September 17, 2008 1st Peter Chapter 5

1st Peter Chapter 5

Originally posted Tuesday November 11, 2008 

1st Peter, Chapter 5:1-5 Tending the Flock of God

There is a strong tradition in the writings of the early church that Peter was the shepherd of the flock. By the end of the 1st century the term "The Great Church" was being applied to the growing and widely spread Christian communities. By the 3rd quarter of the 2nd century issues such as the New Testament Canon, the Apostle's Creed and Apostolic succession were being debated. The Church Catholic (universal) was moving toward an established normative orthodoxy which would serve as the base line for Christian identity. In the book of Acts, 1st and 2nd Peter and the Gospel according to John, Peter's elevation to the Shepherd had already been accepted. The most poignant text regarding Peter's leadership is found in John 21:15-19. Jesus asks Peter three times. "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" This serves as the confessional counterpoint to Peter's three denials. The passage ends with Jesus' commission to Peter, "Follow me."

This passage's title repeats the command Jesus gave to Peter which the writer is now passing on to the Elders of the Diaspora - the church distributed throughout the provinces of Asia Minor. The writer is one of those who share their hope in the revealed glory of Christ. He exhorts them to follow the same commission given to Peter, to tend the flock of God by providing oversight to the part of God's flock assigned to each. Such an assignment is not an easy one. It may test them at every turn, causing some to fade in zeal. They may begin to feel compelled to lead, losing their willingness to continue in what often seems a futile attempt to bring peace and comfort to a sometimes suffering and fractured community. They are to keep in mind that what they are doing is of God and God's Spirit is with them in all they do on behalf of the flock. What they do is a labor of love and love reminds them that leadership is not the same as superiority. They are leaders, Elders ordained by God, yet one of the same flock, leading the sheep by example.

1st Peter, Chapter 5:6-11 Final Exhortations

As Elders (older Christians) accept their role of leadership those who are younger are exhorted to accept the Elders' authority. In keeping with Ps. 34:18 they are to work together in a spirit of humility, a suitable directive for all who seek the good of the Church, the household of God. It is God to whom they belong and who cares for them and with whom their hope is secure. The reader is reminded that humility is the appropriate posture before God, for it ultimately leads to exaltation just as their present suffering at the hands of outsiders will lead to glory.

In the time of suffering (which is a sign of the last days) the writer calls for discipline and alertness. The reference is to temptation to commit sin and the coming judgment. In Christian and Jewish apocalyptic thought temptation is most powerful during the suffering of the last days as the cosmic forces of God and the Devil battle for control of the world. The believer is to be alert to and discerning of temptation and disciplined in resistance to its power. The writer uses the metaphor of the devil as a prowling lion lurking in the shadows, ready to pounce on an unsuspecting prey. Even so, the believers can free themselves from anxiety by relying on the comfort of God and God's superior power to defeat evil. In their steadfast faith they are not alone, for as Christ and this community have suffered Christians everywhere are "undergoing the same kinds of suffering." For all of them, when the suffering is over, God will "restore, support, strengthen and establish [them]" by God's grace.

1st Peter, Chapter 5:12-14 Greetings and Benediction

In the greetings and benediction, as in the salutation, the writer is using the authority of Peter. Both Silvanus and Mark were associated with Paul. The wording indicates that Silvanus is considered as a scribe who has written the letter. In a much later tradition Mark was said to have written the Gospel bearing his name using the words dictated by Peter. The writer expresses his encouragement to the many churches that will read his letter. In their present trials they are urged to bear witness to "the true grace of God" by standing fast in determined resistance to sin and continued faith in the promised hope in Christ. He sends his greetings from the "sister church in Babylon - the name given for Rome in other Christian and Jewish writings. The name is also a reminder that there are other churches where believers are aliens and exiles in the midst of evil. Rome as Babylon will play a significant role in Revelation.

The writer's benediction of grace for all those who "are in Christ" is a reminder that all that those who are not in Christ, those who have caused suffering among  the believers, will find no peace, in this life or the next.