1 Peter 5
Living Bible
5 And now, a word to you elders of the church. I, too, am an elder; with my own eyes I saw Christ dying on the cross; and I, too, will share his glory and his honor when he returns. Fellow elders, this is my plea to you: 2 Feed the flock of God; care for it willingly, not grudgingly; not for what you will get out of it but because you are eager to serve the Lord. 3 Don’t be tyrants, but lead them by your good example, 4 and when the Head Shepherd comes, your reward will be a never-ending share in his glory and honor.
5 You younger men, follow the leadership of those who are older. And all of you serve each other with humble spirits, for God gives special blessings to those who are humble, but sets himself against those who are proud. 6 If you will humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, in his good time he will lift you up.
7 Let him have all your worries and cares, for he is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you.
8 Be careful—watch out for attacks from Satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart. 9 Stand firm when he attacks. Trust the Lord; and remember that other Christians all around the world are going through these sufferings too.
10 After you have suffered a little while, our God, who is full of kindness through Christ, will give you his eternal glory. He personally will come and pick you up, and set you firmly in place, and make you stronger than ever. 11 To him be all power over all things, forever and ever. Amen.
12 I am sending this note to you through the courtesy of Silvanus who is, in my opinion, a very faithful brother. I hope I have encouraged you by this letter, for I have given you a true statement of the way God blesses. What I have told you here should help you to stand firmly in his love.
13 The church here in Rome[a]—she is your sister in the Lord—sends you her greetings; so does my son Mark. 14 Give each other the handshake of Christian love. Peace be to all of you who are in Christ.
Peter
Footnotes
- 1 Peter 5:13 The church here in Rome, literally, “She who is at Babylon is likewise chosen”; but Babylon was the Christian nickname for Rome, and the “she” is thought by many to be Peter’s wife to whom reference is made in Matthew 8:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5, etc. Others believe this verse should read: “Your sister church here in Babylon salutes you, and so does my son Mark.”
1 Peter 5
The Message
He’ll Promote You at the Right Time
5 1-3 I have a special concern for you church leaders. I know what it’s like to be a leader, in on Christ’s sufferings as well as the coming glory. Here’s my concern: that you care for God’s flock with all the diligence of a shepherd. Not because you have to, but because you want to please God. Not calculating what you can get out of it, but acting spontaneously. Not bossily telling others what to do, but tenderly showing them the way.
4-5 When God, who is the best shepherd of all, comes out in the open with his rule, he’ll see that you’ve done it right and commend you lavishly. And you who are younger must follow your leaders. But all of you, leaders and followers alike, are to be down to earth with each other, for—
God has had it with the proud,
But takes delight in just plain people.
6-7 So be content with who you are, and don’t put on airs. God’s strong hand is on you; he’ll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you.
He Gets the Last Word
8-11 Keep a cool head. Stay alert. The Devil is poised to pounce, and would like nothing better than to catch you napping. Keep your guard up. You’re not the only ones plunged into these hard times. It’s the same with Christians all over the world. So keep a firm grip on the faith. The suffering won’t last forever. It won’t be long before this generous God who has great plans for us in Christ—eternal and glorious plans they are!—will have you put together and on your feet for good. He gets the last word; yes, he does.
12 I’m sending this brief letter to you by Silas, a most dependable brother. I have the highest regard for him.
I’ve written as urgently and accurately as I know how. This is God’s generous truth; embrace it with both arms!
13-14 The church in exile here with me—but not for a moment forgotten by God—wants to be remembered to you. Mark, who is like a son to me, says hello. Give holy hugs all around! Peace to you—to all who walk in Christ’s ways.
The Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson