Born through the Word of God

The souls of the elect have been cleansed from sin’s defilement at the very moment they obeyed the truth. The truth is the word of God delivered by the Holy Spirit (John 17:17; 16:13). To fail to obey that truth is to perish (2 Thessalonians 2:10-13; verse 14 tells us we are called to belief of the truth by the gospel). One of the purposes of Christians’ purification was the production of love of the brethren that was true, or not hypocritical. Such love will come out of a pure heart with the greatest effort behind it, which is the meaning of fervently (1 Peter 1:22).

Purification takes place in the new birth through the word of God (Luke 8:11; James 1:18). Babies are born of corruptible seed, as are all fleshly and physical things, but Christians are born of a seed that will never perish, God’s word (compare John 3:1-7). It is alive in the sense that it is always active and is able to give life. It abides in that it will never perish (1 Peter 1:23; Matthew 24:35).

Everything in this world is temporary, though one would never know it by observing the way people live grasping for everything they can find. Peter uses a quote which comes from Isaiah 40:6-8. Clearly, Christians are surrounded by things that are temporary. All flesh will die as surely as grass goes from green to brown in the fall and winter months. All of man’s greatness and his achievements will fall away like the flowers do. In contrast, the Lord’s word is permanent. That word is the good news God’s people preach. Part of what makes it good is its lasting value versus the temporary good of things and accomplishments in this life (1 Peter 1:24-25).

Christians are born again by the word of God which lasts forever. They therefore should put off from themselves, or renounce, the sins Peter names. Kelcy says the word translated “laying aside” means “‘put off’ and was used of the literal act of taking off clothes.” It is good to think of these sins as filthy, stinking clothes that one would take off and throw away. “Malice” is ill will or the desire to injure others, according to Thayer. He says “guile” is “a lure, snare; hence craft, deceit.” “Hypocrisy” is a word describing one who pretends to be something he is not. “Envy” is descriptive of one who does not like to see any good come into anyone else’s life. Such a person is still very much self-centered.

One who speaks against others to ruin their reputations or to cause others to think less of someone else, is involved in “evil speaking.” The same Greek word is translated “backbitings” in 2 Corinthians 12:20. The word “all,” which Peter uses three times in this verse, means all kinds of the thing described. All the sins described here work directly against brotherly love (1:22) and are of a worldly, or corruptible seed (1 Peter 2:1).

Having emptied their lives of the above, Christians should vigorously and repeatedly seek the milk of the word, just as a baby cries for milk, his only source of food. Christians are babies in the gospel (see 1:23). At the end of 1 Peter 2:2, the American Standard Version reads, “that ye may grow thereby unto salvation.” Thus, the Christians’ longing for and feeding on the word causes them to grow in Christ toward the final purpose of a home in heaven.

“If” in 1 Peter 2:3 does not express any doubt, but is a statement of fact. Peter’s words come from Psalm 34:8 as it appears in the LXX, or Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. New born babes in Christ find the milk of the word tastes good and produces good results. We should strive to maintain a strong desire for God’s truth.