1 Peter Intoduction, Steve Stasinos
A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION
Passage: 1Peter 2:4~10  
Key verse: 9
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
4 As you come to him, the living Stone(A)—rejected by humans but chosen by God(B) and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built(C) into a spiritual house[a](D) to be a holy priesthood,(E) offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.(F) 6 For in Scripture it says:
“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and precious cornerstone,(G)
and the one who trusts in him
will never be put to shame.”[b](H)
7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,(I)
8 and,
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.(M)
9 But you are a chosen people,(N) a royal priesthood,(O) a holy nation,(P) God’s special possession,(Q) that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.(R) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;(S) once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:5 Or into a temple of the Spirit
- 1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
- 1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
- 1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14
Cross references
- 1 Peter 2:4 : ver 7
- 1 Peter 2:4 : Isa 42:1
- 1 Peter 2:5 : Pr 9:1; 1Co 3:9; Eph 2:20-22
- 1 Peter 2:5 : 1Ti 3:15
- 1 Peter 2:5 : ver 9; Ex 19:6; Isa 61:6; Rev 1:6; 5:10; 20:6
- 1 Peter 2:5 : Php 4:18; Heb 13:15
- 1 Peter 2:6 : Eph 2:20
- 1 Peter 2:6 : Isa 28:16; Ro 9:32, 33; 10:11
- 1 Peter 2:7 : 2Co 2:16
- 1 Peter 2:7 : ver 4
- 1 Peter 2:7 : Ps 118:22; S Ac 4:11
- 1 Peter 2:8 : Isa 8:14; S Lk 2:34
- 1 Peter 2:8 : Ro 9:22
- 1 Peter 2:9 : Dt 10:15; 1Sa 12:22
- 1 Peter 2:9 : ver 5
- 1 Peter 2:9 : Ex 19:6; Dt 7:6; Isa 62:12
- 1 Peter 2:9 : S Tit 2:14
- 1 Peter 2:9 : S Ac 26:18
- 1 Peter 2:10 : Hos 1:9, 10; 2:23; Ro 9:25, 26
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source:  BibleGateway
1. Jesus, the living stone (4-8)
Jesus is the living stone. Humans rejected him. They crucified him. But he was precious to God, and He raised him from the dead. Thus, he became the cornerstone of our faith, and the giver of life. This is what it means that he is the living stone. And we are like Jesus, the living stone. We are being built into a spiritual house and a royal priesthood, who offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God. Because of Jesus, we have life. He is precious to us, but to unbelievers, he is the stumbling stone.
2. To declare the praises of him (9-10)
Unbelievers stumble over Jesus. But God has made believers a chosen people, a royal priesthood, God's special possession. He raised us up in order that we may praise Him. He has given us so much through His mercy! We are His people!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for Jesus, the precious living stone. You have made us like living stones so that we may declare your praises. Help me to declare your praises
One Word: Jesus the living stone; we, a chosen people