Down to Earth But Heavenly Minded

What does 1st Peter Chapter 5 mean?

Peter closes out his letter to the scattered Christians in the churches of Asia Minor with some final instructions. He counsels the elders about how to lead, includes how and why to live in humility with each other, and gives a final warning to be clear-minded and alert.

Peter counts himself as one of the elders. And so, he passes on the same instructions Jesus gave to him: to feed and shepherd Christ’s sheep. That is the role of an elder in the local church: to serve as a shepherd of the “flock of God.” Peter insists that those who accept the job do so because they want to and not just for money or power. They should lead first and foremost by example, showing others in the church how to follow Christ by doing so themselves. When Christ returns, He will reward those shepherds with an unfading crown of glory.

In the same way, those who are younger are called to be subject to these shepherds. Newer believers should see more experienced Christians as a God-given authority in their lives. This, of course, also puts additional responsibility on those older Christians to live in a way deserving of this respect.

Peter then addresses all Christians with this: Put on humility toward each other out of submission to God. God is God, and we are not. We are to humble ourselves under His hand, understanding that our only significance is found in Him. We can freely stop promoting ourselves, because He will exalt us, when the time is exactly right. One such act of humility is this: cast your cares on the Father who cares for you. It is only in pride that we would insist on continuing to carry those burdens ourselves.

Peter then instructs his readers for the third time to be clear-minded (or sober-minded) and alert. The reason he offers this time is that we have a mortal enemy prowling around and seeking to devour us. The devil is portrayed as a lion, and we are instructed to engage in resisting him. This is to be done by focusing on staying firm in our faith, both in Christ, and in God’s plan for us. That plan may include suffering for the brief course of this life. And yet, it also includes a permanent end to suffering and a future in which our Father—forever powerful—will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us forever.

Finally, Peter signs off with a commendation for Silvanus, who will likely deliver this letter to the churches, as well as greetings from the Christians where he was, including his son in the faith, Mark.

Chapter Context
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.

Verse by Verse

Verse 1. So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

Peter is about to give specific instructions to the leaders of the Christian churches who will read his letter. He calls them the elders, from presbyterous in the original Greek. The position of elder in the local church is referenced throughout the New Testament (1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:5–6). These are mature, experienced Christians, charged with leading the local churches

Peter makes his appeal to these leaders as one who is also an elder. In addition, however, Peter points to his experience as an eyewitness to the sufferings of Christ. He personally saw the events he preached about. He further identifies himself as one who will share in the glory to be revealed when Christ returns. This glory will be shared by all who have shared in Christ’s sufferings (1 Peter 4:13). Thus, Peter reveals that he himself has shared in the sufferings of Christ.

With that introduction, Peter will spend the next three verses telling the elders of the church how to “shepherd the flock.”

Context Summary
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.

Verse 2. 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;

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.

Verse 3. not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

Peter continues his instructions to the elders or leaders of the local churches who will receive this letter. In the previous verse, Peter has been clear that an elder must genuinely want the position. He must be eager to serve other believers in the “flock” as a shepherd serves his sheep. This cannot be coerced, or motivated by money. Elders must serve only out of a sincere desire to guide others in their Christian walk.

In this verse, Peter concludes the thought by revealing that good church leadership is about showing, not merely telling. An elder’s primary responsibility is to be an example to other believers of how to follow Jesus. This especially includes times of suffering and / or persecution.

Also, while an elder does hold authority in the church, he must not “lord it over” others or be overbearing. The elder’s calling is not a license to force others into obedience. He is called to show people how to obey God. A dictatorial or heavy-handed approach is incompatible with God’s will for the church elder.

Verse 4. And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

Peter concludes his instructions to the leaders of the local churches—the elders—with a very simple statement: You will be rewarded. Peter has already written that the time draws near when Christ’s glory will be revealed to everyone (1 Peter 4:7). Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. Elders in the local church serve Christ by serving Christ’s sheep: the men, women, and children He loves so dearly.

So when Christ, the Chief Shepherd, appears in His glory at the “end of all things,” He will bring rewards. For the elders there will be the unfading crown of glory. We’re not sure exactly what this means, other than the fact that Jesus will share His glory with those who served as the elders of His flock, and they will carry that glory with them forever.

