the Week of Proper 28 / Ordinary 33
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1 Peter 5:1
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Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
elders: Acts 11:30, Acts 14:23, Acts 15:4, Acts 15:6, Acts 15:22, Acts 15:23, Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28,*Gr: Acts 21:18, 1 Timothy 5:1, 1 Timothy 5:19, Titus 1:5
who: Philemon 1:9, 2 John 1:1, 3 John 1:1
also: ï±×¥×× ×¡××£×ץפ×ס××¢ [Strong's G4850], a fellow-elder, one on a level with yourselves.
and a: 1 Peter 1:12, Luke 24:48, John 15:26, John 15:27, Acts 1:8, Acts 1:22, Acts 2:32, Acts 3:15, Acts 5:30-32, Acts 10:39-41
a partaker: 1 Peter 5:4, 1 Peter 1:3-5, Psalms 73:24, Psalms 73:25, Romans 8:17, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 5:1, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philippians 1:19, Philippians 1:21-23, Colossians 3:3, Colossians 3:4, 2 Timothy 4:8, 1 John 3:2, Revelation 1:9
Reciprocal: Exodus 3:16 - elders 2 Samuel 7:7 - feed Jeremiah 3:15 - And I Jeremiah 23:4 - I Matthew 16:17 - Blessed Matthew 24:45 - to give Luke 1:2 - which Luke 12:37 - Blessed Luke 12:42 - to give John 19:35 - he that John 21:15 - Feed Acts 15:32 - exhorted Romans 3:23 - of Romans 12:7 - ministry 1 Corinthians 2:7 - unto 1 Corinthians 3:14 - General 1 Corinthians 9:23 - that 1 Corinthians 9:26 - not 1 Corinthians 12:28 - God 2 Corinthians 5:6 - we are always Ephesians 4:11 - pastors Philippians 1:7 - partakers of my Philippians 4:19 - glory Colossians 1:12 - partakers 1 Timothy 6:2 - partakers Philemon 1:17 - thou count Hebrews 2:10 - glory Hebrews 3:1 - partakers Hebrews 3:14 - we are 1 Peter 4:13 - ye are 2 Peter 1:1 - an apostle 1 John 1:2 - and bear 1 John 1:3 - ye also
Cross-References
These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the Lord God made the earth and the heavens.
These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and heaven.
This is the story of the creation of the sky and the earth. When the Lord God first made the earth and the sky,
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created—when the Lord God made the earth and heavens.
These [are] the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens.
This is the history of the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that Yahweh God made earth and the heavens.
This is the history of [the origin of] the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day [that is, days of creation] that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—
These ben the generaciouns of heuene and of erthe, in the day wherynne the Lord God made heuene and erthe,
These [are] births of the heavens and of the earth in their being prepared, in the day of Jehovah God's making earth and heavens;
This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made them.
Gill's Notes on the Bible
The elders which are among you I exhort,.... The apostle returns to particular exhortations, after having finished his general ones, and which chiefly concern patient suffering for Christ; and having particularly exhorted subjects to behave aright to civil magistrates, servants to their masters, and husbands and wives mutually to each other, here proceeds to exhort "elders" to the discharge of their office and duty; by whom are meant, not the elder in age, or the more ancient brethren in the churches, though they are distinguished from the younger, in 1 Peter 5:5 but men in office, whose business it was to feed the flock, as in 1 Peter 5:2 and though these might be generally the elder men, and whose office required, at least, senile gravity and prudence, yet they were not always so; sometimes young men, as Timothy, and others, were chosen into this office, which is the same with that of pastors, bishops, or overseers; for these are synonymous names, and belong to persons in the same office: and these are said to be "among" them, being members of the churches, and called out from among them to the pastoral office, and who were set over them in the Lord, and had their residence in the midst of them; for where should elders or pastors be, but with and among their flocks? they were fixed among them; and in this an elder differs from an apostle; an elder was tied down to a particular church, whereas an apostle was at large, and had authority in all the churches; and these the Apostle Peter does not command in an authoritative way, though he might lawfully have used his apostolic power; but he chose rather to exhort, entreat, and beseech, and that under the same character they bore:
who also am an elder; or, "who am a fellow elder"; and so the Syriac version renders it; and which expresses his office, and not his age, and is entirely consistent with his being an apostle; for though that is an higher office than a pastor, or elder, yet it involves that, and in some things agrees with it; as in preaching the word, and administering ordinances; and is mentioned to show the propriety and pertinency of his exhortation to the elders; for being an elder himself, it was acting in character to exhort them; nor could it be objected to as impertinent and unbecoming; and since he was still in an higher office, on which account he could have commanded, it shows great humility in him to put himself upon a level with them, and only entreat and beseech them; he does not call himself the prince of the apostles and pastors, and the vicar of Christ, as his pretended successor does, but a fellow elder:
