Verse:
1 Peter 2:9
But ye [are] a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy (hagios) nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:
Commentary by AdamClarke
Ye are a chosen generation Source
The titles formerly given to the whole Jewish Church, i.e. to all the Israelites without exception, all who were in the covenant of God by circumcision, whether they were holy persons or not, are here given to Christians in general in the same way; i.e. to all who believed in Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, and who received baptism in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.
The Israelites were a chosen or elected race, to be a special people unto the Lord their God, above all people that were upon the face of the earth, Deuteronomy 7:6.They were also a royal priesthood, or what Moses calls a kingdom of priests, Exodus 19:6. For all were called to sacrifice to God; and he is represented to be the King of that people, and Father of those of whom he was king; therefore they were all royal.
Deuteronomy 7:6
For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession. They were a holy nation, Exodus 19:6; for they were separated from all the people of the earth, that they might worship the one only true God, and abstain from the abominations that were in the heathen world.
Exodus 19:6
you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
They were also a peculiar people, a purchased people; segullah, a private property, belonging to God Almighty, Deuteronomy 7:6; none other having any right in them, and they being under obligation to God alone. All these things the apostle applies to the Christians, to whom indeed they belong, in their spirit and essence, in such a way as they could not belong to the Hebrews of old. But they were called to this state of salvation out of darkness-idolatry, superstition, and ungodliness, into his marvellous light-the Gospel dispensation, which, in reference to the discoveries it had made of God, his nature, will, and gracious promises towards mankind, differed as much from the preceding dispensation of the Jews, as the light of the meridian sun from the faint twinkling of a star. And they had these privileges that they might show forth the praises of Him who had thus called them; the virtues, those perfections of the wisdom, justice, truth, and goodness of God, that shone most illustriously in the Christian dispensation. These they were to exhibit in a holy and useful life, being transformed into the image of God, and walking as Christ himself walked.
Commentary by Barnes
But ye are a chosen generation. In contradistinction from those who, by their disobedience, had rejected the Saviour as the foundation of hope. The people of God are often represented as his chosen or elected people. See Barnes "1 Peter 1:2".
A royal priesthood. See Barnes "1 Peter 2:2". The meaning of this is, probably, that they "at once bore the dignity of kings, and the sanctity of priests."--Doddridge. Comp. Revelation 1:6: "And hath made us kings and priests unto God." See also Isaiah 61:6: "But ye shall be named priests of the Lord; men shall call you ministers of our God." It may be, however, that the word royal is used only to denote the dignity of the priestly office which they sustained, or that they constituted, as it were, an entire nation or kingdom of priests. They were a kingdom over which he presided, and they were all priests; so that it might be said they were a kingdom of priests--a kingdom in which all the subjects were engaged in offering sacrifice to God. The expression appears to be taken from Exodus 19:6--"And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests"--and is such language as one who had been educated as a Jew would be likely to employ to set forth the dignity of those whom he regarded as the people of God. An holy nation. This is also taken from Exodus 19:6. The Hebrews were regarded as a nation consecrated to God; and now that they were cast off or rejected for their disobedience, the same language was properly applied to the people whom God had chosen in their place --the Christian church.
