1 peter 5.....called to eternal glory
In this closing chapter of the first letter, we have a number of appeals for continuance in the light of persecutions:
Verses 1-4 The principal thought is of accountability; Verses 5-7 of humility; Verses 8-11 of sobriety; Verses 12-14 of courtesy
.All of these are worthy of believers travelling to glory and should be the hallmark of us all.
The accountability of elders verses 1-4
The link between the early verses of chapter 4 and the content of the previous chapter should be obvious. The lot of the Christian on earth is a difficult one....”suffering in the flesh”( 4 v1); “the fiery trial which is to try you” (4 v12); “reproached for the name of Christ” (4 v14); judgment begun at the house of God” (4 v17). The need for godly elders who can assist us by tender leadership on the way is evident. The mention of the house of God, in chapter 4, also suggests the important role of elders in the smooth running of the house. An expanded teaching on elders occurs in 1st Timothy 3 where the house of God is also mentioned. There it is for the control of behaviour in the house, here it is for the comfort of God’s people in a trying situation. Elders are not necessary for the being of a church, but they are important for their well-being.
The idea of elders is that of maturity in the things of the Lord, and they should be able by long experience to guide the saints in difficult times. Peter begins with His own position as an elder and one who had personal experience of both the suffering and the glory of our Lord. The principal qualification therefore is of personal experience of the Lord. Second-hand knowledge of the Lord will not suffice and so in 1st Timothy 3, such a man is not to be a novice.
Next he focuses on his work in terms of responsibility. It is not a position, but a work which has at it’s heart the well-being of the flock. There are positive and negative aspects of this work. “Feed the flock of God which is among you.” The word “feed” could be better rendered “ tend” or “shepherd.” He is bringing the picture of a shepherd tending his flock meeting every need and dealing with every problem that arises. It is well known that the work of the shepherd is constant and they are involved in feeding and administering medicine and healing bruises and finding fresh pasture and protecting from danger. It is highly unlikely that any modern church is being tended like this, yet it is exactly what the Lord wants for His people, he uses the diminutive term “little flock” and God wants His people to be shepherded in this way. On the negative side the work is “not to be by constraint but willingly;” we don’t take on this work because we have to, but because we want to, and it is a work that will take up all of our time. In 1st Timothy ch3v1 it says “If any man desire overseership,” the word being “earnestly desire”, we really must want to do it. Secondly, it is “not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind.” That is, it does not have at its heart material gain, or even gain of status, but that of readiness to humbly serve to the Lord. Thirdly, “neither as being lords over God’s heritage but being examples to the flock.” That is not imposing our will on the people because there is only one Lord over the flock but being examples to the flock, that is models for them to follow. The sheep will feel comfortable in the presence of the shepherd, there will be the absence of tensions and friction, the flock will be at rest, they will hear his voice, they will follow his lead. In word and deed to become as the Lord to His people. All this is with a view to what is the principle thought of the verses, the accountability of the under shepherds to the Chief shepherd. When the Chief shepherd shall appear every under shepherd shall give account and if a good work has been done “they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” Surely this must be the greatest work that a man can undertake for God. There are many crowns indicated in scripture; there is the crown of life (James 1v12); there is the crown of rejoicing (1st Thessalonians 2v19); there is the crown of righteousness (2nd Timothy 4v8); the incorruptible crown (1st Corinthians 9v25). All of these have different shades of reward but surely the greatest crown of all is the crown of glory which is given to those shepherds who properly tend to the little flock, the work which is closest to the heart of God. In Ezekiel chapter 34 God makes it clear that when men on earth who call themselves shepherds fail to do the work, the Lord Himself will shepherd His people. (Ch34v11) “I will search my sheep and seek them out.” (v13) “I will gather them and bring them to their own land and feed them upon the mountains of Israel. (v14) “I will feed them in a good pasture.” (v15) I will cause them to lie down. (v16) “I will seek that which was lost.... and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick.” As Paul said in 1st Timothy 3 v1, it is “a good work”, a noble work, a work of the highest possible calling. There is none greater on earth, and there will be no greater reward in heaven.
