Spiritual denotes the capacity of the divine life to live and grow; holy, the capacity of the divine nature to separate and sanctify. The house of God subsists mainly by the divine life; hence, it is spiritual. The priesthood subsists mainly by the divine nature; hence, it is holy.

The holy priesthood is the spiritual house. In the New Testament three Greek words are used in relation to the priests: hierosune, referring to the priestly office, as in Heb. 7:12 hierateia, referring to the priestly service, as in Heb. 7:5 and hierateuma, referring to the assembly of priests, a body of priests, a priesthood, as in this verse and v. 9. The coordinated body of priests is the built-up spiritual house. Although Peter did not address his two Epistles to the church or use the term church in this verse in stressing the corporate life of the believers, he did use the terms spiritual house and holy priesthood to indicate the church life. It is not the spiritual life lived in an individualistic way, but the spiritual life lived in a corporate way, that can fulfill God's purpose and satisfy His desire. He wants a spiritual house for His dwelling, a priestly body, a priesthood, for His service. Peter's view concerning the believers' corporate service in coordination is the same as Paul's in Rom. 12. This service issues from the three vital steps in the spiritual life: being born anew (v. 2a), growing in life by being nourished with Christ (v. 2b), and being built up with the believers.

The spiritual sacrifices that the believers offer in the New Testament age according to God's economy are:
1) Christ as the reality of all the sacrifices of the Old Testament types, such as the burnt offering, meal offering, peace offering, sin offering, and trespass offering (Lev. chs. 1—5);
2) the sinners saved by our gospel preaching, offered as members of Christ (Rom. 15:16);
3) our body, our praises, and the things that we do for God (Rom. 12:1; Heb. 13:15-16; Phil. 4:18).

Some ancient MSS omit, into.

God's goal in the believers is to have a house built up with living stones — not separated and scattered stones, nor even stones merely gathered and piled up together, but stones built up one with another.

Although the nourishing milk of the word is for the soul through the mind, it eventually nourishes our spirit, making us not soulish but spiritual, suitable for being built up as a spiritual house of God.

Feeding on Christ by taking in the nourishing milk in the word of God is not only for growing in life but also for building up. Growing is for building up.

We, the believers in Christ, are living stones, like Christ, through regeneration and transformation. We were created of clay (Rom. 9:21). But at regeneration we received the seed of the divine life, which by its growing in us transforms us into living stones. At Peter's conversion the Lord gave him a new name, Peter — a stone (John 1:42); and when Peter received the revelation concerning Christ, the Lord revealed further that He was the rock — a stone (Matt. 16:16-18). By these two incidents Peter received the impression that both Christ and His believers are stones for God's building.

Or, held in honor; differing from the word used in 1 Pet. 1:19. There the word denotes preciousness in essence; here it indicates preciousness that is recognized and held in honor by men.

A living stone is one that not only possesses life but also grows in life. This is Christ for God's building. Here Peter changed his metaphor from a seed, which is of the vegetable life (1 Pet. 1:23-24), to a stone, which is of the minerals. The seed is for life-planting; the stone is for building (v. 5). Peter's thought went 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. Thus He will make us also living stones, transformed with His stone nature, that we may be built together with others as a spiritual house upon Him as both the foundation and the cornerstone (Isa. 28:16).

Or, pleasant, kind.

The Lord can be tasted, and His taste is pleasant and good. If we have tasted Him, we will long for the nourishing milk in His word (v. 2).

I.e., resulting in. Growth in life results in salvation. Salvation here, as the result of growth in life, is not initial salvation. God's full and complete salvation has a long span — from regeneration, including justification, to glorification (Rom. 8:30). At regeneration we receive initial salvation (see note 1 Pet. 1:5⁵). Then we need to grow by feeding on Christ as the nourishing milk in the word of God, unto full salvation, unto maturity for glorification. This will be the salvation of our soul, which will be revealed to us at the revelation of the Lord Jesus (1 Pet. 1:5 and note 5; 1 Pet. 1:9-10, 13). However, according to the context, unto salvation here refers directly to being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices in v. 5, and to tell out the virtues of Him in v. 9.

To grow is a matter of life and in life. We received the divine life through regeneration, and we need to grow in this life and with this life by being nourished with the milk conveyed in the word of God.

