1 Peter 2:8 - Coke's Commentary on the Holy Bible

And a stone of stumbling, &c.— We render this verse as if it were one continued sentence; but thus violence is done to the text, and the apostle's sense is thrown into obscurity and disorder; which is restored by putting a full stop after offence, and beginning a new sentence thus: They stumble at the word. For, observe, the apostle runs a double antithesis between believers and unbelievers: To you who believe, says he, it is precious; to them who believe not, and are disobedient, the stone which the builders rejected, &c. 1 Peter 2:7. They stumble at the word; (1 Peter 2:8.)—but you are a chosen people, &c. 1 Peter 2:9. The passage before us is taken from Isaiah 8:14-15 and is quoted by St. Paul, Romans 9:33. This is a quite different image from the last; for Christ is not here compared to a foundation or corner-stone, but to a hard stone or rock in the course or highway, against which men are apt to stumble and fall; and the swifter they move, or the more heedless they are, the more is the danger of hurting or destroying themselves. We are not to understand the last clause of this verse, as if these persons were appointed of God to reject or obey the Gospel; for how then could it be said that God would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth? 1 Timothy 2:4. If God appointed the unbelief of the Jewish nation, or of any particular persons, then their unbelief and rejection of the Gospel was complying with the will and appointment of God; and consequently could not be sin, or deserve punishment. From these and the like considerations it is evident, that St. Peter is not here speaking of their being appointeduntounbeliefordisobedience,butuntothepunishmentwhichtheirunbelief and disobedience deserved. They were unbelievers of whom he was speaking; persons, who voluntarily and wickedly rejected the gospel, and refused to obey its laws; and therefore it was appointed, that Christ should be to them a stumbling-block, or a rock, against which they should dash themselves to their own destruction. Dr. Heylin translates these two verses: To you, therefore, who believe, he is precious; but with regard to those who are disobedient, this same stone, (which the builders had rejected, and which is made the head of the corner) 1 Peter 2:8 becomes a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to those who resist the word by their disobedience; to which also they were abandoned. "The public translation, says he, has whereunto they were appointed; which does not imply any absolute decree, with regard to those persons, but only the general one against all that are disobedient: for, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 we read, God hath not appointed us unto wrath, but to obtain salvation; and yet they might incur wrath, as the tenor of that epistle, and indeed of all the Scriptures, demonstrates."