2:5 spiritual house. Believers are placed, as living stones quickened by Christ, into the spiritual temple of God (see Ephesians 2:19-22).

2:5 priesthood. Christ is High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), but we also are called on to exercise what has come to be called “the priesthood of the believer,” offering up spiritual sacrifices consisting of our own dedicated bodies (Romans 12:1), prayers of praise, thanksgiving and intercession (Hebrews 13:15), and material gifts for the full-time servants of God (Philippians 4:18).

2:5 spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God. Since the one sacrifice of Christ has completely eliminated the need for repeated animal sacrifices, those sacrifices that are now “acceptable” to God include the presentation of our own bodies as a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), the “sacrifice of praise” offered continually, doing good, and “communicating” (that is, sharing what we have with others), “for with such sacrifices God is well pleased” (Hebrews 13:15-16).

2:9 generation. This is not the usual word for “generation,” being so translated here only. The Greek word (genos) means “kindred,” or simply “kind.” Christians, in effect, are a distinct “kind” of human being, almost like a separate genetic variety, and they have been specially “chosen” or “elected” by God for His own very specific purposes.

2:9 priesthood. In this high calling, Christians, like Christ Himself, are both “kings and priests” (Revelation 1:6), a royal priesthood.

2:9 peculiar people. “Peculiar” in this sense means a special possession. The Greek word means “purchased,” and is translated “purchased possession” in Ephesians 1:14. A closely related word is used in Acts 20:28, where Christ is said to have “purchased” the church with His own blood. We have been redeemed by His precious blood (I Peter 1:19), and therefore belong wholly to Christ.