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Easter · The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Jubilate)

1 Peter 2:11-20

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

April 26, 2026

The Stone Breakers, Gustave Courbet
The Stone Breakers, Gustave Courbet, 1849formerly Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden
Two men, one too old for the work and one too young, breaking rock by a road. Neither face is shown. The painting was destroyed in a bombing raid in 1945.If you endure when you do right and suffer for it, you have God's approval: 1 Peter is written to household slaves, about work that is unjust and still has to be done.Gustave CourbetThe leader of French Realism (1819-1877), who insisted on painting only what he could see, and who paid for his politics with exile.formerly Galerie Neue Meister, DresdenDresden's nineteenth-century collection; this painting was destroyed in the bombing of the city in 1945.formerly Galerie Neue Meister, Dresden
Historic One-Year Lectionary
GospelJohn 16:16-22Jn 16:16-22
Epistle1 Pet. 2:11-201 Pt 2:11-20Alt. Epistle1 John 3:1-31 Jn 3:1-3
Old TestamentIsa. 40:25-31Is 40:25-31Alt. OTLam. 3:22-33Lam 3:22-33
PsalterPs. 147:1-11Ps 147:1-11

Overview & Insights

“You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Peter now turns from exhorting his readers to conduct that befits their life within the believing community to inviting them to consider the nature of that community which Christ has brought into existence.

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Commentary

1 Peter 2 Commentary: The Glory and the Duty of God's People1 Pt 2 Commentary: The Glory and the Duty of God's People Enduring Word · David Guzik

David Guzik covers living as sojourners, submission for the Lord's sake, and suffering while doing good.

1 Peter 2:11-12 Commentary1 Pt 2:11-12 Commentary Precept Austin

Detailed study of aliens and strangers abstaining from fleshly lusts, the exact opening of this reading.

1 Peter 2:19-25 Commentary1 Pt 2:19-25 Commentary Center for Excellence in Preaching

Reformed commentary on the suffering-while-doing-good verses (19 to 20) that close this reading and continue into the servant example.

1 Peter 2:11 Commentaries1 Pt 2:11 Commentaries BibleHub

Classic commentators on Peter's appeal to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul.

Background & Word Study

Book of 1 Peter Summary: Watch an Overview VideoBook of 1 Pt Summary: Watch an Overview Video BibleProject

Animated overview of the letter's argument about identity and suffering for the scattered church.

1 Peter 2:11 Interlinear1 Pt 2:11 Interlinear BibleHub

Greek-English interlinear parsing paroikous and parepidemous (aliens and sojourners) and epithumion (lusts).

The Church Fathers

1 Peter 2 - Catena Bible & Commentaries1 Pt 2 - Catena Bible & Commentaries Catena

Patristic comment gathered verse by verse for the chapter.

Questions preachers ask

What is the living Stone?

Coming to Christ, the living Stone rejected by men but chosen by God, believers are built into a spiritual house and called to honorable conduct among the nations.

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