1 Peter 2:25

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1 Peter 2:25


25 For [gar] ye were [en] as [hos] sheep [probaton] going astray [planao]; but [alla] are [epistrepho] now [nun] returned [epistrepho] unto [epi] the Shepherd [poimen] and [kai] Bishop [episkopos] of your [humon] souls [psuche]. KJV-Interlinear


25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. NASB


The description of the human race as sheep, is appropriate. The sheep is a dumb creature, that could not find his way out of a paper bag if his life depended on it.

Sheep are in need of a shepherd, or bishop as it were. The bishop is the one who looks out for and guards the best interests of the sheep.

Without a guide, without an overseer, without someone who is wise to the ways of life, then sheep are totally at the mercy of the jungle environment. Not knowing where they are, not knowing how to find food, or drink, not knowing how to find shelter, not knowing when danger is near, in effect not knowing anything, apart from their wise shepherd, the sheep are totally lost and cannot survive.

The human race is nothing more than a flock of sheep. And despite our human intelligence, despite our human ingenuity, when viewed from heaven, humanity is not very smart at all.

Isa. 53:6
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. NASB

Therefore, not being very smart, we, humanity, need someone who is both smart, and wise, and trustworthy, to look out for our best interests.

In sin, we are hopeless and helpless, and without any good destiny. So, Christ went to the Cross in order to give us an opportunity, a potential, for a great destiny of life in heaven. And this potential once provided by God, is ours for the very small price of believing in Jesus Christ. The act of faith, or belief. takes you probably all of a second (if not less) to think, ‘I believe in Jesus Christ.’

You are a living soul. And when you were created, at the moment of your birth, your life was established forever. Your physical body is only a temporary vessel, housing your soul. When you leave this world, you will be leaving that physical body behind, until you receive your new resurrection body, which you will receive at the moment of the Rapture.

And of course this only applies to believers. All unbelievers, when they leave this world, end up in Torments, where they will wait for the Great White Throne, which will occur at the end of the Millennium, and then the Lake of Fire.

The Lake of Fire, is not a lake, nor a fire, but is a tremendously terrible place, where the occupants will never see each other, but will hear only their own cries of terror and horror, as they sit out all of eternity alone, and unprotected by God. They rejected God, and that wish is answered, as God leaves them to themselves, hopeless, helpless, and powerless, totally alone except for the terror that will consume them.

And that is what awaits humanity if God were not in the picture. But God had a plan. Seeing that humanity would stray, but also seeing that humanity would come back to God, if given the opportunity, God set out a plan allowing humanity a path back to life. That plan is the plan of salvation.

And if you remember the story of Lot, when Abraham tried to bargain with the Lord to spare the city if only a few believers were there, and so the city was spared until Lot and his family left, so too, in human history, you, you who have believed in Christ, are the reason that God set out a plan.

You could have been the only person who would have believed, and God would have set out His plan just for you. But fortunately there will be billions, perhaps trillions, of believers before human history is completed. So we will not be alone in heaven.

You have lived a life on a very thin thread. All of life hangs from a very thin thread.

Prior to your salvation, you were an unbeliever and destined for the Lake of Fire. If you had died prior to faith, during your adult and responsible years, then your life could have been vastly terrible, and terrible forever. But luck you. You believed in Christ and changed all of that.

Remember the economic chaos of a couple of weeks ago? What if the stock markets had all continued to crash? What if the layoffs all over the world accelerated into a frenzy? What if starvation and famine and crime took hold? What then? How would you conduct your life? How would it all be turned around?

No human being, has the power or means to control his own life let alone the world, despite what all the politicians and celebrities, and those in power believe.

Jesus Christ controls history, despite what you may believe. And God the Father, set out a plan for all of human history, which Jesus Christ executes every detail of that plan. Even the recent elections, which reveals that a little over half of the population, for the first time, has shifted to the liberal viewpoint, will not upset Gods plan.

We live in the dispensation of the Church Age. We know that at the end of our dispensation, the population of the world will be predominantly unbelieving and rebellious believers, toward truth. So sooner or later the shift to the left is going to occur.

This shift will likely occur over the space of a generation or two, or perhaps more. And since World War II, that slippage has been gradual, but shifting with ever increasing speed in these last few years, as each succeeding generation grows up with less and less doctrine guiding them.

But not too worry. Our life is not destined for this world, but for the next. Whatever transpires in the next few years or decades, God is faithful to mature believers, and God holds our lives in His very own hand. Whether we are committed to a tremendous suffering because the world is going negative, or whether God delivers us to some extent in this life, is really irrelevant.

Job was inflicted, Daniel was thrown to the lions, and many folks throughout history have been exposed to tremendous pressures, even to the point of their own death. But that is where spiritual growth comes into play.

Without doctrine, your circumstances and your fears will consume you. Similar to the Lake of Fire, but not as dramatic of course.

But with doctrine in your soul, with maximum doctrine, you will be prepared for the very worst that this world can throw at you, and you will be able to endure it.

In this world we get educations, we buy insurance, we tuck money away for a rainy day, just so we can get through life a bit easier. But in life our real savings is, or should be, Bible doctrine, which preserves us through any type of disaster or pressure, that anyone can possibly face.

Again, Job faced unbelievable disease and heartache. Daniel faced the jaws of lions. He could have ben ripped apart. Jesus went to the Cross under the most horrendous of circumstances. They all had doctrine, and they all were in fellowship, relying on the power of the Holy Spirit.

Alone we are nothing – dust, sheep. But with spiritual maturity, Christ in us, Christ saturating us, we are in effect invincible, and we don’t really have to do anything but learn and grow up in our spiritual life.

So, forewarned. You may have a charmed life ahead of you. You may have a dismal life ahead of you. God has a specific plan for your life, and even though it is in your best interest, your life is ultimately there to glorify God. And in achieving that, you will become the hero of your generation, celebrated by the angels.

That is something that you will never be able to accomplish in this world, on your own.

1 Peter 2:24

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1 Peter 2:24


24 Who [hos] his own self [autos] bare [anaphero] our [hemon] sins [hamartia] in [en] his own [autos] body [soma] on [epi] the tree [xulon], that [hina] we [zao], being dead [apogenomenos] to sins [hamartia], should live [zao] unto righteousness [dikaiosune]: by [hos] whose [autos] stripes [molops] ye were healed [iaomai]. KJV-Interlinear


24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. NASB


Jesus Christ did not have someone else bare our sins, but He bore them, Himself, on His very own human physical body. He did this, bearing of our sins, while He was hanging on the ‘wood.’ The word for tree, ‘xulon,’ means wood.

So, while hanging on the wood, which we today know was the Cross, He took upon Himself, all of the sins of humanity, for all of human history, from the time of Adam, to the last sin that will ever be committed in history, which will be at the end of the Millennium. And by the way, this indicates that there is going to be a definite end to human history.

Jesus did not commit these sins, but took them from us, and took them upon Himself.

We were dead (separated from God) because of sin. And therefore we had no future, other than the Lake of Fire. But Christ took our sins, the sins of the entire human race, and He became sin, or death (separated from God) so that we could lose our death (our separation) and have life, or a relationship with God.

Such that, for everyone who believes in Christ, there will be eternal life with God and no threat of the Lake of Fire. For those who refuse to believe in Christ, then those folks though they are now never condemned by sin, due to the sacrifice of Christ, must rely on their own work, to restore their separation from God.

And mans work is not as good as Christ’s work. Mans work, was not died for (by Christ), while on the cross, but was rejected. Human good is founded in arrogance, and therefore founded in sin, or mans attempt to restore his reputation through sin, and that is not acceptable by God.

By His wounds, is a reference not to the beatings that Christ endured during His trials, not to the nail punctures when He was attached to the Cross, but ‘His wounds’ uses these descriptions of wounds, the black and blue beating and cuts and scrapes and punctures of His ordeal, to describe the impact that judgment had on the sins, which He took to Himself.

If we had been present when this all occurred, we most probably would not have been able to watch it all. Even that movie which was out a couple of years ago, the Passion of Christ, though it was pretty graphic, was probably not even close to the actual event of nearly 2000 years ago. But that movie gives us a chance to begin to understand the extent of what occurred.

