A chosen race (1 Pet 2:9)

“But you are

A chosen race,

A royal priesthood,

A holy nation,

God’s own people.

Thus,

You may proclaim

The mighty acts

Of him

Who called you

Out of darkness

Into his marvelous light.”

ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν, βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα, ἔθνος ἅγιον, λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν, ὅπως τὰς ἀρετὰς ἐξαγγείλητε τοῦ ἐκ σκότους ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς·

This author said, “But you are a chosen race (ὑμεῖς δὲ γένος ἐκλεκτόν), a royal priesthood (βασίλειον ἱεράτευμα), a holy nation (ἔθνος ἅγιον), God’s own people (λαὸς εἰς περιποίησιν).  Thus (ὅπως), you may proclaim (ἐξαγγείλητε) the mighty acts (τὰς ἀρετὰς) of him (τοῦ) who called you (ὑμᾶς καλέσαντος) out of darkness (ἐκ σκότους) into his marvelous light (εἰς τὸ θαυμαστὸν αὐτοῦ φῶς).”  Only this author, 1 Peter, among all the canonical NT works used this word ἱεράτευμα, that means priesthood or the act or office of priesthood.  Next this author cited Exodus, chapter 19:5-6, “I bore you on eagle’s wings and brought you to myself.  Now therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples.  Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.”  God told Moses to tell the people of Israel that they would be a special priestly kingdom.  This is similar to Isaiah, chapter 43:20-21, “I give rivers in the desert to give drink to my chosen people.  They are the people whom I formed for myself that they might declare my praise.”  Thus, God’s especially chosen people would also give praise.  This author said that now the Jewish Christians were a chosen race, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation like the Israelites of old.  They were now God’s own chosen people.  They should now proclaim his mighty acts, since God had called them out of darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ.  Do you live in the light of Jesus Christ?