Week 3 - 1 Peter 2:6-3:7 - Building on the Foundation

When we read this passage we become fixed on the phrase “be subject”, for this is contrary to our desire for autonomy and independence.  The key word, however, is “honor”.

Peter begins by declaring from scripture that placing our faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, brings us honor rather than shame.

1 Peter 2:6-7

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,”

 This honor we are to demonstrate before the non-believers by our actions.  

1 Peter 2:12

Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

This word “honorable” (kalos) Basil the Great, the Bishop of Caesarea from 370 to 379 AD, understood as being beauty that is “harmonious in the composition of parts, possessing a grace that adorns it.” (See Richard C. Trench cvi. ἀστεῖος, ὡραῖος, καλός).  We are to be a living stone that fits beautifully into the foundation that began with Christ as the cornerstone.

We must recall from last week, that we do this, because God is building not a cathedral nor a castle, but a spiritual house in which He may dwell.

1 Peter 2:4-5

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.

And in this temple, we are the spiritual sacrifice (v 5) that is offered when we face an abusive employer, or an unbelieving husband or, when we must sacrifice in the care for our wife as the weaker vessel.  Each is an altar in this temple.

Proverbs 25:21-22

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

Romans 12:20

To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.”

Of particular note is the warning that if you do not do this, particularly in the relationship to your wife, your prayers would be “hindered” (ekkoptō), or literally “cut off”.

1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.

 Because in that way we would be idolizing ourselves and God does not like idols in His temple!

Ezekiel 14:6-8

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the Lord will answer him myself. And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the Lord.

It is a shame that too many stumble right here.

 

Week 2 - 1 Peter 2:1-5 - First Step

In this section we are told to put away (The following from Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary, who attributes it to Augustine): 

“Malice (kakia) delights in another's hurt; envy pines at another's good; guile (dolos) imparts duplicity to the heart; hypocrisy (hypokrisis) (flattery) imparts duplicity to the tongue; evil-speakings (katalalia) wound the character of another.” 

This is contrary to “sincere brotherly love” of the prior section and the verb “put” is very decisive act. It is the first step of our journey of sanctification.

This “spiritual” (logikos) milk is identical in nature to the difficult to translate “spiritual worship” of Romans 12:1, in which the sacrifice is done with the mind, without the physical service of atonement.  

So it is not word-milk (logos - John 1:1).  It is not spiritual-milk (“spiritual” (pneumatikos - 1 Peter 2:5).  It is mind-milk.  

The key word is “pure” (adolos).  Our first nourishment as a Christian comes from brotherly kindness, free of deceit/guile (dolos).  See Jesus calling the Disciple Nathanael John 1:47.   When we "taste and see that the Lord is good"  is quoted from Psalms 34:8-14.  See there the anti-pattern of deceit.

Yes, we are told to mature and be able to eat the meat of “the word of righteousness” (Hebrews 5:12-14), but no we are not told to leave behind the sweet milk of spiritual communion brought about by brotherly-kindness.  This is why we must become like children to enter the Kingdom of God (Matthew 18:1-3, 19:12-14)! 

 

Week 1- 1 Peter 1 - Our Sojourn

This passage can be summed up as:

• We have been sprinkled like the altar and are consecrated for use.

• We must now gird up the loins of our mind for service.

• That service is not for our own desires, whether good or bad, but for love of others.

A key verse is:

1 Peter 1:22-23a
Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sin-cere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again . . .

Our purification is complete.  The verb hagnizō is in the perfect tense and indicates an action completed in the past.  The purification is cer-emonial (See Paul’s ceremonial purification in Acts 21).

That ceremonial purification is accomplished by obeying the truth that our atonement has been fully accomplished by our Lord Jesus Christ.  It is not accomplished or ever will be by any attempt at personal holi-ness.

James warns us that the un-pure are those that only believe this half-way.

James 4:8
Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

That said, we are also instructed to be holy because of our paternity:

1 Peter 1:16-17
. . . since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile,

Thus, we see in this passage consecration (being set apart), purification (being made acceptable), and sanctification (being made holy).  The first two have already been completed.  The last one remains for us to do in reverent fear during this, our earthly sojourn.