Everything that led up to the Cross was Satan’s attempt to get Christ to fail. Christ died spiritually, while He was alive, and hanging on the Cross.

He was tried in the early morning, then hung on the Cross in the mid morning, and it was not until the official Passover ritual beginning, at noon, that the world was overcome by a thick darkness. That darkness lasted for three hours, and during that time, those present heard Jesus crying out as He took the punishment from God the Father.

At three o’clock, the ordeal came to an end. The daylight returned, and Christ was thirsty – His work was now finished, and then He died physically. Then all kinds of events took off. We have covered this in other studies.

In sin, we are all wounded as He was wounded prior to the Cross. Sin makes us all black and blue, scraped and bruised, with fatal repercussions. But Christ took our sins and took on our bruising in our place.

In His death (spiritual death) while on the Cross, we had our wounds (sin), removed from us. And when wounds are removed, then there is healing, or a mending, a repairing, and restoration to health, as it were.

By believing in Christ, which in effect recognizes all that Christ is and did for us, then we retain this eternal healing, which is a permanent healing, never to be wounded again, never to be removed from God ever.

But by rejecting Christ, which is really a stupid thing, because what is it you gain by rejecting Christ, but anyway, when you reject Christ, then you reject His work and substitute your own work, which is nothing. You do nothing and therefore receive nothing. You in effect try to reinstate sin back into your life.

Sin is a lie, and salvation is truth. Why would anyone wish to pursue lies in their life? But then, people who lack doctrine, who lack even the most inquisitive mind regarding truth, will adopt the false.

People do this with respect to their spiritual lives (salvation) and they do this with respect to their views in life about politics, with respect to their beliefs, with respect to their norms and standards, with respect to just about everything they think.

Isa. 53:1-6
1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.
3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face, He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. NASB

1 Peter 2:22-23

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1 Peter 2:22-23


22 Who [hos] did [poieo] no [ou] sin [hamartia], neither [oude] was guile [dolos] found [heurisko] in [en] his [autos] mouth [stoma]:
23 Who [hos], when he was reviled [loidoreo], reviled [antiloidoreo] not [ou] again [antiloidoreo]; when he suffered [pascho], he threatened [apeileo] not [ou]; but [de] committed [paradidomi] himself to him that judgeth [krino] righteously [dikaios]: KJV-Interlinear


22 who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; NASB


The who, is Jesus Christ. And it was He, who lived His entire earthly life as a man, for thirty-three and a half years, in sinless perfection.

From infancy to the Cross, He lived a life as we all do, but unlike you and I, He never committed even a single sin. Foregoing His powers of deity, Jesus lived His entire life relying on the support of the Holy Spirit, thereby proving that it is possible to live a life in this world (which is a life in fellowship), apart from sin.

Jesus was rejected, despite His perfection. Jesus was despised. Jesus was hated. Jesus was set up. Jesus was accused of being an imposter, of lying, of being in league with the devil, of trying to overthrow the government. He was beaten, and run through six separate trials, and despite all of this, He never opened His mouth, nor had even the slightest of negative thoughts against anyone.

Isa. 53:9
9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. NASB

Isa 53:7
7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth; Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. NASB

Psa. 37:5-9
5 Commit your way to the Lord, Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 And He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger, and forsake wrath; Do not fret, it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off, But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land. NASB

And why did he not cut down His accusers right where they stood? Because defeat of the enemy, of sin and evil and death was not His purpose at the first advent. Salvation was the goal of Jesus Christ, and the cross was His destiny, for which He was born.

Satan tried as best he could to cause Jesus to fail and take the cross in sin. Satan tried to prevent the cross by a perfect Jesus. But Satan could do neither.

Through all of the spitting, and foul mouthed comments, through all of the beatings and accusations, through the malicious public charges by the ‘influential’ of the land, through the attempts to distance His friends from Him, through all of the sarcasm, mockery, scorn, gossip, ridicule, contempt, and so forth, Jesus never once became defensive, never once tried to get even, never once returned sin for sin.

And why? Because it is the Father who blesses, not man. It is the Father whose plan will be accomplished, not mans. It is the Father, who possesses the power and authority, and the ultimate judgment against everyone, not man. And Jesus looked to the Father, not to man.

People overestimate their own worth. People overestimate their own value. People overestimate their own power over life and circumstances. And it is people who ultimately will cause the downfall and near extinction of the entire human race (in the Tribulation).

Jesus could have easily called down an army of angels, and wiped everyone off the face of the earth. But, that is not in the plan of God.

To commit sin never pays, therefore, every time you get tempted in life, for whatever reason, whether you have good cause of not, consider the repercussions of your thoughts and actions. Sin removes your blessings. Sin causes you loss. Sin takes away from your spiritual stability.

And even if you find it easy to sin, to hate, to get even, to lust, etc., simply by giving in to the temptation, opens up the door for further excuses for the same, and the more you open up that door, the more the possibilities you will fall into the trap.

You are not stronger than sin. You are not stronger than your sin nature. So do not believe for even a second that you can beat it at its own game, or that you can have life both ways.

Only in doctrine, can you defeat sin and temptation, and doctrine is from God, not from yourself. Only in spiritual growth will you develop the spiritual muscle to fight the good fight. Only through your daily study and use of doctrine will you have the exercise that develops spiritual muscle and therefore spiritual endurance to get you through life.

Look at this life and examine just what you will gain from your hate, from your gossip, from your revenge, from your crusade, from your self-pity, from whatever it is that you expect out of this life. And, you can take one-hundred percent of everything that you will ever get out of this life and put it in a bag and throw it in the garbage. And that is all you will ever have from this life.

Now compare it to what you will receive in eternity. By the way, eternity is a very long time.

Before you were born into this life, you had no say as to how your life would pan out. You had no say as to who you would be, as to who your friends would be, as to what circumstances you would face in life. You had nothing with which to predetermine your life in this world.

But in the spiritual life, we have the ability to define our next life. We can advance to maturity and be counted among the phenomenally wealthy, the phenomenally gifted, the phenomenally talented, the phenomenally blessed, the phenomenally promoted, and far more for the next life – which will be the bulk of our existence.

Would you trade that away, for a bag of garbage?

Is getting upset worth it, when you really have lost nothing in this life, but could have real losses from the next?

1 Peter 2:21

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1 Peter 2:21


21 For [gar] even [eis] hereunto [touto] were ye called [kaleo]: because [hoti] Christ [Christos] also [kai] suffered [pascho] for [huper] us [hemon], leaving [hupolimpano] us [hemin] an example [hupogrammos], that [hina] ye should follow [epakoloutheo] his [autos] steps [ichnos]: KJV-Interlinear


21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, NASB


The word for example, ‘hupogrammos,’ means to copy exactly, as a teacher writes letters and has the children pupils write the letters exactly as the teacher writes them. Or, as a painter draws an outline of a painting that he has already painted, and has the pupil fill in the colors exactly as he has painted.

The word for steps, ‘ichnos,’ means to follow in the same exact steps or pattern of the one who is ahead of you. When a person travels down a difficult path, then those who follow, have no choice but to follow in the same exact footprints, in order to continue along the same path.

So, what does it all mean? Do we all fly to Israel, get arrested and then volunteer to be hung on the cross? No.

Does it mean that we all live purposefully difficult lives, pound ourselves on the back, and expect great things to come to us because we have been able to live extraordinary lives? No.

Does it mean that we do not try to advance in this life, that we do not make ourselves better in this life, that we just sit back and do nothing in effect, and just let life cruise by us until we can eventually get to heaven? No.

What have we been studying in this and the previous chapter?

We have been studying the spiritual life, the spiritual life that exists only while you are in fellowship. The spiritual life, that says that you put away your sins (your old life), and live your life in fellowship, under the control of the Holy Spirit.

We have been studying the mandates of God, whereby we live in accordance with divine principles of establishment. Namely, that we be obedient to God first, and in so doing, that we be obedient to the laws of divine establishment, such that we can advance in our spiritual life with the least amount of difficulty, to spiritual maturity. All of this in order that we can advance to the completion of our soul, which completion that God intends for each one of us.

