Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
Parallel translations
- WEB having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
- BSB For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.
- NKJV having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,
- NASB for you have been born again not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God.
- NLT For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Believers have been born again through God's living and enduring word, not from perishable seed. The new birth comes through the imperishable, eternal word of God.
Overview
Peter explains the new birth using the image of seed: the 'seed' is God's word, which is incorruptible and lives forever. Unlike natural birth from perishable seed, this spiritual birth produces life that endures because its source endures. The living word of God is the instrument through which God brings sinners to new life, undergirding the call to fervent love just given.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- 1 Pet 1:3Blessed 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,
- Heb 4:12For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
- John 1:13Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
- John 3:3Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
- John 6:63It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
- 1 Cor 15:53–54For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
- Jas 1:18Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that whosoever is born of God sinneth not; but he that is begotten of God keepeth himself, and that wicked one toucheth him not.
- John 3:5Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
- 1 Jn 3:9Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
- Matt 24:35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
- John 1:3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
- 1 Pet 1:25But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
- Jer 23:28The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
- Rom 1:23And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
- Mal 2:3Behold, I will corrupt your seed, and spread dung upon your faces, even the dung of your solemn feasts; and one shall take you away with it.
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The lamb without blemish foreknown before the world, who bore our sins in his body on the tree, by whose wounds we are healed — the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls.
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Original language
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