Revelation 1:6
To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father--to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
A peculiar people. Comp. See Barnes "Titus 2:14", The margin here is purchased. The word peculiar, in its common acceptation now, would mean that they were distinguished from others, or were singular. The reading in the margin would mean that they had been bought or redeemed. Both these things are so, but neither of them expresses the exact sense of the original. The Greek (~laov eiv peripoihsin~) means, "a people for a possession;" that is, as pertaining to God. They are a people which he has secured as a possession, or as his own; a people, therefore, which belong to him, and to no other. In this sense they are peculiar as being his; and, being such, it may be inferred that they should be peculiar in the sense of being unlike others in their manner of life. But that idea is not necessarily in the text. There seems to be here also an allusion to Exodus 19:5: "Ye shall be a peculiar treasure with me (Sept. \~laov periousiov\~) above all people."That ye should shew forth the praises of him. Marg., virtues. The Greek word (~areth~) means properly good quality, excellence of any kind. It means here the excellences of God--his goodness, his wondrous deeds, or those things which make it proper to praise him. This shows one great object for which they were redeemed. It was that they might proclaim the glory of God, and keep up the remembrance of his wondrous deeds in the earth. This is to be done
Titus 2:14
who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light. On the word called, See Barnes "Ephesians 4:1". Darkness is the emblem of ignorance, sin, and misery, and refers here to their condition before their conversion; light is the emblem of the opposite, and is a beautiful representation of the state of those who are brought to the knowledge of the gospel. See Barnes "Acts 26:18". The word marvellous means wonderful; and the idea is, that the light of the gospel was such as was unusual, or not to be found elsewhere, as that excites wonder or surprise which we are not accustomed to see. The primary reference here is, undoubtedly, to those who had been heathens, and to the great change which had been produced by their having been brought to the knowledge of the truth as revealed in the gospel; and, in regard to this, no one can doubt that the one state deserved to be characterized as darkness, and the other as light. The contrast was as great as that between midnight and noonday. But what is here said is substantially correct of all who are converted, and is often as strikingly true of those who have been brought up in Christian lands, as of those who have lived among the heathen. The change in conversion is often so great and so rapid, the views and feelings are so different before and after conversion, that it seems like a sudden transition from midnight to noon. In all cases also, of true conversion, though the change may not be so striking, or apparently so sudden, there is a change of which this may be regarded as substantially an accurate description. In many cases the convert can adopt this language in all its fulness, as descriptive of his own conversion; in all cases of genuine conversion it is true that each one can say that he has been called from a state in which his mind was dark to one in which it is comparatively clear.
(a.) by proper ascriptions of praise to him in public, family, and social worship;
(b.) by being always the avowed friends of God, ready ever to vindicate his government and ways;
(c.) by endeavouring to make known his excellences to all those who are ignorant of him; and
(d.) by such a life as shall constantly proclaim his praise--as the sun, the moon, the stars, the hills, the streams, the flowers do, showing what God does. The consistent life of a devoted Christian is a constant setting forth of the praise of God, showing to all that the God who has made him such is worthy to be loved.1 "peculiar" "purchased"
Ephesians 4:1 Acts 26:18
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
[Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "b" hasn't been defined.] "people" Deuteronomy 4:202 "the praises" "virtues"
Deuteronomy 4:20
But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
[Macro error: Can't evaluate the expression because the name "c" hasn't been defined.] "darkness" Acts 26:18Source
Acts 26:18
to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'
Commentary by Coffman
But ye are an elect race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, that ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: An elect race ...
Here are repeated one after another all of the glorious titles which once belonged exclusively to the old Israel, the Hebrews, the children of Abraham; but here Peter trumpeted the bestowal of all those titles upon the new Israel, now no longer restricted to those of Abrahamic descent, but available to Jew and Gentile alike "in Christ Jesus." Peter had already cautioned his readers (1 Peter 2:5) to be what they were supposed to be, and to show the kind of life and character that would be pleasing to God, thus warning them to avoid the mistake of the old Israel who had failed so spectacularly in that very duty.
1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. A royal priesthood ...
Just as the living stone was elect, so are the living stones who make up his spiritual body; but they are not elect in their own right, being elect "in Christ." It is true of the elect, no less than of the disobedient, that they are "appointed" unto their destiny. This means that God has predestined and appointed all who shall be found in Christ to eternal glory; but people come under the benefits of such an appointment only when they are baptized into Christ and are "found in him" at last (Revelation 14:13).
Revelation 14:13 "Yes," says the Spirit, "they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
13 Then I heard a voice from heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." A holy nation ...
Jesus Christ is the true king, and therefore those "in Christ" are a royal priesthood, being themselves also, through their union with Christ, in a sense, even "kings" (Revelation 1:6). A people for God's own possession ...
Nothing can diminish the obligation of Christians to be in fact what their lawful title implies, i.e., a truly "holy" nation. It is the absolute and invariable necessity of this that underlies the oft-repeated dictum in the word of God to the effect that people shall be judged "according to their works," as Peter, Paul, Jesus and all of the New Testament writers declared over and over again. That ye may show forth the excellencies of him who called you ...
In the old versions this was translated "a peculiar people"; but in time the expression came to mean "odd" or "queer," and is thus better rendered as here. "The phrase literally means `a people for (God's) possession.'" There is also a meaning of "especially, for his very own" in the words. Out of darkness ...
