Human beings love using metaphors, comparisons between two things that are unlike to bring out some special way in which they are alike. In I Peter 2:4-12, the author piled on a series of metaphors and quotations from the Old Testament to explain, first, who Christ is and, second, who Christians are. The first metaphor he used was that Christ is a living stone, the cornerstone in fact. Christians in turn are built upon him as living stones and are also a chosen race, a holy and royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, and God’s people. All of these privileges are the result of God’s mercy not of Christian’s merit.
The religious leaders arrested Peter and Jon, but could not resist the force of their testimony about Jesus’ death and resurrection, which provide the...
In the previous section, Paul asserted that no one can be right before God by observing the law but rather through faith in Christ. ...
Although the original readers of Peter’s letter were experiencing relatively mild opposition from their neighbors, in I Peter 3:8-22, he wanted to prepare them...