1 Peter

Sunday, 22 December 2019

…and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away. 1 Peter 5:4

Peter is speaking to the elders (5:1), and he is continuing his exhortation to them to properly shepherd the flock which is entrusted to them. He now finishes this thought by saying, “and when the Chief Shepherd appears.”

It is a passive aorist participle which would be more correctly translated as “And the Chief Shepherd having been revealed…” It signifies that He is currently concealed from us, but at some point, that will change. The veil which conceals Him will be removed, and He will be presented in all of His glory. It is a verse which implicitly tells us that “visions” or “visitations” of Jesus at this time are untrue. Christ is, at present, not revealed to His flock.

Peter’s words reveal that Christ is, like the elders he is addressing, a Shepherd over His flock. This is already seen in several ways elsewhere in the use of the term “Shepherd” when speaking of Him, or “flock” when speaking of those under Him. The New Testament assigns three different adjectives to Jesus’ title as the “Shepherd” –

Good Shepherd – John 10:11
Great Shepherd – Hebrews 13:20
Chief Shepherd – 1 Peter 5:4

Today Peter calls him the “Chief” Shepherd. The word used in Greek is archipoimén. The prefix archó signifies to reign or rule. Peter is using this term to show the preeminent position of Christ Jesus in the role of shepherd. He has done this because, in verses 1-3, he has been addressing elders or “shepherds” of individual churches.

Those elders who are shepherds are obviously subordinate to Christ. But more, Peter never goes beyond that, to imply some type of hierarchy where he is a chief among them. There is simply the Chief Shepherd and all other shepherds after him. Hence, there is no hierarchy. Peter notes to them that at the appearing of Christ, the Chief Shepherd, “you will receive the crown of glory.”

This ties directly back to verse 5:1 where he said, “I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.” Peter is reminding them that their trials, faithful care of the flock, and patient endurance was a small thing compared to what lies ahead. Christ suffered, but he then entered His glory. So shall it be for those who are in Christ.

The term “crown of glory” does not necessarily mean that shepherds will wear a literal crown based on their office. Rather, it could simply be a metaphorical way of describing the glory which will adorn them. A crown is a symbol of honor and achievement, but there is no need to take the instances of the word “crown” given in the New Testament epistles as literal crowns that people will walk around with.

Whether the crowns are literal, or simply stand as metaphors of the state of glory which lies ahead, Peter says that it is a “glory that does not fade away.” Here he uses a word, amarantinos, which is unique to this verse in the New Testament. It substantially comes from aramanths, a type of flower which was used in ancient times to refer to that which never fades away. HELPS Word Studies notes, “The amaranth flower has incredible resiliency (ability to endure). It easily revives when moistened, even after it is uprooted.”

Thus, it was symbolic of perpetuity and immortality. The suffix Peter applies to the word connects the elders to this unfading glory of God which is bestowed upon them.

Life application: What Christ promises His redeemed is something eternal and unfading. All of our earthly treasures will fade, but such will not be the case concerning what lies ahead. For those leaders within the church who are faithful, something much greater will replace all that they have suffered through or been blessed with. If you are a shepherd of a flock, be careful to lead faithfully – the Lord is watching and will reward or judge your actions.

We look to You as our Chief Shepherd, Lord Jesus. Our eyes and our hearts are set upon the joy of the day when You appear and lead us to our eternal dwelling. Until that day, may our earthly shepherds faithfully execute their duties so that You will be glorified by them. Praises be to You, now and forever! Amen.

Saturday, 21 December 2019

… nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; 1 Peter 5:3

Peter continues with his words of proper conduct for the elders that he is addressing. In this verse, he adds to what he has already said with, “nor as being lords.” The translation here is better stated as, “not lording it.” One who is a lord over another may or may not be heavy-handed. The intent of Peter’s words is that elders, though appointed over others, are not to act in a demeaning or tyrannical way towards those under them.

The phrase Peter uses, which is translated as “those entrusted to you,” is literally “over the lots.” In other words, it is an assigned portion. When Israel went into the land of Canaan, the land was divided by lots. The Lord oversaw the division (see Proverbs 16:33), so that everything was left to His providence, not mere chance. The same is true with each person who falls under the authority of an elder. The Lord provides the flock according to His wisdom.

For those who are so entrusted to an elder, Peter then says that rather than lording it over them, they should be “examples to the flock.” It is the same word for “flock” that he just used in the previous verse. This is its fifth and last use in Scripture. Jesus first used it in Luke 12:32. From there, Paul twice used it in almost the same way that Peter uses it now in Acts 20 –

“Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. ²⁹ For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. ³⁰ Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.” Acts 20:28-30

Paul’s words were to those at Ephesus. Both Acts 18 and 19 make it clear that the gospel Paul preached went to both Jew and Gentile and it was received by both. There, the church at Ephesus was established as such. Peter’s words reflect the same gospel, and the same terminology, concerning the body of believers as Paul. There is one flock and one gospel which goes to both Jew and Gentile, and the elders of this body are given charge over all under them for care and right doctrine.

