1st Peter Chapter Two
1
Peter 2:1 (All
verses from the English Standard Version)
So put away all malice and
all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander.
LIVING STONES
So… so what? In the last chapter Peter was talking about how we were born again, not by perishable things but by the imperishable word of God – the living and abiding word of God. This word remains forever while everything else will perish. And this word is the Good News that has been preached to you! What a legacy!
Put away…
Just like to strip filthy clothes off your body at the end of the day we must strip ourselves from these works of the flesh that have created a stench. The Greek here is in the aorist tense, indicating an action that is done once for all. We cannot allow ourselves to be caught up in the sin over and over, for that is the fate of the seed that was sown in the rocky soil and among thorns. When we are baptized there is the initial stripping away of the mindset of sin. Your conscience is cleansed! As we strive in our walk with Jesus we need to continue stripping away any sign of fleshly works to ward off idolatry and faithlessness. We need to rely on God through prayer to help us see any sin that may creep up on us. Look at David’s attitude in this:
Psalm 139:23-24 ESV Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me
and know my thoughts! 24 And see if there be any grievous
way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting!
So, in light of the fact that we don’t want to pursue that which will perish, but that which is of our new nature – the imperishable, we must put away the bad attitudes and mindset that come from corruption which manifest themselves as:
1- Malice – kakia – desire to injure; depravity; not ashamed to break laws; troublemaker. This may come from how you were raised or from any bitterness you have held in your heart. You need to part with this mindset and attitude to be able to love forever! God will not permit anyone with this unholy mindset to enter heaven!
2- Deceit – dolos – guile; with intent to decoy or fool; craftiness. These are the people who like to weave a web of deceit with complicated lying and trickery to take advantage of others. These are those who like to con and find loopholes in everything. They are slippery like fish! With this mindset you will find yourself slipping from eternal life into the lake of fire!
3- Hypocrisy – hupokrisis – acting; dissimulation; playing the part others want to see. These are the people who don’t have their own faith. They have not bothered to build upon the foundation of Jesus and have instead taken a shortcut and relied on others. That is why they play the part to them. Eventually they get tired of acting and they slip away. These people really don’t know who they are, which is why they are always trying to act some kind of role. They will act all the way into the lake of fire!
4- Envy – pthonos – having I'll will towards others; spiteful; vengeful, jealous. This is really a mindset of those who lack self confidence. Being they want to be like others because they don’t know who they are, they are constantly trying to equate themselves to others and when they cannot, they desire for others to fail. Misery Loves Company is said about them. Their desire to see others fall will bring them to fall into the lake of fire!
5- Slander – katalalia – defamation; evil speaking; talking behind your back. Those who have hatred in their heart are consumed by envy. When envy speaks it slanders. They have nothing good to say about anybody. They are always finding fault and complaining about others. They are too cowardly to say these things to the face of others, which is what will earn them the final burning in the lake of fire! They will slander themselves to the second death!
These works of the flesh carry the stench of that which is rotting (perishing), and that which is rotting will be thrown into the eternal furnace:
Rev 20:12-15 ESV And I saw the dead, great and small, standing
before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which
is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books,
according to what they had
done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it,
Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each
one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake
of fire. This is the
second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if
anyone's name was not found written in the book of life,
he was thrown into the
lake of fire.
Rev 21:8 ESV But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the
detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and
all liars, their portion
will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."
a.
Because God is holy,
b.
Because you have been redeemed by the blood of
Christ and
c.
Because you are a different person (a new man).
Put away these things or they will
put you away!
1
Peter 2:2
Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into
salvation—
The word helps you grow into your salvation… makes you living!
Like newborn spiritual infants we ought to crave that which will help us grow and mature – the pure milk of the word of God. Christians are not born fully grown anymore than a child is born a man! Christians need to grow and mature to be fully complemented into Jesus (Eph 4:15).
Like newborn infants…
It may seem at first glance Peter is addressing new Christians but he is just encouraging us to continue in the mindset of a newborn, who craves that which he needs – pure milk for growth. It is a natural craving that we need to adapt to our spiritual lives, whether we are new in our Christian walk or experienced: it is the daily intake of the word that will help us grow up into salvation!
Pure spiritual milk…
The milk Peter speaks of is preceded by two very important adjectives: pure and spiritual. It is not enough for it to be just milk, but it needs to be pure. For example, no one would give his baby milk that has been adulterated – that has been corrupted by the addition of something that does not belong in it! We humans love to adulterate, we love to add stuff where it doesn’t belong – we think we can make what God has made better! We think that by adding extra things it is more convenient.
In the same way, we need to make sure the doctrine we are taking in is from scripture and not from man. We need to make sure we keep the doctrine free of human adulteration – free of rhetoric and invalidating traditions or schemes. The milk is also spiritual, meaning reasonable: logikos: pertaining to reason or logic; of the word: spiritual; pertaining to the soul. This is the same word Paul uses in Romans 12:1 – our reasonable (spiritual) act of worship. How do we know milk is being made analogous to scripture? Let’s look at these passages:
2Ti 3:14-17 ESV But as for you, continue in what you have
learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for
teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
It is the scripture that makes us wise unto salvation through faith in Jesus.
1Co 3:1-2 ESV But I, brothers, could not address you as
spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. 2 I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for
it. And even now you are not yet ready,
Heb 5:12-14 ESV For though by this time you ought to be
teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk,
not solid food, 13 for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled
in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. 14 But solid food is for the mature, for those
who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to
distinguish good from evil.
In these two passages we see the apostle Paul and the writer of Hebrews also using milk as an analogy to what we need to spiritually grow up. The oracles of God, the sacred writing and scripture are all synonymous. They provide the pure spiritual milk we all need.
