The Living Stone and Chosen People (Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22)
1 CPDV Therefore, set aside all malice and all deceitfulness, as well as falseness and envy and every detraction. BSB BSB: Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
2 CPDV Like newborn infants, desire the milk of reasonableness without guile, so that by this you may increase unto salvation, BSB BSB: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 CPDV if it is true that you have tasted that the Lord is sweet. BSB BSB: now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 CPDV And approaching him as if he were a living stone, rejected by men, certainly, but elect and honored by God, BSB BSB: As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
5 CPDV be also yourselves like living stones, built upon him, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, so as to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. BSB BSB: you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 CPDV Because of this, Scripture asserts: “Behold, I am setting in Zion a chief cornerstone, elect, precious. And whoever will have believed in him will not be confounded.” BSB BSB: For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.”
7 CPDV Therefore, to you who believe, he is honor. But to those who do not believe, the stone which the builders have rejected, the same has been made into the head of the corner, BSB BSB: To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,”
8 CPDV and a stone of offense, and a rock of scandal, to those who are offended by the Word; neither do they believe, though they also have been built upon him. BSB BSB: and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.
9 CPDV But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, an acquired people, so that you may announce the virtues of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. BSB BSB: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
11 CPDV Most beloved, I beg you, as new arrivals and sojourners, to abstain from carnal desires, which battle against the soul. BSB BSB: Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
12 CPDV Keep your behavior among the Gentiles to what is good, so that, when they slander you as if you were evildoers, they may, by the good works that are seen in you, glorify God on the day of visitation. BSB BSB: Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Submission to Authorities (Romans 13:1–7)
13 CPDV Therefore, be subject to every human creature because of God, whether it is to the king as preeminent, BSB BSB: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
14 CPDV or to leaders as having been sent from him for vindication over evildoers, it is truly for the praise of what is good. BSB BSB: or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
15 CPDV For such is the will of God, that by doing good you may bring about the silence of imprudent and ignorant men, BSB BSB: For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 CPDV in an open manner, and not as if cloaking malice with liberty, but like servants of God. BSB BSB: Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
17 CPDV Honor everyone. Love brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the king. BSB BSB: Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18 CPDV Servants, be subject to your masters with all fear, not only to the good and meek, but also to the unruly. BSB BSB: Servants, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but even to those who are unreasonable.
19 CPDV For this is grace: when, because of God, a man willingly endures sorrows, suffering injustice. BSB BSB: For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.
20 CPDV For what glory is there, if you sin and then suffer a beating? But if you do well and suffer patiently, this is grace with God. BSB BSB: How is it to your credit if you are beaten for doing wrong and you endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God.
Christ’s Example of Suffering (Isaiah 53:1–8)
21 CPDV For you have been called to this because Christ also suffered for us, leaving you an example, so that you would follow in his footsteps. BSB BSB: For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in His footsteps:
23 CPDV And when evil was spoken against him, he did not speak evil. When he suffered, he did not threaten. Then he handed himself over to him who judged him unjustly. BSB BSB: When they heaped abuse on Him, He did not retaliate; when He suffered, He made no threats, but entrusted Himself to Him who judges justly.
24 CPDV He himself bore our sins in his body upon the tree, so that we, having died to sin, would live for justice. By his wounds, you have been healed. BSB BSB: He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.”
25 CPDV For you were like wandering sheep. But now you have been turned back toward the Pastor and the Bishop of your souls. BSB BSB: For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.