What is the meaning of 1 Peter 2:3?

Now

• The adverb anchors the exhortation of verse 2 in the present moment. “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk… now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

• Scripture often presses believers to act on grace they already possess (2 Corinthians 6:2: “Behold, now is the time of favor; now is the day of salvation!”).

• “Now” highlights the shift from past estrangement to present fellowship (Ephesians 2:13). Because salvation is real and current, growth must be immediate and continuous.

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You Have Tasted

• Peter assumes a personal encounter, not second-hand information. “Tasted” speaks of firsthand experience— believers have taken in God’s goodness like food.

• Psalm 34:8 declares, “Taste and see that the LORD is good,” an invitation Peter says has already been accepted.

• The word also pictures ongoing nourishment: Hebrews 6:4-5 recalls those who “have tasted the heavenly gift” and “the goodness of the word of God.” This isn’t a casual sample but a life-altering intake that whets the appetite for more.

• Practical implication: because we have truly experienced Christ, we reject anything that dulls spiritual taste buds—malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, slander (1 Peter 2:1).

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The Lord Is Good

• Peter names Jesus as “the Lord,” affirming His deity and covenant faithfulness. The goodness tasted is specifically the goodness of Christ.

• Old Testament testimony: Exodus 34:6 presents the LORD as “compassionate and gracious… abounding in loving devotion,” while Nahum 1:7 assures, “The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble.”

• New Testament confirmation: James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above,” flowing from the unchanging character of God revealed in Christ.

• For believers, this goodness is:

– Saving—He rescues us from sin.

– Sustaining—He provides daily grace (John 6:57).

– Satisfying—He alone fulfills the deepest hunger of the soul (Psalm 16:11).

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summary

Peter’s phrase “now that you have tasted that the Lord is good” reminds Christians that the present reality of salvation propels growth. Because we have personally experienced the goodness of Jesus, we are to crave His Word, lay aside sin, and pursue maturity. The goodness we have tasted is not abstract but the living, covenant goodness of the Lord Himself, sufficient to save, sustain, and satisfy every believer.