1 Pet. 3:8-12: Give a blessing to others

Harmonious living
8 To sum up, all of you be harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble.
9 Do not return evil for evil or insult for insult, but instead bless others because you were called to inherit a blessing.
10 For the one who wants to love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from uttering deceit.
11 And he must turn away from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it.
12 For the eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous and his ears are open to their prayer. But the Lord's face is against those who do evil.

v. 8: - "To sum up..." - Peter concludes his instructions on inter-personal relationships in the church.

"harmonious, sympathetic, affectionate, compassionate, and humble " - A guide for Christian living, both in the Christian community and in the world. See Matt. 5:2-12,38-48. With the blessings that you and I have in store, we should be overflowing with blessings for others, no matter what their attitude, we can love by faith. By the phrase "in store", I do not mean "pie in the sky, bye and bye" (an old phrase, indicating the riches waiting for us in heaven.). I mean that you are in Christ, and Christ is in you, right now as you live and breathe, all the riches and mercy God has shed on you is available to be shed on others through your life. He came that we might have life and it abundantly. (John 10:10) That abundant life is to be shared with others that they may see, hear and believe. This is not a secret stash, hidden and waiting for you alone (well, it is, kinda) but a blessing that is offered to everyone.

1. Harmonious - The church members should be of the 'same mind', coming to agreement on issues that come up. This is more than 'agreeing to disagree'. The church members need to pray that God will bring their hearts together. No back-biting, no carping and gossiping behind the leaders' backs. Compare this to James 4:1-5.
2. Sympathetic - It was said of the Israelites "they turned a stubborn shoulder, stopped their ears from hearing, and made their hearts like flint" (Zech. 7:11-13). They did this to avoid hearing what God had to say. The heart like flint prevents us from feeling or sharing an emotional attachment with another person. When they are suffering, or in pain, we need the capacity to feel along with them. We are not to stand off and say, "Wow. That's a bummer." As an example of how we should act, see Job 2:11-13; 6:14.
3. Affectionate - Love one another, just as Christ loved you. This is a prime command for believers. See: John 13;34, 35; 15:12,17; Rom. 12:10; Gal. 5:13; 1 Thess. 4:7; 1 Pet. 1:22; 1 John 3:11.
4. Compassionate - Compassion is sympathy put into action. Your heart is moved from feeling and sharing the same emotion as another to moving and doing things that will help or alleviate the other person's situation. Christians are called to be compassionate. See: Matt. 9:36, 14:14, 5:43-48. God's move to save us is based on His compassion for us. (Lam. 3:22) He 'saw' that we are incapable of working our way to Him, so He provided a bridge over the chasm that separates us from Him. That bridge is the cross. God moved to free Israel from Egypt based on His compassion for their plight. See: Exo. 34:6; Hos. 6:6; Mic. 6:8
5. Humble - Do not think more highly of yourself than your ought to think. Remember, there is nothing you have done, or can do that will pay for your sin nature. Only the perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior can provide eternal life. You have nothing to brag about. It was done for you. The price was paid. There is no reason for you to think that now you are better than others, better than those sinners and heathens that have rejected Jesus. He died for them also. See Php. 2:3.

v. 9: - "Do not return evil for evil..." - This is the opposite of 'eye for an eye, or a tooth for a tooth'. Compare: Lev. 24:17-22; Deut. 19:17-21 with Matt. 5:37-48; Prov. 20:22; 24:29; 25:21f; Rom. 12:20,21. If we are plotting revenge ("a dish best served cold") the spirit of forgiveness is not in us. The God who saves you is not out to get you, even though you deserve to be 'gotten'.

"instead bless others because..." - The example has been set before you: God has the right and the reason to vent wrath upon you, the sinner, and does not. He is merciful to you. Why do you think you need to get your own revenge? You are saved because God loves you. His love and forgivenss should fill you. You are to get the blessing of eternal life, of living with Jesus and god the Father.

v. 10-12: - "turn away from evil and do good" - Part of the blessing of being a child of God is we can live in peace, by not making waves. We are to make peace, and abstain from any form of evil. See: Psa. 34:12-16; Psa. 37:3; Isa. 1:16, 17; Matt. 5:9; 1 Thess. 5:22.

