We should not regard Peter as being too strict because of the way he wrote in 2:6-8. Actually, the Lord Jesus was the first to utter such a strict word. In Matthew 21:42 He asked the religious leaders, “Have you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, this has become the cornerstone; this was from the Lord, and it is marvelous in our eyes?” Then in verse 44 He went on to say, “And he who falls on this stone shall be broken to pieces, but on whomever it falls, it shall scatter him as chaff.” “He who falls on this stone” refers to the person who stumbles at Christ. “On whomever it falls” refers to the nations which Christ will smite at His coming back.
Here we see that the Lord Jesus speaks of another aspect of Himself as the stone. He is not only the building stone and the stumbling stone; He is also the grinding stone, the crushing stone. As the grinding stone, He will crush the opposers into powder. This aspect of Him is mentioned in Daniel 2:34-35. These verses reveal that when the Lord Jesus comes back, He will crush all the opposing nations into powder.
Peter says in verse 8 that those who stumble at the word are disobedient and that this being disobedient is something “to which also they were appointed.” This refers to the Jews’ disobedience with the result of stumbling.
Those who stumble at the word have been appointed by God to disobedience. Disobedience is their portion. If someone does not believe what the Bible says concerning Christ, he stumbles at Him. Spontaneously the result of that unbelief and stumbling will be rebellion. This is disobedience. Hence, disobedience becomes the appointed portion of that one. Actually, this is logical. Anyone who does not believe in the word will stumble at it and then reap the fruit, the harvest, of what he has sown. He sows unbelief, and he reaps disobedience as the result appointed to him. It is a basic, governing spiritual principle that as long as we have unbelief, we shall reap disobedience. If you have unbelief, you will reap rebellion. This means that you will be rebellious. This is true not only of the Jews, but also of Christians, including those in the recovery.
Both in China and in this country I have seen disobedience and rebellion come as the appointed portion to those who do not believe in the word and who stumble at it. No Christian would stumble at the Lord’s gracious word. Someone may hear that the Lord is merciful, gracious, full of kindness, sending the rain upon the just and on the unjust. No one would stumble at such a gracious word. The Bible, however, also has a strict word. The building stone, the head of the corner, is also a stumbling stone and a rock of offense. Those who are loose and careless may not believe such a word. Instead, they may say, “No, Christ is not that narrow. As long as I believe in the Lord Jesus, I can take whatever way I choose concerning the church. Why do I have to be in the recovery? The Lord Jesus is not narrow like you.” Eventually, the result of not believing the Lord’s strict word and stumbling at it will be disobedience, rebellion. The ones who now oppose the most are these rebellious ones. They have been appointed to this. We need to see that there is a principle governing this matter. The principle is that if we have this kind of unbelief, we shall reap the harvest of disobedience, and that disobedience is rebellion.
As we read 1 Peter 2:4-8, we may think that it was not necessary for Peter to include verses 6, 7, and 8. At least, we may regard verses 7 and 8 as unnecessary. In our opinion verse 4 alone may be adequate. As far as God’s building is concerned, verse 4 may be adequate. But Peter goes on in verses 6 through 8 to present a full picture of Christ as the stone.