1 Peter | From: Babylon, To: Scattered Strangers
Session 15 | 1 Peter 5:1-5
1 Peter 5:1-4 | Instructions to Elders
Verse 1 --
Peter has an exhortation to the elders, of which he was one. Peter claims for himself alone that he is a witness of the sufferings of Christ as well as a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. Let's consider this verse from the end to the beginning.
What does it mean to be a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed?
We must take the most literal interpretation“one to beat." It must be our guide.
While most interpreters would probably claim that this is Peter's statement of assurance of salvation (which no doubt he had), I take it to be a simple statement of fact: Peter had seen the glory that shall be revealed.
This took place at the Mount of Transfiguration. Recall that Jesus had said that some would see the Son of man coming in his kingdom (Mt. 16:28) before they died, then six days later Peter, James, and John saw Jesus in His glory.
Just prior to this statement Peter says he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ.
Since we would make this a reference to Peter's eyewitness experience of Christ's suffering, why would we not also take the same grammar to make partaker of the glory to be testimony of his previous eyewitness account?
Note also that Peter speaks of the sufferings of Christ rather than the death of Christ. As far as we know, Peter was not present at the death of Christ but certainly saw the sufferings of Christ, both before and after His arrest.
Finally, Paul speaks of being an elder giving exhortation to the elders. Who are these elders?
πρεσβύτερος [presbuteros]. In the strictest sense, it is the one of more advanced age, and this is almost certainly the usage here, since it is followed by a word to the younger (v. 5).
In a broader Jewish sense, the word had come to be used of the Sanhedrin and of others in places of religious authority in the Jewish community.
“in the most diverse localities."
Verse 2 --
The phrase Feed the flock is literally shepherd the sheep.
This is a general message to older men, in my estimation, not specifically to leadership.
“congregation," exhorting the older men to feed whatever flock happened to be in their midst.
These men are to be taking the oversight of the flock.
As in the instruction to Bishops in 1 Timothy 3, the oversightἐπισκοπέω [episkopeo]) is something to be desired (1 Tim. 3:1) and taken (using a present active participle, not passive).
The taking of this oversight and feeding responsibility by older men should be done willingly and not for filthy lucre and with a ready mind.
While this instruction is to the elders of the Jewish Messianic congregations, there is scarcely a society or congregation anywhere that would not benefit from the elders stepping up to leadership with a ready mind.
Verse 3 --
Continuing on the previous thought, Peter adds that the elder men should not serve as being lords but rather being ensamples.
The phrase being lordsκατακυριεύω [katakurieo“lordship to the farthest extent possible."
This over-extension of rule would be over God's heritage which is Israel (Dt. 4:20).
The word heritage is of the same root as the word inheritance. The men are to be ensamples (examples) to the flock.
It is my belief that all sheep terminology is related to Israel.
Verse 4 --
The appearance of the chief Shepherd is the Second Coming, which is the only appearance in view in prophetic (as opposed to mystery) literature.
Peter promises a crown of glory to those older men who live up to his exhortation. This is a crown that fadeth not away, though it is a στεφανος [stephanos] (a victor's crown) rather than a diadema (a ruler's crown).
A side note: all of“crowns of reward" theology taught in churches today involves the eisegesis of the church into the passages at hand. Whatever the rewards of the faithful Christian, the crowns are taken from Jewish passages.
