1
Peter 2: 7-8a
7To you then who believe, he is precious; but for those who do
not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the very head of
the corner’, and ‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes
them fall.’
So Peter opened with a call to
understand Jesus as the cornerstone, that Jesus is precious in the sight of
God. Now Jesus connects that to those
who believe, and then makes the case for what happens with those do not
believe.
7To you then who believe, he is precious;-- Peter here echoes the sentiment just expressed.
but
for those who do not believe, ‘The stone that the builders rejected has become
the very head of the corner’,-- Reference
#1 for the unbeliever is offered here, what has happened to that which they
have rejected.
and
‘A stone that makes them stumble, and a rock that makes them fall.’—Reference #2 for the unbeliever now leads to what happens to them
in the process of Jesus.
There is a deliberate arc to this story,
believer to unbeliever. The ultimate
object for Peter is not to stump the unbeliever. Rather, he is seeking to impart his wisdom of
understanding their plight and place, with an eye to what can be done to seek
their conversion.
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