"The eyes of the Lord" - Thers is nothing that can be hid from God. (Heb. 4:13) He is always on the lookout for those who do good, and especially for those people whose 'hearts are truly His' (See: 2 Chron. 16:9) The blessing of the Lord is upon the believer. (Num. 6:24-26). Let that blessing be reflected off your countenance to those around you, even your enemies. This is a tall order. It is not doable under your own power, only by letting Jesus live in and through you.

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1 Pet. 3:1-7 - A Message for Wives and Husbands

3:1-6 - Wives, let your beauty be from within
1 In the same way, wives, be subject to your own husbands. Then, even if some are disobedient to the word, they will be won over without a word by the way you live,
2 when they see your pure and reverent conduct.
3 Let your beauty not be external - the braiding of hair and wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes -
4 but the inner person of the heart, the lasting beauty of a gentle and tranquil spirit, which is precious in God's sight.
5 For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands,
6 like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord. You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so.
7 Husbands, in the same way, treat your wives with consideration as the weaker partners and show them honor as fellow heirs of the grace of life. In this way nothing will hinder your prayers.

Working on these seven verses made me more nervous than many others. Whatever I say is probably going to make someone angry. I realize this letter was written to a different time and culture, so the relationship of men and women would be different than our day and age. The social mores change with each generation and each culture. Today, people who want you to believe that women are equal in every way are conveniently refusing to see the obvious. In general, men are physically stronger than women. The fastest Olympics women sprinter are never as fast as the men - nor can they lift the same weights. Their times in the skiing competition are slower than men's. Their times in the distance events are slower. This does not make them lesser human beings than men, just different.
On the other hand, we know that "all scripture is inspired by God and useful for teaching..." 2 Tim. 3:16, 17. Some scripture is for exhorting believers, some are commands. Some are history. Many of us can agree that some the commands of the Old Covenant no longer apply to believers (sacrifices, holy days, etc.) The commands of the New Covenant are few, with respect to the quantity in the Old.
Do the following verses fall into the 'culture specific' instruction or commands, i.e., when this was written, women were second class citizens and should be kept quiet and invisible. Or are these commands universal, and to be applied to every generation and culture, like 'believe and be saved', or 'go in to all the world...'?
The process of deciding which biblical verses are applicable to you and me is potentially hazardous, and not a path to be tread lightly. The decision to be literal may also seem correct, but strict application can lead to bone-headed actions. When is a command not a command but a real good suggestion, or a nice guideline?
This passage is very similar to 1 Timothy 2:9-15, dealing with basically the same subject with respect to Christian women. It is important to remember that women had prominent positions in the early church. Several in Paul's ministry herald church meeting in their homes. Timothy was revised in the faith by his mother and grandmother. Some of the most faithful disciples of our Lord were women. The following verses are not an attack on women, nor should they be an affront to women.

Here we go down a double black diamond run.

v. 1-2: - "In the same way..." - What 'same way'? This takes us back in the letter to find the way to which Peter is referring. Go back to chapter 2, starting in verses 11, 12. Our behavior must be above reproach. We are to obey civil authorities - our government. We are to obey and respect our 'masters' (i.e., slaves, or for you and me - our bosses, managers, business owners.) At no time is our behavior to bring dishonor or reproach to Jesus' name. As a believer, I am a representative of the King of Kings. Once, a long time ago, I was in the office and making some comments. A guy sitting the desk next to mine quietly said, "You know, that is not very Christian." I don't remember what I was doing or saying, but I remember his comment. I was taken aback for a bit. As I thought about what he said, I knew he was correct. I changed my behavior. I was being a bad representative for Christ. This admonition is given to us by Jesus our Lord. He did not bluster, or argue, or fight the authorities. The apostles are also examples of what our actions should be. Peter, James and John were obedient servants of the civil authorities, until they were gold to not preach about Jesus and the salvation He provides. "We must obey God, rather than men." Acts 5:29. Here Peter is not talking about obedience to governments. He is addressing the relationship of husband and wife.