That you may grow up into salvation…
This verse helps us understand the process of salvation. Life itself can be viewed as a state or a process. It helps us to understand that it is both. In the same way the new life we have been given is a process – we need to grow into it! Although we are saved and enjoy fellowship with God by His Spirit and the resurrection of Jesus, we also need to grow up into our salvation. Being in the word, the very source of our imperishable new life, guarantees our spiritual growth and maturity.
Php 2:12-13 ESV Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now,
not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and
trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you,
both to will and to work for his good
pleasure.
1
Peter 2:3
if indeed
you have tasted
that the Lord is good.
Those of us that have some mileage in our walk with Christ have tasted the goodness of the Lord! Peter makes use of the 34th Psalm in view of Jesus, equating Jesus to the Lord God, spoken of in Psalm 34. To taste means to sample. We've only taken in a little bit! Imagine what it would be like to take in all of Jesus! Wow! It is the difference between dating, courting and being married!
God Himself is the standard of goodness. He is quite unlike some of the pagan gods of the ancient world who were all too human in their moodiness, changeability, and lusts. Knowing God is good motivates us to mature in Him and become more like Him. – Disciple’s Study Bible
If indeed…
Peter uses the 1st class conditional more properly translated as “since you have”, implying that only someone who has put off the world and died with Jesus in baptism has truly tasted this level of fellowship with God; and at that, only one who has done it sincerely, with a yearning of closer fellowship!
It is no wonder that Christians who are growing and maturing continue to crave the word of God daily. This spiritual hunger and thirst is only met by the living and enduring word of God. We’ve seen and experienced the faithfulness of the Lord. We take refuge in Him and see we have no lack.
Even those who are recently baptize experience a craving for the word – it is only spiritual! Only by meeting that craving with daily study will you be able to grow! Those who forsake that craving and turn to satisfy the craving of the flesh will be spiritual weaklings – easy prey for the devil.
Psalm 34:8-9 ESV Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
9
Oh, fear the LORD, you his saints, for those who fear him have no lack!
1
Peter 2:4
As you come to him,
a living stone
rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious,
Jesus is the Living Stone!
As you come to Him…
Indicating
a close (Greek pros (πρός))
and habitual (present participle) approach – an intimate association. You long
for a deeper and deeper relationship and you pursue it every day in all you do
and say. I like how Paul put it:
Php 3:7-14 ESV But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake
of Christ. 8 Indeed, I
count everything as loss because
of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I
have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in
him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the
law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God
that depends on faith-- 10 that I may know him and the
power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in
his death, 11 that by any
means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. 12 Not that I have already obtained this or am
already perfect, but I press on to make it my own,
because Christ Jesus has
made me his own. 13 Brothers, I
do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I
do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what
lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
Wow!
What a description of desire and motive to press onward instead of dwelling in
the past! What a motivation – because Jesus has made me His own! This is the
way to come to Jesus:
1.
Counting
everything as loss
2.
Convinced
that knowing Jesus surpasses all things
3.
Be
willing to suffer the loss of all things
4.
Count
all things as rubbish (dung)
5.
Striving
to know His power – depending on Him through prayer in all things
6.
Desiring
to know His sufferings
7.
Becoming
like Him in His death – being baptized means our flesh has died and Jesus lives
in us!
8.
Because
we will be raised like Jesus!
9.
Forgetting
what is behind
10. Straining (with
every possible effort) forward towards what is ahead – heaven!
I
will call these the Ten Steps Towards Conflict Resolution. These will end any and
every conflict that wars with your soul! Even though men have rejected Jesus,
we who believe on Him approach Him and draw near to Him. It is a process, like
any other relationship. If you want an intimate association you need to make
your approach habitual and continual.
A Living Stone…
Jesus
is not just the foundation of the church, the establishment of God's plan for
mankind’s salvation – but Jesus is the Living Rock! He is the rock that filled
up the whole earth in Daniel’s prophecy:
Dan 2:34-35 ESV As you looked, a stone was cut out by no human hand, and it
struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. 35 Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the
silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces, and became like the
chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, so that
not a trace of them could be found. But the stone that struck the image became a great mountain
and filled the whole earth.
All
other foundations man has tried to set up, i.e., the four kingdoms of ancient
days, have been static and subject to decay and destruction. But Jesus, the living stone, continues to
grow and fill the whole earth because He is alive!
The
Living Stone is not man made, but God made and approved, in word and in deed.
1- In word: Mat 17:5 ESV He was still speaking when, behold, a bright
cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, "This is my beloved Son, with
whom I am well pleased; listen to him."
2- In deed: Act 2:22 ESV "Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus
of Nazareth, a man
attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did
through him in your midst, as you yourselves know…”
Those
who have rejected Jesus have done so without carefully considering why God has
chosen Him as precious. They have not carefully looked at the evidence and have
decided to ignore the timeless account of scripture as it details God's
involvement and plans for man’s salvation.
Jesus
Christ the Messiah was the true and only foundation of this spiritual temple;
but he did not fit the designs and purposes of the "builders" in
Jerusalem who found him totally unsuitable for any use at all in the building
they had in mind; therefore, they rejected him. Really, this should have been
expected, because their concept of a temple for God was precisely like that of
the idol temples which filled the world of that era, namely, a pile of stone,
timber and gold. -- Coffman
Chosen and Precious…
Jesus
was chosen by God, but not only chosen, He is precious! This is the third time Peter uses the word precious.
Precious
is:
1-
Important – Jesus is the logos – the word of God! As Jesus, the Son, He became the word made
flesh.
