1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5:1-14

Teacher’ s Notes for FIRST PETER Chapter FIVE 1. How does Peter introduce himself to the elders? (Verse 1). “ I who am also an elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory which will be revealed.” a. What is an elder? In this context an elder is a man chosen and appointed to lead a congregation of the Lord’ s church. It should be pointed out that nowhere in the Bible do we find where only one man was appointed as an elder, or THE elder over a congregation; rather a plurality of two or more were always chosen and appointed to this position. This is true of both Old and New Testaments. b. It is time for a “ side-trip” so bear with me: It is important for every member of the Lord’ s church to understand God’ s desire for those who lead us spiritually. c. In the New Testament we find a number of words used to describe those men appointed to oversee the church of Christ. We have the words ELDERS, BISHOPS, PASTORS and . Several Greek words are used, each relating to one or more aspects of their God given responsibilities. i. ELDER is translated from the Greek : It has to do with their spiritual maturity. W. E. Vine’ s Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words says, “ (see Acts 2:1-47 o, ver. 17 with ver. 28 and Titus 1:5 and 7), the latter term indicating the nature of their work, “ presbuteroi” their maturity of spiritual experience. The Divine arrangement seen through-out the N. T. was for a plurality of these to be appointed in each church, Acts 14:23; Acts 20:17;Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5.” ii. Our English word “ BISHOP” is translated from the Greek word “ ” in 1 Timothy 3:1 where we find God’ s qualifications for those whom He would have to oversee His church. In 1 Peter 5:1-4 is translated “ ,” They are to “ oversee” or watch over the congregation. W. E. Vine’ s Dictionary notes: “ an elder is another term for the same person as bishop or overseer. See Acts 20:17 with verse 28. The term “ ELDER” indicates the mature spiritual experience and understanding of those described: the term “ BISHOP” or “ ” indicates the character of the work undertaken.” iii. Next we have the word “ PASTOR.” Translated from the Greek “ POIMEN.” Here Vine says, “ a shepherd, one who tends herds or flocks (not merely one who feeds them), is used metaphorically of Christian “ PASTORS,” Ephesians 4:11. Pastors guide as well as feed the flock; cp. Acts 20:28, which with ver. 17 indicates that this was the service committed to elders (overseers or bishops); see also in 1 Peter 5:1-2 “ tend the flock . . . exercising the oversight,” R. V. ; this involves tender care and vigilant superintendence. See Shepherd.” iv. Thus our forth word is “ .” Here, again, W. E. Vine’ s Expository Dictionary gives the Greek word “ POIMEN,” The same as “ pastor.”

