1 Peter 2:1-10 (NKJV)

1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,
2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby,
3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.
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.

Whereas it is said all malice, all guile, learn, That one sin, not laid aside, will hinder our
spiritual profit and everlasting welfare. (4.) Malice, envy, hatred, hypocrisy, and evil-
speaking, generally go together. Evil-speaking is a sign that malice and guile lie in the
heart; and all of them combine to hinder our profiting by the word of God. Matthew
Henry's commentary

G2549 - malice
Κακια kakia
Thayer Definition:
1) malignity, malice, ill-will, desire to injure
2) wickedness, depravity
2a) wickedness that is not ashamed to break laws
3) evil, trouble

G1388 - deceit
Δολος dolos
Strong’s Definition
From δελλω dellō (an obsolete primary probably meaning to decoy; compare G1185); a trick
(bait), that is, (figuratively) wile: - craft, deceit, guile, subtilty.

G2636 – evil speaking

Καταλαλια katalalia
Thayer Definition:
defamation, evil speaking
 Of the four sins mentioned above, almost every Christian can say truthfully that they
are guilty of at least 3 out of 4. Too many times we think of sin as drinking and carousing
but the more insidious sins are those that come from the heart.
If you remember our study of James, “evil speaking” or lashon hara is again
mentioned precisely because it is one of the easiest sins to fall into. Speaking evil
includes not only false statements, but true statements that hurt or injure the person. For
a better understanding of lashon hara see:
http://www.torah.org/learning/halashon/index.php3

pure milk. Although the churches to which Peter writes no doubt included many recent
converts, the emphasis at this point is not that teaching should be elementary, like the
“milk” of 1 Cor. 3:1–3, but that it should be pure. If it is founded on God’s Word,
teaching will be pure and nourishing (1:22–25).
New Geneva study Bible

"Milk" is here not elementary truths in contradistinction to more advanced Christian

truths, as in 1Co_3:2; Heb_5:12-13; but in contrast to "guile, hypocrisies," &c. (1Pe_2:1);
the simplicity of Christian doctrine in general to the childlike spirit. JFB

The rabbi’s frequently express learning to know the law, etc., by the term sucking, and
their disciples are often denominated those that suck the breast. Clarke

Christians are to be growing like children grow. To grow, you must be fed. No food,
no growth. No “word” no growth. Thus it is impossible to grow as a Christian without
the word of God. Pretty straightforward eh?

The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is a significant N.T. revelation. The old
dispensation featured a Levitical priesthood, offering sacrifices for the people,
interceding with God in their behalf, and on the Day of Atonement entering before God
with sacrificial blood for the people. The new dispensation makes each believer a royal
priest. This means: (1) every believer has immediate access to God in Jesus Christ; (2)
the approach to God has been made forever open by a perfect sacrifice in Jesus; (3) the
saints of God have the privilege and responsibility of interceding for one another before
God; and (4) each Christian has the responsibility of a meaningful priesthood,
representing God to the people in witnessing and teaching. Believer’s Study Bible

Exodus 19:5-6 ESV

(5) Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be
my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;
(6) and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words
that you shall speak to the people of Israel."

Revelation 1:6 ESV

(6) and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Amen.

Isaiah 61:6 ESV

(6) but you shall be called the priests of the LORD; they shall speak of you as the
ministers of our God; you shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory you
shall boast.

God’s original plan was for everyone to be a priest and have access to Him. This has
been accomplished by Jesus Christ when the veil of the Temple was torn in two. As
believer’s, we have access to God without need of any priest or pastor to tell us how or
when to go.

We have been “called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” Therefore we
should reveal with our lives His wonderful praises. That is, people should praise God
when they see us. Wow – that’s heavy!!