"wives, be subject to your own husbands" - This not about subjugation - being conquered, being dominated.
Several years ago I attended a seminar "The Role of the Man in the Family" (I believe the author and leader was named McDonald.) One of his main ideas was to get us to understand men and women are different. God designed us this way. The family is the basic unit of society, centered around one man and one woman together. The man's role is to be the hunter/provider/protector. The women's role is care and nurture the family. Both roles are needed to be a complete unit. Men are usually the risk takers. The women are usually that are more practical and concerned for the well-being of the family unit. As he humorously put it, "The man has all these great ideas and plans. The woman has the bucket of ice water of reality." This is not to say women are kill-joys. The husband and wife must work together for the good of the family. He says, "I want to go and do this great thing." She says, "What is the cost to the family, our kids? Will we lose our home, our security?" God designed the family with a hierarchy. Just as there is God the Father, and god the Son, there is God the King of Israel, his chosen bride, and Jesus Christ with His chosen bride, the church. God loved Israel as a husband loves his wife. God considered the disobedience of the Israel nation, when they turned to worship other gods the same as adultery. The prophet Hosea addresses this issue.
Another concept taught in the 'Role of the Man in the Family" was the idea 'umbrella of protection' (This concept was also discussed in the 'Basic Youth Conflicts'by Bill Gotherd). The nation of Israel was under God's protection as long they were faithful to Him. Christians are Under Christ's protection (1 Pet. 1:5) as they live in the power of the Holy Spirit. There is an 'zone of protection' for a family when the family unit is operating correctly. God has deisgnated the man as the 'head' of the family (the concept of hierarchy). Often decisions must be made for the family, and after the husband and the wife discuss what needs to be done. The wise husband listens to his wife, and takes her opinion seriously. Now, if both people agree on the path to take, no problem. If there is no consensus, and a decision must be made, that decision falls to the husband. The meaning of 'being subject' is that the wife should accept the husband's decision. She may not be happy with it. If the plan fails, based on the husband's decision, it is not her responsibility, but his. If she fights against his decision, and works to undermine his decision, which leads to the plan failure she is now responsible. She has stepped out of the God designed protection of the family unit.
That was a rather long-winded explanation. Being 'subject' does not mean the wife has to be subservient and demeaned. The husband wife are equal partners in the marriage. The hierarchy is husband, then wife, and then children; following the hierarchy of heaven God the Father, God the Son, and the church.

"they will be won over without a word" - Husbands will be won to the Lord through their wives if the Christian wives are subject to their husbands. The husbands will take note of the wives behavior, and knowing the wife is a Christian, and may be won. If the wives oppose the husbands, that too will be noticed. The non-believer may become embittered, and turn on the believing spouse and attack their belief. We must love the unbelieving spouse to Christ.

v. 3-4: - "inner person of the heart" - The beauty of a Christian must be from within, and do not rely upon outer works. Peter emphasizes a "gentle and quiet spirit". A spirit such as this can only come when the heart is at peace with God. There is nothing that can disturb that tranquility, imperturbable because of complete trust in the Lord.

v. 5: - "holy women who hoped in God long ago" - Women of olden times, during the early Church era, holy women, were "beautiful" in this way - from within. Part of the purity of character was in their obedience to their husbands. Peter here takes the reader much further back than the early church - perhaps 2000 years.

v. 6: - "Sarah who obeyed Abraham" - Sarah is used as an example. Today's women can be her 'spiritual children' but must not be afraid of intimidation, because we are the Lord's, he will provide.

