a chosen generation,
a royal priesthood,
an holy nation,
a peculiar people;.

Second Step: Why God gave us our position.

that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light:.

Equivalent Section: What God changed us from.

Which in time past were not a people,
but are now the people of God :.

Equivalent Section: Why God had to change us.

which had not obtained mercy,
but now have obtained mercy..

1Peter 2:9-10 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. It starts out with Peter saying But connects and contrasts these verses with the previous verses. Peter is telling us that we are not to be like the people who were identified in the previous verses: disobedient. disallowed...stumble at the word.

God choose us who were not a people and which had not obtained mercy and were in darkness to be the people of God which now have obtained mercy to live in his marvelous light as a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people for the purpose that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you.

Please notice that our sentence starts with the word But, which means it has the same subject as the prior sentence while going in a different direction. The prior sentence tells us about people who did not believe, and did not have the actions which match true Biblical belief. These actions are the ones which Peter tells us are expected by God. Now this sentence gives us a contrasting description of people who truly Biblically believe, and who produce the expected actions (shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light).

Next, please notice the word ye, which means 'each and every one of you personally'. Therefore, we are each personally responsible for producing the true Biblical actions which display true Biblical belief. Our personal actions are to show a significant contrast to people who are disobedient and who stumble at the word. Our personal life is to show a significant contrast to people who stumble and are offended by God's requirement that we make our personal relationship with Christ to be the head of the corner stone in our personal life and relationship with God. We are to reject the religious requirement to make religious ceremonies and keeping of religious rules a replacement for our personal relationship with Christ.

After this sentence Peter is going to tell us how to act with the assumption that the reader is a saved person who truly Biblically believes. With this in mind, we can look at the phrases of our sentence.

We are to be a chosen generation: God choose us for salvation but He also intended us to reproduce spiritually. Otherwise, we would not be a generation. It takes adults to reproduce and, in this sentence, Peter is describing people who have spiritually matured to the point that they can be considered to be spiritual adults. This is the next step in spiritual growth after our initial salvation. verses 2:1-3 is about the new born babes, 4-5 is personal service to God which is rejected by 'organized religion'. Then 6-8 is personal knowledge from the Holy Spirit through the Bible and 9-10 is spiritual leadership. We have to mature spiritually before we can take leadership. As a leader, Peter is specifying the qualifications of those who are to replace him.

a royal priesthood: this is a reference to the truth found in Revelation 1:6 and Revelation 5:10 where we are told that Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests unto God. Please note that, as has already been pointed out, a person must reach a certain level of maturity before they can take on the duties of priest or of king. Further, people do not get the privileges of those positions until after they accept the responsibilities.

an holy nation: Peter uses nation here because there are all kinds of people who get saved but they are united in their service to God, which is what makes them an holy nation. The emphasis of this phrase is the word holy. (Please see the word definitions below for details.) there are too many people who want to claim the identification and blessings of being the people that Peter describes even while they refuse to be holy. That requirement is mandatory.

a peculiar people: is defined within the context of these verses. This is not peculiar in all of the ways that people can define peculiar but in a very specific way as defined by Peter. That is: that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Try a day where you meet lots of people and the first thing that you say to them is a praise of God. Make sure that your every conversation praises God if possible and avoids displeasing God as a minimum. Try spending the day explaining to people how God called you out of darkness (and) into his marvelous light. If you watch the other peoples' reactions, you'll understand Peter's definition of peculiar.

that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: this is the Second Step of our First Equivalent Section. While the First Step told us 'Our position from God', our Second Step tells us 'Why God gave us our position'. Obviously, if we don't do what we are supposed to do then there is no reason for God to give us the position that was described in the First Step. In addition, we see Peter say that ye ('each and every one of you personally') are to do this even while God called the entire group (you) who responded to His call. With this, we see two things that we are to do.

ye should shew forth the praises of (God): this means that we are to praise God in a way that others can see and be drawn to God.
called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: we as a group are to stop doing the sins of darkness and start doing the good works of his marvelous light. Please see the word definitions below for more on these words.

Which in time past were not a people: Both the phrase, Which in time past, and the past-tense verb of existence (were) let us know that this is how we used to be but are no longer supposed to be this way. Where there was no unity in the past, we are to have unity now. We all come from different backgrounds and may not have anything in common except God. But God should overshadow all other things in our life until non-believers call us The People of God. If that happens, then the other differences won't matter but will become a strength. 1Corinthians 12 details how God brings different people with different backgrounds and talents into the church to do different jobs. So long as we are all working together to praise and serve God, the differences won't matter. And when that happens, we have become the people of God and if that isn't true in our lives and in our churches, we have fallen short of God's plan.

but are now the people of God: the word but, which starts this phrase, lets us know that this phrase is keeping the subject of the prior phrase while going another direction. We are to change to become the people of God. There is much that can be, and has been, preached about this title but the simple definition is that our life is to show the world that we belong to (of) God. Since this is an Equivalent Section, all of what was said in the First Equivalent Section should be seen in our life. If these things are not displayed in our life then we are not the people that Peter is describing and that means we are part of the group who will receive the judgment of God.

which had not obtained mercy: this is the first phrase of our third Equivalent Section, which means it has the same message as the other two Equivalent Sections. And, once more, we see a contrast between the past and the present which is based upon a change in our lifestyle . Lots of people believe the doctrinal error that God will forgive anything and everything and that God's mercy is available to everyone who demands it. However, our phrase tells us that, in the past, we did not get God's mercy even when we demanded it. We find the phrase except (ye/thou/they) repent in Luke 13:3; Luke 13:5; Revelation 2:5 and Revelation 2:22. Those verses make it very clear that some people are denied God's mercy. We also see this doctrine in other places of the Bible.

but now have obtained mercy: Once more our phrase starts with the word but. That lets us know that this phrase is keeping the subject of the prior phrase while going another direction. Therefore, We now have God's mercy where it was denied to us in the past. With the equivalency of this sentence, we see that this change is due to our truly Biblically repenting in a way which can be seen by all around us.

Please see the note for 2Timothy 2:4 about the word choose. The functional definition is: 'Past-tense form of choose'. Please see the note for Philippians 1:22 about the word choose. The functional definition for it is: 'To pick out; to select; to take by way of preference from two or more things offered; to make choice of'.

Please see the note for Colossians C1S6 about the word generations. The functional definition is: 'the word means one of a succession or series of persons from the same stock'.

Please see the note for Acts 12:21 about the word royal. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'a. L. regalis, from rex, king. See Reck and Right. 1. Kingly; pertaining to a king; regal; as royal power or prerogative; a royal garden; royal domains; the royal family. 2. Becoming a king; magnificent; as royal state. 3. Noble; illustrious. How doth that royal merchant, good Antonio?
ROY'AL, n. 1. A large kind of paper. It is used as a noun or an adjective. 2. Among seamen, a small sail spread immediately above the top-gallant-sail; sometimes termed the top-gallant-royal. 3. One of the shoots of a stag's head. 4. In artillery, a small mortar. 5. In England, one of the soldiers of the first regiment of foot, called the royals, and supposed to be the oldest regular corps in Europe'.

Please see the note for Romans 1:5 about the word nation. The functional definition for this word is: 'A body of people inhabiting the same country, or united under the same sovereign or government; as the English nation; the French nation'.

We find forms of the word peculiar in: Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 14:2; Deuteronomy 26:18; Psalms 135:4; Ecclesiastes 2:8 Titus 2:14; 1Peter 2:9. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'as used in the phrase "peculiar people" in 1Pe 2:9, is derived from the Lat. peculium, and denotes, as rendered in the Revised Version ("a people for God's own possession"), a special possession or property. the church is the "property" of God, his "purchased possession" (Eph 1:14; R.V., "God's own possession")'.

Please see the note for Colossians 2S8 about the word shew. This is the Biblical spelling for what is commonly spelled show today. The functional definition is: 'To exhibit or present to the view of others'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C1S3 about the word call. That note has links to notes in every New Testament book where there are links to every place where the particular book uses this word. The functional definition is: 'To command another to help or to cry for help, hence to pray (Ge 4:26)'. Please also see the note for Romans 10:13; 2Thessalonians 3:1-LJC; Ephesians 5:8-LJC and 1John 4:14-LJC about the phrase call upon the Lord. The note for Romans 10:13 has links to every place in the Bible where we find the words call and Lord used together, along with a small note on each reference.

Please see the note for Romans 13:12; John 8:12 about the word darkness. The functional definition for this word is: 'lack of spiritual light and guidance from God'. Please also see the note for Matthew 8:12 about the phrase outer darkness.

Please see the note for Galatians C1-S3 about the word marvel. The functional definition is: 'This thing should make us have a wonder and admiration of it'.

Please see the notes for Romans C13S15; 2Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians C5S6 about the word light. The functional definition is: 'The spiritual gift from God that overcomes spiritual darkness from sin and Satan. Spiritual light allows us to see and understand things from God's view. Spiritual light allows us to see how to walk, work and live in this world in a Godly way'. Please also see the notes for Light and Darkness in 1John; Romans C13S15 and Hebrews 12:18-24 about the phrase light and darkness. The functional definition is: 'light provides spiritual guidance from God while darkness provides spiritual guidance from a devil'. Please also see the note for John 11:9-LJC about the phrase Jesus is our light.

Please see the note for 11:30-31 for links to where the Bible deals with forms of the word obtain. The functional definition is: ''.

Please see the notes for Romans 12:1 and Colossians C3S8 about the word mercy. The functional definition is: 'not getting the punishment you deserve'. Please see the notes for Romans 14:8-LJC and 2Thessalonians 1:9-LJC about the phrase judgment without mercy.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'a chosen. 1Pe 1:2; De 10:15; Ps 22:30; 33:12; 73:15; Isa 41:8; 44:1. a royal. Ex 19:5-6; Isa 61:6; 66:21; Re 1:6; 5:10; 20:6. an holy. Ps 106:5; Isa 26:2; Joh 17:19; 1Co 3:17; 2Ti 1:9 exp: De 26:19; 1Pe 2:5. peculiar. or, purchased. De 4:20; 7:6; 14:2; 26:18-19; Ac 20:28; Eph 1:14; Tit 2:14. shew. 1Pe 4:11; Isa 43:21; 60:1-3; Mt 5:16; Eph 1:6; 3:21; Php 2:15-16. praises. or, virtues. who. Isa 9:2; 60:1-2; Mt 4:16; Lu 1:79; Ac 26:28; Ro 9:24; Eph 5:8-11; Php 3:14; Col 1:13; 1Th 5:4-8exp: 1Th 2:12. General references. exp: Le 14:14; Nu 15:41; De 14:2; 1Sa 8:20; Ps 102:21; 118:2; Isa 32:16; 43:21; 49:3; 66:21; Jer 33:18; Ro 9:16.

were. Ho 1:9-10; Ro 9:25-26. obtained. Ho 2:23; Ro 11:6-7,30; 1Co 7:25; 1Ti 1:13; Heb 4:16. General references. exp: Le 14:14; Nu 15:41; Ps 118:2; Isa 32:16; Ro 9:16'.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S6 (Verse 11-12) - the testimony that we are to maintain.

Equivalent Section: how we are to act.

First Step: What to not do.

Dearly beloved,
I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims,
abstain from fleshly lusts,
which war against the soul;.

Second Step: what to do.

Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles:.

Equivalent Section: Cause the lost to repent.

that,
whereas they speak against you as evildoers,
they may by your good works,
which they shall behold,
glorify God in the day of visitation..

This sentence is the start of a series of commands which need to be considered together as a single unit. This unit goes through 2:18. 2:19 through the end of the chapter is another single unit of thought which tells us why we are to obey these commands. These five sentences all start with the word For except the one that starts with the word But. Thus, all are giving reasons. Once more we see that keeping things within the context is important for true understanding.

1Peter 2:11-12 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. In it Peter tells us to be right inside (abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul) and outside (having your conversation honest) so that those who criticize you now will have to praise God for your testimony on their day of visitation, which is when they personally meet Jesus Christ at death or the 'Rapture'.

Peter has been telling us general doctrinal principles before this sentence. Now, with this sentence, Peter starts specific commands which are based upon the general doctrinal principles already covered. This is the same format as Paul uses but then Peter varies from Paul in that he goes into another section of general doctrinal principles followed by another section of specific commands. With that in mind, we can now look at the phrases of this sentence.

Dearly beloved: Peter is starting specific commands from God and knows that some people will resent any command, no matter who it comes from. Therefore, he starts with this phrase to try and make the command more acceptable because God's people really are Dearly beloved to God.

I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims: the identification of strangers and pilgrims is also found in Hebrews 11:13. That is the 'great chapter on faith' and this sentence, in Hebrews, summarized the actions of all of those people of faith with: These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. thus, Peter is addressing us as people of faith. (Please see the word definitions below for more details.) In addition, Peter says I beseech you, which means that he is 'begging' us to act like true Biblical strangers and pilgrims. As strangers ('foreigners') we are not supposed to get involved in all of the local politics and fighting. As pilgrims we are to be people just moving through the land while we serve our God. Peter is telling us to stop trying to set down roots and conquer the land and people but to keep moving and concentrate on serving God by spreading the Gospel. That is; be evangelists. The people Peter was dealing with were being persecuted by the people in the land. Thus, his counsel is to not fight but to keep moving and spreading the gospel. That way, many of their persecutors would leave them alone when they figured out that these particular Christians would move on and no longer be a problem for them to deal with.

abstain from fleshly lusts refers back to 2:1 (laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings) but also includes the obvious lusts: sex, gluttony, pride, etc. James also talks about your lusts that war in your members in James 4:1-12. Here we are told to stay away from these sins because they are all addictive. We see the same type of warning in 2Timothy 2:22 which says: Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart.
which war against the soul: the which of this phrase is referencing the fleshly lusts of the prior phrase. While many will preach about the prior phrase, this one will often get neglected even though it is as important, or more so, than the prior phrase. Matthew 1:21 tells us that Jesus came to this Earth to shall save his people from their sins. We find the phrase save your soul in: Hebrews 10:39; James 1:21; James 5:20. Thus, these fleshly lusts, which war against the soul are directly opposing the purpose of Jesus and directly opposing what is supposed to be our main purpose, as seen by Peter identifying us as strangers and pilgrims. Our soul is 'the long-term way we think, the way we make decisions with our will and the way that we react emotionally to the circumstances of life'. Yes, there is pleasures of sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25), but then we have the addictive consequences which continue to battle (war against) our soul over the long-term. Thus, we are warned to keep our eyes on the long-term and spiritual and to abstain from short-term pleasures which have long-tern effects.

having your conversation honest: this phrase starts the Second Step of the First Equivalent Section. The First Equivalent Section tells us 'The testimony that we are to maintain' with the First Step telling us 'What to not do' and our Second Step telling us 'What to do'. As we see all throughout the Bible, we are to 'stop our sinning' before God adds in blessings because God will not put His blessings into a dirty vessel. Thus, we must do the First Step before we can do the Second Step even though the Second Step is what is most important.

