1 Peter 5

CHAPTER 5

 

To Elders and Young Men (5:1-11)

1 Even though Peter was the chief among Jesus’ original twelve disciples, he here calls himself only a fellow elder. From this, we can see Peter’s humility. He did not “lord it over” others (verse 3), but rather he exhorted them as a fellow believer. Peter writes this letter as a witness of Christ’s sufferings (see Luke 24:45-48; Acts 1:8), and as one who also will share in the glory to be revealed(see Romans 8:1718).

2 In the New Testament, church leaders are commonly called elders (Acts 14:23; 20:17; Titus 1:5), or overseers¹³ (1 Timothy 3:1). Nowadays, we also call such church leaders ministers or pastors. In the Greek language, the word “pastor” means shepherd; thus Peter here instructs the elders ofthe church to be shepherds. From this, then, we can see the two main responsibilities of a church leader: first, as an “overseer” or supervisor, he must teach and exhort and discipline the members of the church (see 2 Timothy 4:2); second, as a “pastor” or “shepherd,” he must feed and nurture the flock and protect the sheep from “wolves,” that is, false teachers (see Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:28-29).

Peter fully understood that leaders had to be more than just rulers or overseers; they also had to be shepherds. Three times Jesus, after His resurrection, commanded Peter to take care of His sheep (John 21:1517). The sheep belong to God’s flock, and the Chief Shepherd (verse 4) is Jesus Christ Himself. Church leaders must serve God and His flock not because of compulsion but because oflove. They must exercise their leadership not in order to gain money or honor but in order to serve the sheep (Mark 10:45; John 10:11).

3 A good leader leads mainly by example. Yes, a leader has authority, and he must exercise his authority in the right way and at the right times—especially when he must discipline those who oppose the truth and disobey God. But as far as possible, the leader should lead by his own good example (1 Corinthians 11:1). If the shepherd is good, the sheep will be eager to follow (John 10:14,27). The leader must not lead by force or by threats; he must not use his authority to push others down; rather, he must make himself the servant of others (Mark 10:42-45).

4 If church leaders serve well, they will receive a reward, a crown of glory that will never fade away. In Peter’s time, the winner of a race received a crown made of leaves; the leaves, of course, quickly dried out. But the Christian’s crown of glory will never dry out or fade away (see 1 Corinthians 9:25; 2 Timothy 4:8; James 1:12 and comments).

5 Peter has already said that Christians must remain subject to others (1 Peter 2:13,18; 3:1). Paul wrote the same thing in several ofhis letters (Romans 13:1; 1 Corinthians 16:16; Ephesians 5:21-22; 6:1,5). Here in this verse, Peter especially exhorts the young men ofthe church to be submissive to those who are older. Most young people do not like to remain subject to anyone; they want to be free to go their own way. But most young people are lacking in humility and wisdom. Therefore, for their own sake and for the church’s sake, it is essential that young people be submissive to their elders.

All members of the church must “clothe” themselves with humility. Humility doesn’t just mean behavior that is outwardly humble. True humility arises in our inner mind. The humble person knows he is unworthy in God’s sight. He knows that all his righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). The humble person knows that all he is and all he does is by the grace of God alone (1 Corinthians 4:6-7; 15:10).

In the experience ofmost Christians, humility is the hardest virtue to maintain. The reason is because pride (the opposite of humility) is man’s deepest sin and the hardest to remove.¹⁴ Pride was Satan’s chief sin; he sought to make himself equal with God (Isaiah 14:12-14). Pride was also the main sin ofAdam and Eve in the Garden ofEden; they too wanted to be like God (Genesis 3:4-6). This is why God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble (see Proverbs 3:34; Luke 1:51-52; James 4:6). This is why the New Testament in so many places teaches us to be humble (see Romans 12:3; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3).

6 If we humble ourselves, God will lift us up. If we try to exalt ourselves, God will humble us (see Matthew 23:12; James 4:10 and comments).

Peter says here: Humble yourselves. We must humble ourselves; we must put ourselves down. No one likes to do that. But it is better for us to put ourselves down than to have someone else do it!

We are to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand. All things are under God’s mighty hand; God controls everything. His hand is mighty to punish the unrighteous and to defend the righteous. We can place ourselves under His mighty hand, because He cares for us (verse 7). We can trust God that every trial He allows to come upon us is for our ultimate good (see Romans 8:28; Hebrews 12:7-9 and comments). Such trials are for our improvement in this life and for our glory in the next.

God will lift us up in due time. We don’t like to wait to be lifted up; rather, we want to be lifted up immediately. But God knows best what is needed for our spiritual welfare. As long as we need discipline, God will continue to give it. When we have learned to be humble, then He will lift us up.

7 When we are cast down because of trials and troubles, let us not be anxious. We may not be able to get rid of our trials and troubles, but we can get rid of our anxiety. We can give our anxiety to God (Psalm 55:22). We can have complete confidence that God will sustain and protect us (Matthew 6:25-34). And when we give our anxiety to God, then He will give us His peace, which transcends all understanding (see Philippians 4:6-7 and comment).

8 Be self-controlled and alert. In order to serve Christ we must be self-controlled and prepared for action (1 Peter 1:13). In order to pray effectively, we must be self-controlled and clear minded (1 Peter 4:7). And here Peter says that in order to keep the devil—SATAN —from devouring us, we need to remain self-controlled and alert.

