1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:1

More Precious Than Gold An EasyEnglish Commentary (2800 word vocabulary) on the first letter of Peter www.easyenglish.info Helen Pocock This commentary has been through Advanced Theological Checking.

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Chapter 2 v1 Therefore stop all evil behaviour. Do not cheat people. Do not pretend to be better than you are. Do not be jealous. Stop saying bad things about other people. v2 When babies are young, they need milk. It makes them grow strong. In the same way, you must desire pure *spiritual milk. It helps you grow up in your *salvation. v3 You do this because you have tasted that the *Lord is kind.

Verse 1

This verse continues from chapter 1:22. A person who loves other people will want to help them and say good things about them. The words that people use show what their spirit is like. Jesus said this in Matthew 12:33-37. All the behaviour in this verse is evil. ‘Stop’ means remove it from your life. Peter lists 5 evil things that Christians should remove from their lives.

Verses 2-3

Peter now describes the word of God as ‘pure *spiritual milk’. *Spiritual means linked to a person’s spirit and not to his or her physical body. A Christian should want God’s word as much as a baby wants milk. Milk makes a baby grow big and strong. A Christian should be eager to read and listen to God’s word. This will help them to become mature. Verse 3 comes from Psalms 34:8. ‘Tasted’ means discovered by experience. Christians realise how kind God is. This makes them hungry in their spirit and they want to know God more and more. The Stone that is living

v4 You come to Jesus. He is the Stone that is living. The people of this world did not want Jesus, but God chose him as precious. v5 You Christians are like stones that are living. God is building you into a *spiritual house, a holy place. You will be holy priests there who offer *spiritual *sacrifices to God. God will accept these *sacrifices through Jesus Christ.

v6 The Bible says this about God’s Son Jesus:  ‘Look, I am laying a stone in Zion.  I chose this precious *cornerstone.  He will not disappoint anyone who trusts in him’ (Isaiah 28:16).

v7 This stone (Jesus) is worth very much to you who believe in him. Some people do not believe in him. The Bible says about them:  ‘The builders did not accept this stone. But it has become the *cornerstone’ (Psalms 118:22).

v8 In another place the Bible says about Jesus that he is  ‘a stone that makes people trip,  a rock that makes people fall’ (Isaiah 8:14). People trip and fall because they do not accept God’s message. God said that this would happen to them.

v9 You are the people whom God chose to be royal priests. You form a holy nation. You belong to God. God has called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. God wants you to tell everyone about the great things that he has done. v10 Once you were not people who belonged to God. Now you are his people. Once you did not know his *mercy, but now you do.

Verses 4-10

Peter refers back to the *Old Testament. King Solomon built a temple in the city of Jerusalem about 950 years before the birth of Jesus (BC) (1 Kings 6-8). The temple was a special building where the *Jews went to *praise God. But an army from the country of Babylon destroyed the temple in 587 BC (2 Chronicles 36:19). Some *Jews built it again about 70 years later (Ezra 3-6).

When they built the temple, they first had to prepare the ground. They cleared the area. Then they made it flat and level. They built the temple with very big stones. The *cornerstone was the first stone that they put in place. The *cornerstone is the most important stone in a building. It is a very big, square stone, which has very straight sides. The builders put it at one corner of the building. Then they built the walls in a straight line from the *cornerstone. They also built straight up on top of it. The building was then the right shape. The walls were straight. They did not lean or fall down.

In the temple, the priests offered *sacrifices to God. To make a *sacrifice they killed a special animal and burnt it on an *altar. Then they asked God to forgive the people. This was like a picture of what Jesus would do on the cross. People do not need to kill animals as a *sacrifice now. Jesus was the perfect *sacrifice. He forgave all *sins when he died. Now, people can turn to Jesus and tell him that they have *sinned. Then Jesus forgives them.

Verse 4

‘You come’ means to come and *worship Jesus (Hebrews 4:10). Peter called Jesus ‘the Stone that is living’. Christians do not *worship someone who is dead. Most people did not believe or trust Jesus, but God chose Jesus. The word ‘precious’ means that God gave Jesus great honour. In verses 6-8 there are three *Old Testament verses about a stone and a *cornerstone. Peter explains that those verses refer to Jesus.

Verse 5

Peter now says that Christians are like ‘stones that are living’. Jesus makes people alive in their spirit. God lives in Christians. He does not live in a physical building (1 Corinthians 6:19). When the builders made the temple, they built the walls with stones. God now builds a *spiritual house. He builds it with people. Here *spiritual means linked to God’s Spirit, not to a physical building. This *spiritual house is the church. When people become Christians, they become part of the church. God is holy, so he wants to live in holy people (see chapter 1:15-16).

