1 Peter 2:9-10 The "Greater Commission"

1 Peter 2:9-10: The “Greater” Commission “But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.” In addition to the living stones, choice stones, precious stones and cornerstone which Peter uses as titles for believers in Jesus Christ, he now has a few more for us to consider. And again he uses Old Testament Scripture to make his point when the Lord God spoke to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Exodus 19:3-6, Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain, saying, "Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel: 'You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings, and brought you to Myself. 'Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel." Now, this was a message for the nation of Israel, which is plainly stated. But as we have just studied, Jesus came to His own people (the Jews), and they did what? They rejected Him! So Peter who we know is writing to believers and in the previous verses described us in such vivid terms, is inferring that believers in Jesus Christ are described in much the same way as the Jews. But this is no surprise to us. Paul explains our adoption as sons of God in Ephesians 1:1-10, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. “ A Chosen Race: Eklektos Genos in the Greek. A chosen generation means a group of people living in a certain span of life. It refers to a group with a common origin i.e. the new birth in 1:3, and 1:23. Chosen shows the distinctiveness of the believer and as always looks to the Plan of God for mankind that was determined “before the foundation of the world”. A Royal Priesthood: The chief idea of a king is authority. The chief idea of a priest is access. We are king-priests! The reason for this is found in the book of Hebrews. There the writer describes Jesus Christ as a priest after the order of Melchisedek, a King of Salem and a priest. Hebrews 6:20, “where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” Genesis 14:18-20, “And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High. He blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth; and blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand.” A Holy Nation: God’s purpose for Israel and the church have a similar point, king-priests. Israel and the church should also bear the same characteristic of holiness. The Holiness of God is the combination of His Righteousness and His Justice. The guardians of the Holiness of God are the cherubim class of angels. The Hebrew word, "to be holy" is quadash, it is derived from the root word qud, which means to cut or separate. God is absolutely separated and is above from all his creatures and he is exalted above in infinite majesty. Exodus 15:11, "Who among the gods is like you, O LORD? Who is like you? majestic in holiness, awesome in glory." Isaiah 6:3, the angels were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." So, in this sense we are to be separated from the influences of the world and our culture that detract from God. Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” A People of God’s Own Possession: Peripoiasis in the Greek, a “peculiar people”. This means to make something around or to make something and then encircle it showing ownership. We are God’s own special people a “people of God’s own possession”. Now we get to the purpose of the believer stated by Peter. We are most familiar with the Great Commission found in Matthew 28:19-20, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." But when you look at the context of that passage, it was directed at the eleven disciples who were given a specific ministry. It is by inference that we say that ministry is now delegated to believers today. Here we have a passage that is directed specifically toward believers in Christ in general. In this sense it is the “greater” commission as it is directly specific to us. That commission is to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” To show forth or proclaim is the Greek word Exangello. Areta is the Greek word translated excellencies or praises. It refers to one of noble character and noble acts. So, an expanded look at this greater commission means we as believers are to proclaim the noble character and the noble acts of God. We can do this at any time through what we say and how we conduct our lives. Now Peter contrasts our lives before Christ and our lives now in Him. • Not a People  darkness  not received mercy • A People of God  marvelous light  received mercy Not a People vs. A People of God: Apart from Christ we were cut off or separated from God. We had no relationship with Him. Sin created that barrier. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross and died so that we do not have to die. The Father was satisfied with the payment and the barrier was removed. We are clothed in God’s own righteousness. I am “in Christ” as a result of my belief (faith) in Christ’s finished work on the cross as complete payment for my sins. God saved us from something (hell), but He saved us unto something else (a personal relationship). As His Chosen people we have access to God (priesthood), and delegated authority (royalty). Now we are a people of God. Out of darkness verses into marvelous light: Peter uses the example of darkness verses light to explain our spiritual condition as an unbeliever (darkness), to a believer (marvelous light). Paul uses this analogy as well in Ephesians 5:8-17, “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light (for the fruit of the Light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth), trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them; for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret. But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light. For this reason it says, "Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you." Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” But even more interesting is the way Paul uses the metaphor to describe our spiritual condition. It is an absolute. By this I mean you either are walking in the darkness, or you are walking in the light. No mention here of walking in the twilight (no gray areas). So then, here is one of many examples of the fact that believers can “walk in darkness”, or said another way, live his/her life in such a way as it is indistinguishable from that of an unbeliever. That is an important point to take away from this passage in light of the Calvinistic teaching of today’s reformed churches on the perseverance of the saints. Notice that the “fruit of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth”. This mirrors our thought life mentioned by Paul in Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” Not received mercy verses have received mercy: First of all, mercy is the withholding of something that is deserved. We generally think of it as withholding just punishment. A convicted felon begs the jury or the judge not to give them the full penalty of the law but to show him mercy. As an unbeliever what did we deserve? John 3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." But we have received mercy from God due to Jesus Christ! Hebrews 4:16, “Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” But mercy from God was always available to us. We just did not accept it! Ephesians 2:1-7, “And you were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience. Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 2:6-8: Jesus Christ the Cornerstone