That is the pattern, the copy assignment, the footsteps, which Christ left before us, and of which we are to follow.

Living the spiritual life is Gods intent. Suffering intentionally, so that we can boast of our sacrifice, is not His intent and in fact is a sin of arrogance.

It is impossible for man to suffer as Christ did, therefore don’t even bother trying, or even trying to impress others by your pretended spirituality. Following Christ means following in doctrine, and therefore the function of your spiritual life.

1 Peter 2:18-20

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1 Peter 2:18-20


18 Servants [oiketes], be subject [hupotasso] to your masters [despotes] with [en] all [pas] fear [phobos]; not [ou] only [monon] to the good [agathos] and [kai] gentle [epieikes], but [alla] also [kai] to the froward [skolios].
19 For [gar] this [touto] is thankworthy [charis], if [ei] a man [tis] for [dia] conscience [suneidesis] toward God [theos] endure [hupophero] grief [lupe], suffering [pascho] wrongfully [adikos].
20 For [gar] what [poios] glory [kleos] is it, if [ei], when [kai] ye be buffeted [kolaphizo] for your faults [hamartano], ye shall take it patiently [hupomeno]? but [alla] if [ei], when ye do well [agathopoieo], and [kai] suffer [pascho] for it, ye take it patiently [hupomeno], this [touto] is acceptable [charis] with [para] God [theos]. KJV-Interlinear


18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. 19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a man bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. 20 For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God. NASB


We all have a master of some sort. God is our ultimate master, of course, but while on this earth, we all must serve someone in order to function in this life.

Whether we are poor and have to work for another, whether we are rich and discover our obligations to society, we all will sooner or later discover Gods intended place for our lives.

But remember one important thing. In this world, in this physical world, we are all equal in many respects. The most dramatic equality comes after our death when all physical bodies succumb to decay. The rich decay just as the poor, the talented decay just as those of us who are common.

But while alive, we all have been put in a place not because one is better than another, but because God has ordained a system on this earth, where if we follow that system, namely authority and hierarchy, then peace, and prosperity, and the sustaining powers of the world will function properly. When there is peace and relative prosperity, then there is an environment whereby we may all advance in our spiritual lives.

And that is the ultimate goal of life in this world, advancement to spiritual maturity.

So, God has put into place systems by which humanity can function and thrive.

But of course the sin nature comes along and tries to improve on that system. The sin nature comes along and sets up categories, and classes of people, and then prejudice and bias, and unfair practices enter into the picture, and life then becomes difficult, and spiritual growth gets set on the back burner of priorities.

Instead of pursuing our spiritual assets, we begin pursuing our worldly assets. Labor wants authority. Social activities want their entertainment. Family relations fall apart. Male and female roles reverse.

Life is difficult, and people, instead of pursuing doctrine, begin pursuing vindictive lives. And the struggle to get ‘mine’ becomes the priority.

So again, God reminds us through Peter’s words, to be satisfied with the life that God gives us. And not only be satisfied, but pursue our spiritual life, because in spiritual growth there is great reward, not only for life now, but especially in eternity.

Anything you pursue in this world is temporary and will eventually be lost.

Anything you pursue in this world, and anything you pursue through sin, will never be rewarded.

Only Bible doctrine combined with your spiritual growth will be the recipient of reward.

Peter asks this question, ‘What credit is there, when you are treated harshly (or think you are being treated harshly), and then follow that with sin?’

‘None!’

Even in suffering and humble situations, God gives you a chance to win victory, but that requires your total self-control and poise, through doctrine.

So what that someone else has a higher position than you. So what that they are less qualified than you.

But then God placed them there, and you not there. Is God wrong, and you right? Be careful now.

God set up laws of divine establishment. Those laws were designed to provide stability in society. That stability establishes an environment for spiritual growth.

All plans that run against Gods establishment principles, remove the stability of establishment and thus interfere with spiritual growth opportunities. Is that not Satan’s plan? Is this something that you really want to support?

So, no matter what your position is in life, focus on your spiritual growth and not on your ‘embarrassing’ position. Do not compare yourself with others who have more, or with others who have less.

Do not be jealous and do not be envious, and do not be self-righteous. You are no better than they, and they are no better than you. All flesh is worthless dust, and all worthless dust is, well, worthless.

Your purpose here in this life, is not to gain the whole world, but to complete your soul.

Your purpose here in this life, is not to prove yourself better than everyone else, but to prepare yourself for the next life, where God will provide ‘infinitely better’ things for you.

Gain a billion, become a ruler, and be rejected by God and what do you really have? Nothing.

Be yourself, advance in your spiritual life, and allow God to use you as He sees fit in this life, and then receive phenomenal reward in eternity, and then you will have something real, infinite and eternal to celebrate.

1 Peter 2:17

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1 Peter 2:17


17 Honour [timao] all [pas] men. Love [agapao] the brotherhood [adelphotes]. Fear [phobeo] God [theos]. Honour [timao] the king [basileus]. KJV-Interlinear


17 Honor all men; love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king. NASB


We have just finished a study, that in effect says that all people are worthless. Unbelievers are on the bottom of the worth ladder, and mature believers are on the top, given their relationship with God.

However, this is not to go to anyone's head. And so Peter reminds believers, that once a while ago, you, believer, were once in the worthless category, and you, believer, did not obtain value by anything you have done, but by the grace of God alone.

Therefore, disrespect toward anyone is out of line.

There is no one in this world that is better than you, and certainly no one who is less, as far as human relations go.

Therefore, honor men, or show respect toward the unbelieving world. Though they are going to the Lake of Fire, due to their own foolishness, that is no reason to be rude to anyone. After all, you do not know who is a believer and who is not. A person, anywhere on the planet, can believe in Christ through a mere thought, and many folks do believe, at very young ages, perhaps eight, ten, or twelve years of age.

But when they grow up, their life may be influenced by their local culture or religion, family or country, and so forth. They may seem to adopt the popular religion of their family, or they may venture off in search for their guru, or whatever, but in fact they are, or may be, Christians, though not practicing it. God knows their status, you do not.

Love the brotherhood. The brotherhood is a reference to our family in Christ, or fellow Christians.

Though most of us are only related because we are human, when we were saved, we all became members of the family of God, and thus we have a second and more secure relationship through Christ.

Love means doctrine. Review our study of love in 1, 2, and 3rd John. Love is not the emotional feelings or hugging gestures of emotions, but the content of the principles and mandates taught in the scriptures. Therefore, if we are all practicing doctrine as we should, then we are all on the came page, spiritually. And this alone would eliminate all of the many denominations that exist out there in the world.

But then, people do not ‘love’ the brethren, which is to say, that people have many different views of the Bible, and thus we have many denominations, etc. Most of the denominations split off from another one because of differing views, because of social ostracism, because of social power plays, because of politics, and so forth.

Honor the King, is a reference to the divine appointment of whatever government happens to be in power. It is a reference to authority, legitimate authority, of course. From the top of government down the local policeman walking his beat, from the coach to the teacher, from the traffic laws to family relationships, and so forth.

God established authority in many forms in order to provide stability for humanity. Crime, divorce, rebellion, tyranny, in its many forms, from politics and governments, to family difficulties, to social ostracism, all of these and more are reflections for mans failure to obey this command from God.

And when man is disobedient, what follows? Strife, problems, hate, sadness, revenge, and every imaginable problem you can think of, follows any form of disobedience. Authority was established not to embarrass a person, but to provide stability in society, and stability in society promotes an atmosphere for learning doctrine.

We, as believers, are guests in this world. We were not placed here to run it. We were placed here to grow up spiritually, to be obedient to God (to truth), and to otherwise prepare ourselves for the next life.

This life is temporary. The next life is the permanent one. The next life is where we cash in all of our spiritual points, so to speak.

Our spiritual life, fear (respect, awe, confidence, belief, faith) of God, is the single most important thing that will ever occur in our life. It is the driving force that binds together, all legitimately functioning believers (mature believers).