This then shows, once again, that the doctrine of dividing the church into two gospels, one for Jew and one for Gentile, is both false and heretical.

Life application: Power, even a little bit of it, is an intoxicant. When people come up to a pastor, week after week seeking resolutions to their problems, bringing compliments on a great sermon, or seeking favor within the church, it can certainly lead to a feeling of superiority over those under them. The larger the church, the more susceptible to this one will often become.

But it is not limited to larger churches. Congregations of 30 or 40 people can often be at the most risk of falling prey to charismatic leaders. The attendees willingly give up their identity and are led down the paths of evil conjured up by a devil with a stronger will. This was the case with cults such as Heaven’s Gate, the Branch Davidians, etc.

Congregants need to constantly evaluate the direction of the pastor to ensure he is sticking to the Bible and following the admonitions laid out for his position. Pastors likewise need to evaluate themselves and determine if they have strayed from what is sound and appropriate. Having a faithful confidant, who will be willing to call to account any diversion from the right path, is useful and wise.

The Old Testament kings had prophets and seers who would openly speak to them about what was right, to hopefully direct them back from wrong choices. Leading a congregation is a sacred trust, and the Lord holds those in authority to a higher standard of judgment. So, watch your elders, and help keep them humble while honoring them for their faithful service.

Lord, we certainly wouldn’t attend the churches we are at without respecting our pastors. We find them to be faithful leaders, and so we stay and faithfully attend. Today, we pray for those given to lead us. Keep their hearts humble and their eyes focused on You. Keep them faithfully proclaiming Your word. May our congregations be lights in the darkness of the communities around us. Amen.

Friday, 20 December 2019

Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 1 Peter 5:2

Peter now instructs the elders to “Shepherd the flock of God.” The word is fitting. It means to tend to the flock. It is inclusive of all aspects of caring for the flock – feeding them, leading them, protecting them, bringing them to safety, and so on. It is the responsibility of the shepherd to do all of these things for those in his care.

It is what Jesus told Peter to do in John 21. Using two different words, He said for Peter to first boskó, or feed His sheep. He then used the same word Peter uses now, poimainó, or shepherd. Then, a third time, Jesus told Peter to boskó, or feed, His sheep. Peter is probably looking back on that exchange and considering it while writing to the elders now. Shepherding is something he was commanded to do by the Lord, and now he is passing on that important precept for those who will also care for those under them. As he says, it is inclusive of all in the flock “which is among you.”

Each elder is in a position of influence. Whatever size of the flock, that is what the Lord has given them for their care. Thus, in this capacity he says they are to be “serving as overseers.” The Greek is a single word which signifies to look upon, or to focus upon with concerned interest. The elders are to actively look at the state of each person and know what is going on in their lives.

After this, Peter says, “not by compulsion but willingly.” The words are well translated. An elder shouldn’t have to be forced to do these things, but rather he should – of his own accord – desire to tend to, and look after, those under him. To do less would bring about an unhappy relationship between the two, and eventually the flock he is to care for will wander away.

The verse then finishes with, “not for dishonest gain but eagerly.” Peter uses an adverb found only here in Scripture, but it stems from the same word Paul uses as an adjective in 1 Timothy 3:8 and Titus 1:7 in exactly the same context. It means to be eager for base gain. Rather than being eager for getting rich, the elders are to be eager to care for others, watching over them and ensuring their needs are met first.

Life application: The qualities of an elder are to be the qualities of a shepherd –

1) A shepherd feeds his sheep with their necessary food. He leads them, but he also searches for those who stray, prods along the slow pokes, and is tender to his sheep. He spends an enormous amount of time with his flock and gets very little in return for his efforts. He works under the blazing sun of the day and through the cold of the night. He cares for them in the rain and during the snows that fall. But he also looks at the magnificent stars placed in the heavens and enjoys the smells and sounds of the wilderness – fresh grass, howling animals, birds alone and birds in flocks. A shepherd takes time to appreciate the created majesty around his flock and thus learns to appreciate his flock even more.

2) He is to oversee the affairs of his flock willingly and cheerfully. If a pastor is in a denomination with a hierarchy and he is assigned a cruddy location, for example, he is to accept his duties as having been directed by God, to accomplish them for His glory, and not out of a grudging sense of getting to the next pastorate.

