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The New Community

Gramps49Gramps49 Shipmate
in Kerygmania
1 Peter 1:17-23 describes the new community established by the Lord.

Since we have a number of faith traditions on this board a question: what does it mean to be born anew through the living and enduring word of God (v23)?

Is Peter echoing the Johannine new birth language?

How do you think the early Christians understood spiritual rebirth?

Comments

  • jay_emmjay_emm Kerygmania Host
    Jesus and Nicodemus was definitely the first thing that came to mind.
    When I checked the verses in the NLT, it even has born again (which would have made me more likely to lock into that even I hadn't anyway).

    The writer rockets through his metaphors. And many of them are not unique.

    I guess there's 4 and a bit options:
    'Peter'* just had a similar idea
    'Peter' is echoing John consciousnessly.
    (Or even "Peter"** was first)
    Peter*** is directly thinking of the actual challenge of Jesus.
    There's an old testament or Jewish tradition all three refer to.

    All seem plausible to me, at first sight.

    *The basic principle works with the writer being Peter, and works with anonymous writer. You decide.
    ** Works better with the writer not being Peter.
    *** Works better with the writer being Peter

    --
    In this passage there definitely seems a theme if a new start (more so than I. John). Leaning from scratch. Craving spiritual milk.

  • Gamma GamalielGamma Gamaliel Shipmate
    Back in my evangelical days I used to wonder how St Ignatius of Antioch could have claimed to have followed Christ for 80-odd years or however long it was.

    How old would he have been when he was 'born again.'

    It now looks to me that the early Church believed in 'baptismal regeneration'.

    These days, though, I tend not to get too hung up on the precise 'point' when someone is 'regenerated' or 'converted' or 'born again' or whatever term we use to describe it.

    'By their fruits ye shall know them.'

    And, 'The Lord knows who are his.'

    We are all work in progress.

    I hasten to add that I wouldn't consider Salvationists and others who don't practice baptism as not being Christians.

    But I think it's pretty clear from what I understand of the Patristic witness that baptism was seen as regenerative back in the early days.
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