NOTES for Pe1 2:9

In the first half of this verse the apostle Peter proclaims that in those whom he addresses, and therefore in us, God's promise given through Moses at the conclusion of the covenant on Mount Sinai has been fulfilled (Ex. 19). But there it says that the promise concerns those who keep all the commandments given by God, the law of Moses. Do we keep them? And if we recall how Jesus interprets these commandments in His Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5), our conscience should immediately accuse us. And there is no need to think that this is how things are now, while in the time of the apostles everything was in order. The books of Acts and of the apostolic letters testify that even then righteousness and sin, holiness and apostasy were mixed in people, members of the Church, just as in us. Why, then, does Peter write this?

There is one Man who did not break the law, who filled up and fulfilled all the commandments: God's Chosen One, our King and High Priest, Christ. In Him everything God promised in His covenant is accomplished, and all this becomes ours then, and only then, when we unite our life with the life of Christ, when we hand our life into His hands and allow Him to govern our life. We only need not to be "distracted" from Him, always to seek Him, to look to Him, as Peter did when he walked on the water toward Jesus (Matt. 14:29-31).

But Peter says something else as well. In this new life we have a task: to bring it to other people, to witness before them to how the Lord has changed our life, to manifest such light and such love that people may see through us the fullness of the perfection of the One who Himself is Light, Love, and Life.

By calling Christians " royal priesthood " and "peculiar people", the apostle reminds thereby the main task of the Church, which, as seen, consists first of all, to testify of the reality of the Kingdom, which already entered into our world, transforming it.

Certainly "the praises of him who hath called you" is related to Christ, otherwise it is impossible to understand this expression. But indeed, the testimony about Christ, if it is true, will inevitably involve first of all the testimony of the Kingdom, that He brought into the world. Properly, we could testify to the world nothing else as Christians. Certainly, one will for sure find in each of us something connected to our own tradition, culture and religion.

But the testimony of our tradition will no more be our testimony as Christians. It is maybe our testimony as orthodoxes, Catholics, Protestants or again representatives of some multitude of religions, the grown Christianity. However such a testimony has no direct relation with the Christ and the Kingdom, in the best case it { the testimony} may be only our historical and cultural interpretation of Christianity.

But indeed, Jesus proposes us no interpretation, He proposes to us Himself and His Kingdom, that He brought into the world. And if we are really according to the words of the apostle "a chosen generation", that is having relationship with this Kingdom, then only the Christ and the Kingdom can and have to be the sense of our testimony. Otherwise, we shall stop very fast being the ones whose the apostle calls us to be.

In the first half of this verse the apostle Peter proclaims that in those, to whom he addresses, and thus to us too, is fulfilled God's promise, given through Moses upon the conclusion of the testament on the mount Sinai (Ex:19). But isn’t said there that the promise concerns those, who execute all the commandments given by God - the law of Moses. Do we execute them? And if we remember, how Jesus interprets these commandments in His sermon on the Mountain (Matt. 5), then our consciousness should rebuke us immediately. One should not think it is so now, and that in the time of the apostles everything was normal. The books of Acts and the Epistles of the apostles witness that even then in people, the members of the Church, righteousness and sin, holiness and apostasy interfused, quite as in us. Why Peter writes then like this?

There is one Man, who did not transgress the law, completed and executed all the commandments, the Elected of God, our King and High priest, Christ, in Him comes true all that God promised in His testament, all this becomes ours when and only when, we unite our life with the life of Christ, when we give our life in His hands and allow Him to control our life. We not only have to "be distracted" from Him, but always seek Him, behold Him, as Peter, when he walked on the water to meet Jesus (Matt.14:29-31).

But Peter says again something. We have a task in this new life - to bring this message to other people, witness before them how the Lord has changed our life, manifest such a light, such a love, so that people can see in us the plenitude of the perfection of That, Who is Himself the Light, Love and Life.