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Scripture Reading: 1 Pet. 2:4, 6-8
In 2:4 Peter says, “To whom coming, a living stone, having been rejected by men, but with God chosen, held in honor.” We have pointed out that a living stone not only possesses life but also grows in life. The living stone in verse 4 is Christ for God’s building. Here Peter changes his metaphor from the seed of the vegetable life (1:23-24) to the stone. The seed is for life-planting, whereas the stone is for building (2:5). Peter’s thought has gone on from life-planting to God’s building. As life to us Christ is the seed. For God’s building He is the stone. After receiving Him as the seed of life, we need to grow that we may experience Him as the stone living in us. Then He will make us living stones, transformed with His stone nature, so that we may be built together with others a spiritual house upon Him as both the foundation and the cornerstone. Let us go on to consider what Peter says in verses 6 through 8 regarding Christ as the stone for God’s building.
First Peter 2:6, quoting Isaiah 28:16, says, “Because it is contained in Scripture: Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen stone, a cornerstone held in honor, and he who believes on Him shall by no means be put to shame.” Although this living stone was rejected by the leaders of God’s people, this stone was chosen by God. God’s choosing of Christ as the living stone is of two aspects. First, as we have seen, Christ was chosen by God in eternity past. That was God’s initial choosing of Him. Then God chose Christ the second time in resurrection. Resurrection is a strong proof that God has chosen Christ. This second choosing was a confirmation of God’s first choosing. Therefore, in resurrection God confirmed the choice He had made concerning Christ in eternity past.
When Christ was on the cross, apparently He was rejected by God. To the Pharisees and to all the others who opposed Him, the crucifixion of Christ was a sign that God had rejected Him. According to Matthew 27:42 and 43, the chief priests, with the scribes and the elders, said, “He is king of Israel, let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe on him. He trusted upon God; let Him rescue him now if He wants him; for he said, I am God’s Son.” Luke 23:35 says, “And the rulers were even sneering and saying, He saved others, let him save himself if this is the Christ of God, the Chosen One!” The religious leaders thought that God had rejected Christ. However, on the third day Christ was resurrected, and that resurrection was a sign of God’s choosing, a proof that God had chosen Christ to be the stone for His building.
From the time of Christ’s resurrection, Christ has been held in honor. The Greek word rendered “honor” in verse 6, the same word that is used in verse 4, also means precious. It differs from the Greek word translated “precious” in 1:19. There the word denotes preciousness in essence; here it indicates preciousness as recognized and held in honor.
The statement, “Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen stone,” refers not only to Christ’s resurrection, but also to His ascension. After God resurrected Christ, He lifted Him up to the heavens. Therefore, Christ’s ascension was a further sign and confirmation that God had chosen Him.
The Zion spoken of in 2:6 is not the Zion on earth; it is the Zion in the heavens. In the New Testament there are two Zions, one earthly and the other heavenly. The earthly Zion is a reflection of the heavenly one. The Jewish people may have an earthly Zion, but we Christians, those who believe in Christ, have a heavenly Zion. For this reason, we are not coming to an earthly Zion; we are coming to the heavenly Zion (Heb. 12:22).
God’s choosing of Christ in eternity past was not seen by anyone, not even by the angels. When God chose Christ, nothing had been created, for that choice was made before the foundation of the world. Only God knew that Christ was His chosen One. But this choice has been manifested in Christ’s resurrection and ascension. Soon after Christ’s ascension, Peter realized clearly that Christ is the Messiah chosen by God. This was the reason Peter said to the religious leaders in Acts 4, “Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (vv. 10-12). There is salvation in no other name because God has chosen Christ, and this choice has been manifested in and confirmed by Christ’s resurrection and ascension.
Along with the other apostles, Peter could testify that he had seen the resurrected Christ. Furthermore, they had all witnessed His ascension. These two acts, resurrection and ascension, prove and confirm that Jesus of Nazareth is the One whom God has chosen to be the head of the corner for God’s building.
