1 Peter 2:1-12 (3 of 3)
1 Peter 2:1-12: Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good. As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"
and, "A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
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REJOICE
NEVER FORGET
AMEN
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
REJOICE | NEVER FORGET | AMEN |
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. | As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. | Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” |
1 Peter 2 (esv) (3 of 3)
1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in Scripture:
“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
7 So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.”
They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11 Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. 12 Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
- Both 1 Peter 2:1-12 and Ephesians 4:22-32 emphasize the transformation that occurs in believers' lives as they follow Christ. The passages urge Christians to rid themselves of sinful behaviors and attitudes, such as malice, deceit, and slander12. They highlight the importance of spiritual growth, likening it to newborn babies craving pure spiritual milk.
- These scriptures also stress the believers' new identity as God's chosen people, called to be holy and set apart. Both passages emphasize the importance of living honorably among non-believers, so that through the believers' good deeds, others may come to glorify God15.
- Furthermore, both texts underscore the importance of unity within the body of Christ, with believers being built together as living stones into a spiritual house or temple. This imagery reinforces the idea of Christians working together in harmony to fulfill God's purposes.
A1: The word "therefore" in 1 Peter 2:1 connects the instructions that follow to the teachings in the previous chapter. It emphasizes that the call to rid oneself of sinful behaviors is a direct result of being born again and having an imperishable inheritance, as discussed in 1 Peter 1:2-3.
A2: Peter's emphasis on "all deceit" highlights the importance of complete honesty in Christian life. This instruction is particularly relevant as the early Christians were often accused of deception by their critics3.
A3: The "pure spiritual milk" metaphor refers to the unadulterated teachings of God's word. Just as infants crave milk for physical growth, believers should desire God's word for spiritual growth.
A4: The "living stones" imagery draws a parallel between believers and the stones used to build the Old Testament temple. It suggests that Christians are now the spiritual building materials for God's new temple, the church23.
A5: The cornerstone was the first and most important stone laid in ancient buildings. By referring to Christ as the cornerstone, Peter emphasizes Jesus' foundational role in the church and in the faith of believers.
A6: Peter uses these quotations to show that Christ's role as the cornerstone and the rejection He faced were prophesied in the Old Testament. This reinforces the continuity between the Old and New Testaments and validates Jesus' messianic claims.
A7: The phrase "a chosen race" indicates that believers, regardless of their ethnic background, are now part of God's chosen people. This concept extends the Old Testament idea of Israel as God's chosen nation to include all believers in Christ.
A8: Unlike the Old Testament priesthood, which was limited to the Levites, the "royal priesthood" includes all believers. This suggests that all Christians have direct access to God and the responsibility to serve Him.
A9: This phrase alludes to Hosea 1:10 and 2:23, emphasizing the transformation of believers from being outside God's covenant to being included in it. It highlights the inclusive nature of God's salvation.
A10: These terms remind believers of their temporary status in this world. It emphasizes that their true citizenship is in heaven, encouraging them to live accordingly.
A11: This phrase describes the ongoing internal struggle believers face against temptation. It portrays sinful desires as active opponents that continually battle against one's spiritual well-being.
A12: This phrase likely refers to God's future judgment or Christ's return. It suggests that the good deeds of believers can have a long-term impact, potentially influencing unbelievers to glorify God when He intervenes in human history.
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