in this the Second Step Peter is talking about our long-term (conversation / 'lifestyle ') testimony (among the Gentiles). Further on, Peter expands on this and gives specific instructions on what to do have an honest conversation (submit, honour, obey, etc). However, before dealing with the details, Peter tells us to set this as our goal. Yes, we will mess up from time to time but if we set this as our 'lifestyle ' goal then we can come back to it after we mess up and we can learn to reduce the times that we mess up. 'Failure to plan is a plan to fail'. Here Peter is telling us to make a plan for our life which will get us eternal rewards
that: this word starts our Second Equivalent Section and lets us know that it tells us 'what is the goal' of the First Equivalent Section. This sentence tells us 'The testimony that we are to maintain' and our First Equivalent Section gave us the plan for our life. Our Second Equivalent Section now gives us the purpose of that plan.

whereas they speak against you as evildoers: Here Peter is acknowledging how his audience is currently treated by people who persecute them. With that said, Peter also gives us the message that any suffering here in the flesh is for only a short time while the eternal rewards, which result from our proper handling of suffering, will be far more valuable than the cost of current suffering.

they may by your good works: the word by tells us 'how we are to accomplish our purpose'. The word good tells us 'that which comes from God'. The word works is defined as 'to move, or to labor'. (Please see the word definitions below for more on each of these words.) thus, we see that 'we are to labor at the things which God gives to us and to do it in the sight of men'. The last phrase of our sentence tells us God's goal in commanding us to do this. We must trust or Bible, by faith, that God's goal will happen in the day of visitation because we can not know the future any other way. Thus, obedience to this command requires faith.

which they shall behold: this phrase was dealt with above for the prior phrase. The word behold is defined as 'To fix the eyes upon; to see with attention; to observe with care'. The word shall means: 'This definitely will happen'. If we are truly living for God we can not avoid people watching our every move and continuing to do so over a long period of time. Therefore, we are to live our life with the constant awareness that everything is being recorded by God, angels and men. Everything that we do should be aimed at bringing glory to God.

glorify God in the day of visitation: this is the main purpose of our sentence and is to be the main purpose of our life. Hebrews 9:27 says, And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: Don't worry about what people do and say today because they have not yet met God. Just prepare yourself for your own meeting with God. When the lost meet Jesus, they will have to admit the truth about God and about those saints that God sent to witness to them and we don't want God blaming us for failing to deliver God's witness to a lost person.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 7:1 about the word dear. Wright's Bible Word-Book defines this word as: 'adj. like the Latin word carus, has two meanings, 'costly or precious,' and 'beloved or endeared.' In the former sense it is used in the Prayer-Book version of Ps 116:13; 72:14, where it is not meant that the death or blood of the saints is well-pleasing to God, but that He accounts it precious, and will not let it go for nought. So in Shakespeare (All's Well, ii. I. 182): thy life is dear, for all that life can rate Worth name of life, in thee hath estimate. Compare Ac 20:24'.

Please see the note for Romans C9S23 about the word beloved. Please also see the note for Matthew 17:5 for links to every place where the phrase beloved Son is applied to Jesus.

Please see the note for Romans C12S1 about the word beseech. That note has the definition from Webster's 1828 and links to every place in the New Testament where We find this word along with a note about each usage. The functional definition is: 'To entreat; to supplicate; to implore; to ask or pray with urgency'.

Please see the note for 1:1-2 about the word strangers. The functional definition is: 'not a Jew'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 11:13 about the word pilgrim. That note has links to every place in the Bible where we find forms of this word. The functional definition is: 'one that has only a temporary residence on earth. Heb.11'.

Please see the note for 5:22 about the word abstain. The functional definition is: 'In a general sense, to forbear, or refrain from, voluntarily; but used chiefly to denote a restraint upon the passions or appetites; to refrain from indulgence'.

Please see the note for 1:24 about the word flesh. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'in the Old Testament denotes (1) a particular part of the body of man and animals (Ge 2:21; 41:2; Ps 102:5, marg.); (2) the whole body (Ps 16:9); (3) all living things having flesh, and particularly humanity as a whole (Ge 6:12-13); (4) mutability and weakness (2Ch 32:8; comp. Isa 31:3; Ps 78:39). As suggesting the idea of softness it is used in the expression "heart of flesh" (Eze 11:19). the expression "my flesh and bone" (Jg 9:2; Isa 58:7) denotes relationship. In the New Testament, besides these it is also used to denote the sinful element of human nature as opposed to the "Spirit" (Ro 6:19; Mt 16:17). Being "in the flesh" means being unrenewed (Ro 7:5; 8:8-9), and to live "according to the flesh" is to live and act sinfully (Ro 8:4-5,7,12). this word also denotes the human nature of Christ (Joh 1:14, "The Word was made flesh." Comp. also 1Ti 3:16; Ro 1:3)'. Please also see the note for Romans C8S7 about the phrase after the flesh. Please also see the note for Romans C8S7 about the phrase in the flesh. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 12:7 about the phrase thorn in the flesh. Please also see the note for Matthew 7:16 about the phrase thistles and thorns.

Please see the note for 1:14 about the word lust. The functional definition is: 'Longing desire; eagerness to possess or enjoy'. While this word is normally used for a sin, as it is in our current sentence, it is not always a sin, especially when it is done by the Spirit of God.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 10:3-6 about the word warfare / war. The functional definition is: 'Contest; struggle with spiritual enemies'.

Please see the note for Galatians 1:13-14 for links to place in the Bible where the word conversation is used along with the definition from Webster's 1828 and links from other commentators. The Bible uses the word conversation to mean 'Your way of life. How we live speaks louder that what comes out of our mouth and if the two disagree, we prove ourselves to be a liar'.

Please see the note for Romans C12S15 about the word honest. The functional definition is: 'Upright; just; fair in dealing with others; free from trickishness and fraud; acting and having the disposition to act at all times according to justice or correct moral principles; applied to persons'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 4:1-2 about the word dishonesty.

Please see the notes for Romans C15S13 and Galatians C2-S4 about the word Gentile. The functional definition is: ' In the scriptures, a pagan; a worshipper of false gods; any person not a Jew or a Christian; a heathen'.

Please see the note for Romans C15S15 and 2Corinthians 2:17 about the word speak / spoken. The functional definition is: 'To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts by words'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 1:8; 2:1; 2:12; 3:10; 3:16; 4:4 and 4:11. Please also see the note for Ephesians C4S15 about the phrase evil speaking.

Please see the note for 2:1 about the word evil. The functional definition is: 'Both the source and consequence of things which people consider to be really really bad. The source and / or result can be natural or spiritual or any combination thereof. However, even what seems to be a natural source can actually be caused by a devil, especially when the recipient is a child of God. In all cases the result is deliberately intended and caused, which is what separates evil from the accidental'. Please see the note for Philippians 3:2 about the phrase evil workers. Please also see the note for Ephesians C4S15 about the phrase evil speaking. Please see the note for 1Peter 4:15 about the word evildoer. That note has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word. The functional definition is: 'one who does evil things'.

In the Bible, good is used for 'what comes from God'. The devil, the world and our own flesh fight against anything that 'comes from God'. We find forms of this word, in 1Peter in: 2:12; 2:18; 3:10-11; 3:13; 3:16; 3:21 and 4:10. Please see the notes for Romans C7S16; Romans C11S26 and 2Corinthians 5:10 about the word good. Please see the note for Romans C11S26 about the word goodness. Please see the note for Mark 2:28-LJC about Good Friday.

Please see the note for Colossians C2S3 about the word behold. The functional definition is: 'To fix the eyes upon; to see with attention; to observe with care'.

Please see the note for 1Thessalonians 5:2 about for links to every place in the New Testament where the phrase day of deals with a significant event such as prophecy.

Please see the note for Luke 1:67-75 about the word visit. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Waited on; attended; inspected; subjected to sufferings; favored with relief or mercy'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'I beseech. Ro 12:1; 2Co 5:20; 6:1; Eph 4:1; Phm 1:9-10 exp: 1Co 1:10. as. 1Pe 1:1,17; Ge 23:4; 47:9; Le 25:23; 1Ch 29:15; Ps 39:12; 119:19,54; Heb 11:13. abstain. 1Pe 4:2; Lu 21:34; Ac 15:20,29; Ro 8:13; 13:13-14; 2Co 7:1; Ga 5:16-21; 2Ti 2:22; 1Jo 2:15-17. war. Ro 7:23; 8:13; Ga 5:17,24; 1Ti 6:9-10; Jas 4:1. General references. exp: Ge 21:34; Le 15:16,24; Pr 7:26; Isa 32:16.

your conversation. 1Pe 3:2; Ps 37:14; 50:23; 2Co 1:12; Eph 2:3; 4:22; Php 1:27; 1Ti 4:12; Heb 13:5; Jas 3:13; 2Pe 3:11. honest. Ro 12:17; 13:13; 2Co 8:21; 13:7; Php 4:8; 1Th 4:12; 1Ti 2:2; Heb 13:18. among. Ge 13:7-8; Php 2:15-16. That. 1Pe 3:1,16; 4:14-16; Mt 5:11; 10:25; Lu 6:22; Ac 24:5-6,13; 25:7 exp: Mt 5:16. whereas. or, wherein. exp: 1Pe 3:16. They may. Mt 5:16; Tit 2:7-8. glorify. 1Pe 4:11; Ps 50:23; Ro 15:9; 1Co 14:25. The day. Lu 1:68; 19:44; Ac 15:14 exp: Isa 10:3. General references. exp: Song 2:2; Isa 32:16'.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S7 (Verse 13-14) Submit to God appointed Earthly rulers and laws.

Equivalent Section: Submit to laws.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake:.

Equivalent Section: How we are to submit.

First Step: Submit to the highest government authority.

whether it be to the king,
as supreme;.

Second Step: Submit to all government authority.

Or unto governors,
as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers,
and for the praise of them that do well..

2:11 starts a series of commands which need to be considered together as a single unit. That logical unit goes through 2:18. 2:19 through the end of the chapter is another single unit of thought which tells us why we are to obey these commands. These five sentences all start with the word For except the one that starts with the word But. Thus, all are giving reasons. Once more we see that keeping things within the context is important for true understanding.

1Peter 2:13-14 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. In it Peter tells us to obey the law of the land and all representatives of the government. The notes for this sentence in the Lord Jesus Christ Study tells a lot more about what the Bible teaches about 'submit', which is different than what is believed by most religious people. in this sentence, Peter tells us 'obey as if they gave a commandment from the Lord'. Peter doesn't even consider if the authorities are right or fair or anything else along those lines. God set up government. We get the government we deserve. If we want a just government then we need to pray for the rulers and actively fight against evil around us. When we get enough of our neighbors saved and right with God and fighting evil in their own lives, then all of the people will demand just rulers. Until that happens, we are to do right, pray for the lost and let them see our righteous reactions to evil so that God can show them the difference between lost and saved people.

Peter says Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake because the Lord created governments and gave men the power to make laws when Noah came out of the Ark (Genesis 9:1-7). Lots of people object to laws for all kinds of reasons. For example, people claim that a law isn't 'fair'. When I raised children it took years, but consistent punishment every time that they cried 'not fair' got rid of that cry. I regularly told them that 'fair is the biggest lie in the world'. I also told them that they weren't to try to make things 'fair' because all lies, including the lie that things should be 'fair', are of the devil.

The real honest definition of 'fair' is 'when I have a major advantage against my competitors that they can't possibly match'. Of course, people would claim that that isn't the definition of 'fair', but when you ask a number of different people to define 'fair', you find out that my definition is what they really want while lying to themselves that they have no advantage at all. 'Unfair' is what the looser cries when they are lying to themselves instead of admitting that they lost. 'unfair' is the attempt to get the judge to remove the consequences of their loss without the looser admitting that they should have done something different to avoid loss.

I could go on with 'fair' and lots of other reasons that people object to laws and government people, but none of them matter. In the next few verses, Peter gives us the reasons why no complaint against governments or laws or people matter. That's because what really matters is our Lord and what he judges and how He judges. Peter tells us how to react to being treated wrongly in 2:19 when he says For this is thankworthy, If a man endure grief, suffering wrongfully. He goes on and gives us the reason in the following verses and that is covered in the note for 2:21.

Please notice that Peter tells us to endure grief, suffering wrongfully because it is thankworthy or something that a true Biblical Christian (elect) will find worthy to thank their Lord for. This obviously is not the worldly or fleshly view. In fact, it is possible only if a true Biblical Christian (elect) sincerely believes that their Lord will reward them for ever in a way that far exceeds any suffering here (Romans 8:18).

Returning to our sentence, we see that Peter tells us to submit for the Lord's sake. It has nothing to do with this world or what happens to us here. We are to look to our judgment by our Lord and He will judge righteously and give punishment to evildoers and praise to them that do well. He will give us praise for doing well when we endure grief, suffering wrongfully and the greater the suffering that we endure (with the right attitude) the greater will be our praise from our true Lord. This is why Peter says that our submitting to government people who treat us wrong is thankworthy. Also, if they treat us right, that also is thankworthy. So we are to give thanks no matter how we are treated. Therefore, it dies not matter if laws or government people are 'fair' or not. Also, any other reason that people give for fighting against the government also doesn't matter.

With the contextual requirements in mind, we can now look at the phrases of our sentence.

Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: this has been pretty well covered in the note above and in the associated note for Lord within the Lord Jesus Christ Study. As pointed out in the note on the word submit (see the word definitions below), We are not truly submitting if the people in charge tell us to do what we agree with. It is when we believe that they are wrong and that we will suffer for it that we truly submit. In addition, we have the teaching related to the word subject (see the note for 2:18) which is also used in this unit of thought (2:11 through 2:18). When we Submit...to every ordinance of man we are being subject to those powers.

whether it be to the king: this phrase starts the First Step of the Second Equivalent Section. Thus, the rest of this sentence tells us the same message as the prior phrase only provides more detail. Within our Second Step we see why we are to do as told in this sentence. Peter puts the highest human government authority as the First Step and all other human government authority as the Second Step. People usually find it easier to submit to local human government authority, as opposed to the higher human government authority, because the results of disobedience are more immediate from the local human government authority. However, Peter starts with the higher human government authority because the true authority comes from God through the higher human government authority and then down to progressively lower higher human government authority.

The word whether lets us know that there is another choice, as Peter states in the next couple of phrases. The second last phrase of our sentence starts with the word as, which means 'in the same manner'. All human government authorities have their authority from God to do the last two phrases of our sentence. We are commanded to submit in order to avoid the second last phrase and o, hopefully, receive the last phrase of our sentence.

as supreme: We already saw that the word as, which means 'in the same manner'. We are to treat the highest human government authority 'in the same manner' as we treat our Lord because they are a direct representative of Him. 1Samuel 8:7 says, And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them. God takes our rejecting commands from the highest human government authority as a direct rebellion against Him personally. Remember, our Lord has the right to punish His people according to His standard and not our own. In addition, in Acts 8:1, our Lord brought was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem because they disobeyed and refused to take the gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15). Sometimes, our Lord has to punish disobedience in order to compel obedience whereby He can bless His people.

