As I Peter 2 opens, the Fisherman-turned-Apostle provides several vivid word-pictures for the Church: living stones, spiritual household, royal priesthood, chosen race, holy nation, people of God.

Once again, Christ sets the pattern—discarded by people as worthless, but in the end the very cornerstone of what God is building.

Peter begins the body of the letter by giving five central exhortations for living well in a context where slander might be leveled at the Christian communities.

Here Peter reflects on the improbable fact that persons who had never physically encountered Jesus nonetheless believe in him, love him, and are willing to pay a price for following him.

Peter begins his letter by praising God for the salvation He has provided. This salvation comes through God’s grace alone rather than anything we have done and provides us with new birth and resurrection life.

Peter addresses believers scattered throughout five Roman provinces in what is modern Turkey. These believers were experiencing a great deal of opposition and persecution because of their faith.

The story of God and God’s creation, including humanity, is a story of God’s thoroughgoing commitment to restore of all things from the powers of sin and death.

We continue our “We Believe” series this week by considering the closely-related doctrines of the church and the kingdom. Here our focus shifts from “I” to “we,” from personal salvation to broader social dynamics that are also part of the Good News.

The Bible tells the story of God’s plan to save his people through the life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ. Today we look at the nature of this salvation: its motivation, means, appropriation and the metaphors used in Scripture to describe it.

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Like the Father and the Son, the Spirit is fully God and yet a distinct person.