Christians are also ‘holy priests’. The Jewish priests were the only people who could go into the temple. They worshipped God and prayed to him. They sacrificed animals to God so that he would forgive sins. They went to God on behalf of other people. Now Jesus has died on the cross to forgive sins. We do not need to sacrifice animals any more. Everyone can come to God through Jesus. ‘*Spiritual *sacrifices’ are what Christians offer to God. This shows God that they love him. In the *New Testament there are 4 ways by which Christians offer *sacrifices to God:

(1) They give their whole life to God (Romans 12:1).

(2) They *praise and thank God (Hebrews 13:15).

(3) They do good work and share what they have with other people (Hebrews 13:16).

(4) They support people who explain the good news about Jesus (Philippians 4:18).

Verses 6-8

These three verses are *Old Testament *prophecies about Jesus. A *prophecy is a message from God. Sometimes it describes what is going to happen. These verses *prophesied that God would send Jesus. But the *Jews would refuse to accept him. This happened. They did not accept Jesus as the Christ (*Messiah).

‘Zion’ is the name of the hill where the *Jews built the temple. Zion is also another name for Jerusalem. God wanted all the *Jews to believe in Jesus. He wanted them to be part of the church. In Matthew 21:42-45 Jesus says that the ‘builders’ were the *Jewish leaders. They did not accept Jesus, so they are not part of his church. Jesus is the *cornerstone. He is the head of the church. A physical *cornerstone shows how straight a building should be. In the same way, Jesus shows what the church should be like. He shows how Christians should behave.

‘He will not disappoint anyone who believes in him’. Christians should never be ashamed to say that they trust in Jesus. They know how wonderful he is. Jesus is precious to God (verse 5) and he is precious to Christians.

Many people who believe in God do not accept Jesus. But only Jesus gives *eternal life. People who choose not to follow Jesus will not be part of his *spiritual house. They ‘trip’ and ‘fall’ when they refuse to receive Jesus. This means that they will not receive *eternal life. They will not go to heaven. People like that continue to do what is wrong. They ‘do not accept God’s message’. God knew that this would happen before he sent Jesus to this world.

Verse 9

In the *Old Testament, God chose the *Jews to be his special people. In Exodus 19:5-6, God says that all the *Jews who obeyed his laws would be his ‘royal priests’. And they would form a ‘holy nation’. Most of them did not obey God. Now God has chosen everyone who trusts Jesus to form that special nation (1 Peter 1:2). Jesus is their king. They belong to God, because Jesus has bought them at the price of his death (1:18-19). God wants Christians to tell other people about him. Then those other people may become Christians too.

‘Darkness’ describes the time when people do not know about God. It also refers to *Satan and his works. People who come into God’s ‘wonderful light’ understand about God, because they know Jesus. Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world’ (John 8:12).

Verse 10

Peter compares what people were like before and after they accepted Jesus. The words of this verse come from Hosea 2:23 (Paul gives a fuller explanation in Romans 9:22-26). The *prophet Hosea had two children. God called Hosea’s daughter ‘Lo-Ruhamah’, which means ‘no *mercy’. God called Hosea’s son ‘Lo-Ammi’, which means ‘not my people’ (Hosea 1:6-9). When people accept Jesus, they receive God’s *mercy. Then they become ‘his people’, the people who belong to him. In the *Old Testament, God promised many good things to the *Jews. In verses 4-10, Peter says that God has now given these good things to the church.

In 1 Peter 1:1-2:10 Peter has been teaching about *salvation; what Jesus has done for people. Now he writes in a more practical way about how to live as a Christian. Live good lives

v11 Dear Christian friends, you are like foreigners who do not belong to this world. I urge you not to give in to evil desires that fight against your spirit.

v12 Live very good lives among people who are not Christians. Sometimes they will wrongly accuse you. They will say that you do bad things. But let them see your good behaviour. Then they will have to give honour to God when he comes to judge the world.

Verse 11

Peter calls his readers ‘dear Christian friends’. He wants them to know that he loves them deeply. He reminds them again that their real home is not in this world (1 Peter 1:1). ‘I urge you’ is a very strong phrase. Peter wants them to stop doing the evil things that they used to do (1 Peter 1:14). They have to fight against evil desires inside them. Galatians 5:13-25 explains about this fight. Christians become strong in their spirit as they fight against such desires. The Holy Spirit will help them to become holy (chapter 1:2).

Verse 12

Christians should live good lives wherever they go. ‘See your good behaviour’ describes how people watch Christians. People think about how Christians behave. They do this for a long time, perhaps for many months or years. Sometimes people may wrongly accuse Christians of doing bad things. Or they may say bad things about them. Christians must always behave well, so that God will receive honour.

‘When he comes to visit’. The Bible often refers to a visit by God. God ‘visits’ when he comes to comfort or deliver (Genesis 50:24), or to punish (Exodus 32:34). His final visit will be on the day of judgement. On that day, even people who have not obeyed God will have to agree that he was right (Revelation 11:13). Obey rulers and leaders

v13 You must respect and obey everyone who has authority over other people in this world. This pleases God. A king is ruler over all his own people. v14 But obey other leaders, too, because God has appointed them. Their job is to punish people who do what is wrong. They also *praise people who do what is right. v15 God wants you to do what is right. If you do this, foolish people will stop saying wrong things about you. v16 Live as free people. But do not use your freedom as an excuse for wicked behaviour. Instead, live as those who are serving God. v17 Respect all people. Show special love to Christians. In everything, give honour to God. Respect the king.

