TO THE CHURCH ELDERS. See notes on Titus 1:5; Acts 6:3. AN ELDER MYSELF. Peter is an apostle, but he takes the title only of _elder_ (which he was) to speak to them as _one of you._ A WITNESS. Peter was an eyewitness of the things he writes about. WILL SHARE. As an apostle, Peter already shared in r... [ Continue Reading ]
BE SHEPHERDS. In Palestine, the shepherd led the sheep out into the fields where they could find plenty to eat. The shepherd did not _drive_ the sheep, but he led and they followed. Shepherds watched out for dangers, and if a sheep wandered away from the flock, he went after it and brought it back.... [ Continue Reading ]
DO NOT TRY TO RULE. Church elders are not permitted to DOMINEER the flock of God! Compare what Jesus said _in_ Luke 22:25-26. GIVEN INTO YOUR CARE. THE FLOCK IS God's! The elders have been called to shepherd it! BUT BE EXAMPLES. "You should set the example in your own lives, of love, humility, benev... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN. "To encourage you to fulfill your mission, I tell you that when the Chief Shepherd appears, who owns the flock, you will receive the eternal reward!" [The idea of a put-in-for-life church Boss is not in the Bible!!!]... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE SAME WAY. Greeks and Romans looked at _humility_ as being bad, not good. But things are to be different in the messianic community! As elders are to be motivated by a real desire to serve, so are all the others. YOU YOUNGER MEN. _MacKnight_ understands this to mean _less mature Christians_ ar... [ Continue Reading ]
HUMBLE YOURSELVES. "Since God resists the proud, be sure to humble yourselves under God's mighty hand! Take his punishments patiently, so that he will lift you to heaven in his own good time, as he promised!... [ Continue Reading ]
THROW ALL YOUR WORRIES ON HIM. "Don't spend a lot of time worrying about persecutions, or whether you will have food and shelter, or what the future holds for you! God loves you and will work things out for you in ways you cannot even imagine! Do what you can, of course, but throw all your worries o... [ Continue Reading ]
BE ALERT! "Even though you throw all your worries on Him, yet do not neglect lawful opportunities to escape trouble!" Compare Acts 22:25 and note. LIKE A ROARING LION. A lion hunts quietly, so we see in this the fact that the Devil is _sneaky_ in the way he tries to fool you and seduce you to sin! B... [ Continue Reading ]
AND RESIST HIM. "Resist the Devil (James 4:7) by being firm in your faith and he will run away from you!" BECAUSE YOU KNOW. "As you well know, all your fellow believers are going through the same things here in this world!" Compare 1 Thessalonians 2:14-16 and notes. [There is a tradition which says... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT AFTER. "Compared to the joys of Eternity, the sufferings of this life are both _light_ and _brief!"_ Compare 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. WILL HIMSELF PERFECT YOU. Since this is after _suffering a little while,_ it must be speaking of _his eternal glory_ which Christians expect to share in Eternity. C... [ Continue Reading ]
TO HIM! Peter's doxology. _MacKnight_ sees in this the fact that the Devil has no power in the Universe, or ability to tempt men, except as God permits!... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE HELP OF SILAS. This is Paul's old companion! He is the one who _wrote down_ this letter and also the one who delivered it. _Johnson_ says: "It has been supposed that Paul, then a prisoner at Rome, had sent Silas to Peter." [Silvanus is the Latin spelling of Silas.] THE TRUE GRACE OF GOD. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
IN BABYLON. Probably Babylon on the Euphrates. Some think this is a _code name_ for Rome, but history does not place Peter in Rome at this date. _Alford_ (Greek Testament) says: "There is no reason whatever for regarding this any place but the Chaldean capital (Babylon on the Euphrates)." MARK. Prob... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THE KISS. See note on Romans 16:16.... [ Continue Reading ]