1 Peter 2:5

_ _ Ye also, as lively stones — partaking of the name and life which is in “THE LIVING STONE” (1 Peter 2:4; 1 Corinthians 3:11). Many names which belong to Christ in the singular are assigned to Christians in the plural. He is “THE SON,” “High Priest,” “King,” “Lamb”; they, “sons,” “priests,” “kings,” “sheep,” “lambs.” So the Shulamite called from Solomon [Bengel].

_ _ are built up — Greek, “are being built up,” as in Ephesians 2:22. Not as Alford, “Be ye built up.” Peter grounds his exhortations, 1 Peter 2:2, 1 Peter 2:11, etc., on their conscious sense of their high privileges as living stones in the course of being built up into a spiritual house (that is, “the habitation of the Spirit”).

_ _ priesthood — Christians are both the spiritual temple and the priests of the temple. There are two Greek words for “temple”; hieron (the sacred place), the whole building, including the courts wherein the sacrifice was killed; and naos (the dwelling, namely, of God), the inner shrine wherein God peculiarly manifested Himself, and where, in the holiest place, the blood of the slain sacrifice was presented before Him. All believers alike, and not merely ministers, are now the dwelling of God (and are called the “naos,” Greek, not the hieron) and priests unto God (Revelation 1:6). The minister is not, like the Jewish priest (Greek, “hiereus”), admitted nearer to God than the people, but merely for order’s sake leads the spiritual services of the people. Priest is the abbreviation of presbyter in the Church of England Prayer Book, not corresponding to the Aaronic priest (hiereus, who offered literal sacrifices). Christ is the only literal hiereus-priest in the New Testament through whom alone we may always draw near to God. Compare 1 Peter 2:9, “a royal priesthood,” that is, a body of priest-kings, such as was Melchisedec. The Spirit never, in New Testament, gives the name hiereus, or sacerdotal priest, to ministers of the Gospel.

_ _ holy — consecrated to God.

_ _ spiritual sacrifices — not the literal one of the mass, as the Romish self-styled disciples of Peter teach. Compare Isaiah 56:7, which compare with “acceptable to God” here; Psalms 4:5; Psalms 50:14; Psalms 51:17, Psalms 51:19; Hosea 14:2; Philippians 4:18. “Among spiritual sacrifices the first place belongs to the general oblation of ourselves. For never can we offer anything to God until we have offered ourselves (2 Corinthians 8:5) in sacrifice to Him. There follow afterwards prayers, giving of thanks, alms deeds, and all exercises of piety” [Calvin]. Christian houses of worship are never called temples because the temple was a place for sacrifice, which has no place in the Christian dispensation; the Christian temple is the congregation of spiritual worshippers. The synagogue (where reading of Scripture and prayer constituted the worship) was the model of the Christian house of worship (compare Note, see on James 2:2, Greek, “synagogue”; Acts 15:21). Our sacrifices are those of prayer, praise, and self-denying services in the cause of Christ (1 Peter 2:9, end).

_ _ by Jesus Christ — as our mediating High Priest before God. Connect these words with “offer up.” Christ is both precious Himself and makes us accepted [Bengel]. As the temple, so also the priesthood, is built on Christ (1 Peter 2:4, 1 Peter 2:5) [Beza]. Imperfect as are our services, we are not with unbelieving timidity, which is close akin to refined self-righteousness, to doubt their acceptance THROUGH CHRIST. After extolling the dignity of Christians he goes back to Christ as the sole source of it.