Though we do not know each other, though we have never seen God, nor heard His voice, we are all bound inseparably in doctrine.

1 Peter 2:16

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1 Peter 2:16


16 As [hos] free [eleutheros], and [kai] not [me] using [echo] your liberty [eleutheria] for [hos] a cloke [epikaluma] of maliciousness [kakia], but [alla] as [hos] the servants [doulos] of God [theos]. KJV-Interlinear


16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. NASB


Even in the days prior to Jesus and during His life, the general thought of the Jewish people was that they had been given a sense of freedom, by God, through the scriptures, and it was this context that led to various forms of rebellion against the Greeks and the Romans later, and even before this, the Assyrians, then the Babylonians as well.

Their attitude is described in John 8.

John 8:33
33 They answered Him, ‘We are Abraham's offspring, and have never yet been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, 'You shall become free'?’ NASB

And when Jesus came along He told them that they were now free people. They were somewhat confused, as they had always thought that they were free, first due to their genetic heritage, and second due to their custody of the scriptures, and therefore, they owed no allegiance to anyone except God (the Father).

Their biggest problem was that they rejected God (the Father’s) plan which created a singe path to Himself, through a savior, Jesus Christ. By rejecting the plan, they likewise insulted the Father.

But here we are told that though we live in this world, and though we have believed in Christ, and though through salvation we have been made free people (free from sin and death), we were not made free so we could do anything we wanted, anytime.

To preach their personal form of truth and freedom, and to presume that they had no obligation to civil authority here on earth, was the quintessence of arrogance and ignorance.

In so doing, believers will come up with all sorts of ideas, such as they should not have to pay taxes, should not have to obey the local laws, that they can become conscientious objectors and avoid military service, that they can have multiple wives, that they can accuse others of witchcraft, and in effect do anything they wanted. And history has revealed these things and many other bizarre behaviors.

But, God says, ‘Not so fast.’

Though you are free, then freedom comes with responsibility, just as physical growth to physical and mental maturity comes with responsibility and obligations in life.

And that, is what God expects of you. God has issued mandates, and you are required to follow them. No if, ands, or buts.

Unfortunately, far too many believers have their own ideas as to what they should or must do in life. Far too many believers believe that they can pick and choose their way through life and doctrine.

And so the exceptions of life multiply, and doctrine slips into some distant thought or memory.

We studied the mandates of God a long time ago. You may want to re-visit the ‘Check List’ study from time to time, just to gather your thoughts together and re-check your thinking.

Do not be antagonistic against the world with a vengeance. Do not get involved in crusades to install your standards on others. Inevitably your standards are not compatible with Gods. And God has entrenched His standards on humanity since long ago. If folks will not listen to God, then they will not listen to you, unless, of course, your ideas are sin nature compatible and enticing to them.

Remember, you are a guest, a visitor, and as such are bound by the rules of being a guest. You do not take over the world, nor to try changing the world. The world, be definition, is run by Satan, and you are no match for him.

Therefore, obey God and live your life as free people, which means to be mature, and responsible, and polite, etc.

And more than that, submit, though you are free, to Gods authority, as a wife submits to her husband (no jokes here please). More on this subject in the next chapter.

God is our absolute authority, and to Him we owe our absolute submission. God is truth, therefore we are submitting to truth, rather than to lies. And that is a good thing.

Those who submit to the lies of this world, believe that they are getting something for nothing, when in fact they are losing everything.

Those who submit to truth, are in fact gaining everything and losing nothing, despite their circumstances in this world. These previous two sentences are something to ponder each and every time you make a decision.

1 Peter 2:15

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1 Peter 2:15


15 For [hoti] so [houto] is [esti] the will [thelema] of God [theos], that with well doing [agathopoieo] ye may put to silence [phimoo] the ignorance [agnosia] of foolish [aphron] men [anthropos]: KJV-Interlinear


15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. NASB


The word for silence, ‘phimoo,’ means to muzzle, to leave someone with nothing to say, to leave someone with no counter argument.

The word for ignorance, ‘agnosia,’ means self caused lack of knowledge, guilty, self liable, culpable, senseless, someone who has brought themselves to ignorance by means of their own intentional decisions.

The word for foolish, ‘aphron,’ means self caused foolishness, senseless, someone who lacks wisdom, someone who lacks correct orientation of knowledge to life.

In your lifetime, you will meet or come across many such people. They will be wise in their own eyes, and they will put you down in public, if at all possible.

People who are lacking in their spiritual lives, are driven by their sin nature. And, their sin nature drives their lusts, their ego’s, their need for competition, and to come out on top, or to avoid truth if at all possible.

You will see opinions on television, hear them on the radio, read them in publications, you will hear them from people in social or work settings.

And do you rise up to get even? Do you take the battle to them in revenge? Do you do to them what they do to you?

And the answer to these questions, is ‘No.’

You do not become defensive. You do not return gossip for gossip, complaint for complaint, tat for tat and so forth.

What God expects you to do is, well, nothing but continue living your normal daily spiritual life.

Jesus Christ controls history. Not you, and certainly not them.

Evil, which is the pattern of all knowledge that is not of doctrine, struggles for control, and it will never gain control, ever.

Evil has to kick, and scream, and shout, and get attention, and lie, and cheat, and deceive, in order to get its way.

Evil, has listeners. And those listeners are the ignorant, the foolish, the self made fools of life. Evil leads nothing better than fools. And when evil cannot persuade people who have doctrine, then it simply walks away in silence, looking for a new victim. Silence is the failure of evil, and the victory of the spiritually mature.

1 Peter 2:13-14

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1 Peter 2:13-14


13 [oun] Submit yourselves [hupotasso] to every [pas] ordinance [ktisis] of man [anthropinos] for [dia] the Lord's sake [kurios]: whether it be [eite] to the king [basileus], as [hos] supreme [huperecho];
14 Or [eite] unto governors [hegemon], as [hos] unto them that are sent [pempo] by [dia] him [autos] for [eis] [men] the punishment [ekdikesis] of evildoers [kakopoios], and [de] for the praise [epainos] of them that do well [agathopoios]. KJV-Interlinear


13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, 14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. NASB


Jesus Christ controls history. Whether the government in existence is a communist government or a republic, a monarchy or a dictatorship, is irrelevant.

Christ controls history through His direct authority, through His indirect authority, or through His permissive authority. And despite mans attempt to hijack history away from Gods control, Jesus Christ is infinitely smarter and infinitely more powerful, making it impossible for anyone to alter Gods divine plan.

Satan is far more intelligent than humanity, and he could not prevent the line of Christ, the birth of Christ, or the Cross. Today we are in the Church Age, and in our dispensation, the next great event of history is the Rapture, not the next election, not the next world championship sports competition.

Today we are witnessing the most phenomenal attempt to hijack a government by extreme liberalism. With each succeeding election, the pressure of evil gets greater and greater. But, not to worry. If it is their time, then Christ will allow it, but if it is not their time, then evil will fail.

No matter what the outcome, man is never in control, nor in charge.

This does not let you off the hook and give you the right to do nothing. You still must remain responsible in your life.

But, what Peter is telling us here is, that you are a visitor in this world. You must be on your best behavior, and as such, you must obey the laws of the land. Submit to authority, and respect the will of the government currently in place.

Remember that they are not really in charge, but Christ is.

If you live in an oppressed nation, then you certainly have the right to leave it, and find a better place to live, but if you remain, then you are bound by the laws of the land, as they apply to truth and the principles taught in the Bible.

In the course of time, if a government is evil, then Christ will remove it, or allow its removal.

Your responsibility is to recognize the authority which God has permitted, and as such, to not promote violence or unrest. Anyone who goes out and promotes violence, prejudice, etc., is in violation of this mandate of being obedient to the local authority.

Live your life as a law-abiding citizen

Do not try to help God in His control over history. He does very well on His own.

