"To Believe or Not to Believe" - 1 Peter 2:7-8

[7] So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” [8] and “A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. (1 Peter 2:7-8 ESV)

      I struggled with this one for quite a few days to entirely wrap my head around the nuance of what is being said here.  What finally helped was reading the Apostolic Bible Polyglot version (ABP), so I am posting that below:

[7] To you then a stone of value-- to the ones believing; but to the ones disobeying, a stone which [rejected the ones building], this one became for the head of the corner,  [8] and a stone of stumbling, and a rock causing offence, which they stumble against the word, being disobedient; to which also they were appointed.

(1 Peter 2:7-8 ABP, Italics as exist in text)

      What these few verse are about is basically Christ as a concept to two different groups of people.  On one hand you have the believers.  Something caused them initially to believe.  Something in their own experience convinced them that without Christ something was missing in their life, and they have been able to trace the differences His presence has made in their lives.  Once this revelation comes to someone, they start to build a belief system.  One brick of understanding at a time, new truths are learned and built together into an understanding.  In turn, each new revelation of truth points to and affirms other bricks of truth forming a solid structure of belief.  When viewed through the lens of revelation, of being able to see Christ and His effects on your life and all the other truths inherent there, we are able to see and (humanly) understand Christ.  This is an understanding that evades the non-believer.
      Since they do not have the prerequisite truths, and feel no personal experiential connection to Christ, He confuses them.  They cannot see Him as He truly is because their perception is veiled.  This I believe is what Peter is talking about; that Christ is a stumbling block to the unbeliever.  I have experienced this figurative wall before in my talking to certain people.  They seem to come close to the truth of Christ sometimes, but even when it is staring them in the face they seem to be unable to take hold of it and truly grasp it.
      This is where i struggle to understand.  This is where questions of free will and choice come into play.  I cannot deny the use of the word "appointed" near the end of the verse (although from what I can gather from Strong's and not having a great understanding of greek, it seems to be a passive verb for whatever that is worth.)  Taking hints from the verses that follow that talk heavily of the transition of God's people from nothing to an "ordained priesthood" it makes me think that the difference between unbelief and belief may rest in God alone.  Where does that initial revelation come from?  That moment that we say, "Him, Christ... I need Him!"  It seems that in order for us to come to Christ, He must first call us.  I know this is a hard concept... "But what about those He chooses not to call?  Does He damn them due to His own seeming inaction?"  These questions are centuries old and some of the most difficult theological mountains I have ever come across.  I am not trying to shrug them off either, but I do know that I will not find the answer today in this blog post.  But because of my personal revelation I have faith.  I have faith that God is perfect and just, holy and sovereign, and I trust Him.  Father, help me to understand your mysteries and lead me ever more into the truth of who you are-- and help me be a bridge for your revelation to others.

"A Temple of Flesh" - 1 Peter 2:4-6

[4] As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, [5] you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. [6] For it stands in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.” (1 Peter 2:4-6 ESV)

      Here Peter transitions into a picture that dominates a good half of this chapter.  He begins with a description of Christ as "a living stone that the builders rejected."  This is a description of Christ first used in Isaiah, which Peter quotes in verse 6 (Is. 28:16).  There is a lot here, so let's break it down.
      There is significance in the use of the specific word "Cornerstone" in reference to Christ, rather than just stone.  In the building of a building, a cornerstone was a pivotal part of it's construction.  It was load-bearing for at least two sides of the whole, and if it were weakened, the entire structure could be in danger of collapse.  It is not hard to see the metaphor here; that Christ is our foundation and our strength and that we are not to stand alone but to be built on top of him and each other into a strong building.
      It is also significant to note that God prophesied Christ's rejection by man.  Since long before He set foot on the earth, Israel had been on lookout for Messiah.  What they expected however, was an earthly savior.  Someone who would swoop in and save them from Roman oppression and re-establish the kingdom of Israel.  When Christ did arrive on the scene, he was met with hard hearts.  He was not met by a crowd ready and willing to accept this humble man and the lifestyle he embraced and heralded.  He was met by a crowd shouting, "crucify him!"
      And now to what Peter is saying in these few verses.  So now that we understand Christ as cornerstone, rejected by men but holy and pleasing in the sight of God, we can understand verse 5.  In verse 5 now we too, as followers of Christ, are living stones.  We are being built together with Christ as cornerstone into a spiritual house.  Ever since the time of Moses and the Tabernacle, and later with Solomon and the Temple, God had maintained a physical dwelling place, a building, where his very essence dwelt on earth.  It was a place of great power and there were protections in place to spare people the awesome power of God's direct presence, as their sin-filled lives and his unfiltered presence could not coexist in close proximity without bloodshed.  But then came the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, the ultimate shedding of blood.  With this act the great curtain separating man from the holy of holies within the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom by God, symbolizing that there was no longer a need for this separation.  What Peter is describing here is that as a result of Christ's sacrifice, God will no longer dwell in an earthly building.  God will no longer only be accessible by the priesthood, once a year, after so many animal sacrifices to temporarily cleanse their sin.  No, from now on God will physically dwell in the hearts of His people.  We, with Christ as cornerstone, are now the great Temple!  The Church is God's dwelling place on earth.  Our good works have been made into acceptable sacrifices to God through the power of Jesus' blood.  We as followers of Christ have all been made practicing priests.  And this priesthood is part of the inheritance we spoke of in Chapter 1.  Praise God for what He has done to bring us back to Himself!
 

"Spiritual Milk" - 1 Peter 2:1-3

1 So put away all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander. 2 Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation— 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good. (1 Peter 2:1-3 ESV)

      The beginning of chapter two is really just the finishing of the same thought we left off on in chapter 1.  We left off talking about living a holy life, and embodying our new identities as followers of Christ.  Verse one is a list of attributes and activities that are inconsistent with the holy life.   Also, this list is focused heavily on wrongs that are specifically against others- malice towards others, deceit of others, envy of others... they are all things that fly in the face of his earlier admonishment to "love one another earnestly from a pure heart."
      Then there is the longing for pure spiritual milk-  When we are born we know very little.  We soon learn to desire milk for the relief it brings to our bodies natural hunger.  In much the same way, Peter advises that we cultivate a natural longing for the things of God, and that it be our sustenance.  But we are not to stop there.  We are not to be forever content with milk.  Milk has a definite purpose.  It is full of nutrients and is very easy to digest for the infant, making it ideal for promoting growth of the young one.  But, there comes a time when the child needs to be weaned off of this milk and move on the solid food. The writer of Hebrews chastises his audience for not following this very progression.
      So what is to inspire this natural longing in us?  Peter tells us that if we taste the goodness of God, that this longing will result- a longing to grow; in maturity and in closeness with Him.  I think tasting the goodness of God is something that is easily done if we pay attention.  At one time or another we have all been on the receiving end of His goodness, and sometimes all it takes is a moment to stop and recall.  What can we be thankful for that He has provided? Think about that.  How has my life changed because of Him?  Think about that.  His goodness will create within us a longing for more-  May we never be satisfied with enough of Him.