3) Finally, he is to work according to the strict principles of honesty and for the fair wage he is allowed, never looking for inappropriate gain. Any pastor or evangelist who promises his flock “a financial blessing” in return for sending him money is dishonest and should be immediately rejected as unqualified and untrustworthy.

Lord God, we can imagine how difficult it is to cheerfully shepherd a flock in the church, and so we pray that You give us the desire to be good to our leaders in the church, and to support them in every way which will encourage them. May we be examples to the other believers around us so that they will feel the same way about this. May our actions in this bring them the comfort and relief they need. Amen.

Thursday, 19 December 2019

The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: 1 Peter 5:1

Peter now begins the final chapter of the epistle with an exhortation to the leadership. Remember that he is writing to “the pilgrims of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia (1:1). Therefore, his words are being addressed to leadership throughout these regions. How many individual congregations are addressed is unknown, but the number is less important than that he is writing to them all. As the epistle is now in Scripture, the exhortation continues to all congregations.

Understanding this, he says, “The elders who are among you I exhort.” The word “elders” generally speaks of those who are older in years, but from that comes the idea of one who is seasoned in judgment. And so, the expression signifies one who is wise and thus worthy of leadership. Because of what he says in the coming verses, it is obviously referring to those considered as leaders of each congregation. Further, these leadership positions are restricted to the masculine only, as is consistent throughout the New Testament.

From there, he says, “I who am a fellow elder.” Peter does not place himself above these men at all. Rather, the word he uses, and which is found only here in the New Testament, signifies one who is on the same level of authority as those he is writing to. This argues against any notion of primacy which is later imposed on the person of Peter by Roman Catholicism. It is true that he is writing in an authoritative manner, but that is from a position of experience, not specifically positional authority – as is evidenced by the word he uses here.

In support of that, he then says, “and a witness of the sufferings of Christ.” In the Greek, there is an article before “Christ.” A literal rendering would be “of the sufferings of the Christ.” Peter is making a point that the Head of the faith, in His position as the Head, suffered for His flock. He wants them to fully grasp the significance of this point.

Further, Peter has an experiential knowledge of the Person and work of the Lord. As he says, he is a “witness” to what Christ endured. The word is martus, literally translated as “martyr.” Its use is more than having seen as bystander beholding events, but as one who was then to bear witness to what he saw.

In the law, a witness confirmed a fact, such as in a trial. If that person was a false-witness, then the same penalty that would have been imposed upon the accused would fall upon him. In this, there is the sense that the witness bears the responsibility of faithful testimony – even to his own harm. Thus, a witness, or martyr, must be willing to hold fast to his confession, even when it means that he will suffer for it.

In his witness, he is in a position to express what is intended by the Lord for doctrine and conduct. He was called by Christ, was with Him throughout His ministry, and saw all that he had endured through it, even to the end where the sufferings took on the full and final purpose of atoning for sin in a substitutionary manner – Christ died for His flock (as will be noted by Peter in his words to come).

The obvious thought, then, is that Peter is setting a baseline for the elders he is writing to. “The Christ was faithful to us. I am faithfully conveying what I know about this. Now, it is your turn to be faithful in your witness, carrying this knowledge on to those you lead.”

Finally, the verse finishes with, “and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed.” If Christ’s suffering and death was all there was, it would be a great story to tell others, but it would have no personal meaning beyond the act itself, except for the few that were personally connected to the event. However, Christ didn’t merely suffer and die. He did so for all others, and then He rose again in glory – for all others.

The event takes on a universal significance. Any and all who desire to partake of the glory that will be revealed may do so because of the glory that was revealed. Peter’s words shout out, “I may die (be a martyr) for my witness, but there is a glory which lies ahead for me. I am already a partaker of it, even if it is not yet fully realized. You too have this same hope. As a partaker along with me, you are to now hold fast to it and be a witness (a martyr) for what you know is true as well!”

It is a beautiful expression of Peter’s desire that the truth of Christ be properly conveyed through living and continued testimony. Christ has prevailed! You too are to stand fast in your witness of this fact!

Life application: The Roman Catholic Church has held for eons that Peter was the first pope, and that since him there has been a line of succession leading down to the current day. They claim the title and right to their authority because of this. However, this is nowhere indicated in Scripture, and just the opposite is true. Peter was one of a crowd of elders, fallible and completely dependent on his Lord.

Secondly, Peter is termed in Galatians 2:8 as the “apostle to the circumcision” (meaning the Jews). Four times it is Paul who is called the apostle or teacher to the gentiles. As the modern church is made up of a vast majority of gentile believers, the reasoning given for Peter being their first pope is faulty.

