BOOK 60 OF 66 · GENERAL EPISTLES · KING JAMES BIBLE

1 Peter 2

1 Peter book home•Chapter 2 of 5•25 verses

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1 Peter 2 Overview

Peter calls believers newborn babes who should desire the word, living stones built into a spiritual house around Christ the chief cornerstone, and a chosen generation and royal priesthood meant to show God’s praises. As strangers and pilgrims they should abstain from fleshly lusts, live honestly among Gentiles, submit to human authorities, and follow Christ’s example when suffering wrongfully.

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Before you read 1 Peter 2

Coming from

Peter writes to scattered believers as elect strangers and blesses God for a living hope through Jesus Christ’s resurrection and an incorruptible inheritance reserved in heaven. Their faith is tested by trials, yet they rejoice in Christ. Peter then calls them to holiness, reverent living, brotherly love, and confidence in redemption through Christ’s precious blood.

In this chapter

Leads into

Peter gives instructions to wives and husbands, emphasizing godly conduct, inner character, understanding, and honor. He then addresses all believers with unity, compassion, blessing rather than retaliation, readiness to answer for their hope, and willingness to suffer for righteousness. Christ suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, to bring us to God.

Key understandingExplore deeper

Christ is the cornerstone: precious to believers but a stone of stumbling to the disobedient.

Submission to authorities is qualified by the higher command to fear God; it is not a command to obey sinful orders contrary to God.

Major truths in this chapterExplore deeper

Believers are built around Christ

The church’s priestly identity depends on the chosen cornerstone.

Christian identity should produce witness

God’s people show His praises among the nations.

Freedom must serve God rather than vice

Liberty is not a cloak of maliciousness.

Christ models righteous suffering

He bore sins and committed Himself to the righteous Judge.

Connections to the rest of ScriptureExplore deeper

Isaiah 28:16

Peter quotes the chosen cornerstone prophecy.

Psalm 118:22

The rejected stone becoming the head is applied to Christ.

Isaiah 53:5–9

Peter’s language of Christ bearing sins and suffering silently strongly echoes Isaiah’s Servant.

What is clear, and where care is neededExplore deeper

Do not use royal-priesthood language to erase all church offices

It describes the whole people’s access and witness, not identical functions.

Do not use submission texts to excuse participation in sin or abuse

Fear of God remains supreme.

Do not turn Christ’s example into mere moralism

Peter grounds it in His unique sin-bearing work.

Read 1 Peter 2 watching for…

Living stone imagery.

Chosen generation/royal priesthood language.

Strangers and pilgrims.

Submission and Christian liberty.

Christ’s sinless suffering and bearing of sins.

Chapter outline4 sections

1-3Believers are to lay aside sin and desire the sincere milk of the word 4-10Christ is the chosen cornerstone, and believers are living stones, a holy priesthood, and God’s peculiar people 11-17Believers are urged to abstain from fleshly lusts, live honestly, and submit to human authority for the Lord’s sake 18-25Servants are called to patient submission in unjust suffering, following Christ’s example and trusting the Shepherd of their souls

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

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

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

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

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

Wherefore 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.

Unto 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,

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

But 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:

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

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

Having 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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For 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.

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

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

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

Who 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.

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

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1 Peter 2:8

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