Peter is interested that the believers do some growing. Non-growing believers are a problem in every age. Some have been saved for years but are still in the nursery spiritually.
1. Our Privileges Driving Growth (1 Peter 2:1)
“Therefore” (1 Peter 2:1). This word refers back to the previous text’s message at the end of Chapter 1 and gives that as a prompter for growing in salvation. Mainly,
…having been born again, not of [k]corruptible seed but [l]incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides [m]forever, 24 because
“All flesh is as grass,
And all [n]the glory of man as the flower of the grass.
The grass withers,
And its flower falls away,
25 But the [o]word of the Lord endures forever.”
Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you. 1 Peter 1: 23-25
• The privilege of being born again. Part of the previous text spoke of the favor the people of that day had in having the Gospel message revealed to them. Many Old Testament saints did not have that privilege. Spiritual privilege not only prompts spiritual growth but makes us responsible to grow spiritually.
• The privilege of having the Word of God. The nearest previous text spoke of the Word of God and its great character and value. To have the Word of God makes the lack of spiritual growth absolutely inexcusable.
2. The Trash to Throw Away to Grow (1 Peter 2:1)
We will not make much progress spiritually until we clean up our lives from sinful conduct.
• The acts or thoughts of wanting to hurt others with our words or actions. “Laying aside all malice” (1 Peter 2:1). The word translated “malice” is larger in meaning than just malice but can be and is translated “wickedness” at times. Note it is “all” malice. No wickedness toward others is be tolerated. Get rid of it.
• The practice of Deciet. “Guile.” This word means deceit. The verb form of this noun means to catch with bait. This is how Satan does his work. He deceives by making things look like they are not and this deceives and ensnares many.
• The practice of faking. “Hypocrisies” (1 Peter 2:1). The church is filled with hypocrites. They say one thing and do another. The Pharisees were like this. The believer, however, is to be sincere, faithful, truthful, honest.
• The practice of Envy or Jealousy. “Envies” (1 Peter 2:1). A.R. Fausset in the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown commentary says, “Malice delights in another’s hurt, envy pines at another’s good.” Romans 12:15 says, “Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.” It is a lot harder to rejoice with the rejoicing than to weep with the weeping. Envy prevents many from rejoicing with the rejoicing.
• The practice of slander or complaining. “All evil speaking” (1 Peter 2:1). This evil speaking is slander—tearing down or criticizing others. There is a lot of that sort of thing among believers. Evil does not need facts to accuse, if it lacks facts it invents them.
3. The WORD Needed for the Growing (1 Peter 2:2)
One not only must get rid of evil to grow, but one must also eat the right food to grow.
• The desire for the Word. “Desire” (1 Peter 2:2). One must have a good appetite to eat. Lack of spiritual appetite comes when you have filled your life with evil. “As newborn babes … milk of the word” (1 Peter 2:2). “As newborns. He is not saying they are newborns. We are to always crave God’s word. This is not saying milk is for the new born and meat is for mature. We are to all crave the Word.
• The design of the Word. “Grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2). The Word of God is the food that will bring spiritual growth. The reason many Christians do not grow is that they soak up TV and Social Media by the hour and ignore their Bibles. And few churches help, for they fill the church program with play and not the Word of God.
THE PORTRAYAL OF THE CHURCH
1 Peter 2:3–10
Three important things about the church are portrayed in this section of chapter 2. They concern the Head of the Church, namely, Jesus Christ, the members of the church, and the message of the church, namely, the Gospel.
1. The Master of the Church (1 Peter 2:3, 4, 6–8)
The Master or Head of the Church is Jesus Christ. Our text gives some pertinent information about Him.
• The excellence of Christ. “You have tasted that the Lord is gracious” (1 Peter 2:3). The word “gracious” means good and virtuous. The excellence of Christ is emphasized here.
• The life in Christ. “A living stone” (1 Peter 2:4). A rare combination of “stone” and “living.” But Christ is the foundation (“stone”) of salvation and gives life (“living”) to the soul that was dead in sin.
• The stability of Christ. “Stone” (1 Peter 2:4, 6, 7, 8). Christ is absolutely essential to our faith, the Gospel, our salvation. Christ’s essentialness is presented in the symbolism of a stone in Scriptures. The symbolism represents at least three things about Christ. First, the foundation of Christ. “Living stone” (1 Peter 2:4). Christ is the foundational stone of the Gospel and our salvation (2 Timothy 2:19; 1 Corinthians 3:11). Second, the importance of Christ. “Chief corner stone … head of the corner” (1 Peter 2:6, 7). In the days of this epistle, the corner stone was essential in the plan and construction of a building. Today a corner stone is merely a symbolic stone affixed in the wall of a building after it is completed with dates engraved on it and a box in it for time-sake mementoes. Third, the rejection of Christ. “Stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word” (1 Peter 2:8). That which is essential becomes a stumbling stone when it is not perceived as essential.
• The rejection of Christ. “rejected by men … the stone which the builders rejected (1 Peter 2:4, 7); cp. Psalm 118:22). The most important stone of the building was rejected by the builders. This is a picture of many lives. The most important Person for their life is utterly rejected. Society rejects Christ, yet He is the most important person for society. The exclusion of Christ does not show the deficiency of Christ but the dumbness of mankind.
