Charles Ellicott Commentary 1 Peter 2:4

"unto whom coming, a living stone, rejected indeed of men, but with God elect, precious," — 1 Peter 2:4 (ASV)

To whom coming. The word used is the one that gives rise to the name of a “proselyte.” (Compare to Note on 1 Peter 2:2.) It is also strangely used in a similar sense in 1 Timothy 6:3: “Joining Him therefore as proselytes.”

It is not that St. Peter has any notion of a mere external joining. The Apostolic writers do not contemplate the possibility of a difference between the visible and invisible Church. From this point, the regeneration idea, which characterized the whole of the previous part of the Epistle, suddenly disappears. The thought is no longer that of a spiritual seed instead of a carnal seed, but of a spiritual Temple instead of the stone temple at Jerusalem.

A living stone. The very structure and order of the sentence puts Jesus Christ first: foundation first, building afterwards. It is a pity to insert “as unto” with our version; it detracts from the striking, attracting effect of the sudden metaphor. St. Peter is fond of explaining his metaphors—e.g., “inheritance . . . in heaven,” “tested genuineness . . . more precious than of gold,” “gird up . . . loins of your minds”—so here, “living stone.”

It is more than doubtful whether St. Peter, in what follows, had in mind the giving of his own surname. The word he uses here is neither petros nor petra, but lithos; and indeed, the whole idea of the relative position of the Church to the petra and to the lithos is quite different. Neither petros nor petra could possibly be used for the squared, wrought stone, but represent the native, rocky, unhewn substratum—part or whole—which pre-exists before any building is begun, even before the “chief corner-stone” would be placed. (Compare to Matthew 7:24.)

Here, therefore, the idea is quite different: the substratum is not thought of at all, and Jesus Christ is a carefully selected and hewn stone (lithos), specially laid as the first act in the work of building. The only thing, therefore, which is, in fact, common to the two passages is the simple thought of the Christian Church being like a building.

Our present verse gives us no direct help towards finding how St. Peter understood the famous name-passage. All we can say for certain is that he did not interpret it to mean that an official connection with his own person was the one essential of the true Church. Otherwise, when again using the metaphor of building the Church (though in a different connection), he could hardly have omitted all mention of himself.

He is, apparently, thinking only of the Messianic interpretation of Old Testament sayings as expounded by our Lord—the unsophisticated milk of the word (1 Peter 2:2).

Disallowed indeed of men. This is a direct reference to the passage (Psalms 118:22), which is quoted below in 1 Peter 2:7. It says “men” here, rather than “builders,” in order to contrast them more forcibly with God. The word “disallowed,” or “rejected,” implies a form of trial or probation that comes to an unsatisfactory conclusion. The human builders examine the stone, inspect all its qualifications, and find it unsuited to the edifice which they have in hand, refusing it not only the place of honour but any place at all in their architecture. St. Peter wishes to bring out strongly the absolute opposition between God and the Jews.

But chosen of God, and precious. Literally, but with God elect, honoured. This is a direct allusion to the passage Isaiah 28:16, which is quoted in 1 Peter 2:6.

While the human builders saw the qualities of the stone and rejected it because it did not fit in with their ideal, on the other hand, “with God”—i.e., in God’s counsel and plan—it was “elect.” I.e., choice had been laid upon it; it had been selected for God’s building purposes.

And it was not only “elect” (for this might be equally said of all the “living stones”; see 1 Peter 1:2, where the word has precisely the same meaning), but also “honoured.” This is further explained to mean singled out for the place of honour, i.e., for that of corner-stone. The designation of this stone as “elect” brings out again what we have noted in 1 Peter 1:11 and 1 Peter 1:20, namely, the eternal predestination of Jesus to the Messiahship.