Husbands, your wife is an equal in God's family

v. 7: - "In the same way..." - That phrase again. 1 Pet. 2:21-25. Christ suffered for you and I. He is our example. He did not revile, he did not threaten. He sacrificed Himself for you and I. Husbands - Christ is your example. As the church is the Bride of Christ, and He gave Himself for the church, you are to love and support your wife. It is interesting to contemplatey who has the greater burden - the husband commanded to give his life for his wife, or the wife commanded to 'be subject'? Husbands, live with your wives. Love your wives. Be considerate. Follow Jesus's example.
Why should a husband do this (other than it is commanded)? Because she deserves honor - she is a child of God, an heir fo the mercy and grace the same as any man who has accepted Jesus as Lord and Savior. 'Child of God' has a different connotation in the secular world. "We are all God's children" indicates that we are all the same underneath it all. In God's economy, we are all God's creation, not all are children of God. Only those who have accepted God's proferred mercy through Jesus Christ can claim the name 'Child of God'. Only those whose names are in the Lambs Book of Life will inherit eternal life with Him.
"treat your wives with consideration" - Husbands, treat your wives as co-equals in God's plan. Neithere the husband or the wife has earned their way into God's family. We are children of God by His grace. (Eph. 2:8-9) They too are children of God, if they accept Christ as their personal savior. However, women are to be treated gently and protected, because they are weaker. Not mentally weaker, but perhaps physically (e.g., strength and stamina). The man who does not listen to his wife at this point is a fool (someone who knows the right thing to do, and goes another direction). Working together as a unit they can accomplish great things, but perhaps at a more measured pace. The husband and the wife are complements to each other's tendencies. She may calm him down. He may 'stretch' her a little.
"weaker partners" - This is one of those 'hot potato' issues - no one wants to handle it. This can so quickly spiral down, feelings can be hurt, and can appear to be prejudiced and offensive. On the other hand why write these notes if you are going to hold back? What is meant, or implied by this statement, "weaker partner"? Let me preface with a couple of thoughts: (1) this is scripture, inspired by God, for teaching. I am not sure that we can toss aside an instruction or command because it only applies to 'that time' and not to us. (2) Our culture has become hyper-aware of 'feminist' or politically correct issues. Saying that men and women are different is almost forbidden.
I think women basically may be more vulnerable spiritually. This part of the nature God gave them to be more nurturing and caring. Because they care and are more aware of relationships they may be more easily led (gullible). Men must be considerate (we are commanded to do so) of our wives spiritual condition and guide them. Never, ever lead them astray from the faith! We cannot belittle them. We must treat them with the same consideration we give to fellow Christian brothers. If sin toward a believer hinders our fellowship with God, likewise, sin (wrongful attitude toward Christian women) will hinder our fellowship with God.

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1 Pet. 2:18-19 - Servants - obey your masters

18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable.
19 For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly.

These verses are not an endorsement of slavery. In the workplace environment, whether as boss or as employee, let your work habits reflect your faith. (Col. 3:23, 24)

vs. 18 - "Servants, be submissive" - Your witness by your obedience to those who have control over you will be made known. Your boss, your master (if you are a slave) will know if you are a good employee. See: 1 Cor. 7:20-24. Do nothing that would entice them to say, "Well, if that's the way a Christian acts..." We all have had discussions with people who know Christians who have behaved badly, who have done wrong. What can you say to them? Make no excuses.

vs. 19 - "for sake of conscience" - Obedience to your master finds favor with the Lord. If you/we suffer for our belief in God and Christ... In the U. S., Christians have not been subject to much persecution. We have been blessed to live in a country whose history is based on Judeo-Christian heritage and foundation. But many others are not so fortunate. Persecution or mockery directed at you because you are a believer in Jesus, and you do not respond in anger and malice is counted as credit.

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1 Pet. 2:13-17 - Obey civil authorities; do what is right

13 Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority,
14 or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right.
15 For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God.
17 Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.

This is a continuation of the living above reproach theme considered in the previous verses.

vs. 13-14 - "Submit yourselves..." - Obey the rules and laws set down by those who govern, to glorify Jesus through your obedience. Do not let your actions, such as flaunting the law or willful disobedience to the laws, cause people to denigrate Jesus's church. How many times have we heard of someone say a negative comment about a 'Christian businessman'? That's a bad witness. If there is no difference in behavior, why would anyone want to be a Christian?
It is much easier to be a non-believer than a Christian because good behavior is not expected from someone who is not Christ's follower.

vs. 15 - "ignorance of foolish men" - Foolish people, before they know you, may bad-mouth you because of your faith. Give them no reason to do so. See: 1 Pet. 2:12, 3:17. In today's culture in the United States, the term 'conservative', or 'fundamentalist' is a pejorative. (Note: The Puritans who escaped England to come to North America were despised. To call someone a 'Puritan' was a slur. And this was simply because they wanted to 'purify' the Anglican church from its apostasy.)

