Commentary - 1 Peter 2:1-10

Bird's-eye view

In this dense portion of his letter, Peter is connecting our new birth in Christ (mentioned back in chapter 1) to its necessary outworking in our lives. The Christian life is not a static affair; it is a life of growth, movement, and construction. Peter begins with a call to put off the old life, the sins that characterized our former spiritual deadness. This is the demolition phase that must precede any new construction. He then moves to the central metaphor of the passage: Christians as "living stones" being built up into a "spiritual house."

This house has a cornerstone, Jesus Christ, who is both precious to believers and a stone of stumbling for the disobedient. Our entire identity and function are determined by our relationship to this cornerstone. We are either built upon Him or broken by Him. Finally, Peter unpacks the corporate identity of these living stones. We are not just a collection of individual rocks; we are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Our purpose is to offer spiritual sacrifices and to proclaim the excellencies of the God who called us from the darkness of our former non-existence into the glorious light of His presence.

Outline

Context In 1 Peter

Peter is writing to believers who are scattered and facing various trials. The broader context of the epistle is the need to cultivate holiness under pressure. Having just reminded them of their glorious, imperishable inheritance secured by the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3-5) and the purifying nature of their trials, he now turns to the practical implications. The "therefore" in verse 1 connects what follows directly to the reality of being born again to a living hope. Because you have been born again by the living and abiding word of God (1 Peter 1:23), you must now live in a manner consistent with that new life. This passage serves as a bridge, moving from the doctrinal foundations of our salvation to the ethical and corporate responsibilities that flow from it.

Commentary

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander,

The Christian life begins with a "therefore." It is a life of logical consequence. Because you have been born again, certain things must follow. The first order of business is to take off the grave clothes. Peter gives us a foul list of relational sins. Notice that they are all social in nature. Malice is ill-will. Deceit is the bait-and-switch of the heart. Hypocrisy is wearing a mask. Envy is wanting what your neighbor has. Slander is tearing him down with your words. These are the sins that tear apart community, and since God is building a spiritual house, the old demolition materials have to be cleared from the site. This "laying aside" is not a suggestion; it is a command rooted in our new identity. You are no longer that person, so stop dressing like him.

2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,

Having put off the old, you must put on the new. The primary means of this is an insatiable appetite for the Word of God. Peter uses the image of a newborn baby. A newborn doesn't have a complicated agenda. He is single-minded. He wants milk. He craves it with an intensity that commands the attention of the entire household. This is the kind of longing we are to have for the "pure milk of the word." This isn't talking about "basic" doctrines for new believers, but rather the unadulterated, life-giving truth of Scripture. And the purpose is clear: "that you may grow." Salvation is not a one-time event that leaves us unchanged. It is the beginning of a process of growth, and the Word is the God-ordained nutrient for that growth.

3 if you have TASTED THE KINDNESS OF THE LORD.

This is the engine that drives the craving. The "if" here is not an "if" of doubt, but rather an "if" of assumption, "since you have tasted." This is an appeal to experience. You have had a sample of God's grace. You have tasted that the Lord is good (a quote from Psalm 34:8). That initial taste should create a lifelong appetite. Those who have no appetite for the Word are giving evidence that they have likely never tasted the Lord's kindness to begin with. The initial experience of grace is not the end of the meal; it is the appetizer that makes you long for the feast.

4 And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God,

The Christian life is a continual "coming to Him." We don't just come to Christ once for justification and then try to handle sanctification on our own. We are always coming to Him. And who is He? He is the "living stone." This is a paradox. Stones are not alive. But this one is. He is the source of all life. And this living stone has a history. He was "rejected by men." The builders, the experts, the religious authorities of His day, looked at Him and saw nothing of value. They tossed Him on the scrap heap. But God's valuation is what matters. In God's sight, He is "choice and precious." The world's opinion and God's opinion are diametrically opposed, and you have to decide which appraisal you are going to trust.

5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Here is the glorious result of coming to the living stone. Like begets like. Because you come to a living stone, you become "living stones." Your life is derivative, drawn from His. And God is not just collecting individual, living rocks. He is a master builder, an architect. He is fitting us together into a "spiritual house," a temple. The physical temple in Jerusalem is now obsolete. The people of God are the place where God dwells by His Spirit. And what happens in a temple? Priests offer sacrifices. So we are not only the building materials; we are also the "holy priesthood" that serves within it. Our job is to "offer up spiritual sacrifices." These are not bulls and goats, but sacrifices of praise, good deeds, a broken and contrite heart, our very lives laid on the altar. And the key is that they are "acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." Apart from Him, our best sacrifices are still tainted with sin. Through Him, they are a fragrant aroma to the Father.

