1 Peter 5

Peter closes his letter by urging church leaders to shepherd God’s people gladly and by example, and the young to respect their elders. All are to clothe themselves with humility, trust God with their worries, and resist the devil. He promises that God will restore His suffering people, then ends with greetings.

1 Peter 5:1

Peter does not pull rank. He calls himself a fellow elder, one who saw Christ’s sufferings and who will share the coming glory. His appeal to leaders comes from shared service and shared hope, not from a throne.

BSA: appeal (“plead and comfort”): Peter’s request is a warm, personal plea, not a cold command.

Greek: συμπρεσβύτερος (sympresbyteros, G4850) — “fellow elder.” Peter joins himself to the elders as a colleague at their level, though he was an apostle.

See also: 1 Peter 4:13.

1 Peter 5:2

Elders are to tend God’s flock, feeding and guarding it. The flock is God’s, not theirs. They serve willingly, not under pressure, and not for money, but with a ready, eager heart.

BSA: shepherds (“tend, care for, feed”): Shepherding means feeding and caring for the sheep, not just directing them. eagerness (“willingly, with a ready mind”): The right motive is a glad heart, not duty alone.

Greek: ποιμάνατε (poimanate, G4165) — “shepherd, tend.” The word covers the whole work of a shepherd: leading, feeding, protecting and healing.

See also: John 21:15-17; Acts 20:28.

1 Peter 5:3

Leaders must not boss people around or treat them as property. The flock has been entrusted to them by God. Their best leadership is a life others can safely copy.

BSA: examples (“patterns, models”): A pattern is something pressed into shape that others can follow, so the leader’s life itself teaches.

1 Peter 5:4

Jesus is the Chief Shepherd, and every under-shepherd answers to Him. When He appears, faithful servants will be rewarded. The crown is like the wreath of an athletic victor, but unlike a wreath of leaves it will never wither.

BSA: Chief Shepherd (“the head of the shepherds, Jesus”): Every elder serves under Christ, who owns and loves the flock. never fade away (“unfading, eternal, incorruptible”): Unlike a garland of cut leaves, this reward lasts forever.

Greek: ἀμαράντινον (amarantinon, G262) — “unfading.” It echoes the name of a flower that was thought never to wilt, a picture of lasting reward.

See also: Hebrews 13:20; John 10:11.

1 Peter 5:5

Younger believers are to accept the guidance of older ones, and everyone is to put on humility toward one another. Peter quotes Proverbs: God stands against the proud but pours out grace on the lowly.

BSA: clothe (“gird, wrap”): Humility is to be put on like a garment, wrapped around you and worn daily.

Greek: ἐγκομβώσασθε (enkombōsasthe, G1463) — “tie on, put on like an apron.” It points to a slave’s apron tied on over the clothes, a picture of ready, humble service.

See also: Proverbs 3:34; James 4:6.

1 Peter 5:6

God’s hand is mighty, and it is safe to bow beneath it, especially in suffering. Peter does not tell us to lift ourselves up. God Himself will lift us at the right time, which He chooses.

BSA: mighty (“powerful, strong”): The hand we humble ourselves under is strong enough to carry us through.

See also: Luke 14:11.

1 Peter 5:7

Anxieties are not to be carried; they are to be thrown onto God. The reason is simple and tender: He cares about you personally. Our worries find a place to land in His concern.

BSA: Cast (“surrender, throw upon”): It is a decisive act of handing the weight over to Him. cares (“is concerned about, has a deep interest in”): God’s care is a real, personal interest in each of His children.

Greek: ἐπιρίψαντες (epirhipsantes, G1977) — “throwing upon.” It is the word for heaving a load onto something, as one might throw a cloak over a donkey.

See also: Psalm 55:22; Philippians 4:6-7.

1 Peter 5:8

Care for the soul must be joined with watchfulness. The devil is a real enemy, and like a hungry lion he looks for the careless and the isolated. Clear-headed alertness keeps us from being caught off guard.

BSA: adversary (“opponent”): The devil is a personal opponent, set against believers like a rival in a legal case. devour (“to swallow up, consume”): His aim is to swallow people whole, destroying their faith.

Greek: νήψατε (nēpsate, G3525) — “be sober, clear-headed.” It describes a mind not dulled or intoxicated, ready to see danger plainly.

See also: Job 1:7; Ephesians 6:11.

1 Peter 5:9

We are told to resist him, not to flee or give in. Our weapon is a firm trust in God. It also helps to know we are not alone: Christians everywhere are going through similar trials.

BSA: Resist (“stand against, oppose”): We take a stand against him, holding our ground rather than attacking. standing firm (“strong, steadfast”): Faith is solid, like a foundation that does not shift.

See also: James 4:7; Ephesians 6:13.

1 Peter 5:10

Suffering is real but brief beside eternity. The God of all grace called us to His eternal glory, and He Himself will put us right and make us strong. Four promises stand side by side, as if God were rebuilding what hardship has shaken.

BSA: restore (“renew, revive”): God mends what suffering has broken and makes it whole. establish (“found, settle”): He sets us on a foundation that will not move again.

Greek: καταρτίσει (katartisei, G2675) — “restore, put in order, mend.” It is used elsewhere of mending fishing nets, so God is pictured as repairing what has been torn.

See also: 2 Corinthians 4:17; Romans 8:18.

1 Peter 5:11

Peter breaks into praise. All power belongs to God for ever. That reminder steadies the suffering reader: the lion is strong, but God’s power is greater and has no end.

BSA: power (“dominion, strength”): God’s rule is complete and final, not only strong but sovereign.

See also: 1 Peter 4:11.

1 Peter 5:12

Silvanus, a trusted brother, probably carried the letter and may have helped write it. Peter says he wrote briefly to encourage and to confirm that what they have received is God’s true grace. They are to stand firm in that grace.

BSA: true (“genuine, real”): The grace they received is the real thing, so no suffering should make them doubt it.

See also: Acts 15:22.

1 Peter 5:13

Greetings come from the church in Babylon, most likely a way of speaking of Rome, a pagan city of power, as Babylon once was. Mark, whom Peter calls his son, probably in the faith, also sends his greetings. Believers everywhere share one chosen family.

BSA: chosen (“elected, selected by God”): Both the distant church and the readers are picked out by God as His own.

See also: Acts 12:12; Colossians 4:10.

1 Peter 5:14

A kiss of love was a warm greeting in the early church, showing real affection among believers. Peter closes with a blessing of peace for all who are in Christ. That peace belongs to those united with Him.

BSA: Peace (“harmony, spiritual well-being”): This peace means wholeness and well-being, not just calm.

See also: Romans 16:16; John 14:27.