1 Peter 2
Complete Jewish Bible
2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice, of all deceit, hypocrisy and envy, and of all the ways there are of speaking against people; 2 and be like newborn babies, thirsty for the pure milk of the Word; so that by it, you may grow up into deliverance. 3 For you have tasted that Adonai is good.[a]
4 As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah. 6 This is why the Tanakh says,
“Look! I am laying in Tziyon a stone,
a chosen and precious cornerstone;
and whoever rests his trust on it
will certainly not be humiliated.”[b]
7 Now to you who keep trusting, he is precious. But to those who are not trusting,
“The very stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone”;[c]
8 also he is
a stone that will make people stumble,
a rock over which they will trip.[d]
They are stumbling at the Word, disobeying it — as had been planned. 9 But you are a chosen people,[e] the King’s cohanim,[f] a holy nation,[g] a people for God to possess![h] Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.[i]
11 Dear friends, I urge you as aliens and temporary residents[j] not to give in to the desires of your old nature, which keep warring against you; 12 but to live such good lives among the pagans that even though they now speak against you as evil-doers, they will, as a result of seeing your good actions, give glory to God on the Day of his coming. 13 For the sake of the Lord, submit yourselves to every human authority — whether to the emperor as being supreme, 14 or to governors as being sent by him to punish wrongdoers and praise those who do what is good. 15 For it is God’s will that your doing good should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Submit as people who are free, but not letting your freedom serve as an excuse for evil; rather, submit as God’s slaves. 17 Be respectful to all — keep loving the brotherhood, fearing God and honoring the emperor.
18 Household servants, submit yourselves to your masters, showing them full respect — and not only those who are kind and considerate, but also those who are harsh. 19 For it is a grace when someone, because he is mindful of God, bears up under the pain of undeserved punishment. 20 For what credit is there in bearing up under a beating you deserve for doing something wrong? But if you bear up under punishment, even though you have done what is right, God looks on it with favor. 21 Indeed, this is what you were called to; because the Messiah too suffered, on your behalf, leaving an example so that you should follow in his steps.
22 “He committed no sin,
nor was any deceit found on his lips.”[k]
23 When he was insulted, he didn’t retaliate with insults; when he suffered, he didn’t threaten, but handed them over to him who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins[l] in his body on the stake,[m] so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness — by his wounds you were healed.[n] 25 For you used to be like sheep gone astray, but now you have turned to[o] the Shepherd, who watches over you.
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:3 Psalm 34:9(8)
- 1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16
- 1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22
- 1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14
- 1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:20; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15
- 1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6
- 1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6
- 1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:21; Exodus 19:5
- 1 Peter 2:10 Hosea 2:25(23)
- 1 Peter 2:11 Genesis 23:4; 47:4; Psalm 39:13(12); 1 Chronicles 29:15
- 1 Peter 2:22 Isaiah 53:9
- 1 Peter 2:24 Isaiah 53:4, 12
- 1 Peter 2:24 Deuteronomy 21:22–23
- 1 Peter 2:24 Isaiah 53:5
- 1 Peter 2:25 Isaiah 53:6
1 Peter 2
New Catholic Bible
Chapter 2
1 Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, and all deceit, hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may advance on the path to salvation, 3 now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
The Mystery of the Church.[a] 4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected by men but chosen by God and precious. 5 You, too, are like living stones, being built up into a spiritual temple and a holy priesthood[b] to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it states in Scripture,
“See, I am laying a stone in Zion,
a cornerstone chosen and precious.
Whoever believes in it
will not be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, it is precious to you who believe. However, for those who do not believe,
“The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone,”
8 and
“A stone that makes them stumble,
and a rock that makes them fall.”
They stumble because they disobey the word—for this they were born.[c]
9 But you are “a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people claimed by God as his own possession,” so that you may proclaim the praise of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous 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.
God’s People in a Hostile World[d]
11 Lead a Good Life amidst Pagans.[e] Beloved, I urge you as aliens and exiles not to succumb to the desires of the flesh that wage war against the soul. 12 Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles so that, although they now malign you as evildoers, they may observe your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation.
13 Christianity Is Not a Subversive Group.[f] For the Lord’s sake, submit to every human institution, whether of the emperor as supreme 14 or of governors as sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do good works. 15 For it is the will of God that by doing right you should silence the ignorant talk of fools.