1. We should stress that nowhere in Christ’ s New Testament is the preacher called “ PASTOR,” or “ ELDER.” Preachers are called “ ” in Ephesians 4:11; and a portion of his work is laid out in 2 Timothy 4:2-5. And Timothy is called a “ ” in 1 Thessalonians 3:2.
2. Therefore, the man who fills the pulpit, unless he meets God’ s qualifications and has been so chosen and appointed by the congregation, is not a PASTOR. d. Now, back to Peter, and 1 Peter 5:1-14 : In chapter one, verse one he introduced himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ; how does his apostleship relate to this introduction? God’ s qualifications for one to be an apostle of Jesus Christ are given in Acts 1:21-22 where one was chosen to replace Judas Iscariot: “ Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, … beginning from the baptism of John to the day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.” i. Notice these qualifications for one to be an apostle of Christ: Ø First of all it is said that an apostle must be a man (Acts 1:21), “ of these men.” Ø He must have accompanied Jesus from the time He was baptized of John the Baptist (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22). Luke 3:23 informs us this was when Jesus began His ministry, thus it is implied that some began to follow him immediately after His baptism, including a number of women who followed Him from Galilee (Luke 23:49). From those who had followed and witnessed all that Jesus had done a man named “ Matthias was chosen and numbered with the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:26). e. The answer to the question is that he must be a WITNESS OF CHRIST’ S . This would necessitate his being a witness of His sufferings also, as Peter said he was (1 Peter 5:1). f. There is yet more thought to ponder in this. Peter was an elder. Paul was perhaps the greatest “ ” to ever deliver a gospel sermon. He even rebuked Peter for wrong doing (Galatians 2:11-12); yet, nowhere is Paul called an elder or pastor. i. What criteria might the church have used to make Peter an elder, but not Paul? ii. Turn to 1 Timothy 3:1-7 : “ This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop (one could substitute an elder or pastor here, because they all refer to the same group of men) he desires a good work. . . A bishop then must be the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; . . . Not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; . . . One who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence . . . (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God)?; . . . not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. . . . Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.” iii. For discussion on these qualifications see notes on chapter one. iv. This is the criteria used by every congregation to choose their elders. Paul never had a wife (1 Corinthians 7:7-9), therefore he could not be appointed as an elder or pastor over a congregation.
3. In what capacity are elders of the church of Christ to rule? (Verse 2). They are to shepherd as overseers. Again, the Greek word “ POIMEN” translated “ PASTOR” and “ ” means to “ ” the activities of the church. 3. Show at least three contrasts given to describe the work of the elders. (Verses 2-3). (1) Not by compulsion, but willingly. (2) Not for dishonest gain, but eagerly. (3) Not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. a. What does it mean to do something by compulsion? One is forced to do it against their will. The first qualification for an elder given in 1 Timothy 3:1-16 is that he must DESIRE THE OFFICE. b. What is dishonest gain? Not necessarily financial gain. It could be doing something in order to deceive people into doing things for them, or desiring the preeminence as did a man named Diotrephes in 3 John 1:9. We are warned in Romans 12:3 not to set ourselves upon a pedestal. And this is the very reason given for not placing a novice Christian in as an elder (1 Timothy 3:6). c. Furthermore, elders are to lead through Christian example, not trying to “ lord-it-over” the congregation. What a blessing it will be “ when the Chief Shepherd appears” for those who have spent their sojourn here in full compliance with the will of God. Not just leaders, but also for those who submit to their leaders4. Why must one be submissive to their elders and to one another? (Verse 5). Because God resists those who puff themselves up and refuse to submit to God’ s leaders, but His grace is extended to those who will humble themselves before God and their fellow Christians. a. The writer of the book of Hebrews is even more explicit as to why God demands this submissiveness. Hebrews 13:17 reads, “ Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” b. How is a person profited through obeying the leaders of God’ s church? This is part of our complete obedience to the will of God. Our initial obedience through faith, repentance, confession and baptism is only the beginning. It is God’ s will that His children conduct themselves in a Christ-like manner (cf. Revelation 2:10 end of the verse). i. This is a learning process acquired as one grows “ in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18). One who refuses to humble himself and be submissive to those whom the Holy Spirit has appointed over the congregation (cf. Acts 20:28) disobeys God and is thus lost, having gone back into the world of rebellion (2 Peter 2:20-21). ii. Even Jesus had to learn obedience (Hebrews 5:8). And He will only save those who obey Him (Hebrews 5:9). 5. What does Peter say is a good way to show humbleness towards God? (Verse 6-7). You show humbleness towards God by placing your total trust in Him to the point that you cast all your troubles upon Him, realizing that “ it is not in man who walks to direct his own steps” (Jeremiah 10:23). a. One major problem of most people is that lack of total trust. We seem to think we must work out our own problems ourselves, instead of going to our Father and asking Him to take over. i. This lack of trust, and lack of humbleness, stems from a lack of Bible knowledge. We must reach that point of spiritual maturity where we not only believe in God, but simply believe God. He has promised that he will “ never leave you nor forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5). We must believe that before we can cast all our cares upon Him. b. If you do not humble yourself in total obedience to God what is going to happen to you? Your adversary the devil is going to devour you! (Verse 8). 6. How is Satan like a roaring lion? He is walking about seeking an easy prey. a. You have probably watched movies of lions in Africa slipping through the tall grass in search of some unsuspecting animal. I have seen films of a pride of lions taking down an elephant. They have awesome power and once they have their prey in their clutches, there is seldom one who escapes. 7. How does one resist the devil? (Verse 9). By being steadfast in the faith. a. How does one be “ steadfast in the faith”? By humbling yourself under the mighty hand of God (verse 6). b. “ Therefore my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable; always abounding in the work of the Lord, for as much as you know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Corinthians 15:53). 8. Give four things Peter prayed for on behalf of Christians. (Verse 10). (1). Perfect (2). Establish (3). Strengthen (4). And settle you. a. Let us pray that none of us ever suffer as did our brethren in the first century. Even so, we must still be IN HIM. This becomes a reality as we study God’ s Word and become more and more IN THE FAITH. comes as a direct result of such study. And as one matures through Bible knowledge, that person becomes more stable in their everyday life as a faithful child of God, thus he or she is SETTLED, calm, patient and humble in the sight of God.9. To what had Peter testified in this letter? (Verse 12). That this is the true grace of God in which you stand. 10. Who, along with Peter greets the brethren in this letter? (Verse 13). The New King James has “ She who is in Babylon,” and the King James has “ the church that is in Babylon,” and Mark. a. There has been controversy as to whom or what the woman may have been. I have always leaned to the notion that she represented the church, and many commentators agree with that notion. However, Guy N. Woods, a man whose scholarship in the Greek language I highly respect, believed her to be Peter’ s wife. His disagreement with the view that this refers to the church is on grammatical grounds. In his Gospel Advocate Commentary on the epistles Peter, John and Jude, page 134 we find the following:

“… Some expositors regard the word woman to be figurative, and understand the reference to be the church in Babylon, supporting such a view by citing 2 John 1:1. The “ elect lady” there, how-ever, does not refer to a church, but to an individual; and in light of the fact that Mark-an individual-is joined with the “ co-elect woman,” it is unaccountable that a figure of speech and a person would be joined in the salutation in such fashion; and we therefore conclude that the reference is to a sister in the church in Babylon. To what sister? She was then in Babylon; she had traveled among the saints in Asia Minor; and she was known to the people to whom the epistle was addressed. What sister could so well meet these conditions as Peter’ s wife? She was . . . a wife who was also a sister in Christ.

And she accompanied Peter on his travels at least a portion of the time (1 Corinthians 9:5). There was an especial appropriateness in sending a greeting from her to saints with whom she had been formerly associated and whom she well knew, in an epistle that had dealt so specifically with the duties and responsibilities of women (1 Peter 3:1-7).” b. This brings other questions to mind. i. Did the Holy Spirit force His inspired writer to go away from his own vocabulary, or did He allow him to use speech which he would have normally used? ii. If the Holy Spirit used the speaker or writer’ s normal, everyday usage of the language to convey God’ s message, would an “uneducated and untrained man” such as a Galilean fisherman have used perfect grammar? Acts 5:13 speaks of Peter and John in that light: “And when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” c. I still lean to the idea that the “ elect Lady” of whom Peter speaks is the church, the bride of Christ.