Or unto governors: these are the human government authorities who represent the king and only indirectly represent the Lord. Although they often act like they are supreme, God does not give them that right. The best example of this distinction, that I can think of, is in Acts 23 where Paul was dealing with the council and one man commanded them that stood by him to smite him on the mouth. Paul responded with God shall smite thee, thou whited wall: for sittest thou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten contrary to the law? It was only after Paul learned that the man was God's high priest that he apologized. At that time, the Jews regarded God's high priest the highest human government authority. However, the council only had the authority of governors. This is why Paul cursed men who presented themselves as only having the authority of governors but apologized when he was informed that the man who gave the command was, in fact, the highest human government authority.

as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers: We already saw that our phrase starts with the word as, which means 'in the same manner'. The phrase by him means 'by the being who sent the representative'. In the case of the highest human government authority, he was 'sent by God'. In Genesis 9:5 God gave the highest human government authority the right of capital punishment. However, governors only have as much (legitimate) authority as explicitly given to them by the highest human government authority. Therefore, while they are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, they can go beyond their given authority as Paul thought that the council had done in Acts. However, we must keep in mind that the highest human government authority the right of capital punishment. Therefore, we are to fight them only for things which are worth dying over such as the gospel and the truth of God's Word.

and for the praise of them that do well: Most of the time that people complain about government people doing this God-given task, it is because they, or their friends, are not on the receiving end. When saved people do the same they prove that they are not looking to the Lord to provide for their needs and that they are not willing to wait until they get to heaven to get eternal rewards but actually value temporary physical rewards more. 1Timothy 6:7 says, For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. therefore, when people who claim to be saved do this type of complaining, they prove that they are either lost or very spiritually immature. Such immature people will have problems with the lessons of this epistle, especially those which tell us to suffer (2:20-24) and thank God for it because such is thankworthy.

Please see the notes for Romans 13:1 and Colossians 3:18 about the word submit. The note in Romans has links to every place in the Bible where we find forms of this word while the note in Colossians provides an explanation of the application of this word. The functional definition is: 'To yield, resign or surrender to the power, will or authority of another'.

Please also see the note for Romans 13:2 for links to every place in the New Testament where the word ordinance is used, along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'Properly, to set; to establish in a particular office or order; hence, to invest with a ministerial function or sacerdotal power; to introduce and establish or settle in the pastoral office with the customary forms and solemnities; as, to ordain a minister of the gospel'.

Please see the notes for Romans C15S25; 1Corinthians C9S16 and 2Corinthians 2:10-11 about the word sake. The functional definition is: ' to strain, urge, press or drive forward, and this is from the same root as seek'. Please see the note for Philippians 1:29-30 about the phrase sake, for His.

Please see the note for Matthew 9:5 about the word whether. The functional definition for this word is: 'Which of two'.

Please see the note for Luke 2:2 about the word governor. Smith's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'In the Authorized Version this one English word is the representative of no less than ten Hebrew and four Greek words. 1. the chief of a tribe or family. 2. A ruler in his capacity of lawgiver and dispenser of justice. 3. A ruler consider especially as having power over the property and persons of his subjects. Ge 24:2; Jos 12:2; Ps 100:5. The "governors of the people," in 2Ch 23:20. appear to have been the king's body-guard; cf. 2Ki 11:19. 4. A prominent personage, whatever his capacity. It is applied to a king as the military and civil chief of his people, 2Sa 5:2; 6:21; 1Ch 29:22. Tothe general of an army, 2Ch 32:21. and to the head of a tribe. 2Ch 19:11. It denotes an officer of high rank in the palace, the lord high chamberlain. 2Ch 28:7. It is applied in 1Ki 10:15. Tothe petty chieftains who were tributary to Solomon, 2Ch 9:14. Tothe military commander of the Syrians, 1Ki 20:24. The Assyrians, 2Ki 18:24; 23:8. The Chaldeans, Jer 51:23. and the Medes. Jer 51:38. Under the Persian viceroys, during the Babylonian captivity, the land of the Hebrews appears to have been portioned out among "governors" (pachoth) inferior in rank to the satraps, Ezr 8:30. like the other provinces which were under the dominion of the Persian king. Ne 2:7,9. It is impossible to determine the precise limits of their authority or the functions which they had to perform. It appears from Ezr 6:8. That these governors were intrusted with the collection of the king's taxes; and from Ne 5:18; 12:26. That they were supported by a contribution levied upon the people, which was technically termed "the bread of the governor" comp. Ezr 4:14. They were probably assisted in discharging their official duties by A council. Ezr 4:7; 6:6. The "governor" beyond the river had a judgment-seat beyond Jerusalem, from which probably he administered justice when making a progress through his province. Ne 3:7. At the time of Christ Judea was a Roman province, governed by a procurator (governor) appointed by Rome'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 2:6 about the word punish. The functional definition is: 'Any pain or suffering inflicted on a person for a crime or offense, by the authority to which the offender is subject, either by the constitution of God or of civil society'. Please also see the note for Matthew 25:46 about the word punishment.

Please see the note for 2:1 about the word evil. The functional definition is: 'Both the source and consequence of things which people consider to be really really bad. The source and / or result can be natural or spiritual or any combination thereof. However, even what seems to be a natural source can actually be caused by a devil, especially when the recipient is a child of God. In all cases the result is deliberately intended and caused, which is what separates evil from the accidental'. Please see the note for Philippians 3:2 about the phrase evil workers. Please also see the note for Ephesians C4S15 about the phrase evil speaking. Please also see the note for 1Peter 4:15 about the word evildoer. Please also note the conincidence between the Devil and the word evil since the Devil is the source of much evil. That note has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word. The functional definition is: 'one who does evil things'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'General references. Pr 17:11; 24:21; Jer 29:7; Mt 22:21; Mr 12:17; Lu 20:25; Ro 13:1-7; Eph 5:21; 1Ti 2:1-2; Tit 3:1; 2Pe 2:10; Jude 1:8-10 exp: Nu 16:12; Jos 1:16; 1Sa 10:25; 2Ch 19:5.

for the punishment. Ro 13:3-4. General references. exp: Nu 16:12; Jos 1:16; 1Sa 10:25; 2Ch 19:5. '.

Home Start of Chapter

C2-S8 (Verse 15-16) - How and why we are to obey God appointed worldly rulers.

Equivalent Section: God wants a particular result.

For so is the will of God,
that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:.

Equivalent Section: How we are to obey God appointed worldly rulers.

As free,
and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness,
but as the servants of God..

Please also see the Message called The Will of God for the application of these verses in the life of the believer.

1Peter 2:15-16 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought with two Equivalent Sections which give us the same message from two different perspectives. In it Peter tells us that it is God's will that we prove the change that God brings into our lives by doing right when we could do wrong and get away with it.

Our sentence starts with the word For, which means that it is explaining why the prior is true. There we were told to submit to all laws and people who are part of the human government and here we are told to do so because so is the will of God. Peter goes on and provides further reasons, as discussed below in the phrases of this sentence. However, God really doesn't need to give us any further explanation. This is like a dad telling his child 'Cause I'm the Daddy!' Demands for further explanation are likely to result in the child getting their sitter warmed. Likewise, the Bible tells us to not fear anything but our Lord, while it definitely also tells us to Fear the Lord. With that in mind, we can look at these further reasons which God graciously provided through Peter. Almost every one of the references below is a link that will take the reader to the associated note within the Book Study. That note will have far more detail about the reference including an explanation of how it fits within the context of that Bible book and providing links to other related notes. Please be aware that the notes below are only summaries and that far more detail is available to support each summary.

For so is the will of God: the exact phrase God's will is not in the Bible. The exact phrase will of God is preceded by the word the in every instance except Romans 12:2 which has three different qualifiers and those are explained below. The word the is defined as: 'there is only one and here it is'. This Biblical definition is best understood when we consider John 14:6 which says Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.. In each of the definitions which Jesus gives in John 14:6, we can see that He is claiming to be 'The is only one and here He is'. With this in mind, we can see that the Bible is telling is that 'there is only one will of God and the Bible reference is telling us about it'.

We find the exact phrase will of God only in the New Testament and in the references presented below. These references are not presented in the order that they appear within the Bible but in the order to present doctrinal truth. The order is:
- Correct doctrinal error taught about the will of God.
- Salvation related to the will of God.
- Sanctification related to the will of God.
- Jesus Christ paid for our salvation and sanctification according to the will of God.
- The Holy Spirit works according the will of God.
- Positions within the church given by the will of God.
- Blessings come to all who do the will of God.
- Joy only comes from doing the will of God.
- We are to seek the will of God in every little part of our life.
- We are to do the will of God with all of our heart.
- We are to know that everything which happens to us is the will of God.
- Our suffering is part of the will of God.
- The will of God tells us how to deal with the problems of life.
- The will of God has promises attached to it which are given to those who do the will of God.
- Corruption comes in spite of doing the will of God.
With this summary presented, we will now look at details related to the references.

Romans 12:2 : And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.. People like to preach about the good will of God and the acceptable will of God and the perfect will of God as if they were three different things, which they are. However, they also preach that these are three different levels of the will of God, which they are not. The grammar of our sentence makes it clear that there is only one will of God and it has all three of these attributes. Please consider that the Biblical definition of good is: 'that which comes from God'. Therefore, the good will of God can not be less than the perfect will of God because God does not give anything that is less than perfect. Likewise, we already saw in 1:13-16 that God commands us to be holy. We are also told to ,be perfect in: Deuteronomy 18:13; 1Kings 8:61; Matthew 19:21; 2Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 3:15; 2Timothy 3:17; James 1:4. Therefore, the acceptable will of God can not be less than perfect will of God. While that preaching is popular and well accepted, the only thing that it does is allow people to believe they are in the will of God even while that know that they are not doing the perfect will of God. This preaching actually excuses the sin of God's people and is very subtle while doing so, just like Satan is subtil. Giving God's people and excuse for holding onto sin is a doctrine of the devil and a major reason why there are lots of people in America who claim to be Biblical Christians, and yet lack the power of God within their lives.
Mark 3:35 : For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother. True salvation requires obedience to the will of God.
1John 2:17 : And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. this sentence is added (by the And) to: For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Once more we see the Bible making a distinction between those who seek all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life and those people who truly do the will of God. The word doeth means: 'keep on keeping on doing'. Our sentence literally tells us that we must 'keep on keeping on doing' the will of God if we want the assurance that we are saved (abideth for ever). Just like Peter, this chapter of 1John is telling us how to distinguish between the truly Biblically saved and other people. All who are truly Biblically saved will 'keep on keeping on doing' the will of God.
1Thessalonians 4:3 : For this is the will of God, even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication. This sentence should be obvious on the face of it. Please see the note for this sentence, and the notes of the contextual sentences, for more details. One thing that should be obvious is that we must abstain from fornication if we want to have God's sanctification and the blessings that go with it. Please see the note for this sentence, especially for the true Biblical definition of fornication, which is different from what most people think.
Colossians 4:12 : Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God. Here we see that it is the will of God for us to stand perfect and complete. Our current note already dealt with the perfect will of God. Basically, our sentence tells us that the will of God is for us to spiritually mature and receive all of the spiritual gifts and blessings (be complete) that God wants to give to us but can only do so after we become spiritually mature enough to handle them.
Galatians 1:4 : Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father. Here we see that it was the will of God for our Lord Jesus Christ to give Himself for our sins. However, we also have the qualifier that the will of God was that His sacrifice was to deliver us from this present evil world. People who claim salvation while holding onto the sins of This present evil world are out of the will of God and, quite possibly, are not saved.
Romans 8:27 : And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Here we see that God's Holy Spirit pays attention to the desires behind our prayers and perfects our requests to God. Sometimes we thing one thing or one way is how we will reach a goal, but we are wrong. When we pray for the wrong thing or the wrong way, but God's Holy Spirit knows the true goal that we have, He perfects our requests to God so that we end up at the desired result even though God does it a different way than we had in mind.
1Corinthians 1:1 : Paul, called to be an apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, and Sosthenes our brother. This is the same as the notes for 2Corinthians, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:1 and 2Timothy. Here we see that people are supposed to receive positions in the church by the will of God. Ne also have a number of problems in the church because people take these positions but their having the positions was not by the will of God.
2Corinthians 1:1 : Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, unto the church of God which is at Corinth, with all the saints which are in all Achaia. This is the same as the notes for 1Corinthians1:1, Ephesians 1:1, Colossians 1:1 and 2Timothy. Here we see that people are supposed to receive positions in the church by the will of God. Ne also have a number of problems in the church because people take these positions but their having the positions was not by the will of God.
Ephesians 1:1 : Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus. This is the same as the note for 1Corinthians 1:1, 2Corinthians 1:1, Colossians 1:1 and 2Timothy. Here we see that people are supposed to receive positions in the church by the will of God. We also have a number of problems in the church because people take these positions but their having the positions was not by the will of God.
Colossians 1:1 : Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, and Timotheus our brother. This is the same as the note for 1Corinthians 1:1, 2Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1, and 2Timothy. Here we see that people are supposed to receive positions in the church by the will of God. Ne also have a number of problems in the church because people take these positions but their having the positions was not by the will of God.
2Timothy 1:1 : Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,. This is the same as the note for 1Corinthians 1:1, 2Corinthians 1:1, Ephesians 1:1 and Colossians 1:1. Here we see that people are supposed to receive positions in the church by the will of God. Ne also have a number of problems in the church because people take these positions but their having the positions was not by the will of God.
2Corinthians 8:5 : And this they did, not as we hoped, but first gave their own selves to the Lord, and unto us by the will of God. Other places in the Bible we read how these people were blessed because of what they did. These people include the Philippians, who are the only church to receive an epistle from Paul, which also made it into the Bible, where there was no correction because of doctrinal error. Here we see that doing the will of God helps us to avoid doctrinal error (but does not completely prevent it). Here we see that it is the will of God for church members to give themselves to the pastor and church leaders by submitting to the pastor and church leaders. in this case, these people we so far as to leave homeans move the mission field where they could get the lowest jobs and support the missionaries who were preaching the gospel to the lost people. Please note that they had to give their own selves to the Lord first, by agreeing to any command which He gave them, before they could give their own selves to the (ministers of the) Lord.
Romans 15:32 : That I may come unto you with joy by the will of God, and may with you be refreshed.. Once more we see that whatever we do we are to pray for guidance from God and do what is in the will of God. Paul did go to them and probably had joy, but also was probably not happy because he was arrested and facing death. However, he was in the will of God because God was changing Paul's ministry from active teaching to writing the majority of the New Testament. Thus, we can be in the will of God even while things are going terrible from our human fleshly perspective.
Romans 1:10 : Making request, if by any means now at length I might have a prosperous journey by the will of God to come unto you.. James 4:15 says, For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that. Here we see Paul practicing what James teaches. He recognizes that the will of God is to control every part of our life, even what we consider to be the 'little things'.
Ephesians 6:6 : Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. Here we see that it is the will of God is something that we must do and we must do the will of God in a way that displays Christ. That requirement for quality eliminates any possibility of our being menpleasers or of only making a show (with eyeservice).
1Thessalonians 5:18 : In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Here we see that it is the will of God for us to go through everything that we go through, especially the suffering. When we accept suffering as the will of God in Christ Jesus, and maintain a proper attitude, we receive eternal blessings which we are told are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us (Romans 8:18).
1Peter 2:15 : For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. We can only put to silence the ignorance of foolish men if we do the will of God even when that will of God involves suffering and shame. This thought is explained more by Peter in the sentences which follow this one within this chapter. It is also dealt with in the next reference.
1Peter 3:17 : For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. this sentence should be obvious on the face of it. Please see the note for this sentence, and the notes of the contextual sentences, for more details.
1Peter 4:19 : Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator. Where the verse above started chapter 4, this one is the conclusion. All throughout this chapter Peter points out differences between the truly Biblically saved and the lost. Good and bad circumstances happen to us all. It is not the things which we experience but how we react to them which give us a testimony of being truly Biblically saved. Without suffering, we would not need the help of God and would not have a testimony of God working in and through our life. Therefore, it is the will of God that we suffer so that we have the opportunity of having God work in our life and give us this testimony. In addition, Peter adds in commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing. We claim to be saved, but how do we truly know this if we don't have the ongoing interaction of a personal relationship? 1John 1 tells us that God's Holy Spirit gives us the assurance of our salvation. we can not lose our salvation but we can lose the assurance of it. Peter is telling us that as we suffer according to the will of God, we also experience God working in our life and, at the same time, God's Holy Spirit gives us the assurance of our salvation to help us through the experience. However, we only receive this benefit when we do it in well doing. Finally, Peter adds the last phrase of: as unto a faithful Creator. God created us knowing what we would experience and gave us the ability to handle it. No matter what we go through we can know that God gave us the ability to handle it if we rely upon Him. Therefore, it is the will of God that we show the world what God made us able to handle and show how a loving Creator gave us the ability to do what He wants us to do.
Hebrews 10:36 : For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. Here we see that the will of God has a promise attached to it. Notice that we receive the promises personally (ye), which means that the results which other people have do not affect our reward. However, we must have patience because if we do not wait for God to keep His promise in His time then we have not really acted in faith and without faith it is impossible to please him (God) (Hebrews 11:6). Also, we see that we must do the will of God before we can claim any promise. Further, we need to pay attention to the word might, which means that we might not get the promise if we don't do exactly what God requires.
Acts 13:36 : For David, after he had served his own generation by the will of God, fell on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption. Our doing the will of God does not keep us from also doing sin. It does not keep us from suffering the consequences of sin, as can be seen within the life of David. However, it does get us blessings from God and can make us 'a man after God's own heart'.
1Peter 4:2 : That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. this verse is only half of a sentence and the full sentence needs to be considered in order to fully understand and appreciate what Peter is telling us. in this sentence Peter tells us that the will of God is that we:
have the mind of Christ, suffer in the flesh, cease from sin, no longer should live...to the lusts of men, spend life doing the will of God.
.
With the first phrase of our current sentence dealt with, we will go to the next phrase which is: that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: the word that tells us 'why' is important for us to 'keep on keeping on doing' the will of God. The word ye means 'each and every one of you personally'. While foolish men might claim that God working in and through the life of one or two people, or through a group of people such as the apostles, they can not do the same for all saved without revealing that they are foolish men. However, such think they can do so because they surround themselves with other foolish men who agree with them. While they do so, they prove that they are ignorant of the fact that they will stand in judgment by God for their works and will not have the support of other foolish men. We may or may not see such put to silence in this life, but we will see it while we watch such foolish men being judged by God. 2Corinthians 2:16 says, To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? Our testimony as we do the will of God is used to lead some people to salvation, but only some. Those foolish men who refuse the truth of our testimony will see God display that testimony before all of heaven when God condemns them for refusing to accept the message that there is a God when they rejected the true testimony. Our testimony of 'keep on keeping on doing' the will of God, in spite of circumstances and all other opposition, will be used to condemn () people who refuse to accept the truth that God revealed to them. If not before the, we will see the ignorance of foolish men...put to silence at their final judgment.

