1 Peter 1:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you.

NIV: but the word of the Lord endures forever.' And this is the word that was preached to you.

NASB: BUT THE WORD OF THE Lord ENDURES FOREVER.' And this is the word which was preached to you.

CSB: but the word of the Lord endures forever. And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.

NLT: But the word of the Lord remains forever.' And that word is the Good News that was preached to you.

KJV: But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.

NKJV: But the word of the Lord endures forever.” Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

Verse 25 completes Peter's quote from Isaiah 40:6–8. Isaiah's poem describes a glorious field of flowering grass that quickly withers and dries up. It's a picture of human existence, intense but all too brief. But that's not the end of the poem. By contrast, the Word of the Lord remains forever. While we may come and go on this side of eternity, one generation after another, God's truth remains the same throughout all of time. It never changes.

Peter has made the case in this first part of his letter that the word of the Lord has now been revealed to his readers, and therefore to us as well. Specifically, it is the good news—also called "the gospel"—that was preached to us, which we believed, which made it possible for us to be born again.

Because the word of the Lord remains forever, human beings can, also. We can live forever through believing the word and placing our faith in Christ.

1 Peter 1:13–25 describes how Christians—those God has caused to be born again—should live now. We must mentally engage in setting all of our hope in God’s future grace for us. We must choose to act as those who are God’s own people, rejecting the evil desires that drove our actions before we knew better. Our choices matter. Our God placed a high value on our lives, paying for them with the blood of Christ. Since God has made us able, we must now strive to earnestly give love to each other.

Peter, the apostle of Jesus, writes a letter to Christians facing persecution to comfort them with the truth of who they are in Christ—children of God with every reason to rejoice in their salvation and future glory in eternity. Next, he urges them to live like the holy ones of God they already are by obeying God now, loving each other earnestly, and placing all of their hope in the endless life to come.

This beautiful, profound, and challenging first chapter of 1 Peter lays the foundation for the rest of Peter’s letter. In spite of whatever suffering we may face, God Himself has already shown us great mercy in Christ by including us in His family! Jesus is our living hope. Our future is secure and endless and perfect. As the children of God we have every reason to rejoice, even in this present darkness. Peter then calls us to prepare ourselves to live as the holy people God has made us to be.

Some 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians are facing greater persecution for their faith. How should they respond? How should we respond to suffering today? The apostle Peter writes this letter both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong. He urges them to put all their hope in their perfect future with Christ, and to obey and trust Him in the present, even in their suffering. Christ suffered greatly; now the Christ-followers have the opportunity to follow Him even in this, showing His grace and power in their hopefulness, obedience, and faith.

Accessed 4/28/2024 9:57:34 AM