Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. This lesson treatment is published in issue no. 10 (weeks 36-39; September 15—October 6, 2019) of The Lookout magazine, and is also available online at www.lookoutmag.com.
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Lesson Aim: Build up your church by offering your life to God.
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By Mark Scott
Metaphors motivate. Metaphors are memorable. Metaphors help us talk and live (George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, Metaphors We Live By). The Bible is full of metaphors, and many metaphors are used to describe God’s people. Years ago Paul Minear traced the many images of the church in the New Testament (Images of the Church in the New Testament). He found over 90.
In chapter 1 Peter called Christian exiles to live in hope (1:3-12), live in holiness (vv. 13-21), and live in love (vv. 22-25). In chapter 2 Peter moved from mandate to metaphor. He called the exiles to live like newborn babies, to live like living stones, and to be God’s special possession.
Babies | 1 Peter 2:1-3
The word for babies in this passage is the
normal word for infant. That metaphor is not always used positively in the New Testament. Remaining on
milk means that Christians are not maturing (Hebrews 5:11–6:8). Remaining in
spiritual infancy means that Christians are susceptible to false doctrine
(Ephesians 4:14). But this passage used the metaphor positively by likening our
growth in Christ to a craving for (longing for; desiring earnestly) spiritual
(logical; reasonable) milk.
The purity of
this picture is retained by putting away five sins. Believers are more likely
to crave pure spiritual milk if they rid themselves of malice (badness), deceit (guile),
hypocrisy (play acting), envy
(jealousy; pain when good is viewed), and slander (bad speech). When
believers crave spiritual milk they will grow up in their salvation
(i.e. mature in Christ) and they will experience (taste)
that the Lord is good (kind). This last phrase draws upon Psalm 34:8
and is used to describe what coming into Christ is like in Hebrews 6:4.
Stones | 1 Peter
2:4-8
This is the largest section of our text (and
thus the emphasis for the lesson title). “Stones” has to be plural because
there are two stones described here. One is Jesus, and one is collectively
spoken of as God’s people (i.e. the church).
Jesus is called a living stone. Stones do not live, but
by virtue of his indestructible life, this stone does. Believers are told to
come to him. His rejection by men, his election by God, and his preciousness
and significance for the Father’s purposes are all underlined here. God laid
(placed) this living stone down in Zion (a word with many nuances meaning
everything from God’s people to
the temple to Jerusalem, etc.) as a cornerstone
(foundation stone, verse 6) and a capstone (the normal word for head is used in the
reference in verse 7). In other words, this stone is the top and bottom of it
all. So profound is Jesus the living stone that people will stumble over him (i.e. his exclusivity will cause people to
decide against him) and be a rock (huge boulder) that
makes people fall (feel scandalized because they do
not accept the power of the cross, 1 Corinthians 1:21). The reason that these
people fall over the rock is because they do not believe and they disobey his message (word).
If Jesus is
the rock, the church is little stones. But because Jesus lives, the church also
lives as living stones. Peter says three things about
these “little Christs” (Martin Luther’s phrase to describe Christians). First,
they are being built into a spiritual house (i.e.
firmly planted in the church). Second, they are a holy priesthood
offering spiritual sacrifices (i.e. they officiate for God in the
world). Third, they are never put to shame
(i.e. they are honored by the one whose voice really matters). To underline
these truths Peter drew upon rich Old Testament passages (e.g. Isaiah 28:16;
8:14; Psalm 118:22).
Property | 1 Peter 2:9,
10
Babies crave
milk. Stones are used in buildings. But property remains a possession. That’s
what Peter emphasized in this last metaphor. Drawing upon images from Isaiah
and Exodus (particularly chapter 19), Peter reminded these Christian exiles “whose”
they were. As God’s property, they were a chosen people (race), a royal (kingly) priesthood, a holy nation (a set apart ethnicity). These were their
name tags, their identity, their labels, and their handles.
But with privilege comes purpose. As God’s special possession they had the privilege of declaring the praises (excellencies or surpassing greatness—only appearing here and in Philippians 4:8 and 2 Peter 1:3, 5) of the one who called them (i.e. God). They shifted from darkness to light. They shifted from being wandering nomads into being the people of God. They shifted from not having received mercy to having received it. Hopefully these metaphors will motivate us to build up the church by offering our lives to God.
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Lesson study ©2019, Christian Standard Media. Print and digital subscribers are permitted to make one print copy per week of lesson material for personal use. Lesson based on the scope and sequence, ©2019 by Christian Standard Media. Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, ©2011, unless otherwise indicated.
Dr. Mark Scott wrote this treatment of the International Sunday School Lesson. Scott teaches preaching and New Testament at Ozark Christian College, Joplin, Missouri. He also serves as minister with Park Plaza Christian Church in Joplin.
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