Good Shepherds
I wonder if you’ve ever read someone else’s mail. Maybe you got an email sent to the wrong address, or ripped open a package before realizing it had the wrong name on the label. Maybe you’ve read one of those “open letters” written to a specific person but actually meant to be read by the public.
You might get the feeling of reading someone else’s mail as we get in to our passage today. We’ve been enjoying celebrating the resurrection this morning, but for a few reasons the elders decided we’d keep going with our 1st Peter series this morning. And in our passage, most of these words are not addressed to the whole church but to the smaller group of leaders known as elders. And you might wonder whether it’s worthwhile to spend time thinking about these words that aren’t really for you.
I hope you hang in there today, because, as we’re going to see, these words are for you. Peter’s “open letter” to the elders is full of things that you need to know, and which really matter to you in ways you might find surprising.
So let’s dig in and see where this goes.
1. To the Elders
Let’s remember, first, that we’ve just come out of a bigger section in 1 Peter, beginning back in chapter 3, focused on the reality of suffering in the lives of God’s people. Peter’s been encouraging us to to suffer well and showing us how to suffer well. And last week Jordan walked us through verses 12-19 of chapter 4, which he said was the conclusion to this whole section.
Except that wasn’t quite right. Because look at how our passage opens: “So.” This word also could mean “then” or “therefore.” And it’s sad that this little word doesn’t show up in some English translations because it really matters. What Peter says in this passage is very connected to what he’s just said in chapter 4. As Peter thinks about Christians suffering, he especially thinks about elders who will suffer. Elders, as leaders, will often face the brunt of opposition to the truth.
But there’s an even more specific connection. If you look at verses 17 and 18 of chapter 4, we read that judgement is going to begin at the household of God. As Jordan pointed out last week, these words are drawn from Ezekiel 9, which records a vision of judgement on God’s people which begins at his house. And what does Ezekiel 9:6 say about this judgement? “So they begin with the elders who were before the house.”
The people of Israel were led by a group of elders. And these leaders, these elders, were the first to be judged. New Testament churches were also led by groups of leaders known as elders. And as these churches experienced the purifying, testing judgement of God in the form of persecution, Peter has Ezekiel 9 in his mind and knows that the elders are going to be first in line.
Which means that the instruction to elders in verses 1-4 is not just some blessed afterthought to this letter. “I guess I should say some things to the leaders before I sign off.” No, these are battle plans. Marching orders. This is what elders need to know in order to lead the people of God well while taking fire.
Peter’s Identity (v. 1)
But before Peter gives them any instruction, he starts with his own identity. Verse 1: “So I exhort the elder among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.”
Peter probably knows that the elders will better receive and appreciate his instruction if they know who it’s coming from. And there’s three elements to his mini-biography here. First, he identifies himself as a “fellow elder.” And I think this is just wonderfully humble. Even though he was an apostle, even though he had been given special authority by Jesus, he identifies as a peer—a “fellow elder.”
This reminds us that we should be careful of people who have titles of authority and love to use those titles as often as they can. Jesus had a few things to say about the Pharisees who loved to be called “rabbi” or “father” or “teacher” (Matthew 23:6-11). Peter sets a better example by saying, “I’m talking to you as just a fellow elder.”
Second, he says that he’s a “witness of the sufferings of Christ.” This could point to the fact that he saw Christ’s sufferings. This could also point to his role as a someone who bore witness to the sufferings of Christ. Both of these ideas are connected, but whatever the emphasis is, we also shouldn’t forget that for the apostles, seeing and telling others about Christ’s sufferings was always a source of suffering itself.
The apostles were the key leaders in the church, which meant that they were the key sufferers in the church. Which points us back to the reason why he’s addressing elders. To lead people towards Christ, to bear witness to Christ, means that you’ll suffer for Christ.
Thirdly, Peter says that he is a “partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed.” There’s glory coming, and Peter—like all of us—is going to share in it. As we witness to Christ’s sufferings, we look forward to sharing in His glory, and Peter looks forward to this like the rest of us.
So, we can’t miss Peter’s humility here. He doesn’t pull rank or stand above them. He lets them know that he’s fighting in the trenches with them as one of them.