Thirdly, it was James – the Lord’s brother, who was the recorded leader of the early church. This is documented in Acts 15 and is quite clear in its content. Having set aside this notion, we read here his exhortation.

Peter speaks to these fellow elders and reinforces their faith by stating that he was a personal witness to the sufferings of Christ. They are walking by faith and not by sight, whereas Peter actually has sight added to his walk. This was a valuable assurance, and it remains so today. Because of Peter’s witness of both the sufferings and then of the resurrection of Jesus, he can now – with complete confidence – tell his fellow elders of the glory that will be revealed. The Lord rose! The Lord is victorious! The promises of the Lord are completely reliable! Peter went to his death at the hands of the Romans for what he knew to be true.

Lord God, what a blessed assurance we possess in Christ Jesus! We have the written testimony of His sufferings from first-hand witnesses. They, in turn, were corroborated by other witnesses. And down through the ages, the line of truth has remained because of the word we have been given. We can, with full assurance, call on Jesus as Lord. Because of this, we will be partakers of the glory to come! Amen.

Wednesday, 18 December 2019

Therefore let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good, as to a faithful Creator. 1 Peter 4:19

Peter now sums up his thought concerning suffering. He has been speaking of it in various ways, but in the immediate context, he has been referring to his words of verse 4:12 concerning the fiery trial which may try believers. In such trials and sufferings, he says, “Therefore.”

This is the hint that his words will sum up what has been said, and they will provide an explanation and admonition for the believer who suffers concerning his situation. The admonition begins with “let those who suffer…” If a believer, and if suffering for your faith, Peter will instruct what should be done about that situation. However, before giving the rest of his admonition, he says, “according to the will of God.”

This is the explanation. It is suffering which is “according to the will of God.” In other words, if one suffers, it may or may not be a noble thing. If a Christian gets in trouble with the law and winds up in prison, his suffering is a self-inflicted wound. It wasn’t according to the will of God if he disobeyed the law of the land. Peter is referring to suffering reproach in the name of Christ (4:14, for example).

Understanding this, if any believers are suffering according to God’s will, let them “commit their souls to Him.” The words “to Him” are inserted, but they carry the correct meaning. Believers are to take the suffering of their souls and commit it to God who is the One who sees all things, knows all things, and understands the reason for the suffering. As it is for His glory, then He will attend to it according to His infinite wisdom. This is certain, because the word which means “let them commit” is the same word Jesus uttered on the cross when He committed His spirit to the Father. It means to set before, or present.

So, believers are to likewise present their souls to God “in doing good.” Even in suffering, the believer is to continue on in a state of doing good. Thus, he continues his testimony, both before those who need Jesus, and before the Father who will judge all actions according to the state in which those actions were conducted. There should be a stress on doing good to ensure that it shows forth the act in order to convict those who see it, and also to continue to glorify God.

The word translated as “doing good” is found only here. It signifies not just doing good at something, but the attitude behind it – which is that it originates from faith. It is a surrendering of the individual to God while actively practicing that which is proper. This is because the act is directed to Him “as to a faithful Creator.”

As the Creator, He knows what is best for His creatures. As He is loving, He would not allow those creatures who are faithful, and who acknowledge Him, to suffer without a reason. Therefore, in suffering for what is good, there will be a time when the reason for what has occurred is made manifest. The job of the believer is to accept the suffering as His will, and to continue to bring Him glory through it.

Life application: If we go skiing and become paralyzed from a broken neck, we commit our soul to whoever will tend to us for the duration of our years. But if we suffer according to the will of God, for any reason, we can confidently commit our soul to Him because of our good deed – whatever it may be.

And what else can we do but rejoice at the suffering we experience? What occurred was done according to His will and was thus ordained by Him for the benefit of

1) ourselves (see Romans 8:28),
2) for those who participate in the process, and
3) for the sake of the gospel.

As Peter says, God is a “faithful Creator.” Knowing this allows us to understand that what we face is serving a good and logical purpose. So be content with this knowledge. The instance of the skiing accident can be used by God as well for His great purposes. Those who have been in accidents which resulted in physical trauma have used their disabilities to touch thousands and even millions of others.

A classic example is Joni Eareckson Tada who was paralyzed in a swimming accident. Her suffering through pains and trials is great, but her ministry has tended to multitudes in the name of Christ. Be content in your suffering such as she is, and as so many others have been. Remember that our loving Creator is working out His plan in a glorious way.

Lord God, when we suffer – whether it is from another’s hand or from our own aches and pains of this earthly body – may You use our suffering in a way which will bring You great glory. We commit our souls to You, knowing that Your plan is far greater than the one we would otherwise follow. Thank You for using us in the way that is appropriate to You! Amen.