2-
Priceless – the blood of Jesus, that which
forgives all our sin, the atoning sacrifice (propitiation) is priceless. Why?
Because nothing else in the whole created realm turns away the wrath of God
from sinners.
3-
Invaluable – there is nothing that can compare
with Jesus in value. There is nothing you can give in place for Him. There are
no substitutes!
4-
Unique – there is no one like Him. He is the
Only Begotten – the Only One!
Jesus
was chosen to do the work of God, which for us is to believe in Him:
John 6:28-29 ESV Then they said to him, "What must we do,
to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus
answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he
has sent."
We do God's work by coming to Jesus because we believe in Him. We believe the work He was sent to do. We show we believe by putting away all that is of the world and by longing for that which will help us grow in Him: the word of God – Him incarnate!
1
Peter 2:5
you
yourselves like living
stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to
offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Living stones…
When we come to Jesus and lay down our lives to be born again in Him, we become like Him – living stones! As we are added to his body, the church, we are being built up as a spiritual house.
We are incorporated into the body of Jesus, conforming to Him and becoming precious like He:
2Co 5:21 ESV For our sake he made him to be sin who knew
no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
Spiritual house…
Peter compares the spiritual house we are building ourselves into to the physical temple where the Levitical priesthood offered sacrifices acceptable to God. Since Jesus is the true living stone, the true foundation, as Peter will substantiate in the next quotation, we are coming together in Jesus to build the true spiritual house God wanted all along:
Eph 2:20-22 ESV built on the foundation of the apostles and
prophets, Christ Jesus
himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the
whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling
place for God by the Spirit.
This new spiritual house is unlike the old one, made of inflexible stone, incapable of growth and life. This new house is so different than the old institutions amongst men, inflexible and lacking true vision. All who serve in this spiritual house are holy priests, made adequate by the blood of the lamb to offer acceptable sacrifices to God. Any other man-made organization demands the approval of men, which is why they reject Jesus, the only true foundation. But those who come to Jesus are approved by God because Jesus is chosen and precious in God's sight!
Holy priesthood…
Aaron and the priests all were consecrated (made holy), by the blood of bulls and goats offered up as propitiation for the sanctification of the service. How much more able priests are we when we have been cleansed by the blood of the Son of God? How much more acceptable are our sacrifices when it is Jesus’ blood that has washed us? It is not the sacrifice that makes us acceptable but the fact that we offer it through Jesus, as servants stained in His blood! And again, what are these sacrifices? What are these works done for God?
Spiritual sacrifices…
John 6:28-29 ESV Then they said to him, "What must we do,
to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus
answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he
has sent."
Rom 12:1-2 ESV I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the
mercies of God, to present
your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your
spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the renewal of your mind,
that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and
acceptable and perfect.
As opposed to the dead sacrifices offered up by the Levitical priesthood, our spiritual and living sacrifice is our very self. This is what true worship is. By not conforming to the world and being conformed to Jesus by letting the Holy Spirit transform us by the renewing of our minds with scripture we offer ourselves as an acceptable sacrifice through Jesus Christ.
This is why whatever service or sacrifice we offer now we always do in the name of Jesus. It is not just something we say when we pray: “…in the name of Jesus…” or when we all say “Amen”. Those words we utter are a reminder that we are IN Christ and therefore adequate.
2Co 3:4-6 ESV Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. 5 Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to
claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God,
6
who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not
of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives
life.
Our heart and mind need to be mindful of this, which is why we ought to reflect this service in all we do and say. There is no compartmentalization in our daily living now, no hypocrisy! There is no such thing as “a religious life”, or our “religious duty”. Our entire life has been given as a living sacrifice – to be offered as an adequate spiritual service to our God. This is why there should be no hypocrisy amongst the people of God. We don’t play games. Who we see on Sunday and Bible class should be our true selves.
Think about it, what would you do if you saw a priest in the temple of God cursing? Smoking? Drinking? Listening to nasty music? Watching something offensive on the TV? Coping an attitude? etc?
1
Peter 2:6
For it
stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious,
and whoever believes in
him will not be put to shame."
It stands…
Peter combines Isaiah 28:16 and Isaiah 8:14 to show it was God's plan all along to have Jesus as the focus of His eternal plan.
These passages cited by Peter, especially in their Old Testament context, show that "Even while the Mosaic service was in force, the Lord was planning on another one and made predictions concerning it." – Coffman
God chose what was precious to Him, what was stable and secure, a foundation He could build on confidently. Not only is Jesus this foundation, but more importantly, He is able to deal with the root of the problem: the guilt and shame that separates us from God. He made Jesus our refuge – our safe haven where our sins are expunged and our record is cleansed. He is our restoration and redemption from time immemorial!
CHRIST, THE CORNERSTONE
V In Christ, the Law of Moses ended; and the gospel began.
V In Christ, the Old Testament culminated; and the New Testament began.
V In Christ, all history split into B.C. and A.D.
V In Christ, the wicked find their doom, and the saints find their salvation.
V In Christ, the old Israel perished, and the new Israel began.
V In Christ, the infinite past and the infinite future met.
V In Christ, God and humanity came together.
V In Christ, God's humiliation and man's glory united.
V In Christ, the destiny of every man is turned, those on the right entering his joy forever, and those on the left departing from his presence forever.
n
Coffman
Will never be put to shame…
Jesus takes away our shame. No matter what you have done or how you feel about it – Jesus is the only one who can actually take the shame and guilt away. He dissolves it because our conscience is cleansed from our past acts. There is no other way a guilty conscience can be absolved since our consciences answer directly to God. Peter explains later on in this letter:
1Pe 3:21-22 ESV Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves
you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience,
through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
22
who has gone into
heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and
powers having been subjected
to him.