Peter’s Instruction (vv. 2-4)
And what does he say to them? As we move into verses 2-4, we see Peter’s instruction. We could also say “exhortation,” coming from the word “exhort” in verse 1, a word that means “strongly urge.” This is a strong call, not just a few casual suggestions. And what do we find here? Verse 2:
Shepherd & Oversee
“Shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight.” That’s Peter’s main instruction here. Shepherd the flock of God, exercising oversight.
There’s a few things we need to notice here. First, like we find many times throughout the Bible, God’s people are compared to a flock of sheep. And specifically Peter speaks about the “flock of God.” Which means that the shepherds are not the owners of the flock. It is not their flock. It is God’s flock. And shepherds have a responsibility, under God, to care for the particular group of sheep whom they are among.
Second, as we’ve seen, the leaders are referred to as shepherds. But not just shepherds. Notice how Peter brings together three different words for church leaders: elder, shepherd, and overseer. And shepherd, by the way, is just another word for “pastor.” We could just as easily translate these words as “pastor the flock of God.”
There are several places in the bible where we see these words together like this (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5-7). The idea is that elder, pastor, and overseer are three terms to describe one office or one role. And each of these words helps us understand this role of church leader. “Elder” describes who leaders need to be: someone with maturity, especially maturity of character and faith. “Pastor” and “overseer” describe what they do. And there’s not as much difference between these two terms as we might think.
See, when we think of the word “pastor” or “shepherd” we often associate it with the word “care.” Some English translations even translate the words “shepherd” as “care” or “take care of,” which I really struggle with, because it slants our understanding of what shepherds were. We can too easily think of shepherds like those old Sunday school pictures of Jesus, soft and cuddly, snuggling the cute little lambs all day long.
And we carry that idea into our understanding of church leadership, with phrases like “pastoral care.” We easily think that the job of a “shepherd” is to be like a chaplain in a hospital, somehow distinct from the work of leading and teaching.
And not all of this is all wrong. But it can miss that, like we saw a few weeks back, shepherds were primarily leaders. Their position had authority. They cared for the sheep, not by cuddling with them, but by braving the elements and the dangers to lead the sheep from one place to the next where they could find food and water. That’s why Psalm 23 and John 10 highlight the way in which the sheep follow their shepherd. The shepherd cared for and fed the sheep by leading them.
And so we can see that this word “overseeing,” which has to do with supervision, keeping keeping a watch of protection, and shouldering a responsibility to care for a people, is very connected to shepherding. Which is why Jesus is called the “shepherd and overseer” of our souls back in 2:25. These ideas are almost two ways of saying the same thing.
Now, yes, there is more to shepherding than just leading. In Ezekiel 34 we read that shepherds are also supposed to strengthen the weak, heal the sick, bind up the injured, bring back the strays, and seek the lost, and not to rule with force and harshness (Ezekiel 34:4). So some of our popular ideas of “pastoral care” are a part of the picture. But they’re not everything, and they don’t replace the big idea that shepherds fed the sheep because they led the sheep.
Now, on the other hand, when I talk about leading, we don’t want to hear that word and insert some idea of a modern, corporate, CEO-type business leader. Way too many pastors have tried to be that kind of leader, re-framing the church as some sort of organization so they can make-believe they are some kind of Steve-Jobs-esque entrepreneur. And they miss that one of the main ways that church shepherds or pastors feed and lead their sheep is by giving them the word of God and protecting them from false teaching, like we see in Acts 20 or Titus 1.
Which means that what’s happening right now is pastoral care and leadership. And whether it’s preaching, or one-on-one conversations, shepherding from the word is the elder’s main task.
All of this from Peter’s call here for elders to shepherd and oversee.
Willingly
And yet Peter doesn’t just leave us there. He goes on to tell the elders how they are to shepherd and oversee. And he does it in a set of three contrasting descriptions. In each of them, he first tells the elders how not to shepherd and oversee, in order to highlight how they are to do it.
So first, he says “not under compulsion, but willingly.” Elders should not serve because they have to but because they want to. We see a similar thought in 1 Timothy 3, which says “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.”