Peter likely has in mind the leafy crowns awarded to champion athletes during this era. The physical glory of that crown would fade as the leaves shriveled and died. In contrast, the glory Christ shares with those who shepherd His flock will be everlasting.

Serving as an elder in the local church is a difficult role, made all the more challenging in times of persecution and suffering. Peter’s instructions prove that it is easy to do this task badly, by serving reluctantly, or for personal gain, or in a domineering and controlling way. But for those elders who serve according to God’s design, as willing, eager examples of how to follow Christ, the reward will be significant.

Verse 5. Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

In the previous few verses, Peter gave specific instructions to those occupying the office of elder in the church, regarding how they should lead. Now he addresses those who are younger, spiritually speaking. These are those who don’t serve in the role of elder in the church. Peter writes that they should be subject to the elders.

Peter has been clear throughout his letter: Christians are people under several layers of authority. Our ultimate authority is God, of course, and His instructions to us take priority over those given by any other authority. In fact, as Peter demonstrated in his own life, a believer must willfully disobey human authorities when they tell us to disobey God (Acts 5:29). In all other matters, though, Christians express our freedom by willingly submitting to the authority of kings, governors, husbands, and even slave masters. Within the church itself, this attitude of submission extends to those holding the office of elder.

Why would we resist that? Why would we need to be warned about refusing to be subject to elders in the church? Peter identifies the most common reason: pride. He instructs us—”all of you,” young and old alike—to “clothe” ourselves with humility toward one another. For humans, the choice to be humble is not something that comes naturally from within us. We must put it on like clothing, covering our pride to promote each other above ourselves.

Peter references Proverbs 3:34 to show that this choice to be humble toward each other is not just about human relationships. God’s natural response to proud humans is to oppose them, just as His natural response to humble humans is to give them grace. In the next verse, Peter will continue to explain what it means to be humble before God.

Verse 6. Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you,

All of us long to be glorified. We long to know that we are significant, and to have others know it, as well. That desire is not necessarily wrong. All natural human desires have some legitimate, God-honoring purpose, and a means to express it properly. In this case, we are made in God’s image, and He has built into us the desire to be exalted. The key to a biblical, Christian view of glory is paying close attention to what God says about seeking it. The Bible teaches us to quit struggling so hard to make it happen, and trust God to exalt us at the right time and place as He sees fit. He’s a good Father who loves us; let Him be in charge of bringing us glory.

Jesus showed us how to do that. Philippians 2 reminds us that Jesus is God and yet, when He came to earth, He made Himself nothing. Instead, He became a servant to all. Then, at the right time, the Father elevated Jesus to the highest position in the universe. Peter echoes that idea in this and the following verse. Why are we so afraid to put on humility toward other Christians? Why does it bother us to live in submission to other people? We are afraid of becoming insignificant, of going unrecognized, of making ourselves nothing.

As used in Scripture, “humility” does not mean weakness or self-hatred. It means a proper appreciation of how we are, in relationship to God. It means strength under control. As C.S. Lewis said, “Humility is not thinking less of yourself, but thinking of yourself less.”

Peter reminds us that we are not humbling ourselves under the hand of our human authorities, including the elders in the church. No, we are willingly humbling ourselves under the hand of God. When the proper time comes, He will exalt us either here, or in the life to come, or both, to some extent. Our willingness to serve, to make ourselves nothing, isn’t a declaration that we are, in fact, insignificant. Our humility in service is a declaration that our mighty God can be trusted to give us all the glory and recognition that we long for when time is right.

Verse 7. casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

This verse concludes the thought begun in verse 6. Christians must humble themselves under God’s mighty hand, trusting Him to exalt us at exactly the right time. We must quit the work of seeking our own glory in order to accept the work of serving and submitting to others. Then, when the time is right, our God will use His mighty hand to exalt us.

These are words of great encouragement, and maybe conviction, for those struggling to submit to harsh human authorities. It speaks to those serving year after year with little recognition. It encourages those providing for others of limited power or value in society. Natural human fear tells us we are wasting our lives, we are on the wrong path, that our choice to serve in humility without obvious reward is evidence that we may be worthless, after all.

