Appointed to Stumble? (1 Pet. 2:8)

“They [unbelievers] stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed” (1 Pet. 2:8).

Some Calvinists interpret this passage as meaning that God appointed/predestined some people to stumble over Jesus. These people never had any meaningful choice in the matter. God made (“preprogrammed”) them this way. They were doomed from the womb, as Calvin put it.

But is this really what this passage is teaching? Absolutely not! What God has appointed/predestined is that unbelievers would stumble over Jesus. But it’s up to each person whether to believe or not.

Old Testament Quotations

Peter is not saying anything new in this passage. In fact, he had just quoted three Old Testament passages about the Cornerstone (Jesus) in the preceding passages:

“Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, ‘Behold, I lay in Zion, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame’” (1 Pet. 2:6, quoted from Isa. 28:16).

“Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone’ (1 Pet. 2:7, quoted from Ps. 118:22) and ‘a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense’” (1 Pet. 2:8, quoted from Isa. 8:14).

By quoting these Old Testament passages, Peter expected his readers to be familiar with the contexts. And none of these contexts say anything about God predestining individuals to stumble. What these passages do teach, on the other hand, is that God has predestined that the Cornerstone would be a stumbling block to unbelievers yet be a blessing to believers. That’s what these Old Testament passages teach…and that’s what Peter’s point was too!

The passages themselves say as much:

“He who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame…Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient [He is] a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense” (1 Pet. 2:6-8).

Believing is man’s part. Rewards and punishments are God’s part.

Surrounding Context

Peter also says this in other ways in the immediate context:

“[Do not conform] yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” (1 Pet. 1:14-16).

“And if you call on the Father, who without partiality judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves throughout the time of your stay here in fear” (1 Pet. 1:17).

“Love one another fervently with a pure heart” (1 Pet. 1:22).

“Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow” (1 Pet. 2:1).

All these passages are teaching personal responsibility! And what God has sovereignly determined is that the faithful will be rewarded…and the wicked will be punished.

Calvinists are completely ignoring the context of 1 Peter 2:8 as well as the Old Testament quotations that Peter cited. They are isolating and twisting the passage to “say” what they want it to say instead of properly exegeting it.

By Alex Polyak, Answering Calvinism, 8/5/26