We often talk about having a “call to ministry,” which sounds super spiritual, but isn’t actually the language of the Bible. The Bible uses this language of aspiring and desiring, of being “willing.” Of choosing this ministry because you want to serve in that way.
Saying, “I desire to serve as an elder” might sound less spiritual than “I have a call from God to pastoral ministry,” but that’s actually the way that the Bible talks.
And this desire, this willingness, is important, not just at the beginning of ministry, but all throughout. Don’t we know that, with any ministry, it’s easy to loose heart? We start something with great gusto, and then it proves way harder than we imagined, but we keep doing it because we have to.
And Peter knows that an elder serving because he has to is not going to be able to serve long or well in that role. The pastor of Hebrews wrote to his people that, in regards to their leaders, they were to “let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17).
A joyless, foot-dragging pastor is no advantage to his people. But, more importantly, this is how God would have it be, as verse 2 goes on to say. God is a willing Father. Jesus is a willing saviour. He actually wants to save us and shepherd us. He came to seek and save the lost. And so he would have His under-shepherds serve willingly.
This is going to mean checking our hearts, checking our motives, reminding ourselves repeatedly why we’re doing this and for whom. This means not just drifting into a duty mindset, but keeping our desire for ministry fresh and living.
Shepherd the flock of God willingly, not under compassion, as God would have us.
Eagerly
Secondly, and similarly, Peter says to shepherd eagerly. “Not for shameful gain, but eagerly.” There’s a connection here to “willingly,” like we just saw, but here Peter is focusing on the idea that some elders might just do their job for money.
Throughout the New Testament we see that false leaders were often in it for the money. This goes back to the wicked shepherds in Ezekiel 34 who sacrificed the sheep for their own riches. And of course there is Judas, and the many like him since, who have made sure to skim a little for themselves off of the generosity of others.
And then there’s others for whom ministry is just a job. A way to make a paycheque. And many use that to their advantage to get as much as they can. You would be amazed at the kinds of salaries demanded by some pastors and ministry leaders, or the fees that they will charge to speak at events, just because they can.
Now, the Bible does instruct churches to pay those who serve the church as their job. The labourer deserves his wages, as 1 Timothy 5:18 says. But that’s very different from putting a price on your ministry and using the office of shepherd as a way to get rich.
So, Peter says, don’t serve for shameful gain. Serve eagerly, because you desire the ministry itself, not the paycheque.
Exemplarily
Finally, Peter says in verse 3, “not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.” This word “domineering” is related to the word for “lord,” and has to do with subduing someone or being lord over them. It’s the same word Jesus used in Matthew 20:25: “But Jesus called them to him and said, ‘You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them.”
Shepherds lead, like we’ve seen. But shepherds lead for the sake of the sheep. And one of the greatest ways they lead is, as Peter says here, by example. They don’t ask the sheep do to anything that they themselves haven’t done or aren’t doing—just like Peter himself is doing in this passage.
This is how shepherds actually would have worked in the ancient world. If they wanted the sheep to follow them up a mountain, they went first, and the sheep followed them.
This is why, in 1 Timothy and Titus, the character of an elder is their most important quality. Because one of their key jobs is to be an example—someone that others can follow in their very manner of life. This is why we should be very patient with allowing someone to develop the character required to be an example before we give them the title “pastor.” Way too many churches hire guys way too young to be an example to anybody, and slap the title “pastor” on him just because he’s on staff at a church.
This last description here also warns us against pastors who love the leadership and authority that comes with their office too much. I’ve known too many pastors who are basically unknown to their congregations, aloof and invincible, while at the same time loving to remind people that they are the ones in charge, the strong leaders at the top.
That’s how CEOs of large organizations work. That’s how the “rulers of the Gentiles” work. But that’s not what Christian leadership looks like. Shepherds are not to domineer, driving the sheep from behind; they are to set an example, leading from the front by going first—just like Jesus did with us.
Future Glory (v. 4)
Now the question an aspiring elder might ask right now is, “How do I do this? How do I faithfully serve as a shepherd of God’s sheep if I can’t be motivated by duty or money or power, but instead need to serve willingly, eagerly, and exemplarily? How do I sustain that over the long haul knowing that I’ll be the first to be attacked, the first to be slandered, the first to be persecuted? How is that possible?”
