The Letters · New Testament
1 Peter 2
1 Peter 2: living stones, a chosen people, and suffering under wrong
General context
Malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies and evil speakings are to be laid aside, and the readers are to want the sincere milk of the word like newborn babes. Coming to a living stone that men disallowed but God chose, they are built up as lively stones into a spiritual house and a holy priesthood. Three lines of scripture follow about a stone: one laid in Sion, elect and precious, so the believer is not confounded; one rejected by builders and made the head of the corner; and one that is a stumbling stone and a rock of offence to the disobedient. The readers are then named a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation and a peculiar people, who once were not a people and had not obtained mercy. As strangers and pilgrims they are asked to abstain from fleshly lusts and to keep their conduct honest among the Gentiles, so that those who call them evildoers may see their works. Submission follows: to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake, to the king as supreme and to governors sent by him, since well doing silences foolish men. Four short commands come together: honour all men, love the brotherhood, fear God, honour the king. Servants are told to be subject to masters both gentle and froward, since enduring grief wrongfully for conscience is thankworthy, while being beaten for one's own faults is not. The example given is Christ, who did no sin, did not revile back, did not threaten when he suffered, and bore sins in his own body on the tree. The chapter ends with sheep going astray now returned to the Shepherd and Bishop of their souls.
Cited passages: 1 Peter 2:1, 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:6, 1 Peter 2:7, 1 Peter 2:8, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 2:10, 1 Peter 2:11, 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 2:13, 1 Peter 2:14, 1 Peter 2:16, 1 Peter 2:17, 1 Peter 2:18, 1 Peter 2:19, 1 Peter 2:20, 1 Peter 2:21, 1 Peter 2:23, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 2:25
1 Peter 2 (KJV)
1Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,
5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
12Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;
14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
15For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:
16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.
17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
18Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.
19For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.
20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.
21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
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Historical context
The chapter states several things about the readers' position. They live among Gentiles who speak against them as evildoers, they are under a king and governors, and some of them are servants with masters described as good and gentle or froward. No ruler, master or place is named. Verse 10 sets the readers' present standing against their own past and names no other group. Several lines come from older scripture. Verse 6 is introduced as "contained in the scripture" and reads "Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded", where Isaiah 28:16 reads "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste". Verse 7 reads "the stone which the builders disallowed", where Psalm 118:22 reads "The stone which the builders refused". Verse 8 takes up "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence" from Isaiah 8:14. Verse 22, "Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth", stands beside Isaiah 53:9, "because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth", and verse 24 reads "by whose stripes ye were healed" where Isaiah 53:5 reads "with his stripes we are healed".
Cited passages: 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 2:18, 1 Peter 2:10, 1 Peter 2:6, Isaiah 28:16, 1 Peter 2:7, Psalms 118:22, Isaiah 8:14, 1 Peter 2:22, Isaiah 53:9, 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5
Literary context
One image runs the first half and one instruction runs the second. The stone is turned over three times, chosen, rejected, tripped over, and the readers are made of the same material, "lively stones" in a house whose foundation is the rejected one. Verse 9 piles four titles on people who have just been described as strangers, and verse 10 balances two negatives against two positives in a single line. From verse 11 the sentences become directions, and they descend through ranks: the state, then the household, then servants under masters who may be cruel. The letter does not soften that last case, since it names the froward master and admits that patience under deserved beating earns nothing. The pattern given is not a rule but a person, and the description at verses 22 to 24 is built from clauses beginning with Who, three of them, so the argument is carried by a portrait rather than a command. The last verse changes the metaphor from stones to sheep and hands the reader over to a shepherd.
Cited passages: 1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5, 1 Peter 2:8, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 Peter 2:11, 1 Peter 2:18, 1 Peter 2:20, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 Peter 2:25
Key moments
- Newborn babes (1 Peter 2:2). The readers are told to want the word the way infants want milk.
- Lively stones (1 Peter 2:5). The readers are built into a house and named a priesthood.
- A stone of stumbling (1 Peter 2:8). The same stone is described as what others trip over.
- A peculiar people (1 Peter 2:9). Four titles are given to people called strangers a verse later.
- Honour the king (1 Peter 2:17). Four short commands set the readers' duties in a row.
- Even to the froward (1 Peter 2:18). Servants are told to submit to harsh masters as well as kind ones.
- He reviled not again (1 Peter 2:23). The example given is silence under insult and trust in the judge.
For reflection
The letter tells servants to stay under masters it calls froward, and gives as the reason someone who did not answer back. What weight does that example carry for a reader who has no way out of the situation?
