1 Peter 2
2
Live as God’s Chosen People
1So get rid of every kind of evil, every kind of deception, hypocrisy, jealousy, and every kind of slander. 2Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation. 3Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good!
4You are coming to Christ, the living stone who was rejected by humans but was chosen as precious by God. 5You come to him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood. So offer spiritual sacrifices that God accepts through Jesus Christ. 6That is why Scripture says,
“I am laying a chosen and precious cornerstone in Zion,
and the person who believes in him
will never be ashamed.”
7This honor belongs to those who believe. But to those who don’t believe:
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,
8a stone that people trip over,
a large rock that people find offensive.”
The people tripped over the word because they refused to believe it. Therefore, this is how they ended up.
9However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10Once you were not God’s people, but now you are. Once you were not shown mercy, but now you have been shown mercy.
11Dear friends, since you are foreigners and temporary residents ⌞in the world⌟, I’m encouraging you to keep away from the desires of your corrupt nature. These desires constantly attack you. 12Live decent lives among unbelievers. Then, although they ridicule you as if you were doing wrong while they are watching you do good things, they will praise God on the day he comes to help you.
Respect the Authority of Others
13Place yourselves under the authority of human governments to please the Lord. Obey the emperor. He holds the highest position of authority. 14Also obey governors. They are people the emperor has sent to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15God wants you to silence the ignorance of foolish people by doing what is right. 16Live as free people, but don’t hide behind your freedom when you do evil. Instead, use your freedom to serve God. 17Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
18Slaves, place yourselves under the authority of your owners and show them complete respect. Obey not only those owners who are good and kind, but also those who are unfair. 19God is pleased if a person is aware of him while enduring the pains of unjust suffering. 20What credit do you deserve if you endure a beating for doing something wrong? But if you endure suffering for doing something good, God is pleased with you.
21God called you to endure suffering because Christ suffered for you. He left you an example so that you could follow in his footsteps. 22Christ never committed any sin. He never spoke deceitfully. 23Christ never verbally abused those who verbally abused him. When he suffered, he didn’t make any threats but left everything to the one who judges fairly. 24Christ carried our sins in his body on the cross so that freed from our sins, we could live a life that has God’s approval. His wounds have healed you. 25You were like lost sheep. Now you have come back to the shepherd and bishop of your lives.
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1 Peter 2: GW
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GOD'S WORD® Translation ©1995, 2003, 2013, 2014, 2019, 2020 by God's Word to the Nations Mission Society. All rights reserved.
1 Peter 2
2
1Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 2as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation; 3if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:
4unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious, 5ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame. 7For you therefore which believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner; 8and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may shew forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: 10which in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. 11Beloved, I beseech you as sojourners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12having your behaviour seemly among the Gentiles; that, wherein they speak against you as evil-doers, they may by your good works, which they behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
13Be subject to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; 14or unto governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evil-doers and for praise to them that do well. 15For so is the will of God, that by well-doing ye should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men: 16as free, and not using your freedom for a cloke of wickedness, but as bondservants of God. 17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 18Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward. 19For this is acceptable, if for conscience toward God a man endureth griefs, suffering wrongfully. 20For what glory is it, if, when ye sin, and are buffeted for it, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye shall take it patiently, this is acceptable with God. 21For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you 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, threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24who his own self bare our sins in his body upon the tree, that we, having died unto sins, might live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed. 25For ye were going astray like sheep; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
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