1 Peter 2:12

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1 Peter 2:12


12 Having [echo] your [humon] conversation [anastrophe] honest [kalos] among [en] the Gentiles [ethnos]: that [hina], whereas [en] [hos] they speak against [katalaleo] you [humon] as [hos] evildoers [kakopoios], they may [doxazo] by [ek] your good [kalos] works [ergon], which they shall behold [epopteuo], glorify [doxazo] God [theos] in [en] the day [hemera] of visitation [episkope]. KJV-Interlinear


12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may on account of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation. NASB


Remember when you were small, and before going to your grandma’s house, or to church, or somewhere that was relative public, your mother would remind you to be on your best behavior?

Parents do not want their children to be snobbish, or rude, or otherwise behave badly when in public. Their behavior reflects on the reputation of the family.

And so it is here, with Christians. We are visitors on planet earth. We are guests. We are ambassadors from heaven, and therefore represent our home, which is heaven.

We are to be on our best behavior, and not obnoxious, not crusading, not out to change the world (for we cannot), not annoying and so forth. We are to be polite, fair, and honest in our dealings with people.

As representatives of heaven, we will be slandered, maligned, and hated. Some will be turned off by Christians, simply because of Christianity, some will be malicious, while others will manipulate devious attempts to squash all Christian principles and activities.

We have seen many attempts to remove prayer in public places. We have seen many attempts to label Christians as political cults. We have seen many attempts to defeat Christian principles, even divine establishment principles throughout society.

And, just as there were Jews and Gentiles in the Old Testament, now there are Christians and Gentiles. The Gentiles being the unbeliever category of humanity, or the world being the gentile, or anti-spiritual, or the foreign designation of life.

But, regardless of what the world thinks of you, or does to you, you are to be on your best behavior. That means that you watch your conduct, and do not adopt the behavior of the world.

Your conduct refers to your pattern of life, and is not determined by an occasional failure on your part. We are all human and there will be times when you will get caught up in the pressures of life and explode. But on an ongoing basis, your life is evaluated over the long haul, not the short outburst. Nonetheless, you try as best you can, to mind your P’s and Q’s.

We have studied before that lies require deceit, or even violence in order to get their way. But as for truth, it stands on its own with no need for support of any kind, from anyone or anything.

Therefore, if you simply mind your doctrine, and do not become hypocritical, obnoxious, or self righteous, etc., then no matter what offenses you receive, or become the target of, your lifestyle (Christianity, legitimate Christianity), will stand the test and assault of every attack.

You will not need to defend or fight (socially), for your rights or views, but rather they will stand the test of every attack.

And when the time of visitation comes, which simply means, when the final result is in, whether those attacking you recognize truth or not, truth, doctrine, Christianity will always win the argument.

Truth always stands head and shoulders above all else. The world will reject it, and even try to destroy it, but God is the power behind truth, and there is no power behind any other views in existence.

And, finally, you probably will never know the repercussions of the various tests you will encounter in your life, but remember that nothing happens by accident or chance. God will use your test in normal life experiences, to persuade others for doctrine. It is not your place to push doctrine or thump Bibles, as it were.

God provides the doctrine and the demonstrations of it, and God provides the hearers and seers of doctrine.

Without your knowledge, there will most likely be many folks who will come to God, Christ, doctrine, and their spiritual life simply because of their observation or perception of you and your life, or of something they witnessed in you.

Therefore, be on your best behavior, do not be intimidated by pressures, and do not be an obnoxious Bible thumper. You’ll have less aggravation in your life, and you will be used by God to guide others to doctrine, most of whom you will probably never know about.

1 Peter 2:11

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1 Peter 2:11


11 Dearly beloved [agapetos], I beseech [parakaleo] you as [hos] strangers [paroikos] and [kai] pilgrims [parepidemos], abstain from [apechomai] fleshly [sarkikos] lusts [epithumia], which [hostis] war [strateuomai] against [kata] the soul [psuche]; KJV-Interlinear


11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. NASB


When in Rome …, does not apply in the Christian life. As aliens or strangers, Christians are travelers in a foreign land. Heaven is our true home, and as of the moment, we are not home, but visitors in a strange or foreign land.

Whenever one travels to a foreign place, even for an extended visit, you do not adopt the customs or beliefs, of that foreign land. Christians have their own customs and principles mandated by God through doctrine. We adhere to our principles. Principles of truth, and not the standards, or cultural rituals or habits of the foreign inhabitants.

Christians do not give even the slightest nod of respect to the beliefs of the foreign land.

Why? Because, truth does not recognize lies. Truth is the basis of the principles, which originate in heaven. Lies are the basis of the principles, habits, rituals, customs, etc., which originate in this world.

Job did not defer to the comments of his friends, Daniel did not bow to the false idol, Christians should understand the principles taught in the Bible, and as such, should understand that all religions, cults, cultures, beliefs that originate in this world, are false and do not deserve even the slightest of recognition.

To recognize them is to give them some form of credit and legitimacy, which they are not.

Islam is not true, and is not honorable. Judaism is not true and is not honorable. Hinduism, Buddhism, Scientology, and the list goes on, are not true, and therefore not honorable.

You do not go out of your way to be rude. You do not make a mockery of the beliefs of others. You do not act condescending, or ridicule what others do in a foreign land. You are polite and respectful in your manner, but most important of all, you do not adopt their views, customs, rituals, etc.

The believers’ home is heaven. The believers’ home country is heaven. Planet earth is not our home, we are but mere visitors, traveling through, and therefore do nothing to take up residence in this world as though we were going to live here forever.

The fleshy lusts, is a reference to all of the views of the world which run contrary to Bible doctrine. From sins to crimes to the massive complex of arrogance attitudes, these all are the product of the sin nature, and the pattern of life, which takes you away from your true home (heaven), while trying to assimilate you into a permanent foreign home.

Life is a battle for your soul. God provides truth, and allows you to decide what you will do. The sin nature deceives, lies, entices, and does everything possible to get you to go against God, Christ, doctrine, and your spiritual life.

On a level playing field, if everything were played fairly, the sin nature could never win anything. But the sin nature must deceive in order to win. The sin nature must lie, must cheat, must do underhanded things, in order to get you to follow its lifestyle.

Just as we see the dirty politics of the current day, where anyone who runs against truth, must lie, deceive, exaggerate, and cheat in order to get elected. If the masses are not doctrinally oriented, then evil gets elected.

Likewise, if you are nor doctrinally oriented, if you have been lacking in your spiritual life, then you are susceptible to the assimilation of the world, of the foreign land you are visiting, and the repercussions of your failure, will be tremendous suffering, loss and failure in your life.

Peter is issuing you a very severe warning here. The war is good verses evil. Your soul is at stake. The repercussions of your decisions will turn your life into valueless garbage, or someone of infinite value. The state of your life will be either constant pressure and insecurity, or a relaxed mental attitude with confidence in God.

The battle is very real, and the repercussions are very real.

1 Peter 2:10

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1 Peter 2:10


10 Which [ho] in time past [pote] were not [ou] a people [laos], but [de] are now [nun] the people [laos] of God [theos]: which [ho] had [eleeo] not [ou] obtained mercy [eleeo], but [de] now [nun] have obtained mercy [eleeo]. KJV-Interlinear


10 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. NASB


Peter is drawing his remarks from Hosea.

Hos. 1:10
10 Yet the number of the sons of Israel Will be like the sand of the sea, Which cannot be measured or numbered; And it will come about that, in the place Where it is said to them, ‘You are not My people,’ It will be said to them, ‘You are the sons of the living God.’ NASB

Hos. 2:23
23 ‘And I will sow her for Myself in the land. I will also have compassion on her who had not obtained compassion, And I will say to those who were not My people, 'You are My people!' And they will say, 'Thou art my God!'‘ NASB

There always comes a time in life when you should look at life and become grateful for all that you are and all that you have. Whether you have a little or a lot, whether you are somebody or nobody, is irrelevant.

In the spiritual realm, which is the only truth and reality that exists, there are only two types of people – believers and unbelievers.

Unbelievers have no value whatsoever. Like garbage tossed out, buried, burned, or otherwise discarded as useless and of which not even the bums of the street are interested, so too, unbelievers are useless and worthless.

