1 Peter 1
1 I, Peter, who [have been appointed by] Jesus Christ {one whom Jesus Christ [has appointed]} to be an apostle, [am writing this letter] to you believers whom God has chosen to belong to him. [You are living] in [the Roman provinces of] Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia. [Just like the Jews who lived in Israel long ago were] scattered [to other countries far from their homes] [MET], you now live [far from] heaven, which is [your true home].
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect sojourners of the Dispersion of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,
2 God our Father previously chose you, and his Spirit has set you apart in order that you would obey Jesus Christ. He did that in order that [just like Moses] sprinkled [the Israelites with blood when God established the old covenant] [MET], [Jesus would establish his new covenant with you] with the blood [that flowed from his body when he died]. May God act very kindly to you, and may he give you much [inner] peace.
according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ. Grace to you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Praise God, who is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! Because he has been very merciful to [us, he has given us new life] [MET]. Because he has caused Jesus Christ to become alive again after he died, he has enabled us to live very confidently; that is, to fully expect to receive the things [that God/he has promised to give us].
Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the one having according to his great mercy begotten us again into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 He has enabled us to expect to receive an absolutely imperishable/indestructible [TRI] inheritance that has been {that [God] has} preserved in heaven for us.
unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and never fading, having been kept in the heavens unto you,
5 God, by his mighty power, is guarding you as you trust in Jesus. [He is keeping you safe so] that he may, at the end of the time in which we now live (OR, when Jesus returns), completely deliver you [from Satan’s power].
who are preserved by the power of God through faith unto the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 You rejoice because of what will happen then, but now you are grieving for a short time while [God is allowing] you to be tested {[various things to] test you [MET]}, [as precious metals are tested] {[someone tests precious metals]} [to see if they are pure]. [These trials that you are experiencing are necessary]
In whom you rejoice, if however it is needful, being grieved a little while among manifold temptations: in order
7 to prove that you really do trust in Jesus. His proving that will be more valuable than gold, [which does not last forever even] though it is purified [by being put] {someone tries to make it pure by [putting it]} [in a hot] fire. As a result of your passing the test [and proving that you really do trust in Jesus], God will honor you very highly [TRI] when Jesus Christ comes again.
that the trial of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes, however being tried by the fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor in the revelation of Jesus Christ:
8 You love [Jesus], although you have not seen him. Although you do not see him now, you rejoice very much [DOU]
whom you not seeing, love with divine love; on whom, not looking, but believing, you rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:
9 because you are experiencing the result of your believing in him; that is, [God] is saving you [SYN] [from the guilt of your sins].
receiving the end of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 As for those who [long ago] spoke messages that God had revealed to them about how God would act kindly toward you in ways which you did not deserve, they (investigated very carefully/tried very hard to learn) [DOU] about how God would save you.
Concerning which salvation the prophets, who prophesied concerning the grace towards you, sought out and investigated,
11 They wanted to know whom the Spirit of Christ that was in them was referring to, and what time he was talking about, when he told beforehand that the Messiah would suffer [and die], and that glorious/wonderful things would happen [to him and to us] afterwards.
searching into what, or what kind of time the Spirit of Christ who was in them, witnessing the sufferings towards Christ, and the glories after these, did show:
12 It was revealed to {[God] told} them that it was not for their own sake that he was revealing these things to them, but that it was for your sake. It was these things that were proclaimed to you by those who told you the message [about Christ {that those who told you the message about Christ proclaimed to you]}. They proclaimed these things to you because the Holy Spirit whom [God] sent from heaven [enabled them to do that]. And even angels would like to know more about these [truths about how God saves us].
to whom it was revealed, because they were ministering not these things for themselves, but for you, which are now proclaimed unto you by those who preach to you the gospel with the Holy Ghost having been sent from heaven; into which things the angels desire to look down.
13 Therefore, [prepare your minds] [MET] [as people] fasten their belts around their waists [to prepare to work]. [What I mean is that] you should (discipline your minds/control what you think about), and by doing that conduct your lives fully and confidently expecting to receive the good things that [God will] kindly [do for you] when Jesus Christ returns [from heaven].
Therefore having girded up the loins of your minds, being perfectly sober, hope unto the grace which is conferred on you in the revelation of Jesus Christ.
14 [And because you should obey your heavenly Father] [SIM], as children [ought to] obey their fathers [here on earth], do not do the evil things that you used to desire to do when you did not know [God’s truth].
As children of obedience, not being fashioned after your former lusts in ignorance:
15 Instead, just like God, the one who chose you [to belong to him], is (holy/separate from evil), you also must be (holy/separate from evil) in everything that you do,
but according to the Holy One who has called you. Be ye also holy in all your deportment;
16 because it is {[someone/Moses] has} written [in the Scriptures that God said], “You must be (holy/separate from evil) because I am (holy/separate from evil).”
because it has been written, Ye shall be holy; because I am holy.
17 God is the one who (impartially/without favoritism) judges what each person does. Since you call him ‘Father’, live (reverently/with great respect for him) during the time that you are living here on earth. [While you are living here, you are] like exiles/foreigners [MET] [because you are away from heaven, which is your true home].
And if you call upon the Father, the One judging without respect of persons according to the work of each, pass the time of your sojourn with fear,
18 [Live reverently] because you know that it was not with things that will not last forever, things like gold and silver, that [God] bought you to free you from your useless life-style that you learned from your ancestors.
knowing that you have been redeemed from your depraved character transmitted from your ancestors, not by corruptible things, silver or gold,
19 Instead, [it was] with the precious blood of Christ [that flowed from his body when he died that God bought you. Christ’s death was a perfect sacrifice for us] [MET], [like] the lambs that [the Jewish priests sacrificed were] perfect, without any blemishes/defects/flaws or spots [DOU].
but by the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish and spotless:
20 Christ was chosen [by God] {[God] chose Christ} before the world was created {[he] created the world}. But it was not until now, when the time [in which we are living will soon] end, that he was revealed for your sake.
foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but having been made manifest at the last of the times for the sake of you,
21 Because of what Christ has done, you are trusting in God, who caused Christ to become alive again after he died, and greatly honored him. As a result, God is the one in whom you are trusting and confidently expecting [that he will do great things for you].
who through him are faithful toward God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope are toward God.
22 Because you have been made pure by obeying the truth, with the result that you sincerely love your fellow believers, continue to love each other earnestly and sincerely/wholeheartedly.
Having purified your souls through obedience of the truth unto unhypocritical, brotherly love, fervently from the heart love one another with divine love:
23 [I ask you to do this, because you now have] a new life [MET]. It was not [by means of] something that will perish that you received this new life. Instead, it was [by means of] something that will last forever; that is, by believing the life-giving and enduring message of God. (aiōn g165)
having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but incorruptible, through the word of God, who lives and abides. (aiōn g165)
24 [We know that this is true] because, [as the prophet Isaiah wrote], All people [will die] [SIM], like grass [dies]. And all the greatness/honor that people have [will not last forever], like the flowers [SIM] [that grow up] in the grass [do not last long]. The grass withers and the flowers die,
Therefore all flesh is as grass, and all its glory as the flower of grass: the grass is withered, and the flower fell off;
