Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 1 Study # 2
August 2, 2009
Lincolnton, N.C.
1769 Translation:
1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:
3 If so be ye have tasted that the Lord
is gracious.
4 To whom coming,
as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God,
and precious,
5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.
7 Unto you therefore which believe
he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,
8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence,
even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 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:
10 Which in time past
were not a people, but
are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1901 ASV Translation:
1 Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings,
2 as newborn babes, long for the spiritual milk which is without guile, that ye may grow thereby unto salvation;
3 if ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious:
4 unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious,
5 ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Because it is contained in scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: And he that believeth on him shall not be put to shame.
7 For you therefore that believe is the preciousness: but for such as disbelieve, The stone which the builders rejected, The same was made the head of the corner;
8 and, A stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence; for they stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.
9 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 marvellous light:
10 who in time past were no people, but now are the people of God: who had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
- I. Therefore.
- II. The Pre-condition(s).
- A. There has to be a "setting away from".
- 1. There is a "grocery list" of "life-blocking" factors.
- a. "Wickedness".
- b. "Guile".
- c. "Hypocrisies".
- 1) The presentation of oneself as another, or as different than the reality (Matthew 23:28).
- 2) The deception of trying to make another believe one has sincere motives when one does not (Mark 12:15).
- 3) A "leaven" that permeates the whole person that motivates the attempt to "cover up" or "hide" the true reality (Luke 12:1-2).
- 4) Lying without conscience (1 Timothy 4:2).
- d. "Envies".
- 1) According to Matthew 27:18, this was the reason Jesus was delivered to Pilate (Mark 15:10 makes the same claim).
- 2) Philippians 1:15 says it is a motivation that produces strife and is the opposite of "good will".
- 3) 1 Timothy 6:4 says it arises out of pride and its attendant ignorance.
- 4) The references in Liddell and Scott Greek-English Lexicon indicate that "envy" is more than an attitude, but involves actions taken to frustrate another's desires because of the underlying attitude. Clearly the attitude is primary, but Peter may have had more than an attitude in mind. However, the next term, translated "evil speakings", might mean that "envy" was the attitude that drove the "evil speakings".
- e. "Evil speakings".
- 1) Only used in 2 Corinthians 12:20 and in our current text, the meaning must be derived from some other source.
- 2) Etymology reveals the use of sound (speech) to degrade (kata + lalia).
- 2. These cannot be "present".
- B. There has to have been a "birth".
- 1. One cannot act "as newborn babes" without some understanding of how they act.
- 2. The prior context focused upon "being born again".
- III. The Major Imperative.
- A. Is encapsulated by the verb "desire".
- 1. The word so translated is used in an illuminating way in 2 Corinthians 5:2. In that place Paul indicated a "groaning" that accompanies this "desire". That would indicate that the "desire" was pretty strong. And the desire is identified as "to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven". However, the strength of this "desire" is probably attached to some of the other issues involved, like our circumstances and how much of a problem our "body" is giving us.
- 2. Philippians 2:26 associates this "desire" with being "full of heaviness" when it was frustrated.
- B. Is focused upon "the sincere milk of the Word".