and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense to the ones who are stumbling at the word, being unbelieving, — to which also they were appointed.
Truth to Learn
Those who reject God’s call are condemned because they don’t believe.
Behind the Words
The word translated “stone” is lithos, which is a primary word that refers to any stone independent of size, whereas the word translated “rock” is from the Greek word petra, meaning “a mass of rock” or “a massive rock.”
“Stumbling” is translated from proskommatos, which is made up of pros, meaning “to, toward, or against” and a form of koptō, meaning “to cut” or “to strike.” So, literally this word means “to strike against,” that is, “to stub” or “to stumble.”
The word translated “offense” is the Greek word scandalon. It literally means “a trap stick”, that is, a stick which is bated and used to trap or snare an animal. This word has come to mean “an occasion to fall” or “an offense.”
The word “unbelieving” is translated from apeitheō, which we looked at in the previous verse. It means “disbelieving” or “being disobedient.”
Finally, the word “appointed” is from a form of tithēmi which means “to place”, “to put”, or “to appoint.”
Meaning Explained
Not only has Christ become the most important foundation stone upon which Christians and the church as a whole are built, but He has become a different kind of stone for those who reject Him.
Peter is saying that Christ has become a firm cornerstone to believers but to those who stub themselves on the Word (that is, they don’t believe the simple message contained in the Bible), He is a stubbing stone and a massive rock that traps. The reason they stub themselves is because they do not believe, to which condition they were appointed (because they are not among the chosen ones). This interpretation has been hotly debated for centuries but those who interpret the Bible literally understand it to be consistent with the doctrine of election.
Now, lest we get the wrong idea from what Peter is saying, these who do not believe are condemned because they are disobedient. They are not disobedient because they are condemned. That is, God does not “cause” them to be disobedient; He simply judges them for their disobedience.
And … God does not hide the truth from these disobedient ones, but Satan does:
whose minds the god of this age [Satan] has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. (2Corinthians 4:4)
Application
Those who do not believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that He died on the cross to pay for their sins, are condemned for their disobedience. They are disobedient by their very nature (sin nature), not because God caused them to be disobedient. They are personally responsible for their sins, just as we are. The difference is that we have accepted Jesus’ payment for our sins and they haven’t
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2016 Will Krause. All rights reserved