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1 Peter 2:4 – A Precious Stone

Posted on November 20, 2016 by Will

Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,

Truth to Learn

We have the great privilege of directly approaching our Lord.

Behind the Words

“Coming” is translated from the Greek word proserchomai, made up of pros, meaning “to” or “toward,” and erchomai, meaning “to come” or “to go.” Adding pros to the verb, which already means “to come,” intensifies the intent. Hence, the meaning is “coming very near to Him.” This is further intensified by the words pros on (meaning “to Him”) which appear before proserchomai. Finally, this word is expressed as a present tense participle indicating continuous, repeated action. Hence, the first part of this verse could be paraphrased as, “Continually coming directly to Him …”

The word translated “rejected” is the Greek word, apodokimadzo, which means “to disapprove” or “to reject.”

“Chosen” is translated from eklektos, which means “the selected one,” or “the chosen one.”

The word “precious” is the Greek word entimos, made up of en, meaning “in” and a form of time, meaning “honor, esteem, or value.” It is used here to describe the chosen one; He is “the honored chosen one” or “the precious chosen one.”

Meaning Explained

The “Him” in this verse refers to “the Lord” in the previous verse. This is an obvious reference to Jesus our risen Lord. Those of us who have experienced salvation and God’s provision, repeatedly come to Him. He is referred to here as “a living stone,” which is a reference to Isaiah 28:16 which says:

Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste

or possibly to Psalms 118:22 which says:

The stone which the builders rejected has become the headstone of the corner.

Not only was Christ rejected and crucified by the Jews, but He continues to be rejected by unbelievers on a daily basis. This same stone who was rejected by men has been chosen by God, according to Peter. Furthermore, he tells us that He was selected as the Honored One.

This Christ, or Lord, unto whom we came at salvation and unto whom we come daily for forgiveness and spiritual sustenance, was chosen by the trinity before time began to be to one who would become a man, live a perfect life, and willingly give that life for us. He is the One who has become the foundation for the church universal, to be built upon by those who would accept His sacrifice and willingly serve Him. Peter’s next verse will complete this thought.

Application

Think about how often you come to Christ for comfort or direction, either in prayer or through the reading of His Word. You do so because you have a privileged relationship. Because you have accepted the gift of salvation, you are the children of God; therefore, you can come to the living stone. And because of this you can offer yourself as an additional building block of the church universal when you submit to Him and serve Him.

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Corinthians 3:12 – Church Building Materials

Posted on July 23, 2013 by Will

Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw,

Truth to Learn

We all need to be mindful of how we build the church.

Behind the Words

“Builds” is from apoikomeō, which we saw back in verse ten, meaning “to build a structure.”

The word “gold” is from the Greek word chrusos, which refers to gold or anything made of gold.

Arguros is the word translated “silver.” It is derived from argos, meaning “white, shining, bright, or glistening.” It refers to silver or anything made of silver.

“Precious” is from timios, meaning “that which is valuable, respected, or honored.”

“Stone” is from lithos, which refers to “a small stone.”

The word “wood” is from xulon, which refers to wood or anything made of wood.

Chortos is the word translated “hay.” In general it refers to grass or plant life, typically that which is grown as a crop.

The word “straw” is from kalamē, which refers to a corn stalk or straw, as the left-over part of a crop that is discarded.

Meaning Explained

In verse nine, the Apostle Paul told us that he, as the master builder, laid the foundation of the church, which is Jesus Christ. He also told us that we each need to be mindful of how we build on that foundation. In today’s verse and the next one he explains why it’s important to pay attention to how we build on that foundation. In writing this letter to the Corinthian Christians, Paul may be specifically referring to past, present, and future pastors of the church at Corinth, or to teachers within the church in general. However, based on the context of this verse, it is clear that he is referring to all Christians, not just those in leadership positions.

Paul mentions two types of building materials in today’s verse. One is “gold, silver, precious stones,” and the other is “wood, hay, straw.” At the time that Paul wrote this letter, temples and other great buildings were built of marble or other large cut stone and were adorned with gold, silver, and precious stones. All of these things were materials that were more or less permanent, beautiful, valuable, and hard to obtain. It took a lot of hard work to build with these materials. Household dwellings, however, were often made of wood, mud, or sod and frequently had roofs made of thatched straw laid over wooden supports. These materials did not last, were ordinary, and were not beautiful. They were cheap and easy to obtain. Although it took effort to build with these things, compared to the building of a permanent temple, there was little effort required.

The building of God’s temple (the church) deserves only the best building materials and selfless dedication on the part of the builders. In the next few verses Paul will explain the difference between building with these different materials.

Application

Every Christian is called to build up the church. Are you involved in the building process? If so, what kind of materials are you building with?

In God's service, for His glory,

1 Peter 3:4 – Great Inward Value

Posted on January 8, 2009 by admin

1 Peter 3:4

rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God.

Truth to Learn

God places great value on a humble and quiet spirit.

Behind the Words

The expression, “the hidden person of the heart” is one that I find particularly interesting. The word translated “person” (“man” in some translations) is anthropos, which literally means “man faced.” It is derived from ana trepon opa meaning “turning the face upward.” It refers specifically to human-kind and is used with various descriptors to portray different aspects of our being. Some of these include the inner man in Romans 7:22 (the soul), the outer man in 2 Corinthians 4:16 (the body), the new man in Ephesians 2:15 (regenerate or “saved” man), the old man in Romans 6:6 (unregenerate or “sinful” man), and the hidden man here in 1 Peter 3:4. Some Greek scholars believe that “the hidden man” refers, like “the inner man,” to our soul. I think of it, rather, as the real man. It is our character, that is, who and what we are when we think no one is watching. It is what others who know us well see in us when the acting, the psychological make-up, the pretense, the façade, and the phoniness are all stripped away. It is who we really are on the inside. According to the latter part of this verse, it is the seat of our spirit.

The word “gentle” comes from the Greek word praeos, which means “mild” or “humble,” and “quiet” is from the Greek hesuchios, which literally means “keeping one’s seat.” Hence, by implication it means “still” or “quiet.”

“Precious” is from the Greek word polutelēs, which is made up of polus, meaning “much” or “great” and telos, meaning “expense” or “cost.” Hence, this word refers to “great value.”

Meaning Explained

Peter tells us that the thing which is most adorning in wives is the inward quality of a gentle and quiet spirit. It sounds like someone who is at peace with God, doesn’t it? Someone who has such a solid faith in God, even in the midst of the tumultuous storms of life, that she can rest peacefully in the hands of “the One who judges rightly.” Peter says that God considers this type of spirit as being of great value.

And… there isn’t a husband in his right mind who wouldn’t want a wife like this. Unfortunately, finding a man who is in his right mind, who is focused on God instead of himself is a rare commodity indeed. Particularly an unsaved one like the one Peter is talking about in these verses. Therefore, Peter does not make the behavior of wives conditional. He says, in essence, “Wives, instead of focusing your attention on outward adornment, focus on spiritual development, on being who and what God wants you to be because this witness may be the very message that God uses to speak to your husband.” I personally cannot count the times that God has spoken to me about my own sinfulness through just such a witnessing spirit in my own wife.

Application

Wives, there is nothing wrong with attractive clothing and other outward cosmetic means of looking nice. That is, as long as your real effort to be attractive is applied to being a godly woman with a humble and quiet spirit.

In God’s service, for His glory,

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