1 Peter 2:21

1 Peter 2:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
• New International Version (NIV)To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
• English Standard Version (ESV)For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
• New King James Version (NKJV)For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

Context of 1 Peter 2:21

19This makes God happy. Maybe your master will punish you when you have done nothing wrong. If you know that you are serving God, continue to be patient and brave. 20But if you do something wrong, then your master ought to punish you. That is only fair. Even if you are brave when he is cruel to you, nobody should praise you for that. But your master may punish you even when you have done good things. Then God will be happy if you are patient and brave. When God chose you to be his servants, he wanted you to be brave like that. Christ had trouble and pain on your behalf. He has shown you how you should live when trouble comes. 22The Bible says this: ‘He never did anything that was wrong. He never said anything that was not true.’ 23People insulted Christ, but he did not say any bad thing to answer them. People caused him to have trouble, but he never tried to hurt them in return. Instead, Christ trusted God to help him. He knew that God always judges people fairly.

1 Peter 2:21 word by word

εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκλήθητε, ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ ὑμῶν, ὑμῖν ὑπολιμπάνων ὑπογραμμὸν ἵνα ἐπακολουθήσητε τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ·Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Forγάρgar · forG1063
• evenεἰςeis · towardG1519
• hereuntoοὗτοςhoutos houtoi hautē hautai · this/he/she/itG3778
• were ye calledκαλέωkaleō · to call: callG2564
• becauseὅτιhoti · that/since: sinceG3754
• ChristΧριστόςChristos · ChristG5547
• alsoκαίkai · andG2532
• sufferedπάσχωpaschō pathō penthō · to sufferG3958
• forὑπέρhuper · above/forG5228
• usἐγώegō · I/weG1473
• leavingὑπολιμπάνωhupolimpanō · to leave behindG5277
• an exampleὑπογραμμόςhupogrammos · exampleG5261
• thatἵναhina · in order that/toG2443
• ye should followἐπακολουθέωepakoloutheō · to follow afterG1872
• hisαὐτόςautos · it/s/heG846
• stepsὁho hē to · the/this/whoG3588
• stepsἴχνοςichnos · trackG2487

Cross-references for 1 Peter 2:21

• Matthew 10:38If you really want to be one of my disciples, you must be ready to die for me. Live like a person who carries his own cross to go and die.
• Matthew 16:24Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘A person who wants to come with me must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. He must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• Mark 8:34Then Jesus asked the crowd and his disciples to come to him. He said to them, ‘A person who wants to come with me must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. He must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• Luke 9:23Then Jesus said to all the people that were there, ‘A person who wants to be my disciple must not think about himself. He must decide that his own life is not important. Every day he must be like someone who carries his own cross to go and die. Then he may come with me as my disciple.
• Luke 14:26‘If someone wants to obey me, he must live like this: He must love me more than he loves his own father and mother. He must love me more than he loves his wife and his children. He must love me more than he loves his brothers and his sisters. He must even love me more than he loves himself. If he does not do that, he cannot be one of my disciples.
• John 16:33I have told you these things so that you will have peace. You will be like that because you live together with me. In this world, you will have trouble. But be brave! I have destroyed the power of this world.’
• Acts 9:16I myself will tell him about the many troubles that he will have. He will have much pain on my behalf.’
• Acts 14:22In all these towns, they taught the believers to be strong. They said to them, ‘Continue to trust in the Lord Jesus! All believers will have trouble at different times. That will continue to happen in our lives. But one day we will go into the kingdom of God where he rules.’
• 1 Thessalonians 3:3You are receiving many troubles. We did not want anyone among you to turn away from Christ because of that. You already know that we who are believers must receive troubles like that.
• 1 Thessalonians 4:2You surely remember what we taught you with the authority of the Lord Jesus.
• 2 Timothy 3:12It is not only me. Every Christian who wants to live in a way that pleases God will have trouble from other people.
• 1 Peter 2:24When Christ died on the cross, he carried our sins in his own body. He took this punishment so that sin would no longer rule over us. Instead, we can now do the right things that God wants us to do. Because people hurt Christ's body, you have now become well.
• 1 Peter 3:18Christ himself always did what was right. But he received pain on behalf of people who do what is wrong. He died once to take away all those wrong things. He did that to bring you near to God. People killed Christ's body, but God's Spirit made him alive again.
• 1 Peter 4:1Christ had trouble and pain while he lived in his human body. So you should prepare yourselves to have trouble and pain too. Think about it in the same way that Christ did. If someone has trouble and pain in his body, he stops doing wrong things.
• Luke 24:26You should have known that the Messiah had to die. Only then would he return to heaven and show how great and powerful he is.’
• Acts 17:3He told the people what was true about God's Messiah. He used the Bible to show them clearly that the Messiah had to suffer and die. He also showed them that the Messiah had to become alive again. Paul said to them, ‘I have been telling you about Jesus. He is the Messiah that God has sent to us.’

Commentaries on 1 Peter 2:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Hereunto were ye called - Ye were called to a state of suffering when ye were called to be Christians; for the world cannot endure the yoke of Christ, and they that will live godly in Christ must suffer persecution; they will meet with it in one form or other. Christ also suffered for us - And left us the example of his meekness and gentleness; for when he was reviled, he reviled not again. Ye cannot expect to fare better than your master; imitate his…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21For even hereunto were ye called - Such a spirit is required by the very nature of your Christian vocation; you were called into the church in order that you might evince it. See the notes at 1 Thessalonians 3:3. Because Christ also suffered for us - Margin, “some read, for you.” The latest editions of the Greek Testament adopt the reading “for you.” The sense, however, is not essentially varied. The object is, to hold up the example of Christ to those…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-25Verses 18-25 Servants in those days generally were slaves, and had heathen masters, who often used them cruelly; yet the apostle directs them to be subject to the masters placed over them by Providence, with a fear to dishonour or offend God. And not only to those pleased with reasonable service, but to the severe, and those angry without cause. The sinful misconduct of one relation, does not justify sinful behaviour in the other; the servant is bound to…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21-25There is no clear change in who Peter is addressing in this passage. However, the general tone of these verses shows that they apply to all Christians. These verses might include an early Christian hymn or confession about Christ (2:22–25). They focus on the sufferings of Christ for human salvation or redemption, using language mainly from Isaiah 52:13–53:12.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Christ's example a proof that patient endurance under undeserved sufferings is acceptable with God. hereunto--to the patient endurance of unmerited suffering (1Pe 3:9). Christ is an example to servants, even as He was once in "the form of a servant." called--with a heavenly calling, though slaves. for us--His dying for us is the highest exemplification of "doing well" (1Pe 2:20). Ye must patiently suffer, being innocent, as Christ also innocently…Read the comment

Topics related to 1 Peter 2:21

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Commandments
• Example
• Jesus Continued
• Jesus, the Christ
• Meekness
• Patience
• Suffering

In the dictionaries

• Christ
• Christ, Messiah
• Bishop
• Cheek
• Chosen
• Cloke
• Disallow
• Example
• Fleshly
• Offer

Commentaries on 1 Peter 2

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Illustrated New Testament
• Burkitt’s Expository Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Family Bible Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Luther’s Commentary on Selected Bible Passages
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• The People’s New Testament
• Robertson’s Word Pictures
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings