First Peter 5:1-14

I Peter 5:1-4:

^5:1Therefore I encourage elders among you – the elder-together and witness of the sufferings of Christ, the sharer-in-common also of the glory being about to be revealed – ^.2you must shepherd the little-flock of God among you, overseeing not constrainedly but willingly according to God, neither for-shameful-gain but eagerly, ^.3neither as lording-against the lots but becoming types of the little-flock; ^.4and (after) the chief-shepherd having been manifested you will bring-to-yourselves the unfading crown of the glory.

Peter now addresses the elders (elder men). The “elders” in this context refer to those having more knowledge, wisdom, dignity, etc, relative to God and the things of God; elders in service to/for God and the Lord Jesus Christ (not the literal meaning of being older in age than other people). The elders were assigned to take care of the other believers within each community. References: Acts 11:30, 14:23, 15:2, 20:17, 21:18; I Timothy 4:14, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; James 5:14. Peter writes:

Following-on logically (from I Peter chapter 4), I exhort elders among you (I call you beside me as a concerned father or mother would call/invite their children close to them under their arms so as to help them to do what is right)…

-          the elder-together (co-elder, joint elder, I perform the duty or function of an elder in conjunction with you)

• and witness (I am a witness; a “witness” is one who has information or knowledge of that-which he is attesting to, and can therefore confirm it on the strength of his-own authority)
  • of/regarding the sufferings pertaining-to Christ (his experiences, the things that affected and affect him; Peter witnessed Jesus Christ’s arrest, how he was evilly and maliciously treated, his crucifixion, death, and burial, and Peter was now suffering because of being a Christian),
• the sharer-in-common (partaker of/with/in the same thing, a sharer, participant, partner sharing what is common to us)
  • also of the glory being about to be revealed (of the importance, splendor, renown, which is on the point of being uncovered, as removing a veil and exposing what was previously hidden from view) –

…you must shepherd (take-care of and protect, exercise the whole office of a shepherd which involves not only feeding the flock with food such as the Word of God, but also leading and guiding and guarding, etc) the little-flock of God among you (figuratively referring to every one of the holy-people in the elders’ areas of responsibility)…

• overseeing (scoping, surveying, watching over, looking intensely on/at them [some Greek texts do not include this verb]) –   
  • not constrainedly (not in a manner as due to constraint, applied force, a necessity forced upon you, compulsion)
    • but on the contrary, willingly according to God (voluntarily, from yourselves, your own free-will decision to do it in accordance with God’s intention, His will regarding a specific situation or circumstance [some Greek texts do not include “according to God”]),
  • neither for-shameful-gain (not in a manner as a gain that is shameful, indecent profit, to receive a benefit that would in fact be ugly, a deformed advantage)
    • but on the contrary, eagerly (readily, with willing enthusiasm),
  • neither as lording-against the lots (exercising your lordship, mastery over the allotments, the assigned portions, assigned to you by lot; referring to the holy-people who have been allotted to you as your inheritance)
    • but on the contrary, becoming types (causing yourselves to come to pass to be marks, impressions or patterns, the same way as an old typewriter would impress the shapes of the required letters on a piece of paper) pertaining to/for the little-flock;

…and after the time that…

• the chief-shepherd (the high, ruling shepherd who takes care of and protects his people, who exercises the whole office of a shepherd as a shepherd takes care of his flock of sheep; the chief shepherd is the Lord Jesus Christ)
• will have been manifested (evidenced, brought to light, shown-forth)
  • you will bring to yourselves (you will receive/take and carry to/with yourselves, acquire so as to preserve and take-care of it from that time onwards)
    • the unfading crown of the glory (similar to the victory wreath or garland prize put on the head of the victor/winner of a contest or race, but this crown pertains-to and consists-of importance, splendor, renown, and it is described as being amaranthine, made of the flower that does not fade, signifying that the crown of the glory will not go-out, be put-out, waste away; it will not be temporary – it will be permanent).