If we make Jesus our refuge our consciences can be cleansed by entrusting ourselves to the cleansing nature of Jesus. God the Father, the judge of the living and the dead absolves everything in Jesus.
Sin not only violates God’s holiness but it violates our conscience. God does not only care about our guilt because it is offensive to him, but because it separates us from Him – we violate our own heritage by the sin that so easily entangles.
1
Peter 2:7
So the honor
is for you who believe,
but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the
cornerstone,"
If you approach Jesus and take advantage of this amnesty, the refuge provided for you, the honor is for you who believe. You have believed God and joyfully accepted his gracious offer! You did not question his gift of grace but gladly embraced it! Remember the work of God:
John 6:28-29 ESV Then they said to him, "What must we do,
to be doing the works of God?" 29 Jesus
answered them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he
has sent."
There are some who do not believe. Those who have rejected God's offer, presuming to know of some other foundation for their lives – something else that would expiate their guilt, if they believe to have any, these will be crushed by the very stone they have rejected. Simeon himself prophesied this upon laying eyes on baby Jesus:
Luke 2:34-35 ESV And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his
mother, "Behold, this
child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign
that is opposed 35 (and a
sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many
hearts may be revealed."
Remember, this living stone; this rock not cut by humans is to fill the whole earth! There will be nothing else out there but Jesus! Some want to believe their own fantasy about eternity, choosing to build on sand, using themselves or someone else as their world view, paradigm or raison d’être. We know what Jesus said about this:
Mat 7:26-27 ESV And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew
and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."
Acts 4:11-12 ESV This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which
has become the cornerstone. 12 And there is
salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among
men by which we must be saved."
Make sure you are building on Jesus, the way, the truth and the life; and that you are building with true faith, not borrowed faith or on someone else’s scheme of things!
1
Peter 2:8
and "A
stone of stumbling, and a
rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.
Those who reject the scripture, the living and enduring word of God, the spiritual milk, are destined (appointed) to fall by that very living stone they chose to ignore. Since they have found Jesus offensive, they will be offensive to God and be rejected.
As they were destined to do…
This is the predetermination for those who disobey the word, the Gospel:
2Th 1:7-10 ESV … when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven
with his mighty angels 8 in flaming
fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the
gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will
suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of
his might, 10 when he
comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among
all who have believed, because
our testimony to you was believed.
It is not that some are already chosen to be condemned and some to be saved, as if they didn’t have a choice. No! Those who choose to disobey the Gospel will not be saved. Those who do will be saved!
They were appointed because of their stumbling. They were not stumbling because they were appointed to stumble! – World Video Bible School Commentary
Disobedience is the natural fruit of unbelief. The penalty for disobedience is what God foreordained.
Jehovah was offering His lordship to Israel and here to the church (the bride of Christ). He offered them, and is offering to us, who accept Him, to become a sanctuary and salvation. However, when rejected, He became to them, and will become to us, a terror and destruction. – World Video Bible School Commentary
1
Peter 2:9
But you are
a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may
proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light.
THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD
Notice the adjectives used here describing and distinguishing our special selection in Jesus:
1- A chosen (elect) race – not just any race, distinguished by ability works or looks, but a race chosen by God at His discretion. How can you go wrong belonging to this race? And let me add it is not a race that is characterized by its color, creed, nationality or birthright. It is a race brought forth by God's power and will (John 1:12-13). No one can will himself into this race – only by dying with Jesus can we be born again as His people! Individuals are not chosen, but the path to God in Christ is what is chosen. You need to will yourself into this new birth to be in the chosen race!
2- A royal priesthood – unlike the Levitical priesthood, our priesthood is of a newer and higher order, of the order of Melchizedek. It is a divine priesthood in the service of Heaven itself, unlike an earthly tabernacle full of copies of things above. Jesus priesthood brought forth a better covenant as He lives to intercede for His priests (Heb 7:1-28, Rev 1:6). The word priest is indicative of privilege in access to God but also of ministry to others in Christ’s name. The new dispensation makes each believer a royal priest. This means:
a. Every believer has immediate access to God in Jesus Christ, by being covered in His perfect blood offering.
b. The approach to God has been made forever open by Jesus perfect sacrifice. He is forever before the throne interceding on our behalf as our high priest.
c. The saints of God have the privilege and responsibility of interceding for one another before God at any time, since the throne is constantly open.
d. Each Christian has the responsibility of a meaningful priesthood offering himself as a living sacrifice, serving God and conforming to Jesus, our high priest.
3- A Holy Nation – unlike the common people of the world, engaged and conforming to the flesh, we are a people that strive to keep ourselves from being polluted by the world and its ways (James 1:27).
4- His possession – we are God's and God's alone. Our God is a jealous God. As we would not tolerate adultery in our marriage, so God demands fidelity. It is an honor God desires me to be His! In the same way we look to please an Audience of One.
“In any museum we find quite ordinary things – clothes, a walking stick, a pen, books, and pieces of furniture – which are of value only because they were once possessed by some great person. It is so with the Christian. The Christian may be a very ordinary person but he acquires a new value because he belongs to God” – Barclay
Another thing that makes us special is what we do: we proclaim His excellencies – His love and faithfulness in the Gospel and what He has done for us. We are to specifically proclaim what he has done for us in calling us out of darkness into His light: His manifold grace that covers our manifold trials which produce our manifold testimonies as a church. I’ve heard it says that Christians don’t belong testifying about themselves, how they came to being Christians. I don’t see that here. Each of us has a story to tell that only he can tell – how God saved him! We have no right to sing our own praises because, like everyone else, we were in darkness and have only been brought out into the light through God’s grace. We proclaim the excellencies of our God and his son Jesus by telling the world how God has changed us, from sending down his son to giving us a spirit of power, love and self-discipline. Our proclamation is expressed in the particularity of our way of life; our holiness in thought and deed.