As free: this means 'in the same way that free people act'. We are told in Romans 8:2 and Galatians 5:1 that Christ hath made us free. These verses provide the basis of the Law of Liberty (James 1:25 and James 2:12). The Law of Liberty is the main law for saved people within the New Testament. As Paul said in 1Corinthians 6:12 and 10:23, All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient. Being lawful means that you can't be convicted for violating the law. Those guilty of violating God's law, and never getting His forgiveness that is part of salvation, go to God's jail (Hell). The saved have eternal security, meaning that they will never go to Hell (thus, all things are lawful). However, the saved still reap what they sow (but all things are not expedient). It may be lawful to gamble away all of your possessions, but it isn't expedient. God wants us to not just barely fulfill the law but to serve Christ (Romans 6:16) so that He can bless us here and in heaven.

and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness: When Peter says not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, he's telling us to not think and act like we can get away with anything just because we won't go to Hell for it. We will still reap what we sow. This directly disputes the doctrine from devils which claims that the law of liberty allows us to sin without any consequences. Only a Biblical fool would believe that doctrine, but here we have a Biblical answer for such Biblical fools.

but as the servants of God: Our last phrase starts with the word but, which means it is continuing the subject of the prior phrase while going in a different direction. We are told to use your liberty...as the servants of God. Here is the true reason why Christ makes us free. We are made free from the addiction and control of sin so that we can become the servants of God. With this we see the main purpose of our lives once we get saved.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:15-17 about the word will. The functional definition is: ' that faculty of the mind by which we determine either to do or forbear an action; the faculty which is exercised in deciding, among two or more objects, which we shall embrace or pursue'. Please also see the note for 1Peter 2:15 about the phrase will of God. Please also see the note for Romans 11:1 about the phrase God will not cast away his people.

Please see the note for Romans 11:36 for links to verses in the Bible which tell us things which are due to God.

Please see the note for Matthew 22:3 about the word silence. The functional definition for this word is: 'to be still. 1. In a general sense, stillness, or entire absence of sound or noise'.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C14S42 and 2Corinthians 2:10-11 about the word ignorant. The functional definition is: 'lacking knowledge'.

Please see the note for Titus 3:3 about the word foolish. The functional definition is: 'Void of understanding or sound judgment; weak in intellect; applied to general character'. Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:16 about the word fool. Please see the note for Romans C9S28 about the condemnation of fools.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C7S29 about the word free. The functional definition is: 'Being at liberty; not being under necessity or restraint, physical or moral; a word of general application to the body, the will or mind, and to corporations'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians 8:9 about the word liberty. The functional definition is: 'Besides the common application of this term, it is used in scripture symbolically, as 1. the liberty obtained by Christ for those that were captives of Satan. Isa 61:1; Lu 4:18; Joh 8:36. 2. the conscience set free from guilt, as when the Lord said to several, "Thy sins be forgiven thee: go in peace."'.

Please see the note for 1Thessalonians 2:5-6 about the word cloke. The functional definition for this word is: 'A loose outer garment worn over other clothes both by men and women'. The phrase: a cloke of covetousness identifies someone who pretended to preach God's word while actually preaching for money. The phrase: a cloke of maliciousness identifies a saved person who pretended to preach God's word while actually preaching liberal lies which cause people to suffer the judgment of God including going to Hell.

Please see the note for Romans C1S16 about the word maliciousness. The functional definition is: ' extreme enmity or disposition to injure'.

Please see the notes for Romans C14S4; 1Corinthians C7S27 and Ephesians C6S4 about the word servant. . The note for Ephesians has links to the main verses within the New Testament, along with a small note for each verse, which give us a good understanding of how the Bible uses this word. The functional definition is: ' to keep or hold; properly one that waits, that is, stops, holds, attends, or one that is bound'. Please also see the notes for Romans C16S21 and 2Timothy C1-S2 about the word serve. Please also see the note for Philippians 2:17 about the word service.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'so. 1Pe 4:2; Eph 6:6-7; 1Th 4:3; 5:18. with. 1Pe 2:12; Job 5:16; Ps 107:42; Tit 2:8. The ignorance. 1Ti 1:13; 2Pe 2:12; Jude 1:10. foolish. De 32:6; Job 2:10; Ps 5:5; Pr 9:6; Jer 4:22; Mt 7:26; 25:2; Ro 1:21; Ga 3:1; Tit 3:3. General references. exp: Ge 30:29; Jos 1:16.

free. Joh 8:32-36; Ro 6:18,22; 1Co 7:22; Ga 5:1,13; Jas 1:25; 2:12; 2Pe 2:19 exp: Ga 4:26. and. Jude 1:4 exp: Mt 22:21. using. Gr. having. a cloke. Mt 23:14; Joh 15:22; 1Th 2:5. but. Eph 6:6; Col 3:24'.

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This verse has four short sentences. Each sentence is a command with NO qualifications, which means we are to obey them without argument.

C2-S9 (Verse 17) Honour all men.C2-S10 (Verse 17) Love the brotherhood.C2-S11 (Verse 17) Fear God.C2-S12 (Verse 17) Honour the King.

1Peter 2:17 tells us about where the rubber meets the road and how we are to deal with others. Chapter 1 was about out attitudes due to a relationship with Christ. Chapter 2 is about our actions due to a relationship with Christ. 2:1-10 was about our actions in public. 2:11-25 are about our actions in private. Chapter 3 goes on to deal with our public relationships with respect to Christ. First Peter deals with marriage, which is supposed to be the most personal and intimate relationship between saved people; then he deals with relationships between Christians and finally Peter deals with relating to the lost.

Our current four sentences (verse 17) is part of the section where Peter is telling us how to act in private. Now, at first people would think: 'No! this is talking about dealing with other men because it says all men, the brotherhood, God and the King'. However, all of the verbs in this sentence speak about the attitudes of our heart, which we have internally and which control our actions. Thus, we see that we must get our internal attitudes right before we have external action and, since the attitudes are fundamental, they are the true controlling factor. With that said, the meaning of our sentences are covered in the attached note within the Lord Jesus Christ Study and the word definitions below.

Please see the note for Romans C12S8 about the word honour. The functional definition is: 'The esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation'. Please also see the note for Romans C12S8 about the word dishonour. In our verse we are told to Honour all men and to Honour the King. These are the first and last commandments. First we have our general attitude towards all men and last we deal with our attitude towards the government.

The note for this verse, within the Lord Jesus Christ Study, reviews all that was said from the beginning of this epistle and points out how Peter's comments lead up to the commandment in or verse to Honour the King. It ends with the conclusion of: 'Therefore, there should be nothing in this world which can make us disobey this command to Honour the king. The king rules as he wishes in this world but our hope is not in this world but in heaven'. Please see that note for more details.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C6S10 and Galatians C1-S1 about the word brother. Please see the note for Romans C12-S8 about the word brotherly. Please see the note for Matthew 1:2 about the word brethren. The functional definition is: 'Spiritually used for God's people: the Jews and the people are saved, baptized and active members of the church'. We find forms of the word brethren occurring in 1Peter in: 1:22; 2:17; 3:8; 5:9 and 5:12. in this particular verse, Peter uses the word brethren to include all saved, even those who are not members of your local church. Saved people who are visiting from other places are to receive our love.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Honour. or, Esteem. 1Pe 5:5; Ex 20:12; Le 19:32; 1Sa 15:30; Ro 12:10; 13:7; Php 2:3; 1Ti 6:1 exp: 1Ti 5:3. Love. 1Pe 1:22; Joh 13:35; Heb 13:1; Zec 11:14. Fear. Ge 20:11; 22:12; 42:18; Ps 111:10; Pr 1:7; 23:17; 24:21; Ec 8:2; Mt 22:21; Ro 13:7; 2Co 7:1; Eph 5:21 exp: Le 19:14; Ec 12:13. Honour. 1Sa 15:30; 1Ch 29:20; Pr 24:21. General references. exp: Ge 9:23; Le 19:32; Job 34:18; Joh 15:17; Heb 13:1'.

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C2-S13 (Verse 18) Command to servants.

The attitude we are to take towards our 'masters'.

Servants,
be subject to your masters with all fear; .

We are to apply this attitude to all 'masters'.

not only to the good and gentle,
but also to the froward..

We are to get the correct attitude towards our masters and then apply that attitude towards forward masters. Peter just finished with four simple commands which apply to everyone. Now he is giving a basic command to servants ('employees'), which is the majority of us. In the next chapter Peter is going to apply these doctrinal principles to others. We can see this by his use of the word likewise. Therefore, it is important for us to understand the doctrinal principal that is here because it applies to more people and more situations than what we might think if we just take a surface look at this sentence.

Before we look at the details of this sentence, please notice that our next sentence gives us a reason to obey this command when it starts with For this is thankworthy. In addition, the sentence after that starts with For what glory is it, and adds glory to thankworthy as reasons for obedience. Then our third next sentence adds in This is acceptable with God. Further, our second last sentence gives us another reason by starting with For even hereunto were ye called. Finally, our last sentence adds in the reason of: For ye were...but are now. Once more we see Peter telling us about the changed life of all true believers and how that changed life is to demonstrate that it was God which caused the changes. Thus, the remainder of this chapter is all giving us reasons why we are to obey this doctrinal principal.

With this in mind, we can look at the phrases of our sentence.

Servants: the note below in the word definitions provides several links to other notes which deal with this word along with a functional definition. One of the main things to keep in mind is that a servant is a defined position with the responsibility of providing service, such as an employee. Other types of people do service, and must submit, to their master, even though they do not have a formally defined position which requires them to do so. However, the requirements, such as the requirement to submit, are not as clearly defined as is true for a servant. Therefore, Peter is using the position of a servant to teach doctrinal principles because that allows him to use people in a position where no one will argue about their being required to obey these doctrinal principles. Then, later in his epistle, Peter will apply these doctrinal principles to other people and people can not argue with already established principles. Their only argument can only be with Peter applying these doctrinal principles to other groups of people, and Peter deals with those arguments when he applies these principles to others. Therefore, while Peter is dealing with a servant in our sentence, he is also using a servant to establish the doctrinal principles which he will apply to other people later in his epistle.

be subject to your masters: please pay attention to the word own. Romans 14:4 says, Who art thou that judgest another man's servant? to his own master he standeth or falleth. Yea, he shall be holden up: for God is able to make him stand. Many times people will try to tell us what to do but if they do not have a God-given right to do so, we do not have to obey them. If obeying them would cause us to disobey a God-given authority then we are to refuse their commands. However, if that is not true, then we can choose to submit in order to maintain peace. However, we need to be very careful if we do this with someone whom we will deal with over a long time because our submitting can create a precedent which allows them to claim authority even though God did not give it to them. Please see the word definitions below for more details.

with all fear: Servants are to be subject to their masters with all fear. In context of all that proceeded this verse, they are to fear God's judgment when they don't submit. God created governments and set up authority. God expects His children to represent Him to others, especially to lost masters. It is only when we act righteously in response to wrong actions by others that we display the Spirit of God (1:17-20). Only when a servant prays for a forward master does he fulfill his role as a priest (2:9). In addition, to that, our epistle promises us blessings (C4-S11) if we be reproached for the name of Christ. However, we can loose our blessings if we do not react correctly. Therefore, we are to fear this loss, especially when we have froward masters.

not only to the good and gentle: We've already seen that good is defined as: 'that which comes from God'. Further, gentleness is defined below. With these definitions we can see that this phrase describes the kind of master that everyone wants. However, as Peter explains later within our epistle, we get no spiritual rewards for reacting right to such masters because even the lost will do the same. Therefore, we are to treat such masters correctly but, as our next phrase says, we are not to limit our right response to such masters. We are to react in a Godly manner regardless of how our masters treat us.

but also to the froward: this last phrase has already been covered within our note and is also covered in the word definitions below.