Their destiny is the Lake of Fire, and to that end, they have no value.

Believers, on the other hand, have enjoyed the highest value that can exist. They are the family of God, and heirs to the new universe and heaven to come.

And so Peter here teaches us, that we were once all unbelievers, and without value. But now as believers in Christ, we possess infinite value. And by the way, becoming a believer is available to everyone. No one is excluded, except by their own refusal to believe in Christ. Therefore, gratitude is in order.

Prior to our faith, we were the recipients of no mercy, and that means the mercy of Salvation.

On this earth, everyone participates in common grace, which makes this planet habitable for humanity, but as for mercy, that, is reserved for believers only. And we can add one more thing to this concept, as we studied in James recently, all believers are recipients of spiritual grace, but mature believers become recipients for greater grace. The grace of the mature spiritual life.

As for unbelievers, they participate in the common grace principles of life, but only because those principles were made available specifically for believers. Unbelievers only receive grace because they happen to live concurrently with believers. We call that grace by association.

The Tribulation will be an excellent example of the grace that unbelievers will receive, when most believers are gone. Namely, they will almost exterminate humanity.

But anyway, your life was once a worthless life. You had no future, no value, nothing. But, once you believed in Christ, all of that changed dramatically. As a believer in Christ, your value and your blessings increased infinitely, as compared to an unbeliever. And, as a mature believer, your value and your blessings will increase infinitely again.

So, no matter what your circumstances, you have something to be grateful to God for. No matter what your circumstances, worldly circumstances that is, you have nothing. Only in doctrine do you become a valuable person with meaning and purpose.

In every other aspect of life (apart from doctrine), no matter how hard you try, you will never find meaning or purpose for yourself. Never!

1 Peter 2:9

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1 Peter 2:9


9 But [de] ye [humeis] are a chosen [eklektos] generation [genos], a royal [basileios] priesthood [hierateuma], an holy [hagios] nation [ethnos], a peculiar [eis] [peripoiesis] people [laos]; that [hopos] ye should shew forth [exaggello] the praises [arete] of him who hath called [kaleo] you [humas] out of [ek] darkness [skotos] into [eis] his [autos] marvellous [thaumastos] light [phos]: KJV-Interlinear


9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; NASB


First we begin by contrasting the darkness into the light, concept, at the end of the verse.

The darkness is the darkest part of the night, where there is no light, and nothing with which to see. A person in total darkness, is totally blind, totally disoriented, as a person dropped into the middle of a totally foreign place. And as such totally lost.

That is the description of the person who lacks salvation and doctrine.

The person who is in the light, is one who is placed into a familiar place at midday. You can look around and you know exactly where you are. You can see everything.

In the former verse, the person who is running along in their own defined life, is one running along in total darkness. They may think that they know all there is to life, but they are living a delusional life. This applies to the unbeliever for certain, and it also applies to the believer who has neglected his spiritual life. The spiritually deficient believer imitates the unbeliever with respect to their lack of orientation to life, in this world.

But there is another comparison. Peter describes the believer, the one who has pursued his spiritual life, as a priest, or one who has the right to enter into a relationship, a direct relationship, with God.

But more than that, we are a nation. What is a nation? It is a group of people who have something in common, a group of people who have a relationship with something or, in this case, with someone, namely God.

Typically we think of a nation as a geographical region located somewhere on the planet, and the folks who live there, are its citizens.

And, within a nation there is typically a hierarchy of sorts. There are the rulers, the upper classes of folks, the middle classes and the lower classes. Sometimes they are separated or identified by their wealth, or lack of it, their education, their position, their achievements and so forth.

In the case of the spiritual life, there are but two broad classes – the unbeliever and the believer.

The unbeliever is chosen or selected, by virtue of their rejection of Christ. They live in darkness and they are the lowest of the lower classes of peoples, regardless of their worldly status. They are the rejects of society, and they are denied citizenship.

The believers are not only the citizens of heaven, but they are the chosen peoples of God, fulfilling the illustration of Israel being the chosen nation, or separated out from the foreigners of the other nations on earth, in the Old Testament.

Israel was the example, we are the reality. All believers in Christ, form the chosen nation of God.

And there is more. In the Old Testament, there was the example of the Levitical Priesthood, wherein one tribe was selected to be the go betweens, between man and God. But now, all believers are priests, possessing the right to interact directly with God, and no longer having to go through any other designated priest.

And there is more. As believers in Christ, we are in union with Christ and as such we are royalty, or the highest of the high classes of living folks. And since our life is eternal, we will be royalty forever.

So, the unbelievers are doggie doo-doo, living in total darkness, not even able to see the noses on their own faces.

Believers are royalty, living with and belonging to, the highest power and authority in existence. That comparison, is a phenomenal contrast, and an infinite difference between the two.

But we can go one step further. The believer who imitates the unbeliever, possesses similar status (doggie doo-doo), but within the spiritual realm.

It is the mature believer who will achieve and receive the highest of awards, rewards, honors, etc., in heaven, in eternity. That too, is a comparison, which is infinite.

Peter uses several quotes for this concept.

Ex 19:5-6
5 '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; 6 and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' NASB

Deut. 7:6
6 ‘For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. NASB

Isa. 43:21
21 ‘The people whom I formed for Myself, Will declare My praise. NASB

The folks in the Old Testament knew these principles, but they in effect rejected the blessings that God intended for them.

Do not imitate their mistake by rejecting your spiritual life.

1 Peter 2:8

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1 Peter 2:8


8 And [kai] a stone [lithos] of stumbling [proskomma], and [kai] a rock [petra] of offence [skandalon], even to them which [hos] stumble [proskopto] at the word [logos], being disobedient [apeitheo]: whereunto [eis] [hos] also [kai] they were appointed [tithemi]. KJV-Interlinear


8 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. NASB


When a person is running down the sidewalk, they are in a hurry to get to where they are going. They have a plan and a destination, and they hurry along their way.

Now, they come across a stone in the walkway, and they see it, and they stumble over it and fall off their preferred path to their preferred destination. They get up and they continue running.

They again see a stone in the walkway, and they stumble over it, and fall off their preferred path to their preferred destination. They get up and they continue running.

They again see a stone in the walkway, and they stumble over it, and fall off their preferred path to their preferred destination. They get up and they continue running.

And they do this over and over, again and again throughout their entire, repeat, entire life.

How can a person live an entire life, whether twenty or fifty or ninety years in length, and never think these six little words, ‘Father I believe in Jesus Christ.’? How is that possible? In fact, they make an effort to not, think these six little words.

And as they stumble over the stone, which is in their way, instead of pondering the stone, instead of going off their preferred path and onto an alternate path, which the stone would have detoured them onto, they not only stumble over the stone, but grow to be offended, ‘skandalon,’ by the stone.

The stone is of course, Christ. The detour path is the Christian life. Their chosen path is the path of eternal condemnation. But in all of this, these folks live for years, for decades, for an entire lifetime, and they see or are aware of the stone (Christ), all of their life, and they stubbornly refuse to recognize Him.

Such is the power of arrogance. It can place a tremendous stubbornness inside of you, and unless you gain some spiritual muscle through doctrine, you cannot overcome it.

But doctrine does you no good, unless you first believe in Christ, and belief in Christ takes no more than a second. And yet people will hold out for years and years and years. And why? How much can it cost you to think these six little words? What possible harm could it do?

And the alternative to salvation is the Lake of Fire, and that is the appointed destiny for unbelievers.

Believers will go to heaven, regardless of their spiritual growth. Salvation guarantees you a place in heaven with God, forever. And that guarantee comes to you in that initial instant of time when you first believed in Christ.

To refuse, is to reject heaven and to embrace the alternative destiny, the Lake of Fire.

There are only two possible destinies. There is no third possibility.

In eternity past, when God set out the divine decrees, He decreed that believers would go to heaven, and that unbelievers would go to the Lake of Fire. That has never changed, and never will.

Stubbornness, is described here to show how extensive it can be in ones life. But remember that Peter is addressing believers who are under suffering. And as such, even believers can adopt a stubborn attitude about things in life.

