1 Peter 2 Part 4: A Royal Priesthood
1 Peter 2:9-10; Exodus 19:5-6 - We are His chosen and brought into the light of His mercy!
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
1 Peter 2:9-10 NASB1995
Christians are the building blocks of the church that begins with Christ as the cornerstone. As Peter describes us, we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. I’m not talking about a physical building. You can walk into the most elaborate and huge cathedrals in some parts of Europe now and they may have one service a week, if they are lucky. The people are what make a church successful and when believers fall away and new believers are not found, a church is just another building that could be viewed for its artwork or used for something else.
When I was growing up, I attended a smallish traditional Lutheran church that had pews, some stained glass windows and a nice booming organ. Steve and I were married in that church; later, when we returned to faith, we attended another larger Lutheran church (ELCA) for quite a few years that was rather plain in design, with rows of chairs hooked together and a clear window above the altar with the “Chi Rho” symbol embedded in the glass. We left this ELCA church in 2019 (something that should have happened much sooner) because of growing apostasy within the synod. Our next church was a nearby mega church with a huge auditorium and lots of sound boards and lights and loud Christian contemporary music, a big Christian school and was associated with a conservative Presbyterian synod. That church had lots of very nice people and tons of parking, but we weren’t sure what to think of the huge place.
We really liked the preaching, though, so when the senior pastor of this mega church decided to part ways with the leadership there (and he took most of the staff with him), we followed him. We had a storefront church for a while, in a restaurant that was a casualty of COVID. Then we found a better and bigger building for a church home, in a former 24/7 fitness place (another COVID casualty). Now there is a second campus of this church in our state (a YMCA that was an COVID casualty) and a few couples are trying to plant a third church in Florida. Our old ELCA church was never interested in church plants, only in progressivism. We have a tie-in to active churches and ministries in Pakistan and India. Our church does 24/7 worship (since February) and 24/7 intercessory prayer (for over two years now) and has many active small groups. I would say it is definitely filled with the spirit! Stained glass and formality and liturgies are not required, repentance is strongly emphasized and the Bible is preached as the true Word of God, not twisted to support the latest social fad. And I’m starting to get used to the music!
So let’s look closer at the four attributes that Peter assigns to the Church (a set of believers):
Chosen race: Other translations of the Bible use “generation” or “people” for who is chosen, but they all come from the same Greek root Word γένος or genos, with the following meanings (the third definition is the most appropriate):
kindred, offspring, family
stock, tribe, nation
i.e. nationality or descent from a particular people
the aggregate of many individuals of the same nature, kind, sort
Christians come from every race and ethnic group on this planet, but we are an aggregate of believers of the same nature: Belief in Jesus Christ as our Savior. The nation of Israel was chosen by God, but His grace and mercy through His Son extends to everyone.
Royal Priesthood: The royal priesthood was jealously guarded and carefully separated from the people in Israel. They wore the appropriate robes and headdresses to identify them as such. For Christians, we are the royal priesthood. The word priesthood comes from the Greek word ἱεράτευμα or hierateuma. The Strong’s definition from the same lexicon page in the Blue Letter Bible is appropriate for how Peter is defining this royal priesthood of believers:
…exalted to a moral rank and freedom which exempts them from the control of everyone but God and Christ.
We need no intermediaries between us and God. Upon His death, Jesus torn down the veil in the temple, as I described in a previous devotional.
A Holy Nation: In the Old Testament, the only true and holy group of people were the tribes of Israel, as noted in Exodus, when God speaks this to Moses:
“Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel.””
Exodus 19:5-6 NASB1995
All other groups were described as foreign nations (Gentiles, pagans, worshippers of false Gods). Israel itself was unable to keep this covenant, falling into idolatry and separation from God. Peter takes this word for nation (ethos) and now uses it to address all Christians (Jewish and Gentile) as a holy nation. Paul apparently used the same word to describe Gentile Christians. We are to be separate from those around us who do not believe. Charles Spurgeon described this in commentary found on 1 Peter 2:9 in Precept Austin:
You have national privileges. God reckons you not as a mob or a herd of men, but as a nation, and a nation with this peculiar hall-mark upon you, that you are “a holy nation.” This is the true token of your nationality that you are “holiness unto the Lord,” “a peculiar people” belonging to God alone, marked off from the rest of mankind as peculiarly his. You are not, and you are not to be as other men are, you are “a peculiar people.” Your road is not the broad one where the many go, it is the narrow one which the few find, your happiness is not worldly pleasure, but pleasures at the right hand of God which are for evermore, You are “a peculiar people”.
God’s Own Possession: In some translations, this is written as “His own special people”. God takes ordinary people and and He works in them to make them His own and special. “God’s own Possession” in the NASB1995 translation comes from the Greek word περιποίησις or peripoiesis. This term is defined as “acquisition, saving, peculiar, purchased, possession”.
Enduring Word has a great comment by G. Campbell Morgan on how these four attributes define the church:
“The description of the Church is systematic and exhaustive. It is a race, and this suggests its life principle. It is a priesthood, and so has right of access to God. It is a nation, and so is under His government. It is a possession, and so is actually indwelt by Him.” (Morgan)
As a chosen race, a holy priesthood, a holy nation and God’s own possession, we are called to worship in His light! We have been extended His mercy! We are to proclaim His excellencies! As described by historian and Biblical commentator Chris Tiegreen in Precept Austin, this is our ultimate response to God:
If you’ve never seen your worship as the ultimate purpose of your salvation, you’re missing the best part of salvation. The place of glad worship is the place of greatest blessing, of richest fellowship, and of true fulfillment. Salvation isn’t complete until we praise Him for His mercy—daily, passionately, honestly. We were bought with a price for a reason.
INDEED - Many believers get caught up in getting the most out of their salvation. Few move on to giving the most out of their salvation. But those who do will realize one of the many paradoxes of the Kingdom: Giving it all results in getting it all. A heart poured out in praise results in a heart filled with purpose. The way of sacrifice leads to great gain. Losing your life in worship ends with fulfilling your life in God. And that’s exactly the reason for which you were redeemed.
My next devotional examines 1 Peter 2: 11-12 - Our conduct as a Holy Nation
Heaven on Wheels Daily Prayer:
Dear Lord - Thank you for your mercy and grace and for extending it to all people who believe in you as their Redeemer. May I be always be part of the chosen people, a royal priest, a holy nation and your own possession as I bask in the Light of all that is good from you and worship you with all of my being. Amen.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Commentary from Enduring Word is used with written permission.