And the answer comes in verse 4. This is the motivation Peter offers to his fellow elders for what needs to motivate them and keep them going: “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).
Oh, there’s so much glory in these words. First, see “chief Shepherd.” That’s Jesus. And this phrase, “chief shepherd,” is not invented by Peter. This was a job title in the ancient world for the one who oversaw a team of shepherds when the flock was too big to handle by one. The church of Jesus Christ is a flock, He is the chief shepherd, and the pastors/elders/overseers are the under-shepherds who tend to those outposts of the flock which are among them.
This title is one reason why I struggle with job titles like “senior pastor.” I even know of some churches who specifically designate their senior pastor as “chief among the elders.” Frankly, I find that horrifying. Jesus is chief among the elders. Jesus is the senior shepherd. It might be wise for one of the elders to function as a team lead, but we can never forget that Jesus is in charge, and every pastor serves under His authority.
Second, note that the chief Shepherd is going to appear. That’s been the hope throughout all of 1 Peter, hasn’t it been? The good shepherd who laid His life down for His sheep, who took it up again like we’re celebrating today, who is alive and well, is coming, and he’s going to appear. Our faith will be sight, and we’re going to see Him.
And, wonder of wonders, we will not just see glory. We will share in glory. “And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4).
This idea of a “crown of glory” is an idea familiar to the ancient world. Crowns were given to winners at sporting events, or to victors in battle, or as rewards to the generous. And all of these crowns, whether made of leaves or gold, faded away. They don’t exist anymore. But we will be given the unfading crown of glory—the eternal glory of Jesus, shared with us, which we’ll enjoy and participate in forever.
No matter how hard the battle goes today, no matter how challenging the shepherding task, there is no question that it will be worth it on that day when we see the living, breathing, glorious chief Shepherd and receive from Him the reward of glory to be enjoyed forever.
2. To the Young Men
Now, there’s a lot to think about there. But Peter does not just address the elders in this passage. As we move into verse 5, Peter addresses two more groups within the church, starting with “the younger.” “Likewise,” says verse 5, “you who are younger.”
The word used here for “younger” refers specifically to young men. That’s how the NASB translates this word: “You younger men.” And there’s a couple of reasons why Peter might single out younger men. First, if we think back to Ezekiel 9:6, the judgement that begins at the house of God starts with the elders and moves next to the young men, a word that’s closely connected to the one Peter uses here.
Second, Peter probably knows that if anybody in the church is going to struggle with submitting to the elder’s leadership, it’s the young men. Men who don’t yet have enough maturity to be an elder, but who have enough self-confidence to imagine they could do a better job if they only had the chance.
We have evidence of the word “elder” being used for men as young as 30, and so perhaps this passage should make us think about guys in their 20s. Young men who are growing in their convictions and conclusions but might not yet recognize how much they don’t know and how much father-like maturity they still need to develop.
I can testify to this. I felt like I knew way more at 20 than I did at 30. I didn’t know how much I didn’t know. And so I had a much easier time dismissing and criticizing and writing people off at 20 than I did at 30. I had a much harder time being subject or submissive to those in authority over me at 20 than I did at 30. I had a much easier time being snarky or sarcastic, or telling people off as if I were the expert, at 20 than I did at 30.
But don’t take it from me. I know it can be awkward for an elder to preach on a verse like this, and maybe what I’ve just said sounds patronizing, even though I really don’t mean it that way. I’m just going to hide behind Peter here and point to what he said: “You who are younger, be subject to the elders.” And if that feels hard, then know that this is why Peter wrote these words. He gets it. God gets it. And He knows best.
I think we can also take comfort in the way that this whole passage defines what proper submission to elders looks like, because it defines what the elder’s use of authority looks like. If Peter has just told elders not to domineer over those in their charge, then submitting to the elders will never mean bowing down to them as if they were lords. If some pastor ever says to you, “Listen to me, do what I say, and don’t ask questions, because I’m your pastor,” you don’t have to be afraid that you need to listen to that. Because he’s no longer operating as a shepherd but as a lord, and you only have one Lord.