Verses 13-15

Romans 13:1-2 says that all authority comes from God. So, if Christians do not obey their leaders, they are not obeying God. When Peter and Paul were writing their letters, there was a bad emperor (ruler). His name was Nero. He ruled over many countries. He was an evil and severe man.

Later he killed many Christians. Usually Christians should respect and obey even bad leaders, because that is what God wants. However, people should not obey a ruler who tells them to do something evil (Acts 4:19; 5:27-29). You must also obey your leaders. A ruler appoints leaders to punish criminals and to *praise good citizens. God wants you to do what is right.

Foolish people do not understand what God wants. Your good behaviour will make foolish people become silent. In 1 Timothy 2:1-4 Paul says that Christians should pray for kings and all leaders.

Verse 16

Jesus has set Christians free from the power of *sin. But this does not mean that that they can now do anything they like. They must obey God and do what is right. But it does mean that *sin is no longer their boss. *Sin can still tempt them to do what is wrong. But they can refuse to *sin and choose to do what is right. Christians are servants who belong to God. Paul explains this in more detail in Romans 6.

Verse 17

When God created the world, he made people to be like him (Genesis 1:26). In John 3:16 Jesus says that God loves everyone in the world. This is why Christians must respect all people. The emperor Nero wanted all people to *worship him. Many people were afraid of him. Peter told his readers to respect rulers, but not to *worship them like God. *Worship is for God alone. Servants and masters

v18 Servants, you must obey your masters and respect them. You must do this whether your master is good and kind or bad and unkind. v19 A person might have to suffer when it is not fair. Keep loyal to God. This pleases him. v20 If you do wrong things, you deserve punishment. There is no reason to *praise you, if you suffer the pain of this punishment. But if you suffer when you do good things, you should keep quiet. Then God will bless you.

v21 This is how you ought to behave because Christ suffered for you. He is a model for you to copy. v22 ‘He (*Messiah) did not *sin. He did not say anything wrong’ (Isaiah 53:9). v23 When people insulted Christ he did not insult them back. When he suffered, he did not say bad things to them. Christ trusted God to judge what was right. v24 Christ carried our *sins in his body when he died on the cross. He did this, so that we can be dead to *sin. Now we can live a *righteous life. He accepted our punishment and he has healed us.

v25 You were like sheep that had lost their way. Now you have come back to the *Shepherd and he takes care of you.

Verses 18-24

A servant is someone who works for someone else. This other person pays the servants for their work. These verses are for all people who work for an employer. Christians should behave better than other people, because they belong to Jesus.

Verse 18

When someone behaves badly to another person, it is natural to be bad in return. Christians have to be different, even if it is hard. In Matthew 5:44-47 Jesus tells those who follow him to love their enemies. Christians trust God because they know that he will judge all people in a fair way (chapter 1:17).

Verses 19-20

God does not make people suffer. It is wrong to punish someone who does what is right. Sometimes it is unfair when Christians suffer. Yet, God wants them to trust him. God blesses those who obey him.

Verse 21

Jesus did nothing wrong, yet he suffered. ‘A model for you to copy’ describes the way that a person learned to write. He copied the teacher’s writing. Christians learn how to behave when they copy what Jesus did.

Verse 22

This is another *Old Testament *prophecy about Jesus

Verse 23

This is how Jesus behaved (Matthew 27:13-14). Christians must follow his example.

Verses 24-25

These verses use words from Isaiah 53:5-6, where they are a *prophecy about Jesus Christ. Verse 24 is a simple way to explain *salvation. *Sin is everything that people have done wrong against God or other people. Romans 6:23 says that the punishment for *sin is death. People deserve to die, because they have *sinned. Jesus himself never *sinned. Jesus carried the *sins of every person, when he died on the cross. Jesus accepted the punishment for these *sins. Jesus died instead of us. When anyone confesses that he or she has *sinned, Jesus forgives them. He makes them new. Their spirit was dead, but now it is alive. They will live for ever. Now they can go on to live a holy life. Jesus can heal a person’s body and give life to their spirit.

‘You were like sheep that had lost their way’. Sheep wander over hills and fields. They are looking for grass to eat. Sheep often get lost and the *shepherd has to search for them. Before people become Christians, they are like sheep that are lost. They do not know how to live a good life. When people ‘come back to the *Shepherd’, it means that they are now going to follow Jesus Christ. He cares for them, because he is the good *shepherd (see John 10:14-15).

© 1999-2001, Wycliffe Associates (UK)

This publication is written in EasyEnglish Level B (2800 words).

December 2001

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