1 Peter 2:18 “Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentles but also to the unjust. (ESV).”1 Peter 2:19 “For it is commendable [a gracious thing - ESV] if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. (NIV) [...mindful of God, one endures sorrows... - ESV]“

1 Peter 2:20 “For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing [commendable - NIV] in the sight of God.” (ESV)

This is a specific example of how to submit to authority.  Again Peter says with ALL respect, to every kind of master.  Not only the good ones or the ones you like.  He goes on to say that it is a gracious or commendable thing to suffer unjustly for doing what is right.  The previous verses directly tie into this, for if we are doing good with respect to everyone, if we are to get criticized it will be unjustly done.  According to what Peter has been previously saying, we are to live in such a way that occasions for just criticism do not exist!  We are to live impeccable lives as servants of God so no man may criticism or punish us justly, because there will be nothing to criticize or punish.  Are we perfect?  No, but by God’s grace we can live in such a way that pleases Him.  A life conscious of God and pleasing Him.  When suffering does come, we endure it because that is pleasing to God.  We accomplish this by being mindful of God in our sufferings.  If we are focused on Him, we can realize that these unjust sufferings can be used to please Him.  Peter then repeats his previous point:  To suffer unjustly and endure it for God is commendable [a gracious thing in God's sight.]  He also says that the opposite is true.

 Application:

• Realize that unjust sufferings can be used to glorify God.
• Rely on God for the grace to suffer in a pleasing way.
• Live in such a way that no just sufferings come upon you.
• Be mindful of God in our everyday lives.  Live with a focus on Him.

1 Peter 2:16-17 “Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. (17) Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.”

We are free in Christ. Free from the bondage of sin. However, this does not give us a license to sin, rather, it gives us the freedom and the ability to honor God. To serve Him! This freedom we have been given through the blood of Christ is not to be misused. I like what Chuck Smith says:

“You’re not really free to live after the flesh or the lust of your flesh; you’re free not to live after the lust of your flesh. That’s a freedom the world doesn’t have; they’re bound by their flesh. They’re slaves to their flesh. But freedom that we have in Christ is that we don’t have to live after our flesh anymore. Thank God. What a glorious freedom. So don’t use that freedom just as a cover. Well, I’m free in Jesus. I’m not under law, under grace I’m free. Don’t use that as a cloak for maliciousness.”

Smith, Chuck. “1 Peter 1-2,” C2000 Series. The Word for Today. Blue Letter Bible.

As a result of this awesome freedom we have in Christ we should live to serve God willingly and joyfully. Also, showing everyone respect, loving fellow believers, fearing God, and honoring earthly authorities. We have already seen these principles in previous passages:

• Love the brotherhood – 1 Peter 1:22 “…you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.”
  
• Fear God - 1 Peter 1:17 “…live your lives as strangers here in reverent fear.”
• Honor the king - 1 Peter 2:13-15 “Submit yourselves…to every authority instituted among men…”

How many times do we live as free men?  Or do we just act like we have been defeated by sin?  As Christians we are free!  Free to live for Christ!  Wow, what an incredible truth we need to apply to our lives.

 Application:

•  Realize that we are free from the bondage of sin through Christ.
•  Thank God for our freedom through Christ!
•  Be Aware of areas in our lives that we might misuse the freedom we have and STOP.
•  Live as servants of God.
•  Show respect for everyone, Love fellow believers,  Fear God,  Honor authority.

1 Peter 2:13-15 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, (14) or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. (15) For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.”

This passage looks pretty straight forward to me. We are to submit ourselves to all earthly authority for Christ’s sake. Sounds easy enough right? Well, when you look a bit deeper there is more to be found. First the word submit. According to BlueLetterBible:

This word was a Greek military term meaning “to arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of a leader”. In non-military use, it was “a voluntary attitude of giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a burden“.

What caught my attention about this was the “voluntary attitude of giving in” part. How many times do we submit, yet unwillingly. Begrudgingly we agree to obey, but inside we are revolting. We are to voluntarily submit! That is what pleases Christ.

