Study of First Peter Chapter 2                               Lesson 25

Review:

 

 

Next Peter picks up the quote of 2 phrases from Isa 8:14

and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE";

 

- stumbling  prosko,ptw  noun that refers to an obstacle over which one trips or stumbles

 

His public ministry, His teaching, His death(s) on the cross failed to match up to their conception or perception of the Messiah. 

 

AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE  presents a parallel but different picture;  pe,tra  a large massive rock instead of a cut prepared stone as we saw earlier

- OFFENSE   ska,ndalon   which speaks of a trap set to trip one up

 

Now Peter elaborates on the reason for the stumbling, being tripped up.

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

 

- here the idea is to appoint for punishment, that is the judicial response of God to their negative volition, rejection of Christ. 

 

 

- Therefore when +R sees only -R (human righteousness) in an individual the result is divine justice goes into operation they receive the penalty for their negative volition, refusal to believe in Christ, being disobedient to the Word.

 

 

- The consequence, which "doom" they were appointed is in the passive voice, they receive the consequences of their refusal to believe in Christ from the Justice of God.

 

 

2:7 This honor, therefore, is for you (advantage), the ones who believe; but for the ones who disbelieve, a stone which the builders have rejected, this one,  became the head of the corner.

2:8 and a stone of stumbling and a rock which trips one, for they are stumbling because they are disobedient to the Word to which (doom) they were appointed.

Observations:

1. Peter documents the results for both those who believe in the living stone and those who reject the living stone.

 

2. The great honor that we have as believers is to be in an eternal relationship with the living stone, and to be stones in the house that He is constructing, the Church.

 

3.  Jesus Christ who is rejected by mankind and the builders, the religious leaders of His day is the one who is exalted by God.

 

4. The builders, had the right info, had heard the OT prophecies related to both advents of Christ the Messiah read but ignored  and distorted them as they did with what Christ taught during His ministry.

 

5.  So the result that Peter emphasizes here is that Christ, the Living Stone, became a stumbling block, a rock over which they tripped, that is to the Jews. Rom 9:32-33; also 1 Cor 1:23

 

6. Their refusal to believe, is not appointed or destined but is the penalty or consequence of their negative volition expressed in disobedience of the Word.

 

2:9-10  The Royal Family's Escutcheon  (terms used here describe our position in the Family)

 

Peter sets out 4 terms here that describe the royal family of God, that is believers during the church age that are the living stones of a new spiritual house.   (vs:5)

 

#1  you are A CHOSEN RACE   emphatic, you, yourselves a choice, a select race

 

 

- we are a part of this choice race, we have a common identity because we believed in Christ, and now our ability or capacity to function within this new identity comes as we grow in the Word.

 

#2 A royal PRIESTHOOD  basi,leioj (adj) royal, kingly, belonging to or fit for a king   i`era,teuma  priesthood 

we are a royal priesthood because of our family ties, our association with the King, Jesus Christ, of whom we're in union.

 

#3 a holy nation   e;qnoj a[gion  ethnos  in the singular which speaks of a people held together by common laws, customs and mutual interests

- Of Israel it spoke of them in their covenantal relationship with God which made them distinctly His nation, His people.

- We as believers are a holy nation, we have a common spiritual life from God and are in union with His Son.

 

#4 A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION,  peripoi,hsij possession refers to a personal private possession  (also Titus 2:14)

 

 

2:9a  But you yourselves are a choice race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people with respect to a personal possession (of God).

 

Summary

1. All of these terms, a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people who are His possession were all used of Israel and its relationship with God.

- See these  terms used of Israel in Isa 43:20; Ex. 19:5-6; Deut 7:6-8

 

2. What you don't want to do here is take these terms that were used of Israel and apply them to the Church as the Reformed do and say Israel is replaced by the Church.

- They teach that since the Church supplants Israel the Church now assumes the national promises to Israel.

 

3. Israel was a physical race of people, the literal descendents of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob while the church (U) is a spiritual race the members of which share the common characteristic of faith in Christ and are both Jews and Gentiles racially.

 

4. What Peter is saying is that there is a similarity of function but not an exact identity.

 

5. Abraham became a father of a new race at the point of regeneration when he believed God and it was credited to him for righteousness.

 

6. We became part of a new race, living stones in this spiritual house at the point of regeneration.

 

7. Israel was to be a kingdom of priests (Ex. 19:6) that became a specialized one (Levi) while our priesthood is a royal and universal one.