BLESSED BE: Eulogetos: (1Ki 8:15; 1Chr 29:10-13,20; Ps 41:13; 72:18,19; 2Cor 1:3; Ep 1:3,17; Ep 3:20)

Blessed (2128) (eulogetos) (8x: 1x Mk;1x Lu;2x Ro;2x 2Co;1x Ep;1x 1 Pe) is an adjective ending in –tos which gives the meaning “inherently worthy to be praised” and is in all instances ascribed to God the Father and also to Christ, for no one else is inherently worthy of such praise.

Spurgeon...

And, truly, this is a blessing, beyond all comparison or imagination, that we have been begotten again by the Divine Esther unto a “living” hope, for that is a better rendering than “lively.” Our first birth brought us into sin and sorrow, but our second birth brings us into purity and joy. We were born to die; now are we born never to die, “begotten again” unto a life that shall remain in us for evermore, a life which shall even penetrate these mortal bodies, and make them immortal, “by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead

THE GOD AND FATHER OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WHO ACCORDING TO HIS GREAT MERCY: o theos kai pater tou kuriou hemon Iesou Christou o kata to polu autou eleos:  (Ex 34:6; Ps86:5,15; Jona4:2; Ro5:15-21; Ep1:7; 2:4,7-10; 1Ti1:14; Titu3:4-6)

According to (2596) (Kata) has the primary meaning of “down” and gives the idea of domination, thus this new birth was but “impelled by His abundant mercy.” There is another nuance inherent in "kata" which is not out of but according to. For example, if I am a billionaire and I give you ten dollars, I have given you out of my riches; but if I give you a million dollars, I have given to you according to my riches. The first is a portion (like Mr. Rockefeller who used to give his caddy a dime) the second is a proportion.

Mercy (1656) (eleos) is the outward manifestation of pity. Mercy refers to the outward manifestation of pity and assumes need on the part of those who receive it and sufficient resources to meet the need on the part of those who show it. (See related discussion of mercy in the commentary notes on "Blessed are the merciful" Matthew 5:7and the lesson notes on the study from the Sermon on the Mount: Blessed are the Merciful: Matthew 5:7) (Other related topics The Mercy of God by A. W. Pink, notes on God's Attribute of Mercy)

In summary, mercy refers to the outward manifestation of pity and assumes a need on the part of the recipient (fallen mankind) and the resources adequate to meet that need on the part of the donor (God Himself).

HAS CAUSED US TO BE BORN AGAIN: anagennesas (AAPMSN) hemas: (1 Pet 1:23; 2:2; Jn 1:13; 3:3-8; Ja 1:18; 1Jn 2:29; 3:9; 4:7; 5:1,4,18) (Successful and yet feeling empty? Click Our Daily Bread)

Spurgeon...

Be born again (313) (anagennao from aná = renewal, again or from above + gennáo = beget) means to be physically born again (but not used this way in the NT), to beget again, to father anew, to bring to birth again, to regenerate, cause to be born again.

Anagennao is used only 2 times in the NT, here and in 1 Peter 1:23 ( (note)

In the NT anagennao means to cause to be changed as a form of spiritual rebirth (aorist tense here points to a past completed act). The Enhanced Strong's has an interesting definition noting that the metaphorical or figurative meaning is

to have one’s mind changed so that he lives a new life and one conformed to the will of God.

In secular Greek literature anagennao is used in a botanical sense, as when the trees, plants, and flowers come to life in the spring.

Note that the aorist tense speaks of regeneration as a definite historical act accomplished once for all.

