Chapter # 2 Paragraph # 1 Study # 1
July 26, 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.
- A. On the heels of the thesis that his readers have experienced a new birth and a purifying of their souls through the enduring, life-imparting Word of God, Peter says, "Therefore...".
- B. Peter's exhortation is automatic to his thesis: if the Word is life-imparting and enduring it is automatic to this status that it become an object of enduring longing.
- 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".
- 1) Translated "malice" by the AV, this word is used of Simon of Samaria in his attempt to purchase the ability to impart the Holy Spirit to anyone upon whom he laid his hands. This was a transparent attempt on his part to regain his reputation in the eyes of the people who once thought of him as "The Great Power of God" and let him dictate the issues of life to them (Acts 8:18-23).
- 2) Most of the references to this concept in the New Testament are in similar "grocery lists", but 1 Peter 2:16 gives it two enlightening characteristics: hiding behind a cloak or veil; and being the opposite of "servanthood to God".
- 3) When these two illuminating texts are considered, one thing stands out: "malice" or, as the ASV renders it, "wickedness" is simply the desire to dictate to others. The issue of control over others is the heart of "malice".
- 4) According to our text, then, no one can benefit from the life-imparting Word if he/she has any serious interest in controlling others. This, obviously, has some serious threads of meaning and implication that must be worked out, but the bottom line is this: if any dominion over others is to be exercised, it must be with benefit to others as its basic motivation.
- b. "Guile".
- 1) This word is also found in "grocery lists" in the New Testament that are unhelpful in determining its meaning.
- 2) However, Matthew 26:4 in its context is enlightening: "guile" is "subtilty" in the sense that those guided by it wish to accomplish their agenda without it appearing to be evil.
- 3) Acts 13:10 applies the word to Elymas, a "scorcerer" like unto Simon of Samaria, and uses it in the context of being an enemy of the right ways of the Lord who "perverted" the life-imparting Word as a "son of the devil".
- 4) 2 Corinthians 12:16 strongly implies that "guile" is a methodological tool of "craftiness".
- 5) There is an inescapable link between "malice" and "guile": the desire to dominate others for personal gain.
- c. "Hypocrisies".
- d. "Envies".
- e. "Evil speakings".
- 2. These cannot be "present".