Brandon Nguyen

Verse 3

Εὐλογητὸς ὁ Θεὸς καὶ Πατὴρ τοῦ Κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὁ κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος ἀναγεννήσας ἡμᾶς εἰς ἐλπίδα ζῶσαν δι᾽ ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν is a verse of praise to the living God, revealing the relationship between the Father and the Son. A similar doxological statement is found in Ephesians 1:3, though written by Paul the Apostle. Jesus Christ is Lord. ἔλεος (mercy) is defined as a form of compassion where God withholds punishment from the unjust. κατὰ τὸ πολὺ αὐτοῦ ἔλεος shows us how, according to His great mercy, we are born again, and through faith receive the forgiveness of sins. To ἀναγεννάω (be born again) means that God, according to His will, imparts new spiritual life to a sinner, enabling him to repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior through the power of the Holy Spirit. And this is because of the ἀναστάσεως Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐκ νεκρῶν. If Christ did not rise from the dead, then our faith is in vain and we are still under the bondage of our sins. But praise God that Christ did rise from the dead.

Verse 4

κληρονομίαν (inheritance) refers to a gift that is received, not earned. God has promised us an inheritance of the blessing of salvation and being in full communion with Him forever. Our inheritance is eternal. Peter uses three words to describe this: ἀφθαρτον, καὶ ἀμίαντον, and ἀμάραντον.

• ἀφθαρτον (imperishable): Our inheritance cannot be taken away by death. It will never die. It cannot decay.
• καὶ ἀμίαντον (undefiled): Our inheritance is pure and unstained from sin. Our inheritance is completely set apart from the influences of sin. It is not contaminated with sin.
• ἀμάραντον (unfading): The glory of our inheritance will never fade away. It will never lose its value. The beauty and delight of our inheritance will never wither.

This inheritance is waiting for us in heaven, τετηρημένην ἐν οὐρανοῖς εἰς ὑμᾶς. In a world where things are indeed perishable, where there is so much death and loss, where things are defiled, where there is so much sin, impurity, and disgust, and where things fade away, where there is a time for everything to wither away (even the earth itself groans under corruption, waiting to be purified and restored), we can still look forward to the eternal inheritance in heaven, which will surpass everything we will experience on this earth.

Verse 5

This inheritance is guarded by God, and nothing can ever take it away. It is not through our own strength or wisdom, but God's alone. The eternal security of our salvation is all from God alone, not from us. Jesus even declares that He will give us eternal life so that we may never perish, and that nothing can take us out of the Father's hand. He will hold us fast.

We are also kept by God's power through πίστις (faith), a faith which the Holy Spirit sustains within us. On the final day, ἑτοίμην ἀποκαλυφθῆναι ἐν καιρῷ ἐσχάτῳ, God will manifest and reveal His glorious salvation, no longer hidden but fully visible. And on that day, our faith shall become sight, and we shall possess forever what we now currently hold in hope!