Peter pictures the heart of man as dry, shriveled, and dead in sin until God implants the principles of the new life. When this happens, we sprout into life, leaf out, and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is intriguing to note (and no accident of course) that at the time of Peter's letter, the idea of a new beginning through a new birth by virtue of infusion of divine life was a widespread idea in the ancient world, being well known not only in Judaism but also present in the "Mystery" religions. Furthermore, a proselyte to Judaism was regarded as a "new born baby". Note that to describe someone as a "born-again Christian" is redundant as there is no such thing as a "non-born-again Christian". An unregenerate (non-born-again) Christian is a contradiction in terms. By the power of God we have been give new life, making us partakers of His divine nature (see note 2 Peter 1:4) and thus children of God (Jn 1:12, see notes Romans 8:16;  8:21) & so now we are

waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body (see note Romans 8:23)

Pastor Steven Cole makes a good point writing that...

We live in a culture which has taken some biblical words and used them in a way that redefines and cheapens them so that they no longer mean what the Bible means. But then they seep back into the vocabulary of Christians with their devalued meaning. Take the term “born again.” The media uses it to describe anyone who makes a comeback or gets a fresh start in life. A baseball team that has been in the cellar and suddenly starts winning is called “the born again” Dodgers. Chrysler under Lee Iacocca was a “born again” corporation. And so it’s not surprising when over 50 percent of Americans say that they’re “born again Christians.” They mean that they had some sort of religious or emotional experience that resulted in a fresh start in life. It may have involved praying to Jesus or “inviting Him into their hearts.” But in most cases, they have no idea what the Bible means by being born again. (Sermon) (Bolding added)

TO A (continuously) LIVING HOPE: eis elpida zosan (PAPFSA): (Ro 5:4,5; 8:24; 12:12; 15:13; 1Cor 13:13; Col 1:23,27; 1Th 1:3; Titus 2:13; Heb 3:6; 6:18,19; 1Jn 3:3)

(Note: For more detailed discussion of the vital & not frequently taught truth of hope click Blessed Hope)

Peter has been called “the apostle of hope” (the noun is used 3x 1 Peter & the verb 2x 1 Peter)

Living (2198) (zao > Click the 7 uses in 1 Peter) means to live, breathe, be among the living (not lifeless, not dead), to enjoy real life, to have true life and worthy of the Name, active, blessed, endless in the kingdom of God, having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul, in full vigor, fresh, strong, efficient, active, powerful, efficacious. Now go back and "insert" some of these definitions of "living" into the phrase living hope. (e.g., a "breathing hope", an "active hope", etc). This should help you begin to understand some of the encouraging thoughts Peter means to convey.

Life is a quality or characteristic of the hope believers now possess in Christ. "Living" is in the present tense which indicates an abiding quality. A living hope is never extinguished by untold circumstances, just as living waters flow fresh from a perennial spring.

MacDonald says

This is our living hope—the expectation of being taken home to heaven to be with Christ and to be like Him forever.

F. B. Meyer calls the living hope

the link between our present and future.

Time destroys most hopes; they fade and then die. But the passing of time only makes a Christian’s living hope that much more imminent and glorious.

A living hope then is not static and dead but is active and vigorous in expressing itself in the hearts, minds and lives of Christians, if we keep our minds set on the things above.

Spurgeon writes...

A third blessing strictly connected with this new life, is a Lively Hope.

“He hath begotten us again unto a lively hope.”

Could a man live without hope? Men manage to survive the worst condition of distress when they are encouraged by a hope, but is not suicide the natural result of the death of hope? Yes, we must have a hope, and the Christian is not left without one. He has “a lively hope,” that is to say, first, he has a hope within him, real, true, and operative. Some men’s hopes of heaven are not living hopes,” for they never stir them to action. They live as if they were going to hell, and yet they coolly talk about hoping that all will be well with them at last! A Christian’s hope purifies him, excites him to diligence, makes him seek after that which he expects to obtain. A student at the University hoping to gain a prize uses his best endeavors, burns the midnight oil, strains all his faculties that he may reach the mark which will ensure his passing the examiners. Even thus the Christian with a lively hope devotes himself to obtaining the blessings which God has promised in his word. The Lord hath begotten us to a “lively hope,” that is to say, to a vigorous, active, operating hope.