[Reference: Matthew 2:6, 26:41; John 10:11, 21:16; Acts 1:8, 3:15, 5:29-32 and 40-42, 10:39, 11:30, 20:28; Romans 8:18; I Corinthians 9:25; II Corinthians 1:7, 8:23; Philippians 3:17; Colossians 3:4; I Thessalonians 1:7, 5:23; II Thessalonians 3:9; I Timothy 3:8; II Timothy 4:8; Titus 1:7 and 11; Philemon 1:14; Hebrews 2:7 and 9, 12:15, 13:20; James 1:12; I Peter 1:4, 7 and 11, 2:25, 4:13.]

Verses 5-7:

^.5Likewise younger-men, you must be subject to elders, but all must clothe-yourselves-with the humbleness-of-mind to one-another because “God arranges-Himself-against arrogant-people, but He gives grace to humble-people.” ^.6Therefore you must be humbled under the strong hand of God in order that He may heighten you in time, ^.7having tossed all your anxiety on Him because it is a concern to Him concerning you.

Similarly you who are younger men, you must be subject to (be in subjection to, submissive to, be arranged in the position of being underneath)…

• elders (elder men; in this context it could refer either to those who were given positions of authority within the church or to those who were older in age than the younger men; older men should have knowledge, wisdom, dignity, etc, relative to God and the things of God; they should be elders in service to/for God and the Lord Jesus Christ),

…but all of you must clothe yourselves (tie yourselves, as a slave knots or binds an outer roll of cloth as a white scarf or apron on himself to identify that he is a slave) with…

• the humbleness-of-mind (humility, lowliness of your mind's thoughts, in the position of having humble thinking with respect to what God says and the things of God)
  • towards/for/with one-another
• because (referencing Proverbs 3:34) “God arranges Himself against (puts Himself in ordered opposition to)
  • arrogant-people (people who are haughty, giving the impression of superiority or being-over others which is evidenced by them in an overbearing manner – the people who choose to be haughty and behave in this manner),
• but He gives grace (God un-forcedly presents or yields favor, freely bestowed without any merit on the recipient's part, and this includes reference to the attitude and quality of God Who gives something favorable) to
  • humble-people (those who are lowly, in a state of lowliness, in a position of humbleness with respect to God and what He says – the people who choose to be humble and behave in this manner).”

Therefore you must be made humble (brought to lowliness, a low degree, caused to be in a position of humbleness) under the strong hand of God (legally in submission or subjection to God’s hand which exerts force, has powerful strength; figuratively emphasizing God’s power in effect, His authority and rule)…

• for the purpose and result that God would heighten you in time (He would lift you high, elevate you, bring you into a high position, exalt you during/at a specific time, opportune occasion, precise period, season),
  • having tossed (after you have hurled, jerked, thrown suddenly away from yourselves with a forceful ripping motion)
    • all your anxiety (every anxious care, all your mental distraction with care)
    • on Him (placing all anxiety upon Him)
  • because it is a concern to Him (a care, interest, an object of thought for/to God)
    • about you.

[Reference: Proverbs 3:34; Matthew 6:25-34, 23:12; Acts 1:7; Romans 1:30; Ephesians 1:10, 4:2; Colossians 3:12; I Timothy 5:1 and 2, 6:16; II Timothy 3:2; Titus 2:6; James 4:6 and 10; I Peter 1:5, 3:8.]

Verses 8-11:

^.8You must be sober; you must wakefully-watch; your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks seeking-after to swallow, ^.9whom you must stand-against, solid-people with the belief having known² the same-things of the sufferings to be fully-completed by your brotherhood in (the) world.

^.10But the God of all grace, the (One) having called you having suffered a little-while into His eternal glory in Christ, He will fully-equip (you), set (you) fast, strengthen (you), found (you); ^.11to Him (is) the strongness into the ages, with-certainty.

