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1 Peter 2

25 verses

TL;DR

Believers are urged to live as living stones built on Christ as the cornerstone, offering holy conduct, enduring suffering, and proclaiming God’s grace as a chosen, royal priesthood.

Summary

Peter exhorts Christians to cast aside malice, hypocrisy, and evil speech, comparing themselves to newborn babes desiring the word for growth. He declares that the Lord is gracious and that believers, like living stones, are built into a spiritual house and holy priesthood, offering acceptable spiritual sacrifices. The epistle uses the image of the cornerstone, rejected by builders but chosen by God, to describe Christ, and warns of the stumbling stone for the disobedient. Peter highlights the chosen, royal, holy nature of God's people, who have moved from darkness into marvelous light. He urges them to abstain from fleshly lusts, conduct themselves honorably among Gentiles, submit to rulers, honor all, and endure suffering with patience, following Christ’s example of silent endurance and righteous love, ultimately being redeemed as sheep returned to the Shepherd.

Outline
  1. Call to moral purity and desire for spiritual growth
  2. Christ as the cornerstone and believers as living stones
  3. Instructions for conduct, submission, and suffering
Themes
Chosen people and spiritual identitySubmission and obedience to earthly authoritiesSuffering as a witness to faith
Keywords
living stonecornerstoneroyal priesthoodspiritual housesubmissionsufferingChristsoulSion
People
Jesus Christthe LordPeter
Places
Sion
Things
living stonecornerstonespiritual housespiritual sacrificesstone of stumblingrock of offense
Key Verses
  • 1 Peter 2:4: Introduces the cornerstone metaphor, central to the passage’s message.
  • 1 Peter 2:5: Declares believers as living stones forming a holy priesthood.
  • 1 Peter 2:12: Encourages conduct that glorifies God among Gentiles.
  • 1 Peter 2:21: Highlights suffering for righteousness as a witness.
  • 1 Peter 2:24: Shows Christ’s sacrifice as the basis for believers’ healing.
Questions
  • How does the image of the cornerstone shape your understanding of Christ’s role in the believer’s life?
  • What practical steps can you take to 'abstain from fleshly lusts' while maintaining honest conversation with non-believers?
  • In what ways can enduring suffering become a testimony of faith for you and your community?
Sentiment

mixed
Encouraging exhortation coupled with stern warnings about disobedience and suffering.