As such a chosen One, Christ is now held in honor. Christ is not only in glory; He is also on the throne at the right hand of God. This means that He is in a position of honor. Because Christ is now in such an honorable position, He is precious, highly valued.
First Peter 2:6 also says that he who believes on Christ will by no means be put to shame. Christ is trustworthy, stable, and steadfast. We can put our trust in Him and be assured that we shall never be put to shame.
In verse 7 Peter goes on to say, “To you therefore who believe is the preciousness; but to the unbelieving, A stone which the builders rejected, this became the head of the corner.” In Greek, the word rendered “preciousness” here is a kindred word to honor in verses 4 and 6. The very Christ chosen by God as a stone, even a cornerstone held in honor, is the preciousness to His believers. But to the unbelieving, He is a rejected, despised stone. Christ’s preciousness is not only a matter of condition, but also a matter of His position. For Him to be precious means that He is held in honor, that He occupies an honorable position.
In this verse we are told that the builders rejected Christ as the living stone. These builders were the Jewish leaders in Judaism, who were supposed to build the house of God. They rejected Christ to the uttermost, as the Lord had predicted (Matt. 21:38-42). Nevertheless, Christ became the head of the corner in resurrection. As we have seen, in his early preaching Peter declared this fact to the Jews.
To the unbelieving, Christ is a stone rejected by the builders. Nevertheless, this rejected stone has become the head of the corner. Hence, Christ is a stone of two aspects. With Him as the stone for God’s building, there is the aspect of honor and also the aspect of rejection. On the one hand, Christ was rejected; on the other hand, He has been honored. He was rejected by the Jewish builders, but He has been honored by God. How do we know that Christ was rejected by the Jewish leaders? We know it by the fact that they put Christ on the cross. That was their rejection of Him. How do we know that Christ has been honored by God? We know this by the fact that God resurrected Him and exalted Him. Therefore, the resurrection and exaltation of Christ are strong signs both that God has chosen Him and that He is held in honor by God.
In verse 8 Peter continues, “And, A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; who stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.” Christ is not only a rejected stone and a stone held in honor; He is also a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. The reliable Christ, being rejected, became a stumbling stone, at which the rejecting Judaizers stumbled (Matt. 21:44a). As the stone, Christ functions in both a positive way and a negative way. For us, He is the cornerstone positively, but for the unbelieving Jews, He is a stumbling stone and a rock of offense.
In verse 8 Peter speaks of those “who stumble at the word, being disobedient, to which also they were appointed.” What is the antecedent of the relative pronoun “who”? Actually, there is not a clear antecedent expressed. However, we may say that the antecedent is implied. Peter’s thought may be that “who stumble at the word” may refer to anyone or to everyone who stumbles. If we stumble at the word, then this “who” includes us. It refers to anyone throughout the generations who stumbles at the word.
Now we need to ask what is the word at which people may stumble. It certainly is not the word with the guileless milk mentioned in 2:2. On the contrary, it is the word quoted by Peter in verses 6 through 8, the word regarding a chosen stone, a cornerstone held in honor, being laid in Zion. It also refers to the word concerning the stone rejected by the builders that becomes the head of the corner (v. 7). Furthermore, it includes the word in verse 8 about this stone being a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. This is the word at which people may stumble.
Because of the atmosphere in the Lord’s recovery today, it is easy for us to believe in such a word. But the Jews at the time of the Lord Jesus and the apostles would not believe in it. Their attitude was that it was impossible for Jesus of Nazareth ever to be the head of the corner. Instead of believing in this word, the Jewish leaders and the rabbis argued against it. Whoever does not believe this word will stumble at it.
