Day 356: Submission, Suffering, and Holiness

*1 Peter 2:1-25

Peter calls believers to live holy lives, submitting to authorities, and following the example of Christ in suffering.

  • Purification and Growth:
    • Believers are urged to rid themselves of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
    • Like newborn babies, they should crave pure spiritual milk so that by it they may grow up in their salvation, now that they have tasted that the Lord is good.
  • Living Stones and a Holy Priesthood:
    • The passage uses the metaphor of believers as “living stones” being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
    • Jesus is described as the cornerstone, chosen and precious in the sight of God, and believers are also precious in this construction.
  • Christ as the Foundation:
    • The scripture references include Christ as a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, aimed at those who do not believe and disobey the word.
    • For believers, however, Christ is the cornerstone, essential and invaluable.
  • Royal Priesthood and Holy Nation:
    • Believers are described as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.
    • They are called to declare the praises of God who called them out of darkness into his wonderful light, once not a people but now God’s people, once not having received mercy but now having received mercy.
  • Living as Strangers:
    • The text exhorts believers to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against the soul.
    • As foreigners and exiles, they are to live good lives among the pagans so that, although they are accused of wrongdoing, they may see good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
  • Submission to Authority:
    • Believers are instructed to submit themselves to every human authority for the Lord’s sake, whether to the emperor as the supreme authority or to governors.
    • This is God’s will, that by doing good they should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people.
  • Christ’s Suffering as an Example:
    • Peter highlights Christ’s suffering as an example for believers to follow. He did not retaliate or make threats; instead, he entrusted himself to God who judges justly.
    • Christ himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.
  • Healing through Christ:
    • The passage ends with a reminder that by Christ’s wounds, believers have been healed. They were like sheep going astray but now have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls.

1 Peter 2:1-25 teaches us to live with kindness, patience, and trust in God, even when we face difficulties. Instead of holding on to anger or speaking harshly, we should show love and humility, following the example of Jesus. He endured suffering without fighting back, trusting God to bring justice. We can apply this by treating others with respect, even when they treat us unfairly, and by staying strong in our faith, knowing that God is watching over us.

1 Peter 2:1-25 (WEB)

2:1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, all deceit, hypocrisies, envies, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babies, long for the pure spiritual milk, that with it you may grow, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God, precious. 5 You also as living stones are built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 Because it is contained in Scripture,
“Behold, I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone, chosen and precious.
He who believes in him will not be disappointed.”
7 For you who believe therefore is the honor, but for those who are disobedient,
“The stone which the builders rejected
has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and,
“a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.”
For they stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed. 9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, that you may proclaim the excellence of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 In the past, you were not a people, but now are God’s people, who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims to abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, 12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good works and glorify God in the day of visitation.
13 Therefore subject yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether to the king, as supreme, 14 or to governors, as sent by him for vengeance on evildoers and for praise to those who do well. 15 For this is the will of God, that by well-doing you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish men. 16 Live as free people, yet not using your freedom for a cloak of wickedness, but as bondservants of God.
17 Honor all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king.
18 Servants, be in subjection to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the wicked. 19 For it is commendable if someone endures pain, suffering unjustly, because of conscience toward God. 20 For what glory is it if, when you sin, you patiently endure beating? But if when you do well, you patiently endure suffering, this is commendable with God. 21 For you were called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, that you should follow his steps, 22 who didn’t sin, “neither was deceit found in his mouth.” 23 When he was cursed, he didn’t curse back. When he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but committed himself to him who judges righteously. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live to righteousness. You were healed by his wounds. 25 For you were going astray like sheep; but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.