"Show forth" comes from a word "used nowhere else in the New Testament," and has the meaning of "to tell out," or "to tell forth." It presupposes that every Christian is automatically an evangelist so full of the knowledge of the excellencies of God that he is compelled to tell it forth to all with whom he comes in contact. Note too that Christians are not saved for themselves, and their own sake only, but for the purpose of enlisting as many other souls as possible in the service of our excellent God. It was precisely here that the ancient Israel failed wretchedly. Hugging to themselves the precious promises of God, they made no real effort to extend to the Gentiles any saving knowledge of the Lord, coming more and more to despise the very nations they were commissioned to enlighten. God grant that his holy church shall not founder and sink upon this same shoal. Into his marvelous light ...
There is an indication here that many of Peter's readers were converts to Christ from heathenism, for such is the usual import of the word. Source
The marvelous light of God, in its fullness, is unapproachable (1 Timothy 6:16); and yet it is into that very light that we are called. The children of God are children of the light, or the day; and the sons of the evil one are children of darkness.
1 Timothy 6:16
who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see. To him be honor and might forever. Amen.
Commentary by David Guzik
The privileged place of God's people.
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
But you are a chosen generation:His own special people:
The things that once exclusively belonged to Israel - their election (chosen), priesthood, and calling, are now no longer the property of Israel alone. These are now the property of every Christian, and we have them in a greater, spiritual sense.
i. We are a royal priesthood. The offices of royalty and priesthood were jealously separated in Israel, but Jesus, who is our King and Priest, has brought them together for His people.Source
We are special because we belong to God. A museum may be filled with quite ordinary things: hats, canes, shoes, and so forth; but they are significant because they once belonged to someone famous. God takes ordinary people, and because He has taken them, they are special.
i. These same titles were applied to Israel (Exodus 19:5-6, Deuteronomy 4:20, Deuteronomy 7:6, and Isaiah 43:20-21). Now, in Jesus, we belong to God as His own special people.
Exodus 19:5-6 Deuteronomy 4:20
Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites."
Deuteronomy 7:6
20 But as for you, the LORD took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
Isaiah 43:20-21
6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen,
the people I formed for myself
that they may proclaim my praise.
Commentary by Jamieson, Fausset, Brown
Contrast in the privileges and destinies of believers. Compare the similar contrast with the preceding context. Source
chosen--"elect" of God, even as Christ your Lord is.
generation--implying the unity of spiritual origin and kindred of believers as a class distinct from the world.
royal--kingly. Believers, like Christ, the antitypical Melchisedec, are at once kings and priests. Israel, in a spiritual sense, was designed to be the same among the nations of the earth. The full realization on earth of this, both to the literal and the spiritual Israel, is as yet future.
holy nation--antitypical to Israel.
peculiar people--literally, "a people for an acquisition," that is, whom God chose to be peculiarly His: Acts 20:28, "purchased," literally, "acquired." God's "peculiar treasure" above others.show forth--publish abroad. Not their own praises but His. They have no reason to magnify themselves above others for once they had been in the same darkness, and only through God's grace had been brought to the light which they must henceforth show forth to others.
Acts 20:28
Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
praises--Greek, "virtues," "excellencies": His glory, mercy (1Pe 2:10), goodness (Greek, 1Pe 2:3; Nu 14:17, 18; Isa 63:7). The same term is applied to believers, 2Pe 1:5.
of him who hath called you-- (2Pe 1:3).out of darkness--of heathen and even Jewish ignorance, sin, and misery, and so out of the dominion of the prince of darkness.
2Pe 1:3
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
marvellous--Peter still has in mind Ps 118:23.light--It is called "His," that is, God's. Only the (spiritual) light is created by God, not darkness. In Isa 45:7, it is physical darkness and evil, not moral, that God is said to create, the punishment of sin, not sin itself. Peter, with characteristic boldness, brands as darkness what all the world calls light; reason, without the Holy Spirit, in spite of its vaunted power, is spiritual darkness. "It cannot apprehend what faith is: there it is stark blind; it gropes as one that is without eyesight, stumbling from one thing to another, and knows not what it does" [LUTHER].
Ps 118:23
the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
Isa 45:7
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD , do all these things.
