The Living Stone and Chosen People (Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22)
1 UST Because{ these things are true}, do not act wickedly or deceive others in any way. Do not be hypocrites, and do not envy others. Do not speak evil things falsely about anyone. BSB BSB: Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander.
2 UST Just as newborn babies strongly desire their mothers’ pure milk, so you should strongly desire to learn true things about God so that by{ learning} them you may become spiritually mature.{ You must do this} until the time when God saves you completely{ from this sinful world}. BSB BSB: Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation,
3 UST { You must do this} because you have experienced that the Lord acts very kindly{ toward you}. BSB BSB: now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.
4 UST You have come to the Lord Jesus.{ He is like} a stone{ that is part of a building, but he is} alive. Although people rejected him, God chose him and greatly values him. BSB BSB: As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight,
5 UST And you are like stones that are alive.{ Like men build houses with stones,} God is joining you together like a building in which his Spirit dwells.{ He is also making you} be like priests whom he has set apart in order to do spiritual acts, pleasing to God, by means of Jesus the Messiah. 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 UST What{ Isaiah} wrote{ that God had said} in Scripture shows us that this is true:“Pay attention! I am placing in Jerusalem someone who is like the most important stone in the building. I have chosen him. He is very valuable. And anyone who trusts in him will surely never be humiliated.” 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 UST Therefore,{ God} will honor you who believe in Jesus. However, those who refuse to believe in him{ are like the builders that someone wrote about in the Psalms}:“The stone that the builders rejected has become the most important stone in the building.” 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 UST { Isaiah} also{ wrote in the Scriptures that the Messiah would be like}“a stone that causes people to stumble, and a rock that offends people.”{ Just as people become injured because they trip over a rock,} people become offended because they disobey God’ s message; that is what God determined would happen to them. 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 UST In contrast{ to them}, you{ believers} are people whom God has chosen{ for himself}.{ You are} like a group of priests{ who worship God} and rule{ with him}.{ You are} a people group that God has set apart{ for himself}.{ You are} a people who belong to God so that you might declare the praiseworthy things he has done. He has called you out of your former manner of living, when you were sinful and ignorant about God, and he has made you understand the wonderful true things about himself. 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 UST Fellow believers whom I love, you are like foreigners{ whose real home is in heaven}. So I urge you not to do the things that your sinful human natures want to do. Those desires will destroy you. BSB BSB: Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul.
12 UST Behave well among those who do not know God in order that, concerning the things you are doing, which they falsely say are evil, they will see that you are{ actually} doing good things and they will honor God when he comes to judge everyone. 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 UST In order to honor the Lord Jesus, obey everyone who has power{ to govern people}. This includes the king, because he has the greatest{ human} power. BSB BSB: Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to the king as the supreme authority,
14 UST It also includes governors, because the king has sent them to punish those who do evil things and to praise those who do good things. BSB BSB: or to governors as those sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to praise those who do right.
15 UST { Obey those who govern people,} because this is what God wants:{ He wants you} to do good things in order to stop fools{ who do not know God} from being able to ignorantly say that you have done evil things. BSB BSB: For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorance of foolish men.
16 UST { Obey those who govern people} as people who are free to do so voluntarily, but do not try to use your status as free people to hide evil deeds. Instead,{ obey} as those who serve God should. BSB BSB: Live in freedom, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.
17 UST Be respectful to everyone. Love all{ your} fellow believers. Revere God. Be respectful to the king. BSB BSB: Treat everyone with high regard: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
18 UST You household slaves{ who are believers}, submit to your masters with a completely reverent attitude.{ Do this} not only to those{ masters} who act very kindly toward you but also to those who act unjustly toward you. 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 UST { Submit to your masters,} because this is something that God prefers— if someone endures hardships and suffers undeservedly because that person is aware of who God is{ and what he wants}. BSB BSB: For if anyone endures the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God, this is to be commended.
20 UST { Submit to your masters,} because there is certainly no honor for you if you endure when someone beats you because you have sinned. However, this is something that God favors: if you endure when you suffer even though you did what is good. 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 UST { God favors this} because he has called you to suffer while doing what is good.{ He has called you to this} because the Messiah also suffered for your sake in order to be an example for you with the purpose that you would imitate what he did. 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 UST When people insulted him, he never insulted them in return. When he suffered, he never threatened{ those who caused him to suffer}. Instead, he trusted God, who always judges rightly,{ to prove that he was innocent}. 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 UST The Messiah himself was punished for our sins in his body{ when he died} on the cross with the purpose that we would live rightly because we are no longer controlled by sin. God has healed you because people wounded the Messiah. 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 UST { God healed you} because you were{ alienated from God} like sheep that had become lost, but now God has brought you back to Jesus, who cares for you and watches over you{ as a shepherd cares for his sheep}. 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.