Peter writes that we should take that fear and cast it—throw it—onto our Father God. In fact, he tells us to take all of our anxieties, everything that worries us, and to give it to the God who cares so deeply for us. This is not a promise that God will fix everything which worries us. God is not obligated to follow whatever script we write for Him. It’s a promise that the mighty God will receive our worries, and care about them. He will carry them for us. He is trustworthy to handle them in the way that is best.

Peter’s words are a command. It is not God’s will for His children to continue to live under those burdens. Believing that God is mighty and cares for us should result in our regularly handing over our worries to Him.

Verse 8. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Peter continues a list of instructions to Christians as he prepares to end his letter.

How should believers live, believing in a real devil: a spiritual enemy with an agenda to bring harm to Christians? Peter’s answer to that question begins this verse: Be sober-minded. Be alert. It’s the third time in this letter Peter has urged his readers to be clear minded (1 Peter 1:13; 1 Peter 4:7). It matters that we are paying attention, with serious minds, to what’s going on in our lives and in the world around us.

Peter writes that there is danger beyond the physical persecution some of his readers were facing. There is a deep agenda, far beyond that of the powerful men who might inflict that persecution. The devil, not the men or women who might harm us, is the real enemy of a Christian believer.

Our enemy the devil desires to devour us, to cause real and lasting harm. The Greek word here is katapiein, literally meaning to “swallow,” or to “drown.” Peter has made it clear that our place in eternity with our Father is secure. The devil cannot take that from us, but he does seek to damage our faith. He wants fear to shake our submission to the Father, and lies to distort our understanding of God’s goodness. Since he cannot touch the believer’s soul, Satan seeks to leave us as weak and ineffective servants of our King.

In the next verse, Peter will describe how to fight that enemy. Notice, also, what he doesn’t tell Christians to do. He doesn’t say to live in fear. Nor does he say to live as if the reality of the devil is unimportant. We are not instructed to ignore the devil, nor to cower in the shadows.

Verse 9. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

In the previous verse, Peter urged his Christian readers to be sober-minded and alert because our enemy is after us. That enemy is the devil—Satan—and his agenda is to “devour” Christians. His intent is to cause real and lasting harm to us and, especially, to weaken our trust in the Father. Here, Peter tells us how to respond to the reality of the devil.

First, we can and should resist Satan. When the battle comes, fight back. This language is striking because Peter has repeatedly told believers to submit to those in authority. This even includes kings and governors who were part of the system of persecution so many Christians would face. He has written that slaves should submit to masters and wives to husbands—not based on that person’s worthiness but out of submission to God. But when it comes to the devil, Peter’s command is to do the exact opposite of “submission.” We must say no. We must fight.

How? By standing firm in our faith. From the snake’s first conversation with Eve, to Satan’s temptations of Jesus in the wilderness, the devil has always sought to undermine our trust in the God of heaven. His goal is to weaken our dependence on the Father who loves us and is strong to meet our needs.

Satan may make use of persecution to accomplish this. Peter writes that many in the world at the time were facing the same kind of suffering. Many continue to do so. The devil may attack our faith in other ways, as well, but the strategy for fighting back stays the same: Trust God more; increase our reliance on Him. Say “no” to the devil and “yes” to the Father.

Verse 10. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.

Christians have been promised an end to suffering. Suffering in this life will happen, but it will end, for those who have faith in Christ. Not only that, believers will be “restored” from all the harm done to us. This verse captures much of Peter’s letter in one powerful sentence. Peter repeats that suffering is real, especially for those who are persecuted for trusting in Christ. But all Christians suffer in various ways. We cannot expect our salvation to eliminate pain and heartache on this side of eternity. Rather, eternal salvation means that suffering will one day come to an end, and end forever.

Our God is the God of all grace, which is unearned favor. By His grace, He has saved us from the price of our sin, which is eternal death, separated from God in hell. This is possible only through faith in Jesus Christ. By His grace, God has called us to share in His glory in Christ forever. That is the destiny of every believer.

What will that eternity be like? Peter mentions four things. God will restore or perfect us. He will make us strong, firm, and established. We may feel weak now. We can sense ourselves being worn out and diminished, watch as all our opportunities and prospects in this life shrink away. But once our God calls us home, God will restore every lost thing of value, and much more. He will make us strong and secure forever.

That’s His promise. That’s what’s coming, for those who put their faith in Him.