The devil tries to devour or destroy us by leading us into sin and disobedience. The devil tries to destroy our fellowship by creating conflict among us, and especially by inciting us to slander and backbiting¹⁵ (see Galatians 5:15). Above all, the devil tries to destroy our faith by producing doubt and fear in our minds. If he can destroy our faith, we are lost. Satan is a powerful enemy (Ephesians 6:12). Let us never think that we can defeat him by our own strength.

But God and Christ are stronger than the devil and all his evil forces (Ephesians 6:10-11; 1 John 4:4). The devil may be a roaring lion, but God has tied a rope around his neck. Because of this “rope,” the devil cannot do anything or go anywhere without God’s permission. The devil can only create as much trouble as God allows. God uses Satan to accomplish His own purposes. God will never allow Satan to devour His faithful children.

But we believers must do our part. Without our cooperation, God cannot protect us. First, we must remain self-controlled and alert. Second, we must remain in obedience to God’s will. Third, we must continually pray, so that we do not fall into temptation (Matthew 6:13; Mark 14:38). Fourth, we must put on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:13-18). And finally, having done all the above things, we must resist Satan, by standing firm in the faith (verse 9). And when we resist Satan, he will flee (James 4:7).

9 Resist him, standing firm in the faith. On one occasion, Peter did not resist Satan. His faith failed. Jesus had said to Peter: “I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers” (Luke 22:32). Now, in this verse, Peter (Simon) is doing what Jesus said: He is strengthening his brothers. All Christians throughout the world are experiencing the same kind of sufferings because of the devil’s schemes. We are not suffering alone. Let us strengthen each other.

In the end, believers can overcome the devil by the blood of the lamb (Christ) and by the word of their testimony; in particular, those who overcome the devil are those who do not love their lives so much as to shrink from death (Revelation 12:11). Peter did not shrink from death. Indeed, because of his faithful testimony to Christ, he was put to death by the Romans. Perhaps some of those to whom Peter sent this letter were at that time facing death. Let their faith not fail! Let them be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). Let them, too, overcome the devil (1 John 4:4).

10-11 Now, at the end of his letter, Peter gives us one of the greatest promises in the Bible: And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. Our God is a God of all grace. No matter what our situation, no matter what our need, God’s grace is sufficient for us. Our troubles are light and momentary (2 Corinthians 4:17). God has called us to his eternal glory IN CHRIST. Paul wrote: The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it (1 Thessalonians 5:24).

Final Greetings (5:12-14)

12 Silas (also called Silvanus) is mentioned in 1 Thessalonians 1:1 and 2 Thessa-lonians 1:1. This same Silas was Paul’s companion on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:40; 16:1-40; 17:1-5).

13 She who is in Babylon refers to the church in Rome. In Old Testament times, Babylon was the capital of a great kingdom (now modern Iraq); the city was known for its evil and ungodliness. Therefore, in New Testament times, Christians gave the name Babylon to Rome, because Rome was the evil capital of the Roman Empire.

Just as Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son (1 Timothy 1:2), so Mark was Peter’s spiritual son. Mark was the writer of the New Testament Gospel of Mark. Mark had learned all about Christ from Peter, and thus he wrote his Gospel according to what Peter told him. Mark is also mentioned in Acts 12:12,25; 15:36-40; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11.

14 In New Testament times, it was the customary greeting among Christians to give each other a kiss (Romans 16:16; 1 Corinthians 16:20).

Peace to all of you who are in Christ. In this world we shall have suffering. But in Christ we will have peace. Jesus said: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27).

 

---

¹ At the time this letter was written, the Romans had begun to persecute Christians severely. At that time, all the countries around the Mediterranean Sea were under the control of the Roman Empire.

² In place of the words prepare… for action, some versions of the Bible say, “be sober,” or “be selfcontrolled,” which is a more literal translation of the Greek text. The meaning is essentially the same.

³ There is a sin that is even more basic than pride and selfishness, and that is unbelief. It is so basic that it is not usually listed along with other sins. Unbelief is the real root of all man’s sins. For further discussion, see comment on Romans 3:10-12 and footnote to comment.

⁴ In place of the word capstone, some translations of the Bible say “cornerstone.” The point is the same; Christ is the most important “stone” in the church. Without Him, the church would fall down.

⁵ However, our good behavior by itself is never sufficient to lead people to Christ. At some point, in some way, a person must hear or read God’s word, the Gospel, in order to be saved (see Romans 10:13-14).

⁶ Here Peter is talking only about personal revenge. Rulers, administrators, and others in authority must punish wrongdoers.

⁷ The blessings that God gives to evildoers are natural blessings, such as sunshine and rain, food and family. Apart from these natural blessings, which come to all men equally, God does not bless evildoers; rather, He opposes them.

⁸ Christ Himself called His death a “baptism” (Mark 10:38-39; Luke 12:50).

⁹ The pagans are non-believing Gentiles.

¹⁰ All Christians, however, are called to share their faith with their friends and acquaintances (1 Peter 3:15).

¹¹ In the Greek text, the word rejoice means “keep on rejoicing.”

¹² The punishment God gives to unbelievers is eternal spiritual death. This is sometimes called the second death (see Revelation 20:14-15). Through Christ, believers are saved from this death. The only death that believers face is the “first death,” that is, physical death.

¹³ In the Greek language, overseer means one who supervises. Such a person is also called a “bishop.”

¹⁴ It has been said that pride is an even deeper sin than selfishness, or self-love. For even if we could remove all selfishness from our lives, we would still be proud that we had done so!

¹⁵ In the Greek language, the name Satan means “slanderer” or “false accuser.” (Satan is the Hebrew name for the devil.) In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called the accuser of our brothers.