Verses 1-2 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: 2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;
An elder in the early Church was someone advanced in age or a senior. It was not a position as is the case in many churches today. The Apostle Peter was an elder who had served with Jesus for over three years and who was at the arrest, mock trial, and crucifixion of Jesus and he also was present when Jesus was transfigured (transformed) on the mountain. “And after six days Jesus taketh with him Peter, and James, and John, and leadeth them up into an high mountain apart by themselves: and he was transfigured before them.” Mark 9:2 So Peter was exhorting elders whose job it was to preside over the churches to care for the people of the church because of a desire to serve God and not because they were forced to or paid to.
Verses 3-4 Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
The elders were to lead by example and not rule or govern.
Verse 5 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
The younger people were to respect and submit to the seniors because they were wiser and more knowledgeable. But each person was to respect every other person and to remain humble and teachable.
Verses 6-7 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
To humble one’s self is to have a modest opinion of one’s self. It does not mean to abase one’s self. That is false humility. The humble person knows what qualities and character traits are good and which ones need to be improved and does not elevate himself/herself above others in order to have power or position or to boost the ego.
Application: God can work with humble people because they know their limitations and His unlimited power and are willing to take His direction in their lives. So all care or anxiety about every little or large thing in daily life is to be given to Him for His intervention. He knows the future. Believers do not. He can work all things for the believer’s good. The believer can try to solve the problems but without knowing the future, their efforts may simply complicate the situation.
Verses 8-9 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
The Greek word translated as “sober” is “Nepho” and it means to be calm and collected in spirit, to be temperate, dispassionate, and circumspect. The Greek word translated as “vigilant” is “gregoreuo” and it means to watch, give strict attention to, be cautious, and to be active. The Greek word translated as “adversary” is “antidikos” and it means opponent or an enemy. Satan and the fallen angels who follow him are the enemies of all that is in this world and the enemies of God. Their mission is to destroy that which God created in any way they can and that includes attacking and attempting to destroy the Christian believer. It is imperative that all believers stay alert to the devices of these devils and to not be frightened or intimidated by the things or events they orchestrate in an attempt to distract, discourage, and destroy the believers’ faith and walk with the LORD Jesus Christ. The Apostle Peter describes the devil or likens him to a roaring lion. So what is the physical truth about physical lions and how can this information be applied to the spiritual life?
When do lions roar and why do lions roar? First, lions do not roar when hunting, or after a kill. Lions stalk their prey and do so quietly and then pounce. They look for the weak and the loners who have strayed away from the group. Lions do roar at night because they sleep most of the day. They roar as communication with other lions. And they roar to frighten intruders and to warn the intruders to go away. They can also roar to show off to other lions their strength. So the Apostle Peter uses an analogy between a lion and the devil to demonstrate to the Christian believer a specific point or spiritual lesson. Satan wants to use fear (a loud roar at night) and a show of strength (loud, threatening roar) to derail the believer’s faith and walk with God. He looks for those moments in a believer’s life when they are spiritually weak and then he attacks. The lack of Bible study, prayer, and assembling with other believers causes spiritual weakness. When the Christian believer is walking closely with the LORD and is in constant fellowship with Him and with other Christian believers, he/she is strong and cannot be defeated by demonic powers. Should Satan or his devils attack a believer and get the upper hand (they can attack the physical body as well as the mind, will and emotions), they will devour (destroy) them and then move on to someone else. So the Christian believer needs to remain alert and cautious and watch for these attacks from the enemy because they will come, and then remain calm in his/her spirit and in his/her decision making, and trust the LORD. The wonderful part of verse 8 above is that Satan has to seek whom he may devour. He cannot harm or influence anyone without God allowing it, and God protects His people. So the Christian believer can resist demonic attacks through their faith in the LORD Jesus Christ and His work on the cross and through remaining strong in their walk with God.
Verses 10-11 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. 11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
When a prey escapes death from a predator, that prey remembers the event and tries not to get into that position again. They learn from their near death experience. Likewise, when Christian believers are attacked by Satan or his army of devils, when they get the victory they learn from the experience and try not to put themselves in another vulnerable situation that will encourage another attack by the enemy. They grow and mature in their faith and Christian walk. Satanic attacks may be painful at the time, but they make the believer stronger so that further attacks can be either avoided, or seen for what they are: the enemy roaring to discomfort the child of God. All Christian believers walking with Jesus have the victory, plain and simple.
Verses 12-14 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand. 13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son. 14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen. (1 Peter 5)
Silvanus was a Roman citizen who accompanied the Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys. It is assumed that this is the same Silvanus that the Apostle Peter was referring to in this epistle. Mark or John Mark was a cousin of Barnabas and he also accompanied the Apostle Paul on several of his missionary journeys and authored by the Holy Ghost/Spirit the Gospel of Mark.
Application: Notice that there was a church at Babylon, the place where the Babylonian Talmud originated and which is the basis for the Jewish religion today, and a place where many false doctrines came from. God always has His people in the midst of the enemy’s territory.