1 Peter 5

General context

The writer addresses the elders among the readers and describes himself as an elder too, a witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker of the glory to be revealed. He tells them to feed the flock of God that is among them and take oversight willingly rather than by constraint, of a ready mind rather than for filthy lucre, and as examples rather than as lords over God's heritage, with a crown of glory that does not fade promised when the chief Shepherd appears. The younger are told to submit to the elder, and all of them to be subject one to another and clothed with humility, with a quoted line that God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble. They are to humble themselves under God's mighty hand so that he may exalt them in due time, casting all their care on him because he cares for them. Then a warning: be sober and vigilant, because the adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour, and he is to be resisted steadfast in the faith, with the note that the same afflictions are being completed in their brethren throughout the world. A closing promise follows, that the God of all grace who called them to eternal glory will make them perfect, stablish, strengthen and settle them after they have suffered a while, with a doxology. The letter ends with its own account of how it was sent, by Silvanus, and says it was written briefly to testify that this is the true grace of God in which they stand. Greetings come from the church at Babylon and from Marcus, and the readers are told to greet one another with a kiss of charity.

Cited passages: 1 Peter 5:1, 1 Peter 5:2, 1 Peter 5:3, 1 Peter 5:4, 1 Peter 5:5, 1 Peter 5:6, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 Peter 5:11, 1 Peter 5:12, 1 Peter 5:13, 1 Peter 5:14

1 Peter 5 (KJV)

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Historical context

This chapter carries the letter's information about itself. The writer calls himself "also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ", which is the only claim in the letter about what he saw. He says the letter was sent "By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose", and that he has "written briefly". Greetings come from "The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you" and from "Marcus my son", and the letter says nothing more about either, gives no explanation of Babylon, and does not say the writer is there. The readers have elders among them, and younger people distinguished from them, so the company has some ordered structure. The trouble is described as shared: "the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world", without naming any of them. The line at verse 5, "God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble", is not introduced as a quotation here; Proverbs 3:34 as printed reads "Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly", and James 4:6 prints a near identical line, with but and unto where this verse has and and to.

Cited passages: 1 Peter 5:1, 1 Peter 5:12, 1 Peter 5:13, 1 Peter 5:5, 1 Peter 5:9, Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6

Literary context

The chapter closes the letter by narrowing from a group to a single reader and then widening again. It starts with elders and the flock, moves to the younger, then to all of them, then to each one casting his own care, and finally out to "your brethren that are in the world". The shepherd language picks up the last verse of chapter 2 and completes it: the readers were returned to a Shepherd, and now the elders are told to feed a flock that belongs to God and not to them, "Neither as being lords over God’s heritage". The instructions to the elders come in pairs, negative then positive, not by constraint but willingly, not for lucre but of a ready mind. The sharpest image in the chapter is the roaring lion, set immediately after the promise that God cares, so comfort and danger stand in consecutive verses. The ending is brief and practical, a courier, a short letter, two greetings and a kiss.

Cited passages: 1 Peter 5:2, 1 Peter 5:3, 1 Peter 2:25, 1 Peter 5:4, 1 Peter 5:7, 1 Peter 5:8, 1 Peter 5:9, 1 Peter 5:14

Key moments

1. An elder writing to elders (1 Peter 5:1). The writer puts himself among those he is instructing.
2. Feed the flock (1 Peter 5:2). Oversight is defined by what it must not be done for.
3. Not lords over the flock (1 Peter 5:3). Leaders are told to be examples rather than owners.
4. Cast your care (1 Peter 5:7). Anxiety is handed over on the ground that God cares.
5. A roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8). The adversary is described as hunting for someone to devour.
6. Written briefly by Silvanus (1 Peter 5:12). The letter states how it was sent and why.
7. Greetings from Babylon (1 Peter 5:13). Two greetings close the letter without further explanation.

For reflection

The promise that God cares and the warning about a lion looking for someone to eat sit in consecutive sentences. What is a reader meant to do with both at once?

People in this chapter

• Jesus Christ
• Mark
• Silas