The passage
      v13. The "therefore" maintains the link between an exhortation for holy living and the grace of God in salvation. Peter has proclaimed the gospel of God's grace and now he calls on his readers to be what they are. His exhortations are very practical. "Prepare your minds for action", ie. work to understand the truth of God's revelation. Also, "set your hope fully on the grace to be given you", ie. rely on the glory that is to come.
      v14. "Do not conform". Don't be shaped by the transient nature of this age. The phrase, "As obedient children", is probably better, "children of obedience." We are not necessarily obedient, but we do, through the indwelling Spirit, possess a pervasive inclination toward obedience, along with our righteous standing "in Christ."
      v15-16. "Be holy, because I am holy", cf. Ex.6:6, 19:3f.
      v17 Although Peter describes God as our "Father", he reminds us that he is also the one who "judges each man's work."
      v18-19. The redemption-price paid by God is the life of the Messiah, the suffering servant. The price is "without blemish or defect." It is a perfect "blood" offering. The Old Testament Passover and sacrificial imagery are quite strong in this passage.
      v20. The Messiah, who is to redeem God's people out of bondage, was "chosen" to fulfill this task even before the creation of the world. All this took place in "these last times" (these last days), the age when the history of humanity finds its consummation.
      v21. Through Jesus the Messiah, we can believe "in God." The "in" here means "into", or "toward" - Jesus enables us to approach God. This God has raised Jesus and glorified him. Through Jesus he will do the same for us, so our trust and eternal hope are in him.
      v22. Given that Peter's readers have committed themselves to the gospel and are even now being renewed by the indwelling Spirit of Christ, they should stretch themselves in the business of brotherly love.
      v23. We "have been born again" of an "imperishable" seed. On this basis let us rid ourselves of "all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind." Peter's exhortation to love in v22 follows their having obeyed the truth. This obviously means their having believed the gospel. Thus "purified" and "born again" (forgiven and quickened) they can now love. This gospel, "the living and enduring word of God", is an "imperishable seed" which gives life to those who believe in it.
      v24-25. The things of this world fade; they are transitory. "The word of the Lord stands forever".
      2:1. Thus, forgiven and enlivened through the gospel, Peter encourages his readers to get rid of all kinds of evil conduct: deceit, hypocrisy, envy and evil-speaking.
      v2. By applying our energy to a reasonable and pure life-style, we prepare ourselves for our participation in eternity.
      v3. Having tasted eternity in Christ, we press toward the goal, prepared by our daily living for him.

Christian Counter-culture
      Christianity is counter-culture. The way of Christ is apart from, and often opposed to, the culture of the secular city. As the apostle Peter puts it, we should "live as strangers here." Yet, we often find ourselves drifting toward the profane. So, Peter encourages his readers to holy living in an unholy environment.

      1. A call to holy living, v13-16. "Be holy in all you do." God is a holy God; He is moral, kind and loving. He desires his people to be as he is, and in Christ we are that way (we possess the righteousness of Christ) and are being made that way. We, therefore, are to cooperate with the renewing work of the indwelling Spirit of Christ as he shapes us into the image of our holy God.
      Peter gives us some practical steps to this end. First, he calls on us to think Christianly. We develop a Christian mind-set through the constant study of God's Word. Second, "be self-controlled." Third, keep an eye on eternity. Substance is found there; here life is transitory.

      2. A call to fear God, v17-21. Peter gets us to visualize the God of Israel's wilderness journey - the mighty, powerful, redeeming God. He is the one we serve and if we are to live a life honouring to him, rather than be conformed to this age, we need to keep his awesomeness before us. We don't need to be afraid of him, just awe-struck.

      3. A call to love, v22-2:3. Peter encourages us to "love one another deeply, from the heart." Interestingly, he makes the point that his readers already "have sincere love" for the brotherhood, and this as a consequence of their response to the gospel. Still, he calls on them to realize that love. We must do it practically, setting aside "deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander."
      Finally, what is the purpose of this striving? In simple terms, the struggle prepares us for glory. We "grow up" in our salvation, 2:2.

v13
      anazwsamenoi (anazwnumi) aor. part. "prepare" - girding up, tying up ones robes ready for work. The NIV treats the participle as imperatival. Here, pulling together the loose ends of ones thinking.
      dianoiaV (a) "mind" - thinking
      nhfonteV (nhfw) pres. part. "self-controlled" - being well-balanced
      teleiwV adv. "fully" - absolutely. Adverb
      feromenhn (ferw) pres. pas. part. "given" - more likely in this context, proclaimed. When Christ comes he proclaims God's eternal acceptance, or literally, brings it to us.

v14
      uJpakohV (h) "obedient" - obedience.
      suschmatizomenoi (schmatizw) pres. pas. part. "conform to" - conforming yourselves, fashioning, shaping. In this case with the Dative, shapted to, conformed to
      proteron "when" - formerly, before, as an adverb.
      th/ agnoia/ (a) "ignorance" - In the sense of sinfulness

v15
      kata "just as" - like
      autoi "you" - Attributive and therefore an identical adjective
      anastrofh/ (h) "in all you do" - conduct, way of life, behaviour. We should be like the one who called us.
      genhqhte (ginomai) aor. pas. imp. "be" - become.