Verse 11. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

Before officially signing off in the following few verses, Peter concludes the substance of his letter with a benediction. This is a type of blessing which often comes at the end of a service or sermon. In this case, the blessing is offered to “the God of all grace” mentioned in the previous verse.

In addition to blessing God, Peter’s benediction reflects a simple fact: all of the power and dominion in the universe belong to God, both now and forever more. He will not fail. He will not yield. He will accomplish every purpose according to His own will and in His own time.

For those facing persecution for their faith in Christ, that fact alone offers enormous comfort. The previous verse promised that the God of all grace will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us following this life of suffering. Here, the statement that He will always have the power to follow through on that promise is an anchor for every hurting believer. It is the reminder we need to stay firm in our faith in Him during hard days.

Verse 12. By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it.

Peter now closes out his letter to the Christians in Asia Minor with a personal note. Peter has written this letter through a man identified as Silvanus, or Silas, depending on the translation. In either case, most scholars suggest that this is the same man who traveled and ministered with the Apostle Paul (2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; and 2 Thessalonians 1:1).

It’s possible that Peter dictated his letter to Silvanus, who wrote the words down for him. This would be the same way in which Tertius served as Paul’s secretary for the book of Romans (Romans 16:22). Or it may simply be that Peter is sending him to deliver this letter to the churches. In either case, Peter commends Silvanus to them, calling him a faithful brother.

The point of his letter, Peter writes, was to encourage them, to reinforce once more that “this”—the gospel of Jesus—is really and truly the grace of God. He exhorts them to stand fast in that grace. In other words, Peter writes to bolster their spirits and their faith, especially in light of the persecution of Christians.

Context Summary
1 Peter 5:12–14 brings Peter’s letter to the scattered Christians of Asia Minor to a close. He commends Silvanus (Silas), who will likely deliver the letter to the churches. He offers greetings from the church where he is, including a greeting from his ”spiritual” son (not likely his actual child) Mark. Finally, Peter asks that they greet each other, on his behalf, with a kiss, and he signs off with a prayer for peace for all Christians.

Verse 13. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son.

Peter greets the Christian churches of Asia Minor on behalf of “she who is in Babylon.” Some scholars speculate that Peter may have been referring to his wife. And yet, most agree this “she” is more likely another local church, probably the Christian church in Rome.

Why Rome? For one thing, it is unlikely there was any church in the historical city of Babylon at this time. And, it is very likely Peter was writing this letter from Rome. Also, Peter’s Jewish readers would recognize “Babylon” as the traditional metaphor for those opposed to God’s people. Rome, in that time, was the geographical and political source of that opposition. Peter may have been protecting the Christians in Rome by using Babylon as a stand-in.

In any case, Peter affirms that those Christians who are with him have been chosen by God for His purposes. The same applies to the Christians who would read his letter: they have been chosen. This connects the end of his letter to the beginning (1 Peter 1:2). Believers around the world share a common a sense of their belonging to the family of God and being set aside for His specific purposes. This is true no matter how their specific circumstances differ.

Finally, Peter offers greetings from Mark, whom he refers to as a “son.” Most likely, this means a son in the faith and not his actual child. This is very likely the same Mark, also known as John Mark, the cousin of Barnabas, who travelled and ministered with Paul. In Colossians, Paul mentions that Mark was with him in Rome (Colossians 4:10), adding to the idea that Peter was likely writing from Rome.

Verse 14. Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

Peter closes his letter to fellow believers with an encouragement to greet each other, perhaps on his behalf. Here, Peter refers to a “kiss of love.” Apparently, a kiss was a common greeting between friends and associates in this part of the world at the time. Several New Testament books encourage believers to greet each other in this way. Whatever the expression we use, Christians are encouraged to be warm and close with each other.

Finally, Peter signs off with a wishful prayer for peace for all Christians who read his letter. Since so many of his first readers were facing or would face persecution for their faith, this prayer is not merely polite. It is a heartfelt hope that their circumstances would change. At the same time, it is a prayer that they would experience the very confidence Peter has spoken of in this letter (1 Peter 5:7), regardless of the troubles they may face. In their hardships, Christians long for peace. In Christ—and only in Christ—we can find it.

Book Summary
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.

End of Chapter 5 and the book of 1st Peter.

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