LIVING IN HUMILITY

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

1.     IN ROLES OF LEADERSHIP (1 PETER 5:1-4)

1 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed,

·         The word "elder" refers not so much to the age as to the task of the person who holds the position of leader in the church.

·         The apostles appointed elders in every church, and apostolic helpers were instructed to do likewise.

·         Elders in the church provided leadership to local congregations.

·         The elders provided spiritual care for the members of the church by teaching and preaching the Word.

·         The elders guarded the purity of the Christian faith by warning God's people against false doctrines.

·         They promoted peace and order in the church by setting examples in their own lives and households.

·         Peter in effect is saying here that he knows what he is talking about and understands the difficulty that the elders he is addressing have.

·         He then reminds them that he was a witness to Christ’s sufferings and has His authority in what he is teaching.

·         Peter said that he was already a “partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed."

·         This is most likely a reference to Christ’s transfiguration on the mount.

2 shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness;

·         The elders should be shepherds working for God and caring for His people.

·         Take care of the total needs of the Christian to whom God has entrusted into your care.

·         The desired attitude of a "shepherd " is that of a person who is donating a gift.

·         A person should freely serve God with the sole purpose of doing God's will.

·         By doing so, he demonstrates his love and thankfulness toward God.

·         What is forbidden here is not the desire for fair remuneration, but the sordid love for gain.

 3 nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.

·         Servants of God receive their authority directly from the Chief Shepherd through the Holy Spirit.

·         They are not to misuse this authority!

·         The elders must conduct themselves in such a manner that they would be worthy of imitation in true obedience to the Gospel of Christ.

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

NASB

·         All pastors and teachers of classes should never forget that they are directly responsible to Jesus who bears the title of Chief Shepherd.

2.     IN RELATING TO OTHERS (1 PETER 5:5)

5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble.

NASB

·         Younger probably refers to younger in age, and therefore immature; younger in spirit, and therefore in need of instruction; and/or a state of mind regardless of age.

·         Peter first instructed the elders to demonstrate a willingness to serve and to be examples to the believers. 

·         Now, he tells the young men to be submissive to those who are older or more mature.

·         By implication, the younger men were to learn obedience and humility from their elders and at the same time were trained to assume leadership roles in the Church and community.

·         Should the believer attribute anything to himself, he would only rob God of His glory, but also meet God as an adversary.

3.     IN RELATING TO GOD (1 PETER 5:6-7)

6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time,

·         Humbling ourselves here means that we put our confidence only in God.

·         In the presence of God, man ought to be fully aware of his own insignificance.

·         God will never forsake His own.

7 casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you.

NASB

·         In true humility and trust in God, the Christian throws all his anxieties on the

·         Lord. 

·         If we doubt, we assume the burden of worries and thus demonstrate a lack of faith.

4.     IN RESISTING THE DEVIL (1 PETER 5:8-9)

8 Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

This requires the ability to look at reality with a clear mind, and to be in a state of watchfulness and readiness.

·         Here the devil is described by his character and by his business.

·         He would bring out the dark side of our nature and poison our soul in the doing.

·         He would lead Christians to apostasy and to the ruin of their testimony.

 9 But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.

NASB

·         This battle shall continue until God Himself, in the last day, metes out the devil's punishment.

·         It is some comfort to know that others are fighting the same enemy and the same battle that we are fighting.

5.     IN REMAINING FAITHFUL (1 PETER 5:10-14)

10 And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.

·         God is the source, the possessor and the giver of all grace.

·         We have nothing except that which we have received from Him.

·         The basic meaning of the Greek for the word "perfect" is that that which has been broken will be repaired so as to make it complete.

11 To Him be dominion forever and ever. Amen.

12 Through Silvanus, our faithful brother (for so I regard him), I have written to you briefly, exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it! 13 She who is in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son, Mark. 14 Greet one another with a kiss of love.

Peace be to you all who are in Christ.

NASB

·         This is undoubtedly the Silas, or Silvanus, who is mentioned in Paul's epistles.

·         Many people feel that Peter is using a cryptic name for Rome.

·         In times of persecution, writers exercised unusual care not to endanger Christians to whom they wrote letters.

·         Mark is probably Peter's spiritual son.

·         Tradition indicates that Mark, with the aid of Peter, wrote the Gospel named after him. 

·         Peter calls Mark his son in the same way Paul names Timothy his son.

·         The practice of greeting one another differs from culture to culture.

·         It varies from the bow (in the Orient), the simple handshake, and the warm embrace to the kiss.

Miles Seaborn, Jr.- “Peter mentioned all these things in this epistle, the extreme persecutions; yet, toward the end of this letter he says: "There is yet a greater form of persecution than any we have mentioned, religious, political, or economic. And that persecution is to be executed by Satan, his angels, and those who follow him.”