In 1 Peter 2:4-5, the apostle Peter uses the metaphor of “living stones” to describe Jesus Christ and believers. This rich imagery conveys several important truths about the identity and purpose of Christ and Christians.
Jesus as the Living Stone
In verse 4, Peter writes, “As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious…” Here, Peter describes Jesus as the “living stone” upon which God is building His spiritual house, the church. This is an allusion to Old Testament passages like Isaiah 28:16 that speak of God laying a precious cornerstone in Zion. Peter is identifying Jesus as this cornerstone – the foundation for God’s people.
In calling Jesus a “living stone,” Peter emphasizes that Jesus is alive, not dead. As the risen Lord, Jesus is actively building His church (Matthew 16:18). Believers come to Jesus in faith and obedience as the source of spiritual life and growth. Unlike hand-crafted idols which are dead and lifeless, Jesus is dynamic, relational, and life-giving to all who trust in Him.
Peter also notes that while Jesus was rejected by men, He was chosen by God. Jesus faced opposition and was crucified, but this was all part of God’s sovereign plan for Him to be the cornerstone and savior (Acts 4:11). For those with eyes to see, Jesus is “chosen and precious” – the One who alone can provide salvation. He is the Living Stone who gives life to all who are united to Him by faith.
Believers as Living Stones
In verse 5, Peter goes on to describe believers in Christ: “You yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Just as Jesus is the cornerstone, Christians are “living stones” who come to Jesus and are incorporated into God’s spiritual temple, the church.
As “living stones,” believers are meant to grow spiritually and contribute to the organic development of Christ’s body. The church is not made of dead, cold rocks but is a community of dynamic followers of Jesus who collectively display God’s glory. And this spiritual growth happens as Christians “are being built up” – it is an ongoing process of maturing in faith through the power of the Holy Spirit.
God’s purpose for His living stones is that they would function as a “holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” Here Peter alludes to Exodus 19 where God calls Israel to be a kingdom of priests. Believers now are priests who continually offer spiritual sacrifices of praise, good works, and righteous living out of gratitude for God’s mercy (Romans 12:1; Hebrews 13:15-16). As living stones, Christians are being made holy by Christ’s blood to serve God and bear witness to Christ before the world.
Key Implications
When understood together, the metaphors of Jesus as the living stone and believers as living stones point to several important truths:
- Jesus is the risen Savior and only sure foundation for God’s people. Salvation is found in Christ alone.
- The church is a spiritual organism, a community of living believers who are being transformed by Christ’s power through the Spirit.
- All Christians are priests equally called to serve God in holiness and offer spiritual sacrifices.
- The life and growth of the church depends on believers coming to Jesus in ongoing faith, obedience, and submission to His lordship.
- God is building a glorious, global, multi-ethnic spiritual temple, and Jesus Christ is the cornerstone that holds it all together.
In sum, this metaphor emphasizes the centrality of Christ to the church, the call for all Christians to sacrificial service and holy living, and the mandate for believers to come humbly to Jesus for spiritual life and vitality.
Jesus as Cornerstone
The concept of Jesus as the cornerstone appears in several places in the New Testament. A cornerstone was the principal stone placed at the corner of two walls to bond and align the whole building. The imagery underscores Christ’s preeminence, authority, and role in establishing the church (His spiritual house).
Ephesians 2:19-22 makes it clear that the church is being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone. Believers are being joined together in Him to become a holy temple in the Lord. The cornerstone was essential for a firm, stable, straight building. Jesus as the cornerstone provides alignment and unity to His diverse, multi-ethnic church. All ethnic groups and believer giftings find their proper place when joined to the cornerstone.
In Matthew 21:42, Jesus quotes Psalm 118:22 in saying “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” Though Jesus was despised by the Jewish leaders, He was exalted by God to become the very foundation of His kingdom program. The religious authorities thought Jesus of Nazareth could be safely rejected, but God had a different plan – that this rejected “stone” would become the most important one of all.