Jesus has not given his shepherds authority to act that way, and so you’re not required to submit to that kind of domination. But we are called to be subject to godly, qualified leaders who, while not perfect, are following the pattern seen in Scripture.
3. To Everyone
Now finally, Peter gives instruction to everybody in the church community. This final word is for elders, other older men who don’t serve as elders, young men, older women, younger women, children—anybody. And here’s what Peter says to all of us: “Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another.” He calls us to embrace humility. More than that, he calls us to dress with humility—to cover ourselves with it.
Humility is the opposite of pride, and pride is the enemy of Christian community. Pride is what drives elders to be dictatorial and greedy. Pride is what drives young men to be arrogant and insubordinate. Pride is what drives people to gossip and slander and selfishness.
What churches need, as they prepare to care for one another through suffering, is humility. One day we’ll have glory as our crown. Until then, we need to wear humility as our clothes.
I don’t know how much you think about what you wear to church on Sunday. But I wonder if it would be helpful, as we literally get dressed on Sunday mornings, to think about putting on humility like clothes, so that we come to every gathering ready to think about others above ourselves, ready to prize other’s needs above our own, ready to serve instead of expecting to be served.
Peter gives us a motivation for this humility: “For ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble’” (1 Peter 5:5c). These words come from Proverbs 3:34 and remind us that God has promised grace and favour to the humble, and opposition to the proud.
When we feel pride seeping into our thoughts, when we begin to look down on others and imagine we’re higher than them in some way, remember this verse. Fight back at pride with the promise of God’s grace to the humble. Embrace his grace as sweeter and better than the allure of arrogance.
Conclusion
And that’s where we wrap up today. Peter has more to say about humility, which we’ll pick up next week in verse 6 when Josh Bondoc brings the word to us.
For today, I hope that this passage leads us to reflect on the nature of church leadership, and as we reflect, to rejoice. I am one of a group of elders who shepherd this church, and I can affirm that the other men I serve with take this verse seriously. I know them enough to know that they are feeling the weight of today’s passage. This passage and this message is going to drive each of them to prayer that God would strengthen them for this task—and that’s exactly one of the reasons why we can trust them.
I love working with these men. I love submitting to them as one of their peers. If you’re new to this church you may not realize that we’re not led by a pastor, we’re led by a team of pastors, and this is something that brings me great joy.
I encourage you to pray for these men, that they would continue to serve God’s flock here at Emmanuel willingly, eagerly, and exemplarily, without drudgery or greed or abuse of authority, as they look to the return of the chief shepherd. I encourage you to follow them as they follow Christ.
We also have a number of future elders in our church. We have six men who have indicated their interest in stepping into a formal elder apprenticeship, with more we hope to add to that number. I know that each of these men feels the weight of this passage as well. Pray for these elders-in-training, that they would keep growing in wisdom and maturity.
And as we talk about elders and shepherds and overseers and elders-in-training, let’s not forget the big picture here. A message about elders should not make you feel left out if you’re not an elder, because this is for you. Shepherds exist because the sheep matter. Shepherds serve the sheep, not the other way around.
The Lord Jesus, your Great Shepherd, loves you and cares for you. He came that you might have abundant life. He laid down His life for you and took it back up again so He could save you from your enemies and give you eternal life. He’s gathering His flock together and is leading us today as Shepherd and Overseer (John 10:1-17).
And out of the abundance of His love for you, He’s provided you with under-shepherds who serve Him by serving you. They teach you and train you and care for you and feed you with the word and keep guard to protect you from false teaching.
Elders are not some privileged leadership class who rule over the sheep for their own benefit. Much like shepherds in the ancient world, pastors, elders, overseers embrace a humble posture of servant leadership because the sheep matter. The living Lord Jesus bought the flock with His own blood (Acts 20:28), and faithful leaders are one of the ways that He expresses His care for you.
So let’s celebrate that. Let’s commit to pray for our leaders, and let’s, all of us, ask for God’s help to clothe ourselves with humility that our life together might be full of joy, even as we endure hardship, as we wait for glory.