1 Peter 2:8

which stumble at the word The "word," as before, is the sum and substance of the Gospel. Men opposing themselves to that word, looking on it as an obstacle to be got rid of, were as those who rush upon a firm-fixed stone, and who falling over it are sorely bruised.

whereunto also they were appointed Attempts have been made to soften the apparent fatalism of the words by carrying the antecedent of the "whereunto" as far back as 1 Peter 2:5, and seeing in the words the statement that even those who stumbled were appointed, as far as God's purpose was concerned, to be built up on Christ. It is, however, all but obvious that this puts a forced and artificial meaning on the Apostle's words. What he really affirms is that it is part of God's appointed order that the disobedient should stumble and be put to shame. And it may be noted that this way of looking on things is eminently characteristic of him. In the treachery of Judas he read the lesson that "the Scripture must needs have been fulfilled" (Acts 1:16). Stumbling, however, was not necessarily identical with falling irretrievably (Romans 11:11).