How He called each and everyone out of darkness into His marvelous light helps us be partakers of this message (1Co 3:8-9; 2Co 6:1) as we sow the seed of the word of God. Yes, our message is centered on the cross of Jesus and the Gospel, for we ought to resolve to know nothing except Jesus and Him crucified (1 Co 2:2) for the sake of the salvation of souls. We also share our lives as well:
1Th 2:8 NIV We loved you so much that we were delighted
to share with you not only
the gospel of God but our lives as well, because you had become so dear
to us.
1
Peter 2:10
Once you were not a people,
but now you
are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The Gospel is good news because of our former state: guilty, condemned, with no hope. We sympathize with those in the world because we know exactly how life is in the world. We know it is a dead end and we empathize with those in the world.
It is not just that we were not God's people, we were not a people! Without being God's we were nothing at all! As good as dead! Without the mercy of God there was no life and no point to this exercise. Because God gives second, third, and fourth chances we can become his people! His mercy is shown by how hard He continually works to bring us closer to Him:
Acts 17:26-27 NIV From one man he made every nation of men,
that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places
where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would
seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from
each one of us.
In setting us up to find this hope in Him He shows His awesome mercy and kindness towards us! The fact that He makes us His very own people (Titus 2:14) shows how He, in His infinite grace and mercy, has extended to us the right to become His very own children, born of His Spirit!
John 1:12-13 ESV But to all who did receive him, who believed
in his name, he gave the
right to become children of God, 13 who were
born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.
1
Peter 2:11
Beloved, I
urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war
against your soul.
Because we are chosen by God we are exiles in this world
Beloved…
Peter expresses the emotion he feels for his brethren using this term of endearment. He may not know them all personally but he has strong emotional ties in the spirit. He truly identifies with them as part of God's spiritual family. He urges them as one who’s been there and who feels their suffering and displacement.
I urge you as sojourners and exiles…
Since we have been set apart as people of God's own possession we no longer belong to this word. That’s an understatement! We should not want to belong any longer! We are like those exiles in the diaspora – wandering through this world, wondering when we will go back home, but joyfully sharing the good news as we wander through this life. Considering ourselves aliens to this world helps us to abstain from the passions of the flesh.
The passions of the flesh…
It is these passions we battle, being that they are the object which the devil seeks to hijack, that we may be swayed from our loyalty to God. The devil wants to keep us hooked to these passions so that we may seek to lean on them and pledge allegiance to them. Giving in to these passions makes us people of the world and common, ordinary people.
Jas 1:14-15 ESV But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own
desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth
to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
1
Peter 2:12
Keep your conduct among the
Gentiles honorable,
so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds
and glorify God on the day
of visitation.
HOLY CONDUCT
Our behavior (way of living) should be especially notable in a world where hypocrisy reigns. Where people pretend to be something they are not we need to stand out as the paragons of sincerity and honesty. It is interesting to note that the world has not changed much in this regard. People today still suffer from hypocrisy as they did at the time of Peter's writing.
Today, Christianity is still maligned because of the hypocrisy of the high churches – pretending to be holy yet hiding the very worldliness they preach against. Some no longer even hide it, accepting homosexuality, women preachers and denying the power of the Gospel. We must remain mindful of our conduct since our preaching depends on it and we don’t want to be found as hypocrites when it comes to our loyalty to the Lord.
Peter suggested three reasons for Christians to discipline their lives:
1- First, Christians were foreigners to their pagan environment and were not adjusted to it. We are not to conform to the world but to Jesus (Romans 8:9).
2- Second, if Christians yielded to the flesh, they would wage battle against their best selves.
3- Third, self-discipline and obedience has a wholesome influence on unbelievers.
Holman
Bible Handbook
Holiness is a show of loyalty. We believe Jesus is with us and we believe His promises to be true when we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy of the Gospel. We walk and talk as if Jesus were physically with us, since He is spiritually with us.
Matthew 5:16 ESV In the same way, let
your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who
is in heaven.
When Jesus comes back we will not be surprised He’s back since we have believed Him all along. All who benefitted from our holy conduct and message with praise God for this when Jesus comes back, since God showed Himself to be true amongst His people.
Peter will continue to detail how our conduct should be as Christians through the rest of the letter:
1- Being subject to every human institution – 2:13-16
a. That they may praise you for doing good
b. That you may silence the ignorance of fools (the godless)
c. Using your freedom in Christ to serve your community
2- Honoring everyone – 2:17
a. Loving your brothers
b. Fearing God = hating evil
c. Honoring politicians and authorities
3- Being subject to your masters – 2:18-25
a. Obeying and honoring your employers, teachers, counselors, bosses and supervisors especially if they are being unjust or unfair towards you
b. That’s when you will really shine!
c. Don’t suffer for being a fool like everyone else!