When a person does not pay attention to his daily studies, then he is wide open for being influenced by the many opinions from this world. He can adopt the same running down the path and stumbling over the stone (doctrine in this case), as the unbelievers do.

So beware, and be forewarned. Doctrine is there for all to see, and see it everyone does. Don’t make the same mistakes and continue to ignore the many truths in life, for all of your life, but instead apply your daily life to a daily study, so that your eyes can be opened to the many traps that this world has laid out for you.

The objective of this world is to distract you away from doctrine, and as such, distract you away from your spiritual growth.

The world has no value to give you, but doctrine has tremendous value (infinite) to give to you.

Which is worth more?

1 Peter 2:7

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1 Peter 2:7


7 Unto you [humin] therefore [oun] which [ho] believe [pisteuo] he is precious [time]: but [de] unto them which be disobedient [apeitheo], the stone [lithos] which [hos] the builders [oikodomeo] disallowed [apodokimazo], the same [houtos] is made [ginomai] [eis] the head [kephale] of the corner [gonia], KJV-Interlinear


7 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,’ NASB

Belief is contrasted with unbelief, and again Peter quotes from Isaiah.

Isa. 8:14-15
14 ‘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. 15 ‘And many will stumble over them, Then they will fall and be broken; They will even be snared and caught.’ NASB

This time the contrast is not between believers who may or may not be embarrassed when they get to heaven, but between believers and unbelievers, who will have entirely different destinies after their life here on earth is completed.

Those who believe in Christ are typically called Christians in our current day.

Those who do not believe in Christ, especially back in the days of Isaiah and so forth, were called the builders.

Look back even to the Tower of Babel which occurred just a few generations following the Flood of Noah. Noah was still alive, the flood was still fresh in the minds of folks from the stories they heard from Noah, and his three sons.

And yet there grew up a huge population that rejected God, the savior, and everything that was legitimate spiritually. They began construction of a tower. A tower that was to help them to get to God, to heaven, and all on their own terms.

People, who reject truth, will build their own truth, and that is where all religions, philosophies, cults, etc., come from. Christ is rejected and therefore truth, and so people have to use something else (other than truth) to build up their own beliefs. Lies are all that is left to build with, and to build on.

Believers look to Christ and find Him precious. Precious means esteem, honor, respect, reverence, value, price. All of these terms describe the attributes of Christ as God and as man. No other religion has a focal point that possesses integrity, honor, or value.

All other religions focus instead on their sin nature, their desires, their lusts for what they want, and how they want it. Whether seeking seventy virgins, multiple wives, indifference, or a calm and serene setting in ones afterlife, the sin nature is at work cultivating the desires of the sin nature. And they all reject Christ, doctrine, and the principles taught in the scriptures.

So, all unbelievers are builders, of their own destiny, and all of humanity combined, cannot build a tower taller than a very high hill, let alone into the next life. And yet they try.

Rejected, ‘apodokimazo,’ means unbelief, disobedient, unwilling to be persuaded, obstinate, stubborn, stiff necked. People who refuse to believe in Christ are described as unbelievers. They rejected Christ as their foundation of truth and life.

And as a result, God Himself, made Christ the cornerstone of truth, and the basis of a relationship with God. And therein lays the difference between Christianity and all other forms of belief. Christ, or the rejection of Christ, is the single thread that runs through all religions, cults, philosophies, etc. that are not legitimate. This makes it very easy to determine which is the true faith and which is not.

And since Christ is truth, and doctrine is truth, then all of the principles taught in the Bible (legitimately taught), determine the path you can take in life in order to figure out what is right and what is not right in life. Doctrine is the source of discernment between the principles of life as taught by God, and the principles of life taught by this world.

1 Peter 2:6

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 2:6


6 Wherefore [dio] also [kai] it is contained [periecho] in [en] the scripture [graphe], Behold [idou], I lay [tithemi] in [en] Sion [Sion] a chief corner [akrogoniaios] stone [lithos], elect [eklektos], precious [entimos]: and [kai] he that believeth [pisteuo] on [epi] him [autos] shall [kataischuno] not be [ou me] confounded [kataischuno]. KJV-Interlinear


6 For this is contained in Scripture: ‘Behold I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him shall not be disappointed.’ NASB


Peter quotes from Isaiah.

Isa. 28:16
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. NASB

Zion is the name of a hill in Jerusalem, typically called the mountain of Jerusalem, or Zion.

Israel is the name of Gods chosen people. Jerusalem is the city of peace. Zion is the location of concentrated doctrine, ie. the mountain, or the vastness of Gods wisdom.

From these words, we can obtain a picture of Gods plan. He chose His people (nation) from out of the world – believers in Christ. He leads then to the spiritual center of the nation, to a place of peace. He completes this peace, prosperity, security, etc. by means of the mountain of doctrine, which is the center or source of peace, or spiritual maturity.

Therefore, Gods people obtain peace in their spiritual life by means of advancement through doctrine. Peace is synonymous with security, freedom, prosperity, maturity, and so forth.

The corner stone, as we have already studied, is the Messiah, the Savior, who is Jesus Christ. He is the foundation upon which our entire existence is laid and constructed. Christ is the living God, our Lord, the Word. By studying doctrine, we are in effect building up Christ (doctrine) in our soul.

To believe, here has a couple of meanings. The first is to have faith. But it also means to give credit, to trust, to entrust, to commit oneself to.

Confounded means, to be disappointed, to be embarrassed, to be disgraced, to be put to shame, to blush.

Now, Peter is not speaking to unbelievers, so unbelief and the Lake of Fire are not in view. If he was, then embarrassment would not be used with reference to something as harsh and terrifying as the Lake of Fire.

Peter is addressing believers who are suffering in various circumstances.

So now we can put this all together. We as believers are a nation of God, chosen by God, built up on the foundation of doctrine, through Christ. Christ sets us apart from all other philosophies, religions, beliefs, etc.

Our life is centered on learning doctrine and growing up by means of the same.

Sooner or later, we will all be called home to stand before the Judgment Seat (for our evaluation) of Christ. And even before that we as believers and humanity, will depart from this world in the normal ways, as people have died and left the world in the past.

Once we have left this world, our eyes are opened wide to the truth. It is made clear and vivid to us, and therefore, if we have listened to our Bible teaching, and if we have learned, and if we have grown up in our spiritual life, then when we finally do leave this world, we will not be taken by surprise, and we will not be ‘blushing’ with embarrassment when we enter heaven.

Those believers, who ignore or do not pursue their spiritual life, will enter heaven blushing with embarrassment, because they will realize that by ignoring doctrine, they have been the quintessence of stupid. Likewise they enter heaven in disgrace, for not having properly invested the things (doctrine), which God has entrusted to them.

But by advancing in our spiritual life, as we are supposed to, then when we leave this world and enter into heaven, we will not arrive there blushing, we will not be disappointed, we will not arrive there in disgrace (no spiritual result in our soul), but, we will arrive with confidence.

Likewise, as we live our daily life here in this world, then if we have advanced in our spiritual life, then no matter what our circumstances, we will live our life in confidence (hope), and peace, and in the security of Christ.

1 Peter 2:5

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 2:5


5 Ye [autos] also [kai], as [hos] lively [zao] stones [lithos], are built up [oikodomeo] a spiritual [pneumatikos] house [oikos], an holy [hagios] priesthood [hierateuma], to offer up [anaphero] spiritual [pneumatikos] sacrifices [thusia], acceptable [euprosdektos] to God [theos] by [dia] Jesus [Iesous] Christ [Christos]. KJV-Interlinear


5 you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. NASB


In these last few verses, Peter has been referring to buildings of worship, buildings that are made with actual stone and wood and various building materials that we are all familiar with, and he has been comparing those structures with a very real but different kind of structure, which resides within your soul.

Peter was familiar with the Temple of Solomon, the rebuilt temple, and the later restored and expanded temple of Herod. But the one Peter is referring to in his comparison is the original temple of Solomon, because in that temple, the building materials were of the best quality, the temple was constructed with attention to minute detail, and the temple was completed thoroughly. And, when finished, the temple became the residence of God.