vs. 16 - "Act as free men" - We now are free from the law of sin and death. We are free in Christ; yet we are voluntary slaves of Christ. He bought us, and paid a dear price. See: Gal. 5:1, 13; 1 Thess. 5:22; James 1:25; 1 Cor. 7:22; Rom. 6:22; Eph. 6:6; Col 3:24.
"do not use your freedom as a covering for evil" - What an odd turn of phrase. How does freedom cover up evil? It does not. I think this means 'do not use your freedom as an excuse to sin.' Believers are now free from the power of sin, the power of shame and guilt. Free to live as you wish. No more looking over your shoulder (metaphorically) to see if you are being caught doing wrong. In theory, once you have accepted Christ as Savior, there is no more penalty. You are saved, your life is hidden with Christ in God. Eternal life is yours. In theory, this means you may live any way you want. After all, there is no second death!
Wrong! Wrong way of thinking. Wrong motivation. A terrible price has been paid for you - individually. (If you were the only human on earth, Christ would had to be sacrificed for you!) You are no longer a slave to sin. Live like that! Remember when you buy a new car? Remember how careful you are with it - after all you've put out a lot of money for it. Treat your new life in Christ with the same type of care and reverence. Live your life worthy - see Col. 1:9-13, Rom. 6:6-15.

vs. 17 - "Honor... Love... Fear" - God first, Others second, Me third. Love your fellow believers, they are saved as your are by the mercy of God and Jesus's sacrifice. Be respectful (honor) all people - both the saved and unsaved are loved by God. Fear God - your life is in His hands. Your eternal life is in His hands. If you are Christ's - your eternal life is with Him. If not, the 'certificate of death' which is on all of us, will be executed (Col. 2:13-14.)
Give respect to the king (President, Prime Minister, whoever is leading your country) because your life here on earth is in their control.
This is a good lifestyle: Respect and love those you live with. Fear and respect those who are your masters.

1 Pet. 2:11-12 - We must be Above Reproach since We are His People

11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul.
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.

vs. 11 - "beloved" - Peter is addressing fellow Christians. He talks to them as brothers and sisters - family, not just other people. .

"aliens and strangers" - Okay, aliens and strangers to what? If Peter was refering to Gentiles, they were 'aliens' from God's salvation message given to the Jews. They were 'strangers' from the whole history of God and His people. If Peter was refering to the Jews, they were called 'strangers in a strange land' while in captivity. I don't think either makes much sense.
Peter has just addressed them as 'beloved' - Peter loves them because they are part of the church family. (Rom. 12:5) Not that Peter loves non-believers less. Believers are children of God, and there is a 'family' relationship. For example, if you are a fan of the Oregon State Beavers and you meet another Beaver fan, there is an instant camaraderie based on that fandom. (It may not go deeper than that but it is a relationship you would not have with a fan of any other college team.) In the same way, Christians are not strangers to the love of God, being saved by His grace.

Peter wants you to realize you are no longer members of this world, but denizens of another more magnificent reality. This world is no longer your home. Your home is in heaven and you are a visitor here. You have been delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred tothe kingdom of His beloved Son. (Col. 1:13) How strange to think of the world into which you were born, the one in which you grew up, the one in which you sit now while reading is an alien land. This is not your home. You are a 'stranger' here. So, if this is not your home then you are not controlled any longer by the 'rules' of this space. Fleshly lusts are the norm here. You are no longer subject to the sin around you.

This may be one of the most difficult concepts to grasp. We are physically bound to this world. It is real - the pain, the suffering, the joy, and the common - eating, drinking, sleeping, work. The spiritual world is also real - our thoughts, our spirit, our faith. Our behavior is determined by our beliefs and our will to follow those beliefs. We are what we believe. (Prov. 23:7; Gen. 6:15; Job. 4:24; Psa. 37:31; Matt. 12:34, 15:18; Luk 6:45)
The book "Total Truth" (Nancy Pearcey) points out that both ancient and modern philosophies have tried to separate the spiritual and the physical. The physical is 'real' and 'true'. The spiritual is in your mind, is not 'real' and therefore does not have the same 'truth' as the physical. Her emphasis is both physical and spiritual form a total truth. They cannot be separated. This is the battle we face each day. Do we follow the old nature, which is bound by sin and defiles us? Do we turn to Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit and live life abundantly? It is our choice. It does not happen automatically. Turn from your old ways which are part of your ignorance of Christ, and choose the new. That is what makes you a 'stranger and an alien' in this world.