4-
Wives being
subject to their husbands – 3:1-6
a. To
help save unbelieving husbands
b. By letting your beauty come from your gentleness and quietness of spirit
5- Husbands being considerate with their wives – 3:7
a. Respecting them as co-heirs
b. Don’t let your misconduct with her hinder your prayers
6- Living in harmony with one another – 3:8-13
a. Try to understand each other
b. Don’t assume anything about anybody
c. Don’t retaliate
d. Don’t gossip, slander or dishonor – seek to understand!
e. Pray for them, asking God to bless them
f. Turn from evil and seek peace
7- Always being prepared to give a Gospel answer – 3:15-16
a. Sincerely caring for them
b. With gentleness and respect
8- Consider suffering for your faith an honor – 3:14, 17-18; 4:1-5, 12-17
a. It is better to suffer for doing good than for doing evil
b. Don’t fear nor be troubles about it
c. You will be blessed!
d. Follow Jesus’ footsteps
9- Offering hospitality – 4:9
a. Willingly
b. To complete strangers
c. You may entertain angels
d. Use your gifts to serve and to do good
1
Peter 2:13-14
Be subject for the Lord's
sake to every human
institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors as
sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.
Be subject
Instead of complaining or being subversive (rebellious, dissident, insubordinate) to the authorities, like the world tends to be, we need to be subject to them. When we do that we honor them in the sight of God as it should be, since there is no authority in power that God has not put there (Romans 13:1). If we really believe God we will show fear and shun the evil practice of insubordination.
Our conduct with others in this regard will be very apparent since a spirit of arrogance exists when it comes to certain political and social matters. Government, politics and the like are much about control. People want to control what they cannot and often try to use authority to do so, legally and illegally.
We need to desire to be subject to the authorities (or any human institution), number one because of who they represent (Rom 13:1-2), and number two, because God is in control over everything and we believe Him! Thirdly, love is not about trying to control people – love is about showing them who can teach them about self control so they can be at peace. When you are trying to control someone you are not able to love them. Think about the Gospel. Jesus submitted evn unto death on a cross to show us love, not to try to control us!
Often the idea about superheroes comes from us wanting to be able to defeat something we cannot control without the special abilities we deem superheroes to have. We want to be able to control an evil organization, or a bad government or an alien species, or time and space – variables beyond any human control. But if you notice carefully, Jesus, the only true Superhero, never tried to control or force anyone to do anything. Jesus shows us the true character of God: meek and loving. The only one who truly can control everything desires not to do so! He teaches us about self-control and draws us into His loving arms by showing us love, even love on a cross!
Such needs to be our attitude! In an age where the concern for “big brother” is more alive than ever, the illusion of any human institution having control over our lives is a powerful one, albeit false. It is the illusion of the adversary and we need to tell the people they are free of that in Jesus!
Respect the president, his emissaries or any other head of state; pray for them that they may be enlightened and saved by the Gospel and that they may duly proclaim the goodness of God. Honor your boss, supervisor and anyone who watches over you, especially if they hate you. Remember that hate is just a sign that they hate themselves. And most importantly, don’t allow yourself to fall in the trap of shame that comes from being subversive and disobedient for you will get your due punishment for doing evil!
Submissiveness is such an important fruit of the Spirit that Peter mentions it six times in all:
1- 1 Peter 2:13
2- 1 Peter 2:18
3- 1 Peter 3:1
4- 1 Peter 3:5
5- 1 Peter 3:22
6- 1 Peter 5:5
Why so important? If w don’t learn to be subject we have not learned to be patient. If we have not learned to be patient we have not learned to be still and wait on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31).
|
Christian
Behavior in a Pagan Society |
|
|
Christians are
exhorted to be... |
Because... |
|
Good citizen (2:13-14) |
Foolish men will be silenced (2:15) |
|
Obedient servants (2:18) |
Christ is our example (2:21) |
|
Submissive wives (3:1) |
Some unbelieving husbands will be won by their example (3:1-2) |
|
Considerate husbands (3:7) |
Their prayers will be heard (3:7) |
|
Compassionate brothers and sisters (3:8) |
They will inherit a blessing (3:9) |
1
Peter 2:15-16
For this is the will of
God, that by
doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. Live
as people who are free, not
using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants
of God.
Use your freedom to serve your community
Do good and use your freedom to serve – Peter says this is the will of God – God's desire and purpose for you while you wait for the appearing of Jesus. In our country we have many freedoms and often we take them for granted. Learning to take advantage of the freedoms God has given us enables us to put them to good use. Having able bodies and many resources we can do plenty of good. Especially now, at the dawn of the information age, we have so much power at our fingertips to affect people across the globe with the Gospel of Jesus.
If you dedicate yourself to service, any slanderous accusation against the people of God will not hold up. Have the attitude of Plato:
When Plato was told a certain person was making slanderous charges against him, he responded – “I will live in such a way that no one will believe what he says.”
Many people try to hide their evil behind “freedom”. They use their resources and options to harm and to spread lies, bitterness and shame. We will silence these foolish people by our good works done in love and peace. There is no need to justify our actions when God himself amplifies our good works:
1 Timothy 5:24-25 ESV The sins of some men are conspicuous, going
before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot
remain hidden.
“Any
great Christian doctrine can be perverted into an excuse for evil. The doctrine of grace can be perverted into
an excuse for sinning to one’s heart’s content.
The doctrine of love of God can be sentimentalized into an excuse for
breaking his law. The doctrine of the
life to come can be perverted into an excuse for neglecting the world. And there is no doctrine so easy to pervert
than that of Christian freedom”. – Barclay
That
being said, we would never be able to fool God in using our freedom to do evil
and then to try and justify that evil with grace or love, for love means no
harm to your neighbor and grace teaches us to say no to ungodliness.
1
Peter 2:17
Honor
everyone. Love the
brotherhood. Fear
God. Honor the emperor.
Honor, love and fear God
To honor, love and fear is the code of the kingdom servant. All three commands here are present tense, continuous action; keep on honoring, keep on loving, keep on fearing!
A real danger is that we no longer see these individuals as persons; real live human beings that need to be prayed for and helped as much as we can in light of eternity. Everyone has been created by God and if we fear God and honor Him, we will certainly respect every living thing and honor every person for they were created in the image of God.