We all know that the Old Testament was a shadow of the realities of heaven. We all should know that all of this worldly environment that we live in, is a shadow of that which is true.

We have studied shadows before and you know that the shadow has no texture, no color, no aroma, nothing that gives it life. And since we are mere shadows in this world, even with all of the many details that exist in this world, then how phenomenal can the realities, that none of us have ever seen, be?

The temple of Solomon was magnificent in its day. However, God had created in us, within our individual souls, temples, such that we may function completely within our individual spiritual lives, lacking nothing.

A temple is a place of worship, of learning, of sacrifices, of interaction with God. And as the shadows of the Old Testament have given us examples of the functions of the temple, so to, Peter teaches us that, there is no need for the temples, or any kind of building, of old.

Our temple is within us. It is a living temple, made of living material. Our material is Bible doctrine, and as such is the best of the best of building materials. And as Jesus is the living Word of God, and as Jesus is called the living stone, then so too, with doctrine within us, we become little chips of stone, from the bigger stone, which is Christ.

In order to find God we need only look inside of ourselves. But before we look inside, we need to understand that our temple has to be constructed first, otherwise when you look inside of yourself, you will find nothing, and certainly not God.

Thus spiritual growth, which begins with your spiritual birth, which accompanied your initial belief in Christ.

You were only born once into this world, and you can be born only once into the spiritual life. None of us go through multiple birth experiences. We need only one, and that should be obvious.

Just as the temple of Solomon was constructed with the placement of one stone upon another, then the temple was finished, then the temple was furnished and decorated, so too, in your soul, you need to begin with the construction of your inner temple, which can also be called your spiritual fortress.

The building material is Bible doctrine. You build your temple by learning doctrine. You finish your temple by understanding it. You furnish and decorate your temple by applying (production) doctrine to your life. And you then have a completed and functional temple within your soul as your wisdom grows and grows.

The finish work never ends. The decorations, the landscaping, the furnishings continue and continue as your spiritual estate expands. If you own or rent a home, and have ever come into some extra money, and if you are married, then you understand this principle. ‘Honey, move the chair over there. Honey, move the chair back again. Hang the picture there, and now somewhere else. The color isn’t right. Time to paint. Move the chair again. Need new furniture.’ And so it goes.

In this world we do not have unlimited moneybags. Probably a blessing to husbands. But then we too have our shops, and barns, cool tools, and toys for guys. So we all would constantly be upgrading, improving, getting new things, doing things, if given unlimited resources.

In the spiritual realm, there is no limit to the doctrine that you can take into your soul. Therefore, your temple can be fully loaded and beautiful, and under constant construction, under constant improvement, for all of your life.

And when you finally do get to heaven, your spiritual muscle, or curves, would embarrass all of the beach hunks and babes.

You are a priest. As a believer in Christ, you have the right to direct access to God, but only through Christ. That is Gods number one rule – through Christ.

You need not go through any other intermediary, not a priest, not a preacher, no other earthly person.

While you are in fellowship, then your life is a constant offering of sacrifices. Your every thought, your every activity make up the content of your worship, because your are in effect, obedient to Gods will. And His will is, that you be perfect (fellowship), and worship God (the function of your spiritual life in fellowship).

Do you remember Genesis 17:1?

And we can add to this, be powerful (spiritual muscle through growth), and be complete (the construction, decoration, furnishing, etc., of a magnificent temple within your soul).

The only thing you will be lacking in this life, will be the blessings that you as a mature believer will receive in eternity. That will be your ultimate completion, which will never be complete, but will continue getting better and better, forever.

1 Peter 2:4

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 2:4


4 To [pros] whom [hos] coming [proserchomai], as unto a living [zao] stone [lithos], disallowed [apodokimazo] indeed [men] of [hupo] men [anthropos], but [de] chosen [eklektos] of [para] God [theos], and precious [entimos], KJV-Interlinear


4 And coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected by men, but choice and precious in the sight of God, NASB


Peter is again borrowing from two passages in the Old Testament.

Isa. 28:16
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. NASB

Psa. 118:22
22 The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner stone. NASB


The Messiah, the Savior, The Lord is referred to as the foundation, the chief foundation, the rock, the stone upon which all truth is laid. This is the one and same Jesus Christ.

Christ was rejected by so many back in his day, and even throughout history, He has been rejected, and replaced with other ‘invented’ deities, which have no basis in fact whatsoever.

The stones of earthly buildings are nothing more than rock, concrete and steel. They have no life, and offer no relationship to anyone, for any amount of time.

All earthly churches, temples, buildings or tents where people gather together, do not make up the true church or congregational assembly areas, and they (buildings, etc.), offer nothing sacred or holy.

The true church begins with Christ. And coming to Christ is often the reference for either salvation, or spiritual growth, for Christ is the foundation of both.

Christ is the living breathing God of all of eternity. In Him is all of the power of deity, and life, and truth, and infinity.

Christ is the stone which no creature can move, no creature can modify, no creature can alter, reshape, or change in any fashion.

No other religion, philosophy or belief of any kind, can achieve these things.

Since God is infinite, then His value is also infinite, and the word for precious means extremely valuable, or value beyond measure.

The Bible presents so many examples and illustrations of value in the spiritual life and lack of value in anything that is of this world, that people should get the picture, and one would think, want to pursue doctrine and their spiritual life.

However, as babies who know nothing but know that the milk is good for them, as animals who have only instincts, but know the changes of the seasons, one would think that intelligent man should be better able to recognize truth from lies.

But, in looking around, you can quickly discover that humanity is filled with some of the most ridiculous folks ever born, and yet man is still alive on this planet, when he should have long ago, disappeared. But then, it is not man who is setting his destiny, but God who is preserving humanity out of His grace.

1 Peter 2:2-3

This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:

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1 Peter 2:2-3


2 As [hos] newborn [artigennetos] babes [brephos], desire [epipotheo] the sincere [adolos] milk [gala] of the word [logikos], that [hina] ye may grow [auxano] thereby [en] [autos]:
3 If so be [ei per] ye have tasted [geuomai] that [hoti] the Lord [kurios] is gracious [chrestos]. KJV-Interlinear


2 like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord. NASB


Now here, Peter is not calling believers, newborns, but is referring to the attitude that newborn babies have when they taste their first milk, and crave for more.

Certainly when a person initially believes in Christ, they are newborn with respect to their spiritual life. They may in fact be eight years old, or fifteen, or fifty, or ninety years old. Regardless of your physical age when you first believe in Christ, you will be a newborn believer at that moment.

And as a newborn Christian, you will need to grow up in order to mature, just as people grow up physically and mentally, in this world.

But the difference between a newborn believer, and a newborn infant, is that the believer is old enough to understand the issues of salvation, whereas the infant knows virtually nothing. And yet the infant knows milk, hunger, and what he wants relatively quickly in his (or her) very young life.

The infant does not have to understand any of it, he is merely driven toward what he needs and therefore wants.

The believer, who hears the gospel, and the doctrines of spiritual growth, should behave like the newborn infant, in that he should (one would think) crave after the knowledge and opportunities that the spiritual life offers.

Once the infant tastes the milk, he craves it. Once the believer hears doctrine, does he crave it?

Have you ever heard of an infant who rejected his milk? Well, there are always exceptions because of medical problems, but I would bet that 999 out of a thousand infants will crave the milk, or baby foods, or whatever.

But, when it comes to believers, the numbers seem to reverse. Some go hot for doctrine, but then cool to indifference. Some do not even show much of an interest. And out of the same 999, perhaps only the one will crave doctrine, while the others will be defiant, fickle, or disinterested in various degrees.

Baby’s milk offers the foundation of a sound diet and the opportunity of much better foods in later life. Likewise, Bible doctrine in the beginning lays the foundation of a phenomenal life.

Once saved, you are only at the beginning of your spiritual life. The greater portion of your spiritual life comes with spiritual maturity. Therefore, long for the spiritual foods offered by God, so that you will be in a position to have and possess a ‘complete’ life, in the best sense of the word.