The humility of all of us verses 5-7
“Likewise ye younger, submit yourself to the elder...” In the same way as the elder is to fulfil his role in subjection to the Lord (they oversee God’s flock), so the younger are to fulfil their role by acknowledging their seniority and their authority. Indeed the spirit of humility is to mark us all, we are to be “clothed with humility...”, poverty of spirit is to be our public demeanour, that same humility which was true of us at the point of conversion, so now we are to wear it as our outer garment. This not as an outward show but before the Lord who “..resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”. This is no small matter, “He resists the proud”, He sets armies against all manifestations of pride, and anyone who is familiar with the old testament, from which this is quoted, will reckon the folly of opposing the Lord.....a simple reading of Job 25 v12; 40 v12; Psalm 12 v3; 101 v5; Proverbs 6 vv16-17; 15 v25; Isaiah 13 v11, to name but a few, will illustrate.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time”. Bad enough to have the ungodly world against us, we don’t want God to be against us, we need Him to be for us in day to day life. He hates pride in whomsoever it appears, it was the first sin to raise itself in heaven and has marked the fallen world from the beginning. He resists it, He will always resist it in a powerful way. In chapter 4 we learned that “judgment has begun at the house of God...”, and the Lord will chasten and discipline His people. His fight against our sin may last some time and we need humility and patience and obedience. He will exalt us in due time, and only when He determines.
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you”.
The other side to this, He will protect us and care for us in all situations, He will dispense loving kindness, and pity in our troubles. In the struggle of the Christian life, we know that He cares for us. We must revere Him, and we must trust Him to provide every need, both material and spiritual. One of the drawbacks in spiritual life is the spirit of independence, which has at it’s root the sin of pride, pride in self sufficiency and self achievement. Total trust in the Lord is the key. Peter was a fisherman and he knew all about casting the net in the sea, the result being beyond his control and at the mercy of God. He views this the same way, spiritually, and advises us to bring Him all our cares. We must learn to take our anxieties to Him and leave the outcome with Him.
Sobriety in a dangerous world verses 8-11
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour”. We have an enemy who seeks to destroy us. He cannot touch our souls, but he seeks to ruin or lives and our testimony on earth. In another place he is cast as “an angel of light”, here he is “a roaring lion”, bent on scaring us, and unsettling us, and finishing us as being useful to God in this life. He is an adversary, his intentions against us are evil; he is the accuser, the slanderer, the false accuser before men and God (see Revelation 12 v10); he is active, “..he walks about seeking whom he may destroy”. He does not need to bother with the world for he has them asleep in his lap (1st John 5 v19 R.V.) He actively targets believers to “devour them”, to render them useless in the service of God. The Greek word for “devour” is katapino and has very solemn implications. The dictionary definition is to “drink down” or “swallow up”. Used in the context of a roaring lion, king of the carnivorous beasts, the lion only roars when the prey is held, then it is consumed until there is nothing left. Nothing could be more graphic than to know our adversary seeks our complete extinction so far as our lives here for God are concerned.
“..Whom resist, steadfast in the faith...” We are to fight him, the word resist is the same as the word in verse 5 and means to oppose, to stand against. We are no match for Him, but he is no match for the Lord or His word, and it is the word that is the sword of the Spirit against him. “Steadfast in the faith”....the truth of God, the promises of God, which neither man nor demon can gainsay. Mention of “the faith”, brings to Peter’s mind the great body of saints across the world who are engaged in the same warfare. In our struggle we are not alone, we are in concert with our brethren in the world. The call is for sobriety and vigilance, we are in a war zone, the time is not now to relax, we are in a struggle against an enemy too great for us.
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you”. As much as the devil is too great for us, the God who has called us is too great for Him, and it is to Him Peter brings us for stability. “The God of all grace” who provides all we need and more in the here and now: “called us to His eternal glory”, secured for us rich compensation in the future eternity; He will make us perfect (bring us to maturity), He will stabilise us in the onslaught of the enemy. He will strengthen us in our weakness, He will settle us, that is He will be our Rock that nothing can move us.
