📖WEB · 1 Peter 1:21
What does 1 Peter 1:21 mean?
"who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God."
— 1 Peter 1:21 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
knowing that you were redeemed, not with corruptible things, with silver or gold, from the useless way of life handed down from your fathers,
but with precious blood, as of a lamb without blemish or spot, the blood of Christ;
who was foreknown indeed before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in this last age for your sake,
who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead, and gave him glory; so that your faith and hope might be in God.
Seeing you have purified your souls in your obedience to the truth through the Spirit in sincere brotherly affection, love one another from the heart fervently:
having been born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which lives and remains forever.
For, “All flesh is like grass, and all of man’s glory like the flower in the grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls;
Explanation
1 Peter 1:21 speaks about believers who come to trust in God through Jesus Christ, emphasizing that this same God raised Jesus from the dead and glorified him. The verse concludes by stating the purpose of this divine action: so that our faith and hope would rest firmly in God himself. In plain language, Peter is saying that our relationship with God has been made possible through Christ, and the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus serve as the foundation that secures our confidence in God.
This letter was written by the apostle Peter to Christians scattered throughout Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey), believers who were facing suffering, persecution, and social alienation for their faith. Peter writes to encourage them, reminding them of the great salvation they have received and urging them toward holy living despite hardship. This particular verse falls within a larger passage (1 Peter 1:18-21) where Peter reminds his readers of the costly nature of their redemption—not through perishable things like silver or gold, but through the precious blood of Christ, who was foreknown before the world's foundation and revealed in these last times for their sake.
Theologically, this verse ties together several crucial threads: the mediating role of Christ in bringing people to God, the resurrection as the vindicating and glorifying act of God the Father, and the resulting assurance believers can have. Peter emphasizes that Christian faith is not a vague spirituality but is anchored in a historical event—the resurrection of Jesus—and in God's action of exalting him. Because God raised and glorified Jesus,
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