READINGS ON PETER'S FIRST EPISTILE - 1 PETER 5
READINGS ON PETER’S FIRST EPISTILE - 1 PETER 5
It is significant that the elders are addressed at the beginning of our chapter; for it is well when there are such among us. We have instruction here as to how they are to serve the saints. In this opening [p. 428] passage the Spirit of God addresses the saints as classified “the elders”, and “ye younger”. It is not young men here as in John’s first epistle, but those who are young relatively as compared with the elders. The word “elder” here has application to time in the history of the saints, because it would hardly mean those officially designated as elders, but those characteristically such.
Peter himself was scarcely an elder in the sense that elders were appointed for cities; he was an apostle, and therefore not officially occupied in ruling a local company; so that he was an elder, and they were elders, by experience characteristically. Peter would have more weight in addressing them as “their fellow-elder and witness of the sufferings of the Christ”. 1 Peter 5: 1. He addresses them more on moral grounds than with apostolic authority; he is an elder with them, having had long experience in the ways of God, and being a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and so was qualified to speak a word to them. He speaks of himself as “their fellow-elder”, which would bring him to the level of the elders and give more force to his words. Peter was one of the brotherhood, not separated from his brethren by official position. In the wisdom and ways of the Lord, at the outset of any movement, those who came in with it were permitted to remain (like a Moses or a Joshua), so as to foster and nurture the saints, that they might reap the benefit of their experience.
The sufferings of Christ, of which Peter was witness, would connect him with the beginning. His experience went back that far; there were few amongst the saints when he wrote who could speak thus. He does not enlarge on what is personal to himself as Paul does, nor does the Spirit of God single him out as a model generally for the saints but he certainly had advantages that even Paul did not have, one of which was, he witnessed the sufferings [p. 429] of Christ. He was a witness of the love that led the Lord to give His life for the sheep, and in a way nothing would infuse shepherdly care more than that.
Peter had received at His hands a commission: “feed my lambs ... Shepherd my sheep ... Feed my sheep”, John 21:15 - 17. It was given in the light of his own martyrdom, and is a word which every young Christian should remember and take to heart, because we are so disposed to be governed by our own wills, even in the things of God. The Lord in giving the charge to Peter, remarks on that too; He says, “When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst where thou desiredst; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and bring thee where thou dost not desire”, John 21: 18. That is, Peter through experience, as an old man, would resign himself; he would come to the point of the sufferings of Christ, which involves complete resignation, which the will of God requires. He says in the end of chapter 4, “Let them who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls in well-doing to a faithful Creator”. 1 Peter 4: 19. The will of God led Peter into martyrdom and he accepted it. The Lord had indicated that to him, and in that connection committed to him the charge of the flock, so that Peter qualified in that way. Now, as a fellow-elder, he is qualified to speak to the elders. It is a great thing when there is one who can thus speak. We all seem at liberty to speak to the young, which of course is a great service, but it takes considerably more power to express oneself to elders. Peter received the charge, not only of the lambs but also of the sheep, he was to shepherd them. There is a specific order in the Lord’s commission — “Feed my lambs ... Shepherd my sheep ... Feed my sheep”. John 21: 15 - 17. The lambs do not go astray by themselves; what they require is food. The sheep need shepherding; they are [p. 430] prone to go astray; the feeding of them, therefore, is secondary to shepherding.
This should be a matter of exercise with us, because we are ready to see the wrong of the lambs in going astray, but what about the sheep? It is also implied that if the young do stray, we should seek, nourish and cherish them; for if the shepherding spirit was with the elders, it would act as a preventative to this tendency. There is, therefore, implied a responsibility for the older to look after the younger; a sense of blame attaches to them if the young are not held and preserved. The Lord says, “Shepherd my sheep”. John 21: 16. That would mean that the tendency of the sheep would be to stray away from those in the lead. When we stand up to address the saints, we are free to say a word to the young, but how many can say a word to the older ones? They need it, for they are not immune from the straying tendency.
Peter was evidently qualified to speak to the elders, because he was an elder; and more than that, his experience extended back to the witnessing of the sufferings of the Christ. So that the order in John 21 is significant; if it is the lambs, they require feeding; if it is the sheep, they require shepherding. What young Christians need is food; they are held by the things you present to them, if they are to be held at all; they also need guardianship and influence. An old brother will listen; he is amenable to correction; shepherding is more in the way of speaking to him as to one who knows the truth, and you bring it to bear upon him. Timothy was not to rebuke “an elder sharply, but exhort him as a father”, 1 Timothy 5: 1. He was to have due respect to the age of the brother and exhort him accordingly; but Peter here does not exhort them as a father, but as a fellow-elder, as one who had more experience than any of them.
