Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Peter 2:5

"ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." — 1 Peter 2:5 (ASV)

As unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

Chosen of God. The whole spiritual building is the result of the election, the choice of God. Jesus Christ, the great foundation and the chief corner stone, is chosen of God, and all the living stones that are built upon him are also chosen of God. The whole fabric is like the foundation upon which it is laid: Chosen of God, and precious, — precious to God and precious to us.

You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

We hear of certain persons being "ordained" first deacons and then priests, but all who are truly in Christ, whether they are men, or women, or children, are priests. We are a holy priesthood if we are in Christ. All the sacrifices that can now be offered are spiritual sacrifices, which are to be offered, not by a few special persons set apart for that work, but by the whole company of God's chosen people, and so they are acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Ye also, as lively stones—

It is not "lively" stones; it is the same word in the original in both cases—"a living stone" and "living stones." The translators of our Authorized Version have often rendered the same Hebrew or Greek word in a different way, which is a pity, as it is in this instance: Ye also, as living stones—

are built up a spiritual house,

A house that is a living structure from the foundation to the topstone.

A holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

He is a living stone, and you, as living stones, are built upon him. He and you together make up a living spiritual house. And so that the house may have suitable tenants and be properly furnished, you also become priests; and, as priests, you offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

You also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

See what Jesus Christ has made of you who believe in him; by the incorruptible blood and the incorruptible seed, he has brought you into a heavenly priesthood, and you are today to stand at the spiritual altar, and to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Will you not pray, will you not praise, will you not love? These are sacrifices with which God is well pleased.

You also, as lively stones,

Or, living stones

Are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

You might have noticed, in reading the New Testament, that you never find the officers of a church called priests. Whenever that term is used by way of illustration, it is applied to all the people of God. They are all priests but, under the Christian dispensation, there is no set of men who have any right to take that title above their fellow-believers. All those who believe in Jesus Christ are priests, every one of them as much as all the others; and the assumption of priesthood under the Christian dispensation is most truly the repetition of the sin of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, though the men who commit it usually try to lay the guilt of that sin at the doors of other people.

We ministers are no more priests than all of you who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ are; we shake our skirts at the very thought of such wickedness and cry, "God forbid that we should, with unhallowed hands, try to steal away from God's people what is the right and prerogative of them all!" Ye also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.