“For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED." This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone," and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE "; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.” Peter expands what he says in verse 4 regarding Jesus Christ being a choice and precious “living” stone. His basis is Old Testament scriptures. Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus says the Lord GOD, "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a tested stone, A costly cornerstone for the foundation, firmly placed. He who believes in it will not be disturbed.” Psalms 118:22, “The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief corner stone.” Isaiah 8:13-14, “It is the LORD of hosts whom you should regard as holy. And He shall be your fear, and He shall be your dread. "Then He shall become a sanctuary; But to both the houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over, and a snare and a trap for the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” There is a dichotomy in view here. On one side we have the believers and their viewpoint of Christ. On the other side you have the unbelievers and their viewpoint of Christ. And those two viewpoints are in opposition to each other. The believer’s viewpoint of Jesus Christ: A choice stone/tested stone; we are to mirror God’s view of His Son as a choice stone. It was God’s plan to choose His Son to carry out His plan of redemption for mankind. A precious stone/costly stone; this also mirrors God’s view of His Son as someone of great value to Him. Jesus is God’s one and only Son. And His plan was to offer Him as a sacrifice for our sins. His was of great value to God our Father, He should be considered precious to us as well. The cornerstone/part of a foundation; the church is built upon the firm foundation of Jesus Christ. Our Christian life is to be built upon Him too. Any church or Christian life built upon anything else is just shifting sand and will not stand up to time or the pressures of life. People who are being tested need to be reminded of the firm foundation we have in Christ. Jesus tells the parable of the two foundations in Matthew 7:24-29: 24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house ; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell -and great was its fall." 28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” Notice for the believer how this choice, precious cornerstone is laid as part of the foundation. It is said in our passage that we will not be disappointed. This can be translated as confounded. But it also means to be embarrassed by being deceived about something you hoped for. But we get further insight in the passage in Isaiah 28:16. There it says the stone is laid firmly and that we will not be disturbed. Well first of all, when our faith is in Christ we can depend on Him. He has done and will do everything He says He will do. He is immutable, meaning He will never change. We can depend on Him at all times. But I see something else here, eternal security. Our faith is assured and our eternal destiny is assured. We are blessed beyond measure from our association with Jesus. The unbeliever’s viewpoint of Jesus Christ: A rejected stone; The builders who rejected the stone is a reference to the religious leaders of the Jewish people who rejected Jesus as their Messiah. The rejected stone is a reference to the crucified Jesus Christ. Acts 4:8-11, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead -by this name this man stands here before you in good health. "He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone”.” John mentions this rejection in John 1:11-12, “He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name”. These verses also show the contrast in the world of just 2 types of people: Those who received Jesus Christ and those who do not. Just think, a perfectly carved stone that was carefully laid as the keystone of the foundation was rejected by the builders who carelessly cast Him aside. A stumbling stone; What is a stumbling stone? It is a rock that trips you up and causes you to stumble and fall down on your way somewhere. You didn’t see it coming. The Jewish rejection of the crucified Christ is something they stumbled over. They were looking for something else on their way through life. Their rejection caused them to fall. In the very same way, today, people stumble over Jesus Christ when they reject Him as the only way to eternal life and heaven. They also are looking for something or someone else as they go through life. But they are looking in the wrong place and they have stumbled and fallen down. 1 Corinthians 1:18-24, “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, "I WILL DESTROY THE WISDOM OF THE WISE, AND THE CLEVERNESS OF THE CLEVER I WILL SET ASIDE." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe. For indeed Jews ask for signs and Greeks search for wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to Jews a stumbling block and to Gentiles foolishness, but to those who are the called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” A rock of offense; Jesus claim to be God was offensive to the Jews even to the people of His hometown. Mark 6:1-4, “Jesus went out from there and came into His hometown; and His disciples followed Him. When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue; and the many listeners were astonished, saying, "Where did this man get these things, and what is this wisdom given to Him, and such miracles as these performed by His hands? "Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? Are not His sisters here with us?" And they took offense at Him. Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household." We as believers in Jesus Christ are not to offend anyone. This will not hinder the giving of the Gospel to unbelievers. 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved.” We must remember to conduct ourselves in a way that people will not stumble or be offended by us, but that we point them to Jesus Christ. Then they have the decision to make. We pray they will not stumble! Notice Peter says that they are disobedient to the word and to this doom they were appointed. Jesus Christ is the Word; read John Chapter one. So being disobedient to the word is akin to rejected Jesus Christ. And in what way are they appointed to this doom? Does God determine who is saved and who goes to hell? Can you think of a verse that supports your reasoning? Take a look at John Chapter 3.

Republicans Take Note

These mid-term elections are not about the American public suddenly falling in love with the Republicans. It is more about a vote against the policies and the procedures of the Democrat Party. The people want to check the uncontrolled Federal expansion in its size and scope, and its intrusion into our daily lives.

Do not misinterpret the clear message that is being sent today. If you do, you will literally blow it over the next two years. We do not need compromise. We do not need gridlock. WE NEED LEADERSHIP!