Bible Strands
1 Peter 2:5
you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — Peter writes to believers scattered across Asia Minor, mid-argument, having just named Christ the "living stone" (v. 4) and about to quote Isaiah on the cornerstone (v. 6). He is defining what these believers are in relation to that stone.
The words — ζῶντες (zōntes, "living") modifies stones, a deliberate paradox: the building material is alive, not inert. οἰκοδομεῖσθε (oikodomeisthe, "are being built up") is present passive, marking the construction as ongoing and not yet complete.
The thread — Ephesians 2:20 frames the same building with Christ as cornerstone and apostles/prophets as the foundation; 1 Peter 2:9 restates the "holy priesthood" identity; 1 Corinthians 3:9 calls the community "God's building."
Why it lands — The verse assigns a function, not just a title: the living stones exist to offer spiritual sacrifices, which means the reader is expected to act, not merely to identify. The present tense of "are being built" also means the work is unfinished and the reader is still in the process.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Cross-references
- Ephesians 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus Himself as the cornerstone.
- 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
- 1 Corinthians 3:9 For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s building.
- Revelation 5:10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
- 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you yourselves are God’s temple, and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?
- Isaiah 61:6 But you will be called the priests of the LORD; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will feed on the wealth of nations, and you will boast in their riches.
- Hebrews 13:15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of lips that confess His name.
- Hebrews 3:6 But Christ is faithful as the Son over God’s house. And we are His house, if we hold firmly to our confidence and the hope of which we boast.
- Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
- 1 Corinthians 6:19 Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;