The Rock and the Keys SERIES: We are Living Stones

"The matter is made very plain in the following beautiful passage by
the apostle Peter himself: 

1 Peter 2:1 Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, 

2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that you may grow thereby; 

3 If so be you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 

4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 

5 You also, 

--as lively stones, 

---are built up a spiritual house, 

----a holy priesthood, 

-----to offer up spiritual sacrifices, 

acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 

6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious; and he that believes on Him shall not be confounded. 

Compare this with Ephesians 2:19-22, and it will be seen that the very same testimony is borne by both Peter and Paul. 

Ephesians 2:19 Now therefore you are no more strangers and

foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; 

20 And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner stone.
21 In whom all the building fitly framed together grows unto a holy temple in the Lord: 

22 In whom you also are built together for a habitation of God through the Spirit. 

Peter made no pretensions to being the head over the church. 

He wrote to the elders as one of them, and referred to Christ as… 

1 Peter 2:6 ...the chief corner stone, –upon which the church is built. 

Each individual, as he comes to Christ, the living stone, is made into a living stone, so that the whole superstructure is of the same nature as the foundation." 

E.J. Waggoner