We should not think that it is impossible for Christians to stumble at the word. Many are the Christians who have stumbled at the word. They do not believe that the Lord Jesus can be so strict or straight. Sometimes we have spoken with certain believers regarding the matter of Christ being both the building stone and the stumbling stone. They have replied, “No, the Lord Jesus is merciful. He would never be a stone of stumbling or a rock of offense. The Lord has a broad heart; He is not narrow like you. You think that you are the only ones who are right. You are narrow, but the Lord Jesus is not narrow.” However, if we are too broad, we shall not believe this word. We shall not believe that, on the one hand, Christ is the building stone and that, on the other hand, He is also the stumbling stone. Many Christians have stumbled at this strict word. The Jewish leaders have not been the only ones who have stumbled at it.
Have you ever thought that Christ could purposely be a rock of offense? We need to be careful concerning this and ask ourselves if we believe this word. If we do not believe it, then we stumble at this word. Then automatically the Lord will become a stumbling block to us. We stumble at such a word because, in our opinion, it is too narrow and strict.
We should not regard Peter as being too strict because of the way he wrote in 2:6-8. Actually, the Lord Jesus was the first to utter such a strict word. In Matthew 21:42 He asked the religious leaders, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the cornerstone; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” Then in verse 44 He went on to say, “And he who falls on this stone shall be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it shall scatter him as chaff.” “He who falls on this stone” refers to the person who stumbles at Christ. “On whomever it falls” refers to the nations which Christ will smite at His coming back.
Here we see that the Lord Jesus speaks of another aspect of Himself as the stone. He is not only the building stone and the stumbling stone; He is also the grinding stone, the crushing stone. As the grinding stone, He will crush the opposers into powder. This aspect of Him is mentioned in Daniel 2:34-35. These verses reveal that when the Lord Jesus comes back, He will crush all the opposing nations into powder.
Peter says in verse 8 that those who stumble at the word are disobedient and that this being disobedient is something “to which also they were appointed.” This refers to the Jews’ disobedience with the result of stumbling.
Those who stumble at the word have been appointed by God to disobedience. Disobedience is their portion. If someone does not believe what the Bible says concerning Christ, he stumbles at Him. Spontaneously the result of that unbelief and stumbling will be rebellion. This is disobedience. Hence, disobedience becomes the appointed portion of that one. Actually, this is logical. Anyone who does not believe in the word will stumble at it and then reap the fruit, the harvest, of what he has sown. He sows unbelief, and he reaps disobedience as the result appointed to him. It is a basic, governing spiritual principle that as long as we have unbelief, we shall reap disobedience. If you have unbelief, you will reap rebellion. This means that you will be rebellious. This is true not only of the Jews, but also of Christians, including those in the recovery.
Both in China and in this country I have seen disobedience and rebellion come as the appointed portion to those who do not believe in the word and who stumble at it. No Christian would stumble at the Lord’s gracious word. Someone may hear that the Lord is merciful, gracious, full of kindness, sending the rain upon the just and on the unjust. No one would stumble at such a gracious word. The Bible, however, also has a strict word. The building stone, the head of the corner, is also a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. Those who are loose and careless may not believe such a word. Instead, they may say, “No, Christ is not that narrow. As long as I believe in the Lord Jesus, I can take whatever way I choose concerning the church. Why do I have to be in the recovery? The Lord Jesus is not narrow like you.” Eventually, the result of not believing the Lord’s strict word and stumbling at it will be disobedience, rebellion. The ones who now oppose the most are these rebellious ones. They have been appointed to this. We need to see that there is a principle governing this matter. The principle is that if we have this kind of unbelief, we shall reap the harvest of disobedience, and that disobedience is rebellion.
As we read 1 Pet. 2:4-8, we may think that it was not necessary for Peter to include verses 6, 7, and 8. At least, we may regard verses 7 and 8 as unnecessary. In our opinion verse 4 alone may be adequate. As far as God’s building is concerned, verse 4 may be adequate. But Peter goes on in verses 6 through 8 to present a full picture of Christ as the stone.
