Cornerstone: Christ is the precious cornerstone for God’s building project in this age, the church. Even as in ancient construction, the building blocks were aligned with the precise and flawless cornerstone[1], so each living stone, each member of God’s church, is to be aligned with Christ.[2] In this sense, the value of Christ for the proper building up of the church cannot be overstated. The church edifice goes up as the people of God trust in Christ (“believe in Him”) and hear and follow His voice as His sheep.[3] We have one cornerstone, one Lord, one leader and teacher; and we abide in Him[4] and in His word (2:2).
The Plan of God: God predetermined the church age not only by planning the coming of His Son and His substitutionary atonement (1:18-19), but also by planning the rejection of the Messiah by the Jews (prophesied as per 2:7-8). This was a necessary part of God’s plan to usher in a time for His Gentile elect, for their salvation and for their construction into a spiritual house in this age (2:5), to be a bride prepared for her groom,[5] until in due time, Israel embraces Jesus as her Messiah.[6] The church age is no haphazard fallback, but the very intent of the sovereign and all-wise God (Rom. 11:33-36). He has done great things (Ps. 111:2; 145:1-5), and we are to proclaim His excellencies (2:9)!
[1] The word for cornerstone is the adjective “extreme corner [a-kro-gō-ni-ai-os (ἀκρογωνιαῖος)],” which is the special stone in ancient construction which served as the plumb line for all the angles for the building, both the horizontal and vertical lines, ensuring the precise symmetry of the entire structure.
[2] It is striking that Peter does not see himself as the cornerstone but Christ. He properly understood the words of Christ in Matt. 16:18 which underscored Christ’s essential position as the foundation, not Peter’s.
[3] They are not disobedient to His word like the unbelievers of 2:8. Cf. Matt. 7:21-23; Luke 6:46; John 10:27.
[4] John 15:4-5 speaks of the same idea with another picture, that of the branch and the vine. It is only as long as the branch is attached to the vine that it can bear fruit. Detached from the vine, we can do nothing.
[5] Cf. 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7-8.
[6] Cf. Isaiah 11:11-12; Jere. 31:11-16; 33:25-26; Ezek. 37:21-28; Zech. 12:10; Rom. 11:26-29.