It is a “lively hope” in another sense, namely, that it cheers and enlivens. The swimmer who is ready to sink, if he sees a boat nearing him, plucks up courage and swims with all his strength, because now he expects that his swimming will be of effectual service to him. The Christian amid the waves and billows of adversity retains his hope, a glorious hope of future bliss, and therefore he strikes out like a man towards the heavenly shore. Our hope buoys up the soul, keeps the head above water, inspires confidence, and sustains courage.

It is also called a “living hope,” because it is imperishable. Other hopes fade like withering flowers. The hopes of the rich, the boasts of the proud, all these will die out as a candle when it flickers in the socket. The hope of the greatest monarch has been crushed before our eyes; he set up the standard of victory too soon, and has seen it trailed in the mire. There is no unwaning hope beneath the changeful moon: the only imperishable hope is that which climbs above the stars, and fixes itself upon the throne of God and the person of Jesus Christ.

The hope which God has given to his truly quickened people is a lively hope, however, mainly because it deals with life. Brethren, it may be Christ will come while yet we live, and then we shall not die but shall be fitted for heaven by a change. However, it is probable that we may have to depart out of this world unto the Father by the usual course of nature, and in expecting to do so let us not look at death as a gloomy matter, as though it could at all jeopardise our welfare or ultimately injure us. No, my brethren, we have a living hope, a lively hope. Charles Borromeo, the famous bishop of Milan, ordered a painter who was about to draw a skeleton with a scythe over a sepulcher, to substitute for it the golden key of Paradise. Truly this is a most fitting emblem for a believer’s tomb, for what is death but the key of heaven to the Christian. We notice frequently over cemetery gates, as an emblematic device, a torch turned over ready to be quenched. Ah, my brethren, it is not so, the torch of our life burns the better, and blazes the brighter for the change of death. The breaking of the pitcher which now surrounds the lamp and conceals the glory, will permit our inner life to reveal its lofty nature, and ere long even the pitcher shall be so remodelled as to become an aid to that light; its present breaking is but preparatory to its future refashioning. It is a blessed thought that the part of us which must most sadly feel the mortal stroke is secured beyond all fear from permanent destruction. We know that this very body, though it moulders into dust, shall live again; these weeping eyes shall have all tears wiped from them; these hands which grasp to-day the sword of a conflict shall wave the palm branch of triumph. My brethren, it were not just that one body should fight and another body should be crowned, that one body should labor and another body have the reward. The same identical body shall rise from the dead at the Lord’s coming, marvellously changed, strangely developed as the seed develops into the full-blown flower, but still the same, in very deed the selfsame; this very body shall be resplendent with glory, even the same which now beareth sickness and pain. This is our lively hope, that death hath no dominion over any part of our manhood. There is awhile a separation between the soul and the body, it is but for awhile; there is for the flesh a temporary slumbering in the tomb, it is but a slumber, and the waking shall be in the likeness of Christ. As for the soul, it shall be for ever with the Lord, waiting for the latter day and the coming of Christ, when the body itself shall be raised from corruption into the likeness of the glory of him who is the first begotten from the dead. Thus, then, I have brought you up from the abundant mercy to the new life, and onward, to the lively hope. (1 Peter 1:3-5: A String of Pearls)

Hope (1680) (elpis) in Scripture is not the world's definition of "I hope so", with a few rare exceptions (e.g., Acts 27:20.) Hope is defined as a desire for some future good with the expectation of obtaining it. Hope is confident expectancy.

Hope is the looking forward to something with some reason for confidence respecting fulfillment. And so in this same chapter Peter encouraged the suffering saints writing

Therefore (on the basis of the salvation and the "living hope" they now possessed) (to)  gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope (elpizo - verb form of elpis) completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ." (see note 1 Peter 1:13)

Click in depth study of Biblical hope: chart summarizing the definition of, source of, stabilizing effect of and sanctifying effect of hope.

