When Peter wrote this letter, he had already suffered much for Jesus. He had already endured imprisonments, rejection, and brutality at the hands of the authorities. But his previous pains could not eliminate the certainty of his future pains. He knew he would suffer for Jesus because Jesus had told him so.
Immediately after commissioning Peter to care for God's flock, Jesus said:
John 21:18–19 (ESV) — 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.)
And because Peter knew what he was heading into, he had developed a specific mentality. It is that mentality that he will share with us over the next few weeks. This is the closing portion of the letter, Peter's final words of exhortation to a church on the margins. Just as Peter knew what he was going to endure, I think he had a Holy Spirit informed sense of what they were about to endure, so he took time to direct them in these closing verses.
1 Peter 5:1a (ESV) — 1 So I exhort the elders among you...
Identity of These Elders
The first question we must ask of the text is this: Who are the elders Peter addressed?
These are pastors of the churches in Asia Minor. The word "elder" can strictly mean "older person," but it is also a synonym for "pastor" in the New Testament. In fact, a few words are used interchangeably by the apostles to describe the pastoral office -- shepherds, bishops, overseers, and elders are all synonymous titles with nuanced shades of emphasis attached to them. So when Peter writes to the elders in this passage, he is thinking of the pastors or overseers of these churches.
And though many of these pastors were also older men, the title "elder" is not meant to convey a specific age. Timothy was a pastor/elder, but he was a young man who had to work hard so that no one would despise him for his youth (1 Timothy 4:12). The idea is that elders, whether naturally young or old, are mature like older people are supposed to be.
But what can we learn from Peter's exhortations to these pastors? And why should this matter? One reason is that the pastors you select are of great importance to your well-being and the well-being of God's people. Through solid teaching, servant-leadership, and a healthy example, good pastors can aid you in a myriad of ways. They can impact your spiritual, emotional, and even physical health. They can calm, encourage, and correct you. They can help every relationship you're in. They can strengthen you for your life pursuits. They can talk you out of grave error and life-altering sins. They can help you draw close to God. And they can stand out as an example to follow. Choosing your pastors is an important decision.
For instance, if waves of Christians select pastors who are merely entertaining but care little for discipleship, what do you think will result? Or, what would happen to you if your pastor repeatedly brought you into theological error? Or think of the impact of having a pastor who is motivated by the fear of man rather than the fear of God?
But how do we make this choice? What do we look for? What is a pastor supposed to be?
1. They Are Shepherds (5:1-2)
Self-Jeopardizing Shepherds
First, we learn pastors are meant to be shepherds. I would like to eradicate the term of its sappy sentimentalism.
In the Old and New Testaments, shepherds were used as metaphors for good spiritual leadership. Moses and David were shepherds of Israel who laid down their lives to confront the powers of darkness for the sheep. Isaiah and Ezekiel rebuked bad shepherds who did things for unrighteous gain and wouldn't say hard things the people didn't want to hear.
And remember the context Peter is writing to: these churches were at the beginning stages of marginalization for the gospel's sake. Peter saw swells of hostility rolling in and predicted that a tsunami was coming. And since the pastors were the visible figureheads and leaders of these churches, Peter assumed jeopardy for these men. War was coming.
Peter's Experience Was Their Experience
And, as I said earlier, Peter could relate to the combative nature of the role these men were in. He had fought for the gospel outside and inside the church, oftentimes suffering in the process.
But he could also relate because he had seen Jesus endure the war of all wars. He called himself a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker of the glory that is going to be revealed (1). It's true. Peter had watched while the tide of popular opinion turned against Jesus. He watched Jesus become alienated from his own family members. He saw the Jewish leaders and Roman officials reject Jesus. He knew about the plots against Jesus, the arrest of Jesus, and the beatings Jesus endured. He was there in the distress of the garden of Gethsemane. And he was privy to the pain and agony of the cross. He knew Jesus was the original self-jeopardizing Shepherd (5:4). And Peter knew that any suffering he endured for Jesus was like Jesus.
Shepherding
So what did Peter want these shepherds, these pastors, to do? He wanted them to shepherd. He said, "Shepherd the flock of God that is among you" (2).
