The Nugget:
1 Peter 1:23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
My Comment:
The Scriptures are designed for regenerating. Many people can testify to the experience of reading the Bible for themselves with the result that they became Christians. When we pray, we talk to God. When we read the Bible, God speaks to us. Once we have let Him speak to us through the Bible, we begin to understand the message. The end result is a new-found, vibrant faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. That is the most important thing in the world. That makes Bible reading one of the most important things in the world that you can do. Read it yourself, and as you have opportunity, encourage others you know to do the same. Bible reading can be a life-changing experience. It can result in you experiencing the new birth, or being born again.
For those who desire to DIG DEEPER into this subject:
(1) Consult the cross references given in Nelson’s Cross Reference Guide to the Bible on page 1457 for 1 Peter 1:23.
(2) Consult the cross references given in The New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge on page 1474 or in Logos 5 Bible software for 1 Peter 1:23.
(3) Lacking access to those two resources, consult the cross references for this passage as I have developed them as given below:
1 Peter 1:23. Being born again. or, Having been born again. Perfect tense, passive voice, participle: you have been and continue to be. Having been born again translates anagegennēmenoi, compounded of ana, anew, back, again, and genaō, birth, born, bring forth. Jesus said in Jn 3:7: “It is necessary for you to be born from above.” This new birth from above is a creative work of God answering to a new creation in Christ (cf. 2 Cor 5:17 and notes); accordingly, birth from above is a restoration from the Fall, a return to righteousness and holiness (cf. 1 P 1:3; Jn 1:13; 3:3, 5-7; 1 J 5:7) [LNT, fn n]. See on ver. 1 P 1:3. **1 P 2:2. Ps 87:5. +*Ps 119:50. Jn 1:13. *Jn 3:3, 5. 1 Cor 4:15. *James 1:18. 1 J 2:27, 29. *1 J 3:9. 4:7. 5:1, 4, 18. not. Ml 2:3. Mk 4:26. Ro 1:23. *1 Cor 15:53, 54. Phil 3:3. but of incorruptible. Gr. aphthartos (S#862g, 1 Tim 1:17). ver. 1 P 1:4, 18. 1 P 3:4. +=Le 11:37. +*Ps 119:144. Mt 13:24, 38. *1 J 3:9. 5:18. by the word. Gr. logos, Mk 9:32n. T#1035. ver. *1 P 1:25. 1 P 2:8. 3:1. Dt 32:46, 47. Ps 33:9. +*Ps 119:93. Is 55:11. *Je 23:28, 29. *Mt 24:35. Mk 4:14. *Lk 8:11. *Jn 6:63. 17:17. Ac 10:36. +Ro 9:6. 10:8, **Ro 10:17. 1 Cor 14:36. 2 Cor 2:17. Ga 3:2, 5. Ep 1:13. *Ep 5:26. Phil 2:16. Col 1:5, 25. 4:3. 1 Th 1:6, 8. **1 Th 2:13. 2 Th 3:1. 2 Tim 2:9. +**2 Tim 3:15. 4:2. Titus 1:3. 2:5. *He 4:12. 8:10. 13:7. *James 1:18, 21. 1 J 3:9. which liveth. ver. 1 P 1:3. %Da 4:34. %Da 6:26. %Da 12:7. %Jn 6:51. Ac 7:38. +*He 4:12. %Re 4:10. and abideth. ver. 1 P 1:25. +*Ps 119:89. %1 J 3:15. 2 Jn 1:2. for ever. Gr. aion, +Mt 6:13. lit. unto the age, +Mt 21:19.
Then would you say the water and spirit are the same? That is what I am being led towards. Any comments will be helful. Thanks Richard.
the best commentary on the bible is the bible!
1 pe 1.23 being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of
incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.
encouraging cross refs.
1 jer 23.29 is not my word like as a fire: saith the Lord;
and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in peices?
2. hosea 6.5 therefore have i hewed them by the prophets;
i have slain them by the words of my mouth: and thy judgments
are as the light that goeth forth.
3. john 6.63 it is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing;
the words that i speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
4. jn 6.68 then simon peter answered him, lord,to whom shall we
go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
5. 2 tim 3.15 and that from a child thou hast known the scriptures, which
are able to make thee wise unto salvatioon through faith which is in christ jesus.
6. heb 4.12 for 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.
Dear Richard,
In John 3:5 two words are used but they refer to just one thing. This is the figure of speech called Hendiadys. Hendiadys is used for emphasis, even great emphasis. So to be born of water and the spirit does not involve two events, but one. The figure of speech Hendiadys would indicate we should translate John 3:5 to read “be born of water, even the spirit.”