Today we are following up on yesterday's discussion of the same passage with the focus of Jesus Christ as the cornerstone. We will further examine the passage, which refers to believers as "living stones."
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame." So the honor is for you who believe, but for those who do not believe, "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone, and "A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense." They stumble because they disobey the word, as they were destined to do. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:4-9 (ESV)
The apostolic exhortation to perceive Christ as the cornerstone has been deeply explored. However, a corollary yet crucial concept—that of believers as "living stones"—deserves scholarly attention. While the cornerstone establishes the foundation, the structure's integrity also depends on the quality and arrangement of each subsequent stone. This study aims to elucidate the theological implications of believers as "living stones," as posited in 1 Peter 2:4-9, especially within the framework of Protestant Evangelical Biblical perspectives.
Scriptural Analysis
The passage in focus is 1 Peter 2:4-5 (ESV):
As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
The term "living stones" ζῶντες λίθοι is particularly striking. While Christ is the "living stone," believers are similarly identified as "living stones" in a spiritual house. Peter thus presents an ecclesiology where Christ is not merely an isolated cornerstone but one that vivifies other stones to also become "living."
Theological Dimensions
A Collective Spiritual House
The imagery of a "spiritual house" οἶκος πνευματικός implies a community. Unlike earthly houses made of inert materials, this spiritual house consists of "living stones," thus emphasizing a dynamic, growing relationship with Christ. This aligns with the broader Evangelical emphasis on a personal, active faith in Christ. The apostolic counsel is not merely individualistic but portrays a collective destiny.
A Holy Priesthood
The phrase "holy priesthood" ἱεράτευμα ἅγιον evokes Old Testament imagery. In the Mosaic covenant, the priesthood was confined to the Levitical lineage. However, Peter, drawing from the prophetic promise in Isaiah 61:6, enlarges this concept. Every believer is to partake in this priesthood, thereby democratizing access to God. This priesthood's role is to "offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 2:5, ESV), indicating worship that is predicated upon one's relationship with Christ.
Dual Response to the Cornerstone
Peter envisions a two-fold response to Christ: for believers, He is the cornerstone, but for unbelievers, "a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense" (1 Peter 2:8, ESV). The stone imagery illustrates the conviction that faith in Christ is the pivotal point for salvation or judgment.
Martin Lloyd Jones' Observations on 1 Peter 2
The infamous British Pastor Martin Lloyd Jones notes that God dispatched His Son, Jesus Christ, for the redemptive purpose of reclaiming fallen humanity from sinfulness. As the cornerstone and bedrock of faith, He eternally engages in intercession for His chosen ones. This soteriological mission was executed through the hypostatic union—uniting divine and human natures in the singular person of Jesus Christ. He exemplified an impeccable life, endured an atoning death on the cross commensurate with the plight of sinners, and was victoriously resurrected. Consequently, He fulfills the office of the great High Priest, incessantly interceding for His people before the celestial Father.
Christ's dual role—as a suffering servant and a resurrected messianic king—is the axis around which the Christian faith revolves. This focus on Christ negates any salvific contribution from human works or ecclesiastical activities. The emergence of a Christ-absent form of Christianity serves as a cautionary sign against detaching the church from its foundation and perfecter of faith. Essentially, the entire Christian doctrine is encapsulated in the consummate work of Christ Jesus. As the antitypical and superior Adam, He has efficaciously liberated His people from the bondage of sin and conferred upon them the status of divine filiation.
Observations of the Church Fathers
Augustine of Hippo, in his "Expositions on the Psalms," elucidates the community's collective role in the body of Christ, offering insights that align with the concept of "living stones" (Augustine, "Expositions on the Psalms," Ps 118). Furthermore, Origen, in his "Commentary on John," extends the idea of believers being constructed into a spiritual house, laying emphasis on the necessity of each stone's alignment with the cornerstone for the integrity of the structure (Origen, "Commentary on John," Book X, Chapter 16).
Application for Believers Today
The metaphor of believers as "living stones" presents a compelling ecclesiology that complements the cornerstone imagery. Just as the cornerstone is vital for alignment and stability, each 'living stone'—each believer—is crucial for the spiritual house's structural integrity. This community of believers serves as a "holy priesthood," signifying an expanded access to God, contingent on a vibrant relationship with Jesus Christ, the cornerstone. These elements coalesce to form a rich theological tapestry that stresses both individual responsibility and corporate identity in God's redemptive plan.
It is evident that the concept of "living stones" amplifies the cornerstone imagery by adding dimensions of collective identity, expanded priesthood, and a dynamic faith rooted in Christ. Therefore, anchoring one's life in Christ is not an individualistic endeavor but involves being strategically placed and aligned within a larger spiritual edifice intricately connected with the cornerstone—Jesus Christ.
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