Chapter 2 Verses 4-10
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TEXT: 1 Peter 2:4-8
To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, [5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. [6] Wherefore 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. [7] Unto 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, [8] And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
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READING THE TEXT
As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: "See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
INTRODUCTION
This is a picture of the great house that God is building, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ. This passage identifies for us TWO separate builders – they are God and they are man. Notice that there are two separate plans for building, and there are two separate methods of building. The first plan is given in much detail, and the second is presented as merely a rejection of the first because those builders had there own plan and method in mind.
In describing the church as God’s spiritual house, Peter drew on several Old Testament texts familiar to his Jewish Christian readers: Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; Isaiah 28:16. Peter’s readers would have understood the living stones to be Israel; then Peter applied the image of “stone” to Christ. Once again Peter showed that the church does not cancel the Jewish heritage, but fulfills it. Peter portrays the church as a living, spiritual house, with Christ as the foundation and cornerstone and each believer as a stone. The pictures emphasize community. One stone is not a temple or even a wall. In our individualistic society, it is easy to forget our interdependence with other Christians. When God calls you to a task, remember that he is also calling others to work with you. Together your individual efforts will be multiplied. Look for those people and join with them to build a beautiful house for God.
Remember that this is one passage from verse 1 through verse 10. Though the images are a little difficult to put together, the point of this passage is addressing the things that these persecuted believers need to live the life that Peter has called them to live – namely, a life of hope, a life of holiness, and a life of humbled awe. Last week we saw there need to crave the Word as their only source of nourishment. Today, we are going to see their need to realize that they are connected as the building of God.
I God, the Master builder
“To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,”
A The Contractor
Notice who chose the cornerstone – God. Notice in verse 5 that there is someone that is doing the building – these believers were being built together as a spiritual house.
This is an incredibly important picture, important and significant to us, but much more poignant to the man who was writing this. He had heard this illusion to cornerstones, stones and building before. In Matthew 16 while Christ was still alive, Christ asked His disciples who they thought He was. Peter said, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Christ commended him for having divine knowledge and then said to Him, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.”
Here now is that Peter giving divine commentary on what Christ said. He identifies who the rock is, and who it is that doing the building, and what it is that God is building.
If there was ever any question as to whether or not Peter was confused as to whether or not he was the rock upon which the Church would be built, this passage written by him clearly answers that. – Christ is the rock, the chief cornerstone!!
Folks, this is God’s plan for this age. This is the design of God. This is what God is doing. This is what God is building. God isn’t building a country, He isn’t forming a nation – it is bigger than that. God isn’t reforming society or restoring a culture, it is more eternal than that. God has always desired a people who would bear His name; a people among which he could dwell corporately, fellowshipping with them as they fellowship with each other.
Peter tells us here that that people is the Church.
Who is this whom? 1 Peter 2:3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
Jesus Christ is the Living Stone. How can a stone be living? It cannot. This is simply a picture of how God looks at Christ and His followers: they are like a building that is being built by God Himself.
B The Cornerstone
The foundation of God’s building is His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. If a person wants to be a part of God’s building, he has to place his life upon the foundation Stone, Christ Himself. But note what this verse says: the living stone was rejected by men. When men looked at the Stone (Christ)...
· it was not wanted.
· it did not fit in with their plans.
· it was useless and unsuitable for what they were building.
· it was not worth the price.
Men rejected Christ because they wanted to build their lives like they wanted. They wanted to do their own thing. Therefore, they cast the Stone of God aside. But note: the stone has been chosen of God. It is the very stone that God has chosen to be the foundation stone for life.
It is the only stone that can support and bear the weight of life. And note: the stone chosen by God is a living stone. What does this mean? God is eternal; hence, the building of God will last forever and ever. Therefore, the cornerstone laid by God is bound to be eternal; it shall never deteriorate or waste away. The cornerstone is living and shall exist forever and ever.
The symbolism of the living cornerstone says three significant things.
1 It is the Priority stone
The living cornerstone is the first stone laid. All other stones are placed after it. It is the preeminent stone in time. So it is with Christ; He is the first.
= Christ is the captain of salvation. All others are crew members who follow Him.
"For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings" (Hebrews 2:10).
= Christ is the author of eternal salvation, of our faith. All others are the readers of the story.
"And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:9).
"Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2).
= Christ is the beginning and the ending. All others come after Him and are under Him.
"I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty" (Rev. 1:8; cp. Rev. 21:6; Rev. 22:13).
= Christ is the forerunner into the very presence of God. All others enter God’s presence after Him.
"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil; whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec" (Hebrews 6:19-20).
The cornerstone is the supportive stone. All other stones are placed upon it and held up by it. They all rest upon it. It is the preeminent stone in position and power. So it is with Christ; He is the support and power, the Foundation of God’s new movement.
= Christ is the Head cornerstone, the only true foundation upon which man can build. All crumble who are not laid upon Him.
"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ" (1 Cor. 3:11).
= Christ is the chief cornerstone upon which all others are fitly formed together. All who wish to be fitly formed together have to be laid upon Him.
