The Living Stone and the
  Holy Nation

   1 Peter 2.2-10

   Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

  2  Be like newborn babies, always thirsty for the
   pure spiritual milk, so that by drinking it
   you may grow up and be saved.
  3  As the scripture says, "You have found out
   for yourselves how kind the Lord is."

  4  Come to the Lord, the living stone rejected by
   people as worthless but chosen by God as
   valuable.
  5  Come as living stones, and let yourselves be
   used in building the spiritual temple, where
   you will serve as holy priests to offer spiritual
   and acceptable sacrifices to God through
   Jesus Christ.
  6  For the scripture says,

   "I chose a valuable stone,
   which I am placing as the cornerstone in Zion;
   and whoever believes in him will never be
   disappointed."
  7  This stone is of great value for you that
   believe; but for those who do not believe:
   "The stone which the builders rejected as
   worthless
   turned out to be the most important of all."
  8  And another scripture says,
   "This is the stone that will make people
   stumble,
   the rock that will make them fall."

   They stumbled because they did not believe in
   the word; such was God's will for them.

  9  But you are the chosen race, the King's
   priests, the holy nation, God's own people,
   chosen to proclaim the wonderful acts of God,
   who called you out of darkness into his own
   marvelous light.
10  At one time you were not God's people,
   but now you are his people; at one time you
   did not know God's mercy, but now you have
   received his mercy.

*************************

   Commentary taken from
   'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
   (Kingsway)

The Living Stone and the
   Holy Nation

  1 Peter 2:2-10

Let us crave pure spiritual milk - that is, God's word.
Just as a new born infant eagerly desires his mother's milk, so should we eagerly desire to read and understand God's word and live according to it.

Only by doing this can we grow up in our salvation - that is, become mature Christians and receive the full blessing of our salvation.

As we read God's word, we can "taste" the goodness of His mercy and His other blessings. Through reading and obeying His word, we come to know God Himself and receive His grace.

Therefore, when we open our Bible and read, let us not just seek to know God's word, but through His word to know, to "taste," to love, God Himself Peter calls Jesus the living Stone, the cornerstone or capstone, of the church.

Jesus is the most important "stone" in the church. Without Him, the church would fall down. Jesus is a living stone, because God brought Him to life from the dead.

He also makes alive all who come to Him.
God takes us and builds us into a spiritual house or temple, in which God Himself can live

Not only that, we are also God's priests; we are a holy priesthood.
Among the twelve tribes of Israel, only the Levites could be appointed priests. But among Christians, every believer is a priest.

And, as priests of Jesus, we must offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. These sacrifices include the sacrifice of obedience, the sacrifice of praise, and the sacrifice of service to others.

All Christians are equally called to be holy;
all Christians are equally called to be priests.

Peter says that Jesus the living Stone was rejected by men - that is, by the Jewish leaders and their followers. But Jesus was chosen by God and was precious to Him.

Men rejected Jesus, but God honoured Him by raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in heaven.

Peter quotes three passages from the Old Testament:
Isaiah 28:16; Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14.

All who trust in Jesus will never be ashamed before God.
Jesus the cornerstone is laid in Zion - that is, in heaven, in the heavenly Jerusalem. For believers, Jesus is a precious to Him.

But for non-believers, Jesus is a stone that causes men to stumble.
For believers,
Jesus is Saviour; for non-believers, He is Judge

The Jews rejected Jesus. They refused to believe in Him. They threw out the "cornerstone." But then they stumbled on it.

In the same way, if we reject Jesus and disobey his message, we too will stumble and be condemned.

Peter describes Christians by quoting some expressions from the Old Testament about Israel, the Jewish nation. Indeed, Christians are the new and true "Israel." They are a chosen people (Isaiah 43:20), a royal priesthood and a holy nation, a people belonging to God.

God has made us His people so that we might declare His praises. God has called us out of darkness - out of the world of sin and unbelief - and brought us into his wonderful light - that is, into the kingdom of heaven

We were once unbelieving Gentiles (non-Jews).
We did not belong to God's people. But now we have become the people of God; we have received God's mercy, God's salvation, through Jesus.

But we are not merely God's people; we are His 'sons' - 'sons' of the living God.

Other versions are available here

Return to the Home Page

  During the Interregnum
  contact the Benefice Office
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com

  Contact the Benefice Office
  Sunday School Rooms, Church Lane,
  BUGBROOKE, Northampton, NN7 3PB
  Land Line: 01604 830373
  E-mail:
  thebeneficeofbhkandr at gmail dot com
  Mon., Tues., Wed., Thur.
  9:00^am to 11:30^am

  For Baptism bookings  (Christenings)
  to arrange an appointment please contact
  the Benefice Office.

  For Wedding bookings:
  please contact the Benefice Office to arrange
  an appointment.

  Who Made This?
  Seeing as you asked, if you can give helpful
  advice or report factual corrections and
  'deliberate mistakes',email:-
  regparker3 at gmail dot com

  Email addresses shown using words in an
  attempt to avoid 'spam',
  Type the email address replacing 'at' with '@',
  and 'dot' with '.'