John Calvin 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)

You also, as lively or living stones, are built up. The verb may be in the imperative as well as in the indicative mood, for the termination in Greek is ambiguous. But in whatever way it is taken, Peter no doubt meant to exhort the faithful to consecrate themselves as a spiritual temple to God, for he aptly infers from the design of our calling what our duty is.

We must further observe, that he constructs one house from the whole number of the faithful. For though every one of us is said to be the temple of God, yet all are united together in one, and must be joined together by mutual love, so that one temple may be made of us all.

Then, as it is true that each one is a temple in which God dwells by his Spirit, so all ought to be so fitted together, that they may form one universal temple. This is the case when every one, content with his own measure, keeps himself within the limits of his own duty; all have, however, something to do with regard to others.

By calling us living stones and spiritual building, as he had before said that Christ is a living stone, he intimates a comparison between us and the ancient temple; and this serves to amplify divine grace. For the same purpose is what he adds regarding spiritual sacrifices. For the more excellent the reality is than the types, the more all things excel in the kingdom of Christ; for we have that heavenly exemplar, to which the ancient sanctuary conformed, and everything instituted by Moses under the Law.

A holy priesthood. It is a singular honor that God should not only consecrate us as a temple to himself, in which he dwells and is worshipped, but that he should also make us priests. But Peter mentions this double honor in order to stimulate us more effectively to serve and worship God. Of the spiritual sacrifices, the first is the offering of ourselves, of which Paul speaks in Romans 12:1; for we can offer nothing until we offer to him ourselves as a sacrifice, which is done by denying ourselves. Then, afterwards follow prayers, thanksgiving, acts of charity, and all the duties of religion.

Acceptable to God. It ought also to add greatly to our alacrity when we know that the worship we perform to God is pleasing to him, as doubt necessarily brings sloth with it. Here, then, is the third thing that enforces the exhortation; for he declares that what is required is acceptable to God, lest fear should make us slothful. Idolaters are indeed under the influence of great fervor in their fictitious forms of worship; but it is so because Satan intoxicates their minds, lest they consider their works; but whenever their consciences are led to examine things, they begin to stagger. It is, indeed, certain that no one will seriously and from the heart devote himself to God until he is fully persuaded that he will not labor in vain.

But the Apostle adds, through Jesus Christ. Our sacrifices never possess such purity that they are acceptable to God in themselves; our self-denial is never entire and complete, our prayers are never as sincere as they should be, and we are never so zealous and diligent in doing good that our works are not still imperfect and mingled with many vices. Nevertheless, Christ procures favor for them.

Then Peter here obviates that lack of faith which we may have regarding the acceptability of our works, when he says that they are accepted, not for the merit of their own excellence, but through Christ. And it ought to kindle the ardor of our efforts all the more when we hear that God deals so indulgently with us, that in Christ he sets a value on our works, which in themselves deserve nothing. At the same time, the words, by or through Christ, may be appropriately connected with offering; for a similar phrase is found in Hebrews 13:15,

Through him let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God.

The sense, however, will remain the same; for we offer sacrifices through Christ, that they may be acceptable to God.