Sunday
Morning Bible Study
November
10, 2019
Could we have all the Veterans stand?
Let’s pray for our brave brothers and sisters
Introduction
From Rome, the apostle Peter writes this letter to the Jew and Gentile
believers that are living throughout the province known as Asia Minor, or,
modern Turkey.
It is AD 64. Caesar Nero is
beginning to unleash his persecution of Christian back in Rome, where Peter is.
The believers in Rome faced torture, being burned alive, and death by
animals in the Coliseum.
The main themes that we will see woven through this tapestry of difficulty
are:
Suffering -
Submission – an unusual response to suffering, learning to “yield” to God
rather than “fight” the problem.
Relational Evangelism – the way we go through our difficulties and yet
still cling to God can be a light to those who are going through dark times of
their own.
Last week in 1Peter 2:4-5 Daniel Grant introduced us to the concept that we
are “living stones” being built up into a building, a temple if you will.
(1 Peter 2:4–5
NKJV) —4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men,
but chosen by God and precious, 5 you also, as
living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to
offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Paul also talked about us being “God’s building” (1Cor. 3:9), being built
upon the foundation of Jesus Christ, and to the people gathered as the church …
(1
Corinthians 3:16 NKJV) Do you not know that you are the
temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?
So continuing with this idea of us being built
into a place that is centered on the worship of God…
2:6-10 Chosen
:6 Therefore it is also
contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect,
precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means
be put to shame.”
contained – periecho – to surround, encompass; to contain: of the subject-matter, contents, of a writing
present active indicative
Zion – Sion – Zion, the
hill on which the temple stood, also used as a reference to Jerusalem.
chief cornerstone – akrogoniaios (“farthest”
+ “corner”) – placed at an extreme corner, the corner foundation stone
elect – eklektos – picked out, chosen
precious – entimos – held in honor, prized, precious
will by no means – translates the double negative (οὐ
μὴ) with the
subjunctive
be put to shame – kataischuno (“according
to” + “shame”) – to dishonor, disgrace; to put to shame, make ashamed; to be
ashamed, blush with shame
aorist passive subjunctive
:6 I lay in Zion
Peter is roughly quoting Isaiah 28:16.
If you look the verse up you will see it doesn’t
match exactly. That’s because Peter is
quoting from the Septuagint, a Greek translation of the Hebrew text, while our
Bibles are translated straight from the Hebrew (which is slightly different).
He is not quoting exactly, he misses a phrase and switches a word or two,
but he has most of it in place.
(Isaiah
28:16 NKJV) Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a
foundation, A tried
stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; Whoever believes will not act
hastily.
Peter is quoting from the Septuagint, so his quote differs a little from
our translations that come from the Hebrew Masoretic text.
:6 A chief cornerstone, elect, precious
Jesus is more important than any other stone in the living Temple of God,
He is the “chief cornerstone”.
He is “elect” in that He was chosen before the foundation of the world.
He is “precious”, more valuable than anything else in the universe.
:6 he who believes on Him
Isaiah and Peter are encouraging those who have made a choice of putting
their lives into Jesus’ hands.
The one who trusts… will not regret it.
You will find that though life may be hard at times, you may find that some
of your friends and family will ridicule you or call you names … but if your
trust is in Jesus, then on that day that we all stand before God, we will have absolutely
nothing to be embarrassed about at all.
:7 Therefore, to you who
believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone
which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,”
:7 you who believe … disobedient
In the Greek, these two words are pretty much opposites.
We could say, “to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who
don’t believe…
In the text the two words are right next to each other, showing the contrast.
who believe – pisteuo – to think to be true, to be persuaded
of, to credit, place confidence in
present active participle
disobedient – apeitheo – not to allow one’s self to be
persuaded; to refuse or withhold belief; to refuse belief and obedience; not to
comply with
present active participle
precious – time – a
valuing by which the price is fixed; of the price itself; honor which belongs
or is shown to one. This is the root of
the word that is translated “precious” in 2:4,6.
rejected – apodokimazo – to disapprove, reject,
repudiate. The same word as translated
“disallowed” in 2:4.
aorist active indicative
Has become – ginomai – to become
aorist passive indicative
chief – kephale – the head, both of men and often of
animals. Since the loss of the head destroys life, this word is used in the
phrases relating to capital and extreme punishment.; metaph. anything supreme, chief, prominent
cornerstone – gonia – corner
:7 The stone which the builders rejected
Peter is now quoting the Psalmist:
(Psalm
118:22 NKJV) The stone which the builders rejected Has become
the chief cornerstone.
