I
Peter Chapter 2
Memory verses for this week:
Mat
7:1 Judge not, that ye
be not judged.
Mat
7:2 For with what
judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye
mete, it shall be measured to you again.
Introduction:
In Chapter 1, we discussed how that trials are certain in
this life. Peter
warned us of the battle, and encouraged us to gird up the loins of
our mind and learn the humility that Christ exhibited to us during
his life.
I.
Things to Put Away for Christian Growth
1
Pet 2:1 Wherefore
laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies,
and all evil speakings,
1
Pet 2:2 As newborn
babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow
thereby:
There are two things that are absolutely crucial for a
Christian to grow in knowledge and strength in the Lord.
One is we must put away all the evil things of life that are
mentioned here in verse 1. Paul
says to lay aside all malice, guile, hypocrisies, envies, and evil
speakings. Sounds
easy, but it is not. Do
you live perfectly every day?
If not, then we come over to the world as hypocrites, saying
to be righteous yet not living what we say.
Can we go week after week without speaking evil of anyone?
These are truly tall orders, and only by the grace of God can
we be the kind of people who will really glorify God.
Verse 2 says we need to desire the sincere milk of the word.
Heb 4:11
Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man
fall after the same example of unbelief.
Heb 4:12
For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than
any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart.
Heb 4:13
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his
sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with
whom we have to do.
Heb 4:14
Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed
into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our
profession.
1 Cor 3:1
And I, brethren, could not speak unto you as unto spiritual,
but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1 Cor 3:2
I have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye
were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.
1 Cor 3:3
For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you
envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as
men?
1 Cor 3:4
For while one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of
Apollos; are ye not carnal?
A
non-christian or lost person can not feed upon the Word of God.
2 Tim 2:4
No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of
this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a
soldier.
2 Tim 2:5
And if a man also strive for masteries, yet is he not
crowned, except he strive lawfully.
2 Tim 2:6
The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the
fruits.
1 Cor 2:14
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of
God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them,
because they are spiritually discerned.
II.
The Spiritual Temple
1
Pet 2:3 If so be ye
have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
1
Pet 2:4 To whom coming,
as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God,
and precious,
1
Pet 2:5 Ye also, as
lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood,
to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Christianity is different from all other religions, because
we worship a risen living Savior.
Verse 4 says that out foundation is based upon a living
stone. We as
children of God make up a spiritual house, and it is based upon the
chosen and precious cornerstone of Jesus Christ.
We can not be lively stones and make up this spiritual house
unless we first know Jesus Christ.
We become the temple of God the day that we accept Jesus
Christ as our Lord and Savior and the Holy Spirit takes up residence
inside of us.
1 Cor 3:16
Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the
Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1 Cor 3:17
If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy;
for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.
1
Pet 2:6 Wherefore also
it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief
corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall
not be confounded.
1
Pet 2:7 Unto you
therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be
disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is
made the head of the corner,
1
Pet 2:8 And a stone of
stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the
word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
1
Pet 2:9 But ye are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar
people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called
you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
We know that Jesus was rejected by the Jews when he came the
first time. And God has
taken this same stone that the builders rejected and has made Him
the head of the corner. When
we become part of Christ’s Spiritual house, it says we are chosen
generation and a royal priesthood.
Every member of God’s family (those who are saved and a
true lamb of God) is a priest regardless of age or gender.
This is different than the priests of the Old Testament.
The priesthood during this time was special class from the
tribe of Levi, and only males could be priests.
All of us who are saved are priests to the Lord today.
Albert Barnes had some excellent comments and references
concerning the corner stone.
As
unto a living stone—The
allusion in this passage is to Isa. 28:16, “Behold, I lay in Zion
for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a
sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
There may be also possibly an allusion to Ps. 118:22, “The
stone which the builders disallowed is become the headstone of the
corner.” The reference is to Christ as the foundation on which the
church is reared. He occupied the same place in regard to the church
which a foundation-stone does to the edifice that is reared upon it.
