Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,

2As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

3If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

5Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

7Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

8And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

9But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

11Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;

12Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation.

13Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme;

14Or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well.

15For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men:

16As free, and not using your liberty for a cloke of maliciousness, but as the servants of God.

17Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

18Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear; not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

19For this is thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering wrongfully.

20For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

22Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:

23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:

24Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

25For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.

1Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and enuies, and euill speakings,

2As new borne babes desire the sincere milke of the word, that ye may grow thereby,

3If so bee yee haue tasted that the Lord is gracious.

4To whom comming as vnto a liuing Stone, disallowed in deed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

5Ye also as liuely stones, are built vp a spirituall house, an holy Priesthood to offer vp spirituall sacrifice, acceptable to God by Iesus Christ.

6Wherefore it is conteined in the Scripture, Beholde, I lay in Sion a chiefe corner stone, elect, precious, and he that beleeueth on him, shall not be confounded.

7Unto you therfore which beleeue hee is precious; but vnto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

8And a Stone of stumbling, and a Rocke of offence, euen to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient, whereunto also they were appointed.

9But yee are a chosen generation, a royall Priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people, that yee should shewe forth the praises of him, who hath called you out of darknes into his marueilous light:

10Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obteined mercie, but now haue obteined mercy.

11Dearely beloued, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrimes, abstaine from fleshly lusts, which warre against the soule,

12Hauing your conuersation honest among the Gentiles, that whereas they speake against you as euill doers, they may by your good works which they shall behold, glorifie God in the day of visitation.

13Submit your selues to euery ordinance of man for the Lordes sake, whether it be to the King, as supreme,

14Or vnto gouernours, as vnto them that are sent by him, for the punishment of euil doers, and for the praise of them that doe well.

15For so is the will of God, that with well doing yee may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men.

16As free, and not vsing your libertie for a cloake of maliciousnesse, but as the seruants of God.

17Honour all men. Loue the brotherhood. Feare God. Honour the King.

18Seruants, be subiect to your masters with al feare, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the froward.

19For this is thanke-worthie, if a man for conscience toward God endure griefe, suffering wrongfully.

20For what glory is it, if when yee be buffeted for your faults, ye shall take it patiently: but if when yee doe well, and suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God.

21For euen hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for vs, leauing vs an example, that yee should follow his steps.

22Who did no sinne, neither was guile found in his mouth.

23Who when hee was reuiled, reuiled not againe; when hee suffered, hee threatned not, but committed himselfe to him that iudgeth righteously.

24Who his owne selfe bare our sinnes in his owne body on the tree, that wee being dead to sinnes, should liue vnto righteousnesse, by whose stripes ye were healed.

25For yee were as sheepe going astray, but are now returned vnto the shepheard and Bishop of your soules.

 

1 Rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, insincerity, envy, and all slander; 2 like newborn infants, long for pure spiritual milk so that through it you may grow into salvation, 3 for you have tasted that the Lord is good. 4 Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, 5 and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it says in scripture: "Behold, I am laying a stone in Zion, a cornerstone, chosen and precious, and whoever believes in it shall not be put to shame."7 Therefore, its value is for you who have faith, but for those without faith: "The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,"8 and "A stone that will make people stumble, and a rock that will make them fall." They stumble by disobeying the word, as is their destiny. 9 But you are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may announce the praises" of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were "no people" but now you are God's people; you "had not received mercy" but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and sojourners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against the soul. 12 Maintain good conduct among the Gentiles, so that if they speak of you as evildoers, they may observe your good works and glorify God on the day of visitation. 13 Be subject to every human institution for the Lord's sake, whether it be to the king as supreme 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the approval of those who do good. 15 For it is the will of God that by doing good you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. 16 Be free, yet without using freedom as a pretext for evil, but as slaves of God. 17 Give honor to all, love the community, fear God, honor the king. 18 Slaves, be subject to your masters with all reverence, not only to those who are good and equitable but also to those who are perverse. 19 For whenever anyone bears the pain of unjust suffering because of consciousness of God, that is a grace. 20 But what credit is there if you are patient when beaten for doing wrong? But if you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. 22 "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."23 When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.  

v 1. Malice -wickedness; guile - deceit; hypocrisy - disguised as diplomacy or tact- envies - jealousy, which leads to evil speaking - slurs to outright slander. This should be an instruction to new believers, but is needed by many who should be mature.

v 2,3. Those wrong things removed from a new believer (or others) should not leave a vacuum, but be replaced with a desire for good nourishing spiritual food. Heb. 10:25, assemble with believers, and 1 Jn. 1:9, confess sin. This leads to healthy spiritual growth, but neglect, to spiritual illness and entrance of sin. v 4,5. The corner stone is laid first in the foundation, and all others are built around it. Christ was God’s choice on whom to build, but mankind as a whole have refused to build on Him. Those of us who do are pictured as building stones, individually in dwelt by the Holy Spirit, but collectively making up God’s building, as well as the “priests” who serve in that building. Those Jewish believers would have understood the acceptable sacrifices.
a. Sin offering - must be brought in a spirit of repentance and faith in forgiveness.
Words of repentance and faith are acceptable sacrifices to God, Hosea 14:1,2.
b. Burnt offering - was completely consumed, shows complete dedication to God.
We present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, Rom. 12:1.
c. Peace offering - was for thanksgiving, and was just an act of worship.
We offer a sacrifice of praise and the fruit of our lips, Heb. 13:15.
Summary: Christ was the perfect sacrifice and fulfilled all the O.T. sacrifices. His offering was accepted by God, and we are accepted in Him, Eph. 1:6.