and a witness of the sufferings of Christ; as he was even an eyewitness of many of them; of his exceeding great sorrow in his soul, of his agony and bloody sweat in the garden, and of his apprehension, and binding by the officers and soldiers there; and of the contumelious usage he met with in the high priest's hall, where was mocked, blindfolded, buffeted, and smote upon the face; if not of his sufferings on the cross; since it is certain John was then present; and quickly after we read of Peter and he being together, John 19:26 and therefore a very fit person to exhort these elders to feed the churches under their care with the preaching of a crucified Christ; since he, from his certain knowledge, could affirm his sufferings and his death: moreover, he was a witness, that is, a minister, and preacher of the sufferings of Christ, and of the doctrines of peace, pardon, justification, and salvation through them; as appears from all his sermons recorded in the "Acts of the Apostles", and from these his epistles: and besides, he was a partaker of the sufferings of Christ; he bore witness to him, by suffering for him; and as the Apostle Paul did, filled up the afflictions of Christ in his flesh; he, with other apostles, were put into the common prison by the Jewish sanhedrim, for preaching Christ, as he afterwards was by Herod; and had, doubtless, by this time, gone through a variety of sufferings for the sake of Christ and his Gospel, as he afterwards glorified God by dying that death, which his Lord and master signified to him before hand; and therefore a very proper person to exhort these elders to discharge their work and office, and persevere in it, whatever they were called to suffer for it:
and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed; which some think has reference to the transfiguration of Christ upon the mount, where Peter was present, and saw the glory of Christ, and of those that were with him, Moses and Elias, and enjoyed their company, and heard their conversation with so much pleasure and delight, that he was for continuing there; and which was an emblem and pledge of the glory of Christ, that was afterwards to be revealed, and still is to be revealed, and so the Syriac version renders it, "a partaker of his glory": of the glory of Christ, see 1 Peter 4:13 or it regards the eternal glory and happiness of the saints, which is at present hid, and unseen, but shall be revealed at the last time, at the coming of Christ, when he shall appear in his glory, both to the saints, in them, and upon them; a glory which shall be both upon body and soul; and this the apostle calls himself a partaker of, as in Christ, his head and representative, and because of his interest in it, his assurance of right unto it, and meetness for it, and the certainty of enjoying it; nothing being more sure than this, that those that suffer with Christ, and for his sake, shall be glorified with him. Now, the exhortation of a person in such an office, as before expressed, and of one that was an eyewitness of Christ's sufferings, and had endured so much for Christ, and had had so large an experience of his grace, and such full assurance of glory, must carry great weight and influence in it, and is as follows.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
The elders which are among you I exhort - The word âelderâ means, properly, âone who is old;â but it is frequently used in the New Testament as applicable to the officers of the church; probably because aged persons were at first commonly appointed to these offices. See Acts 11:30, note; Acts 14:23, note; Acts 15:2, note. There is evidently an allusion here to the fact that such persons were selected on account of their age, because in the following verses (1 Peter 5:4) the apostle addresses particularly the younger. It is worthy of remark, that he here refers only to one class of ministers. He does not speak of three âorders,â of âbishops, priests, and deacons;â and the evidence from the passage here is quite strong that there were no such orders in the churches of Asia Minor, to which this Epistle was directed. It is also worthy of remark, that the word âexhortâ is here used. The language which Peter uses is not that of stern and arbitrary command; it is that of kind and mild Christian exhortation. Compare the notes at Philemon 1:8-9.
Who am also an elder - Greek: âa fellow-presbyter,â (ÏÏ Î¼ÏÏεÏÎ²Ï ÌÏεÏÎ¿Ï sumpresbuteros.) This word occurs nowhere else in the New Testament. It means that he was a co-presbyter with them; and he makes this one of the grounds of his exhortation to them. He does not put it on the ground of his apostolical authority; or urge it because he was the vicegerent of Christ; or because he was the head of the church; or because he had any pre-eminence over others in any way. Would he have used this language if he had been the âhead of the churchâ on earth? Would he if he supposed that the distinction between apostles and other ministers was to be perpetuated? Would he if he believed that there were to be distinct orders of clergy? The whole drift of this passage is adverse to such a supposition.
