THE PRIESTHOOD

Jesus Christ, “the living stone,” invites us to become “living stones” so that He might use us to build His church. We cannot live in spiritual isolation. We must be available to Him and to each other so that our Lord can use our lives to build the kingdom of Christ.

Also, Peter states that we are being built into “a holy priest-hood” (v. 5). Within the first covenant, the priesthood belonged to the sons of Aaron and the tribe of Levi. These priests had at least three distinctives. First, they had direct access to God. At appointed times they went into the Holy of Holies to communicate with God.

Second, the priests represented the people of Israel to God. And, third, they brought offerings to God for the people. It was an honor to be chosen as a priest within the first covenant.

Within the second covenant, states Peter, all believers are being built into a holy priesthood. The New Covenant provides for a priesthood of all believers. We no longer need others to represent us to God. We have direct access to Him through Jesus Christ (Heb. 10:1–25).

Thus, we are those who should be offering up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ (v. 5). This should be a vital part of Christian lifestyle. The writer of Hebrews declares, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name” (Heb. 13:15). It is always appropriate to praise God, and the sacrifice of praise is always acceptable to Him.

Peter summarizes this exciting teaching in verses 5–6: If we allow Christ to build us up into a spiritual house as living stones, and if we allow Him to build us into a holy priesthood, and if we continue to offer up spiritual sacrifices which are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ, and if we believe on Him, we will by no means be put to shame. Sin always brings ultimate shame, but the life of obedience will assure us that we will never stumble nor ever be put to shame. Instead, we are becoming a part of a spiritual temple which is eternal.¹

“An holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” Another picture which this epistle gives to us is that of a holy priesthood. All believers are living stones. All believers are priests. We are a holy priesthood, and later Peter calls it a royal priesthood. As priests we are to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God in Jesus Christ. Praise to God is such a spiritual sacrifice. Your monetary offering to the Lord is such a spiritual sacrifice. I don’t know why people think that money cannot be spiritual. It all depends on the way money is used. And then, you can offer yourself to God. That is a spiritual sacrifice.²

5. Ye also, as lively or living stones, are built up. The verb may be in the imperative as well as in the indicative mood, for the termination in Greek is ambiguous. But in whatever way it is taken, Peter no doubt meant to exhort the faithful to consecrate themselves as a spiritual temple to God; for he aptly infers from the design of our calling what our duty is. We must further observe, that he constructs one house from the whole number of the faithful. For though every one of us is said to be the temple of God, yet all are united together in one, and must be joined together by mutual love, so that one temple may be made of us all. Then, as it is true that each one is a temple in which God dwells by his Spirit, so all ought to be so fitted together, that they may form one universal temple. This is the case when every one, content with his own measure, keeps himself within the limits of his own duty; all have, however, something to do with regard to others.

By calling us living stones and spiritual building, as he had before said that Christ is a living stone, he intimates a comparison between us and the ancient temple; and this serves to amplify divine grace. For the same purpose is what he adds as to spiritual sacrifices. For by how much the more excellent is the reality than the types, by so much the more all things excel in the kingdom of Christ; for we have that heavenly exemplar, to which the ancient sanctuary was conformable, and everything instituted by Moses under the Law.

A holy priesthood. It is a singular honour, that God should not only consecrate us as a temple to himself, in which he dwells and is worshipped, but that he should also make us priests. But Peter mentions this double honour, in order to stimulate us more effectually to serve and worship God. Of the spiritual sacrifices, the first is the offering of ourselves, of which Paul speaks in Romans 12:1; for we can offer nothing, until we offer to him ourselves as a sacrifice; which is done by denying ourselves. Then, afterwards follow prayers, thanksgiving, almsdeeds, and all the duties of religion.

Acceptable to God. It ought also to add not a little to our alacrity, when we know that the worship we perform to God is pleasing to him, as doubt necessarily brings sloth with it. Here, then, is the third thing that enforces the exhortation; for he declares that what is required is acceptable to God, lest fear should make us slothful. Idolaters are indeed under the influence of great fervour in their fictitious forms of worship; but it is so, because Satan inebriates their minds, lest they should come to consider their works; but whenever their consciences are led to examine things, they begin to stagger. It is, indeed, certain that no one will seriously and from the heart devote himself to God, until he is fully persuaded that he shall not labour in vain.

But the Apostle adds, through Jesus Christ. There is never found in our sacrifices such purity, that they are of themselves acceptable to God; our self-denial is never entire and complete, our prayers are never so sincere as they ought to be, we are never so zealous and so diligent in doing good, but that our works are imperfect, and mingled with many vices. Nevertheless, Christ procures favour for them. Then Peter here obviates that want of faith which we may have respecting the acceptableness of our works, when he says, that they are accepted, not for the merit of their own excellency, but through Christ. And it ought to kindle the more the ardour of our efforts, when we hear that God deals so indulgently with us, that in Christ he sets a value on our works, which in themselves deserve nothing. At the same time, the words, by or through Christ, may be fitly connected with offering; for a similar phrase is found in Heb. 13:15, “Through him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God.” The sense, however, will remain the same; for we offer sacrifices through Christ, that they may be acceptable to God.³

1 Cedar, P. A., & Ogilvie, L. J. (1984). James / 1 & 2 Peter / Jude (Vol. 34, pp. 139–140). Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.

2 McGee, J. V. (1991). Thru the Bible commentary: The Epistles (1 Peter) (electronic ed., Vol. 54, pp. 50–51). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

3 Calvin, J., & Owen, J. (2010). Commentaries on the Catholic Epistles (pp. 64–66). Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software.