1 Peter 5 - Introduction

CHAP V.

He exhorteth the elders to feed their flocks: the younger to obey; and all, to be sober, watchful, and constant in the faith; and to resist the cruel adversary, the devil.

Anno Domini 65.

BECAUSE the knowledge, experience, and conduct of the people, depend in a great measure upon the kind of instruction which they receive from their teachers, the apostle in this chapter, addressed the elders, that is, the bishops, pastors, and rulers, among the brethren of Pontus, &c. 1 Peter 5:1 exhorting them to feed the flock of God committed to their care, faithfully; and to exercise their office, not as by constraint, but willingly; not from the love of gain, but from love to their great Master and to the flock, 1 Peter 5:2.—and not to lord it over God's heritages, but to be patterns of humility and disinterestedness to their people, 1 Peter 5:3.—Next, because the faithful performance of the pastoral duty was in that age attended with great difficulty and danger, the apostle, to encourage them, assured them that when the chief Shepherd shall appear, they shall, if faithful, receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away, 1 Peter 5:4. The distinguished reward, which Christ is to bestow on those who have suffered for his sake, being a favourite topic with our apostle, he introduces it often in this epi

Having thus exhorted the pastors, the apostle turned his discourse to the people, charging them to be subject to their elders, and to one another; that is, to be of a teachable disposition, and to receive instruction from every one capable of giving it, and to do all the duties which they owed to each other, according to their different stations and relations, 1 Peter 5:5.—but especially to be subject to God, by humbly submittingthemselvestothejudgmentswhichwerecominguponthem,thatGodmight exalt them in due time, 1 Peter 5:6.—casting all their anxious care on God, because he cared for them, 1 Peter 5:7.—and to watch against the devil, who went about as a roaring lion, seekingto destroy them, particularly by instigating the wicked to persecute them, and drive them into apostacy, 1 Peter 5:8.—But they were to resist that terrible enemy by steadfastness in the faith, and not to think themselves hardly dealt with when persecuted or tempted, knowing that their brethren every where were exposed to the same temptations of the devil, 1 Peter 5:9.—In the mean time, to give them all the assistance in his power, the apostle prayed earnestly to God to establish and strengthen them, 1 Peter 5:10.—and ended his prayer with a doxology to God, expressive of his supreme dominion over the universe and all the things that it contains.

The apostle informed the brethren of Pontus, &c. that he had sent this letter to them by Silvanus, whom he praised for his fidelity to Christ, 1 Peter 5:12.—Then giving them the salutation of the church in Babylon, (whatever it may mean,) where it seems he was when he wrote this letter, he added the salutation of Mark, whom he called his son, either because he had been the instrument of his conversion, or on account of the great attachment which Mark bare to him, 1 Peter 5:13.—And having desired them to saluteoneanother,heconcludedwith giving them his apostolical benediction, 1 Peter 5:14.