v 6-8. This continues the thought of Christ the chief cornerstone, precious to believers, but unbelievers reject Him and refuse to build on Him. As builders disallow an unsuitable stone, Christ did not meet the qualifications of the Jewish leaders. Christ is the:
a. Smitten Stone as in Exodus, that all may come to Him and drink.
b . Foundation and chief cornerstone of the Church as we are built on Him.
c . Stumbling stone to Jews at His first coming as they rejected Him.
d. Headstone of the corner to Israel at His second coming when they accept Him.
e. Smiting stone of Dan. 2:34, crushing Gentile nations in the end times.
Here Christ is represented as a foundation stone, but in Ps. 118:22 and Zech. 4:7 He is the capstone, which would be pyramid shaped. Such a stone would be stumbled over no matter how it was lain until finally used at the top. In either case, men stumble because they disobey and disbelieve God’s Word. Build on or be crushed by the Rock.

v 9,10. The Jews would be familiar with the terms royal priesthood and holy nation from Ex. 19:5,6. Because of Israel’s failure, this now expresses the Church, all believers being priests and all of us a part of a holy nation. Peter refers to Hosea 1:6,9 where Israel had “Not obtained mercy” and “Not my people”, to the day Israel would repent and be “My people”. Nationally this awaits the Tribulation period, but Jews and Gentiles alike who have come under the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are now God’s people. A “peculiar” people (KJV), or a people of His own, purchased and kept safe. (See Schofield Note 1 on verse 9. Very good on NT priesthood summary. Five points, 1. Originally head of family priest. 2. All Israel to be priests, but after sinning, given to Aaron. 3. Church Age believers all priests. 4. Chief privilege of of priests is access to God. 5. Duties of the NT believer -priest: (A). Sacrificer a. His living body. b. Praise from his lips. c. His substance.  d. Service      (B). Intercessor.)

v 11. These were indeed strangers as they were dispersed among the Gentiles, and so are believers in this present world. Fleshly lusts, especially sexual lusts, were tempting them at every step, as they are yet today.

v 12. Many unbelievers are suspicious of and try to smear Christians for the way they live. It is important that we not only avoid evil, but  have an honest, positive behavior in good works, so when a time of testing comes, instead of calling us hypocrites, unbelievers will acknowledge that it is God working in us.

v 13-16. It may seem easy to obey good government, but this was written in the days of the persecutor, Nero. Crucified Christians, threw in bloody skins to wild dogs and made human torches to light his garden. Believer’s stand then and now may label us as trouble makers, so we need to strictly adhere to the law, being careful not to use our civil liberties in violation of the law. This will not give unbelievers true accusation to use against us. The only exception is in matters of spiritual witness for Christ, when we must obey God rather than man, Acts 5:29. We may be martyrs, but not law breakers. Verse 15 indicates they may have been suffering lies and verbal abuse.

v 17. THE BROTHERHOOD: The brothers and sisters forming the community of believers united in the Lord. HONOR THE EMPEROR: Caesar Nero A.D. 54 to 68 blamed the fire on the Christians that swept through Rome in A.D. 64 Even then the office and person as today we should honor those in charged. Pastor Richard Wurmbrand was imprisoned a total of fourteen years and was tortured daily. His wife was imprisoned for a few years, and no one could help his family or they would go to prison. His son was left on the street with no help. He prayed and witness to those who was torturing him daily.

v 18-20. Whether old time servants or present day employees, we are to give an honest day’s labor to pleasant or unpleasant bosses. Sometimes we may even be put down for our Christian behavior, but don’t give opportunity for rebuke by handing out tracts and witnessing on company time. But if we humbly accept unfair treatment or denial of promotion, this is pleasing to God. Today we have the option to change jobs.

v 21. Believers are called to suffer in the same meek spirit in which Christ did.

v 22,23. When we would not use our fists we might make nasty remarks. Christ did not sin even with His lips, not even when repeatedly provoked by religious leaders. Of course even at death He was led as a lamb to the slaughter, no threats, retaliation. 

v 24. Christ took our sins and died for them on the cross. Through Him we died so now we should live righteously.

v 25. Before we were saved we were lost sheep, but now we have come to Christ, the Good Shepherd who cares for His sheep.
Conduct of those in exile, 1 Pet. 2;11 - 3:7:
Christian Conduct
(Geneva pt. 9)                                       
2:11 GENERAL    2:13 CITIZENS   2;18 EMPLOYEES      3;1 WIVES              3;7 HUSBANDS      Abstain from lusts     Obey rulers            Be subject even        Be subject to               Honor wife                                 when wronged           husbands                          Live honestly                 Do good; serve        Follow example        Win husband by life,       Be intelligent     God; honor all men of Christ                meek & quiet spirit       in demands

Several titles for believers in 2:1-11:
New born babes; Lively stones; A spiritual house; A holy priesthood;        A chosen generation; A royal priesthood; An holy nation; A peculiar people; The people of God; Dearly beloved; Strangers; Pilgrims.