Commentary by John Gill
But ye are a chosen generation a royal priesthood;
Or "kindred"; the phrase is to be seen in the Septuagint, on (Isaiah 43:20) , to which, and the following verse, the apostle refers here, and in another part of this text. The allusion is throughout to the people of Israel in general, who, in an external way, were all that is here said; but was only true in a spiritual sense of such as were chosen and called among the Jews: and who were a "generation or kindred"; being regenerate, or through abundant mercy begotten, and of an incorruptible seed born again; and were akin to God, he being their Father, and they his children by adopting grace, and which was made manifest by their new birth; and also akin to Christ, he being their head, husband, Father, and brother, and they his members, spouse, children, and brethren; and to the saints, being of the same household and family in heaven and in earth; having the same Father, Lord, Spirit, faith, baptism, and they all brethren: and they were a "chosen" generation or kindred; being famous, and in high esteem with God, and accounted by him for a generation; he having chosen them above all kindreds, tongues, people, and nations, and that from all eternity; and of his own sovereign good will and pleasure; and not on account of their faith, holiness, and good works; and to special benefits, to the relation and kindred they are in, to grace here, and glory hereafter; to regeneration and sanctification, and to salvation and eternal life; just as Israel, as a nation, were chosen above all others, because of the love of God to them, and for no other reason, to many external privileges and favours, which others did not enjoy: now the apostle mentions this character first, because God's eternal election is the source and spring of all spiritual blessings, which provides and secures them, and according to which they are bestowed, and with which they are inseparably connected: an holy nation;
referring to (Exodus 19:6) , where the Israelites are called a "kingdom of priests"; which the Chaldee paraphrase renders, kings, priests; see (Revelation 1:6) a character which one of the Jewish commentators says shall return to the Jews (abl dytel) , "in time to come"; and well agrees with all the people of Christ, whether Jews or Gentiles, who are all of them kings, through their relation to Christ; and at the present time have a kingdom which cannot be moved, or taken away from them; being not only brought into the Gospel dispensation, the kingdom of the Messiah, and having a right to all the privileges and immunities of it, but have also the kingdom of grace set up within them, or grace, as a reigning principle, implanted in them; which lies not in anything external, but in righteousness and true holiness, in inward peace, and spiritual joy; and they have the power of kings over sin, Satan, and the world; and the riches of kings, being possessed of the riches of grace now, and entitled to the riches of glory in another world; they live like kings, they wear royal apparel, the robe of Christ's righteousness; they sit at the king's table, and feed on royal dainties; and are attended on as kings, angels being their life guards, and ministering spirits to them; and hereafter they shall reign with Christ on earth, and that for the space of a thousand years, and, after that, for ever: being raised up from a low estate, to inherit the crown of glory, to wear the crown of life and righteousness, and possess the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, of which they are now heirs: and they are "priests", as well as kings; being made so by Christ, and through his priestly office; are anointed with the Holy Ghost, and sanctified by his grace, and allowed to draw near to God, and offer up by Christ their spiritual sacrifices of prayer and praise; and are enabled and assisted to offer up the sacrifice of a broken heart, and their bodies also, and even their lives when called to it; the allusion is to the kingdom and priesthood being formerly together, and which met in Christ, (Zechariah 6:13) and in his people. The Jews were wont to call the priestly dignity and office (hnhk rtk) , "the crown of the priesthood" :
Zechariah 6:13
It is he who will build the temple of the LORD , and he will be clothed with majesty and will sit and rule on his throne. And he will be a priest on his throne. And there will be harmony between the two.' a peculiar people;
referring to the same place in (Exodus 19:6) where the Israelites are so called, being separated by God from other nations, and legally and externally sanctified by him; as all the true Israel of God are sanctified, or set apart by God the Father, in eternal election, to real and perfect holiness; and are sanctified or cleansed from sin, by the blood and sacrifice of Christ; and are internally sanctified by the Spirit of God; have principles of holiness wrought in them, from whence they live holy lives and conversations: that ye should show forth the praises of him;