And, of course when we reach the other side it will be everlasting glory and dominion to Him, before whom all enemies of God will be subjugated.
Courtesy among the saints of God verses 12-14
As he bids them farewell. He uses terms of respect and courtesy, which should be the hallmark of all believers today in their attitude to each other. He acknowledges Silvanus (or Silas) as being a faithful brother, and one who was involved in either the production or the transportation of the letter. It may be the same Silas who worked with Paul in the second missionary journey. Salute also from “she who is in Babylon” to the saints. “The church at” is not in the original and the definite article is in the feminine, so the one being referred to is female. The recipients would know to whom Peter was referring, and he may have been using code to hide an identity in time of persecution. It is interesting the term “Babylon”; is it literal or symbolic? Unlikely to be literal but it was a term used by Jews in that time to describe Rome as being the symbol of a system in opposition to God. It is likely that Peter was in Rome at the time of writing. This female, whoever she was, is said to be “elected together with you”, and she must have been a literal person because “she....saluteth you”. Also Mark salutes you, that is honours you as being one with them in Christ. The mention of Mark is interesting, particularly in the context of satanic activity. Peter himself had a spiritual lapse at times under satanic influence ( see Matthew 16 v2 v3 and Luke 22 vv31-32), but he recovered and overcame. John Mark also who left the mission to return home, obviously hindered by Satan, but who also had overcome. Here are two living examples of the words of Peter describing this epistle as “the true grace of God wherein ye stand”. The use of “true grace” suggests there is a false grace being propagated, only in true grace do we stand, and here are two living examples. In exhorting the saints to stand fast in the faith, he was the living example as was Mark his spiritual son in the faith. It is good to be the personification of our teaching.
“Greet one another with a kiss of love, peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus” is his closing message. The word “greet” means literally “to enfold in the arms” or to hug, and whether we do it physically or spiritually in our hearts we are to consider each other as darlings. In those times it was customary to greet with a kiss; other cultures may differ but the principle must be applied somehow.
In this closing chapter of the first letter, we have a number of appeals for continuance in the light of persecutions:
Verses 1-4 The principal thought is of accountability; Verses 5-7 of humility; Verses 8-11 of sobriety; Verses 12-14 of courtesy
.All of these are worthy of believers travelling to glory and should be the hallmark of us all.
The accountability of elders verses 1-4
The link between the early verses of chapter 4 and the content of the previous chapter should be obvious. The lot of the Christian on earth is a difficult one....”suffering in the flesh”( 4 v1); “the fiery trial which is to try you” (4 v12); “reproached for the name of Christ” (4 v14); judgment begun at the house of God” (4 v17). The need for godly elders who can assist us by tender leadership on the way is evident. The mention of the house of God, in chapter 4, also suggests the important role of elders in the smooth running of the house. An expanded teaching on elders occurs in 1st Timothy 3 where the house of God is also mentioned. There it is for the control of behaviour in the house, here it is for the comfort of God’s people in a trying situation. Elders are not necessary for the being of a church, but they are important for their well-being.
The idea of elders is that of maturity in the things of the Lord, and they should be able by long experience to guide the saints in difficult times. Peter begins with His own position as an elder and one who had personal experience of both the suffering and the glory of our Lord. The principal qualification therefore is of personal experience of the Lord. Second-hand knowledge of the Lord will not suffice and so in 1st Timothy 3, such a man is not to be a novice.
