Bible Study March 18, 2026
1 Peter 2 (New International Version)
1 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.
One characteristic children share is that they want to grow up—to be like an older sibling, or like their parents, or like a hero they admire. When we are born again, we become spiritual newborn babies. If we are healthy, we will yearn to grow, wanting to model our lives after giants of the faith. How sad it is that some people never grow up. The need for milk is a natural instinct for a baby, and it signals the desire for nourishment that will lead to growth. Once you see your need for God's pure and life-giving Word and begin to find nourishment in Christ, your spiritual appetite increases, and you start to mature. How eagerly do you want to grow? How earnestly do you desire nourishment from God's Word?
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 to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
What are the "spiritual sacrifices" that we offer to God? When sacrificing an animal according to God's law, a priest would kill the animal, cut it in pieces, and place it on the altar. Sacrifices were important, but even in the Old Testament God made it clear that obedience from the heart was much more important (see 1 Samuel 15:22; Psalm 40:6; Amos 5:21-24). God wants us, now his "holy priests," to offer ourselves as living and spiritual sacrifices—daily laying aside our own desires and following him, putting all our energy and resources at his disposal, and trusting him to guide us. The New Testament letters help clarify what this kind of sacrifice looks like: (1) We give our bodies and wills to God's control (Romans 12:1), (2) we offer our love to God and to others (Ephesians 5:2), (3) we give money to help in ministry (Philippians 4:18), and (4) we offer praise to God (Hebrews 13:15).
6 For in Scripture it says:
"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."
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,"
8 and,
"A stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall."
They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.
No doubt Peter often thought of Jesus' words to him right after he confessed that Jesus was "the Messiah, the Son of the living God": "You are Peter . . . and upon this rock I will build my church, and all the powers of hell will not conquer it" (Matthew 16:16, 18). What is the stone that really counts the most in the building of the church? Peter answers: Christ himself. Jesus Christ is called "the stone that makes people stumble, the rock that makes them fall." Some will stumble over Christ because they reject him or refuse to believe his true identity. But Psalm 118:22 says that "the stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone," the most important part of God's building, the church. What are the characteristics of Christ, the cornerstone? (1) He is completely trustworthy; (2) he is precious to believers; and (3) though rejected by some, he is the most important part of the church. People who refuse to believe in Christ have made the greatest mistake of their lives. They have stumbled over the one person who could save them and give meaning to their lives, and they have fallen into God's hands for judgment.
In describing the church as God's spiritual temple, Peter drew on Old Testament texts to support his point: Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16. Peter's readers would have understood the living stones to be Israel; then Peter applied the image of the cornerstone to Christ. Once again Peter showed that the church does not cancel the Jewish heritage but fulfills it.
Peter portrays the church as a living, spiritual temple of God, with Christ as the foundation and cornerstone and each believer as a stone. Paul portrays the church as a body, with Christ as the head and each believer as a member. Both pictures emphasize community. One stone does not make a temple or even a wall; one body part can't function without the others. In our individualistic society, it can be too easy to overlook or neglect our interdependence with other Christians. When God calls you to a task, remember that he also calls many others to work with you. Together, your individual efforts will be multiplied. Look for those people and join with them to build a beautiful house for God.
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.
Christians sometimes speak of "the priesthood of all believers." In Old Testament times, people did not approach God directly. A priest acted as an intermediary between God and sinful human beings. With Christ's victory on the cross, that pattern changed. Now we can come directly into God's presence without fear (Hebrews 4:16), and we are given the responsibility of bringing others to him also (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). When we are united with Christ as members of his body, we join in his priestly work of reconciling God and humanity.
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.
People often base their self-concept on their accomplishments. But the importance of our relationship with Christ transcends our jobs, successes, wealth, or knowledge. We have been chosen by God as his very own, and we have been called to represent him to others. Remember that your value comes from being one of God's children, not from what you can achieve. You have worth because of what God does, not because of what you do.
