New Testament Commentary - 1 Peter 1

by Don R. Hender

Scriptural Text [& Editorial]	Commentary & Explanation	Footnotes ~ References ~ JST
CHAPTER 1 The trial of our faith precedes salvation—Christ foreordained to be the Redeemer.	The trial or our testing precedes salvation—Christ was selected and foreordained by God the Father of Spirits, that is he was annointed in the premortal existance in connection with the councils in heaven; he was ordained to his calling or election and so empowered, to be the Redeemer and much more, including the Creator of temporal heaven and earth.
1 PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the ^astrangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 ^aElect according to the ^bforeknowledge of God the Father, through ^csanctification of the Spirit, unto ^dobedience and ^esprinkling of the ^fblood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant ^amercy hath ^bbegotten us again unto a ^clively ^bhope by the resurrection of ^eJesus Christ from the dead, 4 To an ^ainheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 5 Who are kept by the ^apower of God through ^bfaith unto salvation ^cready to be revealed in the last time.
6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a ^aseason, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold ^btemptations: 7 That the ^atrial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the ^bappearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet ^abelieving, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 9 Receiving the ^aend of your ^b faith, even the ^csalvation of your souls.
10 Of which ^asalvation the ^bprophets have enquired and searched diligently, who prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: 11 Searching what, or what manner of time the Spirit of Christ which was in them did signify, when it ^atestified beforehand the ^bsufferings of Christ, and the ^cglory that should follow. 12 Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have ^apreached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the ^bangels desire to look into.
13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be ^asober, and hope ^bto the end for the ^cgrace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ^a; 14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former ^alusts in your ^bignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye ^aholy in all manner of ^bconversation; 16 Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am ^aholy.	13^a the revelation of Jesus Christ The particular 'revelation of Jesus Christ' to each person envolves that special witness of the Holy Ghost and visitation of the Messiah which give the undeniable witness of the Lord. At that time the fulness of the grace of the Lord is brought unto us to the end of sanctification to that state to which we are to obtain. This is not to be confused with one's calling and election being made sure, but it is in fact a part of that process upon which we do by the grace of Christ become new men in Christ. Often this comes ' throughout a man's life by degrees but until the eventual full revelation of the Lord unto man, they are not perminant but only by the sanctification of the Holy Ghost unto eternal life in the consequence of time at the appropriate time and event. To most, the testimony and revealing of Christ comes line upon line and precept upon precept; thus step by step we may advance to the ultimate conclusion of final and seal redemption and reward.
17 And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's ^awork, pass the time of your sojourning here in ^bfear: 18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not ^aredeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your ^bvain conversation received by ^ctradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious ^ablood of Christ, as of a ^blamb without ^cblemish and without spot: 20 ^aWho verily was ^aforeordained before the foundation of the world^a, but was manifest in these last times for you, 21 Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him ^aglory; that your ^bfaith and ^chope might be in God.	20^a Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world Consider that God the Father did lay his hands upon the head of Jehovah, his selected and elected son, so called as the Redeeming Messiah. He ordained him by the power of priesthood ordination and anointed him as the Deliverer of mankind from the fall. In that ordination Jehovah's name became 'JESUS', that is 'Jehovah-Deliver' or 'Jehovah-Redeemper'. And by that 'new name' was Jehovah called from before the foundation of the earth. Jehovah was empowered with the power of God to the end that he would, under the direction of the Father, so create the temporal heaven and earth for the use of mankind during their testing and proving in their second estate. In short, Elohiem, God the Father of Spirits, did appoint and empower Jehovah to stand in His stead in all things, that he Jehovah would become the 'Ministering God' unto the second estate by, in, through and of the the name and power of the Father. For only those who do pertain unto this earth, this second estate, do minister unto it (D&C 130:5). Thus the Father chose one from among us, the spirit children of God who would come down to this second estate, to so minister unto us by in and through the name and power of the Father as our one and only true Ministering God; and that there was to be no other name or way given unto man whereby they might be so ministered the covenant and plan of salvation of God but by, in and through Jehovah, even Jesus the Christ.
22 Seeing ye have ^apurified your ^bsouls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned ^clove of the brethren, see that ye ^dlove one another with a pure heart fervently: 23 Being ^aborn again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and ^babideth for ever.
24 For all ^aflesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away: 25 But the ^aword of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.