1 Peter 5 · ESV Study Bible

Suffering as a Christian

Shepherd the Flock of God

1 PETER 5 [†]So I exhort the elders among you, m as a fellow elder and n a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2[†] o shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, [1] p not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; [2] q not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3not r domineering over those in your charge, but s being examples to the flock. 4[†]And when t the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the u unfading v crown of glory. 5[†]Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. w Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for x “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

6[†] x Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7[†] y casting all your anxieties on him, because z he cares for you. 8[†] a Be sober-minded; b be watchful. Your c adversary the devil d prowls around e like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9[†] f Resist him, g firm in your faith, knowing that h the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10[†]And i after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, j who has called you to his k eternal glory in Christ, will himself l restore, m confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11[†] n To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

12[†]By o Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, p I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is q the true grace of God. r Stand firm in it. 13[†]She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does s Mark, my son. 14[†] t Greet one another with the kiss of love.

u Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:13 She who is at Babylon, who is … chosen almost certainly refers to the church in Rome, not a literal woman (cf. “elect lady,” 2 John 1, 13). Although the Babylon of the OT was in ruins, the reference resonates with the OT, where “Babylon” represents a center of earthly power opposed to God (cf. Isaiah 13–14; Jeremiah 50–51; see also Revelation 17–18), and in Peter’s day that city would be Rome. The language of “Babylon” and “chosen” forms an inclusio (a literary envelope) with the first verse of the book: the OT background to “Babylon” reminds believers that though they are exiles, they are “elect exiles” (1 Pet. 1:1) who will receive the promised inheritance. Mark is the same John Mark who traveled with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (cf. Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:36–39). Though he left Paul and Barnabas, he was later restored to his former usefulness (Col. 4:10; 2 Tim. 4:11; Philem. 24). Peter would have known Mark from the earliest days, because the church met in his mother’s home (Acts 12:12). In addition, this verse shows a close relationship between Peter and Mark (my son) and is one indication of the validity of the early church tradition that Mark wrote his Gospel at Peter’s direction (see Introduction to Mark: Author and Title).

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:4 The chief Shepherd is Jesus Christ, and when he comes again he will reward with glory every pastor who has served faithfully.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:9 Resist him. Christians need not fear the devil, for the Lord has given them power to stand against him by being firm in your faith (cf. Eph. 6:12–18). Trusting in God’s promises, believers know that suffering is not the final word and that ultimately they will be exalted (cf. James 4:7). The suffering experienced by the believers in northern Asia Minor is not unique to them, for it is the portion of believers everywhere (your brotherhood throughout the world). Hence, they can take courage that they are not alone. Though “throughout the world” does not indicate an empire-wide decree against Christians in Peter’s day (see Introduction: Purpose, Occasion, and Background), Christians who suffer in any age can be assured that they are not alone in their distress.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:10 a little while (cf. 1:6). This includes the period of time beginning with Christ’s ascension (cf. Acts 1:6–11) until Christ comes again at the end of the age. From God’s perspective, one’s time in this world is notably brief (cf. James 4:14; 2 Pet. 3:8). Thus, no matter how long or intense one’s suffering may be, it will be short compared to the joys of eternity. Four verbs (restore, confirm, strengthen, establish) remind believers that God will eventually restore whatever they have lost for the sake of Christ. Though suffering will come first, it will be followed by eternal glory. The God who effectually called believers by his grace will fortify them with his strength, so that they are able to endure to the end.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:7 casting all your anxieties on him. The participle “casting” modifies the main verbal phrase “humble yourselves” from v. 6. Worry is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns upon oneself instead of entrusting them to God. Believers can trust God because, as their Father, he cares for them.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:14 kiss of love. See note on 1 Cor. 16:20; cf. also Rom. 16:16; 1 Cor. 16:20; 2 Cor. 13:12; 1 Thess. 5:26. Peter closes his letter with a final prayer that his readers will know peace, which will be their portion because they are in Christ (cf. 1 Pet. 1:2 and note on John 14:27).

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Christians need to be spiritually vigilant, watching for attacks from the devil, their great enemy and opponent. Peter uses the graphic image of a lion to describe Satan’s destructive threat: he prowls around … seeking someone to devour, hoping that believers will be terrified in their hardship and persecutions, or that they will be deceived and fall into sin. Though the devil may threaten to “devour” Christians, they nonetheless have assurance that they will be guarded by God’s power (1:5).

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:2–3 Elders (v. 1) are entrusted with the responsibility to shepherd the flock (Gk. poimainō, “to tend sheep; to act as a shepherd”; cf. John 21:16; Acts 20:28; Eph. 4:11), from which the English verb and noun “pastor” is derived (Latin pastor means “shepherd”). Elders are also entrusted with exercising oversight (translating Gk. episkopeō), which is the verb form of the noun “overseer” (Gk. episkopos), which is another title for those who serve as elders (cf. Acts 20:28). The terms “shepherd” and “exercising oversight” emphasize the function of elders (i.e., they are to feed and watch over “the flock”), while the title “elder” focuses on the office. Peter now gives three exhortations to elders as to how they are to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to them: (1) elders are to “shepherd” the church gladly or willingly, in accord with God’s will, instead of doing it out of a sense of compulsion; (2) they are to do the work eagerly and not out of greed or for shameful gain (Gk. aischrokerdōs, “in fondness for dishonest gain, greedily”); (3) they are to serve as examples to the congregation, and not use their place of leadership as a means to be domineering.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:11 Because God is sovereign and rules over all, believers have nothing to fear.

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:1 The most common NT term for church leaders is elders (see notes on Acts 14:23; 1 Tim. 3:1). Apparently elders served as leaders in all the churches, including those in the northern part of Asia Minor, showing that this was the typical form of leadership in NT churches. Peter, who is an apostle (1 Pet. 1:1), also serves as a fellow elder and an authoritative witness of Christ’s ministry, especially his sufferings. Peter often reminds those to whom he writes that suffering precedes glory (cf. 1:6–7, 11, 21; 2:4, 7, 19–20; 3:13–14, 18; 4:6, 13; 5:4, 6, 10).

1 PETER—NOTE ON 5:5 You who are younger probably means younger members of the congregation, who are more likely to be headstrong and resistant to leadership. They are to subject themselves to the elders. all of you. Christians, as well as nonbelievers, are self-oriented by nature and therefore need to relate with humility toward one another. Peter cites Prov. 3:34 (cf. James 4:6) to remind his readers that God is against the proud but will lavish his favor upon those who are humble.