One House : 1 PeterSample

Living Stones & Spiritual House (Part 1)

As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: ‘Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.’ So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,’ and ‘A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.’ They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

1 Peter 2:4–8 ESV

In today's reading, Peter draws from Old Testament temple imagery. In Exodus, God's visible presence among his people had led them out of Egypt as a pillar of cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Later, God's glory had filled the tabernacle. Eventually, his glory filled Solomon's temple, but because the people refused to turn away from their sin, his glory had departed. The people had been waiting for the glory of God to return and fill the temple again, yet when the glory of God did return, it didn't return in the way they had expected.

It returned in the form of a man: Jesus Christ Immanuel (God with us), had come to dwell with his people, and his people rejected him. Yet, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Peter wants us to see that the glory of God no longer resides in a pillar of cloud, or a tabernacle, or a physical temple—the glory of God dwells in the church. Christ is the cornerstone of that church, the 'living stone,' and all who believe in him are like 'living stones' being built into his dwelling place.