seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Peter 2:1 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,
“The stone the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble
and a rock that makes them fall.”
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The following is from the commentary I use... check out verse 8.They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed: It is appointed that those who are disobedient to the word should stumble over Jesus.
When Jesus spoke of Himself as the stone of Psalm 118, He spoke of what those who rejected Him are appointed to: “And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.” (Matthew 21:44)
His own special people: We are special because we belong to God. A museum may be filled with quite ordinary things: hats, canes, shoes, and so forth; but they may be significant because they once belonged to someone famous. God takes ordinary people; and because He works in them, they are special.
Who once were not a people but are now the people of God: We once were without these privileges, and were not even a people before God. We had not seen the mercy of God, but now have obtained mercy.
In our culture, with its Christian foundations, we don’t easily understand the great sense of privilege and relief that came to Gentiles as they were shared in the New Covenant with the God of Israel. Peter’s message is wonderful: “You didn’t used to belong, but now you belong to God and among God’s people.”
Remember, Christians were being hunted down. Remember, Saul of Tarsus and his men were arresting Christians and setting them up for execution. Jesus attracted crowds wherever He went. Rome didn't like that. Peter, a cohort, assaulted a Roman Guard, chopping off the man's ear, during the arrest of Jesus. Sure, it was healed, but the deed was done. None of the Apostles were safe. None of the Disciples were safe. I know it seems odd.... it sounds odd... but I think it works. In the days when Peter would have written these letters.... Christians were known as terrorists.
Jesus preached about tearing down the Temple. They didn't hear the part about building it back up again... they just heard that Jesus claimed He would destroy their precious Temple. Today.... Jesus would have been labeled a terrorist.
To be fair.... God did choose the Jewish Priests. They were all from the family of Levi. They were born for the job. They were charged with protecting the Temple and maintaining the Temple. Jesus came along... a man from Nazareth where reputations were not so good... and claimed to be the Messiah they were waiting for. They had been trained to turn away anyone who would attack the Temple. They saw Jesus as a threat.
Now... go back to verse 8. Some people just won't get it. It's Biblical. God knows what we will choose before we choose it. God owns time. God owns the future. He knows our hearts. He's the one who counted the hairs for our heads as He sculpted us. Some of us just spoke to Him as He sculpted. Some just felt horrid in His hands. He knew they were going to deny Him while He was sculpting them. They would have the same choices... but they would choose to "choose anyone or anything but God". It's just who they are.
Some will never get it. It's Biblical.
