1 Peter

1 Peter. The First Epistle General of Peter

^1:1Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect who are sojourners of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, ^1:2according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace to you and peace be multiplied. ^1:3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to his great mercy begat us again unto a living hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ^1:4unto an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, ^1:5who by the power of God are guarded through faith unto a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ^1:6Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, ye have been put to grief in manifold trials, ^1:7that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold that perisheth though it is proved by fire, may be found unto praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ: ^1:8whom not having seen ye love; on whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice greatly with joy unspeakable and full of glory: ^1:9receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. ^1:10Concerning which salvation the prophets sought and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: ^1:11searching what time or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did point unto, when it testified beforehand the sufferings of Christ, and the glories that should follow them. ^1:12To whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto you, did they minister these things, which now have been announced unto you through them that preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent forth from heaven; which things angel desire to look into. ^1:13Wherefore girding up the loins of your mind, be sober and set your hope perfectly on the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; ^1:14as children of obedience, not fashioning yourselves according to your former lusts in the time of your ignorance: ^1:15but like as he who called you is holy, be ye yourselves also holy in all manner of living; ^1:16because it is written, Ye shall be holy; for I am holy. ^1:17And if ye call on him as Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to each man's work, pass the time of your sojourning in fear: ^1:18knowing that ye were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from your vain manner of life handed down from your fathers; ^1:19but with precious blood, as of a lamb without spot, even the blood of Christ: ^1:20who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was manifested at the end of times for your sake, ^1:21who through him are believers in God, that raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God. ^1:22Seeing ye have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth unto unfeigned love of the brethren, love one another from the heart fervently: ^1:23having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth. ^1:24For, All flesh is as grass, And all the glory thereof as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower falleth: ^1:25But the word of the Lord abideth for ever. And this is the word of good tidings which was preached unto you.

^2:1Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, ^2:2as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; ^2:3if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious: ^2:4unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, ^2:5ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ^2:6Because it is contained in scripture,

 Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious:

 And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

^2:7For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve,

 The stone which the builders rejected,

 The same was made the head of the corner;

^2:8and,

 A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence;

for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. ^2:9But ye are a elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: ^2:10who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. ^2:11Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lust, which war against the soul; ^2:12having your behavior seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. ^2:13Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether to the king, as supreme; ^2:14or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. ^2:15For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: ^2:16as free, and not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. ^2:17Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. ^2:18Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. ^2:19For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. ^2:20For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. ^2:21For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: ^2:22who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: ^2:23who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: ^2:24who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. ^2:25For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

^3:1In like manner, ye wives, be in subjection to your won husbands; that, even if any obey not the word, they may without the word be gained by the behavior of their wives; ^3:2beholding your chaste behavior coupled with fear. ^3:3Whose adorning let it not be the outward adorning of braiding the hair, and of wearing jewels of gold, or of putting on apparel; ^3:4but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in the incorruptible apparel of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. ^3:5For after this manner aforetime the holy women also, who hoped in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection to their own husbands: ^3:6as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose children ye now are, if ye do well, and are not put in fear by any terror. ^3:7Ye husbands, in like manner, dwell with your wives according to knowledge, giving honor unto the woman, as unto the weaker vessel, as being also joint-heirs of the grace of life; to the end that your prayers be not hindered. ^3:8Finally, be ye all likeminded, compassionate, loving as brethren, tenderhearted, humbleminded: ^3:9not rendering evil for evil, or reviling for reviling; but contrariwise blessing; for hereunto were ye called, that ye should inherit a blessing. ^3:10For,

 He that would love life,

 And see good days,

 Let him refrain his tongue from evil,

 And his lips that they speak no guile:

 ^3:11And let him turn away from evil, and do good;

 Let him seek peace, and pursue it.

 ^3:12For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,

 And his ears unto their supplication:

 But the face of the Lord is upon them that do evil.

^3:13And who is he that will harm you, if ye be zealous of that which is good? ^3:14But even if ye should suffer for righteousness' sake, blessed are ye: and fear not their fear, neither be troubled; ^3:15but sanctify in your hearts Christ as Lord: being ready always to give answer to every man that asketh you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, yet with meekness and fear: ^3:16having a good conscience; that, wherein ye are spoken against, they may be put to shame who revile your good manner of life in Christ. ^3:17For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well-doing than for evil-doing. ^3:18Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; ^3:19in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, ^3:20that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: ^3:21which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ; ^3:22who is one the right hand of God, having gone into heaven; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.

^4:1Forasmuch then as Christ suffered in the flesh, arm ye yourselves also with the same mind; for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; ^4:2that ye no longer should live the rest of your time in flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God. ^4:3For the time past may suffice to have wrought the desire of the Gentiles, and to have walked in lasciviousness, lusts, winebibbings, revellings, carousings, and abominable idolatries: ^4:4wherein they think strange that ye run not with them into the same excess of riot, speaking evil of of: ^4:5who shall give account to him that is ready to judge the living and the dead. ^4:6For unto this end was the gospel preached even to the dead, that they might be judged indeed according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit. ^4:7But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore of sound mind, and be sober unto prayer: ^4:8above all things being fervent in your love among yourselves; for love covereth a multitude of sins: ^4:9using hospitality one to another without murmuring: ^4:10according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God; ^4:11if any man speaketh, speaking as it were oracles of God; is any man ministereth, ministering as of the strength which God supplieth: that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, whose is the glory and the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ^4:12Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial among you, which cometh upon you to prove you, as though a strange thing happened unto you: ^4:13but insomuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings, rejoice; that at the revelation of his glory also ye may rejoice with exceeding joy. ^4:14If ye are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are ye; because the Spirit of glory and the Spirit of God resteth upon you. ^4:15For let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or an evil-doer, or as a meddler in other men's matters: ^4:16but if a man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God in this name. ^4:17For the time is come for judgment to begin at the house of God: and if it begin first at us, what shall be the end of them that obey not the gospel of God? ^4:18And if the righteous is scarcely saved, where shall the ungodly and sinner appear? ^4:19Wherefore let them also that suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing unto a faithful Creator.

^5:1The elders among you I exhort, who am a fellow-elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, who am also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: ^5:2Tend the flock of God which is among you, exercising the oversight, not of constraint, but willingly, according to the will of God; nor yet for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; ^5:3neither as lording it over the charge allotted to you, but making yourselves ensamples to the flock. ^5:4And when the chief Shepherd shall be manifested, ye shall receive the crown of glory that fadeth not away. ^5:5Likewise, ye younger, be subject unto the elder. Yea, all of you gird yourselves with humility, to serve one another: for God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble. ^5:6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time; ^5:7casting all your anxiety upon him, because he careth for you. ^5:8Be sober, be watchful: your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour, ^5:9whom withstand stedfast in your faith, knowing that the same sufferings are accomplished in your brethren who are in the world. ^5:10And the God of all grace, who called you unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. ^5:11To him be the dominion for ever and ever. Amen. ^5:12By Silvanus, our faithful brother, as I account him, I have written unto you briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand ye fast therein. ^5:13She that is in Babylon, elect together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Mark my son. ^5:14Salute one another with a kiss of love. Peace be unto you all that are in Christ.

Early Christian Writings is copyright © Peter Kirby <E-Mail>.