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Commentaries and Other Bible Study Helps - Prayer Tents - Prayer Tents
1:22-2:10 Living as the New People of God. Since Christians have been given new life by the Word of God, they are to love one another fervently (1:22-25). They are to long for God's Word so that they will continue to grow in faith (2:1-3). They are like living stones which together build up a spiritual house, with Jesus as the cornerstone (2:4-8). Believers are chosen by God to be his people (2:9-10).
1:22 Peter's call for his readers to love one another is grounded in their conversion, which occurred when they were obedient to the truth (i.e., the gospel) and therefore were purified and cleansed (see note on v. 2 for "obedience" and "sprinkling").
1:23 Believers were born anew through the living and abiding word of God, meaning the whole of written Scripture (cf. v. 25) but especially the saving message of the gospel. The exhortation to love (v. 22) flows from their new life as members of God's family.
1:24-25 Peter cites Isa. 40:6, 8 to contrast the weakness of human flesh with the power of the word of the Lord that has granted new life to believers.
2:1-2 In comparing believers to newborn infants, Peter is not saying that they are immature in their faith but that all Christians are to be like infants in their longing for pure spiritual milk, which likely refers to God's Word (cf. 1:23-25). "Spiritual" comes from Greek logikos, which echoes "word" (logos) of 1:23.
2:3 Christians will continue to long for the Word if they have tasted that the Lord is good, which they did in conversion. Cf. Ps. 34:8; in writing this letter, Peter likely meditated at length upon this psalm, which is about how the Lord delivers the righteous in their sufferings (cf. 1 Pet. 3:10-12 and Ps. 34:12-13).
2:4 As you come to him indicates a daily personal relationship with Christ, beginning at but not limited to the time of conversion. As believers continue in fellowship with Christ, they "are being built up as a spiritual house" (v. 5). Just as his followers suffer persecution, Jesus also was rejected by men. Still, he is risen from the dead and hence is the living stone--the foundation of God's new temple. He is God's elect (chosen) one, and as the exalted Lord he is honored above all.
2:5 Believers are living stones in God's new temple (i.e., spiritual house). Since the components that make up the house are "living," the house itself is also growing: you yourselves . . . are being built up. Peter sees that the OT temple anticipated the new temple where God dwells (i.e., in his people). But believers are not only God's temple but are also a holy priesthood, which offers spiritual sacrifices (cf. Rom. 12:1; Phil. 4:18; Heb. 13:15-16) by the power of the Holy Spirit.
2:6 In support of the idea that Jesus is the cornerstone (see note on Eph. 2:20) of God's temple, Peter cites Isa. 28:16 (cf. Rom. 9:33; 10:11). Jesus is the elect Messiah whom God has honored by raising him from the dead. Those who put their trust in him will enjoy vindication on the last day.
2:7 Eschatological (i.e., end-time) honor belongs to believers, but unbelievers will find the prophecy from Ps. 118:22 fulfilled. The stone the builders repudiated is the foundation of God's temple, his new people.
2:8 In stumbling, unbelievers fulfill the prophecy in Isa. 8:14, where the stone God has established becomes the means of their falling. Their stumbling, however, is their own fault, for they are tripped up because of their refusal to obey the "word" of the gospel. They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. Some understand this to teach that God has predestined not who will disobey but only what the result of disobedience will be for those who disobey (i.e., that those who disobey will stumble). It is more likely that Peter teaches that God appoints all that will occur (cf. note on Eph. 1:11). In teaching this, Peter does not deny human responsibility, for he emphasizes that people are guilty if they fail to believe (they "stumble because they disobey").
2:9 a chosen race. God's grace rather than human choice is the ultimate explanation for why some people come to faith and others do not. God has elected ("chosen") some to be his people, therefore no one can boast of being included. Peter views the church as a new Israel, for he picks up what is said of Israel in Ex. 19:5-6 and applies it to the church. The church is a royal priesthood and God's holy nation. As God's chosen ones, Christians are to proclaim the excellencies of the one who summoned them from darkness and ushered them into his marvelous light (cf. Isa. 43:20b-21).
