Spiritual sacrafices? What does this verse mean?

[MichelleTherese]

1 Peter 2:5

“Come to him, a living stone, rejected by human beings but chosen and precious in the sight of God, and, like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”

First, what does this verse mean. Secondly, what are these spiritual sacrafices that we are to offer?

Thanks!

 

[Madia]

1 Cor 6:19 might help where St. Paul basically asks “Don’t you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit?”

nccbuscc.org/nab/bible/1corinthians/1corinthians6.htm
drbo.org/chapter/53006.htm

It seems that St. Peter is trying to tell us to cleanse ourselves (since our body is a temple of the Holy Spirit) of all that is evil and seek only the Kingdom of God. By cleansing ourself of sin, our spiritual sacrifices will be more acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

What are our spiritual sacrifices? I’m not sure exactly what St. Peter was referring to but everything we say, do, think, experience, etc. should be offered up to God. I recommend doing this by making a morning offering such as:
ewtn.com/Devotionals/prayers/morning2.htm

Even the smallest task, done out of love for God, is pleasing to Him:
catholic-forum.com/churches/cathteach/divinemercy_ordinary.htm

I highly recommend offering everything to Jesus through Mary. The book “True Devotion to Mary” is highly recommended to get a better understanding of Marian devotion and how this devotion can bring you closer to Christ:
ewtn.com/library/Montfort/TRUEDEVO.HTM

If you pick up a hard copy of the book avoid the TAN edition translation.

 

[Eileen_T]

Maybe by practising the spiritual works of mercy?

Convert the sinner
Instruct the ignorant
Counsel the doubtful
Comfort the sorrowful
Bear wrongs patiently
Forgive injuries
Pray for the living and the dead

Plus prayer, fasting and almsgiving

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

Hi Michelle, from verse nine, I always understood the spiritual sacrafices as being, praises to God.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.

But, spiritual sacrafices is an interresting topic.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

Romans 12, may sheed some light on this too,

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

Colossians 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.

And, there is a possiblity of apply spiritual sacrafice to the Lord’s meal

1 Corinthians 10
1For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea. 2They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. 3They all ate the same spiritual food 4and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ. 5Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered over the desert.

these are only possiblities.

 

[MichelleTherese]

What does it mean to “offer our bodies” ?? That’s confusing.

 

[Daniel_Marsh]

Robertson’s Word Pictures of the New Testament

Therefore (oun). This inferential participle gathers up all the great argument of chapters Romans 1-11. Now Paul turns to exhortation (parakalw), “I beseech you.” By the mercies (dia twn oiktirmwn). “By means of the mercies of God” as shown in his argument and in our lives. See 2 Corinthians 1:3 for “the Father of mercies.” To present (parasthsai). First aorist active infinitive of paristhmi, for which verb see 2 Corinthians 6:13, a technical term for offering a sacrifice (Josephus, Ant. IV. 6, 4), though not in the O.T. Used of presenting the child Jesus in the temple (Luke 2:22), of the Christian presenting himself (Romans 6:13), of God presenting the saved (Ephesians 5:27), of Christ presenting the church (Col 1:28). Bodies (swmata). So literally as in Ephesians 6:13,19; 2 Corinthians 5:10 and in contrast with nouß (mind) in verse Romans 12:2. A living sacrifice (qusian zwsan). In contrast with the Levitical sacrifices of slain animals. Cf. Romans 6:8,11,13. Not a propitiatory sacrifice, but one of praise. Acceptable (euareston). “Well-pleasing.” See on “2Co 5:9”. Which is your reasonable service (thn logikhn umwn latreian). “Your rational (spiritual) service (worship).” For latreia, see on Romans 9:4. Logikoß is from logoß, reason. The phrase means here “worship rendered by the reason (or soul).” Old word, in N.T. only here and 1 Peter 2:2 to logikon gala (not logical milk, but the milk nourishing the soul).

bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/RobertsonsWordPictures/rwp.cgi?book=ro&chapter=012&verse=001&next=002&prev=021