1 Peter 5:1-14

(1 Peter 5:1-14)

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 ensamples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.  But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.  By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.  The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.  Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.

 

Peter concludes his letter, exhorting the Church's leaders, elders and saints. 『I recommend to the elders among you』 Here, the elders are not elders as today's offices, but adults who are functionally leadership in the church. Even though he is an apostle, Peter is more than anyone by introducing himself as a witness of Christ's suffering and one who will see the glory in the future, saying that he is serving the Church as other elders, rather than empowering him. He emphasized that he was called because of suffering.

 

That is, the saints should not be forced but serve with a voluntary heart, and not to gain economic profit, but only to love and serve the Saints, the flock of God. And when the elders who served faithfully return to the shepherd Christ, they will join in his glory and receive a crown that will never go away. However, Peter was not only asking the elders for such humility and lowering.『 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 』

 

Young people are not only those who are young in age, but also those who are spiritually young and need to be guided by spiritual leaders. If the elders must rule with a humble attitude, the young people should also humbly follow. Peter said, ``But tie the belts with each other's humility,'' which is an expression of the servant wearing an apron to serve the owner.

 

Subsequently, by quoting Proverbs 3:34, Peter revealed why Christians should be humble to one another. God opposes the proud, while on the other hand, he is humble and trusts only in God, and God gives grace to those who are humble before men. Pride is a self idol that seeks to show one's righteousness by trusting only in one's own powers without trusting God. God opposes these people and destroys them as if they were enemies on the battlefield.

 

『Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time』 God's mighty hand symbolizes God who saves his people from the Old Testament and judges the wicked. Just as they were led by Jehovah's mighty hand in the various circumstances of the Old Testament Israel, the Saints are encouraged to be humbled in a variety of situations in life, encouraging God to exalt them with a mighty, never-shortened hand in time. When God's planned time comes, those who persecute God's people will be judged by God, and in the midst of suffering, the humble and faithful believers will be honored.

 

『Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour』 In times of peace, Satan appears as an angel of light and is deceived into temptation, and in times of persecution and persecution he attacks the saints in the form of a lion. However, even at such a time, a profound and awakened saint can stand firm against Satan. Sometimes, the spiritual loneliness that only I suffer and encounter difficulties makes the Saints weak. It is not only me that suffers and persecutions, but many believers who live a life of faith everywhere also suffer, but we must remember that we endure by faith. The God of all grace keeps these saints amid all suffering and makes him stand again. In the end, "Let him be in power forever and ever. Amen,” he praises only God. It strengthens your faith so that you can reach the salvation of glory.