Category Archives: Commentaries

A Stone of Stumbling

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1 Peter 2:7-8

7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve,

“THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED,

THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”

8 and,

“A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE”;

for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

The “precious value” is in Jesus our cornerstone. But those who disbelieve Him and reject Him, He will become for them the cornerstone that will cause them to stumble (see Ps. 118:22); He will be their judgment. This judgment on them is divinely appointed because of their disobedience and unbelief. Hence, just as believers are appointed for salvation (Rom. 8:29-30), all others who choose not to believe are appointed for doom—eternal judgment (Rom. 9:18).

A Spiritual House

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1 Peter 2:5-6

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For this is contained in Scripture:

“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone,

AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”

We as believers are living stones. He is the cornerstone (the foundation stone) and we are all the other building stones, which are being built up as a spiritual house (metaphorically). We are built up for a holy priesthood (v. 9)—each of us being priests of God, working in the service of God and having access to God. As priest we offer up our bodies as a living sacrifice for all the work He would have us do for Him (Rom. 12:1).

Verse 6 is a quote from Isaiah 28:16. It is a prophecy of the Messiah to come, and all who believe in Him will not be disappointed; that is, He will be all that He has been prophesied to be and all that we need Him to be.

Our Living Stone

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1 Peter 2:4

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

Peter encourages his readers to come to Him and abide in Him (Jn. 15:5) as our living foundation stone (1 Cor. 3:10-11), upon which we can be built up on. He has been rejected by men, but for you He will be precious as he is in His Fathers eyes.

The Milk of the Word

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1 Peter 2:2-3

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

Here Peter is comparing new converts, in their spiritual lives, to new infants. I’m not sure how it is with infants in regard to their feeding practice. I assume that they naturally long for milk from their mother. But maybe not. Maybe they have to be coaxed or enticed to taste of the sweet milk. And the more they suck and taste, the more they long for it. Since it seems to be an imperative that a new believer long for the word, it may be that it is not a natural thing. We must develop a taste for it and discover His kindness—so that we may long for it and then “grow in respect to salvation.” That is, that we learn all about our salvation and grow into its fullness.

Putting Aside the Old Flesh

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1 Peter 2:1

1 Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

Though they are born again of the living and enduring seed—of the Word of God, they still must put aside all malice (or wickedness) and all things like deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Peter knew that being born again didn’t get rid of all evil in one’s life. New believers have a new spiritual life, but still they have the old flesh in them, which must be “put aside,” or “abstained from” (v. 14). 

Purified for A Sincere Love

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1 Peter 1:22

22 Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,

Here we have an obvious break in the narrative, where Peter turns more toward application. In verses 13-17 he encourages the reader toward obedience and holiness. Now he sharpens the scope toward love of the brethren. As Peter put it, in their obedience to the truth (as obedient Christians) they acted to purify their souls so that they were able to fervently love one another from the heart.

Our Faith and Hope

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1 Peter 1:21

21 who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

It is through Christ and His sacrifice for us that we are believers in God—who raised Christ from the dead and gave Him glory when He brought Him back to heaven. Hence our faith and hope are to be in God.

The Price of Our Redemption

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1 Peter 1:18-19

18 knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, 19 but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ.

In our evaluation of things, seeing what value Christ put on us, that He gave His very life-blood for us (His precious blood; unblemished), this may influence your conduct.

Conduct Yourselves in Fear

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1 Peter 1:17

17 If you address as Father the One who impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth;

If we know that God is our Father and that He will judge us fairly according to our works, we ought to know that He will indeed see everything we have done, whether our works are valuable and enduring, or invaluable and shallow (1 Cor. 3:12-13); thus, we ought to not take lightly what we do—how we conduct ourselves.