1 Peter 5:2 - Printer Friendly

ESV: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

NIV: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve;

NASB: shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not with greed but with eagerness;

CSB: Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly;

NLT: Care for the flock that God has entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly — not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.

KJV: 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;

NKJV: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;

In John's Gospel, in chapter 21, there is a significant and heartbreaking moment between Jesus and Peter. This occurred after Christ's resurrection from the dead. Prior to Jesus' crucifixion, Peter had denied Him three times, much to his own shame (Mark 14:72). As related by John, Jesus asked three times if Peter loved Him. Each time, Peter affirmed that he loved Jesus, grieved at the repeated question. Also each time, Jesus responded to Peter's answer with a command to feed or tend Jesus' sheep. Shepherding the flock of God was to be Peter's life work. This moment not only mirrored Peter's three-fold denial, it showed how Christ had accepted Him as an apostle.

Here, in these verses, Peter is sharing that mission with the elders of the local churches who will receive this letter. His commands reveal how and why an elder should provide leadership in the church.

The first thing an elder should realize is that the community of believers belongs to God, not its human leaders. An elder does not own the flock—God does. And so, the elder provides leadership to a people owned and loved by the Father.

Second, the elder's role is one of supervision. The Greek word here is episkopountes, which literally means to "take oversight," or "to look diligently after." In other words, the role of an elder is very much to be an "overseer," one who watches over and tends to the needs of the congregation. It's a role requiring awareness of what's going on in the lives of the believers, with an eye to helping and guiding them.

Third, nobody should take on this role to fulfill the expectations of others. God requires an elder to want to be an elder, of his own free will. A person forced into spiritual leadership cannot truly serve as God intended.

Finally, an elder must be eager to serve for the sake of that mission alone. These men cannot be motivated by money, power, or control. This is to prevent church leaders from being prone to dishonest schemes such as embezzlement or manipulation.

1 Peter 5:1–11 gives specific instructions to elders about how to lead the flock of God willingly, eagerly, and by their own example. All of us must live in humility toward each other and toward God, who opposes the proud. In humility, we cast our anxieties on the Father who cares for us. In alertness, we are to remain clear-minded, looking out for our enemy the devil who seeks to destroy us. We resist him by focusing on staying firm in our faith and trusting God to keep His promises.

Peter concludes his letter to the scattered Christians in Asia Minor with specific instructions. Primarily, these are targeted at those in the role of elder, about how to lead. He also provides counsel for all believers on living in humility toward each other and toward God. In humility, we wait and trust God to exalt us in His time. In humility, we cast our cares on Him. But we’re also called to remain alert, watching out for the devil and resisting him by focusing on staying firm in our faith. After this brief life of suffering, our God will bring our suffering to an end and make us strong forever.

Thus far, Peter has affirmed that Christians have been chosen by God and set aside for His purposes. We should not be surprised by suffering, and we should not respond to persecution by rebelling against our human authorities. Our suffering in both cases points the world to our hope in Christ and allows us to follow in Jesus’ steps. Peter here concludes his letter with instructions to the elders, teaching on humility, and a final warning to be sober-minded and alert.

Some 30 years after the resurrection of Jesus, Christians are facing greater persecution for their faith. How should they respond? How should we respond to suffering today? The apostle Peter writes this letter both to comfort believers and to encourage them to stay strong. He urges them to put all their hope in their perfect future with Christ, and to obey and trust Him in the present, even in their suffering. Christ suffered greatly; now the Christ-followers have the opportunity to follow Him even in this, showing His grace and power in their hopefulness, obedience, and faith.