THE ELDERS
THE ELDERS
1 PETER 5:1-5
Elders are to be caring shepherds, not bossy overlords, and are to show everyone how the Christian life is to be lived.
Acts shows us clearly enough Peter as the leader of the Twelve, and equally clearly he never forgot the special charge laid on him to be a shepherd of God’s people (John 21:15-17). This will have been his motive in writing the letter, because there is no evidence that he had ever worked in the area to which it is addressed. So he has a special appeal to the elders in the churches to which his letter was sent. He avoids the word shepherd with reference to himself, except by implication, when he calls Christ “the chief Shepherd” (5:4), because in the figurative language of the Old Testament the shepherd is the king. It is, however, unfortunate that it has been forgotten that true elders are vice-regents. They are so important that Peter claims no authority over them but simply calls himself a “fellow elder” (5:1). Yet he had a claim to be heard. He had witnessed the sufferings of Christ and had seen the transfiguration, “the glory that is to be revealed” (2 Peter 1:16-18).
There are three sets of contrasts: “constraint,” “shameful gain,” “domineering”—“willingly,” “eagerly,” “examples”; in each case there is a logical and spiritual link. The “constraint” today comes often from the failure of the church to realize that the very real spiritual gifts a young man may have do not necessarily qualify him as an elder and pastor. It comes, too, from those who should be pastors, but do not wish to accept the responsibility. The “crown” is more specifically the victor’s crown in the games; see also 1 Corinthians 9:25.
The principle of authority applies in the church as everywhere else (5:5). Some difficulties today may come from the elders assuming that because they have authority they have knowledge, and from a younger generation believing that their far more extensive education implies spiritual maturity. Both sides need “humility” (5:5). We tend not to take John 7:15-16 seriously enough. Arguing from what we think Jesus should have known, we attribute his authority as a teacher to his knowledge, while he claims it comes from his Father.