“The scripture says, ‘Be holy because I am holy'” (1 Peter 1:16 GNT).
The portion of Scripture referenced here in 1 Peter 1:16 is taken from the Old Testament book of Leviticus (see Leviticus 11:44). In fact, the phrase “be holy” appears seventeen times in the New King James translation of Leviticus. This represents the most appearances of that phrase in any Biblical book by a wide margin. Thus, it is useful to consider the various applications that are associated with this Biblical mandate.
For instance, the book of Leviticus employs the phrase “be holy” in relation to the following…
- Offerings made unto God (Leviticus 6:18, 27).
- Defilement (in the context of inappropriate contact with various types of insect species- Leviticus 11:41-45).
- Family relationships, idolatry, occultic practices, social responsibility, business relationships, environmental responsibility, and a host of other human behaviors (Leviticus 19:2 and following).
- Spiritual leadership (Leviticus 21:6-8).
- Human freedom and responsibility (in the context of the year of Jubilee – see Leviticus 25:12 and other related directives from that chapter).
So this concept did not suddenly appear within the Biblical epistle of 1 Peter without prior context. Instead, the Old Testament Scriptures repeatedly referenced this idea. This was true of the book of Leviticus in addition to other Biblical books such as Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
Peter thus reminded his readers (both ancient and modern) that holiness is an unchanging attribute of God’s nature. Furthermore, God seeks to shape our lives in a manner that will enable us to adopt that characteristic. The following commentators lend their insights to this important concept…
“Fulfilling God’s call to holiness requires that we, like obedient children, break off with the lifestyle of the world (characterized by lusts and ignorance) …The primary idea behind holiness is not moral purity (though the idea includes moral purity), but it is the idea of apartness – that God is separate, different from His creation, both in His essential nature and in the perfection of His attributes. Instead of building a wall around His apartness, God calls us to come to Him and share His apartness – to Be holy, for I am holy.” (1)
“Holiness essentially defines the Christian’s new nature and conduct in contrast with his pre-salvation lifestyle. The reason for practicing a holy manner of living is that Christians are associated with the holy God and must treat Him and His Word with respect and reverence.” (2)
(1) Guzik, David, 1 Peter 1 – (13-17) The conduct of those who are saved © Copyright – Enduring Word https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/1-peter-1/
(2) John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), 1 Pe 1:15.