1 Peter 2:4

To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, COMING - drawing near [ proserchomenoi (G4334)] (Hebrews 10:22) by faith continually; present: not having come once for all at conversion. STONE. Peter (i:e., a stone, named so by Christ) desires that all similarly should be living stones BUILT ON CHRIST, THE TRUE FOUNDATION-STONE: cf. his speech in Acts 4:11: an undesigned coincidence and mark of genuineness. The Spirit foreseeing the Romanist perversion of Matthew 16:18 (cf....

_To whom coming, _is not to be referred simply to God, but to him as he is revealed to us in the person of Christ. Now, it cannot be but that the grace of God must powerfully draw us to himself and inflame us with the love of him by whom we obtain a real perception of it. If Plato affirmed this of his Beautiful, of which a shadowy idea only he beheld afar off, much more true is this with regard to God. Let it then be noticed, that Peter connects an access to God with the taste of his goodness. For as the human mind necessarily dreads and shuns God, as long as it regards him as rigid and severe; so, as soon as he makes known his paternal love to the faithful, it immediately follows that they disregard all things and even forget themselves and hasten to him. In short, he only makes progress in the Gospel, who in heart comes to God. But he also shews for what end and to what purpose we oug...

1-10 Evil-speaking is a sign of malice and guile in the heart; and hinders our profiting by the word of God. A new life needs suitable food. Infants desire milk, and make the best endeavours for it which they are able to do; such must be a Christian's desires after the word of God. Our Lord Jesus Christ is very merciful to us miserable sinners; and he has a fulness of grace. But even the best of God's servants, in this life, have only a taste of the consolations of God. Christ is called a Stone, to teach his servants that he is their protection and security, the foundation on which they are built. He is precious in the excellence of his nature, the dignity of his office, and the glory of his services. All true believers are a holy priesthood; sacred to God, serviceable to others, endowed with heavenly gifts and graces. But the most spiritual sacrifices of the best in prayer and praise a...

Verse 1 Peter 2:4. _TO WHOM COMING_, AS UNTO _A LIVING STONE_] This is a reference to Isaiah 28:16: _Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a_ _precious corner stone, a sure foundation_. Jesus Christ is, in both the prophet and apostle, represented as the _foundation_ on which the Christian Church is built, and on which it must continue to rest: and the _stone_ or _foundation_ is called here _living_, to intimate that he is the source of life to all his followers, and that it is in union with him that they live, and answer the end of their regeneration; as the stones of a building are of no use but as they occupy their proper places in a building, and rest on the foundation. _DISALLOWED INDEED OF MEN_]

TO WHOM COMING - To the Lord Jesus, for so the word “Lord” is to be understood in 1 Peter 2:3. Compare the notes at Acts 1:24. The idea here is, that they had come to him for salvation, while the great mass of people rejected him. Others “disallowed” him, and turned away from him, but they had seen that he was the one chosen or appointed of God, and had come to him in order to be saved. Salvation is often represented as corning to Christ. See Matthew 11:28. AS UNTO A LIVING STONE - The allusion in this passage is to Isaiah 28:16, “Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a sto

EXPOSITIONS 1 PETER 2:1 WHEREFORE LAYING ASIDE. Those who would wear the white robe of regeneration must lay aside the filthy garments (Zechariah 3:3) of the old carnal life. So St. Paul bids us put off the old man and put on the new (Ephesians 4:22, Ephesians 4:24; Colossians 3:8, Colossians 3:10; comp. also Romans 13:14

TO WHOM COMING, AS UNTO A LIVING STONE,.... Christ here, as often elsewhere, is compared to a "stone"; and Peter, by the use of this metaphor, shows that he is not the rock, but Christ is the rock on which the church is built, and he is the foundation stone on which every believer is laid; and it is chiefly with respect to the usefulness of a stone in building, that Christ is compared to one, who is the foundation and cornerstone, as well as for strength and duration; and he is called a "living" one, because he has life in himself, as God, as Mediator, and as man; and communicates life to others, as natural life to all creatures, and spiritual and eternal life to his people, whose great privilege it is to come to him: and by coming to him is meant believing in him; and it does not design the first act of faith on Christ, or a soul's first coming to Christ, but an after and continued exer...

1 Peter 2:1. _Wherefore laying aside all malice,_ This is one of the old corruptible things, so put it away from you 1 Peter 2:1. _And all guile,_ All crafty tricks, all falsehood, exaggeration, double meanings to your words, and the like,- 1. _And hypocrisies, and envies,_ All hatred of those who are either better or better off than you are,- 1 Peter 2:1. _And all evil speaking,_ Thus the tongue expresses what the heart feels. Laying all these evil things aside, you will prove that you have been born again, born of the incorruptible seed which liveth and abideth for ever....

II. THE BLESSINGS AND PRIVILEGES OF ALL BELIEVERS CHAPTER 1:22-2:10 _ 1. The new birth (1 Peter 1:22)_ 2. Spiritual growth (1 Peter 2:1) 3. The privileges of believers as the holy and royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:4) 1 Peter 1:22 The relationship of those who are thus redeemed, whose faith and hope is in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, whose souls are purified by obedience to the truth, unto unfeigned love of the brethren, is stated first: “Love one another with a pure heart fervently.” All the elect through the foreknowledge of God the Father are covered by the same love, are

1 Peter 1:22 to 1 Peter 2:10. The Christians, who were formerly pagans, are created a new race in Christ Jesus, and consecrated as a special priesthood of service to the whole world. Their life must be in accordance with this profession. They are to manifest to one another brotherly love, that noblest jewel in the diadem of early Christianity (Gunkel), and as children naturally seek milk for nourishment, so their desire is to be for spiritual refreshment in the purity of faith. By a changed figure they are to become living stones in a living temple founded on a living Lord, who of old time was termed by the prophets the Corner Stone. To them He is a precious possession, but to those who refuse Him, He is like a stone in the path to trip over, as a rock in the way, over which one may fall....