Stones And Rejection

Non credentibus autem, lapis quam reprobaverunt aedificantes. Ut sicut illum reprobaverunt cum aedificarent actus suos, nolentes eum ponere in fundamento cordis sui, ita et ipsi reprobentur ab eo in adventu ejus, nolente illo tunc eos qui se reprobaverent in aedificationem accipere domus suae, quae est in coelis. Et haec distinctio honoris credentium, non credentium autem reprobatio hucucque pertingit. Hinc item de credentibus infert: Hic factus est in caput anguli. Quia videlicet sicut lapis angularis duos parietes conjungit, ita Dominus Judaeorum plebem et gentium in una sibi fidei societate copulavit. Et lapis offensionis et petra scandali. Hinc et Pauus: Nos, inquit, praedicamus Christum crucifixum, Judaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam. His qui offendunt verbo, etc. Offendunt verbo eo ipso quod verbum Dei audire eos contingit. Offendunt animo, dum nolunt credere quod audiunt. Quorum stultitiam exaggerando subjecit: Nec credunt in quod et positi sunt. Quia in hoc positi, id est, in hoc per naturam facti sunt homines, ut credant Deo, et ejus voluntati obtemperent. Salomone attestante cum ait: Deum time, et mandata ejus serva, hoc est omnis homo. Id est, in hoc naturaliter factus est omnis homo, ut Deum timeat, ejusque mandatis obsecundet. Quidem Codices habent: In quo et positi sunt, quod intelliguntur juxta hoc quod Paulus de Deo loquens ait: In ipso enim vivimus, et movemur, et sumus. Sanctus Beda, In Primam Epistolam Sancti Petri, Caput II Source: Migne PL 92.50b-c

But to non-believers the stone which the builders rejected... 1 That as they rejected Him when they built up with their own deeds, unwilling to place him as the foundation of their heart, so even He shall reject them in His coming, when He shall not receive those who rejected Him for the building of His house, which is in heaven. And this is the distinction of the honour of believers, that nothing of this rejection touches them. Whence concerning those who believe he says: He became the cornerstone... Which is certainly the stone which joins two walls, thus the Lord binds the people of the Jews and the Gentiles in one faith to Himself. A stone of stumbling and a stone of scandal... Whence Paul: 'We preach Christ crucified, a scandal to the Jews, foolishness to the Gentiles. 2 To those who stumble at the word... They stumble at the word because it falls on them to hear the word of God. And they stumble in soul because they are unwilling to believe what they hear. To emphasise their foolishness he then adds: 'They do not believe in that on which they are placed.' Because on this they are placed, that is, in this by nature they are made men, that they believe in God, and obey his will. Solomon gives witness when he says: 'Revere God and observe His commandments, for this is the whole of man.' 3 That is, by this a man is naturally a man, that he reveres God, and follows His commandments. Certain copies read: 'in whom they are placed,' which is understood according to Paul when he says concerning God: 'In Him we live and move and have our being.' 4 Saint Bede, from the Commentary on the First Letter Of Peter, Chap 2 1 1 Pet 2.7 2 1 Cor 1.23 3 Eccle 12.13 4 Acts 17.28