16 As servants of God, behave as free people, but do not use your freedom as a means to cover up wrongdoing. 17 Give due honor to everyone. Love your fellow believers. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
18 Recommendations for Slaves.[g] Slaves, submit to your masters with due respect, not only to those who are kind and forbearing but also to those who are harsh. 19 It is a sign of grace if you endure the pain of unjust suffering because of your awareness of God.
20 What credit do you deserve if you are patient when you are beaten for doing wrong? However, if you are patient when you do what is right and suffer for it, you have earned merit with God.
21 [h]This, in fact, is what you have been called to do, because Christ himself suffered for you and left an example for you to follow in his footsteps.
22 He committed no sin,[i]
and no deceit was found on his lips.
23 When he was abused, he did not retaliate. When he suffered, he made no threats, but he placed his trust in the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live in righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you were like sheep who had gone astray, but now you have returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.[j]
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 2:4 The following terms—spiritual temple, chosen race, royal priesthood, holy nation, a people claimed by God as his own possession—were coined by the Old Testament to express Israel’s awareness of itself as a people called upon to carry out God’s plan. The Church regards herself as chosen by God and called to act in such a way that human life itself becomes a worship of God. This passage can be more profoundly understood by reflecting upon 1 Cor 3:16; Eph 2:20-22. In verses 9 and 10 citations from the Old Testament occur in this order: Isa 43:20-21; Ex 19:5-6; Hos 1:6-9; 2:23-24. These are reminiscences more than citations.
- 1 Peter 2:5 Holy priesthood: all who are united with Christ by faith share in the priesthood of Christ (see note on Heb 8:6-13).
- 1 Peter 2:8 For this they were born: the author states that by rejecting the Gospel, the people of the former Covenant have lost their prerogatives, which have now been given to the people of the New Covenant, i.e., Christians. The Scripture references in vv. 6-10 reflect the concern of early Christianity to explain Israel’s unbelief in light of the Old Testament itself.
- 1 Peter 2:11 The author sets forth a few practical implications of what it means to be God’s people in a hostile world. Christians are to be submissive to others—to civil authority, to masters, and to spouses in imitation of Christ’s submissiveness. He ends up citing five virtues from Christ’s life that should be of help to all.
- 1 Peter 2:11 Christians are to be on their best behavior in the midst of pagans even if for a time they are greeted with criticism and hostility because they do not accept the morals of the age. On the day of the Lord’s arrival, everything will be made clear. While they wait for that day, Christians are on earth as a pilgrim people, i.e., they do not put their stamp of approval on any society and any culture.
- 1 Peter 2:13 Christianity is not subversive and does not oppose the organization of society on principle. The first persecutions were based on such accusations, and it is one more reason to stress their loyalty but also their sense of freedom. Political power has its ultimate foundation in God the Creator of human society, and not in the personality of those who govern (see Rom 13:1-7; Tit 3:1). In the Book of Revelation, the Christian attitude toward the imperial power will be less serene.
- 1 Peter 2:18 The first generations of Christians have above all the concern to spread the Gospel as the response to desire for salvation on the part of all people. The believers are only a handful. It would be a mistake to attribute to them the plan to develop a critique of the structures of society. But they themselves model new human and social relations. Many of them are slaves; in the Church, they are recognized as full Christians. This is one more reason not to lay oneself open to the accusation of insubordination that is leveled at these new communities. Hence, for the present moment, here is a way of living with service, even in conditions of injustice. The example of Christ imposes itself; it is interpreted here in magnificent terms by means of one of the great texts about the Servant of God (Isa 53:5-12). We should not interpret this text as presenting a doctrine of resignation. It calls for an attitude that refuses to respond to injustice with hatred or duplicity (see Eph 6:5-9; Col 3:22-25; 1 Tim 6:1-2; Tit 2:9-10).
- 1 Peter 2:21 The example of Christ is obvious; it is here interpreted in grandiose terms by means of the great text on the Servant of God in Isa 53:5-12.
- 1 Peter 2:22 He committed no sin . . .: Christ was absolutely sinless (see Acts 3:14; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1 Jn 3:5).
- 1 Peter 2:25 The shepherd and guardian of your souls: the sheep had wandered from their shepherd (Christ), but now they have returned to him. Thus, the Suffering Servant, vindicated in the Resurrection (see Isa 52:13; 53:11), becomes the Good Shepherd (see Jn 10:11; 13:10). For “shepherd” in the Old Testament, see Ps 23; Isa 40:11; Ezek 37:24.
Copyright © 1998 by David H. Stern. All rights reserved.
