The Living Stone and Chosen People
(Isaiah 28:14–22; 1 Corinthians 3:10–15; Ephesians 2:19–22)

1Therefore setting aside all wickedness, and all artifice, and dissimulation; and envies, and all calumnies, 2As new born babes, long for the sincere milk pertaining to the word, that ye might be nourished with it: 3If ye have tasted that the Lord is good.

4To whom approaching, a living stone, truly disapproved of by men, and chosen by God, highly valued, 5And ye yourselves are built, as living stones, a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to bring up spiritual sacrifice; acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

6Wherefore also it holds in the writing, Behold, I place in Zion a corner stone, chosen, highly valued: and he believing on him shall not be ashamed.

7Therefore honour to you believing: and to the unbelieving, the stone which the builders disapproved of has become the head of the corner,

8And a stone of stumble, and rock of offence, they disbelieving the word stumble: to which also they were set.

9And ye a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for acquisition; so that ye should proclaim the excellencies of him having called you out of darkness into his wonderful light: 10Who once not a people, and now the people of God: they not commiserated, and now commiserated.

11Dearly beloved, I beseech as sojourners and strangers, to keep off from fleshly passions, which war against the soul; 12Having your turning back good in the nations: that, in what they speak against you as doing evil, from good works, they having beheld, might praise God in the day of inspection.

Submission to Authorities
(Romans 13:1–7)

13Be subjected to every creation proceeding from man on account of the Lord: whether to the king, as having superiority; 14Or to chiefs, as sent by him for the punishing of them doing evil, and the praise of them doing good. 15(For so is the will of God, those doing good to silence the want of knowledge of the foolish men:) 16As free, and as not having liberty for a covering of wickedness, but as the servants of God. 17Honour all. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king.

18Servants being subjected to masters in all fear; not only to the good and equitable, but also to the crooked. 19For this is grace, if any by consciousness of God bear grief, suffering unjustly. 20For what glory, if, sinning and being cuffed, ye endure? but if, doing good, and suffering, ye endure, this is grace with God.

Christ’s Example of Suffering
(Isaiah 53:1–8)

21For to this were ye called: for also Christ suffered for you, leaving behind to you an underwriting, that ye should follow upon his footsteps: 22Who did no sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth: 23Who, being reviled, reviled not back; suffering, he threatened not; and delivered to him judging justly; 24Who himself bear up our sins in his body upon the wood, that we, removed from sins, should live to justice: by whose bloody mark ye were healed. 25For ye were as sheep going astray; but now have turned about to the Shepherd and inspector of your souls.