6 For this is contained in Scripture: “BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES UPON HIM WILL NOT BE PUT TO SHAME.”

Peter is not making this up. He is grounding his entire argument in the Old Testament Scriptures. This is a quotation from Isaiah 28. God has been planning this building project from eternity. Christ is the cornerstone, the stone that sets the angle for the entire building. Everything must be aligned to Him. And here is the promise for every living stone that is placed on this foundation: you "will not be put to shame." On the last day, when all the shoddy construction of men is revealed for what it is, God's temple will stand, and those who built their lives on Christ will be vindicated.

7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,”

The value of the stone is not inherent in a way that everyone can see. Its preciousness is apprehended by faith. "For you who believe," He is everything. But for the unbeliever, the stone has a different function. Peter quotes Psalm 118. The very stone the builders rejected has become the "corner stone." God delights in taking the world's rejected things and making them central to His plan. The cross was a symbol of shame, and God made it the symbol of salvation. Jesus was rejected by Israel, and God made Him the King of kings.

8 and, “A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE.” They stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this stumbling they were also appointed.

Quoting from Isaiah 8, Peter shows the other side of the coin. The same stone that is a foundation for the believer is a "stone of stumbling" for the disbeliever. You either build on this rock or you trip over it. There is no neutrality. And why do they stumble? Because they are "disobedient to the word." Their stumbling is not an accident; it is a moral and willful act of rebellion. And in a staggering statement of God's sovereignty, Peter says "to this stumbling they were also appointed." This is a hard teaching, but it is biblical. God is in control of all things, including the judgment of the wicked. Their disobedience is their own fault, and yet it fulfills God's eternal decree. This is the mystery of divine sovereignty and human responsibility, held in perfect tension.

9 But you are A CHOSEN FAMILY, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God’s OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

In stark contrast to those who stumble, Peter lays out the corporate identity of the church. He heaps up four glorious titles drawn from the Old Testament description of Israel. We are a "chosen family" (or generation), elected by God's grace. We are a "royal priesthood," meaning we are all kings and priests, we rule with Christ and we have direct access to God. We are a "holy nation," set apart from the world for God's purposes. We are "a people for God's own possession," His treasured inheritance. These are not descriptions of what we are trying to become. This is who we are in Christ. And this identity comes with a purpose: "so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him." We are a people created for doxology. Our job is to tell the world how great our God is, the God who performed the ultimate rescue operation, calling us "out of darkness into His marvelous light."

10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

Peter concludes this section by quoting from the prophet Hosea. He reminds his readers of the radical transformation that has taken place. Before Christ, we were nothing. We were "not a people." We had no identity, no covenant relationship with God. We were outside the sphere of His mercy. But now, everything has changed. We are "the people of God." We have been brought into His family. We who were defined by our lack of mercy have now "received mercy." This is the essence of the gospel. It is a story of God creating a people for Himself out of nothing, not because of any merit in them, but purely on the basis of His sovereign, merciful grace.

Application

First, the Christian life is a project of subtraction and addition. You must be ruthless in putting off the sins listed in verse one. They are incompatible with the new life God has given you. At the same time, you must cultivate a desperate, daily appetite for the Word of God. You cannot grow without it, and you will not desire it if you have not first tasted the goodness of the Lord in salvation.

Second, your individual Christian life is a corporate project. You are not a solitary stone. You are being built into a temple with your brothers and sisters. This means your relationships in the church matter profoundly. We are being fitted together, and that sometimes involves friction as the rough edges are knocked off. Your purpose is not private; it is to function as a priest, offering your life as a sacrifice and ministering to others.

Finally, know who you are. The world will reject your cornerstone and will therefore reject you. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation. Your identity is not determined by the world's opinion polls but by God's eternal decree. Live in light of that identity. Proclaim the excellencies of the one who brought you out of the darkness. Your past was "no people," your present is "people of God." Your past was "no mercy," your present is "mercy received." Let this glorious reversal define everything you are and everything you do.