as the Israelites are called a "peculiar treasure", (Exodus 19:5) to which the reference is: God's elect are a peculiar people, to whom he bears a peculiar love; they are chosen by him to be a special people above all others, and have peculiar blessings bestowed on them, and peculiar care is taken of them; they are the Lord's, (hlgo) , his treasure, his jewels, his portion and inheritance, and therefore he will preserve and save them; they are a people for acquisition, purchase, and possession, as the words may be rendered; whom God has obtained, procured, and purchased for himself, with the precious blood of his Son; hence the Syriac version renders them, (aqyrp avnk) , "a redeemed company": the same with the church God has purchased with his blood, (Acts 20:28) and the purchased possession, (Ephesians 1:14) and which are redeemed and purified to be, and appear to be a peculiar people, zealous of good works, (Titus 2:14) the end of all which grace being bestowed upon them in election, redemption, and regeneration, is,
Ephesians 1:14
who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession--to the praise of his glory. who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
that is, God, who has chosen them into a spiritual kindred and relation, made them kings and priests, sanctified them by his Spirit, and redeemed them by his Son, as a peculiar people; all which laid them under obligation to show forth with their lips, and in their lives and conversations, his "virtues": we read, "praises"; and so the Syriac version; that is, the power, wisdom, goodness, love, grace, and mercy of God, and the commendations of them, displayed in the above instances: the apostle seems to have his eye on (Isaiah 43:21) , where the Septuagint use the same word for "praise", as here: next follows a periphrasis of God, and in it an argument, or reason for speaking of his virtues, and showing forth his praise: into his marvellous light:
which is to be understood, not of an external call by the ministry of the word only; for many are called in this sense, who are not chosen, redeemed, and sanctified; but of an internal, special, powerful, holy, and heavenly calling, by the Spirit and grace of God: and this is, "out of darkness"; out of the darkness of the law, under the former dispensation, which was as night, in comparison of the Gospel day; and out of that darkness which the Jews were particularly in, in and about the coming of Christ, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and the spirituality of the law; having lost all right notions of the Messiah, and the true sense of the Scriptures, and were carried away with the traditions of the elders, and led by blind guides, the Scribes and Pharisees; out of this darkness, as well as what is common to men, in a state of unregeneracy, having no sight of themselves, their sin, and misery, nor knowledge of divine things, of God in Christ, and of salvation by him, and of the work of the Spirit upon the heart, they were called, Source
by which they saw the exceeding sinfulness of sin, the insufficiency of their righteousness, their need of Christ, and salvation by him; and astonishing it was to them, that they who were born blind, and were brought up in darkness, and were darkness itself, should be made light in the Lord; and the objects they saw were amazing to them; everything in a spiritual way was marvellous in their eyes; especially the sun of righteousness, the light of the world, and also the wonderful things out of the law, or doctrine of Christ, the Gospel, and the surprising love and grace of God, in the whole, and in the several parts of their salvation: it was with them, as if a child, from the moment of its birth, was shut up in a dungeon, where there was not the least crevice to let in the least degree of light, and should continue here till at years of maturity, and then be brought out at once, at noonday, the sun shining in its full strength and glory, when that particularly, and all objects about him, must strike him with wonder and surprise. The Syriac version renders it, "his most excellent light"; the apostle seems to refer to the form of praise and thanksgiving used by the Jews, at the time of the passover; who say, This was also part of their morning prayer
``we are bound to confess, to praise, to glorify him who hath done for our fathers, and for us, all these wonders; he hath brought us out of bondage to liberty; from sorrow to joy, and from mourning to a good day, (lwdg rwal hlypamw) , "and out of darkness into great light"; and from subjection unto redemption.'' And it is to be observed, that the third Sephira, or number, in the Jewish Cabalistic tree, which answers to the third Person in the Trinity, among other names, is called, "marvellous light".
``I confess before thee, O my God, and the God of my fathers, that thou hast brought me out of darkness into light.''
Commentary by John Wesley
But ye A chosen or elect race, a royal priesthood
- Who believe in Christ Are - In a higher sense than ever the Jews were. Source
- "Kings and priests unto God," Revelation 1:6. As princes, ye have power with God, and victory over sin, the world, and the devil: as priests, ye are consecrated to God, for offering spiritual sacrifices. Ye Christians are as one holy nation, under Christ your King.
A purchased peopleThat ye may show forth
- Who are his peculiar property.
- By your whole behaviour, to all mankind. The virtues - The excellent glory, the mercy, wisdom, and power of him, Christ, who hath called you out of the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery.