Peter continues encouraging the holy-people:

• You must be sober (literally this would refer to being free from intoxicants, but it is used figuratively here meaning: be in control of your minds and bodies so that you are alert and receptive to what God and/or the Lord Jesus Christ may want to make known to you, and that you are not in a stupor, a daze, lethargic);
• you must wakefully-watch (be watchful, keep awake; figuratively meaning: have your eyes open and be spiritually alert);
• your adversary the devil (the devil is the one who is anti/against what is right/just concerning you, your opponent as in a lawsuit, the plaintiff against you)
  • [The Greek word translated "devil" comes from the words: "through" and "throw" or "cast." The devil throws/casts things through people, like stabbing a person from outside through the person and out the other side with an accusation, slander, etc. Satan (the unholy spirit in total opposition to the only true God) is sometimes called the devil, which is one of his many names used in the Bible to describe his characteristics, qualities, etc. The devil is the chief of the devil-spirits (demons), which are the other angels that decided to follow him against God and so have become unholy, unclean and evil spirits in subordination to the devil.]
• in comparison to a roaring (howling) lion
  • presently and actively moves around in the process of looking for someone
    • for purpose of swallowing (drinking his prey down quickly, overwhelming a person, swallowing as the sea engulfing people causing them to be drowned, refer to Hebrews 11:29),
• whom you must stand against/anti (you must withstand, resist your adversary the devil),
  • solid-people with the belief (people who are firm, not moving, stable with/in/by the faith, the trust relative to God and the things of God; belief is the information that God makes known to  you to have confidence-in with assured certainty and surety – having the belief is what enables you to be solid people standing against your adversary the devil)
• having known (perceived) and still knowing that the same-things of the sufferings (the experiences themselves, the same things that affect you)
  • are presently in the process of being fully-completed by your brotherhood in the world (are being brought to their ultimate ending issue by/in the band of brothers of which you are members  throughout the world; all holy-people are experiencing and being affected by the same things).

But the God of all grace (Who issues and bestows every form of favor to holy-people without merit on our part)…

• the One Who has called (invited) you who have been suffering for a short span of time
  • into His eternal glory (directed to God’s agelong importance, splendor, renown; the Greek word aionios may be translated “eternal” or “agelong”, and in this context, the glory will not end, it is lifelong, everlasting, it lasts throughout all durations of life, all ages)
    • within the sphere of action of Christ (the manifested essence of God in Christ in us radiating forth [some Greek texts read “Christ Jesus”]),

…emphatically He (God Himself) will (during the time of your sufferings)…

• fully-equip you (put you down in a fitting, straight, right order, frame you together, fit you out with what you need in order to be in the correct condition),
• set you fast (firmly fix you into the correct position, establish you),
• strengthen you (make you strong, as opposed to being weak),
• found you (put or lay as fundamental, as the foundation of a building);

…to Him (God) is the strongness (exerted-force, power-in-effect, exerted-strength [some Greek texts also include “the glory”])

• into the ages (for all the durations of life, for eternity, forever),
• with-certainty (amen, truly, surely!).

[Reference: Judges 14:5 and 6; Psalm 22:13, 104:21; Ezekiel 22:25; Matthew 4:1-11, 5:25, 24:42 and 43, 25:13, 26:38-41; Luke 18:3; Acts 3:16, 10:38, 13:8-10, 16:5, 20:31; Romans 1:11, 4:20, 8:17, 18 and 30, 10:8-17, 15:7, 16:25-27; I Corinthians 1:4 and 9, 12:25 and 26, 16:13; II Corinthians 1:5-7 and 24, 4:16-18, 9:8; Galatians 3:26, 5:24; Ephesians 1:12 and 17, 3:17, 4:27, 6:11-18; Philippians 1:27, 4:19; Colossians 1:23 and 27, 2:5, 4:2; I Thessalonians 2:12, 3:2, 5:6, 8, 10 and 24; II Thessalonians 2:16 and 17; I Timothy 6:16; II Timothy 2:10 and 19, 4:17; Hebrews 2:9 and 10, 11:33, 12:2, 13:21; James 4:6 and 7, 5:8; I Peter 1:5, 7, 9, 13, 15 and 21, 2:17, 4:7, 10, 11 and 13.]