"fleshly lusts which war against the soul." - That which is of the flesh is against the spirit. See: Rom. 8:5-8, 13; James 1:21, 4:1-4; 1 John 2:15-16; Gal. 6:7,8.

vs. 12 - "Keep your behavior excellent" - Keep your actions so above reproach, that even non-believers will know you are Christ's own at His return. They will see your good deeds, how you live your life, how you respond in any and every circumstance, and will acknowledge that you were a Christian. See: Phil. 2:15; 2 Cor. 8:21; Rom. 12:17; 1 Thess. 5:22. But before that, during this life, they will see that you are not like others who do not believe.
This verse also helps us see that 'aliens and strangers' was not about Gentiles or Jews in the previous verse. We are to live amongst the Gentiles so that no bad thing can be said about us. I am not refering to persecution, but reputation. Your life must be authentically Christian. You must 'good to the bone' - all the way down to your inner most being. In this way, any slander will be recognized as untrue and evil. When someone slanders your good name ('Christian') you want others to shake their heads and say, "That doesn't sound like the person I know." Or someone will say, "That can't be. I know them. They are Christian!" God will be glorified by your life. This same message was delivered in Ezek. 36:21. The Jews disobedience and stubbornness had profaned the the name of God - it was no longer viewed as 'holy' by other nations. His reputation was besmirched.

"day of visitation" - This probably refers to Christ's return and not referring to rapture; it is at the return for judgement that all will acknowledge Jesus is Lord. See: Phil. 2:9-11.

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1 Pet. 2:9-10 - We are his people, by His mercy

9 But you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION, A PEOPLE FOR God's OWN POSSESSION, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 for you once were NOT A PEOPLE, but now you are THE PEOPLE OF GOD; you had NOT RECEIVED MERCY, but now you have RECEIVED MERCY.

vs. 9 - "Chosen race" - These words described the Jewish nation. See Deut. 7:6, 10:15, 29:10-14; Isa. 42:6 The world was to know God through them. See: Isa. 43:20, 61:6; Exo. 19:6; . Now 'chosen race' applies to the church. Even more so, we know the grace and mercy of the Lord. We can proclaim this grace to the world.

"royal priesthood" - The Levites were priests, but never called 'royal'. They were chosen by God to serve Him, and to serve the people. They were to be the intermediaries between the people and God. They did not volunteer to be the priests, it was given to them by God, (Num. 18:7). It was for them to serve, to bear responsibility for their duties. The priesthood was a serious job. It was to be the Levites' job forever. Exo. 29:9 No one else among the Israelites could do it. To attempt to step in and take over meant death. Num. 3:10.

In the new covenant there are no priestly duties, ceremonial or otherwise.
What is our job, if we are royal priests?
We are to be God's 'speakers for the dead' (to paraphrase Orson Scott Card, though he was not referring to faith in Christ). By this I mean sharing the gospel to those who are dead in their sin. We do not advocate (as defense lawyers, so to speak) to God for those lost in their sins. There is only one who can do that. 1 John 2:1; Mic. 7:9. We have no power to save. Acts 4:12 God has given us the mission of sharing the good news. Matt. 28:19,20, Rom. 10:14. Campus Crusade for Christ had a 'mission statement'- "We are to share the gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leave the results to God." It is God who saves. We are the designated messengers.

"holy nation" - This title had been reserved for the Israelites. Isa. 19:6, Israel, even to this day, has a special place in God's economy and kingdom. The believers in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, have NOT replaced the Jews. The covenant with Abraham is in perpetuity. God does not change His mind. He does not break His promises. The Jews are the Father's special nation. The church is Christ's special nation. The Jews are, or are to be the Father's bride. The church is, or is to be the bride of Christ.

"people... God's own possession" - See Exo. 3:7, Lev. 26:12. The descendants of Abraham are God's own. And now, because He has called us to Him, we are His also. Again, we are not displacing the Jews, they will always be precious to God. We also are His people, paid for by His blood, His sacrifice. For both Jew and the Gentile believers, we did nothing to earn that elevated position.