Please see the note for Romans 13:1 about the word subject. The functional definition is: 'Reduced to the dominion of another; enslaved; exposed; submitted; made to undergo'. Please see the notes for Hebrews 2:5 and Romans C4S13 about the word subjection.

We find forms of the word master occurring 219 times in 195 verses of the Bible, 94 times in 87 verses of the New Testament, and the capitalized form occurs in 57 verses, all but two of which are in the gospels and every one of those capitalized occurrences refer to Jesus Christ. In 1Peter this word only occurs in our current sentence. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'A man who rules, governs or directs either men or business. A man who owns slaves is their master; he who has servants is their master; he who has apprentices is their master, as he has the government and direction of them. the man who superintends and directs any business, is master, or master workman. O thou my friend, my genius, come along, thou master of the poet and the song. Nations that want protectors, will have masters. 2. A director, head, or chief manager; as the master of a feast. 3. the owner; proprietor; with the idea of governing. the master of a house may be the owner, or the occupant, who has a temporary right of governing it. It would be believed that he rather took the horse for his subject, than his master. 4. A lord; a ruler; one who has supreme dominion. Caesar, the world's great master and his own. 5. A chief; a principal; as the master root of a plant. One master passion swallows up the rest. 6. One who has possession, and the power of controlling or using at pleasure. When I have made myself master of a hundred thousand drachmas-- 7. the commander of a merchant ship. 8. In ships of war, an officer who takes rank immediately after the lieutenants, and navigates the ship under the direction of the captain. 9. the director of a school; a teacher; an instructor. in this sense the word is giving place to the more appropriate words teacher, instructor and preceptor; at least it is so in the United States. 10. One uncontrolled. Let every man be master of his time. 11. An appellation of respect. Master doctor, you have brought those drugs. 12. An appellation given to young men. Where there are little masters and misses in a house-- 13. A man eminently or perfectly skilled in any occupation, art or science. We say, a man is master of his business; a great master of music, of the flute or violin; a master of his subject, etc. 14. A title of dignity in colleges and universities; as Master of Arts. 15. the chief of a society; as the Grand Master of Malta, of free-masons, etc. 16. the director of ceremonies at public places, or on public occasions. 17. the president of a college. Master in chancery, an assistant of the lord chancellor, chosen from among the barristers to sit in chancery, or at the rolls. Tobe master of one's self, to have the command or control of one's own passions. The word master has numerous applications, in all of which it has the sense of director, chief or superintendent. As a title of respect given to adult persons, it is pronounced mister; a pronunciation which seems to have been derived from some of the northern dialects. supra.

the words see / sight ASTER, v.i. to conquer; to overpower; to subdue; to bring under control. Obstinacy and willful neglect must be mastered, even though it costs blows. Evil customs must be mastered by degrees. 1. to execute with skill. I will not offer that which I cannot master. 2. to rule; to govern.

the words see / sight ASTER, v.i. to be skillful; to excel'.

Nave's Topical Bible provides references for the word master as: 'Jesus called: Mt 8:19; 10:25; 23:8; 26:18,25,49; Mr 14:45; Lu 8:24; Joh 13:13-14. Jesus prohibited the appellation: Mt 23:8. SCRIPTURES RELATING to MASTERS OF SERVANTS: ex 21:20-21,26-27; Le 19:13; 25:43; De 5:14; 24:14-15; Job 31:13-15; Pr 22:16; 29:12,21; Jer 22:13; Mal 3:5; Ro 4:4; Eph 6:9; Col 4:1; 1Ti 5:18; Phm 1:10-16; Jas 5:4. GOOD MASTER, INSTANCES OF: Abraham: Ge 18:19. Jo. Job 31:13-15. The centurion: Lu 7:2. unjust MASTER, INSTANCES OF: Sarah to Hagar: Ge 16:6. Laban to Jacob: Ge 31:7. Potiphar's wife to Joseph: Ge 39:7-20'.

Thompson Chain Topics provides references for the word master as: 'Master, Christ: Lu 5:5; 8:24,45; 9:33,49; 17:13. Masters (employers): Duties of: Prompt Payment of Wages: Le 19:13; De 24:15. Consideration for Employees: Job 31:13-14. Refraining from threats: Eph 6:9. Just Dealing: Col 4:1. Sins of, Respecting Payment of Wages: Delaying Payment: Le 19:13; De 24:15. Exacting Service with Wages: Jer 22:13. Failing to Pay a Living Wage: Mal 3:5; Lu 3:14. Fraudulent Withholding of Wages: Jas 5:4. See Hireling: Good: (Examples of): Ge 18:19; 35:2; Jos 24:15; 2Sa 6:20; Lu 7:2; Ac 10:2. Bad: (Examples of): Ge 16:6; 31:7; 39:20; Ex 1:13; 1Sa 30:13. Master's Duty: Prompt Payment of Wages: Le 19:13; De 24:15. Consideration for Employees: Job 31:13-14. Refraining from threats: Eph 6:9. Just Dealing: Col 4:1'.

Torrey's Topical Textbook provides references for the word master as: 'Authority of, established: Col 3:22; 1Pe 2:18. SHOULD, WITH thEIR HOUSEHOLDS: Worship God: Ge 35:3. Fear God: Ac 10:2. Serve God: Jos 24:15. Observe the sabbath: Ex 20:10; De 5:12-14. Put away idols: Ge 35:2. Should select faithful servants: Ge 24:2; Ps 101:6-7. Should receive faithful advice from servants: 2Ki 5:13-14. DUTY OF, TOWARD SERVANTS: to act justly: Job 31:13,15. Todeal with them in the fear of God: Eph 6:9; Col 4:1. Toesteem them highly, if saints: Phm 1:16. Totake care of them in sickness: Lu 7:3. Toforbear threatening them: Eph 6:9. Not to defraud them: Ge 31:7. Not to keep back their wages: Le 19:13; De 24:15. Not to rule over them with rigor: Le 25:43; De 24:14. Benevolent, blessed: De 15:18. Unjust, denounced: Jer 22:13; Jas 5:4. Good--Exemplified: Abraham, Ge 18:19. Jacob, Ge 35:2. Joshua, Jos 24:15. Centurion, Lu 7:2-3. Cornelius, Ac 10:2. Bad--Exemplified: Egyptians, Ex 1:13-14. Nabal, 1Sa 25:17. Amalekite, 1Sa 30:13'.

In the Bible, good is used for 'what comes from God'. The devil, the world and our own flesh fight against anything that 'comes from God'. Please see the note for 2:12 about the word good.

Please also see the note for Galatians 5:22-23 for links to every verse in the Bible which uses any form of the word gentle along with a definition and links from other commentators.

We find forms of the word froward occurring in: Deuteronomy 32:20; 2Samuel 22:27; Job 5:13; Psalms 18:26; Psalms 101:4; Proverbs 2:12; Proverbs 2:14; Proverbs 2:15; Proverbs 3:32; Proverbs 4:24; Proverbs 6:12; Proverbs 6:14; Proverbs 8:8; Proverbs 8:13; Proverbs 10:31; Proverbs 11:20; Proverbs 16:28; Proverbs 16:30; Proverbs 17:20; Proverbs 21:8; Proverbs 22:5; Isaiah 57:17 and our current sentence. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'turned or looking from. Perverse, that is, turning from, with aversion or reluctance; not willing to yield or comply with what is required; unyielding; ungovernable; refractory; disobedient; peevish; as a froward child. They are a very froward generation, children in whom is no fair. Deut. 32'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'be. Eph 6:5-7; Col 3:22-25; 1Ti 6:1-3; Tit 2:9-10. The good. 2Co 10:1; Ga 5:22; Tit 3:2; Jas 3:17. but. Ps 101:4; Pr 3:32; 8:13; 10:32; 11:20. General references. exp: Ge 30:29; 31:6'.

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C2-S14 (Verse 19) - the first reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.

For this is thankworthy,
if a man for conscience toward God endure grief,
suffering wrongfully..

1Peter 2:19 is our first reason why we are to do the actions required in verses 2:11-18. Our sentence tells us that: if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully; is thankworthy. However, the context puts this experience within the experience of a servant being subject to his masters with all fear. The servant is doing everything right and suffering for it. Think of Job. Think of Joseph and Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39). Think of the many other Bible examples and then think about how God rewarded each but only after they had suffered while doing right.

Peter tells us that this experience is thankworthy for many reasons including the fact that it gives God glory in a way that other circumstances do not and it also gets the believer blessings in a way that other circumstances do not. Before I was in the ministry I had these experiences several times and reacted wrongly and lost my blessings including being passed over for promotion even after I had been promised the promotion for the work that I did. While different circumstances, I can say that I personally suffered from a motorcycle accident where I did nothing wrong. However, when I reacted right, lost people said that 'I had undeniable multiple miracles'. The difference in the glory that God received and the rewards which I received was due strictly to my own personal reaction to the circumstances.

For this is thankworthy: the same thing is said in 1Thessalonians 5:18 : (In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.) please see the notes for 1Corinthians C14S19 and Ephesians C5S2 about the phrase giving of thanks. Please see the notes for Ephesians 5:3-4 and 1Corinthians 14:17 about the word thank. The functional definition is: 'To express gratitude for a favor; to make acknowledgments to one for kindness bestowed'.

Please also see the note for Romans 9:1, which has links to every verse in the Bible which uses the word conscience. The functional definition is: 'A witness inside of ourselves that lets us know if something is right or wrong from a moral perspective'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 6:15 about the word endure. The functional definition is: 'To last; to continue in the same state without perishing; to remain; to abide'.

We find forms of the word grief occurring 27 times in the Bible and, in the New Testament, in: 2Corinthians 2:5; Hebrews 13:17; 1Peter 2:19. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'the pain of mind produced by loss, misfortune, injury or evils of any kind; sorrow; regret. We experience grief when we lose a friend, when we incur loss, when we consider ourselves injured, and by sympathy, we feel grief at the misfortunes of others. 2. the pain of mind occasioned by our own misconduct; sorrow or regret that we have done wrong; pain accompanying repentance. We feel grief when we have offended or injured a friend, and the consciousness of having offended the Supreme Being, fills the penitent heart with the most poignant grief. 3. Cause of sorrow; that which afflicts. Who were a grief of mind to Isaac and Rebekah. Gen.26. A foolish son is a grief to his father. Prov.17'. Please also see the note for Romans 14:15 about the word grieve. Please also see the note for Philippians 3:1 about the word grievous. The functional definition is: 'Heavy; oppressive; burdensome; as a grievous load of taxes. 1. Afflictive; painful; hard to be borne'.

Please see the note for 1:11 about the word suffer the functional definition is: 'To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind; to undergo'. Please also see the Study called Significant Gospel Events, for references to verses related to the suffering of Jesus Christ. Please also see the note for Romans 9:22 about the word longsuffering.

Please see the note for Colossians 3:25 for links to every place in the New Testament where we find the word wrong. Please see the note for 1Corinthians 6:7 for the full definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: 'Not physically right; not fit or suitable'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'this. 1Pe 2:20; Lu 6:32. Thankworthy. or, thank. Ac 11:23; 1Co 15:10; 2Co 1:12; 8:1 (Gr). Forconscience. 1Pe 3:14-17; Mt 5:10-12; Joh 15:21; Ro 13:5; 2Ti 1:12. suffering. Job 21:27; Ps 35:19; 38:19; 69:4; 119:86. General references. exp: Ac 24:16'.

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C2-S15 (Verse 20) - the second reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.

For what glory is it,
if,
when ye be buffeted for your faults,
ye shall take it patiently?.

Please notice the word if within our sentence. If the circumstances following the if are true then we do not get any true glory. This lets us know that a lot of the people who claim to be suffering for Jesus are actually reaping what they've sown. In that case, we do not get glory, even though people try to claim what they have not earned. When we suffer, we need to first verify that we didn't do something, even unknowingly, that caused our own trouble. In addition, regardless of why we suffer, we need to react Godly.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C4S13 about the word buffeted. The functional definition is: 'being physically beat'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C4S13 about the word buffet.

Please see the note for James 5:16 about the word fault. That note has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word along with the definition from Webster's 1828 . Within these we find examples of Noah being drunk, Peter teaching doctrinal error, Abraham lying about Sarah being his wife and other Biblical examples. In each case we have a strong leader and servant of God doing the wrong thing under strong temptation. Thus, we see that a fault is a weakness that the devil can use to tempt us into sin. The functional definition is: ' Properly, an erring or missing; a failing; hence, an error or mistake; a blunder; a defect; a blemish; whatever impairs excellence; applied to things'.

Please see the note for Romans 12:10-13 about the word patient. That note has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word along with a short note on each reference and with the definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition is: ' Having the quality of enduring evils without murmuring or fretfulness; sustaining afflictions of body or mind with fortitude, calmness or Christian submission to the divine will'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'For. 1Pe 3:14; 4:14-16; Mt 5:47. buffeted. Mt 26:67; Mr 14:65; 1Co 4:11. General references. exp: De 25:2'.

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C2-S16 (Verse 20) the third reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.

but if,
when ye do well,
and suffer for it,
ye take it patiently,
This is acceptable with God..

Our current sentence is the only one within this group which starts with the word But. It is continuing the subject of the prior sentence while going in the opposite direction. These are two sentences, rather than one, because each is a thought that can stand alone. However, the combination of the two is greater than the sum of each sentence as a single thought. Please notice that both sentences (This sentence and the prior sentence) set the circumstances as taking suffering patiently. (The prior sentence used buffeted and this sentence uses suffer and there is a reason for the technical difference but it is too lengthy for me to explain now).

