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

To prevent this, in verses 13-19 the Apostle teaches obedience to every human authority "for the Lord's sake." This obedience and Christian freedom are by no means mutually exclusive, but on the contrary: freedom, understood in the true sense, imposes the duty of obedience and the duties connected with it.

Servants' Obedience to Masters 2:18-20

Christian freedom is spiritual freedom, not external freedom: it consists in freedom from slavery to sin, the sinful world, and the devil, but at the same time it is slavery to God and therefore imposes the duties required by the Word of God. It is necessary to avoid the abuse of Christian freedom, reinterpreting the concept of it and covering up with it any unbridledness, which is what Christians should be afraid of. In warning against this, the Apostle may be referring to the false Gnostic teachers who appeared at that time, who preached carnal licentiousness under the guise of freedom.

An Example of the Lord's Suffering 2:21–25

Calling for the patient endurance of unjust suffering, the Apostle points to the example of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself (verses 20-25), and exhorts Christians to "follow in His footsteps," that is, to imitate Him in patiently enduring suffering. Approaching Him, a living stone, rejected by men, but chosen by God, precious. ^ Therefore thus saith the Lord God: Behold, I lay a stone for the foundation of Zion, a tried stone, a cornerstone, precious, firmly established: he that believeth in it shall not be ashamed. ^ Jesus said to them, "Have you never read in the Scriptures, that the stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner?" Is this from the Lord, and is it wondrous in our eyes? ^ Therefore, if you will obey my voice and keep my covenant, you will be my inheritance among all the nations, for all the earth is mine, and you will be with me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; these are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. ^ And to Him who made us kings and priests unto His God and Father, glory and dominion for ever and ever, Amen. ^ And I will sow it for myself on the earth, and I will have mercy on the Unmerciful, and I will not say to my people, 'You are my people,' but they will say, 'You are my God!' ^

Chapter Three

Moral Instruction to Women 3:1-6

The Apostle gives moral instruction to wives, husbands, and all Christians. He commands wives to obey their husbands. This refers especially to Christian wives who were married to Jewish or pagan husbands who did not accept the Christian faith. The Apostle with special care warns such wives against such temptation and inspires them to obey their own husbands, even if they are unbelievers, pointing out the high purpose of this: "That those of them who do not obey the word may be gained by the life of their wives without a word." The Apostle inspires that the true adornment of a Christian woman consists not in external headdresses, but in the inner beauty of "a meek and silent spirit, which is precious in the sight of God" (v. 4). The difficult situation of women, both in the ancient pagan world and among the Jews, prompts the Apostle to give instructions to the husband regarding his wife, so that the instruction about the obedience of the wife would not give the husband a reason to abuse his headship in the family.

Admonitions to Husbands and All Christians 3:7-17

The husband should treat his wife with care, as if she were "a weaker vessel" (vv. 5-7). Further, the Apostle gives moral instructions to all Christians in general, inspiring them to rejoice if they suffer for the truth, for "Christ ... He suffered for our sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, being put to death according to the flesh, but made alive by the Spirit: by whom also to the spirits in prison He went down and preached" (vv. 8-19).