Next he focuses on his work in terms of responsibility. It is not a position, but a work which has at it’s heart the well-being of the flock. There are positive and negative aspects of this work. “Feed the flock of God which is among you.” The word “feed” could be better rendered “ tend” or “shepherd.” He is bringing the picture of a shepherd tending his flock meeting every need and dealing with every problem that arises. It is well known that the work of the shepherd is constant and they are involved in feeding and administering medicine and healing bruises and finding fresh pasture and protecting from danger. It is highly unlikely that any modern church is being tended like this, yet it is exactly what the Lord wants for His people, he uses the diminutive term “little flock” and God wants His people to be shepherded in this way. On the negative side the work is “not to be by constraint but willingly;” we don’t take on this work because we have to, but because we want to, and it is a work that will take up all of our time. In 1st Timothy ch3v1 it says “If any man desire overseership,” the word being “earnestly desire”, we really must want to do it. Secondly, it is “not for filthy lucre but of a ready mind.” That is, it does not have at its heart material gain, or even gain of status, but that of readiness to humbly serve to the Lord. Thirdly, “neither as being lords over God’s heritage but being examples to the flock.” That is not imposing our will on the people because there is only one Lord over the flock but being examples to the flock, that is models for them to follow. The sheep will feel comfortable in the presence of the shepherd, there will be the absence of tensions and friction, the flock will be at rest, they will hear his voice, they will follow his lead. In word and deed to become as the Lord to His people. All this is with a view to what is the principle thought of the verses, the accountability of the under shepherds to the Chief shepherd. When the Chief shepherd shall appear every under shepherd shall give account and if a good work has been done “they shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.” Surely this must be the greatest work that a man can undertake for God. There are many crowns indicated in scripture; there is the crown of life (James 1v12); there is the crown of rejoicing (1st Thessalonians 2v19); there is the crown of righteousness (2nd Timothy 4v8); the incorruptible crown (1st Corinthians 9v25). All of these have different shades of reward but surely the greatest crown of all is the crown of glory which is given to those shepherds who properly tend to the little flock, the work which is closest to the heart of God. In Ezekiel chapter 34 God makes it clear that when men on earth who call themselves shepherds fail to do the work, the Lord Himself will shepherd His people. (Ch34v11) “I will search my sheep and seek them out.” (v13) “I will gather them and bring them to their own land and feed them upon the mountains of Israel. (v14) “I will feed them in a good pasture.” (v15) I will cause them to lie down. (v16) “I will seek that which was lost.... and will bind up that which was broken and will strengthen that which was sick.” As Paul said in 1st Timothy 3 v1, it is “a good work”, a noble work, a work of the highest possible calling. There is none greater on earth, and there will be no greater reward in heaven.
The humility of all of us verses 5-7
“Likewise ye younger, submit yourself to the elder...” In the same way as the elder is to fulfil his role in subjection to the Lord (they oversee God’s flock), so the younger are to fulfil their role by acknowledging their seniority and their authority. Indeed the spirit of humility is to mark us all, we are to be “clothed with humility...”, poverty of spirit is to be our public demeanour, that same humility which was true of us at the point of conversion, so now we are to wear it as our outer garment. This not as an outward show but before the Lord who “..resists the proud but gives grace to the humble”. This is no small matter, “He resists the proud”, He sets armies against all manifestations of pride, and anyone who is familiar with the old testament, from which this is quoted, will reckon the folly of opposing the Lord.....a simple reading of Job 25 v12; 40 v12; Psalm 12 v3; 101 v5; Proverbs 6 vv16-17; 15 v25; Isaiah 13 v11, to name but a few, will illustrate.
“Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time”. Bad enough to have the ungodly world against us, we don’t want God to be against us, we need Him to be for us in day to day life. He hates pride in whomsoever it appears, it was the first sin to raise itself in heaven and has marked the fallen world from the beginning. He resists it, He will always resist it in a powerful way. In chapter 4 we learned that “judgment has begun at the house of God...”, and the Lord will chasten and discipline His people. His fight against our sin may last some time and we need humility and patience and obedience. He will exalt us in due time, and only when He determines.
“Casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you”.
The other side to this, He will protect us and care for us in all situations, He will dispense loving kindness, and pity in our troubles. In the struggle of the Christian life, we know that He cares for us. We must revere Him, and we must trust Him to provide every need, both material and spiritual. One of the drawbacks in spiritual life is the spirit of independence, which has at it’s root the sin of pride, pride in self sufficiency and self achievement. Total trust in the Lord is the key. Peter was a fisherman and he knew all about casting the net in the sea, the result being beyond his control and at the mercy of God. He views this the same way, spiritually, and advises us to bring Him all our cares. We must learn to take our anxieties to Him and leave the outcome with Him.
