The True Israel of God

James Ballinger | Jul 25, 2021

Scripture: 1 Peter 1:22-2:10

22 Since you have purified yourselves by your obedience to the truth,[a] so that you show sincere brotherly love for each other,(A) from a pure[b] heart love one another constantly,[c](B) 23 because you have been born again(C)—not of perishable seed(D) but of imperishable—through the living and enduring word of God.(E) 24 For

All flesh is like grass,
and all its glory(F) like a flower of the grass.
The grass withers, and the flower falls,
25 but the word of the Lord endures forever.[d](G)

And this word is the gospel that was proclaimed to you.

The Living Stone and a Holy People

Therefore, rid yourselves of(H) all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all slander.(I) Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,[e](J) so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, if you have tasted(K) that the Lord is good.[f](L) As you come to him, a living stone—rejected by people but chosen and honored by[g] God— you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood[h] to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God(M) through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture:

See, I lay a stone in Zion,(N)
a chosen and honored[i] cornerstone,(O)
and the one who believes in him
will never be put to shame.[j](P)

So honor will come to you who believe; but for the unbelieving,

The stone that the builders rejected—
this one has become the cornerstone,[k](Q)

and

A stone to stumble over,
and a rock to trip over.[l](R)

They stumble because they disobey the word; they were destined(S) for this.

But you are a chosen race,[m][n](T) a royal priesthood,[o](U) a holy nation,[p](V) a people for his possession,[q](W) so that you may proclaim the praises[r][s](X) of the one who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.(Y) 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy,(Z) but now you have received mercy.

Footnotes

  1. 1:22 Other mss add through the Spirit
  2. 1:22 Other mss omit pure
  3. 1:22 Or fervently
  4. 1:24–25 Is 40:6–8
  5. 2:2 Or desire pure spiritual milk
  6. 2:3 Ps 34:8
  7. 2:4 Or precious to
  8. 2:5 Or you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood
  9. 2:6 Or precious
  10. 2:6 Is 28:16 LXX
  11. 2:7 Ps 118:22
  12. 2:8 Is 8:14
  13. 2:9 Or generation, or nation
  14. 2:9 Dt 7:6; 10:15; Is 43:20 LXX
  15. 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX; Is 61:6
  16. 2:9 Ex 19:6; 23:22 LXX
  17. 2:9 Ex 19:5; 23:22 LXX; Dt 4:20; 7:6; Is 43:21 LXX
  18. 2:9 Or the mighty deeds
  19. 2:9 Is 42:12; 43:21

Related Resources