Elpis is used 54 times in the NT (8x Acts; 9x Ro; 2x 1Cor; 3x 2Cor; 1x Gal; 3x Eph; 1x Phil; 3x Col; 4x 1Thes; 1x 2Thes; 1x 1Ti; 3x Titus; 5x Heb; 3x 1 Pe; 1x 1Jn)

Hope as the world typically defines it is a desire for some future occurrence of which one is not assured of attaining. The ancient world did not generally regard hope as a virtue, but merely as a temporary illusion. Historians tell us that a great cloud of hopelessness covered the ancient world. Philosophies were empty; traditions were disappearing; religions were powerless to help men face either life or death. People longed to pierce the veil and get some message of hope from the other side, but there is none outside of Christ.

Spurgeon...

Oh, what a blessed hope this is, — that, though we fall asleep, we shall surely wake again; and when we awaken, it will be in the likeness of the great Head of the family, and we ourselves shall be heirs of an inheritance in which there will be no sin and no corruption. That inheritance is kept for us, and we are kept for it; so the double keeping makes it doubly sure. Happy are the people to whom these verses apply. (1 Peter 1- Commentary)

Gabriel Marcel said,

Hope is for the soul what breathing is for the living organism.

A study of concentration camp survivors found that those prisoners who were able to hold onto their sense of hope (‘things are going to get better’ or ‘we’re going to get out of here one day’ ) were much more likely to survive. Hope then is not optional but for these prisoners proved to be a matter of life and death.

Vincent writes that hope

in classical Greek, has the general signification of expectancy, relating to evil as well as to good. Thus Plato speaks of living in evil hope (“Republic,” i., 330); i.e., in the apprehension of evil; and Thucydides, of the hope of evils to come; i.e., the expectation or apprehension.  In the New Testament the word always relates to a future good. (Vincent, M. R. Word Studies in the New Testament Vol. 1)

Seneca, Rome's leading intellectual figure, tutor of the depraved emperor Nero (who forced Seneca to commit suicide!) and contemporary of Paul tragically defined hope as “an uncertain good”, the antithesis of Biblical hope! What a difference the new birth in Christ makes in one's perspective.

The cynical editor H. L. Mencken also inaccurately defined hope as “a pathological belief in the occurrence of the impossible.” His cynical definition does not even agree with the secular Webster's Collegiate dictionary which defines "Hope" much like the NT declaring that hope means "to cherish a desire with anticipation, desire with expectation of obtainment, expect with confidence."

Biblical hope is not "finger crossing", but is alive and certain because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Life without Christ is a hopeless end whereas life in Christ is an endless hope.

The book of Hebrews defines hope as that which gives "full assurance" (see note Hebrews 6:11). Thus we can have strong confidence that God is going to do good to us in future. The opposite of hope is despair, (hopelessness; a hopeless state; a destitution of hope or expectation) which is all that those without Christ as Savior can know, for Paul defines hope as "Christ Jesus, Who is our Hope" (1Ti 1:1). Thus genuine Biblical hope is not a concept but a Person, Christ Jesus!

Jeremiah pleaded with God on the basis of His Name, "Hope of Israel" (God's Names all reveal some aspect or attribute of His character), declaring

"Thou Hope of Israel, its Savior in time of distress. Why art Thou like a stranger in the land Or like a traveler who has pitched his tent for the night?" (Jer 14:8)

Again Jeremiah says

O LORD, the hope of Israel, all who forsake Thee will be put to shame. Those who turn away on earth will be written down, because they have forsaken the fountain of living water, even the LORD." (Jer 17:13)

The psalmist declares

Thou art my hope; O Lord GOD, Thou art my confidence from my youth." (Ps 71:5) (See Spurgeon's note)

Paul uses makes an allusion to this OT name ("Hope of Israel") speaking to the Jews explaining that

I requested to see you and to speak with you, for I am wearing this chain for the sake of the hope of Israel." (Acts 28:20)

Although the Old  revealed spoke of the Hope of Israel and predicted His coming to save His people as well as Gentiles, there was no mention that the Messiah of hope would actually live within each member of His redeemed church. Paul explained that in the New Covenant, "God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you,