1 Peter 2

1So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. 2Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, 3now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Living Stones for God’s House

4You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

5And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests.#2:5 Greek holy priesthood. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. 6As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,#2:6a Greek in Zion.

chosen for great honor,

and anyone who trusts in him

will never be disgraced.”#2:6b Isa 28:16 (Greek version).

7Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.#2:7a Or Yes, for you who believe, there is honor. But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.”#2:7b Ps 118:22.

8And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,

the rock that makes them fall.”#2:8 Isa 8:14.

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

9But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,#2:9 Greek a royal priesthood. a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10“Once you had no identity as a people;

now you are God’s people.

Once you received no mercy;

now you have received God’s mercy.”#2:10 Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.

11Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world.#2:12 Or on the day of visitation.

Respecting People in Authority

13For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.#2:17 Greek love the brotherhood. Fear God, and respect the king.

Slaves

18You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect.#2:18 Or because you fear God; Greek reads in all fear. Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered#2:21 Some manuscripts read died. for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22He never sinned,

nor ever deceived anyone.#2:22 Isa 53:9.

23He did not retaliate when he was insulted,

nor threaten revenge when he suffered.

He left his case in the hands of God,

who always judges fairly.

24He personally carried our sins

in his body on the cross

so that we can be dead to sin

and live for what is right.

By his wounds

you are healed.

25Once you were like sheep

who wandered away.

But now you have turned to your Shepherd,

the Guardian of your souls.

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1 Peter 2

A Living Stone and a Holy People

1 # Eph. 4:22, 25, 31; Col. 3:8 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2#See Matt. 18:3Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual #1 Cor. 3:2; Heb. 5:12, 13milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3if indeed you have #Ps. 34:8; Heb. 6:5tasted that the Lord is good.

4As you come to him, a living stone #ver. 6, 7rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5#Eph. 2:20-22; [1 Cor. 3:9] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as #Heb. 3:4, 6a spiritual house, to be #ver. 9a holy priesthood, #Isa. 56:7; Mal. 1:11; Rom. 12:1; Heb. 13:15to offer spiritual sacrifices #Rom. 15:16; Phil. 4:18acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For it stands in Scripture:

# Cited from Isa. 28:16 “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,

a cornerstone chosen and precious,

# Rom. 9:33; 10:11 and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

7So the honor is for you who #[2 Cor. 2:16] believe, but for those who #[2 Cor. 2:16] do not believe,

# Cited from Ps. 118:22 “The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”#2:7 Greek the head of the corner

8and

# Rom. 9:33; Cited from Isa. 8:14 “A stone of stumbling,

and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, #[Rom. 9:22; Jude 4]as they were destined to do.

9But you are #Deut. 10:15; Isa. 43:20a chosen race, #Ex. 19:6; Rev. 1:6; 5:10a royal #Isa. 61:6; 66:21priesthood, #Deut. 7:6a holy nation, #Ex. 19:5; Deut. 7:6; Isa. 43:21; Mal. 3:17a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you #[Isa. 42:16]; See Acts 26:18out of darkness into #Ps. 36:9his marvelous light. 10#Hos. 1:6, 9, 10; 2:23; Rom. 9:25, 26; 10:19Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

11Beloved, I urge you #See Lev. 25:23as sojourners and exiles #Rom. 13:14; Gal. 5:24to abstain from the passions of the flesh, #James 4:1which wage war against your soul. 12#[ch. 3:16; 2 Cor. 8:21; Phil. 2:15; Titus 2:8] Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, #Matt. 5:16; 2 Cor. 9:13; Gal. 1:24they may see your good deeds and glorify God on #Isa. 10:3; Luke 19:44the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 # Rom. 13:1; Titus 3:1 Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution,#2:13 Or every institution ordained for people whether it be to the emperor#2:13 Or king; also verse 17 as supreme, 14or to governors as sent by him #Rom. 13:4to punish those who do evil and #Rom. 13:3to praise those who do good. 15For this is the will of God, #ver. 12that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16#See James 1:25Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but #1 Cor. 7:22; [Rom. 6:22]living as servants#2:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface of God. 17#Rom. 12:10; 13:7Honor everyone. #See Heb. 13:1Love the brotherhood. #Prov. 24:21Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 # Eph. 6:5; Col. 3:22; 1 Tim. 6:1; Titus 2:9 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.#2:18 Or crooked 19For this is a gracious thing, when, #ch. 3:14, 17; [ch. 4:16]mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But #ch. 3:17, 18; 4:13, 16if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21For #ch. 3:9; See Acts 14:22to this you have been called, #[See ver. 20 above] because Christ also suffered for you, #See Matt. 11:29leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22#Isa. 53:9; [2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 3:5]He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23#ch. 3:9; Isa. 53:7; Heb. 12:3When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, #Luke 23:46but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24#Isa. 53:4, 11; Matt. 8:17; Heb. 9:28He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we #Rom. 6:2, 11; 7:4, 6; Col. 2:20; 3:3might die to sin and #Rom. 6:13live to righteousness. #Isa. 53:5By his wounds you have been healed. 25For #Isa. 53:6; [Ps. 119:176; Ezek. 34:6; Luke 15:4] you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to #See John 10:11the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

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