Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Peter 2:1

"Putting away therefore all wickedness, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings," — 1 Peter 2:1 (ASV)

For this reason—that is, because the Pauline teaching, which brings the Gentiles to the same level as the Jews, is correct. It may be observed that this newly stated principle is called by Peter in the final verse of the preceding chapter a “gospel,” or piece of good news, for all parties.

Laying aside—This implies that before, they had been wrapped up in these sins. There had been malice (i.e., ill will put into action) on the part of these Hebrew Christians against their Gentile brothers, and guile, and hypocrisies, and jealousies, which are all instances of concealed malice. Of these three, the first plots, the second pretends not to plot, and the third rejoices to think of the plot succeeding. The term all evil speakings is literally, all talkings down—this is “malice” in word.

Archbishop Leighton well says, “The Apostles sometimes name some of these evils, and sometimes others of them; but they are inseparable, all one garment, and all comprehended under that one word (Ephesians 4:22), the old man, which the Apostle there exhorts to put off; and here it is pressed as a necessary evidence of this new birth, and furtherance of their spiritual growth, that these base habits be thrown away, ragged, filthy habits, unbecoming the children of God.” All these vices (natural vices to the Jewish mind) are contrasted with the unfeigned brotherly kindness (literally, un-hypocritical) of 1 Peter 1:22.