Commentary by Matthew Henry
2. Those who received him were highly privileged, 1[sgl dagger]Peter 2:9. The Jews were exceedingly tender of their ancient privileges, of being the only people of God, taken into a special covenant with him, and separated from the rest of the world. "Now," say they, "if we submit to the gospel--constitution, we shall lose all this, and stand upon the same level with the Gentiles."
(1.) To this objection the apostle answers, that if they did not submit they were ruined (1 Peter 2:7,8), but that if they did submit they should lose no real advantage, but continue still what they desired to be, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, &c. Learn, (2.) To make this people content, and thankful for the great mercies and dignities brought unto them by the gospel, the apostle advises them to compare their former and their present state. Time was when they were not a people, nor had they obtained mercy, but they were solemnly disclaimed and divorced (Jeremiah 3:8, Ho 1:6,9); but now they are taken in again to be the people of God, and have obtained mercy. Learn,
[1.] All true Christians are a chosen generation; they all make one family, a sort and species of people distinct from the common world, of another spirit, principle, and practice, which they could never be if they were not chosen in Christ to be such, and sanctified by his Spirit.
[2.] All the true servants of Christ are a royal priesthood. They are royal in their relation to God and Christ, in their power with God, and over themselves and all their spiritual enemies; they are princely in the improvements and the excellency of their own spirits, and in their hopes and expectations; they are a royal priesthood, separated from sin and sinners, consecrated to God, and offering to God spiritual services and oblations, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
[3.] All Christians, wheresoever they be, compose one holy nation. They are one nation, collected under one head, agreeing in the same manners and customs, and governed by the same laws; and they are a holy nation, because consecrated and devoted to God, renewed and sanctified by his Holy Spirit.
[4.] It is the honour of the servants of Christ that they are God's peculiar people. They are the people of his acquisition, choice, care, and delight. These four dignities of all genuine Christians are not natural to them; for their first state is a state of horrid darkness, but they are effectually called out of darkness into a state of marvellous light, joy, pleasure, and prosperity, with this intent and view, that they should show forth, by words and actions, the virtues and praises of him who hath called them.Source
[1.] The best people ought frequently to look back upon what they were in time past.
[2.] The people of God are the most valuable people in the world; all the rest are not a people, good for little.
[3.] To be brought into the number of the people of God is a very great mercy, and it may be obtained.
Commentary by Oswald Chambers
"But ye are a royal priesthood." By what right do we become "a royal priesthood"? By the right of the Atonement. Are we prepared to leave ourselves resolutely alone and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual grubbing on the inside to see whether we are what we ought to be generates a self-centred, morbid type of Christianity, not the robust, simple life of the child of God. Until we get into a right relationship to God, it is a case of banging on by the skin of our teeth, and we say - What a wonderful victory I have got. There is nothing indicative of the miracle of Redemption in that. Launch out in reckless belief that the Redemption is complete, and then bother no more about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ said - pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints, pray for all men. Pray on the realization that you are only perfect in Christ Jesus, not on this plea - "O Lord, I have done my best, please hear me."
1 Peter 2:9
How long is it going to take God to free us from the morbid habit of thinking about ourselves? We must get sick unto death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God can tell us about ourselves. We cannot touch the depths of meanness in ourselves. There is only one place where we are right, and that is in Christ Jesus. When we are there, then we have to pour out for all we are worth in this ministry of the interior.
Source
Commentary by People's New Testament
But ye are a chosen generation. God's chosen race, like ancient Israel. Christians are now the chosen people (Isa. 43:21). A royal priesthood. See Exod. 19:6. The Hebrew passage which Peter refers to means "a kingdom of priests." Either this is its meaning, or that all in it, "anointed ones" like Christ, are in some sense like him, priest-kings. An holy nation. Set apart to God. A peculiar people. Differing from the world in life. That ye should show forth. They differ from the world that their holy lives may shine as a light and honor God. Out of darkness. In this and the next verse Peter surely has in mind Gentile Christians.
Source
Commentary by Robertson's
But ye (umeiv de). An elect race (genov eklekton).
In contrast with the disobedient ones. A royal priesthood (basileion ierateuma).
From Isaiah 43:20. The blood relation of the spiritual Israel (not the Jewish race) through the new birth (1:23). A holy nation (etnov agion).