With that similarity, we see that the true opposition is between for your faults and when ye do well. We also see that our suffering is acceptable with God, and implied is that we will eventually get glory from God for it but only if we suffer when we personally (ye) do well. However, we see the opposite reaction from God when we suffer...for our faults. This is true because it is only when we do well, and suffer for it that we display the character of Christ in our lives. Further, it is only when we let Christ live through our life that we produce actions which are acceptable with God. Suffering some other way does not accomplish this. Only when we show the change that Christ causes does God get glory and we receive heavenly reward.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'when. 1Pe 2:19. This. Mt 5:10-12; Ro 12:1-2; Eph 5:10; Php 4:18exp: 1Ti 2:3; 1Pe 2:19. acceptable. or, thank. 1Pe 2:19; Lu 6:32 exp: Ro 12:1; Eph 5:10. General references. exp: De 25:2'.

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C2-S17 (Verse 21-24) How Christ made us able to obey these commandments.

Equivalent Section: this is why we were called

For even hereunto were ye called:.

Equivalent Section: We are to personally to follow the example that Christ left us.

because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example,
that ye should follow his steps:.

Equivalent Section: the example from Christ that we are to follow.

Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth:.

Equivalent Section: How Christ reacted to being wronged.

First Step: Christ acted right when he was reviled.

Who,
when he was reviled,
reviled not again;.

Second Step: Christ acted right when he suffered.

when he suffered,
he threatened not;.

Third Step: How Christ reacted.

but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:.

Equivalent Section: Christ did more than live right.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we,
being dead to sins,
should live unto righteousness:.

Equivalent Section: Christ still provides for us.

by whose stripes ye were healed..

1Peter 2:21-24 is a single sentence, which makes it one thought. The note in the Lord Jesus Christ Study explains a lot about how Christ works to make us true Christians and how His suffering (that Peter mentions here) is directly related to that ministry of Christ. Please see that note. It goes through each of the Equivalent Sections and shows how the suffering of Christ is related to what is said in that particular Equivalent Section. In addition, it provides links to the Old Testament references of each Equivalent Section.

In Matthew 10:24-55 and John 13:16 and 15:20-25 Jesus said Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. That is why Peter says ...but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. This statement directly contradicts the 'health and welfare gospel' that claims that God will protect us from harm.

Our sentence has are 5 colons, which give us 6 different expressions of the same thought. Each explains why we should be willing to suffer so that others can be saved, just as Christ suffered and died so that we could be saved and healed from sin. Furthermore, Christ did it with a Godly attitude that we also need to have while suffering for others.

Peter lays out several reasons we are called to suffer like Christ when he says:

Christ left us an example of suffering that we are to follow.
Who (Christ) did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.
Who (Christ), when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously.
Who (Christ) his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: (Romans 6)
by whose (Christ) stripes ye were healed: Were is past tense. We are not to live like sin sick lost people but like healed saved examples of God's love.

Our sentence tells us what Christ did for us. Remember that Christ deals only with saved people after their initial profession. The Son of God uses His roles as Jesus and as Lord to deal with lost people. Jesus paid the sin debt for sins that are past (Romans 3:25) and He got us out of the great white throne legal system and into the judgment seat of Christ legal system. However, now that we are in judgment seat of Christ legal system, it is the Son of God's role as Christ which deals with our sins and our spiritual maturity. Thus, it is Christ that Peter tells us is the role of the Son of God which provides these things which require our spiritual maturity. As already mentioned, the note in the Lord Jesus Christ Study explains a lot about how Christ works to make us true Christians and how His suffering (that Peter mentions here) is directly related to that ministry of Christ. While3 that note concentrates on how the suffering of Christ is related to what is said in that particular Equivalent Section, the notes below deal with what is literally said. With this in mind, we can look at the phrases of our sentence.

For even hereunto were ye called: this phrase is the First Equivalent Section. It delivers the same message as all other Equivalent Sections only uses a different perspective than the other Equivalent Sections. As mentioned in the word definitions below, a call includes It is internal, and is the result of the enlightening and sanctifying influence of the Holy Spirit (Joh 16:14; Ac 26:18; Joh 6:44), effectually drawing men to Christ, and disposing and enabling them to receive the truth (Joh 6:45; Ac 16:14; Eph 1:17)'. Peter is telling us that part of that truth is our suffering here in the flesh in order to give God glory and to give us eternal rewards in heaven. This is part of true salvation. God does not need glory to boost His ego but to attract other men to true salvation and God gets more glory from our acting like Christ during suffering than He gets from our life when everything is going OK. We are to submit to God-given human authority, even to the froward, because Christ did and we are called to act like Christ.

because Christ also suffered for us: this phrase is the start of the Second Equivalent Section. Where the First Equivalent Section looked at this truth from our perspective, this Second Equivalent Section looks at it from the perspective of Christ. Please notice that the Second Equivalent Section includes the statement leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps. Thus, while the First Equivalent Section told us about our call, this Equivalent Section starts to tell us the details of that call. Notice that our phrase starts with the word because. This is: 'a cause that exists (be)'. Christ already made the example (it 'exists (be)'). and our salvation and sanctification is the result. While God could have used angels, He choose to use our life, and our suffering like Christ, as His means to extend salvation and sanctification to others (Romans 8:17; 1Corinthians 9:12; 2Corinthians 1:5; Galatians 6:14; Philippians 1:29; Philippians 3:8; Colossians 1:24; 1Thessalonians 2:14; 2Timothy 3:12; 4:1; 4:13; 4:16; 5:10). When we see the word also we are to recognize that it is not just Christ Who is to suffer but the also makes it 'an experience that is shared between two or more people' We are to have this 'shared experience'.

leaving us an example: the functional definition of the word example is: 'A pattern; a copy; a mode; that which is proposed to be imitated'. This fits with what has already been said within our note. Christ also suffered as 'a pattern that is to be imitated' within our life. The Equivalent Sections which follow provide the exact details of this 'a pattern that is to be imitated', but our current phrase is the middle phrase of our current Equivalent Section which tells us Who created the 'pattern' (Christ) and how this 'pattern is to be imitated' (that ye should follow his step).

that ye should follow his steps: please notice the ye which means: 'each and every one of you personally'. We will each personally answer for how well we personally followed his (Christ) steps in this area of suffering. Please also notice that step is defined as: 'In the Bible, a step is often used for a small movement that is repeated regularly so that the accumulation results in a large change'. Thus, we are to 'follow the example of Christ in accepting suffering within all of the little things of our everyday life'. People are often like Peter was before he learned better. They declare that they will follow Christ even unto death (Mark 14:31) but fail in the little thing like admitting that they follow Him when faced with ridicule.

Who: this is the first phrase of the First Step within the Fourth Equivalent Section. The Who refers us back to Christ, Who was the person of the prior Equivalent Section. Thus, we see that our current Equivalent Section is still telling us about Christ.

Who did no sin: there are several references to this phrase within the links provided by Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (below). While I could provide more, this truth is stated so often within the Bible, and is so fundamental to Bible salvation, that I should not have to explain it. Therefore, I will move on.

neither was guile found in his mouth: the functional definition of the word guile is: 'Craft; cunning; artifice; duplicity; deceit; usually in a bad sense'. Christ is Truth in the flesh. (Please follow that link to the Word Study for more details.) the fact is that it is extremely rare to find a person with no guile, especially among religious people. That is one of the reasons that Peter point this out to us. What we get from Christ is different from what we get from other religious sources. Also, Peter had personal experience with this because Paul rebuked Him personally for living an example of doctrinal error and causing others to do the same (Galatians 2:11). Peter certainly personally had experience with guile. at that time.

Who: this is the first phrase of the First Step within the Fourth Equivalent Section. As with every other use of the pronoun who, within our sentence, this refers to Christ.

when he was reviled: this continues the first phrase of the Second Step within the Fourth Equivalent Section and the he refers to Christ. The functional definition of the word revile is: 'To reproach; to treat with opprobrious and contemptuous language'. One of the hardest things to do is to keep your mouth shut when someone is telling lies about you to your face and to those around you. This behaviour almost always results in loss of influence and perceived authority, at least for a little while and often for a long time or permanently. However, even when we respond, we still lose influence and perceived authority. When we follow the example of Christ, wise people will give us greater respect and only fools will continue to believe those who revile us.

reviled not again: this tells us how Christ reacted to being reviled. The note for the prior phrase also covers this phrase.

when he suffered: this is the first phrase of the Second Step within the Fourth Equivalent Section. Notice that people first revile and, if that doesn't work, then they make you suffer. Our next Step tells us how to respond to being reviled and to suffering in a Godly way.

he threatened not: Once more we see the Godly response, which is not the natural response. We can hear little children say 'I'll get you' or 'My daddy will beat up your daddy'. Our responding with a threat is natural but not Godly, even if we can fulfill the threat. In addition, the Bible tells us that our Lord says Vengeance is mine in Isaiah 63:4 and Romans 12:19. We also see the same message with other words several other places in the Bible. When we follow the example of Christ, as Peter gives it in this Equivalent Section, we can claim this promise. However, when we react on our own God refuses to act and they only receive what we can do and not what God can do.

but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: this is the first phrase of the third Step within the Fourth Equivalent Section. Our phrase starts with the word but and lets us know that it is continuing the subject from the prior two Steps while going in a different direction. This is the correct Godly response to being reviled and to suffering. Please notice, in the word definitions below, that commit is defined as: 'To do a premeditated act or to trust another to do it'. If we 'put it on the altar', we must truly allow God to deal with it any way that He chooses, including His forgiving the person. That is what it means to committed ourselves to him that judgeth righteously. If God decides to forgive then God will reward us far beyond the value of the suffering that we go through. But, our receiving God's response requires us to truly know in our heart that God always judgeth righteously and He does so for us and for them. Sometimes we suffer because of our own sin that we did in the past. Sometimes we suffer for His glory. However, the th on the word judgeth means that God 'keeps on keeping on judging'. Everything is judged and His judgments are always righteous. Therefore, we need to concentrate on following the example of Christ and leave the judging to God.

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree: this is the first phrase of the Fifth Equivalent Section. The Who refers us back to Christ, Who was the person of the two prior Equivalent Sections. Thus, we see that our current Equivalent Section is still telling us about Christ. Instead of reacting in the natural way to being treated wrongly, including being crucified when He was innocent, Christ...bare our sins in his own body on the tree. Since our sentence is telling us what the Son of God did within His role as Christ, this phrase is talking about the sins which we do after our initial profession. We do not have 'sinless perfection' and the sins which we do after being saved still need to be paid for. Look at the other phrases of this Equivalent Section and consider them in addition to this phrase and realize that our current Equivalent Section gives us the same message as other Equivalent Sections of our sentence. Our next Equivalent Section tells us that we personally (ye) are healed. This is speaking mainly of a spiritual healing and that does not happen instantly when we first get saved but happens over time through our ongoing personal relationship with Christ. Our prior Equivalent Section told us how Christ reacted in a not natural way and it takes spiritual maturity, and time, for saved people to learn to react the same way. Our Second Equivalent Section told us that Christ (was our) example, which means that we are to follow His 'pattern' in our ongoing daily life. Our First Equivalent Section says that this is why we were saved (For even hereunto were ye called). Every single Equivalent Section is talking about our ongoing life after our initial profession. In addition, our current Equivalent Section tells us that we should live, which is future tense. What all of this sentence is telling us is how our life is to chow the changes which Christ brings after our initial profession. He bare our sins in his own body on the tree in order to provide this change and if we refuse to change, then our life is a testimony that His death was for nothing.

that we: please notice that Peter does not say you. If anyone could claim 'sinless perfection' it would be the apostles. However, Peter denies this claim for all people. In addition, the word that tells us that the next phrase gives us the goal which Christ had in mind when He bare our sins in his own body on the tree.

being dead to sins: Something that is dead does not respond to being poked. Our phrase tells us that we are to 'not respond' to the poking of sin, such as being reviled and when we suffer. Newly saved people can not do this. It requires spiritual maturity which only comes over time while we maintain our ongoing personal relationship with Christ.

should live unto righteousness: the word should means that this is what is supposed to happen, but does not always happen. In addition, the word unto means: 'up to and including'. (The word righteous is defined in the word definitions below). Our life may not always be righteous, but we are to be striving towards that goal and are supposed to have that quality describe our life in increasing amounts. Unfortunately, we are seeing less and less of the people who claim to be saved who are also willing to live unto righteousness. This change in our life, to live unto righteousness, is the reason that Christ bare our sins in his own body on the tree. As already mentioned, our refusal to accept this change in our life testified that Christ wasted His death as far as our personal life is concerned.

by whose stripes ye were healed: this is the Sixth (last) Equivalent Section. The whose refers us back to Christ, Who was the person of all of the prior Equivalent Sections except the First Equivalent Section. Thus, we see that our current Equivalent Section is still telling us about Christ. In addition, we have an amazing statement here. Everyone wants to preach about the cross, but Peter tells us that it was not the cross, but, in fact, was His stripes which provide our healing. His death paid for our sins and gave us spiritual life. However, that was a one-time event. We only receive eternal life one time. However, stripes (being whipped 39 times) happened multiple times. Further, His being beat happened multiple times. Except for miraculous healing, healing takes time. In addition, people need multiple healings during their life. Further, our phrase tells us that our healing occurred in the past (were). Finally, the main healing that our phrase is talking about is a spiritual healing. Christ provided for this in our past. However, we must meditate on His stripes, and other sufferings, in our present in order for His stripes to heal our spirit. Only those saved people who have a healed spirit can react to reviling's and sufferings in the way that our sentence tells us to do. However, our First Equivalent Section tells us For even hereunto were ye called. God expects us to receive this healing from Christ so that we can fulfill our call.

There is one mote thing which should also be considered. 1Corinthians 11:29-30 says, For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. for this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. When we refuse to meditate upon His stripes, we are not discerning the Lord's body. Then when we take the Lord's supper, we eateth and drinketh damnation to ourselves. Often the crucifixion is preached when a church celebrates the Lord's supper, but our sentence indicates that people also need to meditate on His stripes.

The word even means: 'the two sides have equal weight such as when the two sides of a balancing scale are even'. Thus, we see that we are to be willing to have our suffering to have 'equal weight' with the blessings which we get from Christ. Luke 7:47 tells us Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little. thus, we see that this precept comes directly from Jesus. If people understood the precept that their personal blessings, after their initial profession, are in proportion to how much they are willing to suffer, the more spiritually mature people would be willing to suffer, more for the cause of Christ.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C1S3 about the word call. That note has links to notes in every New Testament book where there are links to every place where the particular book uses this word. The functional definition is: 'To command another to help or to cry for help, hence to pray (Ge 4:26)'. Please also see the note for Romans 10:13; 2Thessalonians 3:1-LJC; Ephesians 5:8-LJC and 1John 4:14-LJC about the phrase call upon the Lord. The note for Romans 10:13 has links to every place in the Bible where we find the words call and Lord used together, along with a small note on each reference.