Next, the phrase “every authority.” The KJV says, “…every ordinance of man…” According to BlueLetterBible the word used for”authorit” and “ordinance” literally means “building or creation.” Out of all the times it is used, it is only used as “ordinance” once in this passage. Pretty interesting. So authority here is implying more then just the laws placed over us by government. It is implying EVERY creation of man that we are under. One of the commentaries I have been consulting regularly has the following to say about this very passage:

13. every ordinance of man–”every human institution” [ALFORD], literally, “every human creation.” For though of divine appointment, yet in the mode of nomination and in the exercise of their authority, earthly governors are but human institutions, being of men, and in relation to men. The apostle speaks as one raised above all human things. But lest they should think themselves so ennobled by faith as to be raised above subordination to human authorities, he tells them to submit themselves for the sake of Christ, who desires you to be subject, and who once was subject to earthly rulers Himself, though having all things subject to Him, and whose honor is at stake in you as His earthly representatives. Compare Rom 13:5 , “Be subject for conscience’ sake.”

Jamieson, Robert; A.R. Fausset; and David Brown. “The First Epistle General of Peter.” Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible.

So though Peter has spoken about being strangers in this world, raised above human things, etc… In this passage he is clearly showing us that we are to submit to those placed in authority over us. These human institutions are ordained by God and our submission to them pleases him.

We are also to submit to these authorities voluntarily because it causes those opposed to us to be silenced. Our critics are silenced by our willful obedience. How can they have anything to criticize if we truly live as Christ commands? How much more could those opposed to us criticize us (and rightly so) if we were constantly disobeying or bickering about obeying God ordained authorities?  However, obviously we are not to obey these authorities if what they compel us to do violates what our King of Kings commands.  We must obey God above all else.

Application:

•  Realize  that government and all other forms of human authority are ordained by God.
•  Realize that we should submit willingly to authority because it pleases Christ and silences critics.
•  Willingly submit to authority without grumbling, for Christ’s glory.

1 Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, [a peculiar people - KJV], that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. (10) Once you were not a people, but now you are a people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

1 Peter 2:7-8 “Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and, ‘A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.’ They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.”

“The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” is taken from Psalm 118. Specifically verse 22. However, I thought looking at the verse in context was quite interesting:

Psalm 118:22-24 “(22) The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; (23) the LORD has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. (24) This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”

The fact that Christ, the one rejected by men, has become the foundation, is marvelous. The LORD did this, and only the LORD. We are also reminded that this is a day that the LORD has made, just as every day is, and that we are to rejoice and be glad in it. Why not? Look at all we have to rejoice over just in this verse!

Now back to 1 Peter. Again we are reminded that to us, this Stone, Christ, is precious. This is because we believe and have accepted His salvation. It is only natural that He would be precious to us. In fact He should be supremely precious to us! I am currently reading a book by John Piper called Desiring God. In it He talks about how as believers we should find our joy and satisfaction in Christ. He should be our supreme desire and satisfaction above all else. This naturally flows out of all that He is and all that He has done for us.

To unbelievers Christ is still the Cornerstone, nothing can change that. He is a stumbling block and as the KJV says a “rock of offense” to them. Blue Letter Bible has this to say about the phrase “rock of offense:”

fig. applied to Jesus Christ, whose person and career were so contrary to the expectations of the Jews concerning the Messiah, that they rejected him and by their obstinacy made shipwreck of their salvation

Since they don’t accept Him for what He is, He gets in their way. He can’t be completely ignored.

“They stumble because they disobey the message – which is also what they were destined for.”