There is an old Jewish tradition about the
building of the temple by Solomon.
The stones used to build Solomon’s temple were
not cut at the temple site, but at the stone quarry. There was to be no sound
of cutting tools on the temple sight. After a stone was cut to specifications,
it would be sent to the temple, where it would be placed into the building
according to the plans.
Everything worked well until one particular stone arrived, and the builders couldn’t figure
out where it went, so they tossed it aside.
Much later, the builders began to wonder when the
quarry was going to send the most important stone, the corner stone. All the other stones were in place except for
it.
The quarry answered that they had already sent it
a long time ago. That’s when they realized that the stone
they had tossed aside was in fact the most important of them all, the corner
stone.
In Luke 20:17, Jesus tells us that He is the stone that the Jews rejected,
but He is the chief cornerstone.
In Luke 20, Jesus applied this verse from Psalm 118 to Himself. He told a story about ungrateful tenant
farmers who wouldn’t pay their rent.
When the landlord finally sent his son to collect, they killed the
son.
(Luke 20:17 NKJV) Then He
looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: ‘The stone
which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone’?
:8 and “A stone of
stumbling And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
stumbling – proskomma – a stumbling block; an obstacle in the
way which if one strikes his foot against he stumbles
or falls; that over which a soul stumbles i.e. by which is caused to sin
offense – skandalon – the movable stick or trigger of a
trap, a trap stick; a trap, snare; any impediment placed in the way and causing
one to stumble or fall, (a stumbling block, occasion of stumbling) i.e. a rock
which is a cause of stumbling
they stumble – proskopto – to
strike against; of those who strike against a stone or other obstacle in the
path, to stumble; to strike one’s foot against a stone
being disobedient – apeitheo – not to
allow one’s self to be persuaded; to refuse or withhold belief; to refuse
belief and obedience; not to comply with
appointed – tithemi – to set, put, place; to make; to set,
fix establish; ordain
:8 A stone of stumbling
Here Peter is quoting from Isaiah 8:14-15
(Isaiah 8:14–15
NKJV) —14 He will be as a sanctuary, But a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense To both the
houses of Israel,
As
a trap and a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 15 And many
among them shall stumble; They shall fall and be broken, Be snared and taken.”
For those who don’t believe, who reject Jesus, He isn’t “precious”, but
something that they will trip over.
:7 to you who believe, He is precious
Lesson
Believe and Follow
Keep in mind who Peter is writing to and when he is writing.
He’s reminding his readers that even Jesus was rejected and persecuted.
He’s going to be telling them in just a few paragraphs…
(1
Peter 2:21–23 NKJV) —21 For to this you were called, because
Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow
His steps: 22 “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”; 23 who, when He
was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten,
but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously;
When you are going through a difficult time, when we as a church are going
through a difficult time, we need to remember that Jesus also went through
great difficulties.
He understands what you are going through.
He is also the one who said,
(Matthew
16:24 NKJV) “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take
up his cross, and follow Me.
Peter’s example at his death.
Church history tells us that during Nero’s reign as emperor of Rome, Peter
had been visiting in Rome when he heard that there was a warrant out for his
arrest. The believers in the church
persuaded Peter to leave the city and flee.
Tradition has it that Peter met Jesus outside the city, and Jesus was
going back into the city carrying the cross.
Peter asked him “Quo Vadis”, which is Latin for “Where are you
going?” Jesus told Peter that He was
going into the city to be crucified again.
Peter turned around and went back to the city where he was arrested and
condemned to death. When he was about to
be crucified, Peter did not feel himself worthy of being crucified in the same
way that his Master was and asked to be crucified upside down.
Peter understood what it was to follow Jesus.
