Expositor's Bible Commentary Commentary 1 Peter 1:23

"having been begotten again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, through the word of God, which liveth and abideth." — 1 Peter 1:23 (ASV)

Peter now expresses the second reason for Christians to love others: “you have been born again.” This phrase stresses the state into which Christians come at conversion. What is the “seed” that gives the new birth? Though some connect it with baptism and others with the seed of divine life, it is best explained as the life-giving message about Jesus’ death and resurrection. That is, the new birth comes through the living and abiding word of God. By the “word” (GK 3364), Peter probably means “God’s self-revelation,” which would include both his spoken and written message. God’s word is living because it imparts life (cf. Psalms 33:9; Isaiah 55:10–11; Hebrews 4:12). It endures because the God who speaks it is the eternal, faithful, powerful One who keeps his promises.