1 Peter 1:3

An Understandable Version (2005 edition)

God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is to be praised for being so merciful as to have given us a new birth, which provides for us a hope of never ending life through the means of Jesus Christ’s return from the dead.

Cross References

John 1:13

[Such people] were born of God, not of blood ties [i.e., from physical descendants], nor of the will of the flesh [i.e., merely from a sexual desire], nor of the will of man [i.e., from a husband’s desire for offspring].

Romans 12:12

Be joyful as you hope [i.e., for future blessings]. Persevere in spite of the troubles you experience. Continue steadfastly in prayer.

Romans 15:13

May God, [the source] of hope, fill you with complete joy and peace as you believe [in Christ], so that you may have an abundance of hope in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 4:25

[This] Jesus was delivered up [to die] for our sins and was raised [from the dead] to make us right with God.

Romans 5:10

And not only is this true, but we also rejoice in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have been restored to fellowship with God.

Romans 8:11

But if the Spirit of God, who raised up Jesus from the dead, lives in your hearts, [then] that One [i.e., God] who raised up Christ Jesus from the dead, will restore life to your mortal bodies also, through [the power of] God’s Spirit who lives in your hearts.

Romans 8:24

For in [this] hope we were saved [i.e., we received the hope of future blessings]; but if we [already] see what we hope for, it is not [really] hope. For who hopes for what he [already] sees?

1 Corinthians 13:13

But now [i.e., since the temporary gifts are to pass away], these three things remain: faith, hope and love; and the most important of them is love.

1 Corinthians 15:20

But now Christ has been raised up from the dead; [He is] the first fruits of those who have died. [Note: By “first fruits” is meant the first installment of the crop which promises the entire harvest eventually].

2 Corinthians 1:3

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Father of compassionate feelings and the God of all comfort, be praised.

Galatians 6:16

To all those people who live by this rule, may there be peace and mercy [from God] in their lives; that is, upon [those people who are truly] God’s “Israel” [i.e., the church].

Ephesians 1:17

that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, will give you a spirit [i.e., a disposition] of wisdom and revelation [or, “give you the spiritual gifts of wisdom and revelation”], so you can have full knowledge of God.

Ephesians 1:3

May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be praised, for He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms in [fellowship with] Christ. [Note: The phrase “heavenly realms” is used somewhat differently throughout this book. Here it refers to Christians as part of the church on earth].

Ephesians 1:7

In [fellowship with] Christ we have redemption [i.e., we have been bought back from Satan] through His blood, and have forgiveness of sins according to the abundance of God’s unearned favor,

Ephesians 2:4

But God, who has great love for us and abundant mercy [toward us],

Ephesians 3:20

May there be to God, who is able to do infinitely more [for us] than we could [even] ask or think, according to [His] power at work in us ---

Colossians 1:23

[This will happen] if you continue in the faith [Note: This means either “continue to observe God’s teaching” or, “continue to believe”], firmly grounded and established, and not moved away from the hope offered by the Gospel message, which you have heard and which was preached to people throughout the entire created world under heaven. I, Paul, was made a minister of this Gospel.

Colossians 1:27

He was pleased to make known to these people the wealth of His splendor among the Gentiles; this hidden secret, which is Christ among you, [is] the hope of being honored [i.e., in heaven].

1 Thessalonians 1:3

We continually remember, in the presence of our God and Father, the work produced by your faith, the labor prompted by your love, and your endurance motivated by your hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4:13

But we want you to be informed, brothers, concerning those who have fallen asleep [in death] so that you do not grieve, as other people do [i.e., the unsaved], who have no hope.

2 Thessalonians 2:16

Now, may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us never ending encouragement and good hope through [His] unearned favor,

1 Timothy 1:14

[But] the unearned favor of our Lord was given to me in great abundance, producing faith and love which are [found] in [the fellowship of] Christ Jesus.

Titus 2:13

while looking forward to the blessed hope [i.e., the hope that produces blessings] and the coming splendor of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 3:6

but Christ [was faithful] as a Son over God’s household. And we [Christians] are that household, if we hold on to our confidence [in Christ], and to the boasting [i.e., joy] of our hope [in God], firmly to the end [of our lives].

James 1:18

It was God’s purpose to bring us into being [spiritually] by the message of truth, so that we could become a kind of “first fruits” of those He created. [Note: “First fruits” here suggests either that Christians are the best of all of God’s creatures (Num. 18:12), or that they were the first to be converted, with many more to come].

1 Peter 1:13

So, gather your thoughts together for action, take control of yourselves and focus your hope completely on God’s unearned favor, which will be brought to you by Jesus Christ when He returns.

1 Peter 1:21

[It is] through Christ, whom God raised from the dead and honored, that you people have become believers in God, so that your faith and hope could rest in God.

1 Peter 1:23

You have experienced new birth, not from seed that can decay, but from seed that cannot decay, through the living and enduring word of God.

1 Peter 2:2

[So], like newly born babies, you should desire the genuine, spiritual milk [i.e., God’s word. See Heb. 5:12-13], so that by it you may grow toward [final] salvation,

1 Peter 3:15

But instead, set aside a place in your hearts where Christ is [in full control as] Lord, and be prepared always to give a suitable reply to every person who asks you for a reason why you have an inner hope. But [be sure you do it] in a meek and respectful way, however.

1 Peter 3:21

This water prefigured immersion [into Christ], which now also saves you, not by removing dirt from the [physical] body, but [by serving] as an appeal [or, “pledge”] to God for a clear conscience through the raising of Jesus Christ from the dead.

1 Peter 3:5

For this is the way holy women in ancient times decorated themselves. Their hope was in God and they were known for being in subjection to their own husbands.

1 John 2:29

If you know that Christ is [truly] righteous [verse 1], then you should also know that everyone who does what is right has been [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God [See 5:18].

1 John 3:3

And every person who has set his hope on this [i.e., of being like Jesus], will live [as] purely [as possible], just as He [i.e., Jesus Himself] is pure.

1 John 3:9

No one who has been [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God continues to live a sinful life, because God’s seed [i.e., His word, See Luke 8:11] continues to live in his heart, so he cannot [continue a life of] sin, because he has been conceived by God.

1 John 4:7

Loved ones, we should have love for one another, because love comes from [the very nature of] God, and every person who [continually] loves [others] has been [spiritually] conceived by God [See 2:29; 3:9], and knows [he is in fellowship with] God.

1 John 5:1

Every person who believes that Jesus is the Christ [i.e., God’s specially chosen one] has been [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God. And everyone who [continually] loves God, who did the conceiving, also [must continually] love the person whom God has [spiritually] conceived.

1 John 5:18

We know that every person who has been [spiritually] conceived by God [and eventually born] does not continue in [a life of] sin, but God’s only conceived One [i.e., His Son] keeps him [from continuing to sin], and the evil one [i.e., Satan] does not continue to touch him [i.e., continue to control his life].

1 John 5:4

For whoever [Note: The Greek says “whatever”] is [spiritually] conceived [and eventually born] by God will overcome [the evil influence of] the world. And this is [how] that victory can be gained over the world: [It is through] our faith [in God].