In view of the call to be holy, given through the living Word of God, Peter then exhorts us further on how to live. We are literally to "cast off" or "put away" these attitudes that do not please God. The list Peter gives is fairly comprehensive as well, describing problematic heart attitudes and the the sinful actions that proceed from them to our lips. Any thing that is not honoring God should not come from our lips. Any deceptive, hypocritical, slanderous, or malicious talk should not come from us nor should such mindsets be in our hearts as well.
In contrast to these attitudes, we should instead have the attitude like a newborn infant craving his milk. "Epipotheō", which is translated here as "crave" carried the idea to long after, to desire intently. This idea is related to a deep need. This gives us a fairly vivid picture of what Peter is describing here. A little over a year ago, my daughter was a newborn, not unlike what is described here. When she wanted her milk from Mommy, there was no arguing with it! She fervently desired milk (when and only when she was hungry) because it was her life-giving nourishment.
Therefore, as a newborn craves intently her milk, because of her deep need for it, we are to crave deeply the things of God contained in His Word, because we also have a deep need for them. We need to thirst after God's word and the things contained therein, for like the milk to the newborn, it is life-giving.
We can taste that the Lord is good, a point Peter refers to from Psalm 34:8 here in verse 3. "Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the man who takes refuge in Him!" (Ps. 34:8, HCSB). There are great things in God's word for those who seek. The scripture from the Psalm helps to illustrate that we should crave after the Word, for it is good.
"Coming to Him, a living stone—rejected by men but chosen and valuable to God— 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house for a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6 For it is contained in Scripture: Look! I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and the one who believes in Him
will never be put to shame!" (1 Peter 2:4-6, HCSB).
Peter then describes how Christ is the Living Stone to which we come. At first I had some trouble connecting how this thought of Christ as the living stone connects with hungering for God, and tasting that He is good. However, what I realized is that this can refer back to the Old Testament during the time of wandering described in Exodus 17, where God provided for His peoples great need and thirst from a Rock in the desert. Isaiah describes this, "They did not thirst when He led them through the deserts; He made water flow for them from the rock; He split the rock, and water gushed out." (Isaiah 48:21, HCSB). Like in the Old Testament, Christ is the rock, the living stone, in which we are satisfied.
Continuing on this idea of Christ as the living stone, we see how Christ is the chief cornerstone in the church He is building. Christ fulfills the scriptures referring to the chosen stone coming from God prophesied in Isaiah 28:16, Psalms 118:22, and Isaiah 8:14. As prophesied, He was rejected by man, a stumbling stone, but God has chosen Him; He is God's elect, priceless plan for our salvation. This verse highlights how different Christianity really is from the rest of the world. It is hard to get a feel-good, seeker-sensitive message from the one whom the World has rejected, the stone upon which they stumble. To give up everything and follow Him, to give up all claims on their lives, and their achievements and to follow Him- that is a stumbling point the world cannot get around.
We also, because we follow Christ, are living stones. And, as such, we will also be rejected by the World, but chosen and valuable to God. Together, we are being built into into a holy house, His church. The building being created out of us as believers is the only building that truly matters. The buildings we meet in are merely that- a place to meet and gather. They are not the church. The church is us!
Further, we each have a part in this house. Each stone is important to hold the house together as a cohesive whole. Christ is the cornerstone, the chief stone that hold everything else together, that supports the structure. He is central to His church. If He is not, then the church will fall apart.That is the whole idea of the cornerstone. A brief search on the web reveals this definition, which I feel can help us accurately understand the role Christ has in the building of His church: "The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure." (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornerstone)
Not only is Christ central to His church, but we each have a part to play; each stone has a role and a purpose in building a structure. In other epistles, the analogy used is that of the body working together, with each part having a task. While the analogy of a house being built with living stones does not necessarily carry the same picture, it is clear that each stone is important. The purpose of this church, this spiritual house, is clearly laid out in the text: to be a holy priesthood. Collectively, we are the temple where God's spirit dwells and where He is glorified. We are the place where God is honored by our spiritual sacrifices, a point Peter makes here, and is also repeated in Romans 12:1.
In Ephesians 2:19-22, Paul also discusses this concept: "So then you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with the saints, and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. 21 The whole building, being put together by Him, grows into a holy sanctuary in the Lord. 22 You also are being built together for God’s dwelling in the Spirit." (HCSB). This passage further illustrates what Peter is describing here for us. While before we where separated from God, now we are being built together after the pattern of Christ to create a holy sanctuary where God is honored. We who believe in Him will never be put to shame.
"So honor will come to you who believe, but for the unbelieving, 'The stone that the builders rejected—this One has become the cornerstone', 8 and 'A stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over.' They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this." (1 Peter 2:7-8, HCSB)
This goes back to a point I made earlier- Christ, the cornerstone of our salvation, is the stumbling stone for the world. He (and us as His followers) will never become popular in the world system, and our sugar-coating efforts to make the Gospel more palatable sells our hearers short: Christ will always be at odds with the world system. The world is looking for one more thing to add to its accomplishments to be good and earn one's way to heaven. Christ calls a man to die to himself, and follow Him. The world can not and will not understand this. Peter says that they are "destined" for this.
"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10, HCSB).
In contrast to those who stumble and ultimately will perish, we are a people set apart, a holy priesthood unto our God. The various terms Peter uses to describe our position in Christ is humbling and awe-inspiring in that before we were in Christ we also shared the fate as those who stumble, who disobey the message. But, through Christ's grace and mercy, we are a chosen people for the glory of God. Peter makes it clear that the purpose of this is so that we may proclaim the praises of God for our great salvation. He has given us His mercy, drawn us into His glorious, marvelous light!
For Peter's audience, this would be encouraging, possibly even more so for them than us. In spite of the persecutions and hardships they faced under the rule of Rome, there was great hope in knowing they belonged to God, and were a part of His people, His chosen race, a holy priesthood unto Him. God has given us this same mercy, and there is infinite hope in that.
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