:9 But you are a
chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people,
that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into
His marvelous light;
generation – genos – kindred;
offspring; family; stock, tribe, nation; i.e. nationality or descent from a
particular people; the aggregate of many individuals of the same nature, kind,
sort
chosen – eklektos – picked out, chosen
special – peripoiesis – a preserving, a preservation;
possession, one’s own property; an obtaining.
NAS – “a people of God’s own possession”.
praises – arete – a
virtuous course of thought, feeling and action; virtue, moral goodness; any particular moral excellence, as modesty, purity. NAS – “the excellencies”
proclaim – exaggello – to tell out or forth; to declare
abroad, divulge, publish; to make known by praising or proclaiming, to
celebrate
aorist active subjunctive
marvelous – thaumastos – wonderful, marvelous; worthy of pious
admiration, admirable, excellent
Peter uses several phrases that were used in the Old Testament to describe
the nation of Israel.
:9 a chosen generation
Isaiah wrote that the Jews were “chosen” (Is. 43:20)
(Isaiah
43:20 NKJV) The beast of the field will honor Me, The jackals and
the ostriches, Because I
give waters in the wilderness And rivers in the desert, To give drink to My people, My chosen.
:9 a royal priesthood, a holy nation
Moses wrote that Israel was a “kingdom of priests” and a “holy nation” (Ex.
19:6)
(Exodus 19:6 NKJV) And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.”
:9 His own special people
I like the Old King James here where it says we are a “peculiar
people”. That’s probably more true than we’re willing to admit.
(1 Peter 2:9 AV) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth
the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
The Greek word for “special” (περιποίησις)
has the idea of “preserving” and is translated “saving” in Heb. 10:39.
(Hebrews
10:39 NKJV) But we are not of those who draw back to
perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul.
We are a “saved” people.
You might make a point that Peter is talking only about Jews up to this
point, but the next verse changes that.
:10 who once were
not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy
but now have obtained mercy.
:10 who once were not a people…
This is a quote from the book of Hosea.
Hosea was that prophet who had been told to marry a prostitute named
Gomer. (I’m not sure which was worse,
her profession or her name)
In Hosea 1-2, Hosea gave some strange names to his kids. He called one
daughter “LoRuhamah” (no mercy), and one son (LoAmmi) (not my people)
(Hosea 1:6 NKJV) And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said
to him: “Call her
name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will
utterly take them away.
(Hosea 1:9 NKJV) Then God said: “Call his name Lo-Ammi, For you are not My people, And I will
not be your God.
Later, he changes their names to “Mercy” and “My People”.
(Hosea 2:23 NKJV) Then I will sow her for Myself in the earth, And I will
have mercy on her who had not obtained mercy; Then I will
say to those who were not My people, ‘You are My people!’ And they
shall say, ‘You are my God!’ ”
Paul quotes from Hosea to say that this was speaking about the Gentiles one
day coming to know God.
(Romans 9:25 NKJV) As He says also in Hosea: “I will call them My people, who were not My people, And her
beloved, who was not beloved.”
This verse lets us know that Peter wasn’t just talking to the Jewish
believers, but the Gentile believers as well.
:9 proclaim the praises of Him …
Lesson
Speak the right message
I’m afraid that sometimes we Christians are better known for what we’re
“against” than what we are “for”.
If you notice back in verse 9, we aren’t supposed to be proclaiming what
we’re against, but the praises of the One who we’re for.
We are to proclaim the praises of Jesus who has changed our lives.
He has called us out of the darkness of the world and
taken us into His marvelous light.
Jesus said,
(Matthew
5:16 NKJV) Let your light so shine before men, that they
may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
Some Christians make it seem that God is lucky to have them. They make it sound as their lives are as
super as …Chuck Norris.
We aren’t “chosen” because we are better than others.
We are a people who have been shown mercy.
We need to be sure we are pointing people to Jesus, the one who died on a
cross, paying a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay.
We are a people who have received mercy.
In the original 1959 movie “Ben-Hur”, Judah ben Hur was forced into slavery, when he meets a stranger on
the road…
That’s our message.
We were slaves to this world when we met Jesus, and He has taken us from
darkness into light.