Peter was not always wise in his judgment or [p. 431] actions in connection with the service of the Lord. There is, however, encouragement for us in him, for we all have made mistakes, and yet if recovered, the Lord can use us as He used Peter, provided there is experience in the ways of God. Paul was a younger man than Peter; but when it became a question of “contending for the faith”, as one may say, like Paul, we have to lay age aside, although you would never ignore an old brother. Some of us have had to do with brethren who are aged in crises, and it makes it very difficult where such oppose the truth.
But the apostle Paul evidently felt the incongruity of Peter’s action and withstood him. (See Galatians 2:11, etc.) When a matter like that occurs, the truth must take precedence of everything else. It is an immense thing to preserve the truth amongst us, but we must always seek to preserve the brethren with the truth. The apostle Paul saved the situation referred to in Galatians; and Peter was preserved as well. We see from Peter’s second epistle the affection in which he regarded Paul, saying, “Our beloved brother Paul”, 2 Peter 3:15. He well knew that Paul’s attitude at that time was approved of the Lord.
Peter views the elders whom he addresses as among the flock, and the flock among the elders, which suggests an atmosphere for the mutual exchange of affections. The word “among” brings all on one level, in a sense. There was evidently a state of intimate relationships so that the elders were among the flock and the flock among the elders, and Peter places himself there, as a fellow-elder. It suggests a mutual state of things in which you can help the saints. One of the greatest assets at the present time is the mutual consideration and feeling that exists among the saints. You can serve them effectively under these circumstances. This is very much akin to Paul when he was taking his farewell at Miletus.
[p. 432] He sent for the elders of Ephesus, and addresses them in relation to the flock of God in much the same spirit; and points out what he had been among them. So that what is suggested here is the thought of being models of the flock, not as lording it over them; this would have more weight than assumed authority. Peter did not assume the place of chief bishop amongst them. We have no bishop sentiment here; he is simply a fellow-elder, and the elders are such characteristically, not officially. The light of this would preserve us from assuming an ecclesiastical position. There was no idea with Peter to arrogate to himself the chief place amongst them, although he had this position morally.
The idea of a pope is that he is the chief bishop; Peter was just a fellow-elder, who had taken character from the chief Shepherd, who was to appear. Peter would gather up at the cross what the heart of that Shepherd was. To the women who wailed and lamented him, He said: “Do not weep over me, but weep over yourselves and over your children” Luke 23: 28; and then in almost the same breath, when on the cross, he said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”, Luke 23: 34. He also charged John to take care of His mother. All through He is thinking of others, not of Himself. These are the features that come out in the sufferings of Christ; it was the shepherd character of the Lord which Peter could see. So in Gethsemane: “If therefore ye seek me, let these go away”, John 18: 8. He thought of the disciples. It is worthy of note that the three apostles who were prominent in the testimony, Peter, Paul and John, each in their old age dropped the official title and appear simply as brothers of experience. John in Patmos says, “I John, your brother and fellow-partaker in the tribulation” Revelation 1: 9, nothing official, but that which he had accumulated in experience. Paul says, “Being such a one as Paul the aged” Philemon 9; and John says, “The elder to the elect lady” 2 John 1; it all brings out the great value of experience as seen in eldership.
The apostle in speaking of participation in the glory is looking on to the end, to the manifestation. One idea common to eldership is suffering: “When the chief shepherd is manifested, ye shall receive the unfading crown of glory”. 1 Peter 5:4. Glory crowns the suffering pathway of eldership; the idea is gathered up from the Lord’s path in suffering, for the chief Shepherd necessarily gives the lead to all the shepherds who follow.
What we have been saying hardly covers all the aspects of eldership, for we are not dealing with a local function exactly. It is what would mark any aged brother; so that there is an aspect in which younger brothers, as having gift in relation to assembly functions and administration, may properly take precedence over those old in age. What Peter presents here is the appearing of the chief Shepherd; you are not looking for present gain or advantage, but what accrues at the end, in the perfect government of God. Carrying out the function of a shepherd would involve suffering and self-denial, but the unfading crown of glory is at the end. This is a timely word for those who are older amongst us; their normal occupation should be in looking after the younger, and the saints generally, and at the same time being models for the flock. This “exercising oversight, not by necessity”, 1 Peter 5: 2 would mean not doing it as if you are paid for doing it; it is doing it readily, your heart being in it. “The flock of God” is not a local company, but what is general. Peter is dealing with the house of God, and love must be behind our activities, love going out to every one of the whole flock of God. Paul says, “There will come in amongst you after my departure grievous wolves, not sparing the flock”, Acts 20: 29. The older one grows, the greater should be his interest in caring for the flock. Peter would lead to this; he addresses the saints of the dispersion, but there were certain among them classified as elders; and being an elder himself he could exhort them to shepherd the flock. It says in Proverbs, “The glory of young men is their strength; and the beauty of old men is the grey head”, Proverbs 20: 29. The corresponding beauty in the old men would be in caring for the flock of God.