"so that..." - Being 'chosen', a 'priesthood', a 'nation', and His 'people' is not so we can just sit around and bask in His glory. This answers the question asked earlier about what are we priests to do: Share Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit and leave the results to God. What has He done for you? Saved you from the penalty due for your sins - which is death. I just read an article from a webpage, ThinkChristian which notes the enemy of Satan and death is the resurrection. "The resurrection is the fulcrum on which the whole Christian story turns. Because of the resurrection, terror, cancer, addiction, depression and death may have their say, but they don’t have the last word. Because of the resurrection there is no lost hope. Because of the resurrection there is a new reality in which life wins, love wins and the power of God wins." God wins! Satan has no answer, for he cannot create life, he cannot resurrect life. He only partakes in death. As a result, believers win! We are called out of darkness and into the kingdom of His glorious light. See Col. 1:13, James 1:17.

vs. 10 - "Not a people... Now you are the people of God" - This was prophesied in Hosea 1:10, 2:23. There were the Jews, chosen by God to be the conduit of salvation of the world. All the rest, Gentile nations, were not 'chosen'. This does not mean that God did not love the Gentiles. They were not the people God would use to display His grace. They may be recipients, but not called to be actively involved in showing His grace to the world. There would come a time when those on the 'outs' would no longer be so. Were there special blessings for the Jews because they were chosen? Yes. There were special requirements also. We Gentiles had no hope. We had no Law, either. We would be judged on what we understood from what we can sense around us. Now is the time, starting with the crucifixion, burial and resurrection, for us to become people of God's kingdom. We were estranged, with little hope. Now we are God's children - His people - when we accept Christ as Lord and Savior. This verse indicates that Peter is not writing to Jewish believers only, but to we Gentiles also. See: Rom. 10:19.

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1 Pet. 2:6-8 - Christ - Cornerstone and Stumbling Block

6 For this is contained in Scripture: "BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A CHOICE STONE, A PRECIOUS CORNER stone, AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED."
7 This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, "THE STONE WHICH THE BUILDERS REJECTED, THIS BECAME THE VERY CORNER stone,"
8 and, "A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE"; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed.

vs. 6 - "Precious corner stone..."The real key is 1 Cor. 1:23 - but we preach about a crucified Christ, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles. The Jews could not accept Christ was the fulfillment of all prophecy. They stumbled over the very cornerstone of God's eternal plan for salvation. They could not accept Jesus as the Messiah. He did onto fit their perceived notion of who and what the Messiah was to be and do.
We Gentiles pride ourselves in logic and wisdom. However, Christ's life, death, burial and especially the resurrection just do not make logical sense. The Bible tells us what was done for us, but it does not explain how it works. That is God's sphere of responsibility, not ours. We stumble over the same "stone" but for a different reason. We get tripped, the Jews get tripped up on faith in Jesus Christ.
Does it matter what the cause of the stumbling might be - ideology, dogma, logic, reason? When we are stymied at the starting point of faith, when we can't get past the claims of Jesus, there can be no salvation. See Isa. 28:16; Psa. 118:22; Isa. 8:14.

vs. 7,8 - "This precious value..." - The corner stone is precious (it is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and our Savior). The only reason it is precious to you and I as believers, is that it is the foundation of our new life. I say "the only reason" because if you do not accept His sacrifice, His payment for your sin, the value to you is meaningless. If you believe, you have the most precious gift - eternal life. If you reject Jesus, God's wrath remains on you. See John 8:36 - "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
Too often we tend to fall into the trap of the world in that we tend to think that God condemns people to hell. That is negative thinking from the Devil. God seeks to save the lost. We are all lost because of our sin. Jesus came for the sole purpose of rescuing us from ourselves, to provide us the means to spend eternity with Him and the Father.

"but for those who disbelieve" - There will be many who choose not to believe that Jesus saves. Even when He did miracles in their towns, they wouldn't believe. In one instance they asked Him to leave their town! This one stone, amongst all the other stones out there, is the only way to salvation. This one stone is God Himself, not some pretender. "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven, given to men, by which we might be saved." Acts 4:12. This is a seminal moment in each person's life. What do you 'do' with Jesus? There are only two choices - accept Him as Lord and Savior, or reject Him. There is no middle road - you make a choice. The choice is not necessarily final, unless you reject Him all the way to the end of your life.

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