On the basis of all of the above, the Apostle offers a number of moral instructions, supporting them with lofty dogmatic contemplations.The first general instruction is about perfect hope in the grace of Christ with childlike obedience to God as the Father and the desire to become like Him by the holiness of life: "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (13-16). This should be prompted by a lofty awareness of the price at which Christians have been redeemed: "not with perishable silver or gold," "but with the precious blood of Christ" (17-20). This is the high motive to keep the faith of Christ and to hold fast to it in spite of all temptations (21-25).Peter, Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, to the elect. ^

Chapter Two

Teachings on Spiritual Growth 2:1-3

St. Peter inspires Christians that they, living among hostile pagans, must show by their holy, virtuous life that they are "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people, a people taken as an inheritance, in order to proclaim the perfections of Him who called you out of darkness into His wondrous light." Then the pagans, seeing the virtuous life of Christians, will themselves turn to Christ and glorify God for what they used to curse believers.

Strengthening in Faith 2:4–10

Here, in refutation of the false teaching of the Roman Catholics that the person of the Apostle Peter is the rock on which the Church is founded, it is important to note that the Apostle Peter himself does not call himself a "rock", but the Lord Jesus Christ, as can be seen from 2:4 [1]. a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God" (v. 5). Just as God in the Old Testament had His temple and His priests who served Him by offering sacrifices, so in the New Testament the entire community of Christians in the spiritual sense must be both a "temple" and a "priest." All believers are called "holy priesthood" because they are to "offer spiritual sacrifices" to God, that is, sacrifices of virtue. Virtues are called "sacrifices" because their performance is associated with the feat of suppressing one's passions, lusts and weakness.In verses 6-8, the Apostle again calls the Lord Jesus Christ "the cornerstone", referring to the prophecy of Isaiah 28:16 [2], the words of which undoubtedly refer to the Messiah. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself applied this prophecy to Himself (Matt. 21:42) [3].In verse 9 the Apostle again calls Christians "a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people taken as an inheritance" – all these features are borrowed from the Old Testament names of the Jewish people and applied to Christians, since in Christians there was finally fulfilled what these names originally meant when applied to the Jewish people (cf. Exodus 19:5-6) [4]. And St. John the Theologian in his Apocalypse says that in the spiritual sense the Lord Jesus Christ made all of us, Christians, kings and priests to His God and Father (Rev. 1:6) [5]. "Once not a people, but now the people of God" (v. 10) are borrowed from Hosea 2:23 [6], where God, calling the Jewish people of that time not His people, because they were strangers to God in their sinful way of life, promises that in the time of the Messiah the Christian people will become worthy of God saying to them: "You are My people." This promise was fulfilled when the best part of the Jewish people accepted the teaching of Christ. This saying can all the more be applied to Christians from among the former pagans.

On the Virtuous Life 2:11-12

With verse 11, the Apostle begins purely moral instructions concerning the inner and personal life of Christians. Here he reveals in detail in what exactly this royal priesthood of Christians should be expressed, what spiritual sacrifices they should make and how they should behave, so that the pagans, seeing their virtuous life, would glorify them for what they are now slandering. The disenfranchised position of simple artisans and shepherds worsened even more with their acceptance of the persecuted faith of Christ. The awareness of the injustice of persecution could have prompted Christians, who were still immature in the faith, to murmur and resistance.

Obedience to Authority 2:13–17

Для предупреждения этого в 13-19 стихах Апостол учит покорности всякому человеческому начальству "для Господа". Это повиновение и христианская свобода отнюдь не исключаются взаимно, а напротив: свобода, понимаемая в истинном смысле, налагает обязанность повиновения и связанные с нею обязанности.

Повиновение слуг господам 2:18-20

Свобода христианская это — свобода духовная, a не внешняя: она состоит в свободе от рабства греху, греховному миру и диаволу, но в то же время она есть рабство Богу и потому налагает обязанности, требуемые Словом Божьим. Следует избегать злоупотребления христианской свободой, перетолковывая понятие о ней и прикрывая ей всякую разнузданность, чего и надлежит бояться христианам. Предостерегая от этого, Апостол, может быть, имеет в виду появившихся тогда лжеучителей-гностиков, которые под видом свободы проповедовали плотскую распущенность.

Пример страданий Господних 2:21-25

Призывая к терпеливому перенесению несправедливых страданий, Апостол указывает на пример Самого Господа Иисуса Христа (ст.20-25), и убеждает христиан "последовать стопам Его", то есть, подражать Ему в терпеливом перенесении страданий. Приступая к Нему, камню живому, человеками отверженному, но Богом избранному, драгоценному. ^ Посему так говорит Господь Бог: вот, Я полагаю в основание на Сионе камень, — камень испытанный, краеугольный, драгоценный, крепко утвержденный: верующий в него не постыдится. ^ Иисус говорит им: неужели вы никогда не читали в Писании: камень, который отвергли строители, тот самый сделался главою угла? Это от Господа, и есть дивно в очах наших? ^ итак, если вы будете слушаться гласа Моего и соблюдать завет Мой, то будете Моим уделом из всех народов, ибо Моя вся земля, а вы будете у Меня царством священников и народом святым; вот слова, которые ты скажешь сынам Израилевым. ^ и соделавшему нас царями и священниками Богу и Отцу Своему, слава и держава во веки веков, аминь. ^ И посею ее для Себя на земле, и помилую Непомилованную, и скажу не Моему народу: "ты Мой народ", а он скажет: "Ты мой Бог!" ^