At first glance I didn’t really want to deal with the implications of this one. The following excerpt from The First Epistle General of Peter seems to give a good explanation of this passage:

“also–an additional thought; God’s ordination; not that God ordains or appoints them to sin, but they are given up to “the fruit of their own ways” according to the eternal counsel of God. The moral ordering of the world is altogether of God. God appoints the ungodly to be given up unto sin, and a reprobate mind, and its necessary penalty. “Were appointed,” Greek, “set,” answers to “I lay,” Greek, “set,” 1Pe 2:6 . God, in the active, is said to appoint Christ and the elect (directly). Unbelievers, in the passive, are said to be appointed (God acting less directly in the appointment of the sinner’s awful course) [BENGEL]. God ordains the wicked to punishment, not to crime [J. CAPPEL]. “Appointed” or “set” (not here “FORE-ordained”) refers, not to the eternal counsel so directly, as to the penal justice of God. Through the same Christ whom sinners rejected, they shall be rejected; unlike believers, they are by God appointed unto wrath as FITTED for it. The lost shall lay all the blame of their ruin on their own sinful perversity, not on God’s decree; the saved shall ascribe all the merit of their salvation to God’s electing love and grace.”

Jamieson, Robert; A.R. Fausset; and David Brown. “The First Epistle General of Peter.” Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 19 Feb 2000. 5 Mar 2008.

Application:

• Realize that Christ is supremely precious to us.  He should be our supreme desire.
• Realize that to unbelievers He is a stumbling block and rock of offense.  We need to help them understand, not beat them on the rock, so to speak.

1 Peter 2:6 “For in scripture it says: “See I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen [elect - KJV] and precious cornerstone, [and whoever believes in Him will not be put to shame." - ESV] Rest is NIV

Christ was mentioned as a stone in Isaiah as well. That is what Peter is referencing here. (Isaiah 28:16) Again Peter emphasizes the fact that Christ was Chosen and Precious. This time we see Him as the chosen and precious cornerstone. What is a cornerstone you ask? Well, it is the foundation. The stone that holds a building together or completes the joint of two walls. Check out the following definition:

“cornerstone.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 04 Mar. 2008.

Pretty awesome imagery if you ask me. To think that Christ is our precious and chosen cornerstone. Chosen by God to be our savior, our ransom, the propitiation for our sins, and so much more. He is the foundation on which everything is built. We have our very being in Him. Check out Col. 1:9-29 for more on that. Here are verses 16-17:

“For by Him [Christ] were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether [they be] thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.”

Wow! What a cornerstone we have. Chosen by God and precious. Also, remember He is not just any ordinary stone, He is the Living Stone. The Living Cornerstone, that whoever believes in Him will never be put to shame.

Application:

• Realize that Christ is our precious Cornerstone, chosen by God.
• Realize that Christ is the foundation of our faith, salvation, fellowship with God, and mere existence!
• Realize that if we truly believe in Him, put our trust and faith in Him, we will never be put to shame. He is our Rock, our Fortress, our Refuge, and our God!

All of this about Christ as our Cornerstone reminded me of a song by Day of Fire that I think says it well. Enjoy!

stealing, and committing adultery, they break

out, and blood toucheth blood.

Evethough God’s people still carry the name of being God’s children, His chosen people, they have denied obedience to God for so long that there is little indication of their true calling. We see God charging them with, and exposing the sins in which they are engaged. We see cursing (taking the name of the Lord in vain), lying (bearing false witness), murder (killing), stealing, and adultery. Each of these charges is specific to one of the commandmentsgiven to Moses and placed on the stone tablets that were placed in disobedience, they still think that they are religious and righteous. the arrogantly rationalised away the words of this prophesy by discrediting (and persecuting) the messenger, and holding to their self-declared righteousness that is based upon their relationship to God.

Consequently, there is no limit to the expression of their sin. The sin they commit has no bounds, becausether are ignoring the boundaries that God has provided for our own good. Generation after generation is charaterized by the bloodshed that comes from a complete disregard for God and the value that He places on life. Parents did not teach the ways of God to their children, and after so many generations of apostacy, faith in God is essentially non-existant. The nation of priests that God had empowered, had become no different from the rest of the world, except that they arrogantly proclaimed their righteousness.

