From the old King James Bible: “Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people…” (1 Peter 2:9) Peculiar? Yup, that other person sure is peculiar, very strange, doesn’t fit in. But did you ever wonder if people think that you’re peculiar? They should, if you are truly a follower of Jesus.
You are “peculiar” when you belong exclusively to some person or group. That’s the meaning here, not that we Christians are weird but that other people see that we belong to the God and belong to one other. A newer translation, the English Standard Version, puts it this way: “But you are a chosen race, a holy nation, a people for His own possession.”
In verse 10 Peter tells why we’re different: “In time past (you) were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.” God gives us His mercies, another old word that means His loving-kindnesses. People are people but God’s mercies in Christ lead us to realize that we are a special people. Follower of Jesus, you are not normal. You’re peculiar!
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