EXPLORE THE TEXT
Believers are united corporately as God’s chosen and holy people.
9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for his possession,
so that you may proclaim the praises of the one who called you
out of darkness into his marvelous light.
10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people;
you hadnot received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
The Christians in Asia Minor enjoyed a new relationship with mercy.
Mercy is undeserved and can only lead to humble worship and joy.
call attention to several key words in these verses that describe characteristics of believers:
chosen race, priesthood, holy nation, and God’s possession.
In the Old Testament, God chose Israel to be His people. Once the Messiah came and finished His work of salvation on the cross, believers-the living stones who made up the church-became His people. In addition, Peter identified followers of Jesus as a royal priesthood and a holy nation, using more Old Testament language (Ex. 19).
At its best, the Old Testament priesthood represented a go-between that connected God with His highest creation. The priests who served in the tabernacle and the temple brought the people’s needs before God and mediated His response to them. However, as a nation, the entire population of Israel also was called to point people toward God and to encourage them into a personal relationship with Him.
They did this with varying degrees of success over their history. Today, Christians are called to the same priestly role, revealing God and His ways to a world in need.
The Greek wording here suggests taking ownership or making something one’s own. It involves a complete acquisition. But it also includes the idea of preservation.
The moment we accept Christ as Savior, God claims us as His precious possession and takes us as His own. In doing so, He protects us so that, as Jesus pointed out, no one can snatch us out of His hand (John 10:27-30). Paul also reminded the believers in Rome that absolutely nothing has the power to separate Christ followers from Him (Rom. 8:37-39).
The purpose for which God has established this chosen race and taken them into His possession is stated clearly: proclaim the praises of the One who had brought His people out of the bondage of darkness into his marvelous light. This is almost certainly an allusion to Isaiah 43:21, where God said He created a people whose sole purpose was to bring Him praise.
Peter noted the wording of Hosea 2:23 to equate the mercy believers have in Jesus with the mercy God pledged to sinful Israel. Prior to embracing the gospel, Peter’s readers were hopeless and lost. The idea behind not a people implies a lack of connection to God or the gospel. However, in Christ, believers move from having no true spiritual identity to becoming God’s people. What’s more, He was continuing His work to refine them and transform them into His image.
Invite the group to work in pairs.
Instruct each pair to briefly describe their salvation experience by stating what their life was like before and after accepting Christ as Lord and Savior.
After everyone has shared, close by reading 1 Peter 2:10.
Review these points from Apply the Text on page 36 of the Personal Study Guide:
Invite the group to share how these statements are supported by the Scripture verses in this session.
Guide the group to discuss the second set of questions on page 36 of the PSG. Encourage them to share evidence of spiritual maturity they see in themselves and in the lives of other adults in the group.
Close in prayer, thanking God for the provision of His Word through Peter reminding us of His call in our lives. Commit to growing in our efforts to reflect Christ in our lives.
Reinforce the session by texting or emailing the group during the week. Encourage them to share if they have faced an experience that challenged their spirituality and how it moved them toward spiritual maturity. Suggest they share what direction they received from God’s Word as they responded. Urge them to reflect on the situation and evaluate what they might have done differently. Commit to praying with them, asking God to be glorified through their actions.
Session 3
Election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. It is consistent with the free agency of man, and comprehends all the means in connection with the end. (See Romans 10:9-15; Ephesians 1:4-5.)
Examine how Old Testament passages are used in the New Testament.
sUsing a study Bible or a Bible with robust cross-referencing, read through 1 and 2 Peter, making note of the Old Testament references and allusions. How did Peter use the Old Testament references to make his point? How does his use of the Old Testament inform our interpretation of the New Testament?