Genos (γένος) refers to a kind, species, race, family, or nation — those who share a common origin. The word can be used biologically (a kind of fish), ethnically (the Jewish race), or spiritually (a chosen race of believers). It carries the meaning of shared identity rooted in a common source.
Peter's declaration that believers are "a chosen genos" (1 Peter 2:9) — "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession" — is one of Scripture's most exalted descriptions of the Church. Identity in Christ supersedes and redefines all other genetic, ethnic, or national identities. The genos of the redeemed is defined not by bloodline but by the new birth from above.