Today, I look around me (and at myself) and realize that we keep saying that we want to get to know Him more, but everyday we just end up puting more and more distance between us and the father. How does that work? Something that we are so passionate about can become last on out priority list. I am the worst when it comes to puting God first and puting my life seccond. I can’t tell you how many times I wake up praying that it will be a good day. It just seems that the road I’ve been walking lately has been extremely bumpy with one dissappointment in life after another and in turn, right when these things happen, I automatically turn to the ways of the world and think things like, “I hate my life” or “Why me? Why do I keep having bad days?”

God has revealed to me over the last few weeks that there are so many things wrong with:

1)How I’ve been waking up in the morning

So, when it comes to how I’ve been waking up in the morning, I wake up thinking that I hope my day is comfortable and pleasurable to me. I love it when I wake up in the mornings and I just know that its gonna be a good day. The days where I wake up listening to Mr. Jack Johnson. The days where my coffee pot doesn’t overflow. The days where I look at my clock and realise that I have about 40 minutes before class starts so I’m able to go for a walk. The days where my life seems spottless. However, this is how it usually turns out:

-my ipod is on shuffle so I hardly ever wake up to Mr. Jack Johnson (sad day).

-My coffee pot is broken so it either overflows or there isn’t anything left (my roommates drink 8 cups at a time… each)

-Finally, I am the worst morning person if someone tries to wake me up before 7 and guess when my classes start. 7:30!!! When I pull and all nighter… dont try and wake me up until 10 or later. I am a big fan of mornining walks with the crisp, cool air caressing my face, watching the sun slowly emerging from behind the palm trees and mountains… I just love it. It is my own image of what experiencing God is like, so whenever I get to experience His overwhelming love. When I am able to experience this, my day is ALL for God.

“They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty, and I will meditate on your wonderful works.” -Psalm 145:5

Here’s the issue with all of that. It’s not that any of that is bad. God created things, like the sunrise and coffee beans, to be enjoyed and to give us little glimpses of Him to let us know that everything is gonna be alright. However, I wake up thinking about experiencing these things, not God. Whats the difference you might ask? Well, one is selfish and the other is driven by God and for God. The thing we Christians want to strive for is the one driven by God and for God. We want to experience Him in all His glory. The selfish part in us doesn’t want to experience Him at all. We want to experience the good stuff without any strings attached. We want Him to give to us, but not to give back to Him. The selfish part of us doesn’t realise that He gave it ALL.

When Jesus said, “It is finished.” he really meant it. We dont have to do anything to experience Him. He gave His life just to spend a little bit of time with us. The people that reject, ignore, and blame Him for pretty much anything that doesn’t go right in their lives (anything that makes us uncomfortable). Everyone longs for friends like us! (If you believe that, you need to go consult a doctor about some crazy pills.)

Here’s the kicker. He doesn’t just accept us as friends… He actually LIKES us. I remember growing up on the playground and finding these people that were always cooler than I was. I hated their personalities and I’m sure they hated mine, but I accepted how they treated me and other kids (even joined in some times) just to feel like I was accepted. It isn’t the case here. He loves us to our very core! WOW! Isn’t that amazing. There was some Jaw dropping action when I realised that. God is the ultimate Best Friend and no one will ever replace Him. With all of our junk, HE LIKES/LOVES/OBSESSES about us. I don’t get it… He gave so much and He keeps on giving to our wretched souls… and we do practically nothing in return… How does that work???

GOD IS GREAT!

More points will be added on later.

1 Peter 2:4-5 “As you come to him, the Living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a Holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

This is illustrating one of the purposes of our salvation, mentioned in the first part of 1 Peter. All of the preceding is required to be made into “spiritual houses.” Without being chosen by God, sanctified by the Spirit, and purified by the blood of Christ, we cannot be made into “spiritual houses” that offer sacrifices pleasing to the Lord. Also, it is only by Christ and through Christ, that we’re even able to make pleasing sacrifices to God. Again the fact that he was chosen and precious to God in the face of this was planned. Christ’s sacrifice was not a knee jerk reaction to our sin.

