And a stone of stumbling and a rock of scandal, to them who stumble at the word, neither do believe, whereunto also they are set.
και λιθος προσκομματος και πετρα σκανδαλου οι προσκοπτουσιν τω λογω απειθουντες εις ο και ετεθησαν
7 Church Fathers comment on this verse · 8 commentaries
These words refer to Christ, since in the Gospel He cites this prophecy, saying: "Have you never read: The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner?" (Mt 21:42). A little later He says, "the stone which the builders rejected." By the latter He means the Jews, scribes, and Pharisees, who rejected Him, saying, "You are a Samaritan and have a demon" (Jn 8:48). And again: "This man is not from God," but "He deceives" the people (Jn 9:16; Jn 7:12).
They stumble over the word of the Gospel, to which they have also been left. This does not mean that they were appointed to this by God.
From Him who wills all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), there can in no way be a cause of perdition. But since they made themselves vessels of wrath and added disobedience to this, they were left in the state they prepared for themselves.
If man, as a rational being, was created free, and freedom cannot be compelled, it would be unjust to blame Him who gives man precisely the honor he prepared for himself by his works.
Christ is called the cornerstone because He joins both walls that make up the spiritual house, that is, the Gentiles and the Jews, in His embrace. He binds them into one concord, abolishing the useless sacrifices of the one and changing the demonic superstition of the other into piety.
As they rejected Him by their deeds, unwilling to lay Him as the foundation of their heart, so they themselves will be rejected by Him at His coming. For He will not wish to receive those who rejected Him into the building of His house, which is in heaven.
Preachers of an equal priesthood of all Christians think to rest their case on these words. Yet the apostle does not speak of a multitude of separate priests, but of one priesthood.
He also calls it a spiritual house, into which the individual believer enters as only one stone. Therefore, when speaking of the holy priesthood, the apostle means the priesthood not of individual Christians, but of the Church, the house of God.
In this house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay (2 Tim 2:20). In it, “Are all apostles? Are all teachers?” (1 Cor 12:29).
The Church performs priestly service, but not because all her members are priests. Likewise, our body sees, but not because each of its members is an eye (cf. 1 Cor 12:17).
Whoever wishes to take part in her spiritual sacrifices must attain this through unity with her. He may perhaps do so not as a steward of the mysteries (1 Cor 4:1), but only as one who partakes of them.
“To which they have also been left”: according to the divine decree, which depends on the foreknowledge of the works of their freedom. In this, of course, God is not to blame, but they themselves are (see the note on 1 Pet 1:2).
“To which they have also been left: this does not mean that they were appointed to this by God. From Him who wills all men to be saved (1 Tim 2:4), there can in no way be a cause of perdition.
But since they made themselves vessels of wrath and added disobedience to this, they were left in the state they prepared for themselves. If man, as a rational being, was created free, and freedom cannot be compelled, it would be unjust to blame Him.
For He grants man precisely the lot he prepared for himself by his works” (Theophylact).
Having earlier hinted at the prophetic naming of Jesus Christ as the stone, the Apostle Peter now cites the exact expression of the Prophet Isaiah. In it Jesus Christ is called the precious stone.
He also cites the words of the psalmist, with their prediction of Christ’s rejection by the Jews. One must also see here a clear indication of the New Testament presentation of Jesus Christ as the stone.
According to the word of Symeon the God-receiver, this stone is “set for the fall and rising of many in Israel” (cf. Lk 2:34).
The world hostile to Christ treats Him, and the grace-filled means of salvation given by Him, with distrust and contempt. It trusts in its own powers.
We Christians, on the contrary, have Christ the Savior as the chief and firmest Sacrifice. We must take Him as our unshakable support.
Being established on Him and using all the means of salvation granted by Him, we can carry out the works of salvation without wavering.
Those who hope in their own powers will inevitably come to perdition. They stumble over the stone of life, like the blind, or like those who close their eyes so as not to see the divine Light.
Just as the Lord is the true light, who came to judge the world, so that by His coming He might give sight to the blind and blind those who see wrongly, so He is also the chosen cornerstone. He gives honor to those who are joined to Him through faith, and He reveals Himself to them as a secure foundation. But to those who do not believe in Him, He is not precious. He is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, and the builders who rejected Him judge Him useless. These builders are the scribes and Pharisees.
The condition in which they found themselves was voluntary and contained the beginning of unbelief. For the world that lies in evil lies in evil not by nature, but because of its own passion. Therefore those of whom he speaks cast themselves into unbelief. They became close to those who gave themselves over to the corruption of passions and to a wicked disposition. For God, in great patience, endured them while they sinned and despised His mercy and long-suffering. After many summonses and instruction, He left them to go on according to their own will.
Passages read together with this verse.
Greek text, 15 words with lemma, transliteration and Strong’s number. Tap to expand.
THEOSIS