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Dave Burnette's Commentary

1 Peter Chapter 5

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Peter
Date Penned: (62-64 AD)
Overview: Peter Encourages Suffering Christians (c 1-5)
Theme: The Shepherding of God's People in the Midst of Suffering (c 5)
Message: Peter's Final Advice (v 1-14)

1 Peter 5 Commentary

(5:1-11) Advice for Elders and Young Men - Peter wrote this letter just before Emperor Nero began cruelly persecuting Christians in Rome and throughout the empire. About thirty years earlier, Peter, fearing for his life, had three times denied even knowing Jesus (John 18:15-27). Since then, having learned how to stand firm in an evil world, Peter encouraged other Christians, who were facing pressure to deny their faith. Peter believed and lived what he wrote in this letter—later he was executed by the Romans for believing in and preaching Christ. In this section, Peter addressed three groups: elders, younger men, and the church as a whole. Those who stand for Christ will be persecuted because the world is ruled by Christ’s greatest enemy. But just as the small group of early believers stood against persecution, so we must be willing to stand for our faith with the patience, endurance, and courage that Peter exhibited.

(5:12-14) Peter's Final Greeting - Many of the letters in our Bible close with the writer’s personal greetings to friends and colleagues in the letter’s destination. In this case, Peter’s letter would be carried along to various churches, so Peter greeted no one in particular, but rather sent greetings from those with him in Rome. No doubt the letters of Peter, Paul, James, John, and Jude offered great comfort to the Christians scattered across the world. Believers realized a unity in Christ, a bond of love, and a common future together that could help them survive whatever the world might bring. The worldwide Christian family is a continual blessing to believers who find they have Christ in common, even if they live in different cultures.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

The Strategy of the Enemy

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the book of 1 Peter with Chapter 5 and today we see Peter reminding the leadership of the Church to feed the flock as the enemy is an adversary that will be looking to attack the flock like a lion. In making application I am reminded of how a lion roars to scare and scatter the flock to isolate and attack the weak. Today the enemy still uses the same strategy to attack the weak in the body of Christ so the body must rise up, feed the flock, and make the enemies strategy known to all. How about you? Do you see the strategy of the enemy? Let us learn from our text today and the words of Peter to see the strategy of the enemy and how the body of Christ is to strengthen one another making his way known so we will can stand against his attacks.

 

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1 Peter 5

1 Peter 5

 1The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

 2Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

 3Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.

 4And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.

 5Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

 6Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:

 7Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

 8Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 9Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.

 10But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

 11To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

 12By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.

 13The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.

 14Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.