Simply teaching the Bible, simply

This study on 1 Peter 2:1-10 was given by pastor Barry Forder on the 19th July 2020 at Calvary Chapel Portsmouth's family service - online.

In chapter 2, Peter builds on the admonition to live a holy life, given in chapter 1, by reminding believers what our old lives were like without Christ, and how destructive  the cumulative impact of an ungodly life can be.

In verse 1 Peter gives 5 ungodly attitude and speech, which:

–Drive wedges between believers

–Quench the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives

–Stunt Spiritual growth

–Give a false witness of Christ

Firstly, Peter tells us that we should remove ourselves from these things as you would remove yourself from a garment you take off.

• Malice (Gr. kakian) is wicked ill-will; the desire to inflict pain, harm, or injury on our fellow man.
• Guile, deceit (Gr. dolon) is deliberate dishonesty, falsehood, craft, seduction, slander, and treachery. Operationally, it is the antithesis of being a fiduciary
• Hypocrisy (Gr. hypokriseis), pretended piety and love; pretending to be what one is not; a man with a double heart and a lying tongue.
• Envy (Gr. phthonous), resentful discontent (both hypocrisy and envy appear in the plural in the Greek);
• Evil speaking, slander (Gr. katalalias), backbiting lies.

None of these should have any place in those who are born again; rather, in obedience to the Word, believers should make decisive breaks with the past to be holy because He is holy!

In contrast, Peter tells us that, just as with a newborn desiring milk, we should crave the Word of God, knowing that by it we grow and are strengthened.

Then Peter builds on what Jesus had told him in Matthew 16, that Jesus is the 'Rock' upon which the church is built, and each of us (as believes) are part of the building as a whole. We might need some rough edges knocked off here and there to make us fit exactly where God want's us, and we should constantly remind ourselves that much of what we go through here and now is God's way of shaping and molding us so that we will be a perfect fit in His spiritual house.

Those who would try and argue that in Matthew 16 Jesus said that Peter is 'the rock' the church was to be built upon (the default Roman Catholic position) have seemingly never understood the constant use in scripture of a stone or rock as an idiom of Jesus, in at least 7 different ways:

1.To the Believer, smitten stone that the Spirit of life may flow from Him to all who will drink   -  Ex 17:6; 1 Cor 10:4; John 4:13,14; 7:37-39

2.To the Church, the foundation and chief corner Stone  -  Eph 2:20

3.To the Jews, at His 1st Coming, a “stumbling stone”  -   Rom 9:32,33; 1 Cor 1:23

4.To Israel, at His 2nd Coming, “the headstone of the corner”  -   Zech 4:7

5.To the Gentile world power, the smiting “Stone cut without hands”:   -   Dan 2:34

6.In the Divine Purpose, the Stone which, after the destruction of Gentile world powers, is to grow and fill the earth;  -   Dan 2:34

7.To unbelievers, the crushing Stone of judgment that will grind those to powder  -    Matt 21:44

Peter closes this portion of his letter of encouragement with a moving exhortation for his readers to practice holiness. He reminded them that, in contrast with the disobedient who are destined for destruction, they were a chosen people.

May you be blessed and encouraged by this study.

The PowerPoint slides used for this study are available online for free download.