v16
      dioti (dia-oJti) "for" - wherefore, since

v17
      In v17-21 Peter challenges his readers to live "as strangers here" with "reverent fear." He asks us to recognize whom we serve - the mighty God who redeemed us. Peter seems to play with the Exodus image in this passage. God is pictured as the stern Lord of the wilderness wanderings. He is a "judge" who has "redeemed" his people with the precious blood of the "lamb". They are "strangers", "called" from their "empty way of life." So we are pictured as sojourners in the wilderness waiting to enter the promised land. Christ has gone before and soon we will follow. Obviously, we are tempted to return to Egypt, to the power and pleasure of the secular city, and so our "faith and hope" must be kept burning brightly before us.
      epikaleisqe (epikalew) pres. "call on" - call someone by an altervative name. In the middle voice it is "call upon", and here calling on the divine, "invoke".
      aproswpolhmptwV "impartially" - without respect of persons, Adverb
      thV paroikiaV (a) "living as strangers" - sojourning, to camp with a foreign people. Used here of believers who camp in the world awaiting entrance into their true home
      anastrafhte (anastrefw) aor. pas. imp."live" - In the Middle Passive "I conduct myself" in the sense of living by certain principles

v18
      fqartoiV adj. "with perishable things" - corruptible
      elutrwqhte (lutrow) aor. pas. "you were redeemed" - you were ransomed, liberated, delivered. Believers weren't ransomed from their futile way of life by perishable things such as silver and gold
      mataiaV adj"empty" - vain, useless, fruitless, even godless.
      patroparadotou adj. "handed down to you from your forefathers" - inherited. Believers have inherited the sinful ways of our parents, and it is from this we are ransomed.

v19
      titmiw adj. "precious" - valuable.
      amnou (oV) "a lamb" - lamb.
      aspilou adj. "without blemish" - unspotted. Referring to the sacrificial offering.

v20
      proegnwsmenou (proginwskw) perf. pas. part "chosen" - having been foreknown. As of having foreknowledge of something, to know in advance.
      fanerwqentoV (fanerow) perf. pas. part. "revealed" - manifested. Reveal or appear to someone.
      escatou adj. "last" - after which there is nothing remaining

v22
      hJgnikoteV (agnizw) perf. pas. part. "have purified" - having purified. Perfect Participle, identifying a single act in the past and therefore often taken as a reference to baptism. Submission to the gospel is more likely.
      anupokriton adj. "sincere" - genuine, unfeigned. Genuine, rather than superficial play-acting.
      allhlous "brothers" - one another
      ektenwV adv. "from the heart" - earnestly, eagerly, with full intensity.

v23
      anagegennhmenoi (anagennaw) perf. pas. part. "have been born again" - having been regenerated, caused to be born. Of a believer in the spiritual sense.
      sporaV (a) "seed" - initially referring to sowing, but can mean the seed itself.
      afqartou adj. "imperishable" - corruptible, imortal
      menontoV (menw) pres. part. "enduring" - remaining

v24
      exhranqh (xhrainw) aor. pas. "withers" - was dried up, Passive = "become dry."
      exepesen (ekpiptw) aor. "fall" - fall off

v25
      to euaggelisqen (euaggelizw) aor. pas. part. "that was preached" - the one having been proclaimed. The participle is adjectival, as NIV.

2:1
      apoqemenoi (apotiqhmi) aor. mid. part. "rid" - having put away, rejected.
      uJokriseis (iV ewV) "hypocrisy" - pretense
      fqonous (oV) "envy" - jealousy

v2
      This verse is very difficult to translate. The accepted view is that Peter is asking his readers to desire the sincere milk of the Word that they may grow up in their Christian faith. The NIV has "milk" by itself and so lets the reader work out what it represents. It may or may not refer to the gospel, or more widely, the scriptures. The two adjectives attached to "milk" are something like "reasonable" and "pure". The purpose of desiring this milk is that we may "grow up" in our "salvation". This probably means something like the full realization of our eternal inheritance. Not earning it, but releasing our full potential in it. So, the idea is most likely a sanctification image. By applying our energy to a reasonable and pure life-style, we prepare ourselves for our participation in eternity.
      artigennhta adj. "newborn" - recently born child
      brefh (oV) "babies" - infant, baby, sometimes an unborn child
      to logikon adj. "spiritual" - the spiritual. Can mean reasonable / rational or metaphorical or spiritual in the sense of not of this world, or in contrast to literal. Here, Peter may be using any of these meanings. The gospel is all the above, although metaphorical can be excluded.
      adolon adj. "pure" - pure, without deceit, sincere.
      gala (a) "milk" - milk
      epipoqhsate (epipoqew) aor. imp. "crave" - desire, long for
      iJna + subj. "so that" - in order that. Forming a purpose clause.
      auxhqhte (auxw / auxanw) aor. pas. subj. "you may grow up" - Transitive is "I cause to increase". Intransitive is "I grow". The word is used of a growing child and here the sense is maturing toward eternal salvation