It is an important principle in the ways of God that eldership is worked out in a parental way; God Himself is seen in the elders, or fathers: “The glory of children are their fathers” Proverbs 17: 6; the fathers have brought in and expressed what God is in the parental care of His children, so that the elder brethren are their glory. This should be seen in the way in which the younger ones are influenced and take character from what they see in the elders. The divine thought is passed on from generation to generation, doubtless, in that way.
The thought of subjection being introduced here is noteworthy. The young man, Joshua, was Moses’ attendant; Elisha, another young man, poured water upon the hands of Elijah; and in due time they fill responsible positions in the testimony. The young man Joshua was envious for Moses at the time when Jehovah took of the Spirit which was upon Moses and put it upon the seventy elders: “My lord Moses, forbid them!” he says. This shows the danger to which a young man is exposed; he is apt to be a partisan. Moses says to Joshua, “Enviest thou for my sake? would that all Jehovah’s people were prophets, and that Jehovah would put his Spirit upon them!” Numbers 11: 24 - 29. That was a desire worthy of an elder. Moses considered for the welfare of the saints only, whereas Joshua thought of Moses only, which is always partisan where a state [p. 435] of that kind exists. Also earlier in their wilderness history, when coming down from the mount with Moses, Joshua says to him, “There is a shout of war in the camp”. There again he exposes his ignorance and inexperience. Moses says, “It is not the sound of a shout of victory ... it is the noise of alternate singing”, Exodus 32:17,18. So that in these instances we see illustrated the danger attending the young man, and the importance of subjection on his part; because, after all, the elder brothers have more experience, and their judgment is more sound than that of the younger brothers. But later on, when Moses asked the Lord to “set a man over the assembly, who may go out before them, and who may come in before them”, the Lord says to him, “Take Joshua the son of Nun, a man in whom is the Spirit”, Numbers 27:17, 18. He is no longer called a young man, for he has had forty years of experience with Moses, and with the people of God in the wilderness, and has the Spirit, so that he is fully qualified to lead. Now, these things are recorded for us, especially as young, because the young brethren are inclined to think that their judgment is accurate.
On the other hand, there is need that the elder brethren encourage and make room for the younger, so that they may not get discouraged; but here, it is not exactly a matter of gifts or ministry, it is taking the oversight, shepherding the flock of God.
Then it says, “Being models for the flock”, 1 Peter 5:3 so that the young see the model in the elders and know what to do. Joshua learned from Moses, as Peter learned from the Lord. God’s thought is set out in Christ; the apostles learned it, expressed it, and it is passed on. There should always be the passing on of the divine thought, from elder to younger; hence the importance of the elder ones being models, and the younger being subject to them, Of course, we are to have the Lord before us too, the gospels [p. 436] present Christ to us; but in the elders you get the divine thought of a model. It was given at the outset, so that the thing presented in the elder brother is an immense help to us. “Let no man despise thy youth” 1 Timothy 4:12, was a necessary word in Timothy’s case, because he had to do the work of an elder, although a young man he was, therefore, to make up for his youth by his conduct in a way becoming an elder.
This word as to humility is very important for old and young: “And all of you bind on humility towards one another”. 1 Peter 5: 5. The Spirit of God always brings things down to a mutual relationship. Whilst the saints are classified as we see here, they are also brought in on mutual lines here it says, “all of you”, all are to be marked by humility.
“The unfading crown of glory” 1 Peter 5: 4 is put before the shepherds for encouragement as an object of reward, and would be received at the appearing of the chief Shepherd, who knows to whom to give it. Evidently there must be correspondence between the shepherds and Himself in suffering endured in their care for the saints. The great Shepherd of Hebrews 13 is more personal to Christ, as distinguishing Him in supremacy and skill. The chief Shepherd is more relative to under-shepherds.
