First Peter

Verses six through ten: In verse 6 Peter quotes Isaiah 28:16: “Behold I (God) lay in Zion (Jerusalem) a chief corner stone (Jesus), elect and precious, and he who believes on Him shall not be led astray.” Satan has used this verse to deceived the church to believing that believing in Jesus is enough to save the soul. Is this true? The Apostle James (Ch. 2) declared the answer to be “No.” He states that faith without obedience to the Word from which faith comes (Rom. 10:17) is dead. In verses 7 & 8 Peter addresses those who are disobedient, noting that they are those who “stumble at the Word” of God. Here we find the Lord, speaking through Peter, telling us that believing on Jesus and being obedient to His Word are synonymous, inseparable. Those who are disobedient, He tells us, are those who stumble over Him (His Word), who believe in Jesus but do not see the need to believe and obey His Word. These are church people who worship Him while obeying Satan, who also believes in Jesus but does not obey Him. It is this type of church member Jesus referred to in Matthew 15:9: “… IN VAIN they do WORSHIP ME ….” He goes to explain how one can actually worship Him but do so in vain. He says that they do this by “teaching for (My) doctrines the commandments of men (church beliefs, customs, etc.).” In verse 8 Peter makes a most revealing statement, one which most Stone-stumblers will deny–that they are offended by 1) Jesus, 2) by His Words and 3) by His messengers who proclaim His Words. Often those who deny God’s Words will stumble over Them (read or hear Them inadvertently), pick themselves up (examine Them), dust themselves off (declare Them null and void) and go on their religious way, content in the “fact” that they are saved and therefore have no need to obey Them. Due to their having supposedly been born again, they have no need to “eschew evil” and “do good” (3:11). Nor are they required to “overcome” Satan as Jesus overcame Him (Rev. 3:21). To Catholics and Protestants, stumbling over (disobeying) the Lord’s Words is as much a part of the “Christian life” as attending church on Satan’s sun god day–Sunday.

Verse nine: In this verse Peter shows the difference between Word-obeyers and Word-disobeyers. The former he calls “a chosen generation (group), a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people” who have been called out of Satan’s darkness into the Lord’s marvelous light. The latter he calls stumblers.

In verse 10 Peter reminds these Israelites (see vs 1) that, though their ancestors had been disowned by God because of their rebellion against Him, making them “not a people (not His people),” He had welcomed their descendants (Word-obeyers) back into the fold, calling them His people– “the people of God.” See vs 25. L.J.