Isaiah 28:16 says, “Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a stone, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone of a sure foundation.” Jesus fulfilled this messianic prophecy when God laid Him as the cornerstone in Zion (Jerusalem). Christ alone can bear the weight of God’s kingdom purposes. There is no stable spiritual life and growth apart from relying on Jesus as cornerstone.
Therefore, Scripture makes it abundantly clear that God has made His Son Jesus to be the authoritative, upholds-everything cornerstone of the church. All ministry should align with Christ’s teaching and mission. He is the Living Stone from whom all spiritual life flows. The church in all its facets is built on the saving work of its Cornerstone, Jesus.
OT Background on Living Stones
In the Old Testament, living stones would refer to stones used to build God’s house that were whole, newly quarried stones. For example:
1 Kings 5:17 – “At the king’s command they removed from the quarry large blocks of high-grade stone to provide a foundation of dressed stone for the temple.”
Smooth, unhewn building stones right from the quarry were preferred (Exodus 20:25). They aptly represented the living stones or the true Israel that made up God’s spiritual temple.
By Jesus’ day, Judaism spoke of righteous Israelites in Israel’s restored remnant as “living stones” who would rebuild the temple. Peter draws on this imagery but applies it to the church – the true renewed people of God comprised of both Jews and Gentiles under Christ. The emphasis is on believers as “living stones” who are genuine, sincere followers obedient to Christ as cornerstone.
Whereas the Jerusalem temple was made of dead stones, the church is a living temple indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The new temple is composed of redeemed people vitally connected to Christ and growing in holiness. Therefore, “living stones” vividly conveys the organic, dynamic nature of the church as God’s spiritual house built on Christ.
Connection to Priesthood
In calling believers living stones being built into a spiritual house, Peter connects this to their identity as a holy priesthood offering spiritual sacrifices. His language echoes Exodus 19:5-6 where Israel is called by God to be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
Now in the church, believers live out this calling as “living stones” joined to Jesus the great high priest and cornerstone. All followers of Christ have priestly duties including proclaiming God’s praises, doing good works, practicing spiritual disciplines, and supporting the church’s mission (Romans 12; Hebrews 13:15-16).
Our holy priesthood is possible only because of Christ’s finished work. He is both the living stone and the high priest who offered the final, perfect sacrifice for sin. Connected to Jesus by faith, believers are being transformed into a kingdom of priestly living stones that bring glory to God.
Corporate and Individual
It is important to note the corporate and individual dimensions of this biblical imagery. The church collectively is God’s spiritual house built on Christ as cornerstone. This expresses unity in diversity as many living stones come together in Christ.
But Peter’s emphasis is also on each individual believer as a living stone. Every Christian has the responsibility to come to Jesus in sincere faith, grow to maturity, and function as a holy priest offering sacrificial service to God. While being built together, each living stone must be firmly joined to the Cornerstone and nurtured to health. The metaphor has both corporate and individual implications.
Summary of Key Points
In summary, some key points from 1 Peter 2:4-5 include:
- Jesus is the Living Stone and Cornerstone upon whom God’s spiritual house the church is built.
- Believers in Christ are also living stones, connected to Jesus by faith.
- The church is a spiritual organism, a community of believers vitally related to Christ.
- Christians are being built up together yet each has responsibility for spiritual growth.
- Jesus is the authoritative Cornerstone providing alignment and unity.
- Believers function as holy priests, serving and glorifying God.
- This identity comes through faith in Christ’s finished work as High Priest.
- The living stone and spiritual house imagery emphasizes the dynamic, organic nature of the church.
- God is building His multi-ethnic temple with Christ as the unifying, upholding Cornerstone.
This rich biblical metaphor is an amazing description of Christ’s relationship to His church. By God’s grace, may we each grow as living stones that bring honor to Jesus, our cornerstone and source of life. As we come to Him, we are built up together into a holy dwelling place for God’s presence and glory.