chief cornerstone – Ministry of Grace Church

Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, "Behold, I lay in Zion a chosen, precious chief cornerstone, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame."

Truth to Learn

Jesus Christ is the main foundation stone of the church.

Behind the Words

“Chief cornerstone” is translated from the Greek words, lithon akrogōniaios. Lithon refers to “a building block” and akrogoniaios is a compound word made up of akro, meaning “highest, extreme, or most important” and gōnia, meaning “corner.” Hence, it means “most important cornerstone.”

The expression “by no means” is translated from the two Greek words ou mē. Both of these Greek words imply negation. Me expresses a conditional negation, implying that one believes or supposes a thing not to exist. Ou, on the other hand, expresses the direct and full negation independently and in an absolute sense. When the two words are used together, as in this verse, it expresses the emphatic, absolute, unconditional negation.

Meaning Explained

Peter has just talked about us being living stones built up as a spiritual house. He now refers to the foundation that this house is built upon. He also takes this occasion to demonstrate that this is none other than the Messiah referred to in the Old Testament. He does so by quoting Isaiah 28:16.

The cornerstone was the most important part of a foundation in those times. It was the stone which determined the location, direction, and elevation which the entire building was to occupy. If it was incorrectly placed, it would affect the entire building. If it was not strong and sturdy enough, it could jeopardize the entire structure. Jesus is the cornerstone of our faith and of the church. Everything we do as Christians must be founded on who He is and what He did.

The expression “chief corner” is used in only one other place in the Bible, Ephesians 2:20. Reading that passage sheds a little more light on the cornerstone of our faith:

So, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)

The final phrase of today’s verse, “and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” is taken from the Septuagint (the Greek translation of the Old Testament). A direct translation of the original Hebrew version actually reads, “and he who believes on him shall not make haste.” The notion is that one who is disgraced or confounded often runs away, which is why the translators of the Septuagint, believing this to be the intended meaning, rendered it as “disgraced.”

Application

We are to be an integral, active part of the church. We, all saved believers, are the body of Christ as we are told in Romans 12:5 and 1 Corinthians 12:27. And, we are to be building up the body. You can’t do this if you are isolated from the rest of the body. So, are you building the church based on your own works or the finished work of Jesus Christ?

In God's service, for His glory,

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone,

Truth to Learn

Every Christian is part of God’s building.

Behind the Words

The words “having been built on” are translated from epoikodomeō, which is a double compound word made up of epi, meaning “upon,” oikos, which refers to “a dwelling place” or “a house,” and demō, meaning “to build.” Thus, epoikodomeō literally means “to build a dwelling upon.” It is expressed here as an aorist, passive, participle, so “having been built on” is a very accurate translation of this word.

“Foundation” is from the Greek noun themelios. This word is derived from the verb tithēmi, which means “to stand” or “to set in place.” Themelios, therefore, refers to something that has been put down in place, like a foundation.

Apostolos is the Greek word translated “apostles.” This word is made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and a form of the verb stellō, meaning “to send.” Apostolos refers to someone who is sent forth on a certain mission.

“Prophets” is translated from prophētēs, which is made up of pro, meaning “before, in time or space” and phēmi, meaning “to tell.”

The words “chief cornerstone” come from akrogōniaios, which is made up of akron, meaning “the extreme” or “the one on the end” and gōnia, which refers to “an angle” or “a corner.” So, we see that akrogōniaios refers to the extreme corner. Metaphorically, it refers to the first corner stone laid.

Meaning Explained

In the previous verse Paul told us that we are no longer strangers from the covenants of promise and we are no longer foreigners from the commonwealth of Israel. We are now fellow citizens of a holy nation and members of God’s household. The word translated “household” is oikeios, which usually refers to people who live and work under the master of the house, but it can also refer to the things which make up the building as well. We see in the previous verse that Paul’s meaning was “a person who is a member of the household.” In the current verse, however, he twists the meaning of the word and now refers to us as part of the building itself. And, in the next couple of verses Paul will twist the meaning a little further yet.

For now, Paul is telling us that not only are we part of God’s family, but we are part of his building as well. The foundation of this building consists of Jesus Christ, as the first corner stone as well as the apostles and prophets. At the time that Paul wrote this letter, buildings were built differently than they are today. The foundation was not cement poured into forms; it consisted of large square-cut stones laid next to each other. Sometimes there was a second or third course of stones laid upon the first. The placement of the initial corner stone was the most critical because it set the position for the entire structure. If it was not set level and oriented in the proper direction, the entire building could suffer.

Jesus Christ was, Himself, the initial corner stone of this building, and He sets the position and the basis for the remainder of the structure. The apostles and prophets (that is, New Testament prophets) provide the remainder of the foundation of the building. Paul’s reference is probably to the writings of these men of God. You and I are also part of the building and we depend on the foundation for our stability.

Application

There is no Christian who exists alone and apart from the rest of the church. We are all interdependent and each one of us is needed to make the building whole.

In God's service, for His glory,

Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: chief cornerstone

1 Peter 2:6 – Chief Cornerstone

Ephesians 2:20 – Building Material