1 Peter 2:21
“For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Believers are called to this kind of suffering, following the example Christ left in his own suffering.
What Does 1 Peter 2:21 Mean?
Peter now names the pattern behind everything he has said: Christ himself suffered for them, and in suffering left an example to follow. This is not a detour from the Christian life but part of its calling.
The image is of footprints to walk in. The Lord went first along the road of innocent suffering, and his people are invited to set their feet where his have been. What might feel like meaningless pain is transformed into following Christ. Peter ennobles the servant's hardship by joining it to the path of the Lord himself, who walked it ahead of them and for them.
In the Original Language
hypogrammos (ὑπογραμμός), 'example' -- a writing-copy or pattern traced over, a model to follow line by line.