The Apostle Simon Peter, who Jesus nicknamed, ‘the rock,’ warns the church about those who disobey God. He quotes scripture pointing to Christ as the cornerstone of the Temple and as a rejected stone causing some to stumble.
As we suggested earlier in Apostates from Jude’s letter, these ‘religious’ opponents of Jesus often sway others to turn from the Lord. James also warns about Preaching to a Worldly Church, as do the Apostles.
Peter reminds believers who hear his letter:
For it stands in Scripture:
See, I lay a stone in Zion,
a chosen and honored cornerstone,
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,
The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone,
and
A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined for this.
1 Peter 2:6-8 CSB
The Cornerstone in Zion
Peter had witnessed the injustice to Jesus by Zion’s rulers first-hand. These same scornful men, a brood of vipers leavening the crowds of John the Baptist and Jesus – these arrogant religious scofferes pursued Peter and the Apostles, James and the church, and also Paul, Apostle to the gentiles.
Peter quotes the prophecies of Psalm 118 and Isaiah, powerful imagery of the Messiah the Apostle had witnessed as he had entered Jerusalem with Jesus, who was crucified and then appeared alive after death on a cross.
I shall not die, but live,
Psalm 118:17-18 KJV
And declare the works of the Lord.
The Lord has chastened me severely,
But He has not given me over to death.
Two Herodian kings could not kill Christ and religious apostates who had turned against the Lord could not keep Jesus in the grave! Though the Lord rode into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey triumphant as a king, His victory is that over sin and death by His Holy and Perfect Sacrifice on a Cross.
Christ the Cornerstone
Perhaps you know some lyrics from the 19th century hymn, The Church’s One Foundation, which shares this same imagery.
The church's one foundation
Is Jesus Christ her Lord;
She is his new creation
By water and the Word...
Mid toil and tribulation,
And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation
Of peace forevermore...
The Apostle’s first letter to the church points back to the scripture of Isaiah, who states that the Lord’s foundation is firmly placed.
“Surely My hand founded H3245 the earth,
Isaiah 48:13 NASB – Strong’s reference H3245 – יָסַד
And My right hand spread out the heavens;
When I call to them, they stand together.
In Scripture familiar to Peter’s first century readers, Isaiah chastises religious leaders who claim the Lord, but turn to a covenant with sin and death.
Isaiah 28
14 Therefore hear the word of the Lord, you scoffers,
who rule this people in Jerusalem!
… for we have made lies our refuge,
Isaiah 28:15c ESV
and in falsehood we have taken shelter”
Peter quotes the LORD God from scripture in his accusation against those who turn from Christ Jesus.
Isaiah 28:16 Therefore the Lord God said:
“Look, I have laid a stone in Zion,
a tested stone,
a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation;
the one who believes will be unshakable.
Is your faith in the Lord unshakable?
The church is Christ’s followers; saints all, every living soul gathered in His Holy Name. Peter refers to the faithful as living stones.
No building of earth – not a Temple or grand Cathedral; but saved souls as living stones, placed by the Creator next to Christ our cornerstone. Unshakable – to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
How firm is your foundation in the Lord?
Peter shows us to be as unhewn but useful stones for the Lord’s holiest of Temples, the Living place of worship to the LORD founded in Christ.
Isaiah 28:17-18
“I will make justice the measuring line
And righteousness the level;
Then hail will sweep away the refuge of lies
And the waters will overflow the secret place.
“Your covenant with death will be canceled,
And your pact with Sheol will not stand;
When the overwhelming scourge passes through,
Then you become its trampling place.
Surely Christ has cancelled our covenant with death by His Sacrifice on the Cross.
Peter’s Guidance for the Church
Peter opens his first letter to the church: “To those chosen” or “To those who reside as aliens” or “To God’s elect, exiles scattered.. or “To the pilgrims of the Dispersion.
These living stones are not recognized in this world as the church the Lord creates for true and eternal worship.
Are you one who does not stumble?
The world, even your neighbors, will treat you as aliens and attempt to shake your faith. Christians are as unwelcome in our 21st c. culture as the recipients of Peter’s first century letters to the church.
In Jesus, Peter reminds us, our faith is solid – a firm foundation, level and straight. Peter precedes this call to the church from scripture with a firm exhortation meant to keep us from stumbling.
Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.
1 Peter 2:1 CSB
1 Peter 2:
4 As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Do you stumble when you encounter Christ?
How could you stumble? Or how will the faithful help you to keep from stumbling in your witness of Christ Jesus?
By the plumb line of Christ’s righteousness in your works:
- You no longer show malice [ill-will, wickedness, depravity, evil,trouble] toward others.
- Of course you no longer use deceit, a key tool of Satan, to mislead any.
- Christians more than most receive the world’s indictment of hypocrisy where Jesus is just a false mask taken on and off as we please.
- If all the world’s a stage, then all wear the masks of hypocrisy.
- Envy also shows a worldly desire over our hope for eternal riches in Christ.
- All slander [backbiting] must stop in redeemed Christians.
The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People
Peter’s call to Christians, so clear to those introduced to Christ as a ‘chosen generation’ to proclaim the Gospel, bears repeating {from the NKJV} 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
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.
Now you are God’s people
9 But you are a chosen generation… called out of darkness.. (the darkness of sin).
Christ, the Cornerstone, called you into His Living Light, though you were once dead in your sins. Peter reminds the faithful saints called and hewn by Jesus into living stones:
Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:10 CSB
Peter will continue to guide the church in our actions with each other and with others. Even some worshiping with us stumble, preferring our own easy grace, rather than be held accountable to our reshaping for a firm and level foundation formed by Christ Jesus.
I have begun the first letter of Peter from his challenging scriptural call to faithfulness in the second chapter. Next, we will return to the Apostle’s encouraging opening in chapter one, God-willing.
To be continued...
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