A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD AND A HOLY NATION

2P 2:1-10

VC 2:9

1. Put away and wish for

"So" in this verse relates to the previous chapter where we learnt that all flesh perishes but the word of the Lord remains forever. So, we must not be similar to the world (Rm 12:2). It's important to put away all malice. But this is not sufficient. We must do a positive action. Paul says that we must wish for God's pure word like a baby. A believer can grow only like that. "Adulterated" (french word "frelaté) signifies "mix with strange substances, spoiled and falsified". The pure, non-adulturated spiritual milk signifies God's word free of all human and carnal things.

2. A rejected stone (4-7)

Paul says us to approach Jesus. Jesus is the living stone, because he has been rejected by mankind, but he has been raisen up by resurrection. We also are small living stones, we are different in view of size - Jesus is the main stone but we are like him because we also are rejected. Jesus is the cornerstone, we are ordinary stones, but we have the same material as him. So we form a building, the body of Christ. Whoever comes close to him will not be put to shame (6b; Rm 10:11; Es 28:16). That's why for me it's good to be near him.

3. A royal priesthood and a holy nation (9-10)

Unlike these who trip over the Stone, we who come close to Jesus are a chosen race (like Israel), a royal priesthood (high priest kind like Melkisedek who blesses), a holy nation (to whom come all nation because of his word) and a ransomed people (forgiven for all sins). So the believer has received an important role to propagate the light in this world.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for saving us from our sins, make us be a royal priesthood to the world.

Un word: rid yourself, crave, come and above all, be...