There is not any difference really between lowliness and humility. Paul in addressing the Ephesian elders at Miletus said, that “with all lowliness” he had served the Lord among them; Acts 20:19. Humility has to be bound on; it is not put on for an occasion; it is there to stay. We should move in and out among the saints as being one of them, and not in any sense above them. The Lord sets us the example, saying, “I am meek and lowly in heart”, Matthew 11: 29. Then in our business relations, we are not any different in them from what we are among the saints: we wear the thing always. With the [p. 437] Lord, it was the result of what He was: “Having been found in figure as a man, humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death” Philippians 2: 8; in His case, humility was not bound on, it was there naturally, so to say. With us, since the flesh is in us, the thing has to be bound on. The Lord brought humility in (He did not learn it objectively), and has given a lead to us in it. It was in Him essentially, whereas we learn it objectively.
Very few of us have this qualification of humility, yet it becomes and dignifies us; for it corresponds with dignity, if you think of the Lord bringing it here; think of a quality being brought from heaven and set before our eyes! Seeing it in that way, it becomes enhanced to us. There is real moral dignity in humility, and God goes along with one who has it. Think of the company we get! We may admire humility, but the practical test is in our relation with one another; it is only as we are formed according to the perfect Example of it that it is really seen. So that when it comes to the setting out to be useful amongst one’s brethren, one must not omit the sewing of the thing on his clothes; because it is not simply for a special occasion that you are humble, but it is there to stay. It is said of Mr. Darby that the young and poor were always at home in his company; it was evident that he had bound humility on.
With regard to our business, humility and authority can go perfectly together, for the more humble we are, the more authority we have. Oftentimes those in authority have to rebuke sharply, but God is with us, and recognises the relationship of the master and the servant. We are in the sphere of God’s government where these things have to be recognised but then humility is there all the same, you never drop the binding of it on you.
“Having cast all your care upon him” 1 Peter 5: 7 is a word [p. 438] that we expressly need. Who among the people of God has no cares? None. Possibly cares interfere more with the work of God in our souls than anything else in the sphere of divine government. On the one hand, you have “the mighty hand of God” 1 Peter 5: 6; it is futile to resist that; we are to humble ourselves under it. On the other hand, we are reminded that He cares for us. It is a most touching word, one that should appeal to us all, because there is not one of us but what has cares, and it is “the anxious care of this life” Matthew 13: 22, as the Lord said, which chokes the word and hinders fruitfulness. We do not learn to cast our cares upon Him; it is the mighty God, the Creator, who cares for us. “Having cast all your care” 1 Peter 5: 7 suggests an energetic movement of soul; it denotes power to put every care upon God, the smallest as well as the greatest, for we cannot bear one of them ourselves; and our salvation lies in doing this. There is not an item in one’s life that is not of interest to God; either in our business or family, or responsibility among the saints, so that there is every encouragement for us to prove that “He cares about you”. 1 Peter 5: 7.
We are reminded in what follows of the solemn fact that Satan is very active: “Be vigilant, watch. Your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he may devour. Whom resist, stedfast in faith”, etc. 1 Peter 5: 8,9. We are to be on our guard lest we should be found straggling. Satan is after the stragglers; our safety lies in watchfulness and in being found in relation to one another, so that no place is given to him. The question is, whether we are able to discern Satan’s activities; he is our adversary, he roars, and he walks about to devour. We are not told to attack Satan, because we are viewed in Peter as in the wilderness, where our position is rather defensive; attacks are made in the land. Being in the wilderness our point is to get [p. 439] through. The thing, therefore, is to discern Satan’s movements against us and not be deceived. We rightly resist him as stedfast in faith, but this entails suffering. He is a roaring lion, the idea is his roar. He is in the form of a beast here, instead of “an angel of light”, as in 2 Corinthians 11:14.
It is a comfort to know that we are linked up sympathetically in suffering with the saints of God all over the world; so that we are identified with the brotherhood. In verse 10 we have, “the God of all grace who has called you”, etc. 1 Peter 5:10. It is like Paul’s committal to God in Acts 20. We are set up in grace, and God will do all this for us. Then in verse 12 to the end, we have a final word, bringing in Silvanus; it is a personal touch, he is called “the faithful brother”. 1 Peter 5: 12. Then, “She that is elected with you in Babylon salutes you, and Marcus my son”. 1 Peter 5: 13. He brings in those brothers and the assembly in Babylon. There is a difference between a faithful brother and a son. The former would be one in equality, whereas the latter was evidently in this instance Peter’s son in the faith, over whom he exercised a parental influence. It is beautiful to see the sovereign work of God in Babylon linked up in affection with, and saluting, the Jewish Christians in Asia Minor.