And a witness of the sufferings of Christ - Peter was indeed a witness of the sufferings of Christ when on his trial, and doubtless also when he was scourged and mocked, and when he was crucified. After his denial of his Lord, he wept bitterly, and evidently then followed him to the place where he was crucified, and, in company with others, observed with painful solicitude the last agonies of his Saviour. It is not, so far as I know, expressly said in the Gospels that Peter was pre sent at the crucifixion of the Saviour; but it is said Luke 23:49 that âall his acquaintance, and the women that followed him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things,â and nothing is more probable than that Peter was among them. His warm attachment to his Master, and his recent bitter repentance for having denied him, would lead him to follow him to the place of his death; for after the painful act of denying him he would not be likely to expose himself to the charge of neglect, or of any want of love again. His own solemn declaration here makes it certain that he was present. He alludes to it now, evidently because it qualified him to exhort those whom he addressed. It would be natural to regard with special respect one who had actually seen the Saviour in his last agony, and nothing would be more impressive than an exhortation falling from the lips of such a man. A son would be likely to listen with great respect to any suggestions which should be made by one who had seen his father or mother die. The impression which Peter had of that scene he would desire to have transferred to those whom he addressed, that by a lively view of the sufferings of their Saviour they might be excited to fidelity in his cause.
And a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed - Another reason to make his exhortation impressive and solemn. He felt that he was an heir of life. He was about to partake of the glories of heaven. Looking forward, as they did also, to the blessed world before him and them, he had a right to exhort them to the faithful performance of duty. Anyone, who is himself an heir of salvation, may appropriately exhort his fellow-Christians to fidelity in the service of their common Lord.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
CHAPTER V.
Directions to the elders to feed the flock of God, and not
to be lord over God's heritage, that when the chief Shepherd
does appear, they may receive a crown of glory, 1-4.
The young are to submit themselves to the elder, and to humble
themselves under the mighty hand of God, and cast all their
care upon him, 6-7.
They should be sober and watchful, because their adversary the
devil is continually seeking their destruction, whom they are
to resist, steadfast in the faith, 8, 9.
They are informed that the God of all grace had called them to
his eternal glory, 10- 11.
Of Silvanus, by whom this epistle was sent, 12.
Salutations from the Church at Babylon, 13.
The apostolic benediction, 14.
NOTES ON CHAP. V.
Verse 1 Peter 5:1. The elders which are among you — In this place the term ÏÏεÏÎ²Ï ÏεÏοι, elders or presbyters is the name of an office. They were as pastors or shepherds of the flock of God, the Christian people among whom they lived. They were the same as bishops, presidents, teachers and deacons, Acts 14:23; 1 Timothy 5:17. And that these were the same as bishops the next verse proves.
Who am also an elder — ÏÏ Î¼ÏÏεÏÎ²Ï ÏεÏοÏ. A fellow elder; one on a level with yourselves. Had he been what the popes of Rome say he was-the prince of the apostles; and head of the Church, and what they affect to be-mighty secular lords, binding the kings of the earth in chains, and their nobles in fetters of iron; could he have spoken of himself as he here does? It is true that the Roman pontiffs, in all their bulls, each style themselves servus servorum Dei, servant of the servants of God, while each affects to be rex regum, king of kings, and vicar of Jesus Christ. But the popes and the Scriptures never agree.
A witness of the sufferings of Christ — He was with Christ in the garden; he was with him when he was apprehended. and he was with him in the high priest's hall. Whether he followed him to the cross we know not; probably he did not, for in the hall of the high priest he had denied him most shamefully; and, having been deeply convinced of the greatness of his crime, it is likely he withdrew to some private place, to humble himself before God, and to implore mercy. He could, however, with the strictest propriety, say, from the above circumstances, that he was a witness of the sufferings of Christ.
A partaker of the glory — He had a right to it through the blood of the Lamb; he had a blessed anticipation of it by the power of the Holy Ghost; and he had the promise from his Lord and Master that he should be with him in heaven, to behold his glory; John 17:21; John 17:24.