Verses 12-14:

^.12By means of Silvanus, the believing brother as I calculate, I wrote to you by means of little (words) encouraging and witnessing-on this to be (the) true grace of God into which you must stand.

^.13The selected-together in Babylon greets you and Mark my son. ^.14You must greet one-another in a kiss of love¹.

Peace to you, all the (people) in Christ.

Silvanus may have been Peter’s assistant (amanuensis, secretary) who actually wrote down what Peter spoke by revelation, and/or he was the one who delivered this letter to the people to whom Peter wrote. Silvanus was also known as “Silas” (references in Acts 15:22 – 18:5; II Corinthians 1:19; I Thessalonians 1:1; II Thessalonians 1:1). Peter writes:

Through Silvanus…

• the believing brother (the brother, adjectively described as: actively having belief, he is faithful, trusting relative-to God, a believer, and in this context including the meaning that he is believable, trustworthy)
  • as I calculate (reckon, count, compute – this is my estimation, my opinion of Silvanus),

…I wrote to you by means of little words (a small amount of words in this letter)…

• encouraging (exhorting; refer to verse 1 above) and
• witnessing on (refer to verse 1 above – earnestly bearing witness, attesting upon)
  • this to be the true grace of God (what I am writing is the essential reality, the inherent verity of God’s grace, it is the truth about His bestowing of unmerited or undeserved favor; refer to I Peter 1:10)
    • into which you must stand (for which, with a view-to, directed-to this grace you must actively stand firm, as opposed to falling; you have already received this grace when you became holy-people but now you must hold your position, take your stand in the walk/behavior category).

The selected together (this is a singular feminine noun meaning: the joint chosen-out person, the one selected in conjunction with others, referring to the co-elect woman/wife, or this may refer to the group of holy-people who were the diaspora scattered from Jerusalem and now residing with Peter) in the location of Babylon…

• greets (salutes) you
• and Mark my son (“son” is used here in the figurative sense as a term of endearment and quality of life relative to Peter, and may refer to the same Mark referenced in Acts 12:12 and 25; 15:37-39; Colossians 4:10; II Timothy 4:11; and Philemon 1:24).

You must greet one-another (salute, draw each other to yourselves) in/by a kiss of love¹ (the word "love¹" comes from the Greek word agape which is God's kind of love - a love-token, the considerate expression of your Godly-love for one-another within the sphere of action of the brotherly or friendly kind of love).

In some cultures today the literal act of kissing another may not be acceptable - but what Peter wanted them to do was to greet one-another with loving respectful consideration and affection, as is fitting of brothers and sisters in Christ being children of God; perhaps in your culture it may be demonstrated by a hand-shake or an embrace. This is applicable to all holy-people today also because we are children of God having received exactly the same holy spirit within us, which is the spirit of Christ, the deposit of the new covenant.

Now, at the end of this letter to the selected-people who are temporary residents of the scattering of Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Peter reminds them about peace:

• Peace to you (tranquil harmony, tranquility, peaceful wholeness, without any strife or disagreement, is being bestowed to you)
  • emphatically and specifically all the people in Christ (holy-people, Christians).

Being “in Christ” refers to the truth that these people had already believed what God says regarding Himself and His son, the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9), and thus they had received God's gift of holy spirit which is the spirit of Christ within each one of them. They were all children of God and brothers of one-another in the spirit category being limbs/members of the one spiritual body of Christ.

[Reference: Matthew 8:14; Acts 1:8, 15:40; Romans 5:1 and 2, 16:16; I Corinthians 9:5, 16:20; II Corinthians 13:12; Ephesians 1:1, 6:14 and 23; Colossians 1:2 and 27; I Thessalonians 5:26; I Peter 1:1, 2 and 10, 2:4, 6, 9 and 11. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (²) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]