{"id":90744,"date":"2021-03-12T05:41:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-12T10:41:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/peculiar-people\/"},"modified":"2023-10-07T22:52:40","modified_gmt":"2023-10-08T02:52:40","slug":"peculiar-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/keriritenour.com\/grace\/peculiar-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Peculiar People"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">I\nPeter 2:9: \u201cBut ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,\na peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called\nyou out of darkness into his marvellous light;\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Coming\non the heels of yet another failed prophecy with respect to the timing of the\nrapture (last week\u2019s lesson), recriminations from the unsaved toward Christ,\nChristians and Christianity were not unanticipated.&nbsp; One charge which struck a cord was a joke\nreferencing our primary text, specifically underscoring what a \u201cpeculiar\u201d\npeople we are.&nbsp; While intended as a\nslight, what is the true meaning of this verse?&nbsp;\nAre we strange\u2026odd\u2026at odds with ourselves and the world?&nbsp; For the Biblical answers, we examine:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Historical Context: Written between A.D. 60 and 65, 1 Peter 1:1 identifies\nthe author of the book of 1 Peter as the apostle Peter.&nbsp; He was writing to the believers who had been\ndispersed throughout the ancient world and were under intense persecution. If\nanyone understood persecution, it was Peter. He was beaten, threatened,\npunished and jailed for preaching the Word of God. He knew what it took to\nendure without bitterness, without losing hope and in great faith living an\nobedient, victorious life. This knowledge of living hope in Jesus was the\nmessage and Christ&#8217;s example was the one to follow.&nbsp; Though this time of persecution was\ndesperate, Peter reveals that it was actually a time to rejoice. He says to\ncount it a privilege to suffer for the sake of Christ, as their Savior suffered\nfor them. This letter makes reference to Peter\u2019s personal experiences with\nJesus and his sermons from the book of Acts. Peter confirms Satan as the great\nenemy of every Christian but the assurance of Christ&#8217;s future return gives the\nincentive of hope.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Grammatical Usage: \u201cChosen\u201d or in the Greek\n\u201cEklektos\u201d meaning, \u201cspecifically picked, a member of the elect\u201d; \u201cgeneration\u201d\nor \u201cGenos\u201d meaning, \u201coffspring as in family, the aggregate of many individuals\nof the same nature, kind, sort\u201d; \u201cpeculiar\u201d or \u201cPeripoiesis\u201d meaning,\n\u201cpreserved possession\u201d; \u201cshew forth\u201d or \u201cExaggello\u201d meaning, \u201cto make known,\ndeclare\u201d; \u201cpraises\u201d or \u201cArete\u201d meaning, \u201ca virtuous course of thought, feeling\nand action\u201d; \u201cdarkness\u201d or \u201cSkotos\u201d, meaning, \u201cof ignorance respecting divine\nthings and human duties, ungodliness\u201d; \u201cmarvelous\u201d or \u201cThaumastos\u201d meaning,\n\u201cworthy of pious admiration surpassing human comprehension\u201d; \u201clight\u201d or \u201cPhos\u201d\nmeaning (in context), \u201cof truth and its knowledge, together with the spiritual\npurity associated with it.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Literal Application: But\nyou are an individually elected race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a\npossession preserved by God for His own good pleasure, that you may declare\nGod\u2019s virtues by thought, word and deed of Him who called you out of ignorance\nregarding divine things and your associated duty into His admiration surpassing\nhuman comprehension regarding the knowledge of His truth and purity.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Contextual Interpretation: The phrase \u201cpeculiar people\u201d comes from the King James Version and is not seen in the more modern English translations. This is because at the time the King James Version was translated, the word \u201cpeculiar\u201d was often used to refer to something belonging to someone, as in someone\u2019s property. If we look up the word \u201cpeculiar\u201d in a dictionary today we would still see that is one of several meanings this word can have.<br> <br>Probably the most common usage of the word \u201cpeculiar\u201d today is referring to someone or something that is strange, odd or uncommon which is the impetus for this lesson. Yet alternative meanings in the dictionary still tell us that this word can be used to describe something or someone that \u201cbelongs exclusively to some person, group or thing\u201d or to refer to \u201ca property or privilege belonging exclusively or characteristically to a person.\u201d The original meaning of the Greek words translated \u201cpeculiar\u201d in 1 Peter 2:9 is indeed what is meant in this passage.<br> <br>In this verse, Peter is not saying that Christians are odd or unusual people, even though the world often looks at us that way. What this passage is communicating is that Christians or believers are people who belong to God, they are His own possession. Another way of saying it is that believers are \u201cGod\u2019s own special people.\u201d<br> <br>As we compare the different English translations of this verse and consider the alternative meaning of the word \u201cpeculiar\u201d it becomes clear that \u201cpeculiar\u201d in this verse is referring to fact that believers are a \u201cspecial people\u201d because they were chosen from before the foundation of the earth to be \u201cGod\u2019s own possession.\u201d Those who are born again are different from the world around them because they are being transformed by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 14:26; Col. 1:8-10). Also they are different because, having been born again by the Spirit of God and believing in Christ for salvation, they have received \u201cthe right to become children of God\u201d (John 1:12). While it is true that believers are different, it is the believers\u2019 standing as the adopted children of God, joint heirs with Christ Jesus and God\u2019s own special people, that makes us \u201cpeculiar.