• The election of Christ. “Chosen of God … elect” (1 Peter 2:4, 6). The word translated “chosen” is the same word translated “elect.” God knows the future and knows who will choose Him and He chooses them to have eternal life and a purpose on earth. Being chosen by God emphasizes the fact of the plan God had for the Gospel which was planned “before the foundation of the world” (1 Peter 1:20).
• The esteem of Christ. “Precious” (1 Peter 2:4, 6). This word found twice in these texts means something “held in honor, prized” (Thayer). The word “precious” in 1 Peter 2:7 is a different word in the Greek but means relatively the same thing. All these texts say those who believe esteem Christ as of great value. Unbelievers do not see value in Christ but despise Him.
2. The Members of the Church (1 Peter 2:5, 9, 10)
The church is also composed of members who are the redeemed by the Lord.
• They are secure members. “You also, as living stones” (1 Peter 2:5). The symbolism of stones, which was used for Christ as the chief corner stone, continues with the believers to compare the church to a building. Christ is the chief corner stone (1 Peter 2:6), and the believers comprise the other stones (“lively stones, are built up … house” [1 Peter 2:5]).
• They are a spiritual members. “Spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). To be part of this house requires more than a physical life but requires a spiritual life which is obtained by being “born again” (1 Peter 1:23).
• They are selected members. “Chosen generation” (1 Peter 2:9). The choosing was not because of merit but because of mercy.
• They are a society of members. “An holy nation” (1 Peter 2:9). This is not speaking of the local church on earth but of all believers in their spiritual union with one another.
• They are safe members. “Peculiar people” (1 Peter 2:9). The word translated “peculiar” does not mean strange or eccentric but speaks of a people of possession. That is, God purchased us by Christ paying the ransom for our sins. Also in the meaning is “preservation” (Thayer). God does not lose His possessions. Once we belong to God in salvation our souls are safe forever.
• They are serving members. “An holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God … a royal priesthood … that ye should show forth the praises of him” (1 Peter 2:5, 9). We are not saved to sit around but to serve the Lord in a way that will praise Him.
• They are saved members. “Who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light; which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God; which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:9, 10). Three things are noted here about salvation. First, the moving in salvation. “Called you out of darkness unto his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9). The redeemed have been moved judicially from darkness to light. It is moving one’s destiny from the darkness of hell to the delight of heaven. Second, the membership in salvation. “But are now the people of God.” (1 Peter 2:10). While we are all related to God through creation, the relationship that counts is the relationship the comes via salvation which makes us the “people of God.” Third, the mercy in salvation. “Now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:10). Salvation is all of Divine mercy, no human merit is involved.
3. The Message of the Church (1 Peter 2:6–8)
The message of the church is the Gospel message. Peter gives some pertinent details about his message.
• The source of the message. “Contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, previous” (1 Peter 2:6). Isaiah 28:16 is the Old Testament reference here. The Gospel was proclaimed by the Old Testament in types and prophecies. The two on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24) were shown about Christ in the Old Testament. Paul spoke of the Gospel being in accord with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3). He who preaches and teaches the Bible will proclaim the Gospel. But leave out the Bible and the Gospel is left out.
• The significance of the message. “Behold” (1 Peter 2:6). We have our “beholds” in the wrong place today. Politics and sports, money and Hollywood are not worth any “beholds” but the salvation of your soul is the biggest “Behold” in life.
• The Savior in the message. “Chief corner stone, elect, precious” (1 Peter 2:6). Christ is the Savior. His importance to the Gospel is emphasized in three ways here. First, He is essential to salvation. “Chief corner stone.” The corner stone was the most essential stone in the building in those days. Second, He is elected as the Savior “Elect.” God chose Christ as the Savior. There are not any substitutes. We come to Him or we are lost. Third, He is esteemed in salvation. “Unto you therefore which believe he is precious” (1 Peter 2:7). Christ must be esteemed if one is to be saved.
• The stipulation in the message. “Believe” (1 Peter 2:6, 7). Faith is required for salvation. Church membership, baptism, communion, and other exercises and services are not required to be saved. You must believe in Jesus Christ or you will be damned.
• The satisfaction in the message. “He that believes on him shall not be put to shame” (1 Peter 2:6). The thought in all these verses is that Christ satisfies, He will never disappoint, He will never cause one to be truly ashamed of his choice of Christ in salvation. So Paul can say, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ” (Romans 1:16)
• The stumbling over the message. “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word” (1 Peter 2:8). The Gospel message, though logical, though free, though better than any salvation message, is however rejected by most men. Christ to them is a stumbling stone. The Word of God, which proclaims the Gospel, is stumbled over by unbelief. Christ and the Word are either stepping stones or stumbling blocks—depending on your acceptance or rejection of them.
Message Audio/Video and Outline: https://upwards.church/leander-campus/watch-now-message-videos
Watch Messages: YouTube-Upwards Church
Read Along Daily Bible Reading: YouVersion (https://www.bible.com/organizations/370f8a6e-16bc-464f-8c43-0b7623fd2952)
Source: adapted and edited; from John G. Butler, Analytical Bible Expositor: 1 & 2 Peter (Clinton, IA: LBC Publications, 2010), 199–204.
Upwards Church 