“Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Peter 1:21 Mean?
Peter connects faith in God to the resurrection: you believe in God through Christ, who was raised from the dead and given glory. Your faith is anchored in the resurrection — the historical event that validates every claim Jesus made.
"That raised him up from the dead" — the resurrection is not optional theology. It is the foundation of faith. God raised Jesus. That event is what makes believing in God reasonable.
"And gave him glory" — after the resurrection came the ascension and exaltation. Jesus was not just raised. He was glorified — placed at the highest position in the universe.
"That your faith and hope might be in God" — the resurrection and glorification have a purpose: to anchor your faith and hope. The events are not abstract. They are the basis for your confidence. Your faith is not blind. It is grounded in something that happened.
Reflection Questions
- 1.How does the resurrection anchor your faith in a way that abstract theology cannot?
- 2.What does God raising Jesus and giving him glory tell you about the trajectory of suffering?
- 3.How does 'faith and hope in God' differ from faith and hope in general?
- 4.Where does your faith need to be re-anchored in the historical reality of the resurrection?
Devotional
Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead. Your faith has an anchor. It is not floating in spiritual abstraction. It is tied to an event — a body that walked out of a tomb.
That raised him up from the dead. The resurrection is the hinge of everything. If it happened, then every promise holds. If it did not, then nothing matters (1 Corinthians 15:17). Peter says: it happened. God raised him.
And gave him glory. The resurrection was not the end. Glory followed. The one who was crucified was exalted. The one who died was given the highest position. The suffering led somewhere — and that somewhere is glory.
That your faith and hope might be in God. The resurrection exists so that you can believe. The glory exists so that you can hope. The events are not just history. They are the foundation of your confidence.
Is your faith anchored in the resurrection? Not as a doctrine you affirm but as a reality you stake your life on? The tomb is empty. The glory is real. And your faith has something solid to stand on.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
Who by him do believe in God,.... Christ, as God, is the object of faith; as Mediator, he is the way to the Father, by…
Who by him do believe in God - Faith is sometimes represented particularly as exercised in God, and sometimes in Christ.…
Who by him do believe in God - This is supposed to refer to the Gentiles, who never knew the true God till they heard…
Here the apostle begins his exhortations to those whose glorious state he had before described, thereby instructing us…
who by him do believe in God Literally, who through him are faithful (or believing) towards God; the adjective…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture