A Living Stone and a Holy People

(A)So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. (B)Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual (C)milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— if indeed you have (D)tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to him, a living stone (E)rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, (F)you yourselves like living stones are being built up as (G)a spiritual house, to be (H)a holy priesthood, (I)to offer spiritual sacrifices (J)acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

(K)“Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious,
(L)and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”

So the honor is for you who (M)believe, but for those who (N)do not believe,

(O)“The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”[a]

and

(P)“A stone of stumbling,
    and a rock of offense.”

They stumble because they disobey the word, (Q)as they were destined to do.

But you are (R)a chosen race, (S)a royal (T)priesthood, (U)a holy nation, (V)a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you (W)out of darkness into (X)his marvelous light. 10 (Y)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.

11 Beloved, I urge you (Z)as sojourners and exiles (AA)to abstain from the passions of the flesh, (AB)which wage war against your soul. 12 (AC)Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, (AD)they may see your good deeds and glorify God on (AE)the day of visitation.

Submission to Authority

13 (AF)Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution,[b] whether it be to the emperor[c] as supreme, 14 or to governors as sent by him (AG)to punish those who do evil and (AH)to praise those who do good. 15 For this is the will of God, (AI)that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 (AJ)Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but (AK)living as servants[d] of God. 17 (AL)Honor everyone. (AM)Love the brotherhood. (AN)Fear God. Honor the emperor.

18 (AO)Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. 19 For this is a gracious thing, when, (AP)mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But (AQ)if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. 21 For (AR)to this you have been called, (AS)because Christ also suffered for you, (AT)leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. 22 (AU)He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. 23 (AV)When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, (AW)but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. 24 (AX)He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we (AY)might die to sin and (AZ)live to righteousness. (BA)By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For (BB)you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to (BC)the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:7 Greek the head of the corner
  2. 1 Peter 2:13 Or every institution ordained for people
  3. 1 Peter 2:13 Or king; also verse 17
  4. 1 Peter 2:16 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness.

Living Stones for God’s House

You are coming to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by people, but he was chosen by God for great honor.

And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests.[a] Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God. As the Scriptures say,

“I am placing a cornerstone in Jerusalem,[b]
    chosen for great honor,
and anyone who trusts in him
    will never be disgraced.”[c]

Yes, you who trust him recognize the honor God has given him.[d] But for those who reject him,

“The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.”[e]

And,

“He is the stone that makes people stumble,
    the rock that makes them fall.”[f]

They stumble because they do not obey God’s word, and so they meet the fate that was planned for them.

But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,[g] a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light.

10 “Once you had no identity as a people;
    now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
    now you have received God’s mercy.”[h]

11 Dear friends, I warn you as “temporary residents and foreigners” to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your very souls. 12 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.[i]

Respecting People in Authority

13 For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state, 14 or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right.

15 It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you. 16 For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, so don’t use your freedom as an excuse to do evil. 17 Respect everyone, and love the family of believers.[j] Fear God, and respect the king.

Slaves

18 You who are slaves must submit to your masters with all respect.[k] Do what they tell you—not only if they are kind and reasonable, but even if they are cruel. 19 For God is pleased when, conscious of his will, you patiently endure unjust treatment. 20 Of course, you get no credit for being patient if you are beaten for doing wrong. But if you suffer for doing good and endure it patiently, God is pleased with you.

21 For God called you to do good, even if it means suffering, just as Christ suffered[l] for you. He is your example, and you must follow in his steps.

22 He never sinned,
    nor ever deceived anyone.[m]
23 He did not retaliate when he was insulted,
    nor threaten revenge when he suffered.
He left his case in the hands of God,
    who always judges fairly.
24 He personally carried our sins
    in his body on the cross
so that we can be dead to sin
    and live for what is right.
By his wounds
    you are healed.
25 Once you were like sheep
    who wandered away.
But now you have turned to your Shepherd,
    the Guardian of your souls.

Footnotes

  1. 2:5 Greek holy priesthood.
  2. 2:6a Greek in Zion.
  3. 2:6b Isa 28:16 (Greek version).
  4. 2:7a Or Yes, for you who believe, there is honor.
  5. 2:7b Ps 118:22.
  6. 2:8 Isa 8:14.
  7. 2:9 Greek a royal priesthood.
  8. 2:10 Hos 1:6, 9; 2:23.
  9. 2:12 Or on the day of visitation.
  10. 2:17 Greek love the brotherhood.
  11. 2:18 Or because you fear God; Greek reads in all fear.
  12. 2:21 Some manuscripts read died.
  13. 2:22 Isa 53:9.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all guile, insincerity, envy, and all slander. Like newborn infants, long for the pure, spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow into salvation— if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Come to him, a living stone, though rejected by mortals yet chosen and precious in God’s sight, and like living stones, let yourselves be built[a] into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in scripture:

‘See, I am laying in Zion a stone,
    a cornerstone chosen and precious;
and whoever believes in him[b] will not be put to shame.’