But what does that mean? In the Bible, spiritual leaders were meant to shepherd in two main ways, through tending and feeding God's people -- those were the two exhortations Jesus gave Peter (John 2:15-17). To tend means to care, lead, guide, and protect. It can be exhausting work, and no man does this perfectly. To feed means bringing the nutritive resource of God's word to his people in a variety of ways. It also is tiring work, and the job of tending and feeding is never done.
2. They Must Be Willing (5:2-3)
The second attribute of pastors is that they must be willing to work and willing to do the work. Peter said:
2b exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
Motives
In this brief section, Peter went for the heart of a pastor's motivation. John Calvin said Peter was pointing out three vices pastors might succumb to -- laziness, greed, and lust for power. Peter tells us there is no room for all three.
Willingly & Eagerly
First, Peter said a pastor must exercise oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have him (2). I have known men who didn't want to do the work but "felt called" to the work, so they thought they had to pastor. But Peter said pastors should not do it by compulsion, but willingly (2). They should want to be pastors.
He also said pastors should not pastor "for shameful gain, but eagerly" (1 Peter 5:2). This was not Peter's way of saying pastors should never be paid. Some aren't. Some are. Paul said things like: "Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching...the laborer is worthy of his wages" (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Peter is not picking on salaried pastors, those who get some financial gain from the work, but on those who do it for shameful gain (3). We can easily observe exorbitant forms of this in modern prosperity preachers or some "celebrity pastors." Instead, Peter said, pastors should be eager to do the work.
Now, please think about the implications. Your pastors should want to do the work. Continually. Peter used the words willingly and eagerly. But a desire, a will, is not something that one acquires early on and never has to revisit. No, a pastor must perpetually cultivate his heart and health so that he stokes his will within to crave the work.
Many pastors are immensely discouraged. Many have burdens placed on them they could not possibly bear. Some of them have allowed expectations of them to run out of control. And most are exposed to the more unsavory effects of sin and the problematic portions of the church family on a regular basis. And when the church is marginalized or exiled, fears can compound, and a pastor can feel he has a target on his back. So he (and the church) should work hard to establish boundaries and rhythms that allow his soul to be nourished and re-nourished by God. He must open his spirit to God's Spirit so that God can reignite the will within.
3. They Must Be Examples (5:3)
But beyond the heart motivation of a pastor is his method of leadership. Peter said they must be examples to the church. He said:
3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.
Imitate A Person?
Many of us know the Bible teaches us to imitate God. In the Old and New Testaments, God is the standard. We are made in his image to bear his image. He tells us to be holy as he is holy. As Paul said:
Ephesians 5:1 (ESV) — 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
We also know we are to model our lives after God the Son. John said:
1 John 2:6 (ESV) — 6 whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.
But even though we are called to imitate God and walk as Jesus walked, pastors are to live as examples to the flock (3). Rather than domineer over the church -- or "lord it over" the church, as some translations put it -- God's leaders are called to lead by example.
The apostle Paul embraced this mentality when he said:
1 Corinthians 11:1 (ESV) — 1 Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.
He also told Timothy and Titus to live exemplary lives (1 Timothy 4:12, Titus 2:7-8). This calling is even evident in the lists describing what a pastor must be; they are light on talents and heavy on character because that character should be an example for the whole church (1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 15:-9).
As Hebrews said:
Hebrews 13:7 (ESV) — 7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Not Domineering
But the context of Peter's words makes it sound as if this methodology -- being an example -- was in jeopardy. It sounds good to us for pastors to lead by example, but in those days, a pastor could lead through domination, partly because they had a significant amount of authority. And this can be done today.
For instance, many of you have likely come across Christianity Today's popular podcast, The Rise And Fall Of Mars Hill. It is a confounding look at how power (rather than service) can become the norm in a church or church movement.
Many Christians, of course, have stories of painful interactions with church leadership. I know I do. And I'm sure I am part of many for others, even unknowingly. But the general trend of a pastor's life and ministry should be towards humble service rather than running roughshod over God's people.