The Greek word, translated reasonable in Rom. 12:1, is an adjective, derived from the noun word; hence, of the word; having the sense of pertaining to the mind (in contrast to the body), to the rational faculties; hence, rational, logical, reasonable. The milk of the word is not milk for the body but milk for the soul, the inner being. It is conveyed in the word of God to nourish our inner man through the understanding of our rational mind and is assimilated by our mental faculties.

In contrast to guile in v. 1. I.e., without false purpose, without any goal other than to nourish the soul.

Born through regeneration (1 Pet. 1:3, 23), the believers become babes who can grow in life unto further salvation, and that for God's building, by being nourished with the spiritual milk.

The five negative things mentioned here constitute a sequence. Malice is the root, the source, and evil speaking is the expression. Guile, hypocrisies, and envies are the downward steps of the development from the source toward the expression.

The exhortation in vv. 1-10 is based on what is unveiled in ch. 1. Three main things accomplished in the believers by the Triune God are stressed in ch. 1: the Father's regeneration (1 Pet. 1:3, 23), the Son's redemption (1 Pet. 1:2, 18-19), and the Spirit's sanctification (1 Pet. 1:2). These make the believers a holy people, who live a holy life (1 Pet. 1:15-16). Based on this, Peter charged the believers to grow in life (v. 2) for the building up of a spiritual house (v. 5).

See note Eph. 2:20^3d.

Christ is a stone chosen by God to be the cornerstone for His building (Eph. 2:20).

See note 1 Pet. 2:4².

In Greek, a word kindred to precious in vv. 4, 6. The very Christ chosen by God as a stone, even a cornerstone that is precious to God, is the preciousness to His believers; but to the unbelievers He is a rejected, despised stone.

The Jewish leaders in Judaism (Acts 4:11), who should have been building the house of God. They rejected Christ to the uttermost. The Lord predicted that they would do this (Matt. 21:38-42).

In resurrection Christ became the head of the corner. In his early preaching Peter had already declared this to the Jews (Acts 4:10-11).

The reliable Christ (v. 6), being rejected, became a stumbling stone, on which the rejecting Judaizers stumbled (Matt. 21:44a).

I.e., the word quoted in vv. 6-8.

Referring to the Jews' disobedience, which resulted in their stumbling.

Darkness is the expression and sphere of Satan in death; light is the expression and sphere of God in life. God has called us, delivered us, out of Satan's death-realm of darkness into His life-realm of light (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13).

This word from Hosea 2:23 was quoted by Paul in Rom. 9:24-27, in reference first to the Gentiles and then to the remnant of Israel, "for not all who are out of Israel are Israel" (Rom. 9:6). Here Peter, quoting this word, referred to the recipients of his letter, the scattered Jewish believers. At one time they were out of Israel but were not Israel. Hence, they were not God's people in the New Testament sense. Now, after being called by God, they became God's people, God's particular possession, as a treasure to God. They were shown God's mercy, which they had never been shown before.

The fleshly lusts are in man's fallen body (Rom. 7:18, 23-24) and are warring against man's soul — man's inner being, composed of his mind, will, and emotion (Rom. 7:19-23).

The fleshly lusts are in man's fallen body (Rom. 7:18, 23-24) and are warring against man's soul — man's inner being, composed of his mind, will, and emotion (Rom. 7:19-23).

This must be the holy manner of life (1 Pet. 1:15) and the good manner of life in Christ (1 Pet. 3:16), a life not only for God but filled and saturated with God. This manner of life is versus the vain manner of life of the unbelievers (1 Pet. 1:18).

Race, priesthood, nation, and people are all collective nouns, referring to the believers corporately. As a race, we, the believers, are chosen; as a priesthood, a body of priests, we are royal, kingly; as a nation, we are holy; as a people, we are God's possession, a possession particularly acquired and owned by God as His treasure (Titus 2:14 and note Titus 2:14³). Chosen race denotes our descent from God; royal priesthood, our service to God; holy nation, our being a community for God; and people acquired for a possession, our preciousness to God. These are all in a corporate sense. Hence, we need to be built together (v. 5).

See note 1 Pet. 2:5⁶ and 1 Pet. 2:5*7. Royal denotes the status of our priesthood, which is kingly, like that of Christ the King, our High Priest, typified by Melchisedec (Heb. 7:1-2, 26, and note Heb. 7:1^2a; Gen. 14:18).

See note Rom. 1:2³. Holy denotes the nature of the nation.

