I agree with you that Peter certainly wasn't referring to the pope. LOL! This is 1 Peter 2:5-9. Note the passage uses the words peculiar, priesthood, holy and chosen:
"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 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;" (1 Pet 2:5-9 KJV)
We know for certain he was not referring to the Pope, and Christ is clearly identified in the middle part of the passage as the chief corner stone and the stone of stumbling. But who was Peter referring to as chosen, an holy and royal priesthood, and a peculiar people?
I believe he was referring to the chosen ones from the children of Israel: the faithful remnant: the elect. We know that Israel as a nation broke the covenant; but a remnant kept the covenant, and God rewarded them.
But it doesn't matter what we believe, if the scripture doesn't support it. Let's see if the scripture supports that view. This is a chain of references from Moses, forward. Note the use of the keyword redeemed in conjunction with the other keywords:
"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:" (Exo 19:5 KJV)
"And ye shall be holy unto me: for I the Lord am holy, and have severed you from other people, that ye should be mine." (Lev 20:26 KJV)
"For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people unto himself, above all the nations that are upon the earth." (Deu 14:2 KJV)
"For the Lord hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure." (Ps 135:4 KJV)
"And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." (Isa 62:12 KJV)
"According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love … Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will … In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace … That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ." (Eph 1:4-5, 7, 12 KJV)
"Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works." (Tit 2:14 KJV)
The keywords moving forward are priests, holy, blameless, and redeemed. This is from the Revelation:
"And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel." (Rev 7:4 KJV)
"And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads . . . the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God." (Rev 14:1, 3-5 KJV)
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Rev 20:6 KJV)
That explains what happened to the "royal priesthood" that Peter was referring to. They were the 144,000 redeemed from among men: those of the first resurrection. Now let's look at the "foundations" of the Holy Temple:
"Now therefore ye [Jews and Gentiles] are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit." (Eph 2:19-22 KJV)
Therefore, it is safe to assume that those of the first resurrection are the royal priesthood, and some of those, the foundations of the holy temple, are the apostles and prophets.
But the key point is: all are of the children of Israel. God did not desert or reject Israel: he kept his covenant with them. Those God rejected were those who had rejected him: those who had lost their status as children of Israel, and even their status as the children of Abraham:
"But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham." (Mat 3:7-9 KJV)
"They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham's children, ye would do the works of Abraham." (John 8:39 KJV)
"And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." (Gal 3:29 KJV)
Therefore, Christ "kicked off" (if you will) the New Covenant (the New Testament) by sending his angels to gather his elect--his chosen ones--his lost sheep--from amongst the children of Israel; and they became permanent servants (priests and kings) in his eternal kingdom:
"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:" (Mat 25:31 KJV)
"And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other " (Mat 24:31 KJV)
"And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen." (Rev 1:5-6 KJV)
Philip
Except for that to be true, those people would have been preached to by Peter, not happening. He was talking to believers then alive and believers hence.