House of Stone

The church is a building. Whoa, if I said that to my boy he’d quickly rake me over the coals for being so dense. “Daddy,” he’d counter “you’re wrong. The church is the people. It’s Christians!” And, he’s right. But, so am I.

Peter discloses to us that “living stones” characterizing Christians “are being built up as a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5). The church is a building, and Christians (living stones) are the material. From this perspective, my son and I both have it right.

In Acts 2, when the Holy Spirit descended to Jerusalem, the apostles recognized that moment as the kingdom of God coming with power (see Mark 9:1; Acts 2:1-4). They had anticipated this day since their first lessons with Jesus. While on earth, he repeatedly forecasted the near arrival of the kingdom. On that day, the day of Pentecost after Christ’s death, the kingdom arrived.

How do we know? One, Joel’s prophecy about the kingdom era found fulfillment (Acts 2:16). Two, Jesus had taken his seat next to the Father to reign (33-36). Three, sinners found redemption through appeal and obedience to the Messiah (37-38). Finally, the saved were placed together by God (47). Acts 2 unveils the first occurrence of God rescuing sinners from the domain of darkness and transferring them into the kingdom of his beloved Son (Colossians 1:13).

That’s the day God began building his house of stone. Jesus claimed, on the basis of his deity, he would under gird this house (the kingdom) as the chief cornerstone (Matthew 16:16-18; see also 1 Peter 2:6-8). As sinners place their faith in Christ as God’s saving Son and build upon that foundation through obedience, they transform into living stones. God then adds them to his house. Consequently, God’s house grows as sinners accept and obey the Christ.

I once heard a preacher describe in a sermon how this house contains no roof. As long as living stones multiply, the walls of this house will continue to extend endlessly. That leaves room for all sinners. Everyone owns the opportunity to become a stone in a wall of God’s house.

To understand the church in this manner would clarify countless misunderstandings. The house of stone typifies God’s church (see also 1 Timothy 3:15). The material utilized in the building of this house is living stones—Christians. If a humble and penitent sinner approaches God in faith and satisfies the conditions of salvation then that sinner becomes a living stone set in the house of God.