"And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Ephes. 2:20-22).
= Christ is the living stone upon which all others have to be built if they wish to live and be a part of God’s spiritual house. All others have to be built upon Him if they wish to live and have their spiritual sacrifice accepted by God.
"To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:4-5).
The living stone is the stone to which men must come if they are to become a part of God’s building. It is to Christ that we must come. No one can be a part of God’s building unless he places himself upon the foundation stone laid by God. God accepts no one who refuses to become a part of His building. And God is just like all builders; He has a foundation upon which all workers must lay the stones of their lives.
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock [Christ and His Word]; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27).
"Nevertheless the foundation of God [Christ] standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity" (2 Tim. 2:19).
B The Construction
There is the second picture—believers are living stones. Remember: God is eternal which means that His building is eternal. The Foundation Stone laid by Him shall never decay nor waste away. Christ lives forever and ever. Therefore, when we place our lives upon the living stone of God, the living stone supports and holds us up eternally. We become living stones, stones that shall exist forever and ever. Note three significant facts.
Believers are being built up into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). This is a picture of the church that God is building all over the earth. It includes all NT believers of all generations. It is a picture of what is called the universal church or universal temple of God.
1 The Promise Verse 5, 9-10
Verse 5 is a promise to people who are struggling. Remember, Peter is writing to them to comfort them. All of these promises were promises that were made to Jewish believers. Peter is making these statements to these scattered ones. He is writing to those who have disenfranchised by the world – in fact, he will repeat the fact that they are aliens in verse 11 when he again says – that they are strangers and pilgrims. He says that they are living stones, not dead. That they are built up and not destroyed. That they are a spiritual house, and not just temporal. That they can offer spiritual sacrifices to God that will be acceptable because of Christ, and not rejected.
2 The Priesthood
a The relationship
Believers are a holy priesthood (1 Peter 2:5). The chief function of the priest is to stand between God and men, to represent men before God and to present men to God. Man has just never felt worthy enough to approach God; he has usually felt that God was so far away that he could never reach God. Therefore, man has felt the need for priests to carry his case before God.
The point to note is man’s thoughts about God, how far away he thinks God is—so far away that man needs a priest, some godly person to represent him before God. But note the Scripture: believers are being built up as an holy priesthood. Every single believer now stands before God as a priest. He can now approach God on his own. God is not far off and removed from man. Any person who turns to God and lays his life upon the foundation of Christ becomes a part of God’s spiritual house. That person is in the very house of God itself. He can talk and share with God whenever he chooses. He can worship and praise God and cry out for God’s help and deliverance any time he wishes. The believer himself is now a priest before God.
The priesthood of the believer is one of the great teachings of Scripture. Just imagine! We stand before God as a priest, as one who has access into God’s presence any time of any day. There is no reason whatsoever why we should ever be overcome by any problem or trouble in this life. We are in the house of God. We can approach Him anytime and receive whatever we need to meet the demands of life: wisdom, provision, resource, or strength.
b The responsibilities
Now note why we are made priests before God: that we might offer spiritual sacrifices to God. In the past men have brought their sacrifices to priests and had the priests present their sacrifices to God. But now believers themselves are made priests for this very purpose: that they might offer up their own sacrifices to God. Men are now to bring their own offerings and sacrifices to God. They themselves are now the priests in the house of God. However, note a critical point: their sacrifices are made acceptable only by Jesus Christ. A person has to have his life lying upon the foundation of Christ. He must be trusting and believing in the support and power of Christ to make him a part of God’s house. The only sacrifices that God accepts are the sacrifices made within His house. Scripture says that the believer is to make the following sacrifices.
1 Person= He is to sacrifice his body as a living sacrifice to God. He is not to be conformed to this world.
"For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify [put to death, sacrifice] the deeds of the body, ye shall live" (Romans 8:13).
"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God" (Romans 12:1-2).
"And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
"And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts" (Galatians 5:24).
"Yea, and if I be offered upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I joy, and rejoice with you all" (Phil. 2:17).
"For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand" (2 Tim. 4:6).
= He is to sacrifice his life to God as he walks day by day. He is to follow God in love, even as Christ loved us and gave Himself as an offering and a sacrifice to God.
"Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour" (Ephes. 5:1-2).
"Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren" (1 John 3:16).
2 Praise= He is to offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name" (Hebrews 13:15).
"And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing" (Psalm 107:22).
"I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the lord" (Psalm 116:17).
"But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the lord" (Jonah 2:9).
3 Purse= He is to offer the sacrifices of good works and gifts and money.
"But to do good and to communicate [give] forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased" (Hebrews 13:16).
"Sell that ye have, and give alms; provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth" (Luke 12:33).
"I have showed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, it is more blessed to give than to receive" (Acts 20:35).
"Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality" (Romans 12:13).
"Let him that is taught in the word communicate [give] unto him that teacheth in all good things. Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith" (Galatians 6:6-10).
"That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate [give]" (1 Tim. 6:18).