Or, proclaim abroad. First, we must be born anew and grow in life (v. 2), and then we must be built up and serve corporately (v. 5). Now we need to proclaim abroad, to tell out. To serve corporately is to satisfy God by offering up Christ as spiritual sacrifices; to tell out is to benefit others by proclaiming abroad as the gospel the virtues of the One who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light.

Or, excellencies, excellent and glorious virtues (2 Pet. 1:3 and note 2 Pet. 1:3^11f); referring to what God is and has, and to the marvelous light of God, which consummates in His glory. To and by His virtue and glory God has called us (2 Pet. 1:3).

Darkness is the expression and sphere of Satan in death; light is the expression and sphere of God in life. God has called us, delivered us, out of Satan's death-realm of darkness into His life-realm of light (Acts 26:18; Col. 1:13).

Lit., creation; as in Col. 1:15. Referring to anything made, such as a creature, a building, a regulation, or an ordinance.

For the expression and glorification of the Lord (v. 12).

The slanderers (v. 12).

I.e., beautiful in its virtues.

The basic meaning of the Greek word is observation, inspection, oversight, a looking upon. The day of visitation is the day on which God will look upon His sojourning people, as a shepherd watches over his wandering sheep, and will become the Shepherd and Overseer of their souls (v. 25). Hence, the day of God's visitation is the time of God's overseeing care.

All the items from this verse through v. 20 are details showing the good works of the excellent manner of life (v. 12).

According to the context (vv. 20-21), this must be the mistreatment inflicted by the unbelieving masters, who opposed and persecuted their believing servants because of their Christian testimony (1 Pet. 3:14-18; 4:12-16).

Or, boast.

We have been called to enjoy grace and express God in the midst of our suffering unjustly (vv. 18-20).

The aggregate of the brothers, the family of the brothers, the brothers in the feeling of brotherliness (also in 1 Pet. 5:9).

See note 1 Pet. 1:17^4e.

Grace here refers to the motivation of the divine life within us and its expression in our living, which becomes in our behavior gracious and acceptable in the eyes of both man and God (v. 20). The same Greek word is used in Luke 6:33-34 and Rom. 7:25 for thanks. So in the next verse.

Or, for conscience toward God. The consciousness of God is the consciousness of one's relation to God, indicating that one is living in an intimate fellowship with God, having and keeping a good and pure conscience toward God (1 Pet. 3:16; 1 Tim. 1:5, 19; 3:9; 2 Tim. 1:3).

Lit., being away from; hence, having died to. In the death of Christ we have died to sins (Rom. 6:8, 10-11, 18).

In the resurrection of Christ (Eph. 2:6; John 14:19; 2 Tim. 2:11).

Righteousness is a matter of God's government. We were saved so that we might live rightly under the government of God, that is, in a way that matches the righteous requirements of His government.

A suffering that resulted in death.

The healing of death. We were dead (Eph. 2:1), but Christ's suffering of death healed our death that we might live in His resurrection.

Lit., a writing copy, an underwriting (used by students to trace letters and thereby learn to draw them). The Lord has set His suffering life before us so that we can copy it by tracing and following His steps. This does not refer to a mere imitation of Him and His life but to a reproduction of Him that comes from enjoying Him as grace in our sufferings (see note 1 Pet. 2:19¹) so that He Himself as the indwelling Spirit, with all the riches of His life, reproduces Himself in us. We become the reproduction of the original writing copy, not a mere imitation of Him produced by taking Him as our outward model.

All, inserted here, refers to all the sufferings of the Lord. The Lord kept committing all His insults and injuries to Him who judges righteously in His government, the righteous God, to whom He submitted Himself. This indicates that the Lord recognized God's government while He was living a human life on earth.

See note 1 Pet. 1:17^2c, par. 2.

This points out that when the Lord offered up Himself as a sacrifice (Heb. 7:27) on the cross, He bore up our sins in His body on the cross, the true altar for propitiation.

The cross made of wood, a Roman instrument of capital punishment used for the execution of malefactors, as prophesied in the Old Testament (Deut. 21:23; Gal. 3:13).

Or, turned back.

Christ was our Redeemer in His death on the tree (v. 24). Now He is our soul's Shepherd and Overseer in the resurrection life within us. As such, He is able to guide us and supply us with life that we may follow in His steps according to the model of His suffering (v. 21).

Our soul is our inner being, our real person. Our Lord, as the Shepherd and Overseer of our souls, shepherds us by caring for the welfare of our inner being and by exercising His oversight over the condition of our real person.