\u201d<br> <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Scriptural Comparison: In combing Scripture related to our relationship with God, we come across several categories which lend themselves directly to our 1 Peter text with respect to Biblical definition as to our \u201cpeculiar\u201d state:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Characteristics\nof Christianity<\/strong> &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>A new Birth John 3:5 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Growth 2\u00a0Peter 3:18 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A new Dress Isaiah 61:10 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Radiant life Matthew 5:16 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Character Building Matthew 7:24 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Fellowship Luke 24:32 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Sonship John 1:12 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An Education John 8:31; John 8:32 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Service 1\u00a0Timothy 6:18 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Sacrifice Romans 12:1 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Walk Colossians 2:6 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Warfare 1\u00a0Timothy 6:12 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Race Hebrews 12:1 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Victory 1\u00a0John 5:4 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An Assurance of Immortality John 17:3 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>The Calling of the\nChristian<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Undeserving: 1\u00a0Corinthians 1:26<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enlightened: Ephesians 1:18 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prisoner: Ephesians 4:1 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Engaged: Philippians 3:14 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reflect: 1\u00a0Thessalonians 2:12 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Gain: 2\u00a0Thessalonians 2:14 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Holy: 2\u00a0Timothy 1:9 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partaker: Hebrews 3:1 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Suffer: 1\u00a0Peter 5:10 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Practice: 2\u00a0Peter 1:10 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>The Christian Race<\/strong><strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Striving for the Prize 1\u00a0Corinthians 9:24; Galatians 2:2 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Hindrances to the Runner Galatians 5:7 ; Philippians 2:16 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pressing toward the Goal Philippians 3:14 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Stripping for the Contest Hebrews 12:1 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Home Stretch 2\u00a0Timothy 4:7 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Prize Won 2\u00a0Timothy 4:8 <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>Christlikeness:<\/strong><strong> Ultimate Aim of the Christian Life<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"has-medium-font-size\">\n<li>Conform: Romans 8:29 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reflect:\u00a01\u00a0Corinthians 15:49 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Change: 2\u00a0Corinthians 3:18 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Fashioned: Philippians 3:21 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Renewed: Colossians 3:10 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Partaker: 2\u00a0Peter 1:4 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sons: 1\u00a0John 3:2 <\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conclusion:&nbsp; One of the great truths of Scripture is that\nbefore we ever had sense enough to love the Lord the Lord loved us. This is\nstated in the very familiar text, \u201cFor God so loved the world\u201d (John\n3:16).&nbsp; Some would like to make these\nwords read \u201cGod so loved the elect.\u201d God does love the elect, but that is not\nwhat the text says. God loved the world. He loved the unsaved. He loved them\nall. That is why He gave His Son. The love of God is mentioned often in\nScripture. In 1 John 4:10, it is written: \u201cHerein is love, not that we\nloved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for\nour sins.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">Likewise, out of His\nheart of love there was a divine decision in eternity past which is referred to\nin our text as our being chosen. The original act in our salvation was with\nGod, not with man. When God chose us to salvation, He did not choose us because\nwe were lovely. He did not choose us because He saw something in us that He did\nnot see in others. But He chose us because He loved us. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\">There is a mystery\nconnected with this revelation that no one can ever completely fathom. Why did\nGod choose us? We never will completely understand it, but the glorious fact is\nthat He did. In Ephesians 1:4, this choice is described: \u201cAccording as he hath\nchosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and\nwithout blame before him in love.\u201d The precious truth is that God chose us. \n\nThe testimony of the Thessalonians showed clearly that\nthey were the chosen ones of God. In 1 Thessalonians 1:4 Paul\nhad written earlier, \u201cKnowing, brethren beloved, your election of God.\u201d So here\nagain the believers at Thessalonica are reminded of God\u2019s grace in their\nelection and salvation\u2026just as Peter reminds believers who had been scattered\nto the four winds because of persecution\u2026all the while remaining faithful to\nGod, witnessing of His mercy, leading others to Jesus.&nbsp; While hard to comprehend, may we rejoice over\nwhat God has done in our lives and, as a result, adhere to the Apostle Paul\u2019s\nadmonition: \u201cI appeal to you therefore, brothers,&nbsp;by\nthe mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and\nacceptable to God, which is your reasonable service\u201d (Romans 12:1).\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I Peter 2:9: \u201cBut ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;\u201d Coming on the heels of yet another failed prophecy with respect to the timing of the rapture [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[526,534],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.3 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Peculiar People - Grace Evangelical Free Church<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Peculiar People - Grace Evangelical Free Church\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I Peter 2:9: \u201cBut ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; 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