Sobriety in a dangerous world verses 8-11
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour”. We have an enemy who seeks to destroy us. He cannot touch our souls, but he seeks to ruin or lives and our testimony on earth. In another place he is cast as “an angel of light”, here he is “a roaring lion”, bent on scaring us, and unsettling us, and finishing us as being useful to God in this life. He is an adversary, his intentions against us are evil; he is the accuser, the slanderer, the false accuser before men and God (see Revelation 12 v10); he is active, “..he walks about seeking whom he may destroy”. He does not need to bother with the world for he has them asleep in his lap (1st John 5 v19 R.V.) He actively targets believers to “devour them”, to render them useless in the service of God. The Greek word for “devour” is katapino and has very solemn implications. The dictionary definition is to “drink down” or “swallow up”. Used in the context of a roaring lion, king of the carnivorous beasts, the lion only roars when the prey is held, then it is consumed until there is nothing left. Nothing could be more graphic than to know our adversary seeks our complete extinction so far as our lives here for God are concerned.
“..Whom resist, steadfast in the faith...” We are to fight him, the word resist is the same as the word in verse 5 and means to oppose, to stand against. We are no match for Him, but he is no match for the Lord or His word, and it is the word that is the sword of the Spirit against him. “Steadfast in the faith”....the truth of God, the promises of God, which neither man nor demon can gainsay. Mention of “the faith”, brings to Peter’s mind the great body of saints across the world who are engaged in the same warfare. In our struggle we are not alone, we are in concert with our brethren in the world. The call is for sobriety and vigilance, we are in a war zone, the time is not now to relax, we are in a struggle against an enemy too great for us.
“But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto His eternal glory by Jesus Christ, after ye have suffered awhile, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you”. As much as the devil is too great for us, the God who has called us is too great for Him, and it is to Him Peter brings us for stability. “The God of all grace” who provides all we need and more in the here and now: “called us to His eternal glory”, secured for us rich compensation in the future eternity; He will make us perfect (bring us to maturity), He will stabilise us in the onslaught of the enemy. He will strengthen us in our weakness, He will settle us, that is He will be our Rock that nothing can move us.
And, of course when we reach the other side it will be everlasting glory and dominion to Him, before whom all enemies of God will be subjugated.
Courtesy among the saints of God verses 12-14
As he bids them farewell. He uses terms of respect and courtesy, which should be the hallmark of all believers today in their attitude to each other. He acknowledges Silvanus (or Silas) as being a faithful brother, and one who was involved in either the production or the transportation of the letter. It may be the same Silas who worked with Paul in the second missionary journey. Salute also from “she who is in Babylon” to the saints. “The church at” is not in the original and the definite article is in the feminine, so the one being referred to is female. The recipients would know to whom Peter was referring, and he may have been using code to hide an identity in time of persecution. It is interesting the term “Babylon”; is it literal or symbolic? Unlikely to be literal but it was a term used by Jews in that time to describe Rome as being the symbol of a system in opposition to God. It is likely that Peter was in Rome at the time of writing. This female, whoever she was, is said to be “elected together with you”, and she must have been a literal person because “she....saluteth you”. Also Mark salutes you, that is honours you as being one with them in Christ. The mention of Mark is interesting, particularly in the context of satanic activity. Peter himself had a spiritual lapse at times under satanic influence ( see Matthew 16 v2 v3 and Luke 22 vv31-32), but he recovered and overcame. John Mark also who left the mission to return home, obviously hindered by Satan, but who also had overcome. Here are two living examples of the words of Peter describing this epistle as “the true grace of God wherein ye stand”. The use of “true grace” suggests there is a false grace being propagated, only in true grace do we stand, and here are two living examples. In exhorting the saints to stand fast in the faith, he was the living example as was Mark his spiritual son in the faith. It is good to be the personification of our teaching.
“Greet one another with a kiss of love, peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus” is his closing message. The word “greet” means literally “to enfold in the arms” or to hug, and whether we do it physically or spiritually in our hearts we are to consider each other as darlings. In those times it was customary to greet with a kiss; other cultures may differ but the principle must be applied somehow.
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