Chuck Smith references the story of Moses hitting the rock and says this concerning Jesus as the Stone:

Even so, we perishing in the wilderness of sin, ready to die, Jesus smitten for us, the water of life flows forth and we drink and we are saved. We have life. That’s why the second time when they cried to Moses for water and he went in to God and God said, “Speak to the rock and it will bring forth water”. But Moses in his anger went out and he said, “Must I smite this rock again to give you water?” And he smote it the second time, and God said, Moses, that was a mistake that you’re going to have to pay for.

You see, the rock once smitten never needs to be smitten again. Jesus doesn’t have to die again. He doesn’t have to be crucified again. Once smitten, all you have to do to receive the water of life is to speak to the Rock. Just call upon Jesus Christ.

I think it is interesting how he ties the Stone in 1 Peter that is obviously Christ with Christ as the rock in the Old Testament. All you have to do to receive the Living Water is speak to the Stone…

He elaborates on what exactly our spiritual sacrifices to God through Christ should be:

But in Psalm 51, “Sacrifice and offering you take no delight in but the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit. And a broken spirit and a contrite heart thou would not despise”. So he speaks of a spiritual sacrifice, a broken spirit before the Lord.

Then in the book of Hebrews chapter thirteen, “Let us then offer unto God the sacrifice of praise, even the fruit of our lips unto him” (Hebrews 13:15). So the spiritual sacrifices that we offer to God are our praises unto Him. Coming before Him with a broken heart, offering our praises to God.”

Smith, Chuck. “1 Peter 1-2” C2000 Series. The Word for Today. Blue Letter Bible. 7 Aug 2005. 3 Mar 2008.

Application:

• We are to continually draw near to God.
• Realize that Christ was chosen by God to save us. He is precious to God.
• Offer sacrifices of praise and a broken/contrite heart to God through Christ.
• Realize that the giving up of ourself is the first sacrifice that must be made to God

“Among spiritual sacrifices the first place belongs to the general oblation of ourselves. For never can we offer anything to God until we have offered ourselves ( 2Cr 8:5 ) in sacrifice to Him. There follow afterwards prayers, giving of thanks, alms deeds, and all exercises of piety” [CALVIN]

Jamieson, Robert; A.R. Fausset; and David Brown. “The First Epistle General of Peter.” Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 19 Feb 2000. 3 Mar 2008.

1 Peter 2:1-3 “Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit [guile – KJV], hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

It is interesting to note the definition of a few of these words that we may use, but not stop to think about what they actually mean.

Malice – 1. Desire to inflict injury, harm, or suffering on another, either because of a hostile impulse or out of deep-seated meanness: the malice and spite of a lifelong enemy.

“malice.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 01 Mar. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/malice>.

Envy – 1. A feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another’s advantages, success, possessions, etc.

“envy.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1). Random House, Inc. 01 Mar. 2008. <Dictionary.com http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/envy>.

The definition of envy is especially intriguing to me. I never really thought about what envy really is. Sure I “know” what envy is. It is bad, something you are not supposed to have. According to this definition it is a feeling of discontent when you see someone else that is better off. How easily we fall into this and perhaps not even know it.

2 “Like newborn babies, crave pure [sincere] spiritual milk [of the word – KJV], so that by it you may grow up in[to] your salvation, 3 if indeed [now that – NIV] you have tasted the Lord is good [gracious].”

As a result of all the preceding truth we must rid ourselves of ALL malice, ALL deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander; ALL being the key word. There is no place for any of those things in the life of God’s elect, those that are being sanctified by the Spirit and Sprinkled (purified) by the blood of Christ. If we’re to obey Christ these things cannot be present. One commentary I read also points out that this list of sins is a progression and they are all sins that go against the previously commanded brotherly love.

“The vices here are those which offend against the BROTHERLY LOVE inculcated above. Each succeeding one springs out of that which immediately precedes…Out of malice springs guile; out of guile, hypocrises (pretending to be what we are not, and not showing what we really are; the opposite of “love unfeigned,” and “without dissimulation”); out of hypocrisies, envies of those to whom we think ourselves obliged to play the hypocrite; out of envies, evil-speaking, malicious, envious detraction of others. Guile is the permanent disposition; hypocrisies the acts flowing from it. The guileless knows no envy. Compare 1Pe 2:2 , “sincere,” Greek, “guileless.” “Malice delights in another’s hurt; envy pines at another’s good; guile imparts duplicity to the heart; hypocrisy (flattery) imparts duplicity to the tongue; evil-speakings wound the character of another” [AUGUSTINE].”

