1 Peter 1:20 NASB
20 προεγνωσμένου μὲν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου φανερωθέντος δὲ ἐπ’ ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων δι’ ὑμᾶς
20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you
A poor translation is at the root of this error. The clause πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου is incorrectly translated in most English translations as “before the foundation of the world.” The correct translation is “before the casting down of the world.” The clause καταβολῆς κόσμου (casting down of the world) appears ten times in the Bible (Matthew 13:35; Matthew 25:34; Luke 11:50; John 17:24; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3; Hebrews 9:26; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8; Revelation 17:8). In every case it refers to the fall of creation and the curse due to Adam’s sin. It never refers to the creation itself.
The noun καταβολῆ literally means a “casting down” (overthrow). This noun is derived from the verb καταβαλλω, a compound of κατα (down) and βαλλω (to throw). The verb describes the action of throwing down, and the noun form describes a “throwing down” as in “an overthrow.”
That this is the meaning of the verb can be shown from the LXX where it is used about 30 times, all in reference to an “overthrow,” or “casting down.” Here are a few examples:
2 Samuel 20:15 LXX
15 And they came and besieged him in Abel and Phermacha: and they raised a mound against the city and it stood close to the wall; and all the people with Joab proposed to throw down the wall.
Job 12:14 LXX
14 If he should cast down, who will build up? if he should shut up against man, who shall open?
Isaiah 26:5 LXX
5 who hast humbled and brought down them that dwell on high, thou shalt cast down strong cities, and bring them to the ground.
The noun form is used only once in the LXX, in 2 Maccabees 2:29, where it refers to a builder tearing down and old house to build a completely new one, contrasting this to someone who is merely doing a remodel.
In the New Testament, the verb is used in 2 Corinthians 4:9, “persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down [καταβαλλω], but not destroyed.”
The only time the noun appears in the New Testament apart from the clause καταβολῆς κόσμου (casting down of the world) is in Hebrews 11:11 where it is incorrectly rendered “conceive” in the NKJV. Here is the LGV.
Hebrews 11:11 LGV
11 “By faith” Sarah herself received strength for the overthrowing [καταβολῆς] of a seed, and being beyond the season of childbearing, gave birth, since she deemed faithful the One promising
The clause, “overthrowing of a seed,” refers to Sarah’s overthrowing Ishmael as “Abraham’s Seed” by the birth of Isaac, the child of promise. God had promised Abraham, “In Isaac your seed will be called.” This is explained in verses 17-18: “’By faith’ Abraham, being tested, has offered Isaac. And the one who welcomed the promises was sacrificing the only-begotten, about whom it was said, ‘In Isaac your seed shall be called’.” That Ishmael was “cast down” as Abraham’s seed, and no longer reckoned by God to be “Abraham’s seed,” is evident by the reference to Isaac as Abraham’s “only-begotten” even though Ishmael was born to Abraham first. Paul inferred this from Genesis 22 where God told Abraham to offer up “Your only son, Isaac.” (Genesis 22:2,12,16). Thus, Ishmael was “overthrown” or “cast down” as Abraham’s seed (as the heir of the Abrahamic Covenant) by Sarah’s having become the mother of Isaac, the seed of promise. Consequently, the noun καταβολὴ does not refer to a foundation being laid, but to an overthrow, a casting down.
The sense of overthrowing or casting down a “seed” is also illustrated by the following passage:
Psalm 106:26-27 LXX
26 So he lifted up his hand against them, to cast them down [καταβαλλω] in the wilderness;
27 and to cast down [καταβαλλω] their seed [σπέρμα] among the nations, and to scatter them in the countries.
Thus, καταβολὴν σπέρματος, “the overthrowing of a seed,” is a concept found in Scripture, and in Hebrews 11 refers to Ishmael being displaced as “Abraham’s seed” by the birth of Isaac. Since the noun form is used here with the clear meaning of “casting down” or “overthrow,” the exact same noun in the clause καταβολῆς κόσμου means “casting down of the world” or “overthrow of the world,” and cannot mean “foundation of the world” as being a reference to creation.
Every other occurrence of the noun καταβολὴ in the New Testament is part of the clause καταβολῆς κόσμου, “casting down of the world” or “overthrow of the world.” In every single case it refers to the catastrophe that occurred when Adam sinned and the curse was placed upon the creation. In fact, this meaning is virtually required in some of these passages.
Luke 11:49-51
49 “Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’
50 “that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world [properly, “from the casting down of the world”] may be required of this generation,
51 “from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation.
If this clause meant “from the foundation of the world” (creation) instead of “from the casting down of the world,” it attributes evil to the orderly creation prior to the curse which God pronounced as “very good.” Rather, the evil that Jesus was referring to was that which engulfed mankind when Adam fell into sin and was expelled from Eden. Satan was a “murderer from the beginning” because he caused Eve followed by Adam to sin, and thus condemned all of mankind to death. Cain, who murdered his brother, was simply following in Satan’s footsteps. Thus, this evil of the wicked persecuting the righteous cannot be traced back to “the foundation of the world,” but rather to “the overthrow of the world.”
That being the case, consider what 1 Peter 1:20 actually says about Jesus:
1 Peter 1:20 LGV
20 having been known previously, indeed even before the casting down of the world, yet made apparent in the last times for you
As stated earlier in another post, “having been known previously” is in the passive voice. Jesus is the direct object. The subject (who knew Him) is not stated. The clause “before the casting down of the world” refers to the creation before it was overthrown by Adam’s sin. This statement refers specifically to Adam’s former intimate relationship with the Son of God in the Garden of Eden. Adam knew, conversed with, and walked with the Son of God intimately as described in Genesis 2:15 – 3:19. These verses say that “God” was walking in the Garden of Eden, and speaking with Adam face to face. Yet, “No man has seen God at any time, the only-begotten Son … He has made Him known.” [8] This was the Word (Logos) who was in the beginning with God and was “God” to Adam.
To compound the error, the word μὲν(men) in the critical clause is either omitted or moved by most English translations so that it does not do what it was intended! The Greek reads: προεγνωσμένου μὲν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου (lit. “previously having been known, INDEED EVEN before the casting down of the world.” The word μὲν is an intensive particle, meant to stress something to an extreme, beyond what would be understood without it. It follows the word that it was meant to press to this extreme, as a post-positive. Yet, the NASB and NIV omit it entirely (even though it is found in their underlying Greek text), and the NKJV and KJV move it earlier, so that its post-positive force refers to the preceding verse instead of the word προεγνωσμένου (previously having been known). The reason it is left untranslated or moved to a different position is because the translators did not make any sense of the text as Peter wrote it due to their presuppositions. However, when the verse is correctly translated, as in the LGV, it is apparent why Peter included the word μὲν(men) exactly where he did.
1 Peter 1:20 LGV
20 having been known previously, indeed even before the casting down of the world, yet made apparent in the last times for you
Dictionary Entries
William Mounce Concise English Dictionary
Katabole G2602 :- 11x: pr. a casting down; laying the foundation, foundation; beginning, commencement, Mat_13:35; Mat_25:34; conception in the womb, Heb_11:11.
Thayer Definition Katabole G2602:
1) a throwing or laying down
1a) the injection or depositing of the virile semen in the womb
1b) of the seed of plants and animals
2) a founding (laying down a foundation)
Living as a Christian in this World 