The phrase “living stone” is however unusual, and is not
found, I think, except in this place. There seems to be an
incongruity in it, in attributing life to a stone, yet the meaning
is not difficult to be understood. The purpose was not to speak of a
temple, like that at Jerusalem, made up of gold and costly stones;
but of a temple made up of living materials—of redeemed
people—in which God now resides. In speaking of that, it was
natural to refer to the foundation on which the whole rested, and to
speak of that as corresponding to the whole edifice. It was all a
living temple—a temple composed of living materials—from the
foundation to the top. Compare the expression in John 4:10, “He
would have given thee living water;” that is, water which would
have imparted life to the soul. So Christ imparts life to the whole
spiritual temple that is reared on him as a foundation.
1
Pet 2:10 Which in time
past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not
obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
We now that the nation of Israel in the Old Testament
descended through the seed of Abraham.
We as Christians make a new nation to God… a spiritual
nation. And the reason
for this is that we might show forth the praises of Him who called
you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Adam Clarke pointed out that his was a fulfillment of
prophecy from Hosea.
Which in time past were not a people—This is a quotation from Hosea 1:9, 10; 2:23,
where the calling of the Gentiles, by the preaching of the Gospel,
is foretold. From this it is evident, that the people to whom the
apostle now addresses himself had been Gentiles, covered with
ignorance and superstition, and now had obtained mercy by the
preaching of the Gospel of Christ.
Hosea 1:9
Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my
people, and I will not be your God.
Hosea 1:10
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand
of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come
to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not
my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the
living God.
Hosea 2:23
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have
mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them
which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say,
Thou art my God.
III.
The Conduct of this Spiritual House
1
Pet 2:11 Dearly
beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from
fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;
1
Pet 2:12 Having your
conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak
against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they
shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.
God desires for us to not be comfortable in this old world,
but to live as strangers and pilgrims.
No one is really a pilgrim in the biblical sense who has not
first become a stranger in this world.
Heb 11:13
These all died in faith, not having received the promises,
but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and
embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims
on the earth.
It is by our good work that we glorify God with our lives.
When those evil men in Daniel’s day sought to find fault
with him, only by looking for errors according to his law could they
determine any fault. By
our good works we glorify God.
Dan 6:4
Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion
against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none
occasion nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there
any error or fault found in him.
Dan 6:5
Then said these men, We shall not find any occasion against
this Daniel, except we find it against him concerning the law of his
God.
Mat 5:13
Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his
savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for
nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
Mat 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill
cannot be hid.
Mat 5:15
Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but
on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the
house.
Mat 5:16
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your
good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
1
Pet 2:13 Submit
yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it
be to the king, as supreme;
1
Pet 2:14 Or unto
governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of
evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.
1
Pet 2:15 For so is the
will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the
ignorance of foolish men:
Peter teaches that we are to be obedient to our government.
This is true as long as the laws of the land do not go
against God’s law. In
that case, we are to always follow God’s law.
A good example today is how that it is legal to have an
abortion, but according to God’s word, we are not to kill.
Another example is special status given to lesbians and
homosexuals. These
people are sinners, and are certainly not a class that we should
give special rights to as a minority.
Mat 23:23
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay
tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier
matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to
have done, and not to leave the other undone.
Acts 5:27
And when they had brought them, they set them before the
council: and the high priest asked them,
Acts 5:28
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not
teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your
doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
Acts 5:29
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought
to obey God rather than men.
Rom 1:26
For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for
even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature:
Rom 1:27
And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working
that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompense
of their error which was meet.
Rom 1:28
And even as they did not like to retain God in their
knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those
things which are not convenient;
Rom 1:29
Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication,
wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder,
debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
Rom 1:30
Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters,
inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,
Rom 1:31
Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural
affection, implacable, unmerciful:
Rom 1:32
Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure
in them that do them.
1
Pet 2:16 As free, and
not using your liberty for a cloak of maliciousness, but as the
servants of God.
