活石
彼得前书二章4至10节
4主乃活石，固然是被人所弃的，却是被神所拣选、所宝贵的。
5你们来到主面前，也就像活石，被建造成为灵宫，作圣洁的祭司，借着耶稣基督奉献神所悦纳的灵祭。
6因为经上说：看哪，我把所拣选、所宝贵的房角石安放在锡安；信靠他的人必不至于羞愧。
7所以，他在你们信的人就为宝贵，在那不信的人有话说：匠人所弃的石头已作了房角的头块石头。
8又说：作了绊脚的石头，跌人的磐石。他们既不顺从，就在道理上绊跌（或译：他们绊跌都因不顺从道理）；他们这样绊跌也是预定的。
9惟有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属神的子民，要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。
10你们从前算不得子民，现在却作了神的子民；从前未曾蒙怜恤，现在却蒙了怜恤。
信息分享
彼得一定是很喜欢基督为他起的名字。你还记得吗？在约翰福音一章42节，基督叫彼得作「矶法」，「矶法」就是石头的意思。彼得在这封书信中，不单用了这个字词来形容基督，还用它来形容我们这些基督徒。
当彼得用「石头」来形容基督，不禁令我们联想到祂的信实不变。当他用这个词来形容信徒时，则仿佛是要表示，昔日基督做在他身上的作为，可以同样做在每个信徒的生命之中。基督可以改变我们的生命，使我们得以学像祂。旧约的作者经常把神喻作磐石，它不仅成为人的保障和倚靠，更可以涌出活水，使人的生命得着饱足。
彼得在第4节及6至8节称基督为「活石」。这块石头(基督)可能被某些人所弃，又或成了某些人的绊脚石；然而，在神的眼中，却是非常宝贵的石头，神会在各方面尊荣基督。
我们作为神的儿女，神同样会尊荣我们。我们不是一块块分散或一堆堆乱放的石头，反之，神将我们建造起来，使我们成为建立教会的其中一块石头。这与新约圣经的教导互相呼应：没有任何一位信徒可以独善其身，信徒需要互相建立、彼此相交。
而且，神更拣选我们作祭司。这实在是太奇妙了！我们原本只是个悖逆的罪人，但神如今竟然拣选我们作祭司，赐我们这个直接事奉祂的特权。祭司的职责，是代表别人进到神的面前献祭。如今，我们每个作信徒的，都获得这个责任和特权，可以借着祷告或亲自邀请，把别人引到神的面前。
祭司负责将祭物献给神。今天，我们不再用牲畜或五谷作为祭物，反而是将自己献上，并以感恩、颂赞、服事和敬拜为祭献给神。请读罗马书十二章1至2节。
请记着，神希望借着我们，让别人看见祂能够拯救罪人和保守圣徒。我们要时刻反省，别人在我们的身上能否看见神的工作呢？
LIVING STONES
1 Peter 2: 4-10
4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious,
5 you also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
6 Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “ Behold, I lay in Zion
A chief cornerstone, elect, precious,
And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.”
7 Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient,“ The stone which the builders rejected
Has become the chief cornerstone,”
8 and“ A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.”
They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed.
9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
10 who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
Message
Peter must have loved the name which Christ gave him. Do you remember it? In John 1:42 Christ called him Cephas, which means a stone. Now in his epistle Peter uses this word several times, first in regard to Christ and then in regard to us as Christians.
When used for Christ this word reminds us of his unchanging faithfulness. When used about us, it seems Peter is saying that what Christ has done for him (Peter) he can do for us. Christ can make us like himself. The Old Testament writers often spoke about God as the Rock in which they could hide and from which the water came.
Christ is called a living stone in verse 4 and 6-8. That stone (Christ) might be rejected by some men, or be a stumbling block to others, but in God's sight it is very precious. God has honoured Christ in every possible way.
God has honoured us, his children, too. He has made us part of the living church. We are not just bricks lying alone or in a heap. As believers we are built into the whole framework of the church. There is no place in the New Testament for Christians who always want to be alone and not in fellowship with others.
God has also made us priests. Isn't that wonderful? We were rebellious sinners, but God has now given us the privilege of serving him as priests. A priest is one who has access to God on behalf of others. Every Christian has the duty and privilege of bringing others to God in prayer, as well as personally inviting them to come to God.
A priest is one who brings offerings to God. Our offerings today are not animals, or birds or grain. But God looks to us to bring our own selves and offerings of thanksgiving, praise, service and worship. See Romans 12:1-2.
Remember God wants to use us to show others that he can save the sinner and keep the saint. Can others see this in our lives today?