Therefore, to you who believe, is the preciousness; but to the unbelieving ones, "the stone which the builders rejected became the head of the corner,"
Truth to Learn
What you believe about Jesus determines the role He plays in your life, both now and eternally.
Behind the Words
The word translated “believe,” is pisteuō, meaning “to believe” or “to have faith.” It is expressed here as a present participle and could be expressed as “the believing ones.”
“Unbelieving” is translated from apeitheō, which literally means “someone who is not persuaded” or “someone who does not believe.” Through common usage, however, it has come to mean “one who is disobedient.” This, too, is expressed in the current verse as a present participle and could be expressed as “disobeying ones.”
The word “rejected” is translated from apodokimadzō, which is a compound word made up of apo, meaning “from” or “away from” and dokimadzō, meaning “to test” or “to approve.” Hence, it means “to disapprove” or “to reject.”
In the previous verse we saw that “chief cornerstone” was the translation of the Greek words lithon akrogōniaios. In the current verse it is translated from kephalēn gōnias, which literally means “head of the corner.”
Meaning Explained
In verses 2 and 4 of this chapter, Peter refers to Christ, the cornerstone, as precious, having great value. In this verse he makes a distinction between what this cornerstone is to true believers and what this stone (stumbling stone) is to unbelievers. To those of us who believe, He is truly precious, but to the disobedient ones, those who reject Christ, He is a stumbling stone, as Peter will say in the next verse. In the current verse, Peter is pulling together the contents of three different Old Testament passages:
And He shall be a sanctuary for you, but for a stone of stumbling, and for a rock of falling to both the houses of Israel, for a trap and for a snare to the people of Jerusalem (Isaiah 8:14)
therefore so says the Lord Jehovah, Behold, I place in Zion a Stone for a foundation, a tried Stone, a precious Cornerstone, a sure Foundation; he who believes shall not hurry (Isaiah 28:16)
The Stone which the builders refused has become the Head of the corner (Psalms 118:22)
The Jews, you see, took delight in the verses which portrayed their Messiah as a bearer of blessing, while they overlooked those references to His retribution and offense. Peter is making it clear to his readers that Christ is one and the same with the Messiah and, depending on what you believe about Him, is either a Savior or a Judge.
Application
I sometimes make assumptions about the people who read these daily devotional studies. I assume that you already believe Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God, and that you have accepted Him as your Lord and Savior. If that’s true, then Jesus is your sure foundation. Otherwise, He is your Judge and you will be found eternally guilty!
In God's service, for His glory,
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