Please see the note for Romans C1S10 about the word because. The functional definition is: 'provides a effect where the effect and effect are both in the past'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C10S3 about the word example / ensample. The functional definition is: 'A pattern; a copy; a mode; that which is proposed to be imitated'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 12:18 about the word step. It has links to every place in the Bible where We find this word along with the full definition from Webster's 1828 . The functional definition of it is: 'To move the foot; to advance or recede by a movement of the foot or feet; as, to step forward, or to step backward. In the Bible, a step is often used for a small movement that is repeated regularly so that the accumulation results in a large change'.

Please see the note for Romans C7S26 about the word sin. The functional definition is: 'a violation of God's law' (1John 3:4). Please note that religious people call certain groups of people sinners. because they fit a religious definition which may have nothing to do with God's law. Please also see the note for Matthew 9:10 about the word sinners. The functional definition for this word is: ' One that has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty'. We find forms of the word sin occurring in 1Peter in: 2:21-24; 3:18; 4:1 and 4:8. We find forms of the word sinner occurring in 4:18. The functional definition is: 'someone who does sin'. Please also see the notes for Sin in 1John; Romans C2S4; 1Corinthians 8:11-LJC and Galatians C3-S26 about the phrase sin unto death. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C6S16 about the phrase kingdom of God rejected by lifestyle sins. Please also see the note for Matthew 9:10 about the word sinners.

Please see the note for Luke 1:64 about the word mouth. The American Tract Society Dictionary defines this word as: 'Is sometimes used in Scripture for speaker, Ex 4:16; Jer 15:19. God spoke with Moses "mouth to mouth," Nu 12.8, that is, condescendingly and clearly. the law was to be "in the mouth" of the Hebrews, Ex 13:9, often rehearsed and talked of. "The rod of his mouth," Isa 11:4, and the sharp sword, Re 1:16, denote the power of Christ's word to convict, control, and judge; compare Isa 49:2; Heb 4:12. the Hebrew word for mouth is often translated "command," Ge 45:21; Job 39:27; Ec 8:2; and the unclean spirits out of the mouth of the dragon, Re 16:14, are the ready executors of his commands'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians 4:11-13 for links to every place in the Bible which use any form of the word revile. The functional definition is: 'To reproach; to treat with opprobrious and contemptuous language'.

We find forms of the word threat only in: Acts 4:17; Acts 4:21; Acts 4:29; Acts 9:1; Ephesians 6:9 and our current sentence. The definition from Webster's 1828 is: 'to declare the purpose of inflicting punishment, pain or other evil on another, for some sin or offense; to menace. God threatens the finally impenitent with everlasting banishment from his presence. 2. to menace; to terrify or attempt to terrify by menaces; as for extorting money. Tosend threatening letters is a punishable offense. 3. to charge or enjoin with menace, or with implied rebuke; or to charge strictly. Let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in his name. Acts 4. 4. to menace by action; to present the appearance of coming evil; as, rolling billows threaten to overwhelm us. 5. to exhibit the appearance of something evil or unpleasant approaching; as, the clouds threaten us with rain or a storm'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C9S26 about the word commit. The functional definition is: 'Literally, to send to or upon; to throw, put or lay upon. Hence, 1. To do a premeditated act or to trust another to do it'. We also see this word used, in this Bible book, in: 1Peter 4:19.

Please see the note for 1:17 about the words judge and judgment. That note has many links to other notes where this doctrine is discussed in detail. As mentioned there, the th in the word judgeth means that God 'keeps on keeping on' judging. Everything that saved people do is judged by God.

Please see the notes for Romans C1S10 and Galatians C2-S16 about the word righteous / righteousness. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines righteous as: 'Just; accordant to the divine law. Applied to persons, it denotes one who is holy in heart, and observant of the divine commands in practice; as a righteous man. Applied to things, it denotes consonant to the divine will or to justice; as a righteous act. It is used chiefly in theology, and applied to God, to his testimonies and to his saints. The righteous, in Scripture, denote the servants of God, the saints. 2. Just; equitable; merited. And I thy righteous doom will bless'. The functional definition is: 'doing the right thing, the right way, at the right time and for the right reason'. We find forms of the word righteousness occurring in 1Peter in: 2:21-24; 3:12; 3:14 and 4:18. Please also see the note for Philippians 1:9-11 about the phrase fruit of righteousness. Please also see the note for Romans C4S7 about the phrase imputeth righteousness. Please also see the note for Ephesians 4:7-LJC about the phrase righteousness of the Law. Please also see the notes for Romans C3S7 and Romans C1S16 about the word unrighteousness. Please also see the note for Romans C2S5 about the phrase obeying unrighteousness.

Please see the note for John 12:17 about the word bare. The functional definition for this word is: 'to expose completely with no cover nor obscuring of view'. Many people think this is similar to the word bear (verb), only in as different tense. However, the two words are not related.

Please see the notes for Romans C7S30; 1Corinthians C6S20; Ephesians 4:5-LJC and Colossians C1S4 about the word body. The functional definition is: 'The frame of an animal; the material substance of an animal, in distinction from the living principal of beasts, and the soul of man. Used symbolically for the framework for sin including all parts of it'. Please also see the note for Colossians C1S6 about the body of Christ.

Please see the note for Mark 11:13 about the word tree. The functional definition for this word is: 'The general name of the largest of the vegetable kind, consisting of a firm woody stem springing from woody roots, and spreading above into branches which terminate in leaves'.

Please see the note for 1:3-5 about the words die /dead /death. That note has several links to other notes where We find this word used within the Bible. There is a lot of error that is believed about this word and the reader should thoroughly study what the Bible actually says. The functional definition is: 'an ongoing process of corruption which starts at conception and continues after the soul and spirit leave the body in physical death. It is eternal separation from God, and the eternal corruption which results, in spiritual (second) death'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 6:3-10 for links to where stripes is used in the New Testament. The definition from Easton's Bible Dictionary is: 'as a punishment were not to exceed forty (De 25:1-3), and hence arose the custom of limiting them to thirty-nine (2Co 11:24). Paul claimed the privilege of a Roman citizen in regard to the infliction of stripes (Ac 16:37-38; 22:25-29). Our Lord was beaten with stripes (Mt 27:26).'

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C12S29 about the word heal. The functional definition for this word is: 'v.t. L. celo; Heb. to be whole or entire, all. 1. to cure of a disease or wound and restore to soundness, or to that state of body in which the natural functions are regularly performed; as, to heal the sick. Speak, and my servant shall be healed. Matt.8. 2. to cure; to remove or subdue; as, to heal a disease. 3. to cause to cicatrize; as, to heal a sore or wound. 4. to restore to soundness; as, to heal a wounded limb. 5. to restore purity to; to remove feculence or foreign matter. thus, saith the Lord, I have healed these waters. 2 Kings.2. 6. to remove, as differences or dissension; to reconcile, as parties at variance; as, to heal a breach or difference. 7. In Scripture, to forgive; to cure moral disease and restore soundness. I will heal their backsliding. Hos.14. 8. to purify from corruptions, redress grievances and restore to prosperity. Jer.14. 9. to cover, as a roof with tiles, slate, lead, etc
To grow sound; to return to a sound state; as, the limb heals, or the wound heals; sometimes with up or over; it will heal up or over'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'even. Mt 10:38; 16:24; Mr 8:34-35; Lu 9:23-25; 14:26-27; Joh 16:33; Ac 9:16; 14:22; 1Th 3:3; 4:2; 2Ti 3:12 exp: Col 3:13. because. 1Pe 2:24; 3:18; 4:1; Lu 24:26; Ac 17:3; Heb 2:10. Forus. Some read, for you. 1Pe 1:20. leaving. Ps 85:13; Joh 13:15; Ro 8:29; 1Co 11:1; Eph 5:2; Php 2:5; 1Jo 2:6; 3:16; Re 12:11. General references. exp: Pr 26:4; Mr 6:46; Joh 5:41; Ro 12:14; Php 2:5.

did. Isa 53:9; Mt 27:4,19,23-24; Lu 23:41,47; Joh 8:46; 2Co 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26-27; 9:28; 1Jo 2:1; 3:5. guile. Joh 1:47; Re 14:5 exp: 1Pe 2:1. General references. exp: Le 22:19; Pr 26:4; Ro 12:14.

when he was. Ps 38:12-14; Isa 53:7; Mt 27:39-44; Mr 14:60-61; 15:29-32; Lu 22:64-65; 23:9,34-39; Joh 8:48-49; 19:9-11; Ac 8:32-35; Heb 12:3. Threatened. Ac 4:29; 9:1; Eph 6:9. but. 1Pe 4:19; Ps 10:14; 31:5; 37:5; Lu 23:46; Ac 7:59; 2Ti 1:12 exp: Lu 23:9. himself. or, his cause. judgeth. Ge 18:25; Ps 7:11; 96:13; Ac 17:31; Ro 2:5; 2Th 1:5; 2Ti 4:8; Re 19:11. General references. exp: Le 22:19; Ps 38:13; Pr 26:4; Isa 42:2; Mt 5:44; 27:12; Ro 12:14.

his own self. Ex 28:38; Le 16:22; 22:9; Nu 18:22; Ps 38:4; Isa 53:4-6,11; Mt 8:17; Joh 1:29; Heb 9:28. on. or, to. The tree. De 21:22-23; Ac 5:30; 10:39; 13:29; Ga 3:13. being. 1Pe 4:1-2; Ro 6:2,7,11; 7:6 (margin) Col 2:20; 3:3 (Gr) 2Co 6:17; Heb 7:26. live. Mt 5:20; Lu 1:74-75; Ac 10:35; Ro 6:11,16,22; Eph 5:9; Php 1:11; 1Jo 2:29; 3:7. by. Isa 53:5-6; Mt 27:26; Mr 15:15; Joh 19:1. healed. Ps 147:3; Mal 4:2; Lu 4:18; Re 22:2. General references. exp: Le 17:16; 22:19; Nu 7:15; 28:30; De 25:2'.

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C2-S18 (Verse 25) - the fifth reason why we are to obey these commandments from Peter.

First Step: Recognize how we were

For ye were as sheep going astray;.

Second Step: Recognize the changed life

but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls..

Our sentence starts with the word For and gives us Peter's final reason why we should obey the commandments of this chapter. Peter then uses the word ye to apply this reason to 'each and every one of you personally'. After that we see two Steps which each tell us of things which should be in our past. Thus, we can know that the present-tense things which Peter told us about in this chapter, such as are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood...ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people... now have obtained mercy...your good works, are all based upon the assumption that these past-tense events have occurred in our personal lives. As explained in the notes above which are attached to these present-tense things, the past-tense change of our current sentence is assumed to have happened. If the past-tense change has not happened then we have no right to expect the present-tense blessings.

This sentence gives us two steps we should have taken (in the past) that will help us have the God specified attitude that Peter tells us to have. Please notice the past-tense verb of were within the First Step. Now please also notice the past tense word returned in our Second Step. Our Second Step tells us what was to have happened in the past but what is also to remain as our current condition.

Our First Step tells us that we personally were as sheep going astray. We were like dumb animals following the lusts of our bodies and of momentary pleasures with no thought of tomorrow or of the consequences of our actions. Therefore, we got into trouble. But, we are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. That means we are to follow where He leads, even when it seems wrong to us because He knows the consequences that we can't be aware of.

As a Shepherd, Jesus looks out for what's best for us. That's spiritual, which is often at war with physical desires. As Bishop Jesus sets our course for serving God. Please notice that Peter says that these roles of the Son of God are aimed at our soul. Our soul is 'the long-term way we think, the way we make decisions with our will and the way that we react emotionally to the circumstances of life'. Our soul is the summary of all of the things which we do in our heart. We will mess up from time to time with the attitudes of our heart, but so long as most of them are Godly, our soul will increase in Godliness, which is the desired result of the Son of God as He acts within the roles of Shepherd and Bishop.

Please noticed that both titles, Shepherd and Bishop, are upper case. The Bible only does this for titles / roles of God with the lowercase used for men who fulfill the same roles. Thus, forms of the word shepherd occur 83 times in 74 verses but the uppercase word Shepherd only occurs in Psalms 80:1; 1Peter 2:25 and 1Peter 5:4. Likewise, forms of the word bishop occur 6 times in the Bible (Acts 1:20; Philippians 1:1; 1Timothy 3:1-2; Titus 1:7 and our current sentence) but the uppercase word Bishop only occurs in our present sentence. Please use This link to see the 'Minor Titles of the Son of God' found within the Bible along with links to where the Bible uses those titles. The titles in this sentence are Bishop and Shepherd.

Please see the note for John 5:2 about the word sheep. The functional definition for this word is: 'Identified a domesticated animal which is often used symbolically for: 'sacrifice', 'God's people', 'the Son of God' and probably more'.

Please see the note for Matthew 18:12 about the word astray. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Out of the right way or proper place, both in a literal and figurative sense. In morals and religion, it signifies wandering from the path of rectitude, from duty and happiness. Before I was afflicted, I want astray. Ps. 129. Cattle go astray when they leave their proper owners or enclosures. See Deut. 22'.

