Tuesday, January 13, 2015

The True Church, Dwelling Place of God








1 Peter 2:5 (Daily study for Tuesday, January 13, 2015)


The typical Greek word order here is interesting and a bit poetic.  Peter places the noun before the adjectives as he writes that we are “stones living,” “a house spiritual,” and “a priesthood holy.” The order of the words, however, is secondary to the progression of thought and purpose they present.  We are first living stones exactly the same as Jesus was a living stone (v. 4).  Our purpose as stones is to be built into a spiritual house.  Paul used the same metaphor in Ephesians 4:19-22.  The picture is inescapable!  Believers are each one part of the building, the church, the “holy temple of the Lord,” “the dwelling place of God in the Spirit.”  Each stone is important, invaluable, and essential.  The house of the church is not complete without every stone in place.  Naturally, some stones are more visible than others, but none make the house of God more complete by their presence than any other stone, and none make it less complete by their absence.  All of us are equally valuable and equally important.

I am a stone, just a stone, chiseled from the same pit as all the other stones, shaped by the same hand, and designed for His plan in His special place by the same great Architect.  I am put by His grace where I and I alone must be, so there is no room for pride, jealousy, complacency, or indifference.  I cannot fit in another’s place nor can he take mine, for we are all part of the Master’s great plan to the full measure of His sovereign grace.  We are the dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Monday, January 12, 2015

Built of Living Stones - 1 Peter 2:5

 

What is the Church - Daily Notes Transcription




Though the word “church” is not used, this description of the assembly of believers is picturing the believers as a church and uses the metaphor of a building.  As I began looking at the 5 characterizations of this metaphor, I was struck by the emphasis Peter expresses as he begins this verse.  The Greek is κα αὐτο, and the usage makes the expression emphatic.  The simple English translation is “and you…” but the combination and placement of the words at the beginning of the verse is closer to our expression, “and you yourselves….”  In verse 4, Peter speaks of Jesus the Stone rejected by the builders as the “living stone by men rejected,” so in verse 5, he associates us with Christ as living stones by using the words κα αὐτο – and you yourselves are living stones!

Friday, January 9, 2015

What Is The Church? 1 Peter 2:4-5


1 Peter 2:4-5
Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, 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.


Here follows my notes for 01-07-2015 . Click on the image to enlarge it. 


Thursday, January 8, 2015

Crave the Word - 1 Peter 2:1-3

1 Peter 2:1-3

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

Here follows my notes for 01-06-2015 . Click on the image to enlarge it. 


Monday, January 5, 2015

Daily Notes, 1 Peter 2:1-3

1 Peter 2:1-3

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

Here follows my notes for 01-05-201. Click on the image to enlarge it.