We’re learning about chiasms in Scripture. Remember it’s a structure that’s distinctive in Hebrew writing. It is a parallel mirror structure. The most important point is in the center with the subpoints building up to and stepping down from that high point. When you recognize it, the structure gives some insight into what the key point in a passage or section is. That helps us correctly interpret and apply what God’s words says. Last week we started with a chiasm in Proverbs, but we find them in the New Testament too. Let’s look at 1 Peter 1:23-25.
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever. And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
Now if we rearrange things…
23 Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God,
which liveth and abideth for ever.
24 For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.
The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away:
25 But the word of the Lord endureth for ever.
And this is the word which by the gospel is preached unto you.
In the first and last lines, we have both the word and born again/gospel. Taking a step in, we see that word liveth, abideth, and endureth forever. In the center is the parallel flesh is grass and the glory of man is a flower. What happens to them? They wither and die.
So what are we supposed to glean from 1 Peter 1:23-25? Everything natural and human is temporary. Even our very best, our glory, will wither and die, but the word of God, the gospel, is eternal and from it, we learn how we can escape withering and death. The chiasm highlights this.