We have seen the promise, the priesthood and now see the prophecy
3 The Prophecy
Believers are a fulfillment of prophecy (1 Peter 2:6. Cp. Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 28:16.) The prediction that the Messiah would be the chief cornerstone of God’s building was made centuries before Christ ever came into the world. Note the four great things predicted:
= That God Himself would lay the chief cornerstone. God Himself would send the Messiah into the world and use Him as the foundation of God’s eternal house.
= That God would select or elect Him to be the chief cornerstone. There would be plenty of philosophies, religions, and ideas about how to best build a world and life for man. But God would choose only one foundation stone for the world and life: Jesus Christ.
= That God would count His foundation stone precious. The stone selected by Him would be the most precious thing in all the universe: it would be His very own Son. He would choose His own Son to become the Foundation Stone for men’s lives and for the eternal world God was planning. There is nothing in the world that is any more precious to God than His own dear Son. Therefore, God would count Him precious, the only thing precious enough to serve as the Foundation Stone for the eternal house of God.
= That believers would not be confounded (kataischunthei), that is, put to shame, disappointed, and confused. Believing and trusting in Jesus Christ—leaning upon him and building upon Him—is the only way to keep from being eternally confused, shamed, and disappointed.
The point is this: believers—their salvation in Christ—are the fulfillment of this prophecy. God predicted that He would be building a spiritual and eternal house for believers. He laid the foundation when He sent Christ into the world, and believers have been laying the stones of their lives upon Christ ever since. How? By believing in Him, that is, by laying their lives upon Him or by building upon Him. The result has been phenomenal: those who have built upon Christ have experienced a most wonderful thing. All the confusion, shame, and disappointment in this life and the fear of judgment in the next life have disappeared. Believers are now flooded with life, a life that just overflows with love, joy, peace, victory, and triumph and with confidence and assurance that all things shall be well in the future.
"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12).
"That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:15-16).
"For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek" (Romans 1:16).
CONCLUSION
It is here that we encounter the other builders with thir own design and building plan.
Unbelievers are pictured as disobedient builders. Christ has done so much for man, He should be the most precious thing in a man’s life. But the greatest tragedy in all of history is that He is not considered to be precious by some people.
Unbelievers disqualify the stone. They look at the various foundation stones of life and...
· they do not want the Stone [Christ].
· they do not think that the Stone will fit in with their plans.
· they do not believe the Stone [Christ] will suit what they are building.
· they do not believe the Stone [Christ] is worth the price. They just do not think the Stone [Christ] is worth all they are and have.
The point is forceful: they reject and disqualify the stone. They do not want Christ enough to give all they are and have in order to get him.
Christ is made the Head of the corner anyway. Despite the rejection of men, Christ is made the chief cornerstone of the only permanent and lasting building. God selected and elected Him despite man. And if man is to become a part of an eternal house that lasts forever and that brings an abundance of life, he has to lay his life upon the foundation of Christ.
Unbelievers stumble over the stone of Christ. He is a rock that offends them. What does this mean? When people look at Jesus Christ, they stumble over Him; they do not understand...
· how He could be anything other than a man just like the rest of us.
· how He could be born of a virgin, God incarnate in human flesh.
· how He could live a sinless life, live without committing a single sin.
· how His death could be any more than the death of a martyr who died for a great cause.
· how His resurrection is anything but a tall tale made up by His followers to secure more and more followers.
Simply stated, many people do not understand nor believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, that He was sent into the world by God to save men; that He was able to live a sinless life because He was the God-Man who had come to earth for that very purpose; that He died and arose from the dead as the Perfect and Ideal Man so that His ideal death and resurrection could cover man.
People just stumble over the facts or else they are offended by Christ because He lays the burden of total commitment upon man. After all, if Jesus Christ is truly who He claimed to be, we owe Him our lives—all that we are and have. Most men are not willing to give up the right to their lives and property. They are even offended at this demand of Christ. Therefore, they stumble over Him. But note:
= to stumble means that we have tripped up and fallen, that we damage ourselves.
= to be offended means that we hurt ourselves.
Note another fact: what we are stumbling over. We are actually stumbling over the Word, the very Word of God itself. What is so awful about this? The Word of God is the only incorruptible seed on earth that lives and abides forever (cp. 1 Peter 1:23-25). If we reject the glorious gospel of God’s Word, the glorious gospel that Jesus Christ is the Foundation Stone of God’s building, then we are rejecting the only hope of living forever. We are appointing ourselves to a state of unbelief and disobedience to God. That is, we are steeping ourselves in more and more unbelief and becoming harder and harder to the gospel. We are living lives that are becoming more and more disobedient.
FINAL SCRIPTURES TO PONDER
"Art thou the Christ? tell us. And he said unto them, If I tell you, ye will not believe" (Luke 22:67).
"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness" (John 3:11).
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:16-18).
"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John 3:36).
"I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24).
"But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him" (John 12:37).
"Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God" (Hebrews 3:12).
"Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief" (Hebrews 4:11).
"Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the lord" (Jeremiah 6:15).