Chapter five naturally divides into the following sections:
5:1-4 Exhortation to elders
5:5-7 Exhortation to church members
5:8-11 A warning about the adversary
5:12-14 Farewell and final greetings
5:1-4 EXHORTATION TO ELDERS
‘The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.‘
[1] Peter refers to the leaders of the Asian churches as ‘elders’ and says that he considers himself an elder as well.
Various terms are used for church leaders in the New Testament. For example:
Phil 1:1 ‘to the bishops and deacons.’
1 Tim 3:1-7 The qualifications of ‘the bishop’ (singular).
1 Tim 3: 8-13 The qualifications of ‘the deacons’ (plural).
1 Tim 5:1; 17-22 Instructions about ‘elders.’
Titus 1:5-9 ‘Elders’ in v1, ‘bishop’ in v7 – the terms seem to be used interchangeably as the same responsibilities are in view.
For further reading view my posts:
(1) THE PRESBYTER-BISHOP IN THE PASTORAL EPISTLES – INTRODUCTION
(2) THE PRESBYTER-BISHOP IN THE PASTORAL EPISTLES – QUALIFICATIONS
(3) THE PRESBYTER-BISHOP IN THE PASTORAL EPISTLES – CONCLUSION AND BIBLIOGRAPHY
The word ‘so’ or ‘therefore’ (oun – also occurs in 3:7; 5:13) is not included here in most Bible translations. It may refer back to ‘well doing’ in 4:19 or possibly to the idea of judgement beginning at the house of God in 4:17. The Old Testament background for this is Ezek 9:6.
Peter uses the first person (‘I exhort’) followed by an imperative (‘feed’). The first person was last used in 2:11 (‘I beseech’) where it was followed by an infinitive (‘[to] abstain’). He is strongly encouraging them to comply with his request.
‘Elder’ (presbuteros) here refers to a church leader rather than just to an older man (Acts 14;23; 1 Cor 12:28; Phil 1:1; 1Thess 5:12). Peter adds weight to his exhortation by saying that he is a ‘fellow-elder'(sympresbuteros). This word occurs nowhere else in Greek literature and was probably coined by Peter. He can therefore relate to the responsibilities that elders carry. Since Peter did not claim to have a higher position than other elders we can be certain that he was not a pope.
He also claims that he is a witness (martus) to Christ’s sufferings. Does this mean that he was an actual eyewitness or just ‘one who testifies?’ For examples of the former meaning see Mk 14:63; Acts 7:58 and 2 Cor 13:1. For the latter meaning see Lk 24:48; Acts 1:8; 22:15. There may be suffering involved (Acts 22:20; Rev 2:13; 17:6).
Peter will be ‘a partaker in the glory which is going to be revealed’ (cp. 4:13). Presumably the force of ‘fellow’ elder carries on so that he is also a fellow-witness and a fellow-partaker in the glory. There may be a special glory for faithful elders.
[2] ‘feed the flock of God which is among you’ Using pastoral imagery Peter exhorts the elders to tend the flock of God in their charge. They were to feed, guard and guide the believers. There is a play on words here. The verb poimaínō (act as shepherd) and the noun poímnion (flock) are from the same root and in English would be something like ‘shepherd the sheep.’ The elders are to oversee (episkopéō) the flock of God (it belongs to God, not then). They are to function as overseers i.e. take upon themselves and carry out pastoral responsibility. Shepherding and oversight have already been linked in 2:25.
The idea of God’s people as a flock is present in both the Old Testament (Psa 23; Isa 40:11; Jer 23:1-4; Ezek 34:1-10) and in the New Testament (Jn 21:15-17; Acts 20:28). Some church leaders are designated ‘shepherds’ (KJV pastors) in Eph 4:11. This, however, describes the work they do, it is not a clerical title (‘Pastor’). How the elders must supervise (episkopéō) the flock is set out in a series of three antitheses or contrasts. The negative is given first, followed by the positive.
i. ‘not by constraint but willingly’
The elders are not to lead by constraint ( i.e. as a result of coercion or compulsion by others), but willingly (i.e. voluntarily and eagerly). To be a willing volunteer in spite of possible danger and government scrutiny, is ‘according to God’ (i.e. as God would have it).
ii. ‘not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind’
The elders ought to take up the role because they eagerly wish to serve others and are not to be motivated by desire for financial gain. They must wish to give rather than get.
iii. ‘neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock’
[3] The elders are not to lord it over (katakurieúō) those (klḗros) whom God has allotted to them but are to set them an example by how they live their own lives. Those who have been assigned to the elders are ‘the flock’ of 5:2. Jesus himself gave a similar instruction to the apostles in Mt 20:25-27; Mk 19:42-45; Lk 22:25-27.
[4] Peter here describes the Lord Jesus as the ‘chief shepherd’ (archipoímēn), one who oversees other shepherds when a flock is so large that more than one shepherd is required. Peter promises the elders that if they faithfully carry out their pastoral duties as undershepherds then they will receive an unfading reward when the chief shepherd is revealed. The reward is a crown of glory; this image of a crown as a reward would have been familiar to Peter’s first readers, The crown awarded to faithful elders will be everlasting.
Note:
Jn 10:11 ‘the good shepherd’
Heb 13:20 ‘ the great shepherd’
1 Pet 5:4 ‘the chief shepherd’
1 PETER 3:18-22 THE SPIRITS IN PRISON
1 PETER 4:1-6 THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THE DEAD
Written Exposition 