But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light. 1 Peter 2:9
The world considers godly Christians peculiar for a number of reasons. We are considered peculiar because we accept the Bible’s account of creation instead of blindly swallowing the generally accepted nonsense of evolution that claims everything came from nothing for no reason. We are considered peculiar because we obey the Bible’s description of morality instead of adopting the world’s model of unbridled, extramarital, and homosexual sin. We are considered peculiar because we treasure human life from conception rather than accepting the court-ordered wholesale slaughter of the unborn. We are considered peculiar because our gathering place is the Name and presence of the Lord Jesus instead of the formality, architecture, and man-made systems of the world’s religions. If these and other reasons cause the world to consider us peculiar, then let us be willing to be considered peculiar. But that is really not the meaning that is intended in our text.
This word as used in our text does not mean strange, unusual, or different as it is often used today. A good dictionary will tell us that one definition for peculiar is belonging to only one person. That’s exactly the meaning that is used in our text. The meaning here is that we are a unique and special people to God, in much the same way that Israel was identified in Exodus 19:5 as God’s special people at that time: ‘Now therefore, if ye will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people: for all the earth is Mine.’ We know that God has temporarily set aside Israel in this special role because they failed to obey His voice and keep His covenant. So in our dispensation of grace, God places His special attention on those of the Gentiles who have trusted in Christ: ‘Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works’ (Titus 2:14). The Greek word ‘peripoiesis’ that is translated ‘peculiar’ in our text is translated ‘purchased’ in Ephesians 1:14: ‘Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory’.
Our text identifies why we are special to God. Of the billions of people in our world today, only those identified by God as His chosen generation, His royal priesthood, His holy nation, and His peculiar people, are able and willing to ‘shew forth the praises of Him Who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light’. For that, I don’t mind being called peculiar. – Jim MacIntosh