2 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.
The Living Stone and a Chosen People
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 [Or into a temple of the Spirit] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For in Scripture it says: [We are being built into a spiritual house (meaning into a the Church, the body of Christ) to be a holy priesthood (this does not refer to everyone but the church being a holy priesthood)]
“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.”[Isaiah 28:16]
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,”[Psalm 118:22]
8 and,
“A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.”[Isaiah 8:14] They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for. [This is for the Israelites the Jews]
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. [Who is "You" being addressed here? The You here is we as a church of God, we are individual members assembled as church the body of Christ]
Living Godly Lives in a Pagan Society
11 Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
18 Slaves, in reverent fear of God, submit yourselves to your masters, not only to those who are good and considerate but also to those who are harsh. 19 For it is commendable if someone bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because they are conscious of God. 20 But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21 To this, you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.”[ Isaiah 53:9]
23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[Isaiah 53:4,5,6 (see Septuagint)] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
NOTES:
2:1–3 Growth toward salvation is seen here as two steps:
first, stripping away all that is contrary to the new life in Christ; second,
the nourishment (pure spiritual milk) that the newly baptized have received.
2:3 Tasted that the Lord is good: cf. Ps 34:9.
2:4–8 Christ is the cornerstone (cf. Is 28:16) that is the
foundation of the spiritual edifice of the Christian community (1 Pt 2:5). To
unbelievers, Christ is an obstacle and a stumbling block on which they are
destined to fall (1 Pt 2:8); cf. Rom 11:11.
2:5 Let yourselves be built: the form of the Greek word
could also be indicative passive, “you are being built” (cf. 1 Pt 2:9).
2:9–10 The prerogatives of ancient Israel mentioned here are
now more fully and fittingly applied to the Christian people: “a chosen race”
(cf. Is 43:20–21) indicates their divine election (Eph 1:4–6); “a royal
priesthood” (cf. Ex 19:6) to serve and worship God in Christ, thus continuing
the priestly functions of his life, passion, and resurrection; “a holy nation”
(Ex 19:6) reserved for God, a people he claims for his own (cf. Mal 3:17) in the virtue of their baptism into his death and resurrection. This transcends all
natural and national divisions and unites the people into one community to
glorify the one who led them from the darkness of paganism to the light of
faith in Christ. From being “no people” deprived of all mercy, they have become
the very people of God, the chosen recipients of his mercy (cf. Hos 1:9; 2:25).
2:11–3:12 After explaining the doctrinal basis for the
Christian community, the author makes practical applications in terms of the
virtues that should prevail in all the social relationships of the members of
the community: good example to Gentile neighbors (1 Pt 2:11–12); respect for
human authority (1 Pt 2:13–17); obedience, patience, and endurance of hardship
in domestic relations (1 Pt 2:18–25); Christian behavior of husbands and wives
(1 Pt 3:1–7); mutual charity (1 Pt 3:8–12).
2:11 Aliens and sojourners: no longer signifying absence
from one’s native land (Gn 23:4), this image denotes rather their estrangement
from the world during their earthly pilgrimage (see also 1 Pt 1:1, 17).
2:13–17 True Christian freedom is the result of being
servants of God (2 Pt 2:16; see note on 1 Pt 2:18–23). It includes reverence
for God, esteem for every individual, and committed love for fellow Christians
(1 Pt 2:17). Although persecution may threaten, subjection to human government
is urged (1 Pt 2:13, 17) and concern for the impact of Christians’ conduct on
those who are not Christians (1 Pt 2:12, 15).
2:18–21 Most of the labor in the commercial cities of
first-century Asia Minor was performed by a working-class of slaves. The sense
of freedom contained in the gospel undoubtedly caused great tension among
Christian slaves: witness the special advice given concerning them here and in
1 Cor 7:21–24; Eph 6:5–8; Col 3:22–25; Phlm. The point made here does not have
so much to do with the institution of slavery, which the author does not
challenge, but with the nonviolent reaction (1 Pt 2:20) of slaves to unjust
treatment. Their patient suffering is compared to that of Jesus (1 Pt 2:21),
which won righteousness for all humanity.
2:21 Suffered: some ancient manuscripts and versions read
“died” (cf. 1 Pt 3:18).
2:22–25 After the quotation of Is 53:9b, the passage
describes Jesus’ passion with phrases concerning the Suffering Servant from Is
53:4–12, perhaps as employed in an early Christian confession of faith; cf. 1
Pt 1:18–21 and 1 Pt 3:18–22.
2:25 The shepherd and guardian of your souls: the familiar
shepherd and flock figures express the care, vigilance, and love of God for his
people in the Old Testament (Ps 23; Is 40:11; Jer 23:4–5; Ez 34:11–16) and of
Jesus for all humanity in the New Testament (Mt 18:10–14; Lk 15:4–7; Jn
10:1–16; Hb 13:20).
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