2:11-12 Pilgrims
:11 Beloved, I beg you
as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the
soul,
Beloved – agapetos – beloved, esteemed, dear, favorite,
worthy of love
I beg – parakaleo – to call to one’s side, call for,
summon; to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the
way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.; to admonish, exhort;
to beg, entreat, beseech
present active indicative
sojourners – paroikos (“besides” + “house”) – dwelling near,
neighboring; in the NT, a stranger, a foreigner, one who lives in a place
without the right of citizenship
pilgrims – parepidemos – one who comes from a foreign country
into a city or land to reside there by the side of the natives; a stranger;
sojourning in a strange place, a foreigner; in the NT metaph. in reference to
heaven as the native country, one who sojourns on earth
abstain – apechomai – to hold one’s self off, refrain,
abstain
Present middle infinitive
fleshly – sarkikos – fleshly, carnal
lusts – epithumia – desire, craving, longing, desire for
what is forbidden, lust
war – strateuomai – to make a military expedition, to
lead soldiers to war or to battle, (spoken of a commander); to do military
duty, be on active service, be a soldier; to fight
present middle indicative
:11 as sojourners and pilgrims
These words might have sounded familiar to the Jews who were scattered
around the world.
They were known as the “dispersion” (1Pet. 1:1).
But Peter has more than this in mind.
Lesson
Out of place
None of us believers should feel comfortable in this “world”.
We are citizens of a different country.
(Philippians 3:20
NKJV) For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait
for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,
Right now Caleb is traveling through another
country. His passport says he is a
citizen of the United States, he is not a citizen of the country he’s traveling
through.
In April of 1947, our nation was filled with racism. Jackie Robinson was the first man to break
the “color line” when he began to play for the Brooklyn Dodgers. He was every bit “out of place” in white
baseball. Some teams threatened to
boycott their games with the Dodgers. In
some cities he wasn’t allowed to stay at the hotel that the rest of the players
were staying at.
While he faced horrendous racism, he knew that he represented a whole lot
of people, and he was careful how he responded.
We too need to be careful about our response to those who
would try to take advantage of us.
We may be tempted to respond in anger, but people are
watching us.
:11 abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul
For believers, a critical issue is these “fleshly lusts”.
Some of us immediately jump to think about sexual sins, which are a part of
these “lusts”, but there’s a whole lot more involved.
(Galatians 5:19–21
NLT) —19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are
very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of
anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy,
drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.
We tend to focus on “sexual immorality”, but we excuse “hostility,
quarreling, jealousy…”
We need to abstain from all these things.
:12 having your conduct
honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers,
they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day
of visitation.
conduct – anastrophe –
manner of life, conduct, behaviour, deportment
honorable – kalos – beautiful,
handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable,
commendable, admirable
they speak against – katalaleo – to
speak against one, to criminate, traduce
present active indicative
evildoers – kakopoios – an evil doer, malefactor
good – kalos – beautiful, handsome, excellent,
eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable,
admirable. Same word translated “honest”
in this verse.
they observe – epopteuo – to be
an overseer; to look upon, view attentively; to watch
present active participle
visitation – episkope – investigation, inspection,
visitation; that act by which God looks into and
searches out the ways, deeds character, of men, in order to adjudge them their
lot accordingly, whether joyous or sad
(1 Peter
2:12 NLT) Be careful to live properly among your
unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will
see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the
world.
:12 glorify God in the day of visitation
What is the “day of visitation”?
It may be the day when Jesus returns.
It may be the day when that person finds themselves face to face with
God.
Will they have turned to God because of your words and your life’s example?
:12 having your conduct honorable
Lesson
Your response speaks loudly
People will say all kinds of bad things against you.
It might be because of their wrong impression of Christianity.
It might be because Satan has stirred them up to oppose what God is doing
in your life.
Hopefully it is not because you are indeed a jerk.
How you respond is everything.
When Jackie Robinson was brought up to play in the major leagues by Branch
Rickey, he was warned about how his conduct would affect the future of baseball.
Video: 42
– Fine Gentleman and Great Baseball Player
Remember that our letter was written to a suffering people.
Some of us are going through things that we “suffer”.
We will be seeing many lessons through 1Peter on how we should conduct ourselves
when life is hard. Let me just give you
a peek at one of the big lessons up ahead…
(1 Peter
4:19 NKJV) Therefore let those who suffer according to the
will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful
Creator.