A spiritual house
Read 1 Peter 2:4-8
Here Peter uses the first of three pictures to describe the community of Christians. In Jewish culture, the cornerstone was the first stone to be laid down and was a large stone at the corner of the building, supporting two walls at right angles to each other.
- Discuss the significance of the cornerstone when building a house. In this passage, Jesus is compared to a cornerstone. What is his importance in building our lives?
- How does Peter describe the cornerstone and the temple in this passage?
- What is Peter trying to say about the nature of the Christian church by using these words?
- Who is the builder? God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit or the people?
- What are the characteristics of the ideal church?
A holy and royal priesthood
Read 1 Peter 2:4-9
At the time when Peter was writing, the priests in the Jewish faith acted as go-betweens between God and the people of Israel. They maintained the buildings, took the people’s sacrifices, presented them to God on the altar and gave the people’s tithes to the poor.
- What was the role of the priesthood, according to this passage?
- In what ways are the holy priesthood and all Christian believers similar?
- Why does Peter say that all believers are ‘royal priests’?
- What are the spiritual sacrifices we are to offer as believers?
- What is meant by the priesthood of all believers?
- How does this compare with the situation within our churches?
A holy nation
Read 1 Peter 2:9-12
Using the term ‘holy nation’ would remind Jewish people of their own history. God had saved the nation of Israel from slavery in Egypt and taken them to the Promised Land. They were to be the light, or an example, for the Gentiles.
- What do you understand by the term ‘holy nation’? What was the role of Israel towards the Gentiles?
- In what ways is the church different from the world?
- What is the purpose of the church being ‘different’?
- What are the characteristics of the ideal church?
- How does this compare with our own church situation?
- What would the ideal nation look like? Compare this with the situation within this country.
Salt and light
Read Matthew 5:13-16
This is a challenging passage from Jesus’ ‘Sermon on the mount’.
- What are the natural characteristics and uses of salt?
- What do we think Jesus meant when he said, ‘You are the salt of the earth’? (verse 13)
- If salt loses its taste, what is its use – in food and in the spiritual sense?
- What does it mean for the church to be ‘the light of the world’? (verse 14)
- If we are salt and light, what impact should we be having in our community and church?
- What things could we do to have more impact on our community and church?
Jesus’ ministry of healing
Read Matthew 4:12-13 and 23-25
Jesus went out to meet with people where they were, in order to do his work.
- What do these verses say about the actions of Jesus?
- What brought so many people to hear Jesus?
- What does Jesus’ healing ministry tell us about the kingdom of God?
Keeping the vision
Read Revelation 3:1-6
The second and third chapters of Revelation are messages from God to seven different churches. This passage is written to the church in Sardis, but serves as a warning to all of us.
- What did people in the community think of the church?
- What does God think of the church? What makes him most disappointed?
- What warning does God give if the church does not change?
- What encouragement does he give for those who follow his way?
- What other examples are there in the Bible of people losing enthusiasm for a particular work or vision? What was God’s response?
See also
Acts 2:42-47 The fellowship of believers
Ephesians 1:3-14 Having believed, you were marked
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people
Mark 4:8 Still other seed fell on good soil
Acts 6:7 So the word of God spread