Proverbs 15:33 ESV The fear of the LORD is instruction in
wisdom, and humility comes before honor.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ESV 13 The end of the matter; all has been heard.
Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
with every secret thing, whether good or evil.
This is our godly duty and our purpose!
1
Peter 2:18
Servants, be subject to your masters with
all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust.
Be subject to those who are responsible to you
Again, the idea of being subject as opposed to insubordinate is emphasized. Most people want to rebel, it is the nature of the flesh to be unsubmissive. Submitting when your boss is good is easy; even people in the world do it! But submitting when they are unjust is another story. That’s when the Christian proves who the real boss is! Treating your cruel and evil boss with respect is how you honor God and show love to your boss. This proves again who your real boss is!
We need to think about the example Jesus showed, even submitting to the pagan Roman authorities – showing meekness (respect) while he was being whipped and crucified when He could have destroyed them all!
Christianity was squarely opposed to the institution of slavery; but there were considerations of the weightiest nature that forbade any such thing as a campaign against it. Such an attack would have intensified the persecutions coming upon the church; and equally important is the fact that any overt championship of the cause of the slaves would have promptly inundated the church with a whole army of unregenerated persons, seeking not Christ, but their freedom from slavery. It was Christ's purpose to change the world, but not with dynamite; the holy faith acts as leaven. – Coffman
1
Peter 2:19
For this is
a gracious thing, when, mindful of God,
one endures sorrows while
suffering unjustly.
Suffering as a Christian under unjust conditions is a glory to God!
Enduring suffering, or sorrow, with God in mind is gracious; particularly when the suffering or sorrow comes unjustly, meaning you didn’t deserve it. Notice where you mind needs to be when you are in this circumstance. If your mind goes anywhere else you may default on your grace.
The point of its inclusion here is that of forbidding the notion that patient suffering is in itself pleasing to God, which is not the case at all, "unless it is grounded on consciousness of God's presence." – Coffman
Mind you that the kinds of suffering the brothers underwent in the first century, particularly if you were a slave under a cruel master, were nothing compared to the suffering you may undergo in this day and age! Slaves had no legal rights and were often tortured by being burned, maimed or beaten in any way their wicked masters wanted. Be thankful we are more often than not spared from such ruthlessness!
We are to strive to please God, not men, and be more concerned about our response to the injustice we have suffered than to the injustice itself. – World Video Bible School Commentary
The kinds of suffering we endure now are more of the mental, emotional and spiritual kind, more so than the physical ones. I am not saying they are better or worse, just different. Perhaps you have endured humiliation, coarse joking, personal offense, slander, false accusations or plain disrespect. Most of these just hurt your pride and your ego which is a good thing since we want to stand on the truth of the Gospel! Very few of us have been unjustly jailed, fired or made to suffer in a physical way. I know brethren in other countries that have suffered in this way and give the glory to God.
1
Peter 2:20
For what credit is it if,
when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and
suffer for it you endure, this
is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
Don’t suffer as a fool like everyone else!
If you deserve your suffering or sorrow because you were being like the world, consumed by your lust, fears or guilt, there is no grace in it – only reproach. God does not credit that to you as righteousness since it did not happen by faith and trusting in Him, but by your own hand. You are learning your lesson like everybody else and are not being distinguished from the world. But if you do good and suffer for it, will you relent? Will you be discouraged from doing good again? If you don’t, but keep moving forward, mindful of God, it is a gracious thing in the sight of the Father and brings Him glory in the eyes of everyone.
Don’t think that you are suffering unjustly if you go about doing “Christian things” in arrogance and defiance. If you do that you will bring shame unto the church and unto God. Don’t be misguided by pride or your own lust, for God will repay any wrongdoing and show everyone your true motives.
Many people have called for war, serious injustice and rebellion in God's name. This is not how our Lord Jesus, the One True Superhero, decided to defeat the enemy. Jesus’ work was done in reverent submission and dependence on the Father, producing peace and glorifying the name of God. Jesus did not have it in for anyone other than the evil forces of darkness.
Jesus sought to bless those who persecute you, to bless and not curse, to not seek revenge and to love your enemy, feeding him and praying for him (Matthew 5:44). That is the nature of our Lord, a loving nurturing nature that never has regret over anything!
1
Peter 2:21
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered
for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
This is exactly the pattern we are called to follow: to suffer unjustly as Jesus did for us. We were the enemies and yet Jesus loved us, recognizing the true enemy to be the devil. While we were sinners Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Don’t be afraid of anyone in authority that will intimidate you from doing the good you know you ought to do. You ought not to even to let the spiritual forces of darkness intimidate you! They are the ones we fight, while we pray to our Chief with all kinds of prayers and requests (Eph 6:11-12, 18). Then we will love the people, even those who seek to harm us, by meekly continuing to do the good we are doing.
We have been called to endure this type of suffering, to suffer for the good we do in service of the Gospel of Jesus. This is the suffering Jesus did, not for just behaving the right way, but for preaching the Gospel and leading others to the Father. Just doing good things may flare up the jealousy of some, but when you are serving in the name of Jesus calling out for the salvation of others, that’s when the spiritual forces of darkness are on high alert and the persecution will begin! Peter now outlines in the following verses some particulars about how Jesus responded to the suffering and persecution he endured.
Leaving you an example…
The word example is [Greek: hupogrammos], and means “a writing copy,” that is, a pattern for a copybook. So not only do we have in the scriptures a pattern (tupos), for the church, but also for the lifestyle of the disciples. As we live we need to follow the steps of Jesus, particularly under duress and harassment from our “enemies”.
