1 Peter 1 Bible study: Born again to a living hope

The letter opens, "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the chosen ones who are living as foreigners in the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia," (1:1) (tap foreigners) "according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in sanctification of the Spirit, that you may obey Jesus Christ and be sprinkled with his blood: Grace to you and peace be multiplied." (1:2). It names one sender. These notes say nothing of this Peter, of the letter's readers, or of when or where it was written, beyond what the letter says; they explain 1:2 no further than its words; and they apply this chapter, "the chosen ones" and "the Dispersion" (1:1) included, to no reader, church, people or person today. Here is what almost everyone misses: behind foreigners in 1:1 is the Greek word that the WEB gives as pilgrims in "foreigners and pilgrims" (2:11).

Leviticus 11:45→leads to1 Peter 1:15-19

Leviticus ties the call to who the LORD is and what he did: "For I am the LORD who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (11:45). Peter writes to his readers, "just as he who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all of your behavior, because it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy'" (1 Peter 1:15-16). The call comes in nearly the same words in Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2 and 20:26, and Peter doesn't say which he quotes. In the WEB none matches his words exactly; the nearest is "You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:45), with one more word, and the others read "be holy; for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44), "You shall be holy; for I, the LORD your God, am holy" (Leviticus 19:2) and "You shall be holy to me, for I, the LORD, am holy" (Leviticus 20:26). Two verses on, he tells them to live "in reverent fear" (1 Peter 1:17), "knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things like silver or gold… but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ" (1 Peter 1:18-19). Peter says nothing about food; he asks for holiness "in all of your behavior" (1 Peter 1:15).

ἀναγεννάωanagennaosay an-ag-en-NAH-o

Strong's: "to beget or (by extension) bear (again)". "who according to his great mercy caused us to be born again to a living hope" (1:3): behind born again is this one verb, and behind born again in "having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible" (1:23). The New Testament has it only in these two verses (counted in RP2018, and in all eight editions TAGNT compares). These notes say no more of being born again than these verses do.