To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do not believe,

‘The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the very head of the corner’,

and

‘A stone that makes them stumble,
    and a rock that makes them fall.’

They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do.

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people,[c] in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

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.

Live as Servants of God

11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles to abstain from the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honourably among the Gentiles, so that, though they malign you as evildoers, they may see your honourable deeds and glorify God when he comes to judge.[d]

13 For the Lord’s sake accept the authority of every human institution,[e] whether of the emperor as supreme, 14 or of governors, as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing right you should silence the ignorance of the foolish. 16 As servants[f] of God, live as free people, yet do not use your freedom as a pretext for evil. 17 Honour everyone. Love the family of believers.[g] Fear God. Honour the emperor.

The Example of Christ’s Suffering

18 Slaves, accept the authority of your masters with all deference, not only those who are kind and gentle but also those who are harsh. 19 For it is to your credit if, being aware of God, you endure pain while suffering unjustly. 20 If you endure when you are beaten for doing wrong, where is the credit in that? But if you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God’s approval. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.

22 ‘He committed no sin,
    and no deceit was found in his mouth.’

23 When he was abused, he did not return abuse; when he suffered, he did not threaten; but he entrusted himself to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross,[h] so that, free from sins, we might live for righteousness; by his wounds[i] you have been healed. 25 For you were going astray like sheep, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Footnotes

  1. 1 Peter 2:5 Or you yourselves are being built
  2. 1 Peter 2:6 Or it
  3. 1 Peter 2:9 Gk a people for his possession
  4. 1 Peter 2:12 Gk God on the day of visitation
  5. 1 Peter 2:13 Or every institution ordained for human beings
  6. 1 Peter 2:16 Gk slaves
  7. 1 Peter 2:17 Gk Love the brotherhood
  8. 1 Peter 2:24 Or carried up our sins in his body to the tree
  9. 1 Peter 2:24 Gk bruise

Ἀποθέμενοι οὖν πᾶσαν κακίαν καὶ πάντα δόλον καὶ [a]ὑποκρίσεις καὶ φθόνους καὶ πάσας καταλαλιάς, ὡς ἀρτιγέννητα βρέφη τὸ λογικὸν ἄδολον γάλα ἐπιποθήσατε, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῷ αὐξηθῆτε [b]εἰς σωτηρίαν, [c]εἰ ἐγεύσασθε ὅτι χρηστὸς ὁ κύριος.

Πρὸς ὃν προσερχόμενοι, λίθον ζῶντα, ὑπὸ ἀνθρώπων μὲν ἀποδεδοκιμασμένον παρὰ δὲ θεῷ ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον καὶ αὐτοὶ ὡς λίθοι ζῶντες οἰκοδομεῖσθε οἶκος πνευματικὸς [d]εἰς ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον, ἀνενέγκαι πνευματικὰς θυσίας [e]εὐπροσδέκτους θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ· διότι περιέχει [f]ἐν γραφῇ· Ἰδοὺ τίθημι ἐν Σιὼν λίθον [g]ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἐκλεκτὸν ἔντιμον, καὶ ὁ πιστεύων ἐπ’ αὐτῷ οὐ μὴ καταισχυνθῇ. ὑμῖν οὖν ἡ τιμὴ τοῖς πιστεύουσιν· [h]ἀπιστοῦσιν δὲ [i]λίθος ὃν ἀπεδοκίμασαν οἱ οἰκοδομοῦντες οὗτος ἐγενήθη εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας καὶ λίθος προσκόμματος καὶ πέτρα σκανδάλου· οἳ προσκόπτουσιν τῷ λόγῳ ἀπειθοῦντες· εἰς ὃ καὶ ἐτέθησαν.

Ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν, ὅπως τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐξαγγείλητε τοῦ ἐκ σκότους ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς· 10 οἵ ποτε οὐ λαὸς νῦν δὲ λαὸς θεοῦ, οἱ οὐκ ἠλεημένοι νῦν δὲ ἐλεηθέντες. 11 Ἀγαπητοί, παρακαλῶ ὡς παροίκους καὶ παρεπιδήμους ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν σαρκικῶν ἐπιθυμιῶν, αἵτινες στρατεύονται κατὰ τῆς ψυχῆς· 12 τὴν ἀναστροφὴν ὑμῶν [j]ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν, ἵνα, ἐν ᾧ καταλαλοῦσιν ὑμῶν ὡς κακοποιῶν, ἐκ τῶν καλῶν ἔργων [k]ἐποπτεύοντες δοξάσωσι τὸν θεὸν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπισκοπῆς.