We find forms of the word shepherd occurring 83 times in 74 verses of the Bible and 18 times in 17 verses of the New Testament. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'A man employed in tending, feeding and gaurding sheep in the pasture. 2. A swain; a rural lover. 3. the pastor of a parish, church or congregation; a minister of the gospel who superintends a church or parish, and gives instruction in spiritual things. God and Christ are in Scripture designated as Shepherds, as they lead, protect and govern their people, and provide for their welfare'. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'a word naturally of frequent occurrence in Scripture. Sometimes the word "pastor" is used instead (Jer 2:8; 3:15; 10:21; 12:10; 17:16). this word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people (Ps 23:1; 80:1; Isa 40:11; 44:28; Jer 25:34-35; Na 3:18; Joh 10:11,14; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:25; 5:4). The duties of a shepherd in an unenclosed country like Palestine were very onerous. "In early mourning he led forth the flock from the fold, marching at its head to the spot where they were to be pastured. Here he watched them all day, taking care that none of the sheep strayed, and if any for a time eluded his watch and wandered away from the rest, seeking diligently till he found and brought it back. In those lands sheep require to be supplied regularly with water, and the shepherd for this purpose has to guide them either to some running stream or to wells dug in the wilderness and furnished with troughs. At night he brought the flock home to the fold, counting them as they passed under the rod at the door to assure himself that none were missing. Nor did his labours always end with sunset. Often he had to guard the fold through the dark hours from the attack of wild beasts, or the wily attempts of the prowling thief (see 1Sa 17:34).", Deane's David'. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'A person's wealth in the East frequently consisted of flocks, the shepherd therefore held an important and honourable position. David was a keeper of sheep. Joseph instructed his brethren to tell Pharaoh that they were shepherds, and they asked permission to dwell in Goshen, for every shepherd was an abomination to the Egyptians. this is supposed to have been caused by some 'shepherd-kings' having usurped authority over Egypt. the difficulties and hardships of a shepherd's life in the East may be gathered from what Jacob passed through during the time he was with Laban. Ge 31:39-40. The sheep following the shepherd is a sight often witnessed in the East, and that each sheep has a nameans knows the shepherd's voice, has been tested and proved again and again. All this is beautifully typical of the relation of Jehovah to Israel and of Christ to the church. the sheep of Christ know the good Shepherd's voice, and find salvation, liberty, and pasture in following the One who leads. the good Shepherd gives them eternal life, having given His life for the sheep. Christ is called the great Shepherd, for the work which He accomplished could have been done only by One who was Himself God, though become man to work out redemption. In the church there are those who by reason of gift are called pastors, to feed and shepherd the sheep; but Christ is the chief Shepherd, who is over all, whose own the sheep are, and who has given His word that they shall never perish. Ps. 23; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:2-16; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 5:4; etc'. Smith's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'In a nomadic state of society every man, from the sheikh down to the slave, is more or less a shepherd. the progenitors of the Jews in the patriarchal age were nomads, and their history is rich in scenes of pastoral life. the occupation oftending the flocks was undertaken,not only by the sons of wealthy chiefs,: Ge 30:29. ff.; Gene 37:12 ff., but even by their daughters.: Ge 29:6,8; Ex 2:10. The Egyptian captivity did march to implant a love of settled abode, and consequently we find the tribes which still retained a taste for shepherd life selecting their own quarters apart from their brethren in the transjordanic district.: Nu 32:1. ff. thence forward in Palestine proper the shepherd held a subordinate position. the office of the eastern shepherd, as described in the Bible, was attended with much hardship, and even danger. He was exposed to the extremes of heat and cold,: Ge 31:40. his food frequently consisted of the precarious supplies afforded by nature, such as the fruit of the "sycamore" or Egyptian fig,: Am 7:14. The "husks" of the carob tree,: Lu 15:16. and perchance the locusts and wild honey which supported the Baptist,: Mt 3:4. he had to encounter the attacks of wild beasts, occasionally of the larger species, such as lions, nerves, panthers and bears,: 1Sa 17:34; Isa 31:4; Jer 5:6; Am 5:12. nor was he free from the risk of robbers or predators hordes.: Ge 31:39. Tomeet these various foes the shepherd's equipment consisted of the following articles: a mantle, made probably of sheep skin with the fleece on, which he turned inside out in cold weather, as implied in the comparison in: Jer 43:12. (cf. Juv. xiv. 187.); a scrip or wallet, containing a small amount of food: 1Sa 17:40. a sling, which is still the favorite weapon of the Bedouin shepherd,: 1Sa 17:40. and lastly, a which served the double purpose of a weapon against foes and a crook for the management of the flock.: 1Sa 17:40; Ps 23:4; Zec 11:7. If the shepherd was at a distance from his home, he was provided with a light tent,: Song 1:8; Jer 35:7. The removal of which was easily effected.: Isa 38:12. In certain localities, moreover, towers were erected for the double purpose of spying an enemy at a distance and of protecting the flock; such towers were erected by Uzziah and Jotham,: 2Ch 26:10; 27:4. while their existence in earlier times is testified by the name Migdal-edar: Ge 35:21. Authorized Version "a tower of Edar;": Mic 4:8. Authorized Version "tower of the flock." the routine of the shepherd's duties appears to have been as follows: In the mourning he led forth his flock from the fold: Joh 10:4. which he did by going before them and calling to them, as is still usual in the East; arrived at the pasturage he watched the flock with the assistance of dogs,: Job 30:1. and should any sheep stray, he had to search for it until he found it,: Eze 34:12; Lu 15:4. he supplied them with water, either at a running stream or at troughs attached to wells,: Ge 29:7; 30:38; Ex 2:16; Ps 23:2. at evening he brought them back to the fold, and reckoned them to see that none were missing, by passing them "under the rod" as they entered the door of the enclosure: Le 27:32; Eze 20:37. checking each sheep, as it passed, by a motion of the hand,: Jer 33:13. and, finally, he watched the entrance of the fold throughout the night, acting as porter.: Joh 10:3. [See Sheepfold, under SHEEP] the shepherd's office thus required great watchfulness, particularly by night.: Lu 2:8: cf. Nahu 3:18It also required tenderness toward the young and feeble,: Isa 40:11. particularly in driving them to and from the pasturage.: Ge 33:13. In large establishments there are various grades of shepherds, the highest being styled "rulers,": Ge 47:6. or "chief shepherds,": 1Pe 5:4. in a royal household the title of abbir "mighty," was bestowed on the person who held the post.: 1Sa 21:7'. Fausset's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'The nomadic state is one of the earliest stages of society, and was regarded as honourable even to a chief (Ge 4:2,20; 30:29 ff; Genesis 37); chiefs' daughters did not disdain to tend flocks (Ge 29:6, etc.; Ex 2:19). the long stay in Egypt elevated Israel from the nomadic to a settled life. the two and a half nomadic tribes received their portion in the outlying regions beyond Jordan (Numbers 32). As agriculture increased pasturage decreased, and was limited to particular spots, the border of the wilderness of Judah, Carmel (1Sa 25:2), Bethlehem (1Sa 16:11; Lu 2:8), Tekoa (Am 1:1), and Gedor (1Ch 4:39). Hence the "shepherd's tent" came to symbolize desolation (Eze 25:4; Zep 2:6). the shepherd's occupation was now no longer dignified (Ps 78:70; 2Sa 7:8; Am 7:14). The shepherd's office represents Jehovah's tender care of His people (Psalm 23; Isa 40:11; 49:9-10; Jer 23:3-4; Eze 34:11-12,23). Allusions occur to the exposure to heat and cold (Ge 31:40), the precarious food (Am 7:14), the husks of the carob (Lu 15:16), the attacks of beasts (1Sa 17:34; Isa 31:4; Am 3:12), robbers (Ge 31:39). the shepherd had a mantle of sheepskin with the fleece on (Jer 43:12), a wallet for food (1Sa 17:40), a sling such as the Bedouin still carries, a staff to ward off foes and to guide the flock with its crook (Ps 23:4; Zec 11:7; so Jehovah "lifts up His staff against" His people's foes, Isa 10:1-24; His word is at once our prop of support and our defense against Satan). the shepherd, when far from home, had his light tent (Song 1:8), easily taken down and shifted (Isa 38:12). Towers were sometimes erected to spy a foe afar off, and to guard the flock (2Ch 26:10; 27:4, compare "tower of Edar," Ge 35:21; Mic 4:8). (See EDAR.) His duty was to go before and call by name the sheep (Joh 10:4), watch it with dogs, a sorry animal in the East (Job 30:1), to search for stray sheep (Eze 34:12; Lu 15:4), to supply water, either at a stream or at troughs by wells (Ge 29:7; 30:38; Ex 2:16), (so Jesus, Ps 23:2), to bring back to the fold at evening and to reckon the sheep that none be missing (compare as to Jesus Joh 18:9; 17:11-12; 10:28-29), passing one by one "under the rod" (Le 27:32; Jer 33:13; Eze 20:37), (i.e. you shall be counted as Mine, and subjected to My chastening discipline with a view to My ultimate saving of the elect, Mic 7:14), checking each sheep as it passed; to act as porter, guarding the entrance to the fold by night (Joh 10:3). The shepherds kept watches (plural in Greek, Lu 2:8, not "slumbering," Na 3:18) by turns at night, not on duty both night and day as Jacob (Ge 31:40). Tenderness to the young and feeble was the shepherd's duty, not to overdrive them (Ge 33:13); so Jesus (Isa 40:11-29; Mr 6:31; 8:2; 4:33; Joh 16:12). there were chief and under shepherds (Ge 47:6; 1Pe 5:4), and hirelings not of the family (Joh 10:11-13; 1Sa 21:7). the shepherd had responsibility, and at the same time personal interest in the flock (1Sa 31:13; 30:31; 1Co 9:7). Playing on the pipe beguiled the monotony, and a feast at shearing time gave a yearly variety (1Sa 16:17; Ge 31:19; 38:12; 2Sa 13:23). Shepherds often contended with one another as to water (Ge 26:17-22; Ex 2:17). the Egyptian antipathy to shepherds (whom the monuments always represent as mean) was due to their being themselves agriculturists, whereas the neighbouring Arabs with whom they so often strove were nomads. the seizure of Lower Egypt by shepherd kings (Hyksos) for centuries aggravated this dislike, though the Hyksos were subsequent to Joseph (Ge 46:34). Princes, and even hostile leaders, are called shepherds: Isa 44:28; Jer 2:8; 3:15; 6:3; Eze 34:2; Mic 5:5. Teachers: Ec 12:11. Messiah: Ge 49:24; Ps 80:1; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:14; Heb 13:20'.

Nave's Topical Bible provides references for the word shepherd as: 'One who cares for flocks of sheep: Ge 31:38-40; Ps 78:52-53; Jer 31:10; Am 3:12; Lu 2:8. David the, defends his flock against a lion and a bear: 1Sa 17:34-35. Causes the flock to rest: Ps 23:2; Song 1:7; Jer 33:12. Counts the flock: Le 27:32; Jer 33:13. Knows each one of his flock by name: Joh 10:3-5. Keeps the sheep and goats apart: Mt 25:32. Waters the flocks: Ge 29:2-10. Keeps the flocks in folds: Nu 32:16; 1Sa 24:3; 2Sa 7:8; Joh 10:1. Watch towers of: 2Ch 26:10; Mic 4:8. Dogs of: Job 30:1. Was an abomination to the Egyptians: Ge 46:34. Angels appeared to: Lu 2:8-20. INSTANCES OF: Abel: Ge 4:2. . Rachel: Ge 29:9. . The daughters of Jethro: Ex 2:16. . Moses: Ex 3:1. . David: 1Sa 16:11; 2Sa 7:8; Ps 78:70. FIGURATIVE: Ge 49:24. Of God's care: Ps 23; 78:52; 80:1. . Of prophets, priests, Levites, and civil authorities: Eze 34. . Of Christ: Zec 13:7; Mt 26:31; Joh 10:1-16; Heb 13:20; 1Pe 2:25. A name given to Jesus: Isa 40:11; Mr 14:27; Joh 10:11; 1Pe 2:25; 5:4. . A name given to Cyrus: Isa 44:28'.

Torrey's Topical Textbook provides references for the word shepherd as: 'Early mention of: Ge 4:2. Usually carried a scrip or bag: 1Sa 17:40. Carried a staff or rod: Le 27:32; Ps 23:4. Dwelt in tents while tending their flocks: Song 1:8; Isa 38:12. Members of the family both male and female acted as: Ge 29:6; 1Sa 16:11; 17:15. Had hired keepers under them: 1Sa 17:20. The unfaithfulness of hireling, alluded to: Joh 10:12. CARE OF thE SHEEP BY, EXHIBITED IN: Knowing them: Joh 10:14. Going before and leading them: Ps 77:20; 78:52; 80:1. Seeking out good pasture for them: 1Ch 4:39-41; Ps 23:2. Numbering them when they return from pasture: Jer 33:13. Watching over them by night: Lu 2:8. Tenderness to the ewes in lamb, and to the young: Ge 33:13-14. Defending them when attacked by wild beasts: 1Sa 17:34-36; Am 3:12. Searching them out when lost and straying: Eze 34:12; Lu 15:4-5. Attending them when sick: Eze 34:16. An abomination to the Egyptians: Ge 46:34. ILLUSTRATIVE: Of God as leader of Israel: Ps 77:20; 80:1. Of Christ as the good shepherd: Eze 34:23; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:14; Heb 13:20. Of kings as the leaders of the people: Isa 44:28; Jer 6:3; 49:19. Of ministers of the gospel: Jer 23:4. (Searching out straying sheep,) of Christ seeking the lost: Eze 34:12; Lu 15:2-7. (Their care and tenderness,) of tenderness of Christ: Isa 40:11; Eze 34:13-16. (Ignorant and foolish,) of bad ministers: Isa 56:11; Jer 50:6; Eze 34:2,10'.

Thompson Chain Topics provides references for the word shepherd as: 'General references to: Ge 4:2; 13:5; 29:9; 37:2; 46:32; Ex 2:17; 3:1; 1Sa 16:11; 17:20; 1Ch 4:39; Am 3:12; Mt 25:32; Lu 2:8. False: Insentiate and Pleasure-loving: Isa 56:10-12. Scatter the Flock: Jer 23:2. Lead the Sheep astray: Jer 50:6. Prey upon the Flock instead of feeding it: Eze 34:2-3; Zec 11:17. Hirelings forsake the Sheep: Joh 10:12. Shepherd, Christ Providing: Ps 23:1-2. Tender: Isa 40:11. Sacrificial: Joh 10:11. Risen: Heb 13:20. Welcoming the Wanderers: 1Pe 2:25. Crowing the faithful: 1Pe 5:4; Re 7:17. As Guardian of the flock: 2Th 3:3; 2Ti 1:12; 2Pe 1:5; Jude 1:24'.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:1 for links to every place in the The functional definition for this word is: 'A pastor of pastors. One who has trained and sent out other men who are not the pastors of churches of their own'

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'ye. Ps 119:176; Isa 53:6; Jer 23:2; Eze 34:6; Mt 9:36; 18:12; Lu 15:4-6. The Shepherd. 1Pe 5:4; Ps 23:1-3; 80:1; Song 1:7-8; Isa 40:11; Eze 34:11-16,23-24; 37:24; Zec 13:7; Joh 10:11-16; Heb 13:20 exp: Joh 10:2. Bishop. Heb 3:1; Ac 20:28(Gr)'.

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Interpretive Study of 1Peter 1-2

Epistle theme: Use what God gave to you for a proper testimony during suffering

God's Way to Study His Word:

Overview of 1Peter

Epistle theme: Use what God gave to you for a proper testimony during suffering

Chapter Outlines by sentence format.

Chapter 1 Chapter theme: God gives grace and multiplied peace to saved people who serve Him.

Chapter 2 Chapter theme: Being religious versus being saved.

Chapter 3 Chapter theme: the relationship that we have with God through Christ.

Chapter 4 Chapter theme: Trust God while suffering.

Chapter 5 Chapter theme: watch that you don't slip into following the flesh and the devil.

Word Counts in 1Peter

1Peter Chapter 1

links to sentences in this chapter:

Chapter Summary from Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge

1Peter Chapter 2

links to sentences in this chapter:

Chapter Summary from Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge

Contact: Webmaster@LJC1611KJV.com. Member of Tower Road Baptist Church, Abq., NM, U.S.A., 87121. Copyright 2009 Lord Jesus Christ in the 1611KJV. All rights reserved. Revised: 02/27/24.

Chapter 1
Chapter theme: God gives grace and multiplied peace to saved people who serve Him.

Chapter 2
Chapter theme: Being religious versus being saved.

Chapter 3
Chapter theme: the relationship that we have with God through Christ.

Chapter 4
Chapter theme: Trust God while suffering.

Chapter 5
Chapter theme: watch that you don't slip into following the flesh and the devil.