The accepters—who are living stones (vv. 5–6). However, Peter’s instructions and encouragement are being directed primarily to the “accepters,” not to the “rejecters.” He writes, “You also, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house.” As we have seen, this “spiritual house” is the church of Jesus Christ. It is fitting for Peter to use the analogy of the living stones since Jesus had called him Cephas, which means “a stone” (John 1:42). And it was to Peter that Jesus said, “You are Peter,