From Exodus 19:6 (cf. Revelation 1:6; Revelation 5:10). The official in Christian churches is presbuteros=episxopov, not iereuv. We are all iereiv (priests). Cf. 2:5.
Revelation 5:10
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God,
and they will reign on the earth."A people for God's own possession (laov eiv peripoihsin).
Also from Exodus 19:6, but here applied, not to the national Israel, but to the spiritual Israel of believers (both Jews and Gentiles). That ye may shew forth (opwv exaggeilhte).
The idea here occurs in Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 7:6; 14:2; 26:18, where we have laov periousiov as in Titus 2:14 (alone in the N.T.), and in Malachi 3:17 we find eiv peripoihsin (for a possession). Periousiov laov is a people over and above the others and peripoihsiv is a possession in a special sense (Ephesians 1:14). See Paul's use of periepoihsato in Acts 20:28. The old rendering, "a peculiar people," had this idea of possession, for "peculiar" is from pecus (Latin for flock).
Malachi 3:17
"They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. The excellencies (tav aretav).
Purpose clause with opwv, rather than ina, with the first aorist active subjunctive of exaggellw, old verb, to tell out, here alone in N.T. Darkness (skotouv).
From Isaiah 43:21. Old word for any preeminence (moral, intellectual, military), often for "virtue," but not in that sense in the O.T. or the N.T. The word has the sense of moral worth in 2 Peter 1:3,5; Philippians 4:8; and the Apocrypha. In Isaiah (here quoted) it means praise and glory to God. So also (Isaiah 42:12. See Acts 2:11 ta megaleia tou teou (the mighty works of God). His marvellous light (to taumaston autou pwv).
Heathenism. Source
Christianity. For taumaston (from taumazw) see Matthew 21:42. For the change from heathenism to Christianity see Colossians 1:12; Ephesians 5:8-14.
Matthew 21:42 Colossians 1:12
Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures:
" 'The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone ;
the Lord has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes' ?Ephesians 5:8-14
giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.
8 For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light
9 (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
10 and find out what pleases the Lord.
11 Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.
12 For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret.
13 But everything exposed by the light becomes visible,
14 for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said:
"Wake up, O sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you."
Commentary by Scofield
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light: Source
priesthood
The New Testament priesthood, Summary:
(1) Until the law was given the head of each family was the family priest Genesis 8:20; 26:25; 31:54.
(2) When the law was proposed, the promise to perfect obedience was that Israel would be unto God "a kingdom of priests" Exodus 19:6. but Israel violated the law, and God shut up the priestly office to the Aaronic family, appointing the tribe of Levi to minister to them, thus constituting the typical priesthood Exodus 28:1.
(3) In the dispensation of grace, all believers are unconditionally constituted a "kingdom of priests" 1[sgl dagger]Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6 the distinction which Israel failed to achieve by works. The priesthood of the believer is, therefore, a birthright; just as every descendant of Aaron was born to the priesthood Hebrews 5:1.
(4) The chief privilege of a priest is access to God. Under law the high priest only could enter "the holiest of all," and that but once a year Hebrews 9:7, but when Christ died, the veil, type of Christ's human body Hebrews 10:20 was rent, so that now the believer-priests, equally with Christ the High Priest, have access to God in the holiest Hebrews 10:19-22.
The high Priest is corporeally there Hebrews 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-22.
(5) In the exercise of his office the New Testament believer-priest is
(1) a sacrificer who offers a threefold sacrifice: (2) The N.T. priest is also an intercessor 1 Timothy 2:1; Colossians 4:12
(a) his own living body. Romans 12:1; Philippians 2:17; 2 Timothy 4:6; 1 John 3:16; James 1:27
(b) praise to God, "the fruit of the lips that make mention of His name" (R.V.), to be offered "continually" ; Hebrews 13:15; Exodus 25:22 "I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat");
(c) his substance ; Hebrews 13:16; Romans 12:13; Galatians 6:6; 3 John 1:5-8; Hebrews 13:2; Galatians 6:10; Titus 3:14.
About Commentary Authors
Prepared by William C. Barman for George Young Memorial United Methodist Church -- Palm Harbor, FL on 10/3/03; 5:41:20 PM