I Peter 1: 23, On Being Born Again By the Word of God
Bernard Pyron

“Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by
the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever” I Peter 1:23.

Being born again, being transformed from living entirely in the flesh
to living in the Spirit, comes about from hearing the word of God.
Being born again is a kind of metaphor for that transformation, and
for that creation of an individual's spirit by the Holy Spirit. One
born again is born from above. This is not a theological change that
cannot be known by the individual or even by others who know the
person.

Since a person is born again from hearing or reading the word of God,
this means he comes to a knowledge of the truth about some particular
scripture, or more likely a group of scriptures. In II Timothy 3: 7-8
Paul writes about those in the last days when perilous times will come
that they are "Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge
of the truth. Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these
also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the
faith."

Some might claim that Paul is talking about worldly people here and
not those who claim to be Christians. But in II Timothy 3: 5 he says
"Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such
turn away." He is talking about those who claim to be Christians, but
who do not come to the knowledge of the truth. He is talking about
some important traits of the church in the last days. We can call
this last days church the II Timothy church.

So, we can also say that being born again means we come to the
knowledge of the truth. We come to the knowledge of the truth about a
set of scriptures or a group of New Testament doctrines which changes
us into new creatures (II Corinthians 5: 17). We are transformed by
the renewing of our minds (Romans 12: 2) and we receive a love of the
truth (II Thessalonians 2: 10-12). And - as we go along in time we
can come to the knowledge of other scriptures which we did not
understand before very well. In a sense, then, when we come to the
knowledge of additional important scriptures, or groups of scriptures,
we are again born again in Christ and by the Holy Spirit (John 16:
13). As Peter says in I Peter 1: 23, we are born again, changed, by
the word of God - if we have strong faith in that word as being
absolute truth and fact.

This is why it is so important to not be under the influence of
false teachers. Because some who have already come to the knowledge
of the truth about a set of scriptures can open those scriptures to
us, and in that opening we are born again by the word. But false
teachers close the scriptures to us, and, as said in Obadiah 1: 14,
“Neither should thou have stood in the crossway, to cut off those of
his that did escape…” Christ said to the Pharisees in Matthew 23: 13,
"But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up
the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves,
neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in."