Unfortunately, some of the most charismatic and confident church leaders also struggle with this methodology. But Jesus stands out as our constant source of wisdom and our pattern to follow. He did not domineer but patiently served his people while exemplifying the life he wanted them to follow.
What you want to do is look for pastors who have character. Find men you can imitate. Listen for their way of life, their emphases, and their passions. Find out what drives them.
Are they intent on building their own kingdom, or are they serving God's kingdom? Are they concerned with their own popularity, or do they drive forward to the fame of Christ? Can they celebrate the wins of others, or do they always have to be at the forefront?
Do they love their family? Do they manage their lives well? Are they self-controlled and disciplined? Do they speak gently to individuals? Do they fear God? Do they love his word? Do they take their own sanctification seriously?
Or do they neglect their family? Are their lives chaotic and impossibly overwhelmed? Are they angry and inflammatory when they speak? Do they have few boundaries? Do they lack self-control? Are they loose with their words? Do they cross lines and disobey God?
Again, no man is perfect, but you should find pastors who live exemplary lives. This is especially important in chaotic times, seasons when the church is exiled.
4. They Are Motivated by Their Lord (5:4)
Finally, Peter says pastors should be motivated by their Lord. He said:
4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.
Definition: The Crown of Glory
Good pastors will be motivated by the return of the ultimate pastor, the true Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ (Ezekiel 34:11-16, John 10:11-14, Hebrews 13:20).
But they are also motivated by what Jesus will give them: the unfading crown of glory (4). It is true that every believer will receive a crown of righteousness or life, but the passages that suggest as much might be using "crown" as a metaphor for the heavenly life (2 Timothy 4:8, James 1:12, Revelation 2:10, 3:11). But the crown Peter mentions here is different from the crown all believers will receive.
The crowns (stephanos) used in Peter's day were given to winners of athletic contests or Roman generals who were valiant in battle. But many of those crowns were made of perishable materials, a wreath that would wither over time. But Peter said the crown pastors achieve are unfading (4).
A good pastor will be motivated by the reward coming with his Lord. He will look forward to hearing Jesus say, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of the Lord" (Matthew 25:21).
And this motivation will make him impervious to the sudden shifts that can come upon the exiled church. When his motivation is what Jesus thinks of him, a pastor will have reservoirs of strength that enable him to handle criticism, navigate waves of trials, and endure pressures from outside and inside the church. With Christ's reward as his motivation, a pastor will say whatever he has to say, even if his audience doesn't like it or even if it lands him in prison.
So find pastors who care much about what Christ thinks of them and think less about what people think of them.
Conclusion: Have Synergy With Them (5:5)
We could stop there, but let's read one more verse. In it, I think we see a brief conclusion to Peter's words to pastors. The church should strive to have synergy with their pastors -- each member doing their part so the gospel can advance. Let's read:
5 Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”
Humility Gets It Done
It isn't that the older folks in the church didn't need to be subject to the elders, but those who are younger sometimes need to learn this lesson for the first time (5). We are to relate to each other with humility.
And this humility gets the job done. The small churches Peter wrote to accomplished much in the decades and centuries after his letter reached them. Their region became an epicenter of Christian doctrine in those early centuries. They would soon have many flourishing, fruitful churches in their midst. I think much of this fruit was a result of heeding Peter's words. And as pastors and church members humbly worked together, they did damage for God's kingdom.
I think this humility toward one another is important when the church is marginalized. In chaos, perspectives abound. But with humility, we should be able to serve and love across a variety of convictions and perspectives. Humility helps us think we might be wrong and others might be right. Humility helps us realize we aren't infallible. Humility helps us keep the gospel as the thing of highest importance. And humility gives us synergy together, two parts working together to produce a greater effect than we could alone.
It is part of our American DNA to question authority. And Christians on this side of the reformation are known as protestants for a reason. Still, Peter's words, and many others in the New Testament, ring true.
Hebrews 13:17 (ESV) — 17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
It seems there is something powerful about joining yourself to pastors like Peter described. If they are good shepherds, if they are willing to do the work, if they are good examples, and if they look to Jesus' reward, they are worth linking up with. Though they are imperfect, so are you. Together, with humility, you can accomplish much.