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.
As believers, we are "temporary residents and foreigners" in this world because our real home is with God. Heaven is where God lives, not the cloud-and-harp existence popular in cartoons. Life in heaven operates according to God's eternal and unshakable principles and values. Heaven came to earth in the symbolism of the Jewish sanctuary (the Tabernacle and Temple) where God's presence resided. It came in a fuller manner in the person of Jesus Christ, God with us. It spread through the entire world as the Holy Spirit came to live in every believer.
Someday, after God judges and destroys all sin, the Kingdom of Heaven will rule every corner of this earth. John saw this day in a vision, and he cried out, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them" (Revelation 21:3). Our true loyalty should be to our citizenship in heaven, not to our citizenship here, because the earth will be destroyed and then renewed as the new earth, a physical place where Jesus will live with us. Our loyalty should be to God's truth, his way of life, and his dedicated people. Because we are loyal to God, we will often feel like outsiders in a world hostile to or ignorant of God. But there will come a day when we won't feel that way anymore.
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.
Peter's counsel sounds like Jesus' in Matthew 5:16: If your actions are above reproach, even hostile people will end up praising God. Peter's readers were scattered among unbelievers who were inclined to believe and spread vicious lies about Christians. Gracious, godly, and winsome behavior on the part of Christians could show these rumors to be false and could even win some of the unsaved critics to the Lord. Don't write off people because they misunderstand Christianity; instead, show them Christ by your life. The day may come when those who criticize you will praise God with you.
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.
Christians have freedom in Christ, but the apostles defined freedom more narrowly than the normal use of the word in common language. Christians use freedom as a tool for lives of exuberant service. It's the foundation that God gives us to reach our highest potential. Because God gives us freedom from religious rules and eternal guilt, we must not seek to indulge our own desires; instead, we should reach for the best God has for us. Let your freedom sing of power, joy, and love—accountable to God and devoted to loving and serving others.
17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.
When Peter told his readers to submit to all human authority, he was speaking of the Roman Empire under Nero, a notoriously cruel tyrant. Obviously he was not telling believers to compromise their consciences; in fact, Peter had told the high priest years earlier, "We must obey God rather than any human authority" (Acts 5:29). But in most aspects of daily life, Christians can and should live according to the law of their land. Today, some Christians live in freedom while others live under repressive governments. All are commanded to cooperate with those in authority as far as conscience will allow. We are to do this "for the Lord's sake"—so that his Good News and his people will be respected. If we face persecution, it should be for obeying God, not for breaking moral or civil laws.
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.
Many Christians in Peter's day were household servants. It would be easy for them to submit to masters who were gentle and kind, but Peter encouraged loyalty and perseverance even in the face of unjust treatment. In our context, we should follow this principle by submitting to our employers, whether they are considerate or harsh. By so doing, we may win them to Christ by our good example. Paul gave similar advice (see Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:22-25), as did Jesus (Matthew 5:46; Luke 6:32-36).
22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
We may suffer for many reasons. Some suffering comes as the direct result of our own sin; some happens because of our or someone else's foolishness; some comes from living in a fallen world. Peter is writing about suffering that comes as a result of doing good. Christ never sinned, yet he suffered so that we could be set free. Jesus' suffering was part of God's plan (Matthew 16:21-23; Luke 24:25-27, 44-47) and was intended to save us (Matthew 20:28; 26:28). All who follow Jesus must be prepared to suffer (Mark 8:34-35). Our goal should be to face suffering as he did—with patience, calmness, and confidence that God is in control of the future.
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," but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
This is drawn from Isaiah 52:13–53:12. Only Christ himself, the sinless son of God, could bear our sins on the cross. Christ took the death penalty for sin, dying in our place, so we would not have to suffer the punishment we deserve. This is called substitutionary atonement. In a transaction we cannot fully comprehend, God placed the sins of the world on Jesus Christ.