How do we get rid of them? Not under our own power. Remember we’re being sanctified by work of the spirit and are purified by the blood of Christ! So we’re to crave pure spiritual truths rather than these sins. We are to crave them as a newborn baby desires milk. A baby may not fully understand why he wants or needs milk, but that does not lessen the intensity of his desire. So as babies we should desire these things, no matter if we understand fully at the time or not. They are ultimately for our growth. As we grow we can begin enjoying the milk more and understand more fully its composition, source, and function in our lives. Also, we can begin to chew on bigger and better Filet Mignon type truths, yet still relying on the milk to wash it down.

In the King James, the milk is described “as of the word.” The commentary I referred previously has this to say about that phrase:

“of the word–Not as ALFORD, “spiritual,” nor “reasonable,” as English Version in Rom 12:1 . The Greek “logos” in Scripture is not used of the reason, or mind, but of the WORD; the preceding context requires that “the word” should be meant here; the adjective “logikos” follows the meaning of the noun logos, “word.” Jam 1:21 , “Lay apart all filthiness . . . and receive with meekness the engrafted WORD,” is exactly parallel, and confirms English Version here.”

This is so we cannot be confused about what the milk actually is. It is the Word of God.

We are to grow up in our salvation as the ESV says. What does this mean? Perhaps understanding more fully what we have been saved from, our purpose now that we are saved, and understanding the loving God who saved us more and more. As we grow we understand more truth and as a result, love God more.

This last verse some what puzzles me. There has to be more hidden here. The NIV says, “now that…” while the ESV & KJV say something along the lines of “if…” Now to me these are quite different. When I looked up the words the KJV uses (Strong’s # 1512) if indeed, since and if after all were listed. Also, it is used in other places as thought, seeing, and if so be that. The commentaries I looked at said nothing of this part…interesting.

I looked up the definition of taste using the Strong’s number and found this: to feel, make trial of, experience. So when we taste these things we experience, we feel, we test that the Lord is good. And as Chuck Smith points out, it tastes just whets the appetite. So this taste of the Lord’s goodness just causes us to desire more.

Elsewhere in scripture we are commanded to taste of the Lord’s goodness:

“Psa 34:8 O taste and see that the LORD [is] good: blessed [is] the man [that] trusteth in him.”

Application

• Rid ourselves of all these sins that work against the brotherly love commanded in the previous passage. These are malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
• Crave the word, the pure, nourishing milk of God’s word.
• Drink the word and grow.
• Taste and see that the Lord is good.
• Experience His goodness.

 

“Whosoever has not tasted the word to him it is not sweet it has not reached the heart; but to them who have experienced it, who with the heart believe, ‘Christ has been sent for me and is become my own: my miseries are His, and His life mine,’ it tastes sweet” [LUTHER].

 

The commentary I referred to: Jamieson, Robert; A.R. Fausset; and David Brown. “The First Epistle General of Peter.” Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Blue Letter Bible. 19 Feb 2000. 

23 Since you have been born again not of perishable [corruptible – KJV] seed but of imperishable [incorruptible – KJV], through the living and abiding word of God;

24 For, “all men are like grass, and their Glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flower fall, 25 but the word of the Lord stands forever.” And this is the word [gospel – KJV or good news – ESV] that was preached to you. NIV

 

“3) In John, denotes the essential Word of God, Jesus Christ, the personal wisdom and power in union with God, his minister in creation and government of the universe, the cause of all the world’s life both physical and ethical, which for the procurement of man’s salvation put on human nature in the person of Jesus the Messiah, the second person in the Godhead, and shone forth conspicuously from His words and deeds.” Blue Letter Bible Lexicon

The rest of this will be posted soon….