1 Peter 1:23 Meaning and Explanation
“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Our new life began from a seed that cannot die: the living, lasting word of God.
The Context of 1 Peter 1:23
Peter has just urged believers to love one another deeply (verse 22), and here he tells them why they can: they share a new birth. He reaches for the image of a seed, the small thing from which life springs, to explain where their changed lives came from and why this life will last.
What Does 1 Peter 1:23 Mean?
Peter says we have been 'born again,' given a second beginning, and he traces it to a seed. Earthly seed is 'corruptible'; it sprouts, withers, and passes, like the grass he describes a verse later. The seed of our new life is 'incorruptible,' carrying a life that does not fade. That seed is 'the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.' God's word is alive and full of power, and it plants life in those who receive it. The same word that spoke creation into being now speaks new life into us.
There is deep comfort in where our new life comes from. A life born of a perishable thing would share its weakness, but a life born of God's living, lasting word shares its permanence. And this word is finally a Person: Christ is the living Word, and the gospel of Him is the seed that took root in us. Because the seed cannot die, the life it gave cannot finally die either. What God has begun in us is as enduring as His own everlasting word.
1 Peter 1:23 in the Original Language
aphthartos (ἄφθαρτος), 'incorruptible' -- imperishable, not subject to decay, carrying a life that cannot wither or die.
How to Apply 1 Peter 1:23 Today
The life God has begun in us sprang from something solid and enduring: His own living and lasting word. Because that seed cannot die, the new life it gave is held by something as enduring as God Himself, and we can rest in how secure that makes us.
Frequently Asked Questions About 1 Peter 1:23
What does 1 Peter 1:23 mean?
Our new life began from a seed that cannot die: the living, lasting word of God.
What is the context of 1 Peter 1:23?
Peter has just urged believers to love one another deeply (verse 22), and here he tells them why they can: they share a new birth. He reaches for the image of a seed, the small thing from which life springs, to explain where their changed lives came from and why this life will last.
How can I apply 1 Peter 1:23 today?
The life God has begun in us sprang from something solid and enduring: His own living and lasting word. Because that seed cannot die, the new life it gave is held by something as enduring as God Himself, and we can rest in how secure that makes us.