I Peter 1:23; Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,

I does seem you have confused the word of God for the new birth with the resurrection body.

 

This 1 Peter 1 is one of my favorite chapters in the whole Bible. It is a chapter that combines the living word of God and the written word of God in one context and treats them as equals, which of course they are.

To appreciate this chapter and what we learn from it, one must understand to whom this epistle is addressed, and identify them.

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia,

Strangers? who are they? I am going to the first appearance of the word in the KJV to answer this question;

Gen 31:14 And Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him, Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father's house?
15 Are we not counted of him strangers? for he hath sold us, and hath quite devoured also our money.
16 For all the riches which God hath taken from our father, that is ours, and our children's: now then, whatsoever God hath said unto thee, do.

There it is. A stranger is someone who has lost their inheritance. So we have both aspects in the early sentences of this letter. These people in 1 Peter are "strangers" and have been cut off from the inheritance of their Father Abraham's house (family). But, they receive a new birth with a new Father through Jesus Christ the Lord, and in him they have an inheritance. While their inheritance under the Abrahamic Covenant was "land" and was physical and earthly, the inheritance as children of God is heavenly and spiritual and sure. Look at this;

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
5 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

So, this inheritance is reserved in heaven for these strangers who have lost their inheritance but have been born into a new family where they have a secure and incorruptible inheritance and it cannot fade away.

So, when did these people loose their inheritance and become strangers in a strange land?

It actually happened in 722 BC when the norther nation of Israel, ten tribes, were cursed by God and cut off from the covenants and driven out of their land by the Assyrians. Here was the awful thing that God said to them when he sent his prophet Hosea to them to tell them about what was going to happen to them because of their unrepentant sins.

2 The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord.
3 So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.
4 And the Lord said unto him, Call his name Jezreel; for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel.
5 And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel, in the valley of Jezreel.
6 And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away.
7 But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen.

8 Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son.

9 Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (The name Loammi means not my people)


10 Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

The part that I have put in bold requires a new birth into a new family. None of Abrahams offspring through Jacob are called the children of God. But, those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ are all children of God. The new birth is the only way one can be a child of God. God makes a big deal out of being born again as he speaks to these strangers. We learn that the covenant promises were kept alive through Judah.

Ga 2:7 But contrariwise, when they saw that the gospel of the uncircumcision was committed unto me, as the gospel of the circumcision was unto Peter;
8 (For he that wrought effectually in Peter to the apostleship of the circumcision, the same was mighty in me toward the Gentiles
9 And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision.

Peter ministered primarily to the circumcision. That is who these strangers are.

There is so much to know but in order to rightly divide these epistles and keep oneself from error, one must know this book. There are so many wonderful truths to know from this chapter and this epistle. One must know this in order to understand Romans 9, because it is these people that are in view when Paul makes this following statement;

Romans 9 is in an Israelite context and so is the Jewish Christian epistles, especially 1 and 2 Peter.

Rom 9:3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh:
4 Who are Israelites; to whom pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises;
5 Whose are the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came, who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.
6 Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:
7 Neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they all children: but, In Isaac shall thy seed be called.
8 That is, They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God: but the children of the promise are counted for the seed.
9 For this is the word of promise, At this time will I come, and Sarah shall have a son.
10 And not only this; but when Rebecca also had conceived by one, even by our father Isaac;
11 (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth)
12 It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.
13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
14 What shall we say then? Is there unrighteousness with God? God forbid.
15 For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.
16 So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy.

Still speaking to Israel in Hosea 2, God says;

Ho 2:23 And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

23 And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory,
24 Even us, whom he hath called, not of the Jews only, but also of the Gentiles?
25 As he saith also in Osee, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
26 And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
27 Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:
28 For he will finish the work, and cut it short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.
29 And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha.

These strangers are of the very small remnant who gets saved in this age.

1 Peter is probably inexhaustible and I might be back to tell some more about what I have learned from it.