There Is Only One Royal Priesthood; One Elect; One Stick in God’s Hand; One Divinely Ordained Faith; One New Man

Notice how Peter was able to accept the fact that God was reaching out to Gentiles, making them part of the royal priesthood of Israel. First, Peter refers to the believing Gentiles as "strangers":

Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, (I Peter 1:1)

Then he acknowledges that they are members of the elect of God.

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; (I Peter 2:9)

There is only one chosen generation, one holy nation, and that is the nation of Israel. That a remnant of Gentiles should ever be made a part of the priesthood of God is a wonder of wonders.

Peter, by viewing the unbelieving Gentiles as the true Gentiles, acknowledges that the elect Gentiles have become part of Israel.

Having your [the elect Gentiles] conversation honest among the [unbelieving] Gentiles: that, whereas they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation. (I Peter 2:12)

Do you see, in the verse above, that Peter is cautioning the believing Gentiles (now regarded as members of Israel) concerning their behavior among the unbelieving nations?

The believing Gentiles have become part of the holy nation of Israel, just as Asenath, the wife of Joseph, and Joseph’s two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, although in whole or in part Egyptian, came to be regarded as an integral part of Israel.

Let believing Gentiles have a due appreciation for the fact that they are eating the "children’s bread," and not be lifted up in pride as though they were the original chosen people of the Lord.

The designation as a kingdom of priests, a holy nation, is the unique possession of Israel—God’s firstborn from among the nations of the earth.

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: And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel. (Exodus 19:5,6)

The concept here is that of election, of calling. Those who are called are "saints," that is, people who are holy to the Lord.

They are holy because God has separated them from the world and drawn them to Himself.

The priesthood always is by election. No man by his own desire can assume the honor of the priesthood.

And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. (Hebrews 5:4)

The word church means "called-out from," that is, called out from among the peoples of the earth. Israel is God’s firstborn—that which belongs peculiarly to Him.

The fact that Israel was designated as the holy nation, and then the "strangers" Peter was addressing were designated as the holy nation, does not indicate that God has turned away from the Jews and then chosen Gentiles as His royal priesthood. Instead, the elect Gentiles have been made an integral part of Israel through marriage to Christ.

There is but one royal priesthood. The royal priesthood is the Body of Christ, the Church. The Body of Christ includes all who are in Christ, whether Jewish or Gentile by natural birth.

Nowhere in the writings of the New Testament Apostles is there any indication whatever that the elect Jews compose one royal priesthood and the elect Gentiles constitute a different royal priesthood.

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