First Peter - Lorin

the conversion of his readers and that in such an experience they had discovered the goodness of God. That
initial experience of God’s grace ‘whetted’ their appetite for more. This assumption stands as important incentive
for their longing for the spiritual milk that the Word provides.
Wow! The richness of this admonition with its modifiers envelopes much about the heart of being a developing
believer in Christ. Central to spiritual development is the nourishment found in the Gospel of Christ,
preached to the first century believers and now preserved for us in the pages of the New Testament. But we
must do more than just read these words. We must experience them in transforming and dynamic ways day
by day. The perpetual hunger for the milk, the nourishment, coming from the Word keeps us going back to
scripture over and over to gain insights and to experience growth and change. And we realize this is mostly
pointing us to the day of ultimate scrutiny of our life when we stand before Almighty God in final judgment.
b. You’re becoming God’s temple, vv. 4-6
4 Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and 5 like living
stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable
to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it stands in scripture: “See, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone
chosen and precious; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”
4 Πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι, λίθον ζῶντα, ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον παρὰ δὲ θεῷ ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον
5 καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας
εὐπροσδέκτους θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· 6 διότι περιέχει ἐν γραφῇ· Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον ἀκρογωνιαῖον
ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπʼ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ.
Notes:
At this point, Peter turns a corner conceptually in the letter body. From 1:13 through 2:3, he has issued
a series of admonitions designed to provide direction for living the Christian life. In 2:4-10, he shifts to a
series of affirmations about who believers are spiritually the people of God. Much of the terminology for this
depiction is borrowed from the Old Testament and signals a profound shift from old covenant to new covenant
in that the language of spiritual status initially applied to Israel as the
covenant people of God is reapplied to the believing community as the
new covenant people of God. The old covenant only included properly
circumcised and Torah obedient Jews. But the new covenant people
include both Jews and non-Jews around shared commitment to Jesus
Christ. This perspective from Peter had earth quake level shock in
his day. The extension of the Gospel into the non-Jewish world of the
middle first century was highly controversial among Jews, and even
among many Jewish Christians. 25 It signaled the beginning stage
of Christianity separating itself from Judaism as a separate, distinct
religion.
Verses 5-8 begin the transition from admonition to declaration, from “here’s what you should be” to “here
is who you are.” And who you are is depicted in terms of the temple of God and the people of God. The rich
use of figurative language will continue but with revolve around these two stack poles of temple and people.
The central role of Christ in this new spiritual status will be underscored repeatedly.
Core Declaration: καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς. This first affirmation asserts
the spiritual reality that coming to Jesus 26 means becoming a part of a spiritual house. 27 The present tense
25 Especially note Acts 15 where a major split in the early Christian movement over non-Jews coming in Christianity was barely
averted. With the continued ‘Judiazing’ efforts of some in the Christian community, Paul especially had to cope with repeated
efforts to undermine the apostolic gospel of justification by faith apart from works of law. See Galatians and 2 Corinthians for major
discussions of this issue.
26 “Now the metaphor shifts from that of nourishment to that of security and honor. Using a phrase that likely comes from
Ps. 34:5 (‘Come to him’ in the LXX, using a construction not found in the NT) Peter notes that their conversion was a coming to
Christ (so also Matt. 5:1; 18:1; 23:3; Heb. 4:16; 7:25). Christ is a ‘living stone.’ This both introduces the stone imagery that will
dominate the next five verses and designates Christ not as a monument or dead principle, but as the living, resurrected, and therefore
life-giving one. 16 ” [Peter H. Davids, The First Epistle of Peter, The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand
Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1990), 85.]
27 The mood form of the verb οἰκοδομεῖσθε is indicative, not imperative, as the NRSV mistakenly translates. Note Michaels’
insightful comments:
Bible Study: Page 83