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.
Parallel translations
- WEB having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
- KJV Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
- 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.
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, who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
- Heb 4:12For the word of God is living and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.
- John 1:13who 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 him, “Most certainly, I tell you, unless one is born anew, he can’t see God’s Kingdom.”
- John 6:63It is the spirit who gives life. The flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and are life.
- 1 Cor 15:53–54For this perishable body must become imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality.
- Jas 1:18Of his own will he gave birth to us by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first fruits of his creatures.
- 1 Jn 5:18We know that whoever is born of God doesn’t sin, but he who was born of God keeps himself, and the evil one doesn’t touch him.
- John 3:5Jesus answered, “Most certainly I tell you, unless one is born of water and spirit, he can’t enter into God’s Kingdom.
- 1 Jn 3:9Whoever is born of God doesn’t commit sin, because his seed remains in him; and he can’t sin, because he is born of God.
- Matt 24:35Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
- John 1:3All things were made through him. Without him was not anything made that has been made.
- 1 Pet 1:25but the Lord’s word endures forever.” This is the word of Good News which was preached to you.
- Jer 23:28The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the straw to the wheat?” says Yahweh.
- Rom 1:23and traded the glory of the incorruptible God for the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of birds, and four-footed animals, and creeping things.
- Mal 2:3Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and will spread dung on your faces, even the dung of your feasts; and you will be taken away with it.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
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.
How 1 Peter 1:23 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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