1 Peter 2:5-7

A Spiritual Temple of "Living Stones"

The apostle portrays the church as God's spiritual temple (1 Corinthians 3:9-17). Its members are living stones because they are part of the body of the living Lord (Galatians 3:26-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:47). They

are built as a house for God, or his dwelling place, which reminds us of Jesus' words in Matthew 16:13-20. In this spiritual temple Christians serve as priests set apart for the Lord's service. They are dependant upon no other human to offer up sacrifices before God. Instead, all of their sacrifices are acceptable to God because they are offered "through" Jesus Christ. Of course, Christians can only approach God through Christ (1 Peter 2:5; John 16:23-24; John 15:16).

As further explanation of the nature of the church, Peter refers to Isaiah 28:16. Zion is the hill on which Jerusalem was built (1 Kings 8:1). The doors to the church first swung open on Pentecost in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-47). In his comment on Ephesians 2:20, Lipscomb wrote, "The cornerstone is a massive stone in which the two lines of the wall at their foundation meet, by which the true direction of the whole walls depended, since the slightest imperfection in the cornerstone would be indefinitely multiplied along the course of the walls." Isaiah said, "Whoever believes will not act hastily." Peter, by inspiration gives us its full meaning by writing, "And he who believes on him will by no means be put to shame." Those placing their trust in the Lord will not be made ashamed to the point of desiring to flee. Those who trust in and obey Christ become a part of him and his precious nature (1 Peter 2:6-7; see verse 4).