1 Peter 2:4-10
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1 Peter 2:4-10 A Chosen People
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Summary of passage
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Text and Translation
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Original Context & Exegesis
A. Passage Boundaries (why are these verses grouped together in this chapter or pericope?)
B. Exegesis of passage as a whole (or verse-by-verse, if helpful).
2:4-8 When a corner stone was laid for a building, it became the reference point around which the rest of the building was built. The stones for the walls were laid in straight lines from the cornerstone. This was the only reliable method for getting straight walls prior to modern technology. Cornerstones on buildings built today are primarily decorative, but in this day they were crucial for locating and aligning the building. A cornerstone had to be placed very carefully, or the building’s orientation would be off. Jesus is the Chief Corner Stone to those "living stones" who are built up with Him, i.e. those who follow the Master Builder's plan and order themselves around the Corner Stone. Those who refuse to order themselves around Christ must trip over Him to go their own way -- He will always put Himself in their path, begging them to come join Him in His building. These "lonely stones" are of little value alone without being a part of something larger than themselves. He is prophesied of as a cornerstone in Isaiah 28:16, referenced in v.6. He is prophesied of as a rejected stone becoming a cornerstone in Psalm 118:22, referenced in v.7. He is prophesied of as a stumbling stone in Isaiah 8:14, referenced in v.8. For a discussion on the priesthood and spiritual sacrifices mentioned in v.5, see note on v.9.
2:9 Israel was a nation that was set aside as chosen and holy and was called God’s own possession in the Old Testament. Here we are told the same things about us. I don’t believe, as some teach, that God has totally rejected Israel and that the church has taken her place and all of the Old Testament promises now apply to us. Thus they teach that the blessings of the Old Testament guaranteeing a plentiful harvest and other material blessings for obedience apply to us today. There is no New Testament basis for this. In contrast, we are promised many times in the New Testament that if we follow Christ we will face persecution, unfair accusations, mocking, and possibly torture and death. However, we are co-inheritors of God with Israel (at least those saved by faith in a future Messiah prior to Jesus and those saved by faith in Jesus since.) Unlike ancient Israel, where only the descendants of Aaron were priests, we are all priests unto Jesus. Therefore, we are to be set apart, holy, and ministering unto the Lord. As priests were consecrated and anointed with oil (which is a symbol of the Holy Spirit), so we are anointed into this royal priesthood by the Holy Spirit. As the Old Testament priests were set apart for direct service to the Lord, so are we. In v.5 we are also called priests and told that our job is to offer up “spiritual sacrifices.” Our sacrifices today look much different than the bulls and goats of the Old Testament, however. Our sacrifices today include: Praise (Hebrews13:15) A broken and contrite spirit (Isaiah 5 7:15) Doing good works (Hebrews 13:16) Worshiping acceptably (Hebrews12:28) Showing Him to others (1 Peter 2:9b) This list is probably not exhaustive. The case could be made that anything that we give up for Christ could count as a spiritual sacrifice based on Matthew 19:29 and Mark 10:29-30.
C. Literary Features--What genre is it? What literary devices (e.g, metaphor) does it use?
D. Connections to the rest of book—what purpose does this pericope serve in the bigger picture of the book?
E. Connections to the rest of Scripture--How is it referenced or alluded to elsewhere?
Jesus Christ: The Redemptive-Historical Context
A. Where is Christ and the Gospel present in this passage?
B. How does this passage point to Christ or depend on Christ? How does Christ fulfill this passage? How was it fulfilled already? How will it be fulfilled?
C. What does this passage tell us about God’s plan of redemption in Christ?
Current Context
A. What does this tell us about ourselves, our world, and the human condition?
B. What are some modern parallels to the original situation?
C. What is the call/command/invitation of this passage?
D. How does Christ & the Gospel in this passage enable us to see, think, and live differently?
Links/References/Bibliography
A. Representative sermons on the passage
B. Examples and Illustrations
C. Commentaries on this book
D. Articles on this book or passage
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