13 [l]Ὑποτάγητε πάσῃ ἀνθρωπίνῃ κτίσει διὰ τὸν κύριον· εἴτε βασιλεῖ ὡς ὑπερέχοντι, 14 εἴτε ἡγεμόσιν ὡς δι’ αὐτοῦ πεμπομένοις εἰς ἐκδίκησιν κακοποιῶν ἔπαινον δὲ ἀγαθοποιῶν 15 (ὅτι οὕτως ἐστὶν τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ, ἀγαθοποιοῦντας φιμοῦν τὴν τῶν ἀφρόνων ἀνθρώπων ἀγνωσίαν)· 16 ὡς ἐλεύθεροι, καὶ μὴ ὡς ἐπικάλυμμα ἔχοντες τῆς κακίας τὴν ἐλευθερίαν, ἀλλ’ ὡς [m]θεοῦ δοῦλοι. 17 πάντας τιμήσατε, τὴν ἀδελφότητα [n]ἀγαπᾶτε, τὸν θεὸν φοβεῖσθε, τὸν βασιλέα τιμᾶτε.

18 Οἱ οἰκέται ὑποτασσόμενοι ἐν παντὶ φόβῳ τοῖς δεσπόταις, οὐ μόνον τοῖς ἀγαθοῖς καὶ ἐπιεικέσιν ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῖς σκολιοῖς. 19 τοῦτο γὰρ χάρις εἰ διὰ συνείδησιν θεοῦ ὑποφέρει τις λύπας πάσχων ἀδίκως· 20 ποῖον γὰρ κλέος εἰ ἁμαρτάνοντες καὶ κολαφιζόμενοι ὑπομενεῖτε; ἀλλ’ εἰ ἀγαθοποιοῦντες καὶ πάσχοντες ὑπομενεῖτε, τοῦτο χάρις παρὰ θεῷ. 21 εἰς τοῦτο γὰρ ἐκλήθητε, ὅτι καὶ Χριστὸς ἔπαθεν ὑπὲρ [o]ὑμῶν, ὑμῖν ὑπολιμπάνων ὑπογραμμὸν ἵνα ἐπακολουθήσητε τοῖς ἴχνεσιν αὐτοῦ· 22 ὃς ἁμαρτίαν οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὐδὲ εὑρέθη δόλος ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ· 23 ὃς λοιδορούμενος οὐκ ἀντελοιδόρει, πάσχων οὐκ ἠπείλει, παρεδίδου δὲ τῷ κρίνοντι δικαίως· 24 ὃς τὰς ἁμαρτίας ἡμῶν αὐτὸς ἀνήνεγκεν ἐν τῷ σώματι αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τὸ ξύλον, ἵνα ταῖς ἁμαρτίαις ἀπογενόμενοι τῇ δικαιοσύνῃ ζήσωμεν· οὗ τῷ [p]μώλωπι ἰάθητε. 25 ἦτε γὰρ ὡς πρόβατα [q]πλανώμενοι, ἀλλὰ ἐπεστράφητε νῦν ἐπὶ τὸν ποιμένα καὶ ἐπίσκοπον τῶν ψυχῶν ὑμῶν.

Footnotes

  1. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:1 ὑποκρίσεις Treg NIV RP] ὑπόκρισιν WH
  2. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:2 εἰς σωτηρίαν WH Treg NIV] – RP
  3. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:3 εἰ WH Treg NIV] εἴπερ RP
  4. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:5 εἰς WH Treg NIV] – RP
  5. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:5 εὐπροσδέκτους WH Treg] + τῷ NIV RP
  6. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:6 ἐν WH Treg NIV] + τῇ RP
  7. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:6 ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἐκλεκτὸν Treg NIV RP] ἐκλεκτὸν ἀκρογωνιαῖον WH
  8. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:7 ἀπιστοῦσιν WH Treg NIV] ἀπειθοῦσιν RP
  9. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:7 λίθος WH Treg NIV] Λίθον RP
  10. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:12 ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν ἔχοντες καλήν WH Treg NIV] ἔχοντες καλήν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν RP
  11. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:12 ἐποπτεύοντες WH Treg NIV] ἐποπτεύσαντες RP
  12. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:13 Ὑποτάγητε WH Treg NIV] + οὖν RP
  13. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:16 θεοῦ δοῦλοι WH Treg NIV] δοῦλοι θεοῦ RP
  14. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:17 ἀγαπᾶτε WH Treg NIV] ἀγαπήσατε RP
  15. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:21 ὑμῶν WH Treg NIV] ἡμῶν RP
  16. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:24 μώλωπι WH Treg NIV] + αὐτοῦ RP
  17. ΠΕΤΡΟΥ Α΄ 2:25 πλανώμενοι WH Treg NIV] πλανώμενα RP