I PETER 1.23 (ELDER MIKAL SMITH)

A short but excellent article on this important subject! - ed.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

…the context also bears witness in the following verse that a distinction is made between the spoken word and the true word of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Does the phrase "word of God" here refer to the Bible. I do believe that the Scriptures will abide forever because it is the inspired word of God. However, this is not referring to the Scriptures. The "word of God" in this passage is referring to the Lord Jesus Christ. 

First, We are not born again by the Bible nor the preaching of it, but by Jesus Christ who has been given power over all flesh to give life to as many as has been given to him. And this he does by the immediate work of the Holy Spirit who blows whether soever it listeth. 

Second, we know this is not the bible because of the context in which we find this phrase. The incorruptible seed is the life of Christ that has been planted within the vessel of Clay. It is him and him alone that causes us to be born again by the giving of his life, that life that we had that was hidden in Christ with God before the world began. It is eternal life. 

Thirdly, the context also bears witness in the following verse that a distinction is made between the spoken word and the true word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Notice if you would:

1 Peter 1:25

But the word of the Lord endureth forever. And this is the word WHICH BY THE GOSPEL is preached unto you.

The phrase "word of God" is defined here in verse 25. It is that which is preached by the gospel. Do you see the distinction? The distinction between the word and the gospel. The gospel is the good news about the word. Not the word meaning the Bible, but the word meaning Jesus Christ himself. By the Gospel, we preach Jesus Christ, The incorruptible seed which lives and abideth forever. 

Scripture tells us that the gospel is given to bring life and immortality to light. That means to the one who already has life the message of the gospel is the message of what has already happened to them by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a manifesting of an already existing truth. 

Many think they have life by searching the Scriptures, but it is the Scriptures that TESTIFY the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is him and him alone who gives life it is him and him alone who liveth and abideth forever. 

May we always magnify the Lord Jesus Christ! 

Mikal Smith