The Steps of Jesus
1- Be blameless in your words and conduct – verse 22
2- Don’t retaliate, whether verbally or physically – verse 23
3- Don’t threaten – verse 23
4- Entrust yourself to God – verse 23
5- Be willing to bring healing with your wounds – serve 24
Peter will proceed to quote from Isaiah 53, the prophetic description of the Suffering Servant, the Atoning Sacrifice that brings glory to God.
He committed
no sin, neither was
deceit found in his mouth.
1- Jesus did not sin
a. He was tempted like we are (Heb 4:15)
b. He can identify (sympathize) with us (Heb 4:15)
c. In the same way, even though we are tempted we can depend on the Holy Spirit and exercise our self-control to not commit sin
2- Jesus did not lie
a. Not to defend Himself
b. Not to protect anyone
c. Never!
d. In the same way we ought to refrain from being deceitful in our thoughts and speech
e. There is never any excuse for trying to deceive!
1
Peter 2:23
When he was
reviled, he did not revile
in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him
who judges justly.
1- Jesus did not retaliate in revenge
a. He did not yell at those yelling at him
b. He did not growl or bare his teeth at those who were beating him
c. He did not wish evil on them while being beaten
d. He did not curse while enduring punishment
2- He entrusted Himself to the Father
a. He had pity on those who were beating him
b. He thought about His purpose
c. He was minding God throughout the beatings
d. He was not thinking about the flesh while enduring the beatings
Where do your thoughts turn to when someone mocks you or yells at you? Do you rush to protect yourself? Do you react in retaliation, whether in your thoughts or out loud? Do you curse in your head or think evil of those causing you suffering? Will you endure unjust punishment and suffering? Where do you think it is coming from? What do you think God thinks of the punishment or suffering you are enduring? Are you entrusting yourself to Him and seeking refuge in Him through prayer and meditation? Of course, all these questions assume you are enduring unjust punishment. If you deserve your punishment or suffering because you sinned then you just have to suck it up and learn. You have no excuse!
Hebrews 12:3 ESV Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself,
so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.
1
Peter 2:24
He himself bore our sins in his body
on the tree, that
we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been
healed.
1- He allowed His body to be beaten
2- He allowed assault on His person
3- He submitted to death
a. Not only physical death
b. Also separation from God, the Father (although briefly)
4- He gave his body as the atoning sacrifice for our sin
a. A perfect body had to be given up as an offering to appease the wrath of God brought on by our sin
b. Our body would not do
c. He suffered the wrath for sins He did not commit
5- Through Him we can now
a.
Die
to sin
i. As Jesus suffered for our sins, in the same way, when we suffer unjustly by refraining from sin (from giving in to the flesh) we cease from being trapped by the same sins over and over – we are done with it! (1Pe 4:1)
ii. To die to sin we must have the attitude of Jesus described in Phil 2:5-8
iii. To die to sin love must reign and bear fruit in our lives! (1Co 13:4-8; 1 John 4:18) Love never fails!
iv. We die to sin by dying to self (repentance) – Luke 13:3
v. We die to sin by dying with Jesus and being buried with Him in baptism (Rom 6:3-4)
b.
Live
to righteousness
i. Because we have died to self and died with Jesus (2Co 5:21)
ii. Because the power of the Spirit works in us now (Acts 2:38; Rom 15:13; Eph 3:16; 2Tim 1:7)
iii. Because Jesus is living in us (Gal 2:20; Col 1:27)
iv. Because we have hope and confidence (Heb 4:16)
v. Because we do not shrink back but believe and put our faith in God (Heb 10:39)
6- His wounds brought us healing
a. If we are dead to sins and living in Jesus we will not die in our sins!
b. His suffering brought us faith that saves
c. His wounds made us alive in Him!
d. He is alive now!
e. We are alive in Him!
2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we
might become the righteousness of God.
Romans 6:3-14 ESV Do you not know that all of us who have been
baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that,
just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too
might walk in newness of life. 5 For if we
have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united
with him in a resurrection like his. 6 We know that
our old self was crucified
with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. 7 For one who has
died has been set free from sin. 8 Now if we have died with Christ, we believe
that we will also live with him. 9 We know that
Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has
dominion over him. 10 For the
death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to
God. 11 So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in
Christ Jesus. 12 Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to
make you obey its passions.
13
Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as
those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments
for righteousness. 14 For sin will have no dominion over you, since you
are not under law but under grace.
1
Peter 2:25
For you were
straying like sheep, but
have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
1- We were astray
a. We were deceived by the world
i. By the spirits of darkness
ii. By empty promises
iii. By the devil’s work
b. We were deceived by ourselves
i. By our heart
ii. By our flesh
iii. By our passions
2- We have returned
a. We sought truth
b. We sought God
c. God delivered!
d. We realized that we do not have the way in us!
e. We sobered up
f. We woke up
g. We regained our reason – we have come to our senses like the prodigal son!
3- Jesus made a way for us
a. Through His body
b. Through His life
c. Because He loves us
d. Because He is merciful
John 6:68-69 ESV Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom
shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, 69 and we have believed, and have come to know,
that you are the Holy One of God."
John 14:6 ESV Jesus said to him, "I
am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except
through me.
John 18:37 ESV Then Pilate said to him, "So you are a
king?" Jesus answered, "You say that I am a
king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the
world--to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my
voice."
John 10:11-16 ESV I am the good
shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired
hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and
leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he
is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good
shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father
knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other
sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen
to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.
Matthew 16:16-17 ESV Simon Peter replied, "You are the
Christ, the Son of the living God."
17
And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you,
Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my
Father who is in heaven.