Day 224 – Monday, November 10, 2025

One Year Journey Through the New Testament

1 Peter 2

Welcome to our journey through the New Testament!

Lay Aside

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, ² as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, ³ if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

(1 Peter 2:1–3, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• This second chapter of 1 Peter begins with a call to lay aside all types of sin. He also calls the readers to desire the pure word of God like babies loving milk.
• He calls the readers to growth and maturity, tasting of the grace of the Lord.

The Chosen Stone and His Chosen People

⁴ Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, ⁵ you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. ⁶ Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture,

“Behold, I lay in Zion

A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,

And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”

⁷ Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,

“The stone which the builders rejected

Has become the chief cornerstone,”

⁸ and

“A stone of stumbling

And a rock of offense.”

They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.

⁹ But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; ¹⁰ who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 

(1 Peter 2:4–10, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Peter reminds the readers that they are choosing the one true foundation of Christian faith, even though He was rejected by men.
• The stone rejected, though, said the prophets, was actually the true cornerstone.
• He sums up the section with the famous passage talking about our current condition as opposed to our previously lost condition.
• “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light….”
• He reminds them that they once were separate and not a people, but God has now brought them near and adopted them into His family.

Living Before the World

¹¹ Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul, ¹² having your conduct honorable among the Gentiles, that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may, by your good works which they observe, glorify God in the day of visitation. 

(1 Peter 2:11–12, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Peter then admonishes the strangers on this earth (the redeemed) to abstain from lusts and desires that would take them away from God.
• Conduct yourselves with honor so your good works will help others around you to glorify God.

Submission to Government

¹³ Therefore submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake, whether to the king as supreme, ¹⁴ or to governors, as to those who are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and for the praise of those who do good. ¹⁵ For this is the will of God, that by doing good you may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men—¹⁶ as free, yet not using liberty as a cloak for vice, but as bondservants of God. ¹⁷ Honor all people. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. 

(1 Peter 2:13–17, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• He called the believers to obey the laws and honor their leaders. While this would not require that Christians go against God’s teachings, it does put government and politics, even, in a different light. God uses the government to enact and enforce good laws.
• Therefore, do not just casually ignore or break the law. Instead, honor everyone, especially God, and–by the way–the king.

Submission to Masters

¹⁸ Servants, be submissive to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and gentle, but also to the harsh. ¹⁹ For this is commendable, if because of conscience toward God one endures grief, suffering wrongfully. ²⁰ For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. ²¹ For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps:

²² “Who committed no sin,

Nor was deceit found in His mouth”;

²³ who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously; ²⁴ who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness—by whose stripes you were healed. ²⁵ For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. (1 Peter 2:18–25, NKJV)

Points to Ponder:

• Peter lifts up Jesus as our example, even in cases of slavery.
• Slaves should obey their masters, even if they are punished wrongfully.
• Submitting to discipline when you know you have done wrong is not noble, but to submit when you have not done wrong glorifies God.
• Jesus submitted to beating, mocking, and even a cruel death which He did not deserve. He is our example. By His stripes we were healed. What good thing might your actions effect if you go to your suffering in humility and submission as Jesus did?

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All Scriptures from New King James Version unless otherwise noted.

Join us this afternoon at 5:00 pm for a discussion of this chapter live online. Live@5 with Dr. Greg Sloop can be found on Facebook on the Dr. Greg Sloop page or on the Kannapolis Church of God Facebook page or Youtube page. Another blog will be posted each weekday at 6:00 a.m.