1
Pet 2:17 Honour all
men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.
Jesus has set us free from the burden of sin, but we are not
to use it improperly. We
are to be servants of God and use our freedom to honor God with our
lives.
Gal 5:13
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not
liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
Rom 5:20
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Rom 5:21
That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace
reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our
Lord.
Rom 6:1
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace
may abound?
Rom 6:2
God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any
longer therein?
Rom 6:3
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus
Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that
like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the
Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his
death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that
the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not
serve sin.
Rom 6:7
For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8
Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also
live with him:
Rom 6:9
Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more;
death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10
For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he
liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto
sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Verse 17 has four admonitions in it.
We are to ‘honor all men’.
We should not despise anyone.
Secondly, we are to ‘love the brotherhood’.
This speaks of loving our fellow brothers and sisters in
Christ. Thirdly,
we are to ‘fear God’. In
Ecclesiastes, it speaks of this as being the whole duty of man.
Eccl 12:13
Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and
keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
Eccl 12:14
For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every
secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
The fourth thing we are to do is ‘Honor the King’.
We should show due respect to the head of our government as
one who was placed there by God.
1
Pet 2:18 Servants, be
subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and
gentle, but also to the froward.
1
Pet 2:19 For this is
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief,
suffering wrongfully.
1
Pet 2:20 For what glory
is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it
patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it
patiently, this is acceptable with God.
It is easy to obey a master who is kindly disposed and
considerate to us. But
we are to be subject to even those who might not always be good to
us, but may be froward. Our
consistent behavior, despite how we are treated, is one the things
that God can use to lead others to Christ.
It talks about us being able to endure suffering,
particularly when it is wrongfully given.
When we have done wrong, we expect bad things to befall us.
But when we are doing good, it is much more difficult to
endure without complaining. Verse
20 says we do well if we suffer patiently and endure those things
that befall us. It takes a lot of grace to endure blame when we don’t
deserve. But Christ was
our ultimate example, and we need to follow him and pattern our
lives after Jesus. Not
only did Jesus suffer wrongfully, but there are dozens of other
examples of men who went through trials and did not give up but
trusted God. In
my bible reading since Jan. 1st, I’ve covered the book
of Genesis. And the
example of Joseph is one that should teach us to now question God.
Joseph had to endure month after month in prison after being
sold into slavery by his brothers.
But when Pharaoh had those dreams about the upcoming famine,
God used Joseph to interpret them and wound up second in charge in
Egypt. When his
brothers came down to buy food, and Joseph ultimately revealed
himself as their brother, he pointed out that they might have meant
it for evil, but God used it for good to save many lives.
Joseph endured without complaining and see how God greatly
blessed him. (and many, many others.)
Gen 50:20
But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it
unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people
alive.
IV.
The Suffering of Christ
1
Pet 2:21 For even
hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us,
leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
1
Pet 2:22 Who did no
sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
1
Pet 2:23 Who, when he
was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;
but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
1
Pet 2:24 Who his own
self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead
to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were
healed.
1
Pet 2:25 For ye were as
sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and
Bishop of your souls.
What an example Jesus gave us with his life.
He set us an example by committing himself to God.
He never sought his own will, but that of the Father.
He bore our sins on the tree there on Calvary.
Heb 10:8
Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt
offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst
pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;
Heb 10:9
Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first, that he may establish the second.
Luke 22:41
And he was withdrawn from them about a stone's cast, and
kneeled down, and prayed,
Luke 22:42
Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me:
nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.
Internet Bible Studies are prepared and
distributed free of charge. The
lessons may not be sold without consent.
If you have questions or wish to discuss the lessons, or
possibly need help in finding Jesus Christ as your Personal Lord and
Savior, contact David Parham at 940-322-4343.
Prov 4:18
But the path of the just is as the shining light, that
shineth more and more unto the perfect day.
e-mail at:
